"I’ll give you an additional reward of two thousand Magic Stones when we return to the Tower."
After saying this, Avery led the knights onto the boat and silently moved toward the island through the breach Lynch had opened.
Watching the small boat gradually disappear into the night, Lynch frowned and muttered the words he’d wanted to say but hadn’t:
"Saying something like that before the war begins... it’s not very auspicious."
Lucas wasn’t wrong; Lynch was indeed afraid... no, "afraid" might not be the right word—more accurately, it was disgust.
Lynch was not a belligerent person. He detested war and abhorred conflict. Compared to the life-or-death struggles of warfare, all he wanted was to study and learn in a stable environment.
Ultimately, truth and eternity were his pursuits. Wars could not assist him with that—they only brought risks and obstacles.
Anything that hindered his pursuit of the Wizard’s Road would face his rejection.
"Let’s hope everything goes smoothly."
He shook his head and left the deck, returning to the cabin where he lit his lantern and pulled out a book, resuming his studies and cultivation.
A few hours later.
Ghost Island.
Having just experienced a massacre, Ghost Island was strewn with corpses lying in disarray.
Avery had led the knights to the center of the island, where they stood at the foot of a mountain. Within the center of the mountain was a massive cave eroded by seawater.
Thanks to their meticulous preparation, the attack had gone unusually well—when their assault began, the Black Wizard faction stationed on the island had been caught entirely unawares, unable to organize even a semblance of resistance before being crushed.
The followers suffered heavy casualties, with two Low-level Apprentices slain on the spot. The remaining three Low-level Apprentices and one Mid-level Apprentice sustained injuries of varying severity and fled in panic with their surviving followers into the cave.
Standing at the cave entrance, Avery asked Count Edmund, "Edmund, what’s the situation around here?"
"All taken care of."
Edmund wiped the blood off his Cross Sword and said with satisfaction, "Those damn black rats were completely unprepared for our sudden attack. We’ve cleared all their outer strongholds, eliminating thirty-three of them, with sixty-five surrendering."
He gritted his teeth and added, "Those vermin who colluded with the Black Wizards—wait until I hang them all!"
Since this Black Wizard organization appeared here, his territory had known no peace. Fishermen vanished frequently at sea, and even entire villages and towns suffered attacks.
To make matters worse, these scum seemed to be growing bolder, attempting to expand their influence here. They started recruiting outlaws and forming armed groups, even brazenly soliciting skilled fighters straight from the city’s Duel Arena.
The knights he’d dispatched had failed to return. Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, he had no choice but to seek help from the Shadow Tower.
Avery nodded. "Well done."
After pausing for a moment, she issued further orders: "Leave some men here to guard the entrance; the rest will follow me inside."
"Understood."
Soon, the knights and soldiers gathered at the cave entrance. Before entering, Avery left Lucas behind to assist the troops in securing the entry point.
Lucas was deeply dissatisfied with this arrangement. "Why am I stuck guarding the outside?"
At a time when they could earn glory through combat achievements, he naturally didn’t want to be left out.
Avery’s voice was firm. "This is an order!"
Lucas simmered with frustration but ultimately said no more.
Avery softened her tone. "Relax, no one will take your share of the credit. We’re a team now—guarding the entrance and ensuring our escape route is equally critical."
Lucas’s expression finally eased.
Avery led the knights inside.
After trekking for more than ten minutes and crossing a long, shallow riverbank, the group arrived at the deeper part of the cave.
Upon entering, they realized the interior space of this cave was extraordinarily vast. Its visible range alone was several kilometers across, and its height towered hundreds of meters. It was filled with jagged stalactites, towering stone columns, and water pools of various sizes. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The air was incredibly humid, each breath chillingly filling their lungs.
The area was too massive, and the trails and bloodstains on the ground had been washed away by the river. After consideration, Avery divided the soldiers into pairs to spread out and search.
"Master, we’ve found something over here!"
Not long after, a soldier ran to report.
When Avery’s group followed him, they found over a dozen corpses lying on the cold ground, all of them followers of the Black Wizard faction they’d chased into the cave.
"How did these... these people die?"
The soldiers exchanged bewildered looks.
When they’d first pursued the Black Wizards into the cave, those followers had been alive and well. Since entering, there hadn’t been any further clashes between both sides, yet here were their bodies.
Their deaths were gruesome. Most of the corpses were battered and mutilated beyond recognition.
Avery stepped forward, crouching down to examine the corpses carefully. Her expression changed abruptly.
She immediately issued an order: "Edmund, gather your men—we’re leaving here at once!"
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