One-Eyed Monster

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: Small Team

With great pride, Axia approached the foot of Guru Mountain. He felt that at this moment, only he was qualified to speak to the Imperial Alchemy Workshop’s number two Alchemist. After all, among this group, only he belonged to the Alchemy Workshop. Although he was currently just an Alchemist and didn’t even have a rank there, he considered himself part of it.

”Lord Milo, this is a note from the Chief,” Axia handed the letter written by Chief Kuyi Tulan to a busy Milo.

The Qing Shan Plan was already well underway. The great Alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop had their Exchange Beasts carrying Mail Birds, traversing the mountain, casting long-distance Alchemy Exchange Spells. This caused many Treasure Hunters on the mountain to begin their descent with fear and trepidation.

Treasure Hunters resting on the mountain were surprised to find a tiny ant carrying a large Mail Bird quickly crawling to their feet. The Mail Bird flapped its wings, GURU GURU. The Treasure Hunters, upon seeing the message ”Please descend the mountain,” either looked perplexed or laughed it off.

Just as the Treasure Hunters were marveling or mocking who would be foolish enough to turn a flying Mail Bird into a ground-bound duck, the small ant suddenly seemed to go berserk, scrambling onto their bodies. This was followed by intense pain, and a horrifying image appeared before the Treasure Hunters’ eyes...

The image depicted the tragic fate of the patrons at Lubin Tavern...

This level of Perception Exchange Spell indeed had a significant effect. The Treasure Hunters on the mountain, startled by the frightening experience, descended one after another. When they reached the foot of the mountain and saw the group of great Wizards in purple cloaks, they didn’t dare raise their heads and quickly departed...

Milo, of course, knew that an Exchange Spell of this intensity couldn’t possibly drive everyone off the mountain. They were doing this merely to clear out the ”impurities”; these individuals weren’t worth expending Spirit Power on for their subsequent plans.

”I understand.” After reading Chief Kuyi Tulan’s letter, Milo waved his hand, signaling for the few people behind him to be allowed up the mountain. Simultaneously, he handed Axia a small porcelain vial.

”You have been marked by me. Once you find the person on the mountain, open the vial. This will prevent you from being accidentally harmed by us later.”

”Yes, Lord Milo.” Axia bid farewell to Milo and the others with an eager expression, his heart still quite stirred.

Among the few attendants, Chief Kuyi Tulan had chosen him, which implied the Chief held a rather good impression of him. Even though he was currently just an assistant in the Alchemy Workshop, he had mastered some Alchemy. With his diligence and unwavering loyalty to the Chief, he would surely earn his own number in the Alchemy Workshop in the future. Even if it was number one hundred, it would be enough to make the bastards in his hometown—no, all the bastards in the world—tremble in fear.

Axia looked at the few accompanying him up the mountain: one was so stooped he seemed unable to stand steadily, another looked anxious and seemed to have no idea who he even was, and a third was expressionless, resembling a zombie...

Axia couldn’t help but think that their behavior indirectly proved one thing: on the Yowein Continent, only Alchemists pursued a profession truly worth cultivating. Other professions, hmph, just like these individuals before him, had hardly any presence.

The expressionless man who resembled a zombie in Axia’s eyes was Qi Liu. At this moment, he was concerned about Young Master Hustace’s situation. His innate Politician’s sensitivity made him instinctively calculate the connections between various events in his mind. As for the contemptuous gaze of the Alchemist, he paid it no mind.

”Pity an old bag of bones like me; could you all slow down a bit, please?”

This was Witch Biggs’s request; her stooped figure made her look almost ninety years old.

”Try to keep up. If you get separated, no one will be responsible for your safety,” Axia taunted. ”Aren’t Wizards supposed to command the wind and rain? Are you complaining about a trivial matter like climbing a mountain?”

Whether Wizards could command the wind and rain, Witch Biggs couldn’t say for sure, but climbing a mountain was definitely not a trivial matter for her. Her stooped posture made even normal walking a strain; this mountain ascent was practically killing her.

”Speaking of which, where on the mountain are we supposed to find this person? Do we have any leads, Mr. Big Talker?” Axia continued his taunts, this time directing them at the expressionless Qi Liu.

Qi Liu remained expressionless and continued to ignore him.

”Hah, right. You asked for a Wizard, probably for Divination on what to do next. Perhaps this old Wizard woman here could perform a Divination for us? See which path might yield results with less effort?”

”Divination requires a Crystal Ball...” Witch Biggs said with difficulty.

”Haha, of course! I never expected anything from you wastes anyway. Leave such matters to us Alchemists! Though we may lack a Hunter’s keen nose, we at least have Exchange Beasts. Once the great Mr. Persuader has some clues, just watch me work my magic...”

Axia began to boast.

The Fighter accompanying Witch Biggs and the others up the mountain had been forcibly inserted into the group by Elder Rostellum. This Fighter happened to be Musa, the Earth Wolf who had endured so much humiliation from his peers on the mountain.

Of course, Musa hadn’t intended to come. He had been kicked into it by the limping Aliusan. Seeing Musa muttering ”waste, waste” under his breath, Aliusan had slapped him, then kicked Musa with his lame leg, yelling, ”I really fucking want to kick you to death! You fall apart at the slightest setback! How can you call yourself a Fighter? No matter where you damn well fall, you get your ass back up for me!”

Musa ascended the mountain once more, plagued by the doubt of whether he truly was a waste. Now, hearing Axia use the word ”waste,” he grew troubled again.

This small party heading up the mountain to find Young Master Hustace could only be described as an odd mix; among them, only Qi Liu had a clear objective.

Axia remained immersed in his smugness.

Witch Biggs still couldn’t understand why she had to be here; this whole affair didn’t seem to have much to do with her.

As for Musa, this self-proclaimed failure, untangling the knots in his heart would not be so simple.

Qi Liu inwardly shook his head, his face still devoid of expression. His inherent talent as a Politician allowed him to control his emotions to a masterful degree.

Young Master Hustace was definitely somewhere on this mountain. Qi Liu had parted ways with him at the foot of it. The invisibility cloak had helped them evade most people’s notice, and Qi Liu had used this marvelous cloak to successfully escort the young master up the mountain.

This invisibility cloak had also helped them lose Baharo.

「At this time, Baharo was already on his way up the mountain, moving faster than Qi Liu’s team.」

Baharo felt a sting of disgrace. As a High-Rank Hunter, he had actually lost his quarry. What made him lose face completely was that this blunder had been laid bare before his new employer.

How could he continue in this profession after such a mistake?

He was a member of the ”Hounds,” after all. Along the way, his twin swords had driven off countless ill-intentioned scoundrels. If not for him, that young master would likely have been trussed up and captured by now...

Ultimately, though, he had been played by the young master. If it weren’t for the contract, with his temper, he would have undoubtedly taught that young whelp a lesson.

Baharo also passed the checkpoints set up by Milo and his men on his way up the mountain. However, no Alchemist obstructed his passage. This wasn’t due to negligence from Milo and his men. Obstructing Baharo at this point would simply be a waste of energy.

Whether those who remained on the mountain could withstand the impending grand Alchemy Array, no one knew. Therefore, Milo and the others didn’t waste energy stopping this Hunter. If he could survive the subsequent array, it would only prove the Chief’s astute judgment. If not, it would merely show he was nothing special.

Both Qi Liu’s group and Baharo were searching for Hustace. Baharo could use a Hunter’s Secret Sensing Skills, but Qi Liu could not. He could only do his utmost to find connections from the slightest of clues.

These two search parties, formed to find one person, operated independently on the mountain, each choosing different paths. Who would ultimately find Young Master Hustace seemed to be a matter left to luck.