The Wizard Has A Biochip

[Silence of the Black Forest (0/1) — Orange Mission]

[The trees of the Black Forest have taken on a dark coloration and begun to wither. Since then, fish, animals, and even monsters from the region have been found dead or exhibiting extremely aggressive behavior.]

[An acolyte is summoned to investigate the source of the contamination, identify the origin of the anomaly, and prevent it from continuing to spread through the forests that supply the neighboring villages.]

[Mission Rewards]

[300 Magic Crystals]

[2 Advanced Magic Crystals]

[8 Merit Points from the Lumentrix Association.]

[Additional Reward]

[If the source of the contamination is completely eliminated and the ecosystem’s recovery is confirmed, the Association will grant an extraordinary reward in resources and Merit Points.]

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[Arcane Phenomenon in the Blue Stone Caverns (1/4) — Orange Mission]

[A series of magical disturbances has been recorded in the Blue Stone Caverns, located north of the Kharon Gorge. Exploration teams have reported unknown sounds, changes in the local wildlife, and the disappearance of four miners. The authorities suspect that an unknown entity has awakened deep within the underground complex.]

[Four Apprentice acolytes are required to investigate the origin of the events, locate the missing miners if they are still alive, and eliminate any threat that puts the region at risk.]

[Upon completion of the operation, the regional branch of the Lumentrix Association will issue an official mission completion certificate.]

[Mission Rewards]

[250 Common Magic Crystals.]

[2 High-Level Magic Crystals.]

[6 Prestige Points from the Lumentrix Association.]

[Additional Reward]

[If the team discovers the true cause of the disturbances and presents sufficient evidence to assist future operations of the Lumentrix Association, an extraordinary reward will be granted, including resources and additional Merit Points.]

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[One of the Entrances to the Underground World of Kar-Dur Tower (0/10) — Red Mission]

[Mission Details]

[Several explorers have disappeared after crossing the deepest levels of the complex, and the few survivors reported the presence of degenerated mages and bandits.]

[Ten Level 3 acolytes are required to join a reconnaissance expedition. The team must penetrate at least 16 kilometers into the ruins and complete any missions they are ordered to carry out.]

[Mission Rewards]

[750 Common Crystals.]

[15 Advanced Crystals.]

[55 Prestige Points from the Lumentrix Association.]

[Additional Benefit]

[The underground world of Kar-Dur Tower is famous for containing Ethereal Crystals, Star Ore, and Ancient Relics. All materials and artifacts recovered that are not classified as property of the Association may be kept by the mission participants.]

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Among hundreds of other missions.

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Then I looked at Ruby.

— I’ve already decided.

She looked away from the list she had been examining.

— Which one?

I discreetly pointed to one of the orange-highlighted lines.

— Silence of the Black Forest.

Ruby followed my finger with her gaze.

She remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she smiled.

— Not bad...

Her red eye quickly scanned the mission’s brief description.

— You want the magic core of the demon that’s probably causing that incident.

I nodded.

— Yes.

— But that’s not the only reason.

— That region has several magical markets relatively nearby.

Ruby raised an eyebrow slightly.

— Markets?

I nodded naturally.

— If I need materials, equipment, or want to sell something, it’ll be much more convenient.

That was the perfect explanation.

Naturally...

I didn’t mention the real reason.

Some time ago, using Lina’s family’s old map, I had memorized a good portion of the area’s geography.

The Black Forest was relatively isolated from the major military routes.

At the same time...

It was surrounded by small magical shops.

For someone intending to craft equipment, sell artifacts, buy rare materials, and keep part of his research hidden...

It was practically the ideal place.

Besides...

The fewer well-known acolytes nearby...

The better.

Ruby simply nodded.

— Then let’s secure that mission before someone else takes it.

She stood up immediately.

She didn’t even wait for my response.

She simply started walking ahead like a tyrant.

I stood up right behind her.

In the central corridor of the auditorium, dozens of acolytes were already walking quickly toward Gael.

As the person responsible for the initial organization of the teams, practically everyone had to go through him before officially registering their choices.

However...

The moment Ruby appeared...

The situation changed completely.

She didn’t even ask for permission.

She kept walking straight ahead.

The first young man who remained standing in her path received nothing more than a light shove to the shoulder.

It was enough.

— Aaaah!

He was literally lifted off the ground.

His body was thrown aside like a leaf carried by the wind, rolling several meters before finally stopping.

The rest of the line froze.

Within seconds...

A completely clear corridor had formed.

Ruby walked calmly through it.

Like a queen passing among her subjects.

I simply followed right behind her.

When we finally stopped in front of Gael...

I clearly noticed the change in his expression.

His face lost all color.

He would never forget that night.

His former leader.

His companion.

Both brutally killed before his very eyes.

By the hands of that very same woman.

Gael swallowed hard.

Then he discreetly lowered his head.

He looked like a lamb standing before a predator.

Ruby crossed her arms.

She didn’t even try to be polite.

— Register George for the mission he chose.

Gael responded almost instantly.

— Y-Yes!

He didn’t even ask which mission it was.

Nor did he try to negotiate.

He immediately looked at me.

— Hold your identification document toward the mission you want.

I quickly took out my Tower identification document.

I held it up before the enormous projection.

A slight vibration ran through the crystal Gael was holding.

”Zumm...”

The list glowed.

Then one of the lines began to change.

[Silence of the Black Forest (0/1) — Orange Mission]

It blinked once.

Then...

[Silence of the Black Forest (1/1) — Orange Mission]

Registration complete.

I immediately put away my identification document.

I turned to Ruby.

I gave her a discreet nod.

She merely smiled faintly.

Then she turned her attention back to Gael.

— Now...

— I want this one.

She pointed to a blood-red line located near the top of the projection.

My gaze followed it automatically.

[One of the Entrances to the Underground World of Kar-Dur Tower (0/10) — Red Mission]

A Red Mission...

And one directly related to the Underground World.

Ruby didn’t show the slightest hesitation.

Gael didn’t dare question her either.

He quickly picked up the small crystal.

He channeled mana into it.

The enormous list vibrated once again.

She calmly raised her identification document.

[One of the Entrances to the Underground World of Kar-Dur Tower (1/10) — Red Mission]

Completed.

Gael let out a subtle sigh of relief.

He looked happy simply to still be alive.

Ruby put away her document.

Without saying another word, she turned around and began walking away from the crowd.

I followed her.

Only after we had moved several meters away from the commotion did I speak again.

— We still have to choose one more mandatory mission.

Ruby placed one hand on her waist.

Her gaze swept over the enormous projection floating above the auditorium once more.

— Yes, I know.

In the heart of the Magus Continent, in order to preserve the ecosystem that sustained the very world of mages, the great alliances and associations strictly forbade any Mage from devastating the entire continent merely to expand territory or exploit its resources.

Because of that, humanity occupied little more than one-third of the known lands.

Everything else...

Was an endless ocean of untamed wilderness.

Unexplored mountains.

Ancient forests.

Poisonous swamps.

Magical deserts.

Mountain ranges covered in eternal snow.

And above all...

Most ordinary people would never set foot in those places.

They lived protected behind walls, fortresses, and small cities scattered throughout the territories controlled by the Mages.

When they faced wolves, giant boars, or some low-level wild creature, they could defend themselves on their own.

But...

When a true magical demon appeared...

Everything changed.

Entire villages could disappear in a single night.

Houses burned.

Fields were destroyed.

Whole families simply ceased to exist.

The survivors, when there were any, spent the rest of their lives telling stories about monsters capable of swallowing men alive or unleashing enough magic to reduce an entire village to ruins.

Naturally, governors, nobles, and local authorities turned to the Mages for help.

Except...

Official Mages were far too busy.

To them, eliminating a demon terrorizing a small village was an absurd waste of time.

So there were us.

The acolytes.

We were sent wherever the Mages had no intention of wasting their precious time.

As we completed missions, we gained resources, experience, and survived... if we were competent enough.

It was a cruel system.

But an extremely efficient one.

The Mages maintained order across the continent without having to lift a single finger.

Meanwhile, thousands of acolytes competed with one another for the opportunity to grow stronger.

My thoughts slowly returned to the enormous mission list.

Among all those options, I didn’t even consider touching the Red Missions.

That would have been suicide.

A note glowed at the top of the projection.

Orange Missions: Recommended for Level 2 acolytes or above.

Red Missions: Recommended only for Level 3 acolytes or above.

I narrowed my eyes slightly.

Even those classifications meant absolutely nothing.

This fantasy world was chaos.

A mission considered safe could, overnight, turn into a massacre.

Especially investigation missions.

In theory, investigating a disappearance or a strange forest sounded simple.

In practice...

You walked straight into unknown territory without the slightest idea of what you would actually find.

Most of the time, they were relatively common creatures.

Living slimes.

Trolls.

Corrupted trees.

Lesser magical beasts.

A well-prepared novice acolyte could handle that kind of problem.

But all it took was a single detail to be wrong...

A forest dragon that had decided to migrate.

An ancient arcane spirit.

An unknown mutant creature.

Or some powerful demon lurking in the depths of the region.

At that point, even a Level 3 acolyte could die before managing to cast a second spell.

In the end...

Choosing a mission was very much like gambling.

You analyzed the available information.

Calculated the odds.

Prepared your equipment.

Did everything right...

And still depended on luck.

Because no one could control when fate would decide to place a monster far beyond expectations in your path.

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1585 Words