Chapter 381 - 370: The Harsh Wind Is Coming
Chapter 381: Chapter 370: The Harsh Wind Is Coming
Vera relayed Griffin’s plea for help in the most concise terms.
Three Second-level Black Wizards.
The academy had fallen.
Ryan Hart, the head of the Frost Wind branch, was killed in action.
On the other side of the light screen, Allen’s figure stood silently before a window.
Outside the window was an eternal azure sea and magnificent floating islands, the sunlight so brilliant it was almost blinding.
After a moment of silence, Allen spoke.
His first words were, "Does Ryan have any family?"
Vera paused for a second, her mind racing as she pulled up the personnel file. "...He has a sister. She’s studying at a Wizard Academy on a small Plane. Ryan was covering her tuition and living expenses."
"All unpaid wages, plus ten years’ salary as a death benefit. Add an extra 50,000 Magic Stones for an education fund."
Allen’s voice was devoid of any emotion. "Use the highest priority channel. Get it to her before sunrise tomorrow."
He paused for a moment.
"Also, add Ryan Hart’s name to the list of Weisren Heavy Industry’s distinguished employees. From now on, this will be the standard for all death benefits."
Vera and Colin were both shaken. ’What a powerful way to win people’s loyalty,’ they thought.
"Second." Allen’s gaze seemed to pierce through the peaceful azure sea, through the layers of planar barriers, and land on the ice field countless miles away.
"Colin, Vera."
"Here." The two of them instinctively stood up straight.
"Immediately pull up all known data on the distribution of power on the Frost Wind Plane. Check if there are any White Wizard Organizations on nearby Planes that can provide support. And evaluate the process and time required to request formal military aid from Glacier Academy’s nominal parent organization."
The orders were clear, calm, and devoid of any emotion.
The two immediately sprang into action.
Combining Weisren Heavy Industry’s network of contacts with Allen’s internal privileges as a member of the Association, countless streams of data flashed across the light screens before them.
Five minutes later, Colin looked up, his expression grim. "The situation is bad. The Frost Wind Plane is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Mystic Code Council, but in reality, it’s been half-abandoned. The Council only collects a symbolic tax and turns a blind eye to the internal chaos."
"This Plane is filled with Wizard Organizations that don’t answer to each other, a mix of Black and White. The news that Glacier Academy’s founder, the Morning Star Wizard Herland, has fallen has already spread. No one is willing to offend three Second-level Black Wizards for a declining academy."
Vera added, "Requesting support from the Council will take half a month at the very least. Plus, the request has to be filed by a member of the academy itself. By the time they send someone, it’ll be too late."
It seemed there would be no outside help for now.
"I’ll make a trip to the Frost Wind Plane," Allen said directly.
"Allen..." Colin’s voice was a little strained. "Three Second-level Black Wizards, and they’re Black Wizards who specialize in killing. You, alone..."
"I can handle them."
His tone wasn’t one of arrogance or impulse, but a conclusion reached after precise calculation.
He turned, and the light illuminated his face.
It was a face so calm it was unsettling, a fire of unknown meaning burning in his deep-set eyes.
"Ryan was my employee. He was killed because he wore the ’New West’ emblem on his chest. I don’t care if Glacier Academy lives or dies, but my employee will not have died in vain."
"If I don’t handle this personally, then today it’s Ryan who dies, but tomorrow it could be Colin, or Vera, or anyone who works for Weisren Heavy Industry. Everyone will know that our name is worthless."
He paused, then said, word by word.
"This isn’t a personal grudge. This is a rational course of action calculated to maintain team cohesion."
As soon as he finished speaking, he gave the two no time to react. His image vanished from the light screen.
The operation had already begun.
---
The Frost Wind Plane was a remote Plane, unreachable directly from the Grand Library.
Allen’s figure appeared and vanished in succession at transit hubs on three different Planes.
With every flash of teleportation, he drew one step closer to that blood-soaked ice field.
During his journey, Vera received further information from Griffin and quickly sent it to Allen.
The three Black Wizards belonged to a school that integrated the bloodline of Ancient Giants, a Witchcraft School that specialized in curses, and a mainstream Mind School, respectively.
As far as Allen was concerned, only the one from the Witchcraft School would be somewhat difficult to handle. The other two would be easy enough.
Frost Wind Plane, Star Gate Square.
A bone-chilling wind mixed with shards of ice assaulted his face. Autumn had not yet arrived, but the temperature was already thirty degrees below zero.
"The regional Teleportation Array to Glacier Academy has been unilaterally cut off!"
A Wizard in charge of maintaining the Array told Allen, "The spatial coordinates are locked! We can’t get through!"
With the direct route blocked, Allen had no choice but to divert to the nearest node.
The light flared again.
Snow Rock City, the closest Wizard settlement to Glacier Academy.
Just as Allen stepped out of the teleportation plaza, the scene on the streets caught his attention.
The crowds were hurrying along, and many Wizard Apprentices were surging toward the Teleportation Array, trying to leave.
Suppressed murmurs drifted through the air.
"Did you hear? Glacier Academy is finished! Dean Herold was nailed to the clock tower!"
"Three Second-level Black Wizards! My god, they’re not going to perform some kind of sacrifice, are they?"
"Let’s get out of here, don’t stay! What if they decide to attack this place?"
Allen passed through the chaotic crowd, his face expressionless. He grabbed a shifty-looking Wizard Apprentice who was about to flee and tossed him a Mid-Level Magic Stone.
"Glacier Academy. Which direction?"
The apprentice’s eyes went wide at the sight of the Magic Stone. He subconsciously pointed toward the northern skyline. "North, keep going north! It’s about... about eight hundred kilometers! Sir, you really shouldn’t go! It’s Hell over there right now!"
Allen released his grip, and only then did the apprentice belatedly feel the oppressive aura of a Second-level Wizard.
Allen raised his head and looked to the north, which was shrouded in dark clouds.
There lay the still-warm remains of his employee, and three self-righteous predators.
He paid no mind to the prying eyes around him and directly activated the Ring of Instant Shadow.
This wondrous item could perform three spatial jumps, each covering a maximum distance of 500 kilometers. More than enough.
He took a step forward, and his figure vanished in an instant, leaving a ripple of spatial energy in his place.
The frost wind rises from the alley’s end.
And the storm is already on its way.