Chapter 117: Taking Action

"I confirm the trade," Lin Wei nodded.

Lin Wei's certainty stemmed from his understanding of the nature of psychic sorcery: individuals with formidable mental strength could leverage such arts to greater effect. Lin Wei had not only practiced the Shadow of the Holy Light meditation technique but had also utilized the perfect condensation pathways derived by his intelligent core when constructing his rune fragments, pushing his mental capacity far beyond that of other third-rank wizard apprentices.

If Lin Wei mastered psychic sorcery, he would be capable of exerting far more power than peers at his level.

Beyond this, Lin Wei considered his own repertoire of sorcery. He currently practiced two arts: the Eye of Darkened Sight and the Dark Star Quicksand.

The Eye of Darkened Sight was acceptable; although it was a first-rank spell model, it belonged to the elemental category and contained inherent psychic characteristics, meaning he could continue to use it even after becoming a formal wizard.

The Dark Star Quicksand, however, was different. While it was condensed from shadow elemental particles, its essence remained fundamentally physical. Though flexible and elusive in its application, it suffered from significant limitations. In confrontations between high-level wizards, where the clash was defined by elemental power and mental strength, physical-based sorcery was severely diminished. In short, Lin Wei needed to gradually phase out the Dark Star Quicksand in favor of more potent alternatives.

"In that case, once the mission is concluded, I will hand over the memory crystal containing the spell model to you," Sheris said, accepting the terms of the deal.

"A memory crystal?" Lin Wei was slightly surprised, as such objects typically self-destruct after a single use.

Sheris nodded. "Yes. When I purchased the Dream Aura spell model, I happened to receive two memory crystals."

"Was it due to a variance in the success rate?" Lin Wei asked.

Although spell models were inscribed into memory crystals, the manufacturing processes varied, and the inherent instability of certain models meant that successful extraction was not guaranteed. Consequently, merchants sometimes provided two or even three crystals to ensure the buyer could successfully acquire the model.

"Correct," Sheris nodded again. "I will give you the Dream Aura spell model, but I cannot guarantee the success rate of the acquisition."

"That is fine," Lin Wei replied. He was not concerned about the success rate, as his intelligent core could easily deduce the optimal extraction method.

Sheris continued, "Mr. Lin Wei, there is one more thing. For this transaction, I do not want magic stones; I would like to exchange it for points."

Lin Wei pondered for a moment before agreeing to her proposal. "Very well. When the mission is settled and the rewards distributed, I will transfer fifteen points to you."

In truth, Lin Wei was taking a slight loss. While one military service point could be exchanged for twenty magic stones, the reverse was not true; twenty magic stones could not be converted into a single military point.

...

The cover of night allowed the trio to accelerate their pace.

Perhaps due to an overconfidence in the alert transmissions of the first perimeter, the defenses at the second and third checkpoints were lax, allowing the three to slip through with ease.

"We are approximately three thousand meters from the enemy's communication crystal," Ingmore said, growing more cautious. "Beyond the guards stationed around the crystal, I suspect there are special monitoring measures within this three-thousand-meter radius."

"It does not matter. If it is merely a patrol, I can sense them," Sheris said.

Ingmore shook his head. "It is not that simple. I suspect there are other methods in place."

"Hm?!" Through the thick canopy of leaves, Lin Wei and Sheris looked up simultaneously.

"There are surveillance avian creatures," Sheris whispered.

Ingmore followed their gaze to a large bird with a wingspan exceeding a meter; in the darkness of the night, the color of its feathers was indistinguishable.

"A lingering-breath bird..." Ingmore sneered. "It is a scout bird capable of marking an enemy's scent from two hundred meters away. Not a problem; we can dispose of it directly."

"Will it not alert the enemy?" Lin Wei asked, having only read about such birds in books and possessing little practical knowledge of them.

Ingmore shook his head. "No. As long as it cannot return to its master, remembering our scent is useless."

With that, Ingmore flicked his arm, and a blade of wind shot out instantly.

*Puchi!*

The bird circling a hundred meters above was instantly decapitated. It did not even have time to shriek before plummeting to the ground at Ingmore’s feet.

"Let’s go." Ingmore kicked the carcass aside and turned to continue forward.

Sheris and Lin Wei did not linger, following close behind him.

However, none of the three noticed that seconds after they departed, a faint green light flickered from the severed head of the bird, specifically from within its two eyes.

...

"Finally, we have arrived..."

The three hid themselves among the dense branches of a massive tree.

"That object is the temporary communication crystal," Ingmore said, pointing to a massive, spherical green crystal in the distance.

Surrounding the temporary communication crystal was a circle of wizard apprentices, their expressions vigilant. Their aura indicated they were all first-rank apprentices. At the very center of the formation, a wizard clad in blue combat robes sat cross-legged.

"That is the third-rank wizard apprentice guarding the crystal..." Sheris looked at the two of them and shrugged. "Solving this is up to you two; I cannot contribute much more strength."

Ingmore nodded. "In a moment, Lin Wei and I will strike at that third-rank wizard apprentice directly. If we can kill him in one blow, that would be ideal. If not, I will contain him while Lin Wei shatters the crystal. As for you, Sheris, you are responsible for dealing with those first-rank apprentices. There are many of them, so stay safe."

"Furthermore, we must complete this mission within one minute. Once that minute passes, we must retreat regardless of success or failure. After all, we are deep in the territory of the Fanged Blood Shadows; if they bring reinforcements, we will never make it out alive."

Ingmore clearly had experience with many such missions, and his plan was meticulously organized.

"Agreed," Lin Wei and Sheris replied.

"Very well, then..." A look of excitement crossed Ingmore's face. "Let us begin! One hundred and fifty points—it is truly something to look forward to!"

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

Three shadows suddenly vanished from the cover of the foliage.