Ian walked to the window and looked out at the unchanging night view of Shadow Moon Tower, his fingers unconsciously tapping the window frame.

’Hiding in the High Tower and relying on internal channels for Blood Essence will only slow my Body Refining Technique’s progress,’ he thought.

’The refining of the Starlight Potion will also grind to a halt due to the shortage of key materials.’

’And I’m still short a large number of Abyssal Rune Stones, which are my main concern.’

’I haven’t even heard a whisper about one of the special materials, the Void Anchor Stone.’

’The Withered Council cut off my supply channels to force me out.’

’If I keep hiding in here, they probably won’t risk making a move inside the High Tower.’

’But they’ll stick to me like leeches, never giving me a moment of peace.’

He had to get out.

But not by walking out foolishly.

’I have to make them think they have a chance, but without causing too much of a commotion.’

Besides, he planned to display some of his power this time.

Few had witnessed his accomplishments during his previous Demon Hunting, so many people remained unconvinced.

Returning to the High Tower and displaying only his talent for Magic Potions had indeed earned him great rewards: access to core permissions, High Tier Knowledge, cutting-edge information, and more.

But it wasn’t enough. This was a world of Wizards.

Without formidable Power, his terrifying ability to earn Magic Stones would only attract more trouble.

He turned around, his gaze falling on the open notebook on the Alchemy Platform.

He flipped to the latest page, which recorded information he had recently collected about several resource points outside the High Tower.

One of them was about a two-day journey from Shadow Moon Tower.

There was a border area known as the Dark Hills, where it was recently rumored that a small Abyssal Rift was periodically unstable.

Every few days, it spewed out a small amount of fragments and materials containing the aura of a Rule.

These included the Abyssal Rune Stones he was in desperate need of.

The risk at that Rift existed, but it wasn’t particularly high; it was in an area a Level One Wizard could explore alone.

’This is the place.’

Ian used a Feather Pen to draw a circle around the location on the page.

As for his reason for leaving, it was that he needed Abyssal Rune Stones to continue the refining and improvement of the Starlight Potion.

It was a perfectly sufficient and "reasonable" excuse for him to leave the sanctuary of the High Tower.

As for whether the Withered Council would take the bait...

A cold smirk touched Ian’s lips.

’The bait has been cast. Now we’ll just see when the fish can’t resist taking it.’

「Two days later.」

Kenna pushed open the door to the Alchemy Room, clutching a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand.

"Sir, the word is out."

Ian looked up. He was still stirring a cauldron of deep purple potion, its surface covered in fine bubbles.

"How was it spread?"

"Wade went drinking at a Black Market tavern, deliberately had a little too much, and started complaining to people that you’ve been worried sick. He said your material supply got cut off and that you’re about to fail refining the Starlight Potion."

"Then," Kenna continued, "he went to the Material Market and started asking about the Abyssal Rift over in the Dark Hills. He made a token effort to cover his tracks."

Ian nodded.

Wade usually handled errands and procurement, so his actions wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

"Did anyone tail them?"

"The moment he stepped out." Kenna licked his lips.

"Wade said he felt someone tailing him for two blocks after he left the tavern. They didn’t make a move, just probing to see if you were really planning to leave."

"That’s enough."

’Not that this would actually fool those two vipers,’ Ian thought. ’Everyone knows what’s going on.’

Ian put down the stirring rod. The furnace fire reflected on half of his face, his eyes as calm as a deep pool.

"Get ready to leave."

「Three days later, at dusk.」

An abandoned watchtower at the edge of the Dark Hills.

The tower was built from grayish-black rock, three stories high.

The top had long since collapsed on one side, revealing the wooden beams inside as if a giant had taken a bite out of it.

The tower was surrounded by waist-high wild grass. As the wind blew past, the blades rubbed together with a soft RUSTLE.

In the distance, the silhouette of the hills could be seen, looking like a crouching beast in the twilight.

Ian stood in the gap on the tower’s roof, holding a dark purple Rune Stone in his hand.

The Stone’s surface had fine patterns, like blood vessels. It was warm to the touch, and a faint Abyssal Aura emanated from it.

It was the worst-quality one he’d picked from his stock, perfect to use as bait.

He raised his head and glanced at the sky.

The sun had already sunk behind the mountains, leaving only a bit of afterglow that dyed the clouds a dark red.

’It’s getting dark.’

"GAGA."

From the shadows, a fist-sized black ball rolled out and landed on Ian’s shoulder.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready, gaga!" Gaga nuzzled its little head against Ian’s cheek.

"I’ve buried twelve Eyes of Shadow around the tower. If anyone comes within a hundred meters, I’ll know immediately!"

Ian stroked its feathers.

"When the fighting starts, don’t engage directly. Just run interference. Your job is to stall one of them while I take care of the other."

"Got it, gaga!" Gaga puffed out its little chest. "I’m super strong now!"

Ian smiled but said nothing.

’None of our opponents this time are weaklings,’ he thought.

He took out three potions from his Dimension Ring and tilted his head back to down them.

One was a Strong Healing Potion, another a Spiritual Excitement Potion.

The last was a Limit-Breaking Edition Rock Bear Potion, which could only be used as a temporary boost to physical strength.

As the potions went down his throat, a hot current exploded from his stomach and surged through his entire body.

The layer of Jade-like Radiance under his skin lit up again, his muscles bulged slightly, and Power surged through his veins.

He rolled his shoulders, and his bones let out a soft CRACKLE.

Then, his figure flickered. A ripple-like shimmer appeared on the surface of his skin, its color and texture changing rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, he had merged with the surrounding grayish-black stone walls.

Stealth Ability: Mimicry.

Even the sound of his breathing disappeared.

The only sound on the rooftop was the mournful HOWL of the wind blowing through the gap.

The sky became pitch-black.

The moon was hidden by clouds, and only a few points of starlight barely illuminated the wild grassland.

Three dark figures crept toward the tower from the direction of the hills.

They moved slowly but steadily, their feet making almost no sound on the blades of grass.

The two in the lead were a man and a woman.

The man wore a gray robe and a bone mask on his face.

Only his two eyes were exposed, his pupils a dark green, like rotting leaves.

The woman was wrapped in a black cloak, her hood pulled down low, revealing only her chin. Her skin was a bloodless white.

Following behind was a figure in a black robe, face covered, with a bandaged shoulder.

It was precisely the masked man who had escaped from the alley that day, the Vaporization Wizard, Curse Eye.

"Are you sure this is the place?" the woman spoke, her voice cold and dry, like ice scraping together.

"Certain," the Vaporization Wizard whispered.

"The informant said Ian Marcus left the city at dusk and headed in this direction. The watchtower is an outpost he’s used before, so he’ll likely spend the night here."

The man raised his hand, making a gesture to halt.

The three of them stopped eighty meters away from the watchtower.

The man pulled a bone Compass from his robes. The surface of its needle was engraved with twisted runes.

He bit his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood onto the needle.

The needle trembled, pointed towards the watchtower, then stopped, glowing faintly.

"There’s a life signature inside," the man said. "It’s faint, but it’s definitely there."

"And... a fluctuation of Abyssal Energy. Very faint, as if being suppressed."

The woman nodded.

"Ashes, you take the left. I’ll take the right. Curse Eye, circle around back and cut off his retreat," Cold Crow ordered swiftly.

"Make it quick. Best to capture him alive and find out the cause of Hector’s death."

"Understood."

The three separated, silent as three arrows loosed from a bow, and closed in on the watchtower.

On the rooftop.

Ian was pressed into the shadows of a corner. His eyes were closed, but his consciousness spread out like a net, covering a fifty-meter radius.

Gaga’s Eyes of Shadow transmitted the movements of the three into his mind in real time.

’They’re here... three of them... splitting up to surround me...’