Clinging to the Witcher world to become a god of martial arts

Chapter 197 The Sudden Change of Identity

The light screen kept changing, and almost all of Lorne's role in the mission was erased from the screen, leaving only Estelle's performance.

From beginning to end, it seems that he, as the leader of the wizard, was completely useless. All he knew was to give the order to escape, and he couldn't even cast spells.

At crucial moments, it was always the ice-type wizard in the team who stepped in and saved the increasingly worse situation time and time again.

The handsome young man didn't look like a wizard leading a group at all.

This situation is quite common for other wizards, because apprentices are basically cannon fodder in missions.

But this handsome young man, as the leader of the wizards, unleashed a level three mental power.

Their identities are self-evident; only two people within the Black Tower have been granted the status of official wizards.

Aside from Vermilan, there was only that newly recruited apprentice who had recently made a name for himself in the Black Tower. So this was the reason why he hadn't revealed his identity yet.

Many wizards looked enlightened.

"I never expected that the guy who was regarded as a prodigy after Formilan would be so overrated."

"Damn it, they actually handed over the supplies needed for the mission to a formal wizard from Raven's Nest? Just to save their own lives?"

"How could the Minister of Cologne grant such an apprentice the status of a formal wizard?"

"In the Thunder Mountains, they were powerless against the Thunderstruck Wood Demon and were knocked down in one blow. It was truly a disgrace."

""

Lorne shared the same expression as them, finally understanding what Cologne meant by "guiding the direction of public opinion within the tower."

All that everyone saw was the compromise this handsome young man made when handing over the supplies, and his utter vulnerability when facing the lightning-struck wood demon.

The carefully edited footage from Cologne successfully imprinted the image of a weak and incompetent person who had obtained his identity by chance on the minds of all the wizards who viewed the screen.

He must have had some special purpose in doing this, and the public outcry would affect not only himself, the apprentice who had become a formal wizard.

And then there's his position as Minister of Law Enforcement; after all, it was Cologne who personally conferred the title of formal wizard upon an apprentice.

Pressure from all sides...

Cologne's actions have thrust both men into the spotlight, making them the target of public criticism.

Either crush all doubts with absolute strength in the battle of geniuses, or be overwhelmed by this surging public opinion.

There was practically no way out.

If one fails to achieve certain results in the Battle of the Prodigies, one will be plunged into the abyss, and Cologne will also be affected.

The Black Sun Tower is rife with factions, and the Minister of Law Enforcement wields far too much power, which rival faction wizards can exploit to their advantage and negatively impact Cologne.

Based on Lorne's understanding of that middle-aged man, this move must have been carefully considered by Cologne, as long as he could achieve first place in the Heavenly Pride Battle.

It will definitely bring great benefits.

But none of this concerns him right now... Lorne pulled up his hood, hiding his face in the shadows.

The increasingly loud discussions and undisguised laughter around him seemed to have nothing to do with him.

When public opinion reaches a certain point, Cologne will likely use this opportunity to launch the Heavenly Pride Battle a month later. All Cologne needs to do during this period is withstand the pressure and strengthen its own capabilities.

Lorne silently pushed open the small door of the Star River Hall, leaving the commotion and the humiliating light screen behind him.

The light from the teleportation array seemed to carry a hint of coldness.

The days to come are destined to be difficult; you must never show your face to outsiders.

It would be troublesome if other wizards recognized me.

All the wizards in the Star River Hall probably believed that they were useless people who relied solely on luck.

Cologne's influence won't stop there. Since it's the dominant voice in the "Tower," it's likely that similar scenes are playing out in other halls as well.

Lorne will no longer be the mysterious rising star, but a "soft target" in everyone's eyes who can be trampled on at will and whose strength does not match his honor.

Before the news spreads, let's head to the trading area and buy a mask to cover our faces... Lorne doesn't want to become a pariah.

He stepped into the teleportation array, his goal clear.

Meanwhile, in the apprenticeship area.

Rent a stable.

This was a middle-aged man with a large belly, scars on his face, and a haggard expression, slumped on a wooden chair.

Inside the thatched stables, no horses remained. The roof of the stables had collapsed, and a slight breeze could be heard through it, making a whistling sound. Almost all of the wooden fences of the stables were broken, leaning precariously and barely holding on. The feed troughs were filled with filthy rainwater, with fallen leaves and unidentified filth floating on them.

The once-thriving horse rental stables now look completely different, dilapidated and vastly different from what they used to be.

The stable owner was filled with despair, muttering to himself, "How could this be... we couldn't find him... that kid clearly went back to the apprentice area... he couldn't possibly not be an apprentice..."

After revealing the clues to Count Reno, Count Reno took the stable owner to the Wizard's Tower to retrieve information about the apprentices.

Rudolf's squad was wiped out, and he personally witnessed one of the handsome young men return to the apprentice area alone, while the other three went missing.

The confident stable owner checked the apprentice information for the relevant area but couldn't find the handsome young man.

The consequences were predictable.

The wizard in charge of the investigation was negligent, which had already angered Count Reno, and then the stable owner failed to find the handsome young man.

After repeated tugs of the gun, Count Renault realized he had been deceived and, in a fit of anger, ordered his men to dismantle the stables.

They also sent people to beat up the stable owner day after day.

Unfortunately, due to the other party's identity, the wizards in the Inspection Department chose to turn a blind eye, which led to the current situation.

Feeling hopeless, the middle-aged man slumped helplessly onto the wooden chair, his gaze fixed on the path outside.

At the edge of the horizon, two burly men dressed as servants, each carrying a wooden stick, were walking towards them step by step.

The stable owner avoided the large bump on his head, scratched the few remaining hairs on his head, and closed his eyes in despair.

It passed quickly... just fifteen minutes... I'll have food to eat after I finish... I have to hold it in this time.

"Are you ready?" The two strong men were still humane enough not to beat the stable owner to death, and they would notify him before each fight.

The beatings, day after day, and the pig-like screams, were still somewhat moving.

"Hmm." The stable owner kept trying to convince himself.

Seeing this, the two strong men quickly raised the wooden sticks.

"Whoosh!" The sound of air being cut rang out, and a gentle breeze blew across the wound on my face, bringing a slight stinging sensation.

One second, two seconds... the wooden sticks did not fall like a storm.

The stable owner opened his eyes in confusion, only to see that the two servants' gazes were focused on the air above the apprentice area.

A screen formed from a ball of light suddenly appeared, seemingly about to play something.

Suddenly, the image flashed, revealing the face of a handsome young man.

The two strong men watched this scene with puzzlement.

"He...he..." The stable owner behind him suddenly felt his chest heave violently, his finger trembling as he pointed at the boy in mid-air, his voice hoarse: "It's him!"