leonardwarren Chapter 18 Rumors Are a Fearsome Thing
Chapter 18 Rumors Are a Fearsome Thing
The thought of having to fight against someone with a protagonist template made Hick realize that he probably wouldn't stand a chance on his own.
Belon was not weak among the third-level apprentices, but he was still subdued in an instant. If it were me, the outcome wouldn't be much better.
Thinking about this, Hick felt he should change his approach.
According to the usual pattern, he should now be eyeing the treasure on Klara's body, wanting to keep it all for himself, and then personally go and cause trouble for Klara.
If it were the predecessor, it would definitely have done that.
"Boss Hick?"
Dila, seeing Hick suddenly fall silent and his expression change constantly, cautiously spoke up to remind him.
Kurt and Jonah held their breath, wondering why Hick reacted so strangely after hearing this, and that almost mocking "Ha" made their hearts tighten.
Hick suppressed the absurd "scripted feeling" in his heart, but the thoughts of vigilance and probing had already grown and entangled like vines.
"It's nothing."
Hick's voice returned to its usual calm, even a few decibels lower than usual, "I just think that this Clara Layton is much more interesting than we expected."
A cold smile curled at the corner of Hick's lips, his eyes gleaming with calculation.
"A newcomer who possesses a powerful treasure, acts arrogantly, and can even win the heart of the seasoned veteran Peron... Clara Layton, is your reliance really just those few items and your level one apprentice strength?"
He turned, his gaze sweeping over the three people in the room before finally settling on Kurt: "Kurt, take good care of your injuries. This isn't over. Since he dared to touch my people and is hiding such an interesting secret..."
Hick felt a sense of amusement, as if he had seen through the script.
"Then I'll go and meet this 'protagonist' myself, and see just how capable the 'old man' in his ring really is!"
"Let Jona stay here and take care of Kurt."
Hick commanded without room for argument, releasing a powerful third-level apprentice mental force that caused the air in the room to freeze.
He no longer concealed his strength, and this strength was the greatest source of his confidence in his actions at this moment.
"Level 3 apprentice?"
Kurt, lying on the bed, felt an overwhelming sense of oppression, far exceeding anything he had ever experienced before. His eyes blazed with ecstatic joy, and even his pain seemed to lessen somewhat.
"Congratulations, boss! You've been promoted! That's great! With you here, Nakra..."
"Shut up, focus on healing your wounds."
Hick interrupted his compliment, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "I already have a plan to deal with this Krall, and it's perfect... to verify these conjectures."
"Boss Hick, are you going to do it yourself? What about Klar…?"
Dila was somewhat worried.
"Who said I was going to do it myself?"
After saying that, he didn't say anything more. He turned around and strode out of the room. His back was straight and full of power. The elemental affinity of a third-level apprentice formed a weak force field around him, and his clothes fluttered without wind.
Seeing this, Dila quickly followed.
On the bed, Kurt's face was full of excitement at the prospect of getting his revenge!
Watching Hick's departing figure, Jona said worriedly:
"Brother, is this going to work out?"
Kertész was clearly angry at Jonah’s suspicions.
"Since Boss Hick is getting involved in this matter, those Klar and Belon won't have a good ending. Just wait and see."
A few days later, rumors spread like wildfire among the apprentices of the Wizard Tower.
"Have you heard? That new guy, Klar, has a sinister magical artifact that can control third-level apprentices! Senior Beron has already fallen victim to it!"
"I've heard so much! Wasn't Kurt almost killed to silence him because he stumbled upon this secret?"
"This is outrageous! Isn't the Wizard Tower going to do anything about this dangerous individual?"
Listening to the hushed whispers of the apprentices around her, Dila, sitting in the corner, smiled with satisfaction before quietly disappearing into the shadows of the crowd.
"Boss Hick, the news about Klar possessing control-type magical artifacts has spread among the brothers these past few days. Now, basically everyone in the Wizarding Tower's apprentice circle knows!"
Dila reported respectfully.
"very good."
Hick was clearly satisfied with the effect of the public opinion.
"Now, let's see how this 'protagonist' handles this uproar."
As for personally getting involved to monopolize the treasure, as is often the case in those tropes?
Hick sneered inwardly. He wasn't that stupid!
What he lacks most right now is not the opportunity to be a "protagonist," but time!
In the past few days, Hick has been frantically studying those powerful, yet equally mana-consuming, level-zero spells, like a sponge absorbing water.
The abundant magic within him was the perfect asset for unleashing these powerful spells.
At the same time, he also immersed himself in those publicly available experimental manuals, eagerly absorbing knowledge.
If his supervisor hadn't been in seclusion, he would have even tried to ask for more crucial experimental data.
Even so, some unexpected discoveries from the experimental manuals were enough to surprise him.
Hypotheses on the Viability Maintenance of Heart Transplants from Spotted Tigers
Rejection and Inhibition of Compound Eye Transplantation in Krugs
The Possibility of Human Brain Tissue Replacement and Memory Transfer
……
The manual contains all sorts of experiments, some even horrifying, but for Hick, who desperately needs to improve his strength through experiments, these are nothing short of a treasure trove!
However, the immediate problem is that there isn't enough money!
Hick had more than enough magic crystals for his daily training, but it was insufficient to support experiments that required a lot of materials.
Hick stroked his chin, thinking of the family his predecessor belonged to. That family might not be able to provide precious magic crystals, but worldly gold coins shouldn't be a problem.
Moreover, some basic and verification experiments do not necessarily require expensive magical materials; ordinary materials that can be bought with gold coins can be used as a substitute.
"It seems it's time to reconnect with my predecessor's family," Hick thought to himself.
Meanwhile, at the center of the rumors, Clara was in a room with Belon.
The atmosphere was oppressive.
"What happened?"
Clara, her face contorted with rage, sternly questioned Belon.
"Didn't you say this would never leak out?! Now the whole tower knows!"
Perón was speechless at this moment, his face filled with confusion and bitterness.
He already knew Hick's current identity. Judging from Hick's past behavior, Hick should have tried his best to keep the news secret and then secretly take action to steal the treasure!
Why did he not only refrain from taking action, but instead deliberately leak the news to everyone?
What's in it for?
Is it really just to stand up for that good-for-nothing Kurt?
This is nothing like the Hick he knows!
Seeing Belon's bewildered and inexplicable expression, Clara's face darkened to the point of being almost dripping with water.
Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the ring between her fingers, her voice carrying a barely perceptible anxiety:
"What do we do now?! If we let the rumors continue, they'll eventually alert the official wizards of the Wizard Tower! And then..."