Chapter 273 – Trick

“Master Kirk Weilen… You… Why have you come?”

The female wizard asked with trembling fear.

No wonder she felt terrified. Although rumors said Master Kirk Weilen wasn’t an irritable mage, and not only lacked the eccentricities of many mages but also had a very amiable temperament…

Nevertheless, he was still a powerful Master-Level Caster. In terms of status, he was the director of the Thought of Truth Branch in Gray Rain Country. One could say he held a high position and wielded power, fully capable of punishing the female wizard for any inappropriate remark.

But this time, the female wizard’s luck was clearly good. Master Kirk Weilen didn’t pursue her earlier complaint. Instead, he stood quietly in the center of the hall, his cloth-covered eyes gazing deeply toward the door.

No one saw him open his mouth, but after Master Kirk Weilen stood still, a voice filled with the vicissitudes of life unconsciously echoed through the hall:

“This old man is getting on in years, and his legs aren’t what they used to be. Please, young friend, come in for a chat!”

The old man’s voice sounded genuinely weak and listless. If one ignored the eerie way the voice appeared, it truly sounded like that of an elderly man in his twilight years.

However, among all present—whether talented apprentices or curious Formal-Level Mages watching—no one dared to look down on this old man. This included the black-clad youth now standing outside the door.

“Master Kirk Weilen is too kind!”

Faced with Kirk Weilen’s personal welcome, an ordinary mage would surely feel flattered. But the youth outside merely offered a faint polite remark before striding boldly into the eerily silent hall.

The moment this black-robed youth adorned with blood patterns stepped into the hall, almost every wizard present couldn’t help but gasp in shock—except for Kirk Weilen, who remained as calm as ever, standing serenely in the center.

“A… a Master-Level powerhouse!”

“What day is today? Another Master-Level powerhouse!”

“This is serious—two Master-Level powerhouses! If a conflict breaks out… hiss… how should we escape?”

The surrounding mages couldn’t help but whisper with pale faces, while some cautious Formal-Level Mages prepared to flee at the first sign of trouble. They could clearly sense the terrifying pressure emanating from the black-robed youth who had just entered—a dreadful aura that promised rivers of blood with the slightest move!

Without a doubt, the black-robed young mage who entered the Thought of Truth Branch Mission Hall at this moment was Punk.

After crossing the Red Sand Sea as per the intelligence, Punk had flown directly toward this swamp territory belonging to the Thought of Truth. He knew the warrior hadn’t lied—Gray Rain Country indeed had a Thought of Truth branch stronghold. Unlike many small organizations that hid furtively, this branch openly displayed its arcane mark right on Gray Rain Country’s border marker, allowing every mage entering the country to immediately know the branch’s location.

It was precisely because of the Thought of Truth’s openness that Punk saved time that would have been wasted flying around searching.Eager to begin researching the project in his hands, Punk flew straight into the swamp before stopping. However, out of courtesy and basic respect for the legendary organization, he did not fly directly into the Mission Hall of the Thought of Truth but instead walked to its entrance.

There, Punk saw an elderly mage standing in the hall, seemingly waiting for him for quite some time.

“A level 19 Master-Level Caster? Truly worthy of a legendary organization—even such a small place has hidden talents!”

Punk cautiously verified that there were no magical traps in the Mission Hall and that the old man standing at the center showed no signs of gathering mana for an attack. Only then did he leisurely cast a series of defensive spells and, acting as if nothing were amiss, entered this “Mission Hall” constructed from enchanted slabstones.

In fact, as the old man who appeared to have been waiting for a long time scrutinized him, Punk was also carefully observing the elder.

Since Punk had come to this branch of the “Thought of Truth,” he hadn’t entered blindly without any knowledge. He knew that a powerful level 19 mage was stationed at this branch, and this Master was also the head of the division.

When formally facing this renowned mage, Punk could only say, “He lives up to his reputation!”

Sometimes, determining the strength of friend or foe doesn’t require an actual confrontation; often, two intuitively sharp experts need only glance at each other to roughly gauge who is stronger.

In Punk’s eyes, this Master Kirk Weilen, who looked no different from an ordinary old man, was arguably the most powerful individual he had ever encountered personally. A level 19 casting rank was enough to inspire awe in anyone, including Punk.

While Punk was quite astonished by Kirk Weilen’s strength, Kirk Weilen was no less surprised by Punk.

As a Master-Level Mage who had lived for over 2,500 years, Kirk Weilen had encountered countless casters of all kinds in his lifetime. After advancing to level 19, he had never again met a young mage who could exert pressure on him. Now, Kirk Weilen had to admit that the youth with deep blue eyes opposite him carried an indescribable, immense pressure—an intuition he possessed as a Divination-specialized caster.

As for his Divination Spells being blocked by the other party… Kirk Weilen was even more astonished. He knew better than anyone the probing capability of his Divination Spells, and now, his previously unfailing detection magic had dissipated like mud flowing into the sea. This was one of the reasons Master Kirk Weilen felt surprised and regarded Punk with great importance.

“I wonder what this young friend might need. However, the Thought of Truth does not sell resources to outsiders. If you wish to purchase materials, I suggest you visit the Mage Guild.”

The mutual probing between the two ended in an instant. Suppressing his inner surprise, Kirk Weilen spoke in a measured tone.

“I do have something in mind. I want to join the Thought of Truth. What do you think?”

“…………”

Kirk Weilen’s mouth had just opened halfway when, upon hearing Punk’s straightforward “request,” he abruptly closed it again.

The mages in the hall, who had been watching nervously, were also somewhat stunned:”While joining a mage organization is quite normal, directly stating it like this feels somewhat strange…”

Regardless of how other spellcasters might view it, Punk didn’t engage in evasive talk with this smiling old man. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t mind circling around with these rigid elders, but currently Punk was in no mood for such games.

“I heard that the Thought of Truth welcomes all neutral-aligned spellcasters to join, so I’ve come to join. Is there any problem?”

“…No, no problem per se… You just need to fill out some forms and leave an arcane mark…”

Kirk Weilen, who was usually quite sharp-witted, now appeared somewhat dumbfounded. Punk’s straightforward statement had completely caught him off guard. Standing awkwardly in place, Kirk Weilen felt so embarrassed it almost hurt:

“This kid isn’t following the usual script! Normally there should be someone providing an introduction, followed by several days of private discussions, and finally joining discreetly after some feigned reluctance. What kind of approach is this – suddenly declaring you want to join so aggressively in front of everyone?”

(End of Chapter)