Roy had previously brewed Dark Orchard Potions for Sophia on numerous occasions. Each time they met, he would stand and speak, humble as a lackey.
But now, having become a Quasi-Wizard, an Elite Apprentice within the Wizard Tower, everything was different.
"What brings you here?" Sophia inquired after Roy had taken a seat.
Roy replied, "I wanted to ask about Chalkland and Chalk Soil."
He then proceeded to ask the questions he had prepared for some time.
He had had the opportunity to ask these questions earlier, but without equal status, it would have been futile. People wouldn't just tell you things without reason.
Only now did he feel somewhat qualified.
Indeed, Sophia readily shared what she knew, especially about the Dark Star in the Sky on December 12th and the Week of Demonic Nature!
The general situation was similar to what Roy had learned, but she added some details.
"Actually, we Elite Apprentices have a secret pact, each with our own roles and collaborations.
Now that you've reached this stage, it's best for you to join us."
"You've actually joined forces!" Roy was quite shocked.
"Of course," Sophia said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to amass wealth before being summoned!
There's no need for us to compete; in fact, we should cooperate sincerely if the chance arises!"
Roy nodded.
These top-tier apprentices, each delaying their promotion, were indeed vying for this life-changing opportunity!
Of course, they would eliminate rivals of the same level.
He quickly said, "Please, take me along!
I'm confident I won't be a burden; in fact, I can be quite useful."
What he truly cared about was the Inherent Essence. Perhaps he could reap the greatest benefits before the others could share them!
Other things were secondary, just like when he shared with Raymond!
"Alright," Sophia wasn't surprised by Roy's choice. "Come to the library at 8 PM, and I'll introduce you to the other Elite Apprentices."
"Got it," Roy quickly agreed, then asked, "By the way, Senior Apprentice Sophia, do you have any Chalk Soil?"
Sophia replied, "Olen has been collecting that. We've adhered to the pact and haven't competed with him."
Roy was somewhat disappointed, thinking he could complete the remaining 10%.
Sophia, however, misunderstood and advised him, "What's out there might not be good. It's only worth searching seriously once we're inside Chalkland."
Roy's heart warmed again.
Yes, inside Chalkland…
That's where the real treasure lies!
…
That night, on the third floor of the Wizard Tower, in the library.
Roy arrived as promised and found Sophia sitting in the lounge area with a man and a woman.
The area had been cleared to avoid disturbances, and Roy recognized them immediately.
"The man is Balu, specializing in Elemental Magic! The woman is Melina, skilled in Summoning Magic."
Balu was tall and robust, with a muscular build that made him look like a Bloodline Wizard focused on physical strength.
But in reality, he was a genuine "spellcaster," the mainstream type highly regarded in the Arcane Empire and other magical worlds.
Wizards and these mages have had numerous conflicts, and their "exchanges" have been quite extensive. This has led to the development of many elemental wizards to counter the firepower suppression from their opponents.
Melina, on the other hand, exudes a petite and adorable charm. She is dressed in exquisite, lavish attire, as if attending a grand banquet, resembling a beautiful doll-like maiden.
However, as a legitimate apprentice in the Wizard World, beneath this delicate and splendid exterior lies a horrifying malice.
Over the years, including the six years of his predecessor and his own two years, Roy has heard rumors several times about "Senior Apprentice Melina chopping someone up and feeding them to the dogs."
Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like—literally "chopping someone up and feeding them to the dogs," with no metaphor involved!
It seems she has a summoning contract with a certain Hellhound Pack, which is a heritage resource similar to his own Hair Demon Physique, with considerable potential for development.
As if sensing Roy's gaze, the three of them simultaneously turned to look at him.
"This is Roy, the only apprentice who has successfully reached the elite stage in the past two years," Sophia introduced him to the other two.
"Senior Apprentice Sophia, Senior Apprentice Balu, Senior Apprentice Melina, hello," Roy placed his right hand on his chest and gave a slight bow, showing his respect to these three pioneers.
"Indeed, he has reached the qualitative transformation stage of an elite apprentice's mental strength and is about to condense the Source of Magic. It's a pity; with a mentor's guidance, you could have completed this step much faster," Balu examined him for a moment and grinned.
The luck of this generation of apprentices isn't great, having encountered the major incident of the Forbidden Experiment's failure.
Without proper guidance from a qualified mentor, their future careers cannot be planned, and they might even lose their way.
"If this treasure hunt goes smoothly, wouldn't it be a hundred times better than mentor guidance? After all, mentors can't provide us with many Wizard-level resources, let alone second-level, third-level, or even Great Wizard-level ones..." Melina's eyes burned with fervor.
"This is also the purpose of our gathering here today," Sophia said. "Roy, please sit down, and I'll brief you on the general situation."
Roy nodded and took a seat.
"Our alliance is essentially a loose adventurer cooperation agreement. The specific terms, including details on handling various collaborations and disputes, should be familiar to you.
The key lies in the rules of distribution.
What we've agreed upon this time is to each take what we need under the premise of no malicious competition, ensuring fair trade.
You can acquire various resources based on your abilities, and if it's something you need, you can keep it as a priority.
But if it's more beneficial to others, it must be traded fairly, and malicious price hikes are not allowed.
We must prevent the foolish act of harming others without benefiting ourselves, avoiding unnecessary internal conflicts among elite apprentices and the loss of precious opportunities."
Balu and Melina both watched with amused expressions as Sophia explained the situation to Roy.
As a newly promoted junior, Roy has limited Magic Stones and treasures in his possession, making it difficult for him to compete with them.
But after listening, Roy nodded in satisfaction.
"Very fair, very reasonable."
The agreement has already stipulated that everyone has the right to inspect and confirm what they've obtained.
He has the opportunity to see the treasures in others' hands.
At the very least, he could get his hands on it and take a look!
This presented an opportunity to obtain Inherent Essence without anyone noticing!
After explaining the general situation, Olen arrived late.
He was also a participant in this alliance, and upon seeing Roy, he showed a hint of surprise: "Roy!"
(End of Chapter)