OBS Chapter 172 The Prelude to the Wizarding War
Chapter 172 The Prelude to the Wizarding War
Chapter 172 The Prelude to the Wizarding War
"Please punish me, sir!"
Sean's voice was dry and hoarse, filled with barely concealed fear.
The shame of defeat and the fear of facing the wrath of his superiors were intertwined and almost consumed him.
After a long silence, Hick's gaze pressed down on Sean's back as if it were a physical weight, scrutinizing his loyalty, his incompetence, and his remaining worth.
Finally, the knocking stopped.
A very soft, yet chilling snort, which sent shivers down Sean's spine, came from the shadows.
"Under normal circumstances, given how you botched this operation and attracted the attention of 'Yoshi' (the Japanese)—you'd probably be a pile of materials by now."
Hick's voice was calm, yet it carried a chilling coldness. It was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, which only made it more terrifying.
Sean's body trembled violently, and he lowered his head even further, not daring to breathe.
Hick paused slightly, seemingly weighing his options for a moment.
"But now—time is of the essence, keeping you around is still useful."
He changed the subject, essentially pardoning Sean's death sentence temporarily, but his words contained no hint of forgiveness, only pure utilitarian considerations.
Sean felt like he had been granted a pardon, but he dared not relax in the slightest and kept his head on the ground.
Hick seemed too lazy to look at his humble appearance any longer and cut straight to the point: "Have those central points been arranged?"
This is what he truly cares about.
"Everything is arranged! Once the war breaks out in full force and the tide of death rises, the pre-set magic array will automatically activate, continuously transporting fresh firewood here!"
Sean answered quickly, speaking at breakneck speed, afraid that even a second's delay would draw displeasure. This was the only thing he could do to prove his worth at that moment.
"very good."
A faint, almost cold satisfaction finally appeared in Hick's voice.
"Make the arrangements, send our men to guard those places."
His tone turned serious again, and his gaze seemed to pierce through the shadows, fixed intently on Sean.
"I don't want any more surprises," understand? This is the last chance, and the most crucial step. If anything goes wrong again—"
The rest of the words were left unsaid, but the silent threat was more oppressive than any roar.
"Understood, sir! I swear on my life! There will be no mishap!"
Sean practically yelled as he made the promise.
"Go down."
Hick waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly.
Sean dared not linger for a moment, retreating rapidly with both hands and feet until he was out of the hall. Only then did he dare to turn around, his robes completely soaked with cold sweat.
In the empty hall, only Hick remained.
He leaned back slightly, disappearing back into the deep shadows of the high-backed chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.
"Tap—tap—tap—"
Silkian —
The image of that woman appeared in his mind, especially the terrifying power that purified everything at the end, like the arrival of a blazing sun.
Even the scene he saw through magical rewinding made him feel a sense of unease and a vague sense of unease.
He muttered to himself, his voice carrying a hint of absurd mockery, as if laughing at his possible fate or at himself for having such a thought.
"This looks like a clichéd revenge story."
The protagonist relentlessly pursues his destined enemy, only to discover that this enemy is the source of chaos attempting to overthrow the world.
Then, after overcoming numerous hardships, they finally defeated their enemy, avenging their blood feud and incidentally saving the world.
Ah, what a "perfect" script.
Did he and she have a grudge against each other?
Of course!
That was a blood feud, one that could not be resolved.
Her lover, her family, and everything she once had—almost everything—was destroyed, directly or indirectly, by his plans and his actions.
If I kill myself, can I save the world?
From a certain perspective—it seems possible.
What he is currently planning is to drag the entire continent of Aikar into the abyss of war and chaos, using countless souls as "fuel" to ignite that ultimate ritual.
Thinking of this, Hick's fingers, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped.
That sense of absurdity was quickly replaced by a cold, decisive decision.
Whether this is a script written by fate or not, he will not sit idly by and wait for the so-called "protagonist" to stop him.
"It seems—we need to speed things up."
A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes, and all hesitation and mockery vanished instantly, leaving only a ruthless and urgent determination to achieve his goal by any means necessary.
The Tower of Eternity, the Domed Council Chamber.
The dome, which had been radiating a soft, magical glow, seemed to sense the heavy atmosphere below, and its light began to flicker rapidly.
Beside the huge circular council table, several figures dressed in robes bearing the insignia of different schools of thought sat silently, the air so heavy it seemed almost dripping with water.
On the main seat, the newly appointed tower master—a third-level archmage—Anselm, had a livid face.
The resounding thud of his fist slamming onto the hard, starwood tabletop still echoed faintly in the spacious hall. His hand remained pressed against the table, his knuckles white from the force.
"How dare the Silent Forest do this?!"
Anselm's voice was no longer its usual gentle and wise tone, but was filled with barely suppressed anger and disbelief.
"Are they crazy? It's one thing to have border skirmishes and sabotage behind the scenes! But to so blatantly ambush and attempt to kill the next generation of leaders that Eternal Tower recognizes!"
This is not a provocation, this is a declaration of war! This is an attempt to shatter the fragile balance that has existed between white and black wizards for hundreds of years!
His gaze swept over every member of parliament present, some of whom looked equally angry, while others wore expressions of solemnity and worry.
An elderly man with a snow-white beard, dressed in a light red wizard's robe, spoke slowly. He was also a level three great wizard—Master Monet.
"Lord Tower, please calm down. The Silent Forest's actions are indeed extremely insane, but it is precisely because of their insaneness that we need to be more cautious. They are not acting without reason."
The attack on Srian must have been driven by reasons we do not yet know, reasons that would drive them to wage a full-scale war.
.
"Monet is right."
Another witch dressed in bright red spoke.
Third-level Archmage - Freya.
"The message brought back by Sirian mentioned that the other party had a clear objective, and it seemed that some kind of large-scale ritual had taken place on site."
This is no simple assassination attempt; it must be connected to a deeper conspiracy within the Silent Forest. We must find out exactly what they intend to achieve through this ritual.
"Investigate? Of course we should investigate!"
A burly man, dressed in robes that looked like rock armor formed from cooled lava, growled.
Third-level Archmage – Calvin.
His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked.
"But before that, we must respond immediately! Let the entire wizarding world know what price those who dare to tamper with our Tower of Eternity will pay! Otherwise, those vermin lurking in the shadows will only think we are weak and easily bullied!"
"Retaliation is inevitable."
Lord Anselm took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his boiling rage, his eyes becoming sharp and cold.
"The Silent Forest must pay a heavy price for their foolishness and madness. But how to pay that price requires a strategy."
He stood up, his gaze sharp: "First, in the name of the Eternal Tower, issue the highest-level warning to all lawful wizarding organizations, kingdoms, and even guilds across the entire continent, exposing the Silent Forest's crime of violating the ancient covenant and openly attacking the successors of my tower! Define it as the most egregious provocation against the existing order!"
"Secondly, all Tower members currently training or on missions, especially the younger generation, must immediately raise their alert level. If necessary, recall them or regroup at the nearest Tower-affiliated base. We must not give the Silent Forest any further opportunity!"
"third----"
His gaze fell on Calvin, and on another defensive master whose aura was as heavy as a mountain.
"Calvin, you are in charge of leading our men. I will exact my revenge within three days, with the fiercest force..."
The most undeniable way is to tell them, "This is the price!"
Master Calvin revealed a ferocious and excited smile.
"at last."
Anselm looked at Master Monet and Master Freya.
"At all costs, analyze the information Silian brought back, especially the clues about the ritual. We must stop them before they complete their conspiracy!"
The orders were issued one by one, clear and ruthless.
Enraged by the attack on its successor, the massive machine known as the Tower of Eternity began to display its terrifying power and decisiveness as the continent's premier wizarding organization.
This is not a simple act of retaliation; it is a clear signal:
The ancient pact may have been torn up, but the majesty of the Tower of Eternity cannot be desecrated. Any challenger will face thunderous destruction.
The shadow of war, due to the madness of the Silent Forest and the strong response of the Eternal Tower, instantly enveloped the entire continent of Ekar.
The announcement of the Eternal Tower was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a huge wave in the wizarding world of the entire Aikar region and even the surrounding kingdoms.
Condemnation and support resounded everywhere, and the entire continent's attention was focused on the impending clash between these two giants.
However, the Silent Forest's response was faster and more shameless than many had anticipated.
Less than half a day after the announcement from the Tower of Eternity was issued, another stern statement emanated from the controlled area of the Silent Forest.
In its statement, Silent Forest acknowledged the ambush on Sirien, but vehemently accused Eternal Tower of being the true conspirators and provocateurs: "Eternal Tower's accusations are pure slander!"
They were the first to violate the ancient neutrality agreement, allowing their key member, Silian, to send a transcendent to the Duchy of Nar, openly invading my territory, the Duchy of Arthur!
Attempting to overthrow the Duchy of Arthur!
"Upholding our responsibility to the Duchy of Arthur within our territory, we dispatched our guard forces. In the ensuing forced counterattack, we unfortunately inflicted casualties on the opposing side. This was entirely caused by the Tower of Eternity's acts of aggression!"
The statement cleverly transformed the originally neutral Duchy of Arthur into its own sphere of influence, defined Silian's actions as aggression, and glorified its own ambush as a "self-defense counterattack."
They misrepresented a meticulously planned murder targeting the heir of the Tata as an "unfortunate collateral damage" in an interstate conflict.
"The Eternal Tower's actions are a serious violation of the sovereignty of my Silent Forest and a blatant disruption of the existing wizarding order!"
They are the real culprits who attempted to break the agreement and ignite war!
We express our strongest protest and most severe condemnation of this!
They demanded that the Tower of Eternity immediately cease all hostile actions, issue a public apology, and compensate for the losses; otherwise, the Tower of Eternity would bear all consequences!
This statement, which distorts the truth and makes unfounded claims, was met with disdain by many discerning people, but it successfully created confusion and doubt among some forces that were already wavering or had a long-standing grudge against the Tower of Eternity.
In the realm of public opinion, the truth is often not important; what matters is one's stance and interests.