Passerby Villain In A Wizard World

The moment Ian and Ignysyl were displaced to another place, the noisy hustle and bustle of the market disappeared.

What they both felt next was a serene atmosphere, with the soft glow of mana lamps flickering around and the scent of incense drifting through the air, carrying hints of sandalwood and jasmine that could calm their minds.

'What is the Code?'

However, the calmness was abruptly interrupted as Ian suddenly heard a quiet voice inside his mind asking for the code.

And the most interesting part was his instinctive response, which even he didn't realize before spilling from his mouth unconsciously.

"Atali Awaits!"

"Hmm?"

Only after speaking the code aloud did Ian realize that he had been affected by some kind of strange spell.

Since the spell wasn't offensive and quite secretive, it directly affected him while he was being displaced, catching him off guard.

"What do you mean? Why are you suddenly shouting loudly?"

It seemed only Ian was under its influence, as Ignysyl questioned his odd behavior with curious eyes.

However, unlike before, Ian simply shook his head subtly this time and didn't answer.

After all, such a strange spell had just been used to force the code out from his mouth unconsciously.

Who knew what other mechanisms were in place here?

So, Ian felt unsafe using telepathy to communicate with Ignysyl. Instead, he began to observe the small chamber he was in.

He saw that the room he was in was circular in shape with ample space around. The soft glow of mana lamps cast a dim, eerie light, illuminating multiple figures silently standing in their dark robes, as if waiting for something.

He also saw a few figures suddenly appear in a corner, followed by their surprised shouts, just as he had experienced moments ago. It seemed all of them were victims of the same mysterious spell, caught off guard just like him.

Ian counted more than ten figures scattered in various corners, all standing still just like him.

However, what intrigued him the most wasn't the people around but the view from the window.

"Hey, it seems we're inside that tower."

Sure enough, Ignysyl also immediately recognized their location as he glanced at the market below—the very one they had just navigated through.

From the view outside, it seemed they were at the top of the central tower they had seen earlier.

"There also seems to be an array at work here, operating continuously, although it's nothing significant with me around."

Ignysyl spoke while scanning the entire chamber with his eyes. Given his mastery over dimensions, it was indeed the case.

Such simple arrays could hardly stop him if he decided to leave this place.

As for his voice, he wasn't afraid of being noticed like Ian, as he was using the Rule of Fire to conceal himself. Even his voice—he could choose to let only Ian hear in this form.

"Well, someone is here!"

Just as they were busy observing their surroundings, Ignysyl suddenly looked ahead, along with Ian, as they sensed a spatial distortion from the front.

"Welcome to the Forbidden Society, my friends!"

Then they heard a hoarse voice, followed by the silhouette of a middle-aged man in a full wizard robe, his hood drawn low over his face, shrouding his features in darkness.

However, everyone present in the small chamber could feel his powerful aura, perfectly befitting his realm as a peak First Ring Wizard.

"My name is Varion, and I am the one assigned to this mission. As long as you pay the agreed price, I will be responsible for escorting you into the Atali Ruin and bringing you back."

"Since you came through the Forbidden Society, there shouldn't be any issue with trust, I suppose."

Varion didn't mince his words and directly stated his point as he scanned the crowd with his dark eyes. And just as he expected, nobody objected.

There was a reason they had chosen the Forbidden Society to access the Atali Ruin—an extremely dangerous place.

Although hiring them was expensive, their reputation was well known across the entire Calvora Continent.

As far as Ian knew, the Forbidden Society's top management even had an Eight Ring Wizard in charge. Whether that was true or not, he couldn't say for sure.

However, through various missions, one thing was certain—as long as you paid enough, you didn't have to worry about being backstabbed when assigning a task.

They were like a trustworthy mercenary force on this continent, working for you based on the money you spent—except they did more than just fight.

"Although I should still warn you, I don't guarantee your safety inside the ruin. My mission is simply to allow you to enter, and if you manage to come out alive, I'll let you return here. That's all."

Varion widened his arms as if to emphasize the finality of his words.

"Sir Varion, how much is the cost? Do we have to pay everything upfront, or can we pay the full amount after we return?"

One of the robed figures near Ian asked in a neutral voice after hearing his words.

"Haha... it seems you guys are quite eager to go to that place. Well, I couldn't fault you on that. If you are lucky, you can indeed again a lot."

Seeing the eagerness oozing out from the dozen or so figures ahead, Varion laughed strangely.

Then he looked at the figure who had just asked the question and held up five fingers.

"Fifty Mana Crystals—twenty-five for escorting you inside the Atali Ruin, and another one for getting you out."

After that, he suddenly smirked and said sarcastically,

"As for how much you have to pay now, of course, it has to be in full. Otherwise? What will I do if you can't return?"

"What? 50 Mana Crystals just to enter the Atali Ruin? Isn't this too expensive?"

Sure enough, after hearing the price, a few figures clad in dark robes clamored subconsciously as it was simply too much.

50 Mana Crystals meant 5000 mana stones. That was a huge sum. Even Ian only had around 200 mana crystals with him as he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth in annoyance.

However, unlike the others, he didn't bother to complain—there was no point in doing so.

"Otherwise? Do you think anyone can enter that place? With your weak strength at the apprentice level, who will let you inside unless you are from an organisation?"

Varion said in a sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes. Then, feeling that they would be discouraged, he added a few words,

"Besides, it also includes the teleportation cost you guys are going to use."

"And you don't have to worry, though, as everyone knows what that ruin represents. Moreover, the place we are going next is inside the Arcane Highlands, which is quite near."

"And more importantly, this ruin is less dangerous than other Atali ruins due to its lower level, not to mention the many places still left to be discovered. So, I think you shouldn't waste this opportunity."

Varion enticed with his words as he also knew why these guys were here.

Just like Ian, they also probably got some map. And this time, the section of the Atali Ruin that appeared in the Arcane Highland was of the lower level.

So, as long as they didn't clash with First Ring Wizards and tread carefully, they should gain more than 50 Mana Crystals than they spent.

"Okay, that's all I have to say. If you want to go, pay up front. Otherwise, you will be deported automatically. I don't have much time."

Feeling that he had said enough, Varion stood straight and asked the apprentices around to pay.

As a First Ring Wizard, he didn't have to show any courtesy to these apprentices.

Although they might possess some treasures that could protect them from a First Ring Wizard's attack—or even allow them to fight back—he had no interest in such things.

Instead, he was more eager to leave quickly and explore the ruin for treasures. This mission was merely on his way, so he took it for the sake of a few Mana Crystals.

"I want to go."

Sure enough, after knowing the ins and outs, it didn't take long for one of the robed figures to come forward. And without waiting, he immediately handed a pouch containing 50 Mana Crystals to Varion.

"Good, good. Just stand behind, we will leave shortly."

After scanning the pouch, Varion immediately smiled and looked at the remaining figures.

"Me too."

Once one started, the others followed.

One by one, everyone took out 50 Mana Crystals and handed them over to Varion. Ian also retrieved his crystals and gave them away.

In the end, not a single one of them chose to leave.

After all, they had already paid a hefty price to obtain the Forbidden Token and gain the chance to explore the Atali Ruin.

Backing out now wasn't an option—for some, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.