Witch Hunter Rhapsody

"Maximus, where are you?"

"Leader, I'm out collecting experimental materials now!"

Maximus trembled, afraid that he might utter a single wrong word and displease his superiors.

The communication array remained silent for about five minutes, after which Maximus felt an unprecedented pressure.

A burst of magical light appeared before him without warning. Maximus was stunned for a moment, and then he saw a hand emerge from it.

A moment later, the hand disappeared into the magical light.

"Maximus, are you near Ortham? Do you know anything about what's been happening there lately?"

Damn it, why did this guy just use magic to send his own eyes over? Gregory's personality is even worse than I imagined!

Gregory, who has achieved considerable success in teleportation, is on par with Alistair in terms of strength.

"Recently, there has been a large-scale undead invasion here. It doesn't seem to be a natural phenomenon. It's probably the work of undead wizards."

"Hahaha, you really are an idiot. How could this be a natural phenomenon? If natural phenomena could give birth to the undead, wouldn't nature be even more powerful than the goddess of magic?"

Maximus dared not speak his anger; he had only said things on purpose to reduce Gregory's wariness of him.

"That being said, have you seen Alistair?"

"What happened to Alistair?"

"Alistair has disappeared. He disappeared when the teacher was looking for him. This is not a good thing. You know, our teachers always hate this kind of thing. What's more, Alistair was sent to investigate the time of Via's death."

"Excuse my bluntness, but I know about Viya's death. However, why is she attracting so much attention?"

"Maximus, you are not qualified to know this, not even to know that you don't know this. Enough, Maximus. Since you're around here, investigate first."

"Preliminary investigation?"

"The teacher will come over once he finishes what he's doing. If you can make some progress by then, it will be a good opportunity to change your current situation. This is a great chance for a wizard like you."

Maximus's face turned deathly pale instantly.

What does it mean when the teacher is coming?

What are the teachers here for?

Alistair's disappearance is certainly important, but is it really necessary for him to come in person?

Damn it, damn it, has things gotten this dangerous?

If the teacher comes, and I have to meet him directly, given his personality, he will definitely try to save time by reading my memories directly. In that case, all my secrets will be completely exposed.

What followed was a torturous ordeal, and what was Vitas doing?

Maximus knew deep down that he had no right to blame Vitas, because Vitas had completed all the tasks perfectly.

However, the development of this situation was beyond their control.

"Did you hear that?"

"I heard you."

Maximus spent several days in this state of fear and unease.

He was seriously considering what he should do, because the chain reaction triggered by Viya's death had reached a point that he absolutely could not handle.

Those insane acts, the wizards' goals, the future the wizards wanted to achieve.

What makes Viya so special?

He couldn't understand it!

Maximus eventually activated his teleportation array and returned to his laboratory.

This small and cramped laboratory was Maximus's residence and workplace.

This place is similar to Viya's small laboratory, maybe a little more spacious, but the environment is even worse.

After completing basic lessons and obtaining wizard qualifications at the academy, everyone receives a certain amount of resources each month, but these resources are far from sufficient to meet the needs of research.

Wizards are a group of knowledge-seeking monsters, and when they find themselves unable to support themselves, they are often already heavily in debt.

Maximus wasn't worried about any of that. He sat at his lab table, where the notes from his last experiment were still there.

If I hadn't chosen this risky path and had taken the conventional route instead, would I have already discovered new possibilities through this experiment?

He then rejected the idea himself.

"How is that possible? Damn it, don't I know my own experiment well enough? It was just a shoddy mess, lacking innovation and effectiveness. We were just doing something to satisfy our damn egos!"

Maximus heard some strange noises coming from outside the laboratory and forcefully suppressed his anger.

He told Gregory that he was not in the academy and that if he were accidentally discovered to have returned, things could get much worse.

Maximus needed a plan, a plan that could be kept secret from his teacher.

First, you need to know what your teacher needs.

The teacher needs to know Alistair's whereabouts and will also ask himself the truth about Viya's death.

At the same time, while fabricating a reasonable excuse, one must also be able to resist the teacher's mental spells.

The latter is much more difficult than the former.

Perhaps I should go find Nexus?

no no!

If the teacher finds out about this idea, I'm really doomed.

Maximus had no way to seek help from his friends among the mages; he only had one person to turn to for help.

That is Vitas Vitalius.

After listening to Maximus's account, which included Maximus's complaints and a silent reproach, Vitas leisurely picked up his water glass from the side and took a sip with a rather smug look on his face.

"So, you're having me investigate this?"

"Yes."

"Haha, that's interesting. You're the third person to ask me this request."

Maximus was stunned.

"The third one?"

Vitas also recalled his experiences over the past few days. First, there was the Viscount, whose political status might offer an advantage in dealing with wizards, so he agreed to the Viscount's request.

Moreover, as the person who killed Viya, he also needed to find out exactly what happened.

Two days later, the merchant Declan arrived, claiming that his wizard client had offered a large sum of money to hire someone to find out the truth. As inquisitive monsters, the surrounding wizards became intensely interested. He even hinted that his wizard client was a very important person.

Compared to the potential material benefits that the Viscount could bring, what Draco could bring, besides connections in the wizarding world, was a material reward so generous that Vitas was willing to take on this mission.

My God, that's a huge sum of money.

Vitas thought it over carefully, but instead of explaining what it all meant, he told Maximus.

"One man gives me worldly rewards, another gives me wizarding rewards—tell me, Maximus, what can you offer?"

Maximus was speechless for a moment. Vitas already knew his identity; he was just one of Draco's many insignificant disciples. He hadn't fulfilled his promise to Vitas to kill Via, and Vitas's willingness to see him now was already more than generous.

"Please, this is a matter of life and death!"

Vitas sighed and said, "Maximus, I've heard that wizards are always cautious, but I don't see that in you. You drove me to create this situation because of your own desires, and after all this has happened, you say, 'Please, help me!' Don't you think that's absurd?"

Maximus knew this too; strictly speaking, all of this was caused by him.

"However, in a way, this is what I hope for as well."

revenge.

Vitas has never forgotten his goal, and although everything is in a mess now, incredibly, he is actually getting closer and closer to revenge.

Although he wanted to rely on Draco to avenge Nexus, he has now killed Draco's student.

He needs to think of other methods.

"Vitas, if my teacher catches me, do you think you can escape?"

"Sigh, indeed, so I should kill you now, shouldn't I?"

Vitas looked at Maximus; the two were less than half a meter apart, which was not a safe distance.

Maximus tried to stand up uneasily, but he wasn't sure if doing so would provoke Vitas to attack him directly. He didn't want to die, he absolutely didn't want to die.

"Alright, relax a little, Maximus, I'll figure something out, but right now... oh, my friend's here, he'll bring me more news, and I'll come find you when the time is right. Now, you should give me a way to contact you."

Maximus let out a long breath, stood up, and placed a ring engraved with a magic circle on the table.

"This is a ring engraved with communication magic. It can be used once a day. It took me a year's work to make. Damn it, here you go."

"Don't say it so harshly. This is for your own life, so spending a little money is normal."

"Okay, I'll be going now."

Maximus left Vitas's residence, and as he crossed the street, he noticed someone walking towards Vitas's residence.

"Who is this?"

He instinctively wanted to take another look, and then he noticed the person's appearance.

"This is not..."

Maximus had a good memory, although a good memory wasn't anything special for a wizard.

He remembered many famous wizards in the country, whether at the wizarding conferences convened by the Duke from time to time, at private academic meetings, or at small meetings within the wizarding community.

Information about famous wizards and their students can be found on it.

Because of the existence of spell slots, each wizard can only cast a limited number of spells per day, so wizards are less likely to use spells to change their appearance.

If Maximus remembers correctly, that face was... Nectus's chief reader, Declan Gallagher!

How could that be?

Damn it, Vitas knows people like that?

Maximus was deeply shocked. How could someone like Vitas have any connection with Nexus's reading?

It's important to know that a guy like Declan is on par with Alistair in terms of status.

Damn it.

A dangerous suspicion began to spread in Maximus's mind; once the seed of doubt was planted, it would grow wildly.

Did Vitas conspire with that wizard to plot against him? What exactly is Vitas's purpose? Damn it, he's clearly well aware of the conflict between Nexus and Draco.

Why? Was he simply greedy, trying to have his cake and eat it too, or did he realize his own unreliability and want to switch sides to Nexus?

Damn it, damn it, things are getting worse!

Maximus felt his breathing become rapid.

Why did it turn out this way?

He hates this situation.

Maximus walked for a long time, and even when he reached a deserted alley, he did not use magic to leave.

For him, the city had become incredibly dangerous. This city of only 150,000 people, a city with little research value, might now harbor countless wizards.

They were all coming for him, and Maximus was going crazy.

"You are... Draco's student?"

After an unknown amount of time, a single sentence brought Maximus back to reality.

"who!"

Maximus turned his head in surprise, and the ring on his finger began to glow.

A thin man appeared not far away.

"Oh my gosh, what great luck! I was wondering who this person who looked so familiar was!"

"Who are you?"

The man reached out his hand.

"I am Raphael, the head of the War School of the Noctis Undead Dynasty. If you remember the necromancer wave a few days ago, you should know who I am."

"Did you do those things?"

"It's not just me, it's me and my colleagues, but it's perfectly normal for you to think it's me too."

Raphael saw Maximus's struggle and despair, and he understood it without even using magic, simply through his human consciousness and perception.

Raphael said.

"You're afraid, Maximus. Perhaps the answer we've been seeking can be found in you. So, are you willing to cooperate with me now? I have some good news for you."

"What news?"

Raphael deduced that the person before him was with Alistair, and that Alistair, who had died in the wave of undead, must be something he feared.

Then, with great confidence, he declared, "Alistair, I have a way to resurrect him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Wink Magic Flash Bow stored in Maximus's Ring was activated.

The moment Raphael saw the magical light, he conjured a bone shield in front of him, which was also an effect of a spell ring.

He suddenly realized that Vimaximus did not want Alistair to be resurrected.

He said.

"Ah, it seems you have some secrets of your own. But it doesn't matter, I have a way to control the resurrected Alistair."