"Ian Marcus!"

Sterling silently mouthed the name.

The Magic Potion Apprentice from the Furnace camp who had risen to prominence with his improved Rock Bear Potion, only to disappear on his own instead of retreating with the main force when the camp fell!

Sterling had long seen through Ian’s ruse of borrowing power to protect himself. What concerned him more were the secrets Ian was hiding.

’How could a mere Middle Level Apprentice possibly improve a High Level Bloodline Potion?’

At first, he had been wary of Alevia, even offering the formula for the Water of Serenity in a trade.

It wasn’t until he asked a friend still at the High Tower to investigate that he discovered Alevia had never taken Ian on as a student at all.

The fact that he had been fooled by a weak Apprentice filled him with rage. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He also suspected that Ian might possess even more valuable knowledge or some kind of Inheritance.

In Sterling’s grand scheme, Ian was meant to be an important pawn for quickly building up his power and amassing capital for the War.

But this pawn had actually slipped from his grasp and even appeared on the front lines of the Demon Hunting War!

’Hard to kill...’ Sterling sneered inwardly, killing intent and greed swirling within him.

He didn’t act immediately. He just took a long look in Robert’s direction, memorizing the silent Apprentice’s face before closing his eyes again.

’The Demon Hunting War, the Underworld... there will be plenty of opportunities.’

’Once I find him, I have countless ways to make this disobedient Apprentice spill all his secrets.’

The square remained as clamorous as ever.

Robert felt a cold sweat break out on his back. The feeling of being watched by a terrifying presence had been fleeting, but it left his heart pounding.

He didn’t dare linger, whispering to his teammates, "Let’s go. We’ll check things out over there."

He led his squad hurriedly away from the corner, melting into the denser crowd.

Mira returned to the Silver Ring’s contingent, her fingertips unconsciously stroking her Magic Staff as she stared thoughtfully in the direction of the gathered Shadow Moon Tower Wizards.

Meanwhile, inside the stone house’s Barrier, Ian was completely focused on processing his ingredients, entirely unaware of the subtle ripples of disturbance in the square.

「The next day」

Ian’s mission was assigned.

He was dispatched to the Rift Tooth Canyon area, on the southeastern periphery of the Rotting Moss Cave.

His duties were to assist a Level One Wizard in clearing out scattered Mid-Low Tier Demons and to guard a narrow pass leading to the surface.

It was a routine defense and cleanup mission in a relatively peripheral location.

Ian packed his gear and calmly left the stronghold, heading toward the mission area.

Along the way, the Secret Magic Mark on his chest grew slightly warm.

’A message from Mira? Is something urgent?’

He sent his Spiritual Power into it. Ian stopped in his tracks, his expression instantly turning grim.

Mira’s message informed him of two things. First, his old acquaintance, Robert, was in the Seventh War Zone.

Second, Sterling seemed to have taken an unusual interest in the name "Ian."

He didn’t care how Mira had obtained the information. The Eastern Seventh War Zone was dominated by the Silver Ring; they were bound to have their sources.

’Sterling!’

Ian’s gaze lowered, murder boiling in his heart.

When that old Liquidation Wizard had hunted him, Ian hadn’t felt much hatred. They were from different factions; fighting was normal.

But Sterling was the commander of the Furnace camp—he was supposed to be on his side!

The experience of being betrayed by a superior, forced into a desperate flight for his life, and nearly dying was etched into his very bones.

Ian’s eyes darkened. ’I’m not as weak as I was when I fled back then.’

Even if Sterling didn’t come looking for him, once he advanced to a Level One Wizard, he would definitely return to Shadow Moon Tower to settle this score.

He continued on his way, his thoughts turning to Robert.

’Good luck to you,’ Ian thought. ’Try not to get targeted and killed by Sterling.’

’So much for that failed investment.’

...

「Rift Tooth Canyon」

The mission proceeded steadily.

Ian’s performance was average. Like the other High Level Apprentices, he continued to use conventional Witchcraft to clear out the scattered Demons that escaped from the depths of the Underground Cave.

He deliberately held back his power. Each time he cast a spell, he included a brief "chanting" motion, and the power of the rays he fired was kept within the normal range for a High Level Apprentice.

A day later, a dull roar echoed from deep within the Underground Cave.

Even through the thick layers of rock, they could feel the heart-stopping fluctuations of Energy.

Scorching heat, biting cold, corrosion, tearing forces... Magic Power of all attributes clashed and annihilated one another in a frenzy.

The battle raged from dawn till dusk, lasting the entire day.

Finally, a colossal crash resounded from the depths of the Earth Core as the central nest of the Rotting Moss Cave was utterly destroyed.

The remaining Low Tier Demons poured out from every exit like a tide, only to be picked off one by one by the High Level Apprentices guarding the perimeter.

The mission was over.

But Ian’s heart grew tense.

He knew the real crisis was just beginning.

He didn’t want to run anymore, nor did he need to.

...

When the order to withdraw was given, Ian did not follow the crowd.

He deliberately hung back a few steps, watching his teammates walk further and further away until the last Apprentice’s figure vanished around a corner in the rock wall.

He turned and walked in the exact opposite direction.

The Rock underfoot gradually shifted from grayish-brown to a pure, inky black. The Magic Power in the air grew more violent and chaotic, and even the fluorescent moss became pitifully sparse, the light so dim he could barely see.

Ian didn’t slow down.

His gray robes fluttered as his figure darted between the jagged black stone pillars, moving as fast as a Shadow skimming across the ground.

His [Earth Vein Resonance] trait made every step steady and powerful, producing only the faintest thuds as he trod upon the rocky ground.

His physique, enhanced by Secondary Limit-Breaking, gave him astonishing Endurance. Running at this speed was merely a warm-up for him.

Deeper and deeper he went.

He could no longer hear any sounds from the direction of the stronghold; all that remained was the mournful cry of the wind whistling through the Stone Forest.

He stopped.

Ahead, a figure in a deep blue Wizard Robe trimmed with silver stood silently atop a massive black Rock.

The corners of his robe stirred without a breeze, and faint heat waves distorted the air around him.

Sterling Vance.

His back was to the direction Ian had come from, as if he had been waiting here for a long time.

Only when he heard the footsteps stop did he slowly turn around.

His face was even paler than it had been at the Furnace camp, but the gloom and greed deep in his eyes were so intense they practically spilled out.

"Ian Marcus," Sterling said, his voice steady. "I didn’t expect you to still be alive."

Ian looked up, his face under the hood calm and emotionless. "Sterling Wizard, you were waiting for me."

"Waiting for you?" Sterling laughed, a smile devoid of any warmth.

"I was just passing by and happened to run into... an old acquaintance who’s been missing for a long time."

He took a step forward, floating down from the giant Rock with graceful movements.

But the moment he landed, a HISS went up from the surface of the black Rock within a ten-meter radius of his feet, sending up wisps of white steam.

"Did you know?"

Sterling walked slowly toward Ian. With every step he took, the Rock beneath his feet would glow faintly red and soften.

"After returning to the High Tower, I looked into your file. Very interesting... a Low Level Apprentice from Muzhen with no background whatsoever, yet you advanced to High Level in a short period of time and could even improve a High Level Bloodline Potion."

He stopped a hundred meters in front of Ian.

For an Official Wizard, this distance was well within absolute attack range.

"I’m very curious," Sterling said, staring into Ian’s eyes as if scrutinizing a precious experimental subject.

"What secret are you hiding?"

Ian didn’t answer.

He just slowly raised his right hand and pulled back his hood.

It revealed a young face that had already shed its immaturity, his eyes calm and reflecting not a hint of emotion.

"I’m curious about something, too," Ian said, his voice just as steady.

"Why would a camp’s commander try to hunt down and kill one of his own Apprentices?"

The smile on Sterling’s face vanished.

"Hunt down and kill?" He scoffed. "You think I just want to kill you? No, you’re wrong."

He extended a pale finger and gently tapped his temple.

"Knowledge, Ian. In the world of Wizards, knowledge is Power, it is lifespan, it is everything.

The knowledge you possess to improve formulas... if used properly, how many resources could it get me? How many detours could it help me avoid on my path to Level Two?"

His eyes became feverish and crazed. He spread the fingers of his right hand and pushed forward through the air.

BOOM!

Thirteen blazing Fireballs materialized out of thin air!

Each one was half the size of a house, radiating scorching heat that began to distort the air.

The Fireballs were not stationary; they began to circle and accelerate along some profound trajectory, kicking up a searing blast of air that swept up and melted the rubble on the ground!

[Molten Fire Ring]!

Sterling’s signature opening move!

"Hand over the formulas and your secrets, and I’ll give you a quick death."

Here, with no one else around, and tempted by the immense lure of Ian’s secrets, his true nature as a Black Wizard was finally revealed.