Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

The silence was like a burgeoning despair. William seemed to personally sense the despair emanating from the powerful man before him.

"You brat, do you know who you're dealing with? How dare you pull out something like this!" The spellcaster accompanying William unsurprisingly berated him for his mistake.

"Isn't this the bitter fruit of your own making?" he thought to himself. But circumstances were beyond his control. Just as William was about to apologize with a smile, the man who was ruminating on his misfortune unexpectedly stopped arguing and patted his companion on the shoulder.

"It's alright, Winter. Young people are prone to being impulsive, don't act like a petty old man."

Looking at the amiable superior, the spellcaster named Winter was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously agreed, but his mind was still in a state of surprise.

The powerful spellcaster looked at William, then accepted the drink offered by the bartender as an apology to wash away the bad taste in his mouth.

"A memorable meeting, William. I think I'll remember you. I'll get straight to the point, William Dorgit. I see you have quite a talent, especially in magic. Would you like to join the largest group of human mages, the Council of the Secrets? We will nurture your talent and help you truly see your own path. Of course, this city beneath your feet, the City of Wanderings, will also become your jurisdiction. No one here will dare to say you're meddling."

William stared, mouth agape, dumbfounded. This wasn't punishment; it was an opportunity! Although William always prided himself on his magical talent, he knew he was just a novice. Now, the fledgling was taking flight?

Happiness came so suddenly that William was momentarily flustered.

"You... sir... do you want to take me as your apprentice?" William asked, his voice trembling. This was his life's pursuit.

"No, I will not take you as my apprentice. Your talent is in elemental magic, while mine is in teleportation magic. I cannot teach you that. However, I will introduce you to a teacher, a teacher who can truly guide your powerful talent."

"Join us, William, the hidden wisdom of this world is calling you."

No, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Years of hard work and struggle had taught William this lesson all too well. He wanted to say no, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse the temptation; it was too alluring.

Just as William hesitated, a voice answered.

"He agreed, sir."

Anna stood behind William, grabbing his arm. "Is there any contract that needs to be signed? He's just saying that; he'll get it done soon."

“A promise is enough.” The spellcaster looked at the succubus standing next to William, the shadows of the hood shifting between them.

As Anna drew closer, the familiar scent of a young girl appeared beside him, but now, this pleasant aroma only made him feel irritated.

William shook off Anna's arm and looked at the succubus.

"What are you doing, Anna?"

"Do what you're supposed to do, seize a great opportunity, and you won't regret it for the rest of your life."

"What right do you have to interfere with my choices? Do I need your approval for every decision I make? Who do you think you are?" William roared, unusually so, like a raging beast.

Anna was also angered by William's unusual behavior; she roared back at him like a lioness.

"This is for your own good, after all, you're good for nothing except magic! I'm nothing, but you should do this! For your own sake!"

"No! Ridiculous! Incomprehensible! For my own good? Does that mean the punch you threw at my face was for my own good? And meddling in other people's business is for my own good?!"

Anna crossed her arms. "That's right, it's all for your sake!"

"You're such an unreasonable woman! You she-devil!"

"Of course, I am a succubus. I don't reason and I act on impulse! But I'm not like you, you idiot! I won't hesitate. I will seize every opportunity around me! Don't forget, once you become a sorcerer, this city-state will be your home. You can go anywhere, even to the Fifth District of Light where your Fanila is located, you will have unimpeded access!"

Fanila, a name that sounded sweet to him, only fueled William's anger when Anna uttered it.

"This is my business! I don't need you to make decisions for me!"

"Really? You idiot, just keep hesitating! Goodbye forever." With that, Anna stormed out of the room.

The spellcaster looked at William, who was like a flaming bomb, raised his arm, and then lowered it.

“William, aren’t you going to chase after her? She’s gone. I’m telling you from my own experience, chasing after her is a good choice… You can actually consider joining the Secret Council, I’m not in a hurry.”

"That's none of your business, sir!" What business is it of yours! The enraged William finally softened his tone for once.

"Boy, what kind of attitude is that!" Spellcaster Winter reprimanded him again for his rudeness to his superior.

History is always strikingly similar.

As expected, the spellcaster once again reassured his companion.

"Relax, it's okay. Young people are hot-tempered, especially when they're in love, it's understandable."

Is this thing made of clay?

The old bartender, Mr. Kakun, patted William on the shoulder. "William, the spellcaster was right. Go after Anna. We'll take care of the bar."

"Thank you, Mr. Kakun." After expressing his gratitude, William left.

The spellcaster regained his authority.

"What are you looking at! Go do what you're supposed to do!" The spellcaster led Winter out of the bar.

"Winter, go ahead and do your thing."

"Yes, Lord City Lord."

The spellcaster's name was Carlos Dorgit, the lord of the Wandering City. After his subordinates left, he hid in a dark corner of his city like a thief, and took out the icy blue gem from his pocket. With a flash of magic, a gentle and wise voice came from within the gem.

“Carlos, my child, do not disturb me while I am doing my research.”

"Father! I've found that boy, in the City of Wandering!"

A brief silence fell over the gem, then the buzzing sound of the magical manipulation resumed, clearly indicating that the other side had not stopped the research as he had instructed.

“Carlos, you keep saying you’ve found William. Whenever you see a talented and handsome child, you claim he’s yours. I’m getting tired of your overreactions.”

"This must be true! It's that little brat!" To prove it, Carlos even recounted his recent embarrassing incident, "That damn kid just made me drink a cup of slime monster vomit!"

"..." Silence. The buzzing sound generated by the flowing magic became unstable. With a loud bang, Carlos guessed that the experiment over there had exploded.

The gentle voice remained unchanged, still pale and cold. "Carlos, my child. If I remember correctly, I should have taught you that slimes are similar to coelenterates, with only one ingestion site. Their vomit, to put it bluntly, is excrement. You mean, William fed you excrement the time he saw you? I think my child isn't so foolish as to forget such a basic thing."

Carlos trembled and exhaled.

“Father, I also wish I were a fool who could forget. But that kid must be my son, after all, he’s that troublesome son of his.”

"So, you and William have reunited?"

"No, I'm a little afraid. Ten years! Because of my negligence, he's been wandering for ten years. Sometimes I even doubt if he'll ever come back to life. I owe him so much. I can't imagine what it would be like to meet him again, at least not now."

"So what do you plan to do?"

“To help William and fulfill my duties as a father until I think he can accept me.”

"...A very cautious approach, Carlos, but you really are a sentimental, indecisive good-for-nothing."

"...You're my father, you can say whatever you want." Carlos could still taste the sticky liquid in his mouth. "Father, do you think William might be cursed by some magical creature? Otherwise, why would he be such a troublemaker?"

"It's not exactly a curse, but something similar definitely exists."

"what?"

"It's hereditary; if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."

"Dad, what bad things did you do to Grandpa?"

“Carlos, you inherited William’s traits.” The voice on the other end of the phone turned sinister and cold. “After I died, you immediately disbanded Moroko’s Kingdom and ran away with the mage tower I entrusted to you. My Carlos, you caused Moroko’s Kingdom to fall, turning from a king into a city lord. What a fine son you are. If you weren’t my only child, I would have strangled you.”

"Hahaha, I've told you many times, Father. I'm not good at managing a country, I'm not cut out to be a ruler. I also don't have that strong sense of responsibility. Besides, when I left, I already proclaimed it to my subjects and took all my followers with me. Isn't the City of Wanderings doing quite well? I've done a pretty good job as its lord."

A sigh came from within the gem. "I also bear some responsibility, my Carlos. In life, I was too stubborn. I couldn't see your thoughts and needs, and I didn't know what my children truly wanted. This was my fault, and even after my death, this mistake stubbornly remains in my mind."

“Father, we are hopeless. You were just a little too eager for us to succeed. You know I admire your achievements, and I once tried to reach your level, but I could never become you. However, Father, you were indeed terrifying as a teacher.”

"...I've heard similar comments. But then again, have you thought about William's teacher? He couldn't possibly have become a master based on the research notes I left in my grave."

"But William's achievements are already quite impressive. A third-tier spellcaster in his early twenties! An elementalist, no wonder he's my offspring!"

The voice on the other side of the gem was full of regret at Carlos's satisfaction. "Only third tier, and an elemental one at that. Why couldn't you and your son fully inherit my talent? One is proficient in spacetime magic, and the other in elemental magic. Are we only able to rely on the next generation?"

"Don't rush things for the next generation, Father. I hope you can become William's mentor and train him rigorously! For his own good!"

"Didn't you say my teaching was terrible?"

"Because it's terrifying, I have to do it to William too! The only one who can't get hurt is me!"

"..."

Chapter 285 Gulelia

Anna left like a drop of water escaping into the ocean; William couldn't find her silhouette in the crowd.

Even if you ask passersby, they might not remember the succubus girl hurrying by. This is a city of wanderers, where strange and supernatural beings exist just like ordinary people. Here, the unexpected always outweighs the ordinary.

William couldn't find Anna's whereabouts, but he could guess where she might be staying. In the City of Wanderers, there were only two places that the succubus girl could call home.

One is the Bloody Rose Bar, and the other is the place William is heading to now.

Dark Zone 3, Zone of Sin.

The Sinful Demon Clan governs this land of right and wrong; it is probably the most densely populated area on the Chaotic Side.

The place I know best, the beginning of all my adventures, begins here.

These illegal structures, stacked like cans, are sometimes detached from their lower levels, requiring neighboring buildings to support them and prevent them from collapsing. Despite their precarious state, they have strangely persisted for a long time, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

The home of the succubus Anna and Candy is right here, in a crumbling little room in the cannery.

The last time William helped Candy out of trouble, Candy invited him to come here, and William was impressed by the building that made guests uneasy.

The pavilion in the air, whose sharp edges had been worn smooth, extended dozens of wooden planks to the surrounding buildings, firmly securing itself.

A crooked rope ladder descends from the wooden door on the front of the house.

This is their home. Since demons can fly, this ladder is for the half-succubus Candy.

The bottom of the dilapidated rope ladder was less than half a meter off the ground. Despite several repairs, it looked like it was about to break down. The different colored wooden planks indicated how many times it had been repaired, and the variegated knots on both sides bore the marks of time. It was like putting an old man who should have retired back into service; replacing it with a new one would definitely cost less than repairing it.

"It was left by my mother; she made the ladder herself."

This is why the siblings cherish it so much; if nothing unexpected happens, William should be the third person to touch the top of the rope ladder.

As William's hand touched the planks of the rope ladder, a strange murmur arose in his mind. You couldn't quite make it out; it was like an illusion, yet a disturbing allure arose within you.

You'll subconsciously climb the steps, and the temptation will grow stronger and stronger. When you reach the halfway point of the rope ladder, your mind will finally be filled with its beauty.

You will fall because you can't control your hands and feet.

That was the voice of the succubus Anna, the spell she used to protect her home. This spell was ineffective against candies of the same origin, and also against William, who was immune to her charm.

However, the feeling of Anna whispering softly in my ear was something to savor.