Wizards begin with Occlumency.

Chapter 145 Taking My Own Lead

Trust is mutual.

Being wary is mutual.

Link is on guard against Iris and Monroe's backstab.

Iris and Monroe were also on guard against Link's backstab.

The human heart cannot withstand testing.

Human hearts are also fickle.

So it's better to be a little more careful.

Iris didn't rush to disperse the protective shield.

Instead, he first took out the control brain of the released eagle from the small bag and began to monitor the underground hidden fortification area.

After confirming that Link and his team had entered the underground shelter, they showed no signs of emerging.

Iris then used violence to shatter the crumbling protective shield.

Several water-based hydration spells and wood-based regeneration spells were cast on the unconscious group to alleviate the impact they had suffered.

Monroe was the first to wake up from his coma.

"How is the situation?"

He opened his eyes, was dazed for a moment, and after regaining some clarity, Monroe asked a question first.

Then his expression suddenly changed, and he roared, "Are you crazy? To save a stranger, you threw two 'Death Knells' at our heads? Are you afraid we won't die a horrible death?"

"Weapon of Destruction" is a nickname given to Celine the Wizard.

Link has continued to use it.

Its real name is the Death Knell, which means exactly what it says.

Toll the death knell, and send people to their deaths.

"hey-hey……"

Iris chuckled awkwardly, "I got carried away, sorry, sorry."

As she spoke, Iris's tone changed, revealing a hint of disdain, "But it's not as serious as you say. At worst, we'll just be eliminated, it's not like we'll actually blow you up!"

"You..."

Monroe was furious.

This is a major competition between two regions. Isn't being eliminated a serious problem?

He had just opened his mouth when he swallowed the words back down.

Forget it, Iris is just that kind of crazy person, there's no point in worrying about it.

She'd dare to do it again if she encountered a similar situation!

It's all in vain to say anything.

"Let's go back."

Monroe simply ignored Iris, struggled to his feet, and then helped his friends up one by one.

Once everyone had regained some consciousness, they quickly led the group away from the deep pit.

Link isn't the only one who understands civil engineering.

The Monroe team also dug highly defensive underground fortifications.

It's located at the foot of the mountains on both sides.

According to the original plan, after the two teams attacked from the left and right flanks, they would confine the pursuers to the trap area, kill as many as possible, and then trigger the traps.

Before that, they need to break free from the entanglement and retreat to safe areas on either side.

Who would have thought that Iris, in a fit of madness, would throw two "Deathstroke" spells directly from the sky.

Regardless of the consequences.

The entire Monroe team and Iris team almost lost everything.

Everyone is in poor condition right now, so the two teams don't separate and go into the same fortification to rest.

After setting up the perimeter, Monroe approached Iris and asked directly, "Where are they?"

Iris was holding a small knife and peeling a fruit to eat.

She put a piece in her mouth, chewed it, and said, "It hid underground."

"They were already on guard against us."

Monroe seemed to be deep in thought, and said meaningfully.

"Hey."

Iris scoffed, "As if neither of us was on guard against him."

Monroe Iris's stance is inconsistent and constantly changing, leaving no room for maneuver.

I was originally planning to talk about other things, but I decided to stop now.

To avoid choking again.

I'll make myself so angry.

He simply returned to his resting area, lay down, and fell fast asleep.

Having dealt with this wave of pursuers, we should have a relatively long breathing space.

My heartstrings don't need to be so taut anymore.

A hillside some distance from the mountain basin.

The leaders of several first-year apprentice groups from the North District, who had been assigned to the opposing camp, gathered together, gazing at the mountain basin.

After the battle broke out, the reconnaissance artifacts in the high sky were affected by explosions, flames, and dust, so the images they presented were not particularly clear.

When the mushroom cloud erupts, it becomes completely invisible.

However, none of the people present were ignorant or narrow-minded, so they could naturally guess what had happened.

"They're not coming back."

A man with a somewhat effeminate appearance said indifferently, "I told you that if Monroe dared to linger there, he must have set a trap. Be careful, don't be reckless, but you wouldn't listen!"

"So what?"

Beside them, a woman exuding coldness and possessing an icy demeanor that made people instinctively keep their distance scoffed, "Even if all sixty-odd people are wiped out, we can always gather another sixty-odd. I refuse to believe that Iris and Monroe's reserves are inexhaustible and can keep dragging this out indefinitely!"

"I agree with continuing to drain them."

A fair-skinned, chubby man with habitually squinting eyes and a friendly smile chimed in, "That crazy woman, Iris, is quite powerful and destructive, and she's also very wealthy. If we don't deplete her reserves, any of us who faces her will be at a disadvantage."

"I didn't say we'd go now!"

The effeminate man, repeatedly targeted, grumbled, "I'm just saying, eliminating so many people just to take down Iris and Monroe isn't worth it. Those guys on the righteous side, watching us mobilize our forces to besiege Iris and Monroe—don't you think they can't guess what they're up to? Even if we're willing to suffer losses and take them down, what will we gain in the end?"

After a pause, the effeminate man glanced at the two who seemed to be ganging up on him, and emphasized, word by word, "You'll get nothing!"

This statement is certainly not an exaggeration.

There is evidence to support this claim, and it is worthy of serious consideration.

A tall, burly man who had been watching the three argue spoke up, saying, "Alright, stop arguing. Now that we're on the same side, we should cooperate sincerely, instead of fighting amongst ourselves like the other side."

As he spoke, the burly man chuckled, changing the subject. "I never expected Trish Lucia to be eliminated so early. Those 'Pureblood' Will people, just because Iris got involved, actually instigated the good guys to isolate that crazy woman, Iris. It's quite amusing, quite interesting."

"Speaking of those 'Pureblood Will' guys, I suddenly remembered, weren't they planning to ambush Link Grand?"

The effeminate man chuckled sinisterly, "I just saw that guy here too. He was fucking awesome, his sorcery skills were fucking amazing! He doesn't act like a country bumpkin from Stormsea at all! He's even fiercer than that crazy woman Iris. Why don't we just call 'Pureblood Will' over and let their good guys fight amongst themselves? We can watch the battle unfold and clean up the mess later. Wouldn't that be better than a direct confrontation?"

"snort!"

The cold-faced woman forced a sound from her nose, expressing her dissatisfaction.

She and Iris had a deep-seated hatred for each other, so naturally she was unwilling to give up the opportunity to teach Iris a lesson herself.

Unfortunately, she couldn't blindly oppose this suggestion, which was clearly beneficial to everyone.

Otherwise, they will be kicked out of the inner circle sooner or later.

"That's a great idea, I like it."

The fair-skinned, chubby man clapped his hands with a smile, "Let them fight like dogs."

The burly man chuckled, "Shall I contact them?"

"Can."

"no problem."

"I don't object."

The effeminate man, the fair-skinned fat man, and the cold woman each spoke differently, but their attitudes were the same.

After reaching an agreement, the group left the hill.

Mountain basins, riverbanks, deep underground.

Link entered the concealed fortification, relieved that the structure was relatively stable and there was no risk of collapse.

Jasmine and Lanny were facing off, the atmosphere tense.

"What's going on?"

Link walked between the two, slightly tilting towards Jasmine, blocking their view, and asked a question.

Jasmine snorted, angrily saying, "Ask her if she can even manage her people! She keeps saying everything is done by orders. That's just empty talk!"

"Why don't you go and rest for a bit?"

Link looked at Jasmine, trying to soften his tone as much as possible, and said, "Why don't you go and rest for a bit?"

In short, the same content, but different tone.

Upon hearing this, Jasmine's anger dissipated considerably, and she truly gave up the confrontation, turning around and leaving.

Link then looked at Lanny Taylor, saying nothing, but simply gazing into her eyes.

Lani responded calmly, meeting Link's gaze.

After a long pause, Link, certain that Lanny Taylor had no intention of explaining first, politely said:

"I can forgive Isco's actions as if you were unaware of them. But could you please explain what just happened?"

"it is good."

Lanny Taylor nodded, considered her words carefully, and said:

"You suddenly rushed out earlier, and Jasmine immediately took over command and issued orders. My team didn't execute them immediately, causing a slight delay. Jasmine just questioned me about this and demanded an explanation."

"Well……"

Link pondered for a moment, then asked, "Could I know what caused the delay?"

Upon hearing this, Lani bit her lip and replied, "Because they weren't sure whether they should take Jasmine's orders after you left, so they waited for my instructions."

"I see."

Link figured out what had happened, thought for a moment, and made a decision. He still asked politely, "I admit I didn't explain the command order on the battlefield beforehand. I bear some responsibility for that. But after what happened, I think this situation shouldn't happen again, right?"

Is Link really responsible?

In Link's team, Jasmine has always been the second most important person.

With Link absent, it's only natural for Molly to take the lead.

It was Lani and her friends who actively sought to join Link's team, not Link who "begged" Lani's team to join.

They gave Lani Taylor face, and also had other concerns, which is why they didn't break up Lani's team.

However, the issue of command authority is a matter of convention.

Lanny Taylor is a smart woman; she doesn't need to say it outright—there should be an unspoken understanding in this regard.

Link taking the blame upon himself was giving Lanny a way out.

"Won't!"

Lanny replied decisively.

"Sure?"

"Sure!"

"Okay. Well then, I hope you keep your word."

Link's expression was serious, and his tone was earnest. "If I can't do it, I can only apologize."

"Okay, I understand."

Lani's eyes dimmed slightly, and her complexion, hidden behind her veil, was not clear, but it probably wasn't much better.

Back with her nine teammates, Lani felt a little tired.

However, he quickly cheered up.

The path you choose, you have to walk it even if you have to crawl.

Looking at her teammates waiting for her to speak, Lani didn't blame them. She simply said calmly, "I've secured a chance for everyone, including myself. If problems arise again, we won't need them to kick us out; we'll just leave on our own, slinking away, understand?"

"Understood."

The nine team members were dejected and responded listlessly.

"Okay. Let's leave it at that. Think it over carefully and decide whether personal emotions are more important, or whether the competition between the two districts, performance rankings, and resources and benefits are more important."

Lani waved her hand, not wanting to say anything more.

A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer.

Those who are meant to understand will understand.

Those who don't wake up will never change, even if they die.

the other side.

Jasmine stared intently at Link and asked, "Why take such a risk?"

Link knew what Jasmine was asking.

Even though the pursuers were momentarily thrown into disarray by Isco's actions, it was indeed a good opportunity for a counterattack.

But Link's reckless leap out of the trench and charge was far too impulsive.

This battle, from the very beginning, was not theirs.

There's no need to risk your life for someone else's battle.

"Because countless more difficult battles await us."

Link responded to Jasmine's gaze and explained, "When I first entered the academy, I wanted to keep a low profile, accumulate some strength, and then talk about other things."

But the college's rules and regulations in every aspect are "forcing" us to show our talents.

In order to acquire resources and grow better and faster, I changed my style, partly voluntarily and partly by force.

After entering this world, I have always wondered why the academy named this inter-regional competition "Interdimensional Exploration".

Even though all seven side quests guide us to understand, investigate, and study the ecology of this world.

But what wilderness is there to explore in a world without indigenous people, a world on the verge of extinction?

Later I figured it out.

What the academy wants us to explore is not this world, but our hearts after entering this world.

And what the academy wants, it will definitely achieve!

After a pause, Link asked meaningfully, "Could you disregard the lives of countless beings in this world for your own benefit?"

Jasmine opened her mouth, as if to answer "yes".

But just as she was about to speak, she suddenly remembered the murals in the secret passage.

The gods, who once held sway over this world, also disregarded countless lives; what fate befell them in the end?

She swallowed her words and began to ponder the deeper meaning behind Link's question.

After a long while, considering that this was a major competition between the two districts of the academy, Jasmine connected Link's words with the academy's main and side quests.

Suddenly, Jasmine's eyes lit up.

She's figured it out!

Meeting Link's expectant gaze, Jasmine answered softly but firmly, "I can!"

The essence of a wizard is cold-bloodedness and rationality.

If saving this strange world requires making great sacrifices, why should you save it?

If destroying this strange world will bring me no benefit, why should I destroy it?

Everything revolves around me.

We should not be bound by so-called camps and positions.

This may be one of the deeper meanings behind the college's arrangement of this competition between the two regions.

This lays the mental foundation for wizard apprentices to become qualified wizards.

Since that's the case, let's start by observing the small to understand the bigger picture.

For the college, prioritizing its own interests naturally means putting the college's interests first.

It's not hard to understand what Link meant when he said that countless more difficult battles awaited them.

If an academy wants to grow and thrive, it inevitably has to participate in competition.

Competition inevitably leads to conflict.

There are only two ways to resolve conflicts: reconciliation or war.

Therefore, in the foreseeable future, countless wars between the academies await Link, Molly, the Brotherhood and the Social Anxiety Group, and everyone else.

Now is the time to take advantage of the academy's immunity from death and accumulate more war experience.

Are we supposed to wait until we're on the battlefield and then learn it on the spot?

"It's still too risky."

Even after figuring all this out, Jasmine couldn't help but complain, "Please, please, there must never be a next time!"

"Um."

Link nodded, though it was unclear whether he had actually listened.

Will it be changed for Jasmine?

(End of this chapter)