Spellcasting Gods

"Breaking news: Miles has less than eight hours left to leave this world. If you want revenge, you'd better act immediately. I won't help you with this; you'll have to rely on your own strength. Also, I must remind you that Miles is an alchemist. As long as he doesn't take his last breath, he still has the ability to retaliate. Alright, that's all I have to say. Please leave my territory immediately. In any case, your presence in New York right now violates the laws of the Council, and I don't want to cause trouble for myself during this sensitive period."

After providing the relevant information, Catherine immediately ordered them to leave.

It's clear that she's somewhat wary of Patty's abilities; she doesn't want to get too close to her, nor does she want them to become enemies.

"Heh, you're still as cautious as ever. Fine, I'll take care of my own revenge. As for that alluring young wizard, don't even think about taking it all for yourself."

With those words, Patty strode gracefully out of the underground bar and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

As a representative of the wild faction, no one knew how outrageous she might be, but Catherine knew very well that tonight would be a sleepless night, and one stained with blood...

Chapter 0272 Ansya

"Are you sure this is the residence of the prophetic witch Anthea?"

Zhang Cheng stood on the top floor of a skyscraper, watching the crowded entrance passage, his lips twitching slightly involuntarily.

Because this place was completely different from the mysterious and tranquil place he had imagined; instead, it was more like the home of a charlatan.

The people waiting outside were mostly wealthy members of high society. Some were searching for lost valuables, while others were inquiring about the whereabouts of missing persons. They were gathered in small groups discussing Ancia's incredible divination results.

Clearly, this prophetic witch did not live a low-key life like most inhabitants of the underworld, but instead went out of her way to make money.

Through frequent contact with high-ranking government officials and business elites in high society, her influence in ordinary society is probably far beyond anyone's imagination.

“That’s right! The Ancia Witch is not only the only prophet in the entire New York area, but also one of the council’s designated points of contact with the ordinary world. You must understand that the main reason we’ve been able to keep our existence hidden for so many years isn’t because the cleaners are so good at their job, but because we’ve woven a huge invisible network in the ordinary world. Simply put, we provide certain special services to people with power and influence in exchange for their help at specific times. For example, spreading rumors in the media to cover up the truth, or using electronic surveillance networks and identity recognition systems to track people.” Polman smiled and nodded to familiar faces as he patiently explained in a low voice.

For someone like him, who spends most of his time oscillating between the underworld and the world of ordinary people, playing both roles well is not a difficult task at all.

In fact, to ensure that his family would not be implicated if something happened to him, he even kept it a secret from his wife, with whom he had lived for more than 20 years.

As for whether the son and two daughters are qualified to know the truth, we will have to continue to observe whether they can awaken their talents and gain powers that ordinary people cannot possess in their lifetime.

In short, it is dangerous for an ordinary person to venture into the underworld unless he or she is of great importance in the ordinary world and can provide corresponding services to the council. Tracy's recent experience is a living example of this.

"A contact person? Interesting. Let's go in, but don't tell them we need to make an appointment in advance." Zhang Cheng made a very rare joke.

“Please come with me.” Polman quickly stepped forward and showed a card with a strangely shaped mirror printed on it.

After the security guard at the door looked, he immediately opened the door and gestured for people to enter. The whole process did not cause any dissatisfaction among the long queue outside the corridor, as if they were already used to people cutting in line.

After walking through a plain white corridor, Zhang Cheng arrived at a room filled with thousands of mirrors of all sizes.

These mirrors include ancient bronze mirrors from East Asia, gold and silver mirrors used by ancient Egyptian nobles, and smoking mirrors from the Aztecs...

Of course, the most numerous items were glass mirrors, including convex mirrors popular from the 13th to the 15th centuries, as well as flat mirrors that were only produced after the 16th century. Each of them seemed to have a considerable history.

Sensing the faint magical energy emanating from these mirrors, he quickly realized that this room was actually a huge magic array that had been set up, and the mirrors were the basic units that made it up.

But before he could figure out the purpose of these complex arrangements, a hazy, mysterious voice suddenly came from behind him: "How about it, aren't they beautiful?"

As a normal reaction of his self-defense mechanism, Zhang Cheng immediately turned around.

When he saw who it was, his face showed undisguised surprise.

The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman around forty years old, with typical Latina features and wheat-colored skin. She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she exuded a quiet, harmonious, and natural beauty.

Most importantly, one of her eyes was a normal black, while the other had no pupil at all, leaving only a creepy white eyeball.

"Are you the prophetic witch Ancia?" Zhang Cheng asked uncertainly.

"Are you the young wizard who suddenly appeared in New York recently?" the woman asked back with a smile.

"Hahaha! It's a pleasure to meet you, madam."

"Hehe, it's nice to meet you too, interesting young man."

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, then burst into laughter at the same time.

After they were both seated, Ancia pointed to the two steaming teapots on the table and asked, "Black tea or coffee?"

"Black tea, thank you." Zhang Cheng chose tea without hesitation.

Since he didn't see any sugar, he didn't want to test whether he could tolerate the pure, bitter coffee; he might spit it out after just one small sip.

“A good choice! I prefer tea to coffee, which has a strong flavor, as it helps me stay calm. This is crucial for divination; a prophet who cannot remain calm cannot foresee the future.” With that, Ancia picked up the teapot and poured four cups of tea.

He kept one cup for himself and offered the rest to the three guests.

Zhang Cheng picked up the teacup, took a small sip, then put it down and placed a sealed test tube emitting a faint yellow glow on the table.

Ancia turned her one normal eye, sipped her tea, and asked without looking up, "What is this? A new potion you concocted?"

"Yes! It's an enhanced version of the Wisdom Potion. Because the raw materials are limited and the manufacturing process is very complex, I've only made three bottles so far, and this is one of them. Please don't say anything yet, drink it, and experience its powerful effects. Then we can discuss the terms."

In fact, what Zhang Cheng took out was not any other potion, but the "Potion of Greater Intelligence," which can provide players with up to 25 points of intelligence in the game. However, because it conflicts with Arcane Intelligence, very few people are interested in it.

In reality, however, the two are completely different systems: one is alchemical potions, and the other is a continuously empowering buff spell.

Every Dalaran mage longs to drink a potent potion of wisdom while studying and researching, and he was no exception.

These three bottles weren't actually made by Zhang Cheng himself; he bought them at a high price. Today, he planned to use them as a stepping stone to open the door to power and influence.

“Since you’re so confident, I’ll give it a try first.” Without saying a word, Ancia pulled out the stopper and gulped down the yellowish-green liquid.

Before half a minute had passed, she suddenly felt a magical force surge into her brain!

Suddenly, both our senses and our thoughts were magnified many times over; the whole world seemed to be placed under a microscope...

Chapter 0273 Second Warning

"Hmm...this feeling...unbelievable!" Ancia stood up, opening her arms as if to embrace the world anew.

Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, this amplification of senses and thoughts is just an intense stimulation that cannot be described in words, and some addicts may even think that they are high on drugs again.

But for her, going there allows her to more clearly feel the passage of time and the traces left by the years on certain things.

Through these traces, she can use the power of magic to glimpse the past and foresee the future. Each clearer point means a significant increase in accuracy, and its importance is self-evident.

Zhang Cheng, who had always scoffed at prophetic spells, naturally wouldn't understand the witch's current state. With a smile, he took out two more bottles and placed them on the table: "Madam, I think you've already experienced its effects. Now we can talk about the terms. Apart from the bottle you just drank, I have two more here. Please name your price."

“Using one portion as bait and then selling the remaining two at a high price, you’re quite the clever and cunning fellow. Tell me, what do you want from me?” Ancia returned to her seat, picked up her teacup again, and asked with a smile.

Thanks to the "powerful intelligence potion," her brain is operating at an unprecedented speed, making it easy for her to see through such tricks.

“It’s very simple. I want three things. First, I hope you can support me in becoming a lord and acquiring a wealthy territory. Second, I want to meet the other members of the New York Council. I’m sure you can arrange that for me, right? Third, I’ve heard that you know quite a few politicians and business elites. If you don’t mind, could you share them with me as well?” Zhang Cheng stated his conditions without any hesitation.

Ancia hesitated for a moment, and after about half a minute, she reluctantly nodded: "Okay! I can definitely do the first thing."

Because whether it's strength or the alchemy that only a very few people can master, it's enough to support you in becoming a lord. After accumulating more than ten years of experience, becoming a member of the secondary council is not difficult.

The second one is even simpler. As is customary, when a member of parliament dies, the other members of parliament will attend his funeral. You only need to attend Miles' funeral.

But I don't quite understand the last point. Do you want to maintain a dual identity like me?

You have to understand that this is no easy task. I've seen many ambitious guys who want to make a name for themselves in the underworld but are unwilling to give up their status in ordinary society. In the end, they often mess up both sides and end up having to rely on one lie after another to maintain their broken families and kinship.

However, your identity is fake, so you don't seem to have that problem for now. As long as you get rid of that nominal 'mother,' you don't need to worry about family issues at all.

"Get rid of it? No, no, no, how could you have such a terrible idea? I not only need to maintain my identity as an ordinary person, but I also need to preserve this single-parent family, because it's a near-perfect disguise, and also bait. Think about it, if I act like I care a lot about this mother, and obey her every word, what will those who don't know the truth think? They'll think I care about this family, about so-called kinship, in short, that I have something to hold onto..."

At this point, Zhang Cheng paused deliberately, a sarcastic expression appearing on his face.

When Tracy and Polman, who were sitting next to him, heard this, they felt a chill run through their bodies, and even the steaming cups of black tea in their hands did not bring them any warmth.

In contrast, the well-informed Ancia was much calmer. After putting down her empty teacup, she looked at the young man sitting opposite her with great interest.

A full minute passed before she sighed softly, "Dear Zhang, although we've only just met today, you make me a little scared. You know, there are many crazy people in this world, most of whom simply disregard rules and like to vent and destroy as they please. But there are also a very few who are rational madmen. They make meticulous plans in advance and achieve their crazy goals step by step according to those plans. In my opinion, the latter are far more dangerous than the former, and you seem to belong to the latter. Perhaps you appear normal and rational on the surface, knowing how to compromise and back down, but a terrifying monster lurks in your subconscious."

"Do you think I'm mentally unstable?" Zhang Cheng frowned subconsciously.

"No, what I mean is that you've been suppressing certain emotions, and when they finally erupt, your personality is likely to undergo some unpredictable changes. My personal advice is that you should find an outlet for your emotions, whether it's sex, alcohol, or something else. Just don't push your nerves too hard, or they'll snap."

After saying that, Ancia picked up two bottles of "powerful intelligence potion" and carefully placed them into a wooden box with exquisite carvings.

"Alright, I'll try to relax a bit. Thank you for the suggestion. Goodbye, ma'am. I have to see someone else before midnight tonight, so I won't take up any more of your precious time."

Clearly, this wasn't the first time Zhang Cheng had heard a similar warning; the Demon Sword had given him similar advice not long ago. However, he himself didn't realize there was anything wrong with his mental state, so he didn't intend to argue any further.

Watching the three of them get up and disappear at the end of the corridor, Ancia immediately raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

moment!

A cloud of black smoke appeared out of thin air and slowly coalesced into a mysterious man wearing a black cloak.

He knelt on one knee and made a sharp sound like fingernails scratching on a blackboard: "Revered Son of Prophecy, Favored by Time and Destiny, what command do you have summoned me here for?"

"Go, follow that young wizard. If he's in mortal danger, intervene; otherwise, observe him discreetly. Remember, don't get into any conflict with anyone. I'm sure he has many spies sent by his old friends around him." Ancia rested her chin on her hand, propped her bare feet on the table, and lazily gave the order.

Her eye, which was originally just the white of her eye, had now turned completely black and was radiating a mysterious energy.

"Understood, I will handle this matter. Please don't forget to prepare the reward, or you know how serious the consequences will be."

The words had barely left his mouth!

The man in the black cloak once again turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished into the air without leaving even the slightest trace, as if he had never existed.

At the same time, Ancia's eyes changed back to their original white color.

Gazing at her reflection in thousands of mirrors, she suddenly burst into laughter without warning, muttering to herself as she laughed, "The gears of fate have finally started turning again! I hope it fizzles out halfway this time..."

Chapter 0274 Blocking the Way

As the cool sea breeze blew through the car window, Zhang Cheng admired Manhattan Island, New York's most densely populated and bustling area, his mind wandering aimlessly.

However, when the car crossed the bridge and entered Brooklyn, he suddenly turned to the other two people in the car without warning and asked, "Do you think I have mental problems?"

"Huh? What!" Tracy was clearly taken aback, completely at a loss for words.

"What I mean is, compared to ordinary people, are my usual reactions a bit extreme or violent?" Zhang Cheng explained expressionlessly.

On the way here, he kept reflecting on his recent behavior and realized that he had changed a lot without even noticing. Especially in his view of the relationship between life and death, he had completely broken away from the traditional moral values ​​he had formed over the past twenty years and had begun to look down on ordinary people with a condescending attitude, not even caring about the lives of ordinary people.

Undoubtedly, this was very abnormal, at least in his opinion, the change came too quickly and too suddenly.

Perhaps it was a side effect of rapidly gaining immense power, or perhaps it was the intense loneliness and alienation he felt, but in any case, the warnings from the Demon Sword and the prophetic witch Ancia finally drew his attention.

"Uh... how should I put it, I think it's alright. Although you're a little bit weird, a little bit sarcastic, a little bit selfish, a little bit eccentric, and have a bit of a mad scientist's way of thinking, overall you're not too bad," Tracy commented in a sarcastic way.

After all, in her view, the mysterious young wizard sitting next to her had not only saved her life, but also avenged her tragically deceased sister. From any perspective, she should be grateful instead of speaking ill of him.

"Perverted, sarcastic, withdrawn, with an odd way of thinking... Okay, so that's how you see me." Zhang Cheng sighed helplessly.