Chapter 164: Mutation

After Brack left, Helag’s routine included meditation, study, and teasing Shatia, along with a new task.

He patrolled Blackrock Valley, counting people and checking for abnormalities.

As the only formal wizard in Blackrock Valley, Helag had absolute authority over everyone.

Days passed without incident.

These were long-term residents, the shortest tenure being seven years.

Ironically, Helag had been there the least amount of time.

He patrolled twice daily, morning and evening, returning to the castle once satisfied.

Five days later, Brack hadn’t returned.

Late at night, Helag lay in bed meditating, while Shatia slept next door.

In the far west of the potion garden, rows of houses stood.

This was where the potion garden’s wizard apprentices and knights lived, usually asleep by now.

However, seven people sat up, looking around with complex expressions.

Helag’s castle was far north, beyond Deep Blue’s detection range, so he missed their movements.

The seven rose, standing with daggers or swords.

Their expressions were conflicted, but their actions were decisive, cutting open their own stomachs and collapsing.

Blood pooled, forming a strange rune, the blood seemingly resonating.

A circular magic array appeared above the residential area, two figures emerging within it.

The magical fluctuations disturbed Helag’s meditation.

He opened his eyes, looking toward the residential area.

“Such strong magical fluctuations…”

Sensing trouble, Helag knocked on Shatia’s door.

She opened it, sleepy, wearing a camisole that accentuated her figure.

Unaware of this, she asked, “My lord, what’s wrong?”

“Hide in the basement immediately. Something’s happening. Don’t come out unless I call you,” Helag instructed seriously.

Seeing his grave expression, Shatia woke up instantly, sensing the powerful magical fluctuations.

After Helag left, Shatia grabbed her maid outfit, rushing to the basement to hide.

Outside the castle, Lennon slept soundly in the gatehouse, and Helag didn’t wake him.

“This distance should be enough.”

Helag reached Deep Blue’s detection limit, observing the western residential area.

Two figures appeared above the residential area, alarming the wizard apprentices and knights below.

One was an old man with white hair, the other a middle-aged man.

The old man glanced at the frightened people below, gathering magic in his hand, and softly said, “Ice Rain.”

Countless ice spikes formed above, raining down and piercing the people below.

Even apprentices hiding indoors were impaled, pinned to the ground.

Some quick-witted apprentices dodged the first wave, but a second wave of ice rain killed all apprentices and knights.

“A crystallized wizard and a liquefied wizard.”

Helag quickly identified their strength through Deep Blue, feeling overwhelmed.

The valley’s exit was far south, and he was in the north, unable to escape unnoticed by the two formal wizards.

“Terry, according to the intel, there’s a first-level wizard in the castle. A potion master, newly advanced, with no combat power. Go deal with him, then help me seize control of the wizard array.”

The old man held a long red crystal, glancing toward the castle.

The middle-aged man, Terry, nodded, “Yes, my lord, I’ll be quick.”

Their intel indicated Brack was at another distant potion garden.

Only Helag, a first-level wizard, remained in Blackrock Valley, newly advanced and still in the gaseous phase. (tln : i will explain on the footer)

Terry, a liquefied wizard, could easily handle a novice gaseous wizard, and the old man didn’t consider Helag a threat.

Both were from the Moss family, having planted agents in the Terchy family years ago.

The seven suicidal apprentices were their plants.

For years, they acted like everyone else, undetected by the Terchy family.

The Moss family coveted Blackrock Valley for years, laying groundwork long ago.

With Brack gone and unable to return soon, it was the perfect time to act.

Breaking a second-level wizard array from outside was nearly impossible, so the Moss family chose an internal approach.

The seven dead apprentices had hidden spells activated upon death.

Their deaths linked hidden runes, forming a temporary teleportation array.

However, it was unstable, allowing only two people through.

With Brack gone, a crystallized and a liquefied wizard could move freely in Blackrock Valley.

The old man’s red crystal, acquired from the Land of Dawn, could seize control of the wizard array.

But it required being inside the array and took about three hours.

Even if the Terchy family was alerted, they couldn’t reach Blackrock Valley in three hours.

By then, the Moss family would control the array, claiming Blackrock Valley.

Simultaneously, the Moss family acted elsewhere, aiming to cripple the Terchy family and remove them from the potion control chain.

The stakes were high, and the Moss family had planned meticulously.

This decisive move left the Terchy family little time to react.

The plan’s key was Blackrock Valley.

As the Terchy family’s largest and most important potion garden, controlling it was crucial. Without it, the Terchy family could recover even if severely weakened.

• • Gaseous Phase: This might indicate an early or less stable stage of a wizard’s development, where their magical abilities are not yet fully solidified or mature. It suggests a state of potential, where the wizard’s powers are still forming and evolving.

• • Liquefied Phase: This could represent a more advanced stage of magical development, where the wizard’s abilities have become more fluid and adaptable. It implies a higher level of mastery and control over their powers, allowing for more sophisticated and powerful spellcasting.