Death Wizard Diary.

Chapter 531 The Ringing of the Dream Bell

No-man's-land has no concept of a nation.

There are not even large gathering places.

The more densely populated an area is, the more likely it is to experience large-scale chaos.

The most common power structure here is a high-ranking ruler who controls wizards or apprentices of lower rank.

Some factions also employ a group of ordinary people to do the simplest and least efficient chores.

Those with great power and abundant resources may also command puppets, spirits, and low-intelligence magical beasts.

Meanwhile, the leaders of these places usually nominally pledge allegiance to higher-ranking wizards, offering some resources and carrying out some orders in exchange for limited resources and protection during times of crisis.

Of course, there are also those who consider themselves more capable and refuse to pledge allegiance to anyone.

They are usually strong loners who rely on themselves to struggle for survival in no man's land and seek opportunities for advancement.

On the island in the middle of Lake Rhine lived a first-order wizard named Dodge.

A first-tier wizard is not considered powerful in the No Man's Land.

However, the rules of the no man's land are chaotic. If a first-tier wizard can fully adapt to the local rules and power, he may be more powerful than a second-tier wizard in this place.

On this day, Saul, wearing a cloak that had been stained gray and white by the wind and sand, stood on a small hillside gazing into the distance.

In the distance, the relatively wide lake surface could be vaguely seen, but most of it was shrouded in a thick gray fog.

Marsh, the coachman who had lost his car, followed behind him carrying a huge suitcase.

Having lost their means of transportation, and finding the no man's land to be treacherous, it took them two months to travel from the old witch's rat hole to their destination—Lake Rhine.

"Lake Rhine is also known here as the Lake of Dead Souls. It is said to be the only large lake in the No Man's Land. There is an island in the middle of the lake, which is rich in resources, but due to the special rules in this area, only a first-tier wizard who specializes in dark attribute has settled there."

Thor communicated with several consciousnesses in his mind and in the diary.

Agu: [This wizard is very powerful. He holds a high position here, and his strength is greatly enhanced. If that's the case, would he be willing to give this place to the master?]

An: [If you disagree, just kill him.]

Saul shook his head. "If I could, I would prefer to solve problems using knowledge and resources."

Saul is not averse to killing, but he is unwilling to make killing his first choice for solving problems.

Although persuading this Dodge Wizard would be difficult, Thor felt he had considerable resources in the dark realm, especially in the area of ​​the soul, and might be able to afford the price that interested the wizard.

However, before entering the island in the middle of Lake Rhine, Sol needed to wait for some news.

A moment later, a tiny figure wearing a miniature cloak, only three heads tall, flew out of the mist and landed in front of him.

She was surrounded by a large amount of mist, making her look like a dark cloud.

Lake Rhine is shrouded in thick fog year-round, making it easy to move around discreetly using this cloud.

"We've figured it out. You're lucky; he didn't open the sealing array."

This person, who looks only the size of a two-year-old child, is the old witch.

After two months of growth, the old witch had transformed from a deformed infant into a little girl. Her body was no longer so deformed.

However, her face was still that of an old witch, and her mouth could still stretch all the way to her ears.

Thor nodded, pulling his cloak tighter. "Then let's go pay a visit to this Dodge Wizard."

The old witch curled her lip. "Once you've collected enough souls, remember to absorb the remaining black tide from my body as soon as possible. I don't even dare to meditate while this thing is on me!"

The old witch was at her wit's end.

These days, whenever she meditates, she hears the sound of dripping water. The sound grows louder and more frequent, and sometimes, as she listens, she feels as if she is about to turn into a water droplet.

Sol didn't say anything. He slowly walked to the shore of Lake Rhine and felt the cool air by the lake.

"The temperature here is very low, and it gets even lower the closer you get to the lake."

Thor crouched down, and a corner of his robe dipped into the shallow water, where it immediately frosted over.

He lifted the corner of his clothes and shook it, causing the thin layer of ice on it to fall off.

Suddenly, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Looking ahead, he saw ripples spreading across the dark lake water, and after the ripples subsided, some blurry white shadows appeared underwater.

The white shadows slowly approached the water's surface, and their shapes gradually became clearer.

Those were bewildered faces with wide, staring eyes, only the whites of their eyes visible, no pupils.

There are not only humans here, but also faces of other races.

Some are humanoid, while others are more like wild beasts.

They looked at Thor across the water, just as Thor looked at them across the water.

Herman: [Wow, so many people!]

Thor slowly stood up.

As my gaze gradually widened, piercing through the fog, I saw a wider expanse of sky and earth.

Above was a hazy, gray sky, and below was a bottomless lake.

Beneath the lake's surface, all that could be seen were numb faces.

They were separated from Saul by a lake, as if they were in another world.

Suddenly, a ripple spread from the center of the lake.

After the ripples subsided, all the faces disappeared, as if it were all an illusion.

"Today is not a day for trading in Lake Rhine. However, I will not let my friends who have come from afar leave empty-handed."

A figure burst through the fog and appeared before Thor.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with graying sideburns and beard. He had a kind face and looked more like a simple scholar than a wizard.

He stood with his hands behind his back, atop a huge, pure white feather, and floated slowly, emanating a steady flow of magical energy.

He is a first-tier wizard.

"Are you the Dodge Wizard?" Thor bowed slightly.

The man smiled, picked up the monocle clipped to his collar, and looked at Saul with some surprise. "A completely unfamiliar face. The bone structure looks very fresh. You're not even eighteen yet, are you?"

Although the wizard looked kind, he completely ignored Thor's greeting and went on to ask new questions.

He's not as easy to get along with as he seems on the surface.

Saul blinked, understanding dawning on him, but he didn't take it to heart. "Yes, my name is Saul, and I'm just sixteen. I've come to visit you, hoping to make a deal with you."

Thor assumed the other person was the Dodge Wizard.

"Everyone who comes here wants to do business with me," Dodge didn't deny. "I enjoy doing business with people. However, many can't afford the price. So I regretfully give them some small gifts and then reluctantly ask them to leave."

Thor smiled. "That's great, I like trading too."

He raised his right hand, palm up.

A few seconds later, a subcutaneous bulge moved from the wrist at the cuff to the palm.

Then his skin split open, and a transparent, irregularly shaped stone, accompanied by streaks of bright red blood, was squeezed out of his palm.

Dodge's expression froze instantly. His gaze, through the monocular lens, was fixed on the transparent stone in Thor's hand. After a full three breaths, he slowly spoke, "Hidden Crystal."

Thor nodded. He ignored the equally burning gaze from the old witch beside him and Penny's frantic screams in his ears.

"No, no, Brother Thor, don't give the Cryptocrystalline Crystal to anyone else!"

Seeing that Thor remained unmoved, the Nightmare Butterfly, which had been hiding in the pages of the diary since entering the No Man's Land, finally couldn't resist and emerged, blocking Thor's way and trying to make him retract the Hidden Crystal.

"jingle--"

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang in everyone's ears.

Penny flew back to her diary in a flash.

"Ugh, what's that sound? It's so piercing!"

The Nightmare Butterfly immediately hid back in the diary, trembling, and even Thor could sense its unease.

Thor was puzzled and looked toward the source of the sound.

Then, Dodge, looking somewhat puzzled, pulled out a... Dream Bell from his sleeve.

"Strange, why did it start ringing by itself?"

(End of this chapter)