Roy had been keeping an eye on Trides for some time, but due to his lack of strength, he had no choice but to bide his time.
Now that the adrenaline concoction was complete and he had heard of such a great opportunity, he decided to act decisively.
He went to the mission center to check the available tasks.
"The apple orchard? That's a difficult mission."
The apprentice clerk kindly reminded him upon hearing Roy's inquiry.
"You haven't been punished, so you can choose a safer location."
"Thanks, but I still want to pick this one," Roy insisted.
"Alright then, let me see...
Hmm, you're in luck. Yesterday, Tali increased the reward for picking Nightmare Serpent Fruits to 6 Magic Stones per fruit. No wonder you chose that place."
"6 Magic Stones per fruit?" Roy was slightly surprised. He hadn't actually intended to do the mission but needed permission to leave the tower as an apprentice.
But seeing the situation, he couldn't help but think of making some extra money.
Not many senior apprentices were willing to go there, and intermediate apprentices might face a life-and-death situation. It was perfect for someone like him, who had the Mind-Calming Calamus Water Perfume!
"Alright, here's the token for handing over to the guards. Keep it safe to prove your identity," the apprentice clerk said after completing the formalities.
Roy took the token and noticed a faint magical aura emanating from it.
When the magic was activated, a clear Arcane Imprint was transmitted from it.
"Order to pick... 20 pieces..."
Soon after, Roy arrived at the first-floor office and paid to rent an Undead Warhorse for riding.
This Wizard Beast, similar to a Puppet Wolf, exuded a chilling aura that kept people at bay. It was a special benefit recently introduced by the Wizard Tower to encourage apprentices to take on missions.
"It seems I owe it to that Forbidden Experiment again..."
Roy suddenly had this inexplicable thought, his expression turning slightly odd.
...
The Undead Warhorse, tireless, ran for over two hours and brought him to the orchard.
Roy found a suitable spot to dismount and immediately heard a flippant voice: "Oh, an apprentice has arrived."
The speaker was a half-bodied gargoyle, originally squatting at the entrance in standby mode. Upon noticing someone approaching, it immediately stood up.
"Are you the new guard? I'm here to pick fruits. Here's my token."
Roy was surprised to find that it had long, elegantly curved legs but seemed to have been cut off just a few inches above the navel, with no upper body.
This was an Artificial Lifeform crafted by Wizards, possibly a failed product discarded from some laboratory and sent here.
But the creature showed no awareness of being a failed product, running around bare-bottomed.
It approached Roy, speaking in an almost ingratiating tone: "Young man, do you need my help?"
Roy frowned: "You don't even have hands. How can you help?"
"But I have feet!" The gargoyle lifted its right leg, performing a perfect split, showcasing the flexibility of a ballet dancer.
"Just 100 Magic Stones, if you're willing, please insert coins to recharge..."
Roy was stunned for a moment, then turned and walked away.
The gargoyle called out: "Hey, don't go..."
"I was mistaken. This might not be a failed product after all. Perhaps it was deliberately crafted this way by some bored Wizard with a twisted sense of humor!"
Roy ventured deep into the orchard, muttering in frustration.
Alchemical Lifeforms were originally created for various purposes.
Guards, mounts, scouts, war machines...
And of course, companions.
Due to years of loneliness or constant battles, many Wizards found it difficult to trust and accept others.
Thus, they sought trustworthy Artificial Lifeforms or contractual partners.
Before using expensive biomimetic materials, it was only natural to practice with half-finished living stone statues.
But implanting such a money-grubbing intelligence could definitely be considered a twisted sense of humor.
Half an hour later, Roy emerged with a bag full of Nightmare Serpent Fruits, displaying them in front of the alluring human legs.
"Twenty, no more, no less. I'm off!"
With that, he mounted his horse and rode away.
"Hey, don't leave so quickly. Stay and chat for a while..."
The alluring legs turned around, as if gazing into the distance, standing still for a long time.
...
Roy came and went like the wind, but he didn't immediately return to the tower. Instead, he went to a necessary midpoint, tied his Undead Warhorse in a secluded spot, and patiently lay in ambush.
Although this operation was rushed, it wasn't necessarily careless, as he had already considered various scenarios of confronting Trides and even Senior Botening head-on.
The conclusion was that it was a battle of mediocrity, and no one was necessarily afraid of the other.
No matter how much he tried to overestimate his enemies, he couldn't see any signs of greatness in Trides or Botening.
Especially Trides, who was on par with Renien and Andov.
As long as he struck first, he had a good chance of winning.
He lay in ambush for over an hour, during which two groups of people passed by, all intermediate apprentices, not Trides and his group.
But Roy wasn't anxious, because according to his understanding, the apple orchard was one of the closer task locations.
He was certain that he would return earlier than Trides and his group, so as long as he was patient, he could intercept them.
Sure enough, as dusk fell, the other party appeared in the view of his telescope.
Roy quietly slipped down from the side path, donned the cloak he had prepared in advance, covered his face with a scarf, and began to move.
...
"This time was a huge loss!
They actually sent us to deal with a pack of wolves agitated by the earth's veins..."
"I used up all the Healing Potions I had saved!"
"Me too, and I wasted several Elemental Potions!"
"Sigh..."
The group trudged back, dejected.
If the task was easy and the rewards were high, it wouldn't be called a punishment, but a benefit.
They had no choice, and now, covered in dust, they just wanted to return to the tower and rest.
Trides was among them, secretly thinking about how to display more Runes to avoid punishment.
As an average apprentice, he had no way to obtain Magic Stones, so he continued the practices of his lower-level days, clinging to the Old Apprentice's coattails, helping out here and there, and occasionally extorting his peers or juniors.
"I need to find a way to get more Magic Stones."
Trides couldn't help but think of Roy, whom he had recently set his sights on.
"That kid seems to have good skills, he must have earned quite a few Magic Stones.
I need to find a way to encourage Senior Botening to get at least a few dozen out of him."
Suddenly, he felt something and looked up ahead.
A gentle breeze brushed by, carrying the coolness of early spring.
Ahead, a wooden bridge spanned the small river, with the water flowing softly beneath.
A figure walked slowly across it, their cloak swaying in the wind.
The person's face was covered by a black scarf, revealing only their eyes.
They were a pair of bright, gleaming eyes, glowing with a dangerous red light.
(End of Chapter)