Ivan looked up at the sky, where he could see the meandering columns of ocean currents floating above. There were a good number of them, and higher up they were obscured from view by a protective membrane.
He turned to look behind him, where not far away stood a steeple over two meters tall with the number 29 on it, corresponding to the triangular piece in his hand.
This 29th steeple was actually connected to two of those ocean current columns, one entering and one exiting, forming a constantly moving cycle. Moments before, he had arrived there by riding the ‘entering’ ocean current column, and once his business here concluded, he could use the other column to leave the secret realm.
It had to be said that such a runes sorcery array was beyond his understanding, and it was astonishing.
“Hello, nice to meet you, I am Jefferson. That steeple over there is my territory; in this place, we are neighbors.”
“Ivan, Ivan Marichardon, from the Enchantment Group.”
Their respective steeples were adjacent, about six hundred meters apart.
The others were also within a nearby area; the steeples were not equidistantly arranged, with varying distances among them. Ivan could see Wolban’s position on the other side, over a kilometer away.
Jefferson had made a special effort to come over and greet him.
“I’m from the Patrol Team,” he said, looking out at the vast plains with a sense of admiration, “This place is really clever and peculiar, but also very humid and sweltering. Thinking about staying here for five days, it feels a bit tough to endure.”
The secret realm was not pitch-black; the protective membrane constantly radiated light and heat, creating an environment of high brightness, high temperature, and high humidity. The air felt sticky, and if an ordinary person were here, they probably couldn’t last half a day.
No surprise then, that they had only been there for a short while when droplets of water started to quietly hang on the tips of their hair.
As 3rd Class apprentices, the harsh environment had no other adverse effects on them.
“It’s going to get hotter and stuffier as time goes on.”
“Yeah, just the thought of it is uncomfortable.”
“That’s the price for wanting Aqua Alva.”
Ivan didn’t know if his colleague genuinely disliked the environment or was just making conversation. He simply responded in kind.
Jefferson suddenly asked, “I heard from Wayne that you are also one of the recent batch of apprentices. You must have decent talent. I’m not so good; I only have 3rd Class talent.”
“The same as you.”
Ivan made no attempt to hide this fact, as it was not something that needed to be kept secret and was easily inquired about.
Upon hearing his response, Jefferson looked at him with surprise: “Then you’ve come a bit early, you do know that you can only enter this secret realm once, right?”
“I know, but it doesn’t matter, I would have to come sooner or later.”
The academy had a rule that each apprentice only had one opportunity to come here, and the requirement was to be at the limit of a 3rd Class apprentice, applied uniformly to all. However, Ivan suspected that offspring of sorcerer families like Heidi didn’t need to come here to pick water scalding bubble fruits at all.
After picking the water scalding bubble fruits, they could exchange fifty of them for a vial of Aqua Alva from the academy.
Randall had mentioned that this was his best opportunity to obtain Aqua Alva and had advised him to think it over carefully before deciding.
Ivan had thought it over and was well-prepared, which was why he was here today.
“Haha, you see things more clearly,” said Jefferson with a chuckle out of nowhere, then continued, “We have 600 meters between us, so let’s split it evenly. The water scalding bubble fruits that emerge on each side will belong to whoever’s side they appear on, how about that?”
“No problem.”
After defining their territories, Jefferson left to negotiate with others.
Watching his departing figure, Ivan shook his head slightly. He didn’t believe such a verbal agreement would be effective. When it came to matters concerning one’s future and fate, others might go as far as to launch a direct attack, let alone compete during the picking process.
“I wonder in what way the water scalding bubble fruits will emerge?”
He looked down at the water scalding grass beneath his feet, which aside from the color, was not much different from the weeds outside.
His mental power followed one of the water scalding grasses downwards, retracted after a few seconds without gaining anything, not seeing any sign of fruit.
The growth of the water scalding bubble fruit was quite fantastical. They grew underground and, as the temperature in the secret realm continued to rise, they would be driven out by the heat, floating to midair, ready for the apprentices to pick.
This was the only correct way to harvest the water scalding bubble fruits.
The information had also stated that picking the water scalding bubble fruits was a simple but not so easy process.
…
Above the ocean, and not far from a deserted coast, two ships steadily neared each other. As their bows were about to collide, they passed by each other and slowly came to a halt. The decks were filled with various people: some in apprentice robes of diverse patterns, others in leather armor, and still others in heavy metal armor.
If there were anyone present who knew them, they would immediately identify them as members of the Wandering Sorcerer Fellowship.
The vast Moon Pincer Peninsula is home to numerous kingdoms, cities, and small towns, with a countless population. Yet, there are only thirteen formal sorcerers’ academies here—four in the north, nine in the south.
Due to the complex and changing terrain of the Moon Pincer Peninsula, it is impossible for the academies to bring all territories under their control. They primarily occupy large areas with higher concentrations of energy particles. As for other regions, in the eyes of sorcerers, lands without value might as well not exist.
Outside the territories of the formal sorcerers’ academies, many insignificant sorcerer forces have emerged.
Lacking resources, these minor forces need to scavenge widely for resources, wandering and plundering like hyenas, mockingly referred to by the academies’ sorcerers as the ‘Wandering Sorcerer Fellowship’.
Many who joined the Wandering Sorcerer Fellowship didn’t even receive a proper sorcerer robe; over time, they developed various clothing styles; for instance, experienced apprentices who prefer to wear thick leather armor.
“Percy, as per our agreement, I’ve brought the person,” Hank, a one-eyed man wearing leather armor, shouted across from the deck of the ship to his left.
As he spoke, he gestured behind him, and someone emerged from the cabin, dragging a chains with runes on it made of fine iron. At the end of the chain, an ugly ‘Half-orc’ with a collar around his neck was being pulled along.
This Half-orc had fangs, tiger stripes, and a beast’s tail; his body seemed forged of bronze and poured iron, towering over the others by a head and a half, likely undergoing extensive physical modifications.
However, upon closer inspection, one would notice the Half-orc’s vacant gaze; oblivious to his own plight, he appeared to have low spiritual intelligence.
The man addressed as ‘Percy’ eyed the Half-orc a few times, a satisfied expression emerging on his face, “How many?”
“A total of six, the lowest requirement was a Knight, and the success rate was less than one percent. For these six people, the lands we control suffered heavy losses and won’t recover for years.
They are not highly intelligent, but can identify friends and foes through pre-set scents. A creature like this can only erupt in strength once; following a full-force burst, it will die violently.”
Hank briefly described the ‘Half-orc’ he had brought. His simple words concealed a rich stench of blood and piles of bones.
The people present reacted indifferently, as if it were a trivial matter.
“That will suffice.”
Percy nodded slightly.
Hank countered, “What about your inside man? Don’t tell me nothing’s arranged.”
“Judging by the time, he should be nearly there. Brother Hank, rest assured, our Fellowship’s reputation is well-known; we ensure flawless execution in our tasks.”
“Hahaha, my friend, I’ve yet to see the upper class promotion item, the bubble fruit; it’s naturally a bit worrying, my apologies.”
“No worries. Remember to issue the command as soon as we enter the secret realm, directing the puppets to attack the core steeple of the realm. Afterward, whatever gains one can make depend solely on individual skill.”
“No problem.”
Although each had their plans, they maintained a harmonious facade in the moments before entering the secret realm.
Trailing behind the ship Percy was on, a peculiar, small, narrow vessel was being towed. Most of the vessel was submerged in water, with only a small portion visible above the surface, like a large black fish following the ship.
As seconds and minutes passed by, leaving behind the guards to watch the ship, the rest of the group, about twenty people along with the six Half-orcs in collars, climbed into the small vessel.
The vessel started and began to sink underwater; a few seconds later, it disappeared from the surface of the sea.
Inside the vessel, it was as narrow as it appeared from the outside, and with a height of barely half a person’s, forcing the large, round-bodied Half-orcs to curl up on the ground. Others either stood bent over, crouched, or sat down.
At the bow, a Crystal Ball displayed a clear view from the outside of the vessel.
Through the Crystal Ball, one could see the dark depths of the sea.
After a long journey, the ship neared the designated area. The surrounding sea was filled with tumultuous undercurrents; stirred by the currents, dangerous whirlpools appeared intermittently, causing those inside the ship great anxiety.
“Boss, do we really have the fortune to break into such a secret realm?”
Some undercurrents looked like death’s long saws mercilessly slicing through everything. After witnessing a giant sea beast being torn to shreds and left boneless, someone couldn’t help but swallow his saliva uneasily.
“Fortune favors the bold. To rise step by step as a sorcerer, one must seize every opportunity. To survive is fate; to die is also fate,” Hank boldly declared, inspiring many of his companions.
“No need to worry, we have our ways to avoid them,” Percy stated.
Without waiting for others to ask, he continued, “This is a secret realm that has endured a thousand years. It’s no longer as splendid as it once was. In the past, the realm could accommodate sorcerers entering; now any sorcerer present inside would see only one result: all the water scalding bubble fruits would be destroyed at once, and it’ll be a decade before they’d grow again.
It’s rather ironic. The Confinement Power was originally intended to restrict the Sea Race, but now it prevents the academies’ sorcerers.”
Seeing how familiar Percy was with the secret realm, speaking with confidence, the others gradually calmed down.
Percy didn’t reveal much more. He knew well that once the sorcerers started the realm’s further operations and began to hasten the ripening of the water scalding bubble fruits, the secret realm’s defensive membrane would reveal weaknesses—it would be their time to enter the realm.
Entering the realm was not without its dangers, but these were details he didn’t need to share with the others.
The path of a sorcerer is one full of hardships. One seeks fortune in danger and may also perish in it. Without taking risks, how can one obtain truly heart-stirring rewards?