Death Wizard Diary.

Chapter 170 Negotiation

Thor stared at Hayden with his only remaining right eye and watched as the color drained from his face.

From what Thor knew, Hayden, who was holed up in the morgue, not attending classes, not doing research, and not making any progress, probably just wanted to wait until he was thirty, leave the wizarding tower, and live a free and low-key life.

But reality is not as wonderful as imagined.

The reclusive Hayden finally came into contact with the truth he had never known before.

He slumped down, his body swayed, and he placed one hand on the tool table, scattering the neatly arranged tools into disarray.

Just like his mood right now.

"I told you not to hide, not to hide! You coward, now you're finished! Finished, aren't you?" Hayden, his face deathly pale, suddenly opened his mouth and said something completely inconsistent with his expression.

Looking at Hayden like this, Thor raised his hand and pinched his chin, lost in thought.

Having lived as a neighbor for two years, he had long noticed that Hayden had some personality problems, seemingly developing a second personality. He didn't know if it was the influence of witchcraft or his own inner turmoil.

At first, Saul didn't intend to pay attention, but during this collaboration, he suddenly realized that Hayden was actually a pretty good assistant.

He lacked excessive curiosity, possessed solid basic knowledge, and had almost fully unlocked the Tier 0 sorcery repertoire. He was also highly experienced in experiments, having handled countless clients.

Most importantly, Hayden had no powerful backing.

Thor lowered his hand and crossed his index fingers.

"Senior Hayden, I'm giving you a choice. Do you plan to leave the Wizarding Tower at thirty, or will you try your best in the last two years to reach level three?"

Saul's question slightly loosened Hayden's restraint after so many years, but when he thought about his own situation, he became discouraged again.

"Sol, I'm already 28 this year. The two years you mentioned, it really is only two years left."

Saul didn't press Hayden. He glanced back at the wall full of human display cases and said, "If you change your mind and want to give it one last try, you can come find me."

Thor walked toward the door. "If you want to try, you can put an eye outside the door. If I see it, I'll come back to you."

"You? You're going to help me?" Hayden gasped, looking at the fourteen-year-old Thor, feeling a bit absurd, yet unable to resist believing him.

"I'll do my best." Thor shrugged and opened the door to the morgue.

His white knuckles stood out starkly against the crimson gate.

Leaving the morgue, Thor saw that it was almost time and headed to Kugin's bedroom to keep a pre-arranged appointment.

"Your eyes..." Kujin pushed open the door and saw that Thor, who was fine yesterday, had become a one-eyed man today.

"A minor experimental accident, nothing serious," Thor said casually.

As Thor entered the room, Kugin closed the door from the outside, leaving him outside.

Thor paused, then immediately turned to open the door.

As his hand touched the doorknob, a voice came from the direction of the bedroom.

"Don't be nervous. Kukin isn't coming in because I'm the one who wants to discuss cooperation with you."

He turned around and saw Ferguson, who had taken off his pants the night before.

Thor's face showed a suitable mix of confusion and wariness. "Who are you, senior? What do you need me for?"

"Have a seat," Ferguson said, gesturing to the table and chairs in the living room. "I prefer to sit down when we talk."

"Is it because I can't stand up?" Thor wondered, and hesitantly walked to the chair closest to the door and sat down.

Ferguson chose to sit opposite Saul, looking like he was about to negotiate.

"I don't know what you're capable of, managing to fill Kukin's position for several years." Ferguson raised his chin and looked at Saul. "But I've always had an agreement with Kukin: I provide academic credits or anything else Kukin needs, and Kukin provides me with materials unique to the Second Treasury."

So straightforward?

Saul straightened his back. "That was your deal with Kukin. Now he's left the vault, and I don't have the ability to continue trading with you like he did."

Thor didn't foolishly say something like, "You guys were stealing materials from the warehouse?"

Pretending to be stupid is fine, but being too stupid makes it seem fake.

Ferguson didn't mince words. "What are your concerns?"

"The metal door—since you've already made a deal, you should know that the door automatically determines the mission details. Anything not written on with a communication pen simply cannot be moved out of the warehouse."

"We can help you with the transportation issue. Do you have any other questions?"

us?

Did they secretly tell me that Kukin was also involved, or were there other partners?

Thor pondered for a few seconds. "What can you offer?"

"The most basic magic crystals and credits, and since you've accepted the warehouse mission, you definitely can't be away for long periods, so going out on missions is basically out of the question for you. If you need anything that the Wizard Tower doesn't have, you can tell me, and I can help you find it."

Thor crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and thought to himself, "They certainly made a pretty good promise."

"Then what do you need me to transport? Let me make it clear beforehand, I won't touch anything with a serial number, even if you promise to help me resolve the corresponding problems."

Ferguson tapped his hand lightly on the armrest. "We certainly won't touch the taboos. We'll only ask for ordinary things. We're looking for a long-term partnership."

This time it was Thor's turn to start considering.

"How can I guarantee that after I do business with you, no one will secretly report me?"

"Hahaha..." Ferguson leaned back. "What's the use of reporting it? As long as you say you used it, do you think the professors will go through each and every missing piece of material?"

Ferguson held up a finger and shook it gently at Saul. "You don't need to think about reporting us. Firstly, we've been doing this for many years, and secondly, our mentors are aware of it. We're not greedy; we won't be foolish enough to cross their bottom line."

It seems these guys have been smuggling materials for a long time, but some of what they just said was probably meant for Thor.

Even if Saul hadn't overheard their conversation, he wouldn't have accepted Ferguson's words entirely.

"I understand, but I need some time to think about it." Saul glanced at the hourglass on the wall, stood up, and said, "It's almost three o'clock; I'm going back to the storeroom."

Ferguson didn't stand up, but his expression darkened slightly, and he clasped his hands together to cover his mouth.

"Thor, there's something you need to understand. We're not wandering wizards, not lone wolves in the wasteland. Short-term or long-term cooperation to achieve certain goals is normal. Otherwise, why do you think Wizard Gorsa built the Wizard Tower? One person's strength is ultimately limited."

Saul lowered his head slightly. "I understand what you mean, but it's also because I'm considering cooperation that I'm being more cautious. If I readily agree to everything, you'll worry that I'm trying to cheat you, won't you?"

Thor then asked, "What exactly do you want?"

Ferguson nodded, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "To maintain secrecy, I will only tell you the moment before you enter the warehouse. If you do not leave the warehouse for an extended period, or if you emerge without what we need, our transaction will be terminated immediately."

Not giving Thor time to prepare was clearly also to prevent him from having time to play tricks.

Little did they know, Thor had already overheard their plan.

Thor, supporting himself on his knees, stood up and said, "Alright, it seems what you want isn't simple either."

Ferguson's expression froze. He didn't want Thor to think that way, so he quickly explained, "The materials that can enter the Wizard Tower's storeroom are naturally not simple. I didn't tell you in advance to prevent any unexpected situations."

He tried to change the subject.

"You'd better not waste too much of our time. Give us an answer by tomorrow night, or we might find another partner."

Thor's smile instantly turned cold. "Change it? How? Are you threatening me?"

Ferguson's anger flared when questioned by a second-level apprentice. But as he placed his hands on the armrests, trying to stand up, his movement changed from bracing to gripping.

"It's not a threat," he said, suppressing his anger as he gripped the handrail tightly as if he wanted to break it. "It's just a necessary reminder."

After Ferguson backed down, Thor's expression changed instantly, and he smiled, "Thanks for the reminder, senior. Well then, I'll be going now."

This time, however, he did not promise to give it a serious consideration.

(End of this chapter)