Wizard: Starts with Advanced Meditation

"Um……"

After taking the badge, Valerius glanced at the runes inscribed on it before speaking:

"Okay, you can go now."

Hearing this, Hughes nodded, then immediately turned around to leave.

But suddenly, Valerius's voice came from behind:

"Oh, right."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hughes abruptly stopped, and his expression instantly tightened.

"..."

"The raid a while ago was actually carried out with the tacit approval of Barossa and his companions, because he wanted to test whether you had the mark of Bevik."

Fortunately, Valerius did not make things difficult for him, and his tone even contained a hint of apology.

"This time it was my fault for not disciplining my children properly."

Upon hearing this, Hughes's expression darkened, but he immediately turned around, a playful look instantly appearing on his face:

"Oh? So it's Barossa? Lord Valerius, I'm a little curious, why is he targeting me?"

Finally, he added:

"After all, my master was somewhat angry after that incident, thinking that I had been exposed and was no longer suitable to work for her."

"So, may I ask where my disguise went wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Valerius first glanced at Hughes indifferently, then shook his head and said:

"No, you hid it very well from beginning to end... but Barossa still caught the scent of your vampire aura."

Upon hearing this, Hughes nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. Well, thank you for letting me know, Lord Valerius."

After saying that, he turned and stepped into the teleportation array that lit up again.

"Buzz—"

After a flash of silver light, his figure disappeared from the spot.

"..."

In the empty hall, Valerius gazed at the college badge in his hand, a faint crimson glow appearing at his fingertips.

"Buzz—"

Shortly after, the teleportation array lit up in the hall below, and Hughes' figure appeared.

As soon as he stepped out of the formation, a figure rushed over.

"What?!"

The newcomer was Barossa, and when he saw that it was Hughes who had been teleported to him, his face was filled with disbelief.

"Why... are you still here?"

Upon hearing this, Hughes replied with a mocking expression:

"Why? Hehehe... Lord Barossa, I think you should ask your teacher yourself."

After saying that, he didn't look at the other person again and walked straight towards the corridor outside the hall.

"Oh, right."

But when he reached Barossa's side, he suddenly stopped.

"Zheng—!!"

The next moment, a transparent spatial blade slashed out from his palm, instantly severing the opponent's arm.

"Splash, splash—plop."

"ah--!"

Barossa knelt on the ground with a ferocious expression. His shoulder and entire right arm were instantly severed, leaving only a clean cut.

"you--!"

"Don't fight back..."

Hughes raised his foot and stomped heavily on the other man's intact left shoulder.

"Lord Valerius said I can punish you as I please."

Upon hearing this, Barossa, who had intended to retaliate, froze, his face instantly filled with fear.

He wasn't stupid; seeing Hughes teleported back unharmed, he naturally guessed what had happened.

"..."

On the other side, seeing that Barossa had fallen silent, Hughes released his foot and then said in a flat tone:

"Also, remember to open the door for me."

After saying that, he slowly left the hall, his figure gradually disappearing into the dimly lit corridor.

On the other side, Barossa watched the other's retreating figure with a ferocious expression on his face.

"Hughes...Craig!!"

……

"call out--"

After emerging from the spire, Hughes hovered away from it for a while before being teleported back to his residence in Wiesholm with a flash of silver light.

"Buzz—"

As soon as he stepped into the basement, his legs suddenly went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, he managed to grab the wall beside him in time, which prevented an accident from happening.

"Phew... Phew... You scared me to death."

Hughes leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

At this moment, his face no longer showed the composure he had when entering the spire; instead, it was filled with lingering fear.

He touched his smooth neck, his expression slightly complicated.

……

Before entering the hall, in the long corridor.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

As the specially designed buzzing sound rang out again, Hughes's expression shifted slightly.

Even the communication crystals in the spire were blocked, so he didn't expect that Iluya could still send messages.

He then glanced at the still-dark corridor at the end, and quietly sent a wisp of spiritual energy into his storage bag.

The next moment, Iluya's voice suddenly rang in his mind.

"Hughes, why was your communication crystal suddenly blocked? Why was I able to communicate with you only when I used the vampire-made communication crystal?"

Her tone was somewhat urgent, and she deliberately lowered her voice slightly when she said the last sentence.

Upon hearing this, Hughes recounted his ordeal to Iluya in detail.

As soon as he finished speaking, Iluya's regretful voice echoed in his mind:

"Damn it, you've actually entered Valerius's spire now."

She paused for a moment, then continued.

"What I was actually trying to tell you was that Valerius has figured out a plan to steal back the flesh and blood of Osiris, so our plan has been brought forward."

"I just never expected that you would actually be inside their spire now."

Upon hearing this, Hughes responded:

"I guess Barossa said something to Valerius, which made him notice me too."

As he spoke, he was almost at the end of the corridor, with the hall in the distance right in front of him.

"Do you have any ideas? I'm planning to use my own method to force my way out later."

He has found the weak point of that spatial barrier, right in the hall ahead. If he's lucky, he should be able to shatter it with a dimensional shattering attack.

But to be honest, with a level two wizard present, he probably wouldn't even have a chance to make a move.

"..."

Fortunately, after a moment of silence, Iluya slowly said:

"There is a way."

……

After that, he used the mark that Iluya had branded him to fool Valerius and save his life.

(Note: "Bevic's Brand" is a spell name.)

He even became "their accomplice" through this.

However, thinking back to the oppressive feeling that Valerius had given him as a second-level wizard, Hughes was still a little shaken.

Valerius's combat strength is clearly a level above others in the second tier.

Moreover, the other party had genuinely shown murderous intent before he "exposed his identity".

"It seems that Iluya has a special status among vampires... Even Valerius treats her with such respect."

Thinking of Valerius's immediate change in attitude towards him, Hughes murmured.