"Welcome, everyone, to this gathering." Amid everyone's attention, Nos emerged from the corridor behind the banquet hall, looking at the people present with a gentle smile on his face.
Hank and his companions exchanged glances, a hint of suspicion in their eyes. They had thought that Nos had been missing for some time to break through as a Grand Wizard.
But now it seemed that wasn't the case, as they couldn't sense the distinct aura of power from him. It meant that Nos was, just like them, a Tier 3 wizard.
Realizing this, Barbara let out a sigh of relief and a hint of annoyance. She didn't care about the occasion and bluntly interrupted, "Nos, shouldn't you explain some things to us? Like where you've been these past few days and when you intend to fulfil your promises?"
Barbara's words made the atmosphere in the room tense. Leya and others, who had been invited, swirled their glasses of red wine, amused by the commotion.
The wizards of the Blood-Red Thorns, on the other hand, looked disapprovingly at Barbara. In their view, no matter how significant the conflict, it shouldn't be discussed in such a setting. It would be making a spectacle for outsiders.
However, Nos didn't seem to mind at all. He calmly raised his highball glass and took a sip of the bright liquid before laughing, "After the promotion ceremony, I promise that everything I've said to you will be delivered without exception."
Nos's confident assurance left Barbara and Hank hesitating, making them wonder if their assumptions had been wrong.
Could it be that Nos wasn't planning to come empty-handed as they had imagined? Perhaps he had been selling his assets to raise funds for them?
They both turned to look at Lynn, who shook his head without saying a word. His attention was focused on the rats and ravens roaming freely throughout the estate.
The entire estate had been sealed off completely, with guards stationed at regular intervals. The entrance to the banquet hall was locked from the outside.
What exactly did Nos intend to do?
Was this just a precaution, or did he plan to eliminate all those who had gathered for the meeting?
It was essential to remember that apart from the over a hundred apprentice wizards, there were also more than ten full-fledged wizards and seven Tier 3 wizards present. Both their power and influence in Iyeta Harbor should not be underestimated.
Lynn controlled one of the ravens to soar to a higher altitude and surveyed the entire estate. He quickly noticed that the layout of the estate was meticulously planned, with the banquet hall at its center and dozens of silver pillars, each about half a meter tall, placed around it.
Viewed from above, the layout of the entire estate resembled an enormous alchemical array.
Recalling the alchemical knowledge he had learned from Tike, Lynn quickly deduced that these pillars were likely made of precious mithril and served as the nodes of the entire array.
With a thought, a small, inconspicuous rat moved stealthily along the shadows of the high walls, intending to get a closer look at one of the pillars in the area with the weakest guard presence.
But just as it was about to approach, Lynn suddenly felt his vision go dark, as if the camera had been disconnected while spying. The next thing he sensed was the excruciating pain of the rat's death.
Through the eyes of the raven, Lynn saw a menacing brown wolfhound, saliva dripping from its mouth, lurking near the mithril pillar.
A few patrolling guards noticed the commotion but, after a cursory glance, saw the wolfhound carrying the lifeless body of a rat in its mouth. They mumbled some curses and moved on. The rats in the southern district had become a plague, impossible to eradicate completely.
As the guards walked away, the fierce wolfhound continued to faithfully guard the area, its gaze fixed on the remaining rats hiding in the shadows.
A showdown between dogs and rat
Lynn suddenly found himself in a tricky situation. While these creatures were under his control, they had no special abilities. Their combat abilities were no different from regular rats, and no matter how many of them there were, they might not be able to defeat a vicious dog.
The only advantage they had was aerial support.
Of course, it had to be a one-hit kill; they couldn't give the dog a chance to call for help.
Just as Lynn was secretly planning an animal battle, Nos, inside the banquet hall, set down his glass of red wine and began to speak.
"Now that there are no other questions, I suggest we proceed with the promotion ceremony."
"Right now?"
Hank hesitated, his gaze shifting to Leya and others who had been invited. He couldn't help but feel a hint of regret; this was a secret of the Blood-Red Thorns.
"Maybe we should wait until after the banquet to confirm the list," Barbara suggested, opposing the idea.
"No, there's no need to make it so complicated. I believe we can conduct the promotion ceremony differently this time," Nos said with a faint smile.
"Recently, I've been experimenting with a new alchemical formation using special materials."
As he spoke, Nos raised his hand, and intricate runes appeared on the floor of the banquet hall.
The fine runes continued to connect, covering half of the entire hall. The outer circle formed a large ring, while the inner part created a complex geometric pattern made up of numerous intricate patterns, exuding a strange sense of beauty.
The faces of the formal wizards in the room changed, and they quickly left the area covered by the formation. Lynn followed suit.
Until they were certain of the formation's effect, no one wanted to take any risks.
Nos didn't mind and turned to the Blood-Red Thorns apprentices, continuing, "This alchemical formation can amplify a wizard's power. In general, the longer you stay inside the formation, the greater the boost. Of course, everyone's will, endurance, and potential are different. I can't guarantee that everyone will succeed in their promotion, but you can give it a try."
Hearing this, Hank and Barbara frowned, looking at the alchemical formation that had appeared on the ground. Their expressions were somewhat unpleasant.
Nos had unexpectedly changed the promotion ceremony's process without prior notice and introduced a so-called alchemical formation. This made them suspect that Nos wanted to reduce their power and influence.
It was crucial to understand that one of the most significant factors motivating these wizard apprentices to risk their lives was their access to promotion as core members of the Blood-Red Thorns. Using this as bait was the only way to make them strive to their utmost.
Nos's actions were undoubtedly undermining the very foundation of their rights.