Wizard + System

CH215

The buzz-cut man glanced at Helag, who was sitting in the tree, and shouted, "Who are you? Get lost!"

He hadn't noticed Helag earlier and instinctively felt that Helag might not be easy to deal with.

So, he tried to scare him off.

Helag sighed, jumped down from the tree, and casually scratched his ear, "Can't even get a moment of peace."

He walked forward slowly, his body relaxed, showing no signs of defense.

The buzz-cut man drew his sword and threatened, "Stop! If you come any closer, I won't be polite."

His lackeys also drew their weapons, pointing them at Helag.

Helag glanced at their tense postures but kept walking, smiling, "Do you know when animals show their fangs? When they're scared."

"Stop with the tricks!" The buzz-cut man gritted his teeth and swung his sword, fast and fierce.

But Helag's figure blurred, and he vanished, reappearing behind the man.

Helag placed his hand on the man's neck and applied a little pressure. A cracking sound followed.

Clang!

The man's sword fell to the ground, and his arms went limp.

Helag released his grip, and the buzz-cut man collapsed, his neck twisted grotesquely, with only a thin layer of skin holding his head to his body. His bones were completely crushed.

His lackeys, terrified by the sight, immediately fled.

Helag didn't chase them but warned in a deep voice, "Don't let me see you in Oberstein again."

He was playing the role of a high-ranking knight adventurer, not a murderer, so he didn't kill them all.

Initially, he hadn't planned to intervene, but they had pushed him to act.

Lins, still on the ground, looked up at Helag with admiration, kneeling and bowing, "Thank you, sir, for saving my life!"

"Lins?" Helag recognized the name and recalled some things.

Lins, unaware of Helag's reaction, continued, "Sir, I want to follow you!"

High-ranking knights and knights often had squires, who followed them voluntarily.

These squires learned and trained under their masters, progressing quickly with occasional guidance.

Lins felt that meeting this knight was a rare opportunity.

This man had stepped in to help, unlike the buzz-cut man, who was a mere thug.

Moreover, Helag hadn't chased down the fleeing men, showing he wasn't a bloodthirsty killer.

Helag didn't respond immediately but instead asked, "Is your sister Asna?"

Lins froze, then looked at Helag with excitement, "You know my sister?"

"Yes, I know her. We met while adventuring elsewhere. Not only do I know her, but we're quite close," Helag explained.

They had shared a bed, after all, so "close" was an understatement.

Asna had mentioned her younger brother, Lins, to Helag before.

So Helag had asked on a whim, not expecting it to actually be Asna's brother.

Lins was excited but quickly became downcast, remembering that Asna had been missing for a long time.

"My sister, she…" Lins began.

Helag waved his hand, "I already know."

"You know?" Lins asked, surprised.

Helag nodded, "Yes, that's why I'm here. You should leave Oberstein as soon as possible. It's not safe here."

Asna was someone Helag considered his own, so he advised Lins to leave while he still could.

"Is my sister… still alive?" Lins asked.

Helag shook his head, "I don't know. All I know is that the Lim Mountains are dangerous, and even Oberstein isn't safe. If you want to get stronger and search for Asna, you should leave here, get stronger, and then come back."

"I…" Lins hesitated, not wanting to leave Oberstein.

But he knew Helag was probably right.

The border army had already sealed off the Lim Mountains, forbidding anyone from approaching.

Hundreds of adventurers had entered the Lim Mountains and never returned. No one knew what was inside.

There were many rumors, all indicating that the Lim Mountains were extremely dangerous.

Lins knew he was too weak to control his own fate, let alone enter the Lim Mountains to search for Asna.

Helag thought for a moment and took out a thin book.

It was just a folded piece of parchment.

It contained the Earth Breathing Technique, which Helag had later had Deep Blue improve.

He no longer needed it, so it had been sitting unused.

"This is the Earth Breathing Technique. Take it and practice it in a safe place. Only when you're stronger can you talk about anything else," Helag said seriously.

Lins accepted the Earth Breathing Technique, looking at Helag with gratitude. He knelt and said, "Thank you, sir! May I know your name?"

Helag shook his head, "If we meet again, I'll tell you my name."

Lins nodded, understanding that he was too weak to even know the man's name.

"Are you waiting for daylight to enter Oberstein?" Lins asked.

Since Helag was resting here, it seemed he was waiting for morning.

"Yes," Helag replied.

"If you don't mind, I can guide you when the sun rises. I grew up in Oberstein and know the city well. You can ask me anything," Lins offered eagerly.

Helag thought for a moment. Having a guide would indeed be convenient.

He needed to scout various places in Oberstein, and having a local guide would make things easier and raise less suspicion.

"Alright, you can guide me when it's light," Helag agreed.

Lins was overjoyed and began flipping through the Earth Breathing Technique in the dark.

He was eager to start practicing, but it was too dark to read.

***

At dawn.

The gates of Oberstein opened, and many people were already coming and going.

Lins led the way for Helag.

"Deep Blue, activate environmental monitoring. Alert me of any high-energy magical reactions or elves."

For Helag, scouting was simple.

He just needed to walk around the city, and Deep Blue's environmental scan would map out the entire place.

This mission did carry some risk.

There were three crystalline-level elves and a second-level wizard spellcaster, all potential threats.

Helag was only a first-level gaseous wizard.

If he encountered the elves or the magicians, he might not escape unscathed.

CH216

Moreover, there was a magician with the power of a second-level wizard. Facing such an opponent would be nearly impossible for Helag to survive.

When he acted earlier, he used only his physical strength, without a hint of magic.

After entering Oberstein with Lins, Helag drew no attention.

Both appeared as adventurers, and many adventurers had been entering Oberstein lately, so the locals were used to it.

Helag glanced at Deep Blue's environmental scan feedback, which showed only ordinary people around, with a few soldiers being knight-level.

The roads in Oberstein were wide, and Helag realized they were designed for easy military movement during wartime.

They encountered many adventurers along the way, some of whom were spellcasters.

However, these spellcasters were generally weak, not even reaching third-level wizard apprentice status.

Though they were spellcasters, they posed no threat, so Helag merely noted them without concern.

"Sir, that's my sister's and my home," Lins said, pointing to a distant house in a low residential area after crossing the main road.

The homes here weren't luxurious but were clean and tidy.

The area was well-maintained, suggesting regular cleaning.

The location was decent, likely requiring some money.

Asna, being an adventurer for years, had earned enough to support her family, buy a house, and fund her brother's education.

Helag couldn't help but admire Asna's resilience.

Following Lins inside, Helag found the house simple and clean, with no excess furnishings.

There were only two rooms, one for each sibling.

Lins's room was a bit messy, while Asna's was neat and comfortable.

Helag glanced at the wardrobe, thinking he should help Asna fetch some clothes later.

Currently, Asna only had black and white maid outfits, lacking everyday clothes.

While this provided Helag with visual and tactile pleasure and increased attack speed, everyday clothes were still necessary.

Asna's wardrobe had suitable outfits.

But taking them now would be inappropriate, and Lins might think him a pervert.

"What are the main buildings in Oberstein? Like the city hall?" Helag asked.

His main goal was to find powerful entities, likely residing in important places.

Helag planned to scan these areas during the day.

Lins thought for a moment, "Oberstein doesn't have a city lord's mansion, but there's a city hall where the governor usually stays. Important figures sometimes lodge there."

"Take me there. It's my first time in Oberstein, and I want to explore," Helag said casually.

"Alright, it's not far," Lins said, leading the way.

The city hall was part of a complex, surrounded by high walls and guarded by soldiers.

Outside was a spacious plaza, half of which was accessible, while the other half was restricted.

Standing in the accessible part, Helag looked toward the city hall.

Deep Blue's environmental scan quickly revealed the situation inside.

There were three elves in the city hall, their aura indicating they were crystalline-level elven wizards.

The second-level elven wizard wasn't present, nor was the second-level human spellcaster.

Aside from these, the only notable strength in the city hall was two high knights, with others being negligible.

Helag was concerned about the whereabouts of the two second-level wizards.

He spent the next few hours walking around Oberstein.

During this time, he found two first-level gaseous wizards, both adventurers.

After completing the city search, only the border military camp remained unchecked.

The camp was southwest of Oberstein, overlooking the Lim Mountains.

To investigate the camp, Helag needed to leave the city.

Before doing so, he planned to settle Lins.

"I'm heading out to view the Lim Mountains from afar. You don't need to come," Helag said.

"You can't get close; soldiers are guarding it, and no one's allowed near," Lins replied.

"It's fine. I just want to see from a distance, not get close," Helag explained.

"That should be okay. Do you have a place to stay tonight? You can stay at my house," Lins offered warmly.

Helag shook his head, "No need. You want to become a knight, right?"

Hearing this, Lins became serious, "Yes, I want to be a knight!"

"Here are a hundred gold coins. Twenty are for five years' tuition at Grey Knight Academy. Head there immediately for training, and don't come back unless necessary."

Helag had discussed with Asna during their intimate talks that Lins wanted to attend Grey Knight Academy to become a knight.

However, the academy was far from Oberstein, on the eastern edge of the Norn Kingdom, a month's journey away.

Asna was naturally worried about Lins traveling so far alone.

Tuition wasn't an issue; Asna could afford it.

The problem was Lins lacked knightly talent, making this path unsuitable.

But now, Helag didn't intend for Lins to truly become a knight, just to keep him away from Oberstein temporarily.

Helag believed Asna's constant interference only fueled Lins's defiance.

Letting him experience it firsthand would make him realize his lack of talent.

Young people often need to learn from their mistakes to truly understand.

Lins looked at the hundred gold coins. Normally, he'd be ecstatic.

But with Asna's fate unknown, he hesitated to leave Oberstein.

Seeing his hesitation, Helag said, "What use is staying here? You can't help. Go to Grey Knight Academy, and when you're stronger, you'll have the confidence to face other challenges."

Lins nodded silently, "Thank you, sir. I understand."

Helag arranged for Lins to join a caravan heading east to Grey Knight Academy, paying a fee for his passage.