The next day, at 4:50 AM.
Charlie arrived fully equipped at the designated location, the East Gate of the Arcane Circle. At this hour, the entire academy was still asleep, with only the diligent guards standing like statues at key junctions.
Charlie's equipment was quite lavish: a golden apprentice badge, Branched's magical robe, a withered wooden staff, tassel short boots, the Acalan Torrent Ring, and Briz's magical cloak.
He carried the Dusk Longbow, with the left quiver holding armor-piercing arrows and the right quiver containing regular arrows. His waist pouch held spare magical charging crystals, and he had a small supply of food and drink. Fully armed, Charlie had considered everything thoroughly.
By 5:00 AM, several teasing voices echoed from the end of the corridor.
"Qianjue, are you really going to bring a rookie along for the mission? Don't you know our destination is near the Stormy Ocean? Anything could happen there; if something goes wrong, it's not a joke!" The robust voice was loudest, suggesting a strong physique, undoubtedly a rough man.
"Yeah! After all, the newbies haven't experienced what we went through back in the day. You're basically exposing him to an extremely dangerous environment; aren't you being a bit too hasty?"
Qianjue was trying hard to explain: "He's a golden badge apprentice! If things get critical, we can teleport him back; it shouldn't be a problem. Besides, my little brother is quite strong; you've all heard of Mr. Charlie lately, right?"
"Hah! So it's him! The one who dared to insult the magic lord himself!"
"While that may be the case, Qianjue, after being on the same team for so long, you should know my personality. If this little brother of yours doesn't follow orders and disrupts our mission, I'll kick him out of the team immediately, regardless of who he is. This is a matter of principle; don't blame me for not giving you face."
"Come on, brother, lighten up! Qianjue has already explained." A girl complained.
The rugged man seemed unsatisfied, "Just one last word, if this guy is late, I won't wait for him!"
Soon, a group of five appeared in Charlie's line of sight.
At the front of the team was a muscular man towering at nearly two meters, with a rugged appearance. He wore a thick iron helmet and held an oval steel shield that glimmered with a faint sheen. With the man and his armor combined, his weight likely exceeded half a ton; each step he took echoed against the ground, causing it to tremble slightly.
Behind the muscular man stood Qianjue with a staff, a petite girl, and a cool ranger carrying a bow and arrows. The last member of the group was a tall girl in a cream-colored robe.
Three mages, one shield-bearer, and one ranger—three men and two women. Among the three mages, one specialized in light magic and served as a healer; it was a rather conventional tactical team composition, with a balanced mix of professions and gender ratios.
Seeing Charlie already there, Qianjue felt pleased and nodded in greeting.
Before Qianjue could introduce him, the petite girl jumped in front of Charlie and asked, "You're Mr. Charlie?"
Charlie nodded, "That's me."
"Nothing special about you! Not as handsome as Qianjue or as imposing as my brother!"
Qianjue introduced them, "Charlie, this beautiful girl and this big guy are siblings, called the Lancelot siblings. You can just call them Lancelot brother and Lancelot sister."
He winked at Charlie.
The surname Lancelot was quite rare in the Empire, save for one renowned figure: General Shion Lancelot. Naturally, any friend of Qianjue's had to be related to General Shion.
This girl had a personality similar to Qianxue's as she pouted, "What Lancelot sister?! Such an ugly name! Mr. Charlie, I allow you to call me Ophelia. My brother's name is Leon."
"Ophelia, Leon, nice to meet you." Charlie greeted them.
Leon glanced at him and spoke in a deep voice, "Charlie, for this mission, I have three requests: Observe more, speak less, and move less. That's the best support you can give us, and I hope you can understand."
Charlie nodded silently.
Ophelia then said, "Charlie, just stand behind me. Sister is a three-star Star Mage."
"This is Vincent, nicknamed Wind Arrow."
"Vincent, hello."
Vincent shot him a cold glance, "A magical apprentice carrying a bow and arrows? You have plenty of arrows prepared, but have you considered your own capabilities? Do you know how many times a trained archer can draw their bow in battle?"
Charlie sensed the wave of skepticism directed at him and replied honestly, "I don't know what the standard for a trained archer is; I just know I can probably draw thirteen times—that's my limit!"
This was an estimate based on the chip's calculations of Charlie's current personal data.
"You can draw thirteen times?!" Vincent snorted derisively, "When talking to experts, you should be more modest when boasting. How much strength can a magician like you really exert? Unless the bow you're using is a toy bow for young masters, with a draw weight of less than 20 kilograms."
Charlie glanced back at the Dusk Longbow. While this bow was worth 300 points and wasn't exactly a prestigious item, it had been crafted by a bowmaker of the Arcane Circle, imitating the standard bows of forest elves. The maximum draw weight was no less than 120 kilograms, perfectly suited to Charlie after his physical improvements.
Charlie smiled and ignored his provocation.
It was no wonder they misunderstood; there was indeed a hint of absurdity in the situation. A magician with a bow and arrows? Were you here to learn magic or just to show off?!
Unfortunately, they didn't understand Charlie's mindset; he genuinely wanted to participate in the battle, not just to be a spectator.
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense, Qianjue quickly diverted the topic, "Charlie, this stunning beauty is Theresa; she's Su Xi's cousin."
"Theresa, hello." Charlie sized up the girl in front of him.
She had a perfect oval face, smooth and flawless skin, and striking beauty. What was even rarer was her pure and ethereal aura, radiating a sense of pure, holy light that perfectly embodied the essence and meaning of her holy robe.
No wonder Prince Weining had Su Xi on his mind; it was hard to tell who was more remarkable, Su Xi or Theresa.
Theresa curtsied gracefully and sincerely said, "Thank you on behalf of Su Xi, Charlie. I really appreciate it! You've done something very meaningful!"
Charlie smiled in reply, "You're welcome; it's what I should do."
She was probably the friendliest one towards him in the entire team, aside from Qianjue.
Seeing Theresa's attitude, the others were quite curious, especially Leon.
"Theresa, what did he do to deserve your gratitude? Tell us about it?"
"Don't pry," Theresa replied softly.
Leon, playing the big brother role, was stopped by Theresa's simple statement. He chuckled, scratched his head, and closed his mouth.
Charlie subtly observed the relationships among these people; Ophelia had a crush on Qianjue, Leon seemed to have feelings for Theresa, while Qianjue hid his emotions deeply and didn't easily reveal them. As for Vincent, he was a bit of a lone wolf and the most unusual one in the team.
Finally, Qianjue pushed Charlie into the middle of the group, saying, "This is Charlie Pavel, a good friend of my sister, currently the top scorer among first-year students. He is known for being a reckless man, Mr. Charlie!"
Leon laughed, "I wondered why you insisted on bringing this kid along; turns out he's a friend your sister likes!"
Charlie didn't dispute that.
After the introductions, Qianjue, as the team's strategist, made a decision.
"Alright, let's set off! I'll explain the details of the mission along the way." He particularly reminded Charlie, "Charlie, this should be your first time leaving the city. The unstable void currents near the academy are quite strong. Stay in the center of the group and don't fall behind. Without protective gear, being exposed to the void currents could overwhelm even a Star Mage in under ten seconds, let alone you, an apprentice."
"I understand; don't worry!"
Qianjue approached the guard, presented his mission scroll and apprentice badge, and after receiving the guard's permission, led everyone to stand at the city gate.
Moments later, the group exited the Arcane Circle. Qianjue held a copper lantern, walking at the front while the others followed behind. The lantern emitted a soft, yellowish glow, keeping the chaotic void currents at bay.
Qianjue began to outline the mission details: "The mission location is 'Fishing Fire Manor'…"
Ophelia exclaimed in surprise, "Ah? Isn't that the old professor's residence?"
Leon interrupted, "Don't interrupt; let Qianjue finish."
Qianjue continued, "Charlie may not know, but that place is quite special. To put it simply, it's a retirement spot for several professors who don't quite fit in with the academy's mainstream factions.
The manor's owner is named 'Fabio Gonzalez,' who, before his fall, was a mid-level administrator at the academy. Due to an accident, he suffered severe injuries, and once healed, he found himself stripped of all magical power, becoming an ordinary person.
After his fall, Fabio established Fishing Fire Manor, living a leisurely life by the sea. Over time, his disciples and some older professors who weren't satisfied with their situation at the academy began to gather there. As the years passed, Fishing Fire Manor gradually became a retreat for retired professors.
Just last week, a distress signal was sent out from Fishing Fire Manor directly to the academy's communication department. Upon receiving the alert, the academy began organizing a rescue mission, only to discover that the teleportation array at Fishing Fire Manor had been damaged, making quick support impossible.
Thus, this mission was posted on the task platform. After discussing with Leon, we decided to take it on. That's the background of this mission."
Everyone pondered this information.
Charlie curiously asked, "Since he was once a mid-level administrator at the academy and contributed to it, why doesn't the highest council of the academy send someone to investigate? It's such a short distance; surely, the Magic Lord could teleport there directly? Why is there such indifference towards a former subordinate, opting instead to send apprentices to investigate? Time is of the essence in a rescue operation."
Qianjue replied, "This is one of the reasons I said the situation is quite complex. Fabio is an eccentric person. He relied on Mr. Ferrinand to rise to his position, but during his tenure, he had many conflicts with colleagues, which led to Mr. Ferrinand becoming less willing to associate with him. After that, his circumstances worsened.
Moreover, since he established Fishing Fire Manor, he frequently expressed opposition to the academy's existing systems, calling for like-minded individuals to join him, subtly opposing the academy. As a result, the academy has kept the manor's news under wraps for years.
He has publicly declared that Fishing Fire Manor does not welcome any high-ranking members of the Arcane Circle. Because of this, the academy has classified the incident at Fishing Fire Manor as an ordinary case and posted it on the task platform."
I see, thought Charlie. A former mid-level administrator of the academy has fallen to such depths. It's one thing to lose his abilities, but his personality seems to be the main issue; one could say that emotional intelligence was his greatest flaw.
Leon gave a final comment before the mission began: "The coastal area of the Void Nexus is always dangerous—merfolk, aquatic beasts, and nagas may all be encountered. Everyone should be mentally prepared."