Wizards begin with Occlumency.

Chapter 159: Underhanded Tactics, a Dilemma?

Trish Lucia fell to the ground.

He was unconscious, bleeding from all seven orifices, his face was as pale as paper, and his breath was barely a whisper.

The horrific sight truly terrified everyone at the gathering with her.

One by one, they kept their eyes down, heads tucked in, silent as cicadas in winter, behaving like quails under the pressure of Wizard Cody.

Not only was no one willing to speak up for Trish Lucia, but no one dared to say a good word for her.

No one even dared to help her up.

He let her lie on the ground.

Embarrassed.

Why did the wizard Cody react so strongly?

Are they willing to risk being labeled as bullying the weak in order to take action?

Because Trish Lucia offended his authority.

Regardless of her position at the academy or her status as a third-level wizard, Trish Lucia had to show at least respect, if not awe, when facing Wizard Cody.

But how did she do it?

Without permission or consent, they actually started yelling in the "courtroom"!

This is a blatant act of contempt for the authority of the wizard Cody.

Did I give you a chance to speak?

Do you really think that just because the Rukia family has a Level 5 Sage and a potential Sage like Soren Rukia, they're all that awesome?

If Wizard Cody hadn't been tricked in his early years, he could have advanced to the level of a sage!

Even now, with no sages emerging, among the formal wizards, who dares to confidently say they can defeat Wizard Cody?

In a desperate attempt to escape, Soren Lucia had to kneel down and beg the wizard Cody not to burn his life force, forcibly entering a sage state before unleashing a desperate attack.

"The pure-blood families have truly become worse with each generation over the years."

Wizard Cody didn't even glance at Trish, shook his head, and said with utter contempt.

Not one of the people present, who came from pure-blood families such as Percyville, Jansen, and Colonna, dared to utter a word of rebuttal.

This further confirms the words of Wizard Cody.

A hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. Wizard Cody turned to Iris, whose smile had faded, and commented, "You are very smart, not as crazy as you seem. If you can find the right balance, you will surely achieve great things in the future."

"Thank you, Wizard Cody."

Once reason prevailed, Iris politely thanked them and dared not be presumptuous again.

"hehe."

Wizard Cody smiled indifferently, ignoring Iris, and instead delivered his verdict on the brawl:

"Both of you are at fault, so we won't make you compensate each other. However, you damaged the academy's property, so you'll have to pay for everything at cost, plus a double fine. The bill will be sent directly to your families; you won't need to pay it yourself."

Upon hearing this ruling, even Iris, who was always eager for drama, couldn't help but change her expression.

Especially Monroe, who had just been released from confinement.

A feeling of frustration arose.

I'll get criticized again when I get back, and if it gets serious, I'll be put in solitary confinement again.

Everyone else was also worried about how to explain things to their families.

It must be said that Cody's ruling struck at the heart of these "spoiled brats" from pure-blood or half-blood families.

They weren't afraid of anything else, except for the questioning from their family.

After announcing the verdict, Wizard Cody waved the group away to keep them out of sight.

They were all relieved, and then walked out of the office dejectedly.

Downstairs in the administration building, the two groups glared at each other for a few moments, but neither had the energy to utter any threats, and each went back to deal with their own messes.

As they walked, purebloods occasionally voiced their complaints.

It is said that in recent decades, fewer and fewer wizards from pure-blood families are willing to return to the academy to serve.

Now, both primary and advanced colleges are gradually being controlled by half-blood and new-blood wizards, especially those from half-blood families.

Aside from their main campus, pure-blood families are losing more and more influence in junior and senior academies.

Amidst sighs and lamentations, the pureblood apprentices gradually faded into the distance.

Trish Lucia was thus "forgotten" in the Office of Dispute and Accident Investigation and Mediation.

Wizard Cody took out his personal smart device, took a picture, and sent it directly to Soren Lucia, asking him to come and pick up the person in person.

How could offending his authority be resolved so easily?

So, will he still be able to work in the academic circle?

Leaving aside the subsequent power struggle between Cody the Wizard and Soren Lucia.

As soon as Iris reached the vicinity of Boundary Lake, she immediately shared with Link her joy at having taught that bitch Trish a lesson.

Looking forward to Link's response.

Link received the news without feeling either sadness or joy.

Watching the resources he had purchased with 200 magic stones being instantly devoured by the "seed," and then receiving feedback from Flandre, his heart was already numb.

I knew that seeds were a major consumer of resources, but I never imagined they were this much of a consumer.

The 200 magic stones represent one percent of the initial demand of 2 magic stones.

Even skipping stones makes a sound, right?

Unfortunately, the resources they gained weren't even enough to fill a gap in the "seeds".

Nothing has changed.

The trivial matter of Trish Lucia embarrassing herself was no longer enough to affect Link's mood.

He simply replied with a curt "Oh" and then ignored it.

Iris felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water; her enthusiasm and joy were instantly extinguished by that "oh."

Gritting her teeth, Iris decided to find another opportunity to tease Link.

To avenge the indifference I received today.

Link had no idea that he had angered Iris again.

Knowing this, I am not afraid.

She's a crazy woman; she'll go insane even if you don't provoke her.

Hard to guard against.

Link quickly adjusted his mood and shifted his focus.

Take out your portable smart device, enter the "Credits" redemption page, and redeem the detailed explanations of the 12 level 1 rule runes involved in the 1st Ring Sorcery "Armor of the Armor".

A detailed explanation of a level 1 rule rune costs 1 "credit," which is quite expensive.

Twelve level 1 rule runes require twelve "credits".

But this is a necessary expense.

Even though he lamented how hard it was to earn "credits," Link spent them very efficiently, without the slightest reluctance.

I first skimmed through the detailed explanation and, based on my general impression, ranked the difficulty of the lessons.

Then read them carefully one by one, from easy to difficult, step by step.

Mastering the details of all 12 level 1 runes is not something that can be accomplished in a short time.

It will take at least a month.

In other words, Link has the advantages of "Occlumency", the Mind Palace, and "Charmsology talent", plus his own good aptitude.

Even someone as talented as Lani Taylor might not be able to win it in a month.

No one caused any major trouble for the rest of the weekend.

Time passed quickly and peacefully.

A new week has begun.

Link chose to use the "Multi-threaded Thinking" state card again as soon as it cooled down.

The effect wasn't great, just so-so.

In other words, thanks to Link's own efforts, plus the tiny bit of help from the "multi-threaded thinking" state card, he reduced the time to master the 12 level 1 rule runes from one month to just two weeks.

It's only been two weeks, it's not a big deal.

Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead caused by his overloaded brain, Link licked his lips.

So fragrant!

Get yourself in a good mood and rein in your overly joyful feelings.

Link left the dormitory and went to the cafeteria to meet up with the free people who were "free to do whatever they wanted".

During the meal, Link noticed that Dalton had broken the invisibility buff on his own.

His face showed a conflicted expression, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated and couldn't decide.

"Dalton, is something you want to say?"

On the way from the cafeteria to the classroom, Link noticed that Dalton hadn't made up his mind yet, so he took the initiative to ask him.

As the team leader, you need to care about your members from time to time, offer them comfort and support, and help them solve their problems.

"No...it's nothing."

Dalton was taken aback when Link asked the question, and he was a little flustered. He stammered a reply.

"Speak your mind if you have something to say, don't hold back."

Link offered some reassurance while making his stance clear.

"Dalton, don't be so hesitant. When the boss asks you a question, just answer the truth."

Buck slapped Dalton hard on the shoulder and said casually.

"You went downstairs alone last night and came back looking worried. Something must have happened."

Lynn calmly analyzed the situation and then said, "Judging from your expression, it's definitely not a good thing. It's most likely something that will put the big boss in a difficult position. I suggest you think carefully about whether you want to say it or not, so as not to cause trouble for the big boss."

"oh."

Upon hearing his good friend Lynn say this, Dalton's face showed a hint of struggle, but he ultimately gave up the idea of seeking Link's help.

"It's alright, go ahead and speak."

Link first nodded and smiled at Lynn, appreciating his thoughtfulness or rather, "loyalty," then looked at Dalton and spoke gently.

"May I?"

Dalton's eyes lit up immediately, and he asked in surprise.

"Um."

Link nodded slightly.

The movements were small, and the sound wasn't loud enough.

This inexplicably gave Dalton a great deal of encouragement.

A surge of emotion welled up in Dalton's heart, and he was filled with deep feeling.

A true master indeed.

Dalton sniffed and tried to explain the situation in as calm a tone as possible:

"Andrea Norman came to see me last night."

She was told that she had something on a man named Hawke Lucia and had no choice but to submit to him and become his inside man.

Initially, she wanted to eliminate the person who initiated the conversation to avoid betrayal.

However, after being saved by the big boss, she was forced to reveal his whereabouts.

"Get to the point, what does she want from you?"

Jasmine interrupted Dalton's narration at this point, her tone cold and filled with anger.

From the way Andrea spoke to Dalton, Jasmine sensed a familiar feeling.

Initially, Mina Havček used phrases like "I had no choice" and "I had to" to gain her trust.

She smelled a similar scent.

"oh."

Dalton shrank back and continued, "She said Hawke Lucia sent someone to find her, forcing her to repay a magic stone she had never borrowed. If she didn't repay it, she would sue the academy and sell her to the South District factory to pay off the debt."

"Hmph! Who knows whether she actually lent it or not."

Jasmine scoffed, "If she really didn't lend it, would she be afraid of being sued?"

She said…

Dalton stammered.

"What did she say? Get to the point, stop dawdling."

Jasmine urged him on somewhat impatiently.

She felt increasingly uneasy listening to it.

Perhaps Lynn's prediction is correct; this matter will most likely put Link in a difficult position.

"She said she was taken to the underground dueling arena in the West End black market, and under duress and fear, she signed a loan agreement. But she never actually took the magic stone."

Dalton gritted his teeth and repeated Andrea's meaning.

He himself knew that what he said was somewhat far-fetched.

"snort!"

Jasmine's face showed anger, and she was about to reprimand him.

How can you believe such nonsense?

That's utterly insane.

Link raised his hand to stop Jasmine.

We're all colleagues, there's no need to speak ill of each other.

Besides, Dalton didn't actually make any fundamental mistakes.

It's just that out of consideration for past friendships, they've made some mistakes in their approach.

Moreover, Link himself brought up the topic.

If he's really put in a difficult position, it's his own fault.

No wonder it went to Darlton.

Link asked seriously, "What is her demand? What does she want you to do?"

Jasmine, the four men, and the three socially awkward individuals all stared at Dalton, awaiting his answer.

Seeing this, Dalton realized he had really caused trouble for the big boss and was filled with remorse.

He sighed heavily and said helplessly:

"She wanted to borrow some magic stones from me to pay off her debts. I didn't have that many, so she cried and said that her life was ruined. I felt a little sorry for her, so I said I would try to find a way for her."

Lynn then grabbed Buck, who was looking disappointed and angry, and asked, "How much does she owe? Why didn't you discuss it with us first?"

"500 magic stones."

With things as they were, what else could Dalton not say? He gritted his teeth and decided to go all out.

"I was afraid you'd mock me for being a simp, so I didn't think to discuss it with you first. I planned to ask the big shots for their opinions privately."

Well……

Link remained silent upon hearing this.

He had thought something serious had happened when he saw Dalton looking so conflicted he was about to explode.

He showed concern out of a sense of responsibility as a senior figure to inquire about the well-being of his junior.

After all that fuss, who would have thought it would turn out like this?

However, asking now is not only bad, but also not good.

At least in front of all the members, Link can make his decisions and explain why he made them clearly.

This matter is neither serious nor insignificant, but it is worth paying attention to.

500 magic stones is not a small amount, but it's not completely unaffordable.

We should try to figure out a way to get an advance on Link and Jasmine's patent dividends.

There are two key points to the problem.

First, is this favor worth doing, and should we do it?

Secondly, Hawke Lucia pressured Andrea in an attempt to drag Link into the mess through Dalton.

If he really intends to cause trouble for "freedom to do whatever he wants" as Munro suggested, he certainly won't only have this one tactic; he must be looking for other ways as well.

Link needs to think carefully about how to deal with this.

"This matter is not that simple."

After thinking it over, Link decided to be frank with everyone and say, "The real issue is that Hawke Lucia wants to drag me down by targeting the 'Do Whatever You Want' members."

Helping Andrea is easy; 500 magic stones can be scraped together and the problem can be solved.

But what happens after you help?

Who knows if she has any other debts or if the other party has any other leverage over her?

At that time, you will sink into the swamp and get deeper and deeper.

Furthermore, so far, it's only Andrea's side of the story, and we know nothing about it.

Dalton, think about it carefully and decide whether you want to help with this.

If we are going to help, we need to plan this out carefully.

We must not act rashly before we have fully investigated the situation!

"Okay, I'll listen to the boss."

Dalton felt much better after talking about his feelings, which made him feel better and allowed him to think more calmly.

Just like the big shot said, this matter is not simple, and we cannot believe only one side of the story.

As for Andrea...