Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

035: Nest of Shadow Eyes

Lin Qi's mind raced, but his face maintained a perfect balance of gratitude and caution.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking, "Thank you for your high regard, Lord Maltz and the Stock family. Lynch will remember this kindness. However... I have no intention of leaving the Gray Tower for the time being. After all, changing allegiance is no small matter and involves many follow-ups."

Grey Tower is certainly not a good place, but the Stock family may not be any better.

Joining this family begins with a contract of service for at least fifty years, and also requires marriage to a member of the opposite sex within the family.

Then, within these fifty years, you must give birth to at least one child with elemental talent.

This is almost the same as hiring a slave...

As for the so-called training resources... those are all empty promises. Whether they can be fulfilled, and how much will be fulfilled, is up to others to decide.

More importantly, Lynch knew that after the calamity in the Gray Fog Forest ended, there would be an opportunity for the surviving apprentices.

This is a crucial opportunity that could determine whether or not one can advance to the rank of wizard...

After a pause, Lynch added, "It concerns the future path, and I need to consider it more carefully."

Having multiple job-hopping options isn't a bad thing, after all, Gray Tower is indeed too dangerous, and now I've made enemies with someone.

If things escalate and things fall apart, making it impossible to continue living in the industry, at least you'll have a safety net, right?

Maltz nodded, not minding at all: "Whatever you say, the Stock family doesn't force anyone."

Although Lin Qi is somewhat talented, he is not indispensable.

His family extending an olive branch to him was a sign of respect and giving him a chance; whether he accepted it or not was not a big deal.

Seeing that the matter was temporarily over, Lin Qi took out a small cloth bag that he had prepared beforehand from his pocket. Inside were about thirty magic stones of uniform quality.

He handed the cloth bag to Maltz with both hands, his posture respectful: "Lord Maltz, I am grateful for your patronage over the past few months of business. This is just a small token of my appreciation."

Maltz's gaze swept over the bag, his smile becoming more genuine. He naturally took it, his fingertips barely noticing its weight. "Apprentice Lynch, you're too kind. This is nothing more than my duty."

He casually put the cloth bag away: "Please just tell me what's wrong."

Seeing that Maltz was so perceptive, Lynch didn't waste any words and asked directly, "There is indeed something I would like to ask you, sir. Have you ever heard of the 'Phantom Cat Demon'? I would like to purchase a bloodline of this monster for experiments."

Although the Phantom Cat Demon is only a high-level apprentice-level monster, this kind of monster does not inhabit the Abyss Witch Domain.

Before coming here, Lynch had wandered around the market but hadn't found anything, so he could only look to Maltz for clues.

"Phantom Cat Demon?" Maltz pondered for a moment. "Yes, a high-level apprentice-level dark monster that excels in stealth and speed. Its bloodline is valuable for constructing certain shadow-type or agility-oriented spells, and even for some special potions."

"However, this thing does not inhabit our Abyss Witch Domain, so it is a relatively rare imported product, and it is rarely sold in the market."

Lin Qi couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

However, Maltz then changed the subject, pondering for a moment, and said, "How about this, I'll keep an eye out for you. There are many people coming and going from the purchasing station, and occasionally traveling merchants or adventurers exploring ruins will bring back some rare goods."

"If anyone makes a move against the Phantom Cat Demon's bloodline, I will send someone to inform you."

"Then I thank you in advance, Lord Maltz!" Lynch immediately cupped his hands in thanks, his face showing genuine gratitude.

"It's no big deal," Maltz waved his hand, acknowledging the agreement.

After leaving the purchasing station, Lin Qi turned and entered a relatively quiet spiral branch street, heading deeper into Tree Town and closer to the core area of ​​the giant tree trunk.

The surrounding shops gradually became less dense, and the architectural style became more ancient and understated, carrying a sense of quiet seclusion.

finally,

He stopped in front of a three-story building constructed entirely of matte black stone and dark one-way crystal glass.

The building grows close to the trunk of the giant tree, as if it were a black crystal naturally extracted from the bark. Its shape is irregular and has sharp edges.

It stands out from the surrounding natural-style wood and stone structures, exuding a cold and aloof atmosphere.

The building's exterior is devoid of any fancy decorations; its only identifier is an emblem inlaid in the center of a heavy obsidian lintel.

It was a simplified, abstract eye pattern composed of two intersecting arcs, with fine lines extending from the ends of the arcs, resembling eyelashes or probing ripples.

This place is known as the "Nest of Shadow Eyes".

The goods sold here are not rare materials or precious potions, but rather—

intelligence.

The price is high, but the prices are fair and honest.

Whether it's investigating an apprentice, verifying the authenticity of a newly discovered site, inquiring about the internal workings of a wizarding family, searching for clues to the origin of a rare material, or even uncovering long-buried secrets and rumors.

Any internal office within the Abyss Witch Domain can try to find answers here.

Its confidence and credibility stem from its master, the Darkwing family, the Lawrence family.

It was a behemoth deeply rooted in the Abyss Witch Domain, with a complex and intertwined network of influence, and its overall strength consistently ranked among the top three.

Lin Qi took out a pre-prepared, undecorated silver mask and put it on his face. Then he raised his hand and touched the cold rune next to the door.

The door slid inwards silently, not mechanically, but as if the shadow itself were receding.

The hall inside was not the one I had imagined, but a short, dimly lit corridor that stretched downwards.

The air was cool and dry, filled with the scent of aged parchment and a very faint smell of bird feathers.

As soon as he stepped into the corridor, the door behind him closed silently again, completely shutting out the light and sound from the outside world.

At the end of the corridor was a small, round room with no windows. The only light came from a few pale blue crystals embedded in the curved wall, the light cold and dim.

In the center of the room, apart from a solitary round counter also made of black stone, there was nothing else.

The moment Lin Qi stepped into the room, he heard an extremely faint flapping sound from above.

A dark shadow silently slid down from an imperceptible recess in the room's ceiling and came to a steady stop at the edge of the counter.

It was a crow. But no ordinary bird. Its feathers were not pure black, but had a metallic dark blue sheen, and its beak and claws were a cold, dark silver.

What is most striking is its eyes, which are like two miniature, slowly rotating dark purple crystal balls, seemingly reflecting countless tiny specks of light.

It tilted its head, its dark silver beak opening and closing, emitting not a bird's song, but a clear, steady, slightly hoarse human voice: "Welcome to the Nest of Shadow Eyes, esteemed guest. May I ask how I may serve you?"

A cold glint flashed in Lynch's eyes behind his mask. He walked to the counter and, without wasting words, said directly, "I want to commission an investigation into two apprentices."

He paused, making sure every word was clear and unambiguous:

"Find their exact current whereabouts, and... all their known and influential networks of contacts, especially those within the Gray Tower and the southern part of the Abyss Witch Domain, everything."

Lynch's principle is to avoid trouble but not to be afraid of it either.

Since they're going to harm him anyway.

That...

Just go die!