A middle-aged man spoke, his tone casual, as if discussing some trivial matter.
"I still have some specimens of the foundational races of the Divine Civilization both male and female. When the time comes, I'll send you a set."
Despite his friendly demeanor, his sharp eyes gleamed with a calculating light, and the slight mustache at the corners of his mouth only added to his shrewd appearance.
Rather than a powerful Morning Star Wizard, he looked more like a shopkeeper running a small business someone approachable, yet hiding layers of cunning.
This man was none other than the renowned Level Four Morning Star Wizard of the Mechanical City Angus, the Puppet Wizard.
"The Goddess of the Weave, Mystra..."
The Spirit-Eyed Wizard murmured the name softly, his gaze turning distant as if lost in deep thought or memory.
However, Angus paid no mind to his absent-mindedness and continued outlining his plan:
"In that case, I'll have someone bring that First-Level Wizard, Lynn over to you. Once this transaction is complete, we'll be even."
He paused for a moment before adding in a low voice:
"With the current lockdown in the Mechanical City, killing a First-Level Wizard without making a sound is far more troublesome than before. Once you get him, leave immediately don't risk being discovered."
Before he could finish speaking, the Spirit-Eyed Wizard suddenly interrupted him.
"Wait."
Angus raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him with a hint of confusion.
The Spirit-Eyed Wizard's pale, pupil-less eyes reflected an eerie coldness as he spoke:
"I've changed the plan."
"Changed the plan?"
Angus was momentarily taken aback but did not press for an immediate explanation. Instead, he waited in silence for further clarification.
"The upcoming Otherworld Expedition you're one of the people in charge. Sending Lynn there should be much easier than dealing with him in the Mechanical City, wouldn't you agree?"
The Spirit-Eyed Wizard's tone was indifferent, completely devoid of emotion.
Angus's expression flickered with contemplation. After a brief moment, he responded:
"He's a researcher working on the Otherworld Purification Device. In theory, I could have him transferred under the pretense of device maintenance."
"But..."
Angus trailed off, his brows slightly furrowed as he fixed his gaze on the Spirit-Eyed Wizard.
"What made you change your mind so suddenly?"
Instead of answering directly, the Spirit-Eyed Wizard's icy gaze swept across him.
"That is not something you need to know," he said flatly.
"I will send a First-Level Wizard as well. You will transport both of them to the Otherworld. Once this deal is complete, you and I will be entirely even."
Angus narrowed his eyes, remaining silent as he scrutinized the Spirit-Eyed Wizard's expression searching for any hidden motives.
However, the Spirit-Eyed Wizard's face was like an impenetrable wall, revealing nothing but a calm, unshaken demeanor.
More importantly, this second plan was much easier for Angus.
It required no direct action on his part just a simple order. He wouldn't even get his hands dirty.
After considering this, Angus finally smiled thoughtfully and nodded.
"Very well. Then, the last page of our Contract Book can now be finalized."
As soon as he spoke, a surge of ancient energy rippled through the air.
A withered, yellowed book slowly materialized, its pages flipping on their own, stopping at the final entry.
With a flick of his finger, the Spirit-Eyed Wizard conjured a black ghostly flame, which leaped onto the book's surface, spreading across the final page.
As the flames danced, lines of ancient wizard script emerged on the parchment.
The contract was now sealed. The deal was done.
The Mechanical City, Sixth Layer Research Institute
Lynn was in the middle of a discussion with Tyra, exploring ways to improve the properties of metallic materials.
Suddenly, a faint, refreshing fragrance drifted through the air.
Both of them looked up at the same time standing beside them was a female wizard clad in a flowing white robe, her warm smile radiating a gentle charm.
It was Lori.
"Hello, Lynn," Lori greeted with a friendly smile. "From today onward, I'll be working here as well. Please take care of me."
Tyra blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the sudden introduction.
Lynn, however, smiled politely and responded, "Welcome to the team, Lori."
Then, turning to Tyra, he introduced her, "This is Lori, the daughter of Wizard Vidar. Lori, this is Tyra, one of the researchers in our project."
The two female wizards exchanged a glance before offering each other polite smiles.
The atmosphere remained pleasant and professional.
Not long after, other members of the research team began arriving, and Lori excused herself to greet her new colleagues.
However, as soon as Lori left, Tyra immediately leaned closer to Lynn, waggling her eyebrows mischievously.
"You were on leave a few days ago… don't tell me you went to Wizard Vidar's house and somehow got involved with his daughter?"
Lynn nearly choked on his breath.
"What? No!" He quickly waved his hands in denial. "We're just acquaintances normal friends, that's all."
Tyra's eyes twinkled with amusement, the corners of her mouth curving into a knowing smirk.
"Normal friends, huh?" she mused.
She leaned in even closer, her tone laced with playful teasing.
"She looked at me with a bit of hostility just now. So, if you're telling the truth… that means she's interested in you on her own? Now, that's interesting."
Tyra chuckled, her smirk deepening.
"No offense to your charm, but you don't exactly strike me as the type to attract admirers. Unless… you're particularly 'talented' in certain areas?"
She cast him a mischievous glance.
"Hmm… I wouldn't know, of course. Haven't had the chance to experience it myself…"
Lynn instantly shut her down.
"Stop! If I visited Wizard Vidar's house, does that automatically mean I got involved with his daughter?"
Tyra shrugged, looking completely unfazed.
"Why not?" she said matter-of-factly.
"We're wizards. Do you still care about mortal moral standards?"
Hearing this, Lynn opened his mouth slightly, but after thinking carefully, he realized that Tyra had a point.
He had never really interacted privately with other official wizards; whenever he returned home, he would either meditate, cultivate, or conduct experiments.
Strictly speaking, he had never synchronized his worldview with that of other official wizards.
Even so, he couldn't help but complain, "How come I never noticed you were this kind of person before?"
Tyra shook his head upon hearing this, his expression extremely serious.
"Before, we only discussed mechanics, and your mechanics skills are better than mine. Every time we talked, I felt a crushing sense of defeat, completely killing any other thoughts. Naturally, there was no opportunity to discuss anything else."
Ever since Lori joined the research group, subtle changes had begun to take place in Lynn's daily life.
Just as Tyra had predicted earlier, Lori seemed to have developed a certain level of interest in him.
Lynn couldn't quite figure out what it was about him that had caught Lori's attention. Was he so irresistibly attractive?
Whenever he thought this, even he couldn't help but doubt it.
Vidar had sent his daughter to him, and Lori didn't seem to have any objections.
But Lynn was no ascetic sage if something was delivered right to his doorstep, he certainly wouldn't refuse.
Time passed quietly, and within the research institute, Vidar saw how close his daughter and Lynn had become, yet he made no move to intervene.
Just like that, a month went by.
Then, one day, as soon as Lynn arrived at the research institute, he was called over by Vidar, whose face was dark and grim.
"Lynn, there's something I have to tell you. This morning, a deployment order came from the expeditionary force of the Battle Division. They need a maintenance technician for the interdimensional purification device, and they specifically requested you."
This sudden statement made Lynn's eyes turn cold.
A month ago, after his conversation with Grand Wizard Chris, Lynn had already braced himself for potential trouble from interdimensional creatures and the Furnace Stone.
But he had never expected the trouble to come from within rather than from an external threat.
"Lord Vidar, is there something suspicious about this? I am merely a research personnel with no combat ability why would they need me on an interdimensional battlefield? And why specifically request me? Could this be some kind of personal vendetta?"
A certain figure flashed through his mind was that guy Marco still unwilling to let go and trying to target him again?
However, Vidar shook his head and replied, "This deployment order comes from the highest commander of the expeditionary force, with the approval of a Morning Star wizard."
Upon hearing this, although Lynn's expression remained grim, at least Marco was ruled out as the culprit.
"Then it must be related to the Furnace Stone and interdimensional creatures."
With that thought, Lynn had no intention of simply accepting his fate he decided to resist.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Vidar. I need to contact other superiors to confirm if something is wrong."
Saying this, Lynn stepped aside and took out his mechanical token, preparing to contact Darwin.
Vidar's face grew even darker, his brows furrowing deeply.
Ever since he brought his daughter to the research institute and saw Lynn interacting closely with her every day, he had thought he was making a foolproof investment.
Lynn, as the third disciple of the Warhammer Master, should have been more than capable of protecting his daughter.
But now, this sudden development filled him with unease, and an ominous thought arose in his mind.
Was Lynn just the Warhammer Master's third disciple?
What kind of background did he have, and why would the expeditionary force specifically request a mere researcher for the battlefield?
Was this not just sending him to his death?
Even so, Vidar had not completely abandoned hope.
Perhaps Lynn could contact Grand Wizard Chris maybe this was all just a misunderstanding.
He even hoped that if something was wrong, Chris or the Warhammer Master would step in to protect Lynn's identity and prove that he wasn't just an ordinary wizard.
With this in mind, a flicker of anticipation appeared in his eyes, though that hope was growing increasingly faint.
Meanwhile, Lynn was using his mechanical token to communicate with Darwin.
Even though he said he was contacting Darwin, in truth, his real goal was to use this opportunity to reach out to a certain Third-Level Grand Wizard Chris.
After all, just a month ago, Chris had firmly assured him that as long as she was around, he would have no safety concerns as long as he stayed in the City of Machinery.
However, things were not going smoothly.
Although Lynn successfully connected with Darwin, when it came to contacting Grand Wizard Chris, an unexpected obstacle arose.
Even Darwin the third disciple of the Warhammer Master was unable to reach his senior sister.
"Good thing I never fully trusted her… At a critical moment, she's nowhere to be found…"
Lynn sighed inwardly, grateful that he had prepared for the worst.
Instinctively, he asked Darwin to try a few more times, but the results remained the same.
The communication line was completely inaccessible.
In desperation, Darwin decided to go find Chris in person.
However, when Darwin arrived at Chris's residence, he was greeted not by Chris herself but by a cold mechanical puppet.
The puppet informed him that Grand Wizard Chris was in seclusion for cultivation and could not be disturbed by anyone not even her junior brother, Darwin.
Lynn let out a long sigh and returned to Vidar, shaking his head slightly.
Seeing this, Vidar's face turned even darker, almost as if he had swallowed something foul.
Now, he was certain he had miscalculated.
Lynn, despite his undeniable talent in mechanics, was not truly the disciple of the Warhammer Master.
That "first author" title on the research paper… The way he had willingly sent his daughter to him over the past month…
The more he thought about it, the worse Vidar's expression became.
He looked at Lynn's sharp and handsome features, his heart filled with anger, but he suppressed the urge to lash out.
Taking a deep breath, his voice turned cold, completely devoid of his previous warmth.
"You have seven days. Seven days from now, you must depart with the expeditionary force. Prepare yourself."
A peaceful life lasting less than a year had been shattered in an instant.
Lynn did not display any drastic emotional reaction. Instead, he felt a strange sense of calm.
Perhaps it was because he had already braced himself during his conversation with Chris, or maybe it was because his experiences in the Spirit Furnace had accustomed him to sudden upheavals, making him more composed and level-headed.
Seven days are neither long nor short.
Lynn quickly adjusted his mindset and left the research institute, heading directly to his residence on the fifth floor.
In the City of Machinery, he had no particular attachments.
The house he lived in was a government-allocated public benefit, and his transportation was mostly borrowed from Darwin.
The only thing he could truly call his own was his loyal maid, Bethany.
But now that he was being deployed, Bethany obviously couldn't come with him his spatial ring couldn't store living beings.
Thus, he had no choice but to entrust her temporarily to Darwin.
If he returned safely, then all would be fine. But if something went wrong…
Lynn shook his head fiercely, reminding himself.
"I must come back alive, and I will find out who is behind this. When the time comes, I'll settle the score one by one!"
"Not a single one of them will escape!"
During these seven days, Lynn remained both busy and focused.
He spent every last magic stone he had, buying large quantities of alchemical ingredients and materials to ensure that he wouldn't lack resources in the otherworld especially potions to enhance his mental strength.
Even though the price of certain items had doubled due to the looming war, he managed to acquire everything he needed to advance his cultivation.
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