Wizard: My skills can be upgraded indefinitely.

Following the updates on Cola Novels has never been so enjoyable.

Ian walked to the window, looking at the night view of Shadowmoon Tower as always, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the window frame.

If you stay inside the tower and rely on internal channels to exchange blood essence, your progress in body refining will become increasingly slower.

The crafting of [Starlight Potion] will gradually come to a standstill due to a shortage of key materials.

He is most concerned about the Abyss Runestones, but there is still a large shortage.

One of the special materials, the Void Anchor Stone, remains unknown to this day.

The members of the Withered Council cut off his access and forced him to come out.

If he remains holed up, the other side might not dare to make a move inside the tower.

But it will also be like a leech, never allowing him to find peace.

He wants to go out.

But don't just walk out like a fool.

We need to make them feel that there is an opportunity, but not to cause too much of a stir.

Moreover, he intends to demonstrate some of his strength this time.

His previous demon-hunting achievements were not widely recognized, and many people were still unconvinced.

Ian returned to the tower simply to demonstrate his talent in potions, and he was indeed rewarded handsomely.

Various core permissions, advanced knowledge, cutting-edge information...

But that's not enough; this is the world of wizards.

Without formidable strength, his terrifying ability to acquire magic stones would only bring more trouble.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the open notebook on the alchemy table.

Turning to the latest page, he found information he had recently gathered about several resource points outside the tower.

One of them is about two days' journey from Shadowmoon Tower.

There is a border area known as the "Dark Hills" where small abyssal fissures are rumored to be periodically unstable.

Every few days, a small amount of fragments and materials containing the aura of rules will gush out.

It was precisely the Abyss Runestone that he was currently in dire need of.

The rift does pose a risk, but it's not particularly high; it's an area that a level one wizard can explore alone.

"This is fine."

Ian drew a circle around that spot with a quill pen.

As for his reason for leaving, he needed Abyss Runestones to continue refining and improving the [Starlight Potion].

It was sufficient and "reasonable" enough to remove him from the tower's protective area.

As for whether the members of the Withered Council will take the bait...

Ian's lips curled into a cold smile.

The bait has been cast; now it's just a matter of seeing when the fish can't resist taking the bait.

Two days later.

Kenner pushed open the door to the alchemy room, clutching a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand.

"Sir, the news has spread."

Ian looked up, his fingers still stirring a pot of deep purple potion, tiny bubbles rising to the surface.

"How did it break up?"

"Wade was drinking at the black market tavern, deliberately getting a little too drunk, and complaining to someone that he was very worried lately because he had run out of materials and was about to be unable to refine the [Star Power Potion]."

Kenner said, "He was at the materials market, inquiring about the abyssal rifts over in the 'Dark Hills,' and he kept his movements simply concealed."

Ian nodded.

Wade usually handles errands and purchasing, so doing these things won't arouse suspicion.

"Is someone watching them?"

"It's right outside the door." Kenna licked his lips.

"Wade said that when he left the bar, he felt someone was following him for two blocks, but no one made a move. It was just someone testing him, asking if he was really going out."

That's enough.

In truth, they couldn't fool those two venomous snakes; everyone knew the truth.

Ian put down the stirring rod, the firelight reflecting off half of his face, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

"Ready to depart."

Three days later, in the evening.

An abandoned watchtower stands on the edge of a dark hill.

The tower is built of gray-black rocks and is three stories high.

Half of the roof had long since collapsed, revealing the wooden beams inside, which looked as if a giant had taken a bite out of them.

The surrounding area was covered with waist-high weeds, and when the wind blew, the grass blades rubbed together and made a "rustling" sound.

In the distance, the outline of the hills can be seen, resembling a crouching giant beast in the twilight.

Ian stood at the gap at the top of the tower, holding a dark purple runestone in his hand.

The stone's surface has fine veins, like blood vessels, and it feels warm to the touch, emanating a faint aura of the abyss.

This was the worst quality piece he picked from the inventory, perfect for use as bait.

He looked up and glanced at the sky.

The sun had already sunk behind the mountains, leaving only a sliver of light that tinged the clouds with a dark red hue.

it's getting dark.

"quack."

From the shadows, a black ball the size of a fist rolled out and landed on Ian's shoulder.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready, quack!" Gaga nuzzled Ian's face with its little head.

"I've planted twelve 'Shadow Eyes' around the tower. I'll know immediately if anyone gets within a hundred meters!"

Ian stroked its feathers.

"When the fight breaks out, don't engage in a direct confrontation. Just disrupt them. Your task is to hold one off while I deal with the other."

"I understand!" Gaga puffed out her little chest. "I'm really awesome now!"

Ian smiled but didn't say anything.

None of the enemies this time are weak.

He took out three vials of medicine from his dimensional ring and tilted his head back to drink them.

One [powerful treatment drug] and one [psychic stimulant drug].

There is also a limited-edition [Rock Bear Potion], which can only be used to temporarily enhance physical strength.

As the medicine entered his throat, a surge of heat exploded from his stomach, rushing to his limbs and bones.

The jade-like luster beneath his skin brightened again, his muscles swelled slightly, and power surged through his veins.

He moved his shoulders, and his bones made a soft "crackling" sound.

Then, his figure blurred, and his skin shimmered like water, its color and texture changing rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, it blended into the surrounding gray-black stone walls.

Invisibility effect: [Mimicry].

Even the sound of breathing disappeared.

All that remained at the top of the tower was the "whooshing" sound of the wind blowing through the gap.

It was completely dark.

The moon was obscured by clouds, with only a few stars barely illuminating the barren grassland.

Three dark figures crept in from the direction of the hills.

It wasn't fast, but it was very steady, and there was almost no sound when I stepped on the grass.

The two leaders were a man and a woman.

The man was wearing a gray robe and a bone mask on his face.

Only its two eyes were visible, with dark green pupils resembling rotting leaves.

The woman was wrapped in a black cloak, the hood pulled low so that only her chin was visible, and her skin was deathly pale.

A man in a black robe followed behind, his face covered and his shoulders wrapped in bandages.

It was the masked man who escaped in the alley that day, the Mist Wizard with Cursed Eyes.

"Are you sure this is the place?" the woman asked, her voice cold and dry, like ice rubbing together.

"Confirmed." The mist wizard lowered his voice.

"The informant said that Ian Marcus left the city this evening and headed in this direction. The watchtower is a stronghold he explored before, and he might spend the night here."

The man raised his hand, gesturing for the other man to stop.

The three stopped eighty meters away from the watchtower.

The man pulled a bone compass from his pocket, its pointer engraved with twisted runes.

He bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto the needle.

The pointer trembled, pointed at the watchtower, then stopped, glowing faintly.

"There is a life force inside, very weak, but definitely there," the man said.

"And... the fluctuations of abyssal energy are very weak, as if they are being suppressed."

The woman nodded.

"Ash, you go left, I'll go right. Cursed Eye, you go around behind and block their escape route," Raven quickly assigned tasks.

"A swift victory is best, capture him alive, and find out the cause of Hector's death."

"Yes."

The three separated, like three arrows released from a bow, silently hurtling towards the watchtower.

Top of the tower.

Ian lay in the shadows of the corner, his eyes closed, but his mind was like a net, stretching fifty meters.

Gaga's Shadow Eye transmitted the three people's movements into his mind in real time.

"They're here... three of them... they'll split up and surround them..."