How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 74

Kane seemed completely unaware of Everett's gaze, focusing all his attention on the copying work in his hands.

Time passed by, second by second, quietly slipping away amidst the sound of pen nib rubbing against paper.

He didn't put down his pen and look up until he finished drawing the last rune.

Everett had long since abandoned his previous scrutiny, a friendly smile on his face, and asked, "Is there something you're wondering about?"

Kane nodded, his tone sincere: "I had some questions about the rune construction of spell models during my course at the Mage Tower."

As he spoke, he casually threw out a few seemingly basic questions.

These questions were deliberately chosen by him—simple enough that they would not arouse the other party's suspicion.

As expected, Everett was completely unprepared and patiently explained each point one by one.

After a while, Kane listened to the other person's words, his eyes narrowed slightly.

For on the panel in his field of vision, a line of text was clearly visible:

[The Tier 2 Ghoul Adrian Belmont (lv25) has taught you about spell runes; you have now mastered this skill.]

Ghoul... Adrian Belmont.

Kane's heart skipped a beat. It was him.

Although the two had only met once, Kane clearly remembered seeing this guy who had shown him goodwill when he was taking the apprentice test in the Ash Tower.

However, the opponent now is probably just a ghoul with Adrian's memories.

"It seems I need to act quickly; perhaps it has already discovered me in its memories."

He calmly suppressed the turmoil in his heart, his face still displaying that eager-to-learn expression.

After the spell instruction ended, Everett patted him on the shoulder with a gentle smile:

"Although you are an apprentice now, once you complete the ritual and take the special potion, you will have enough magical talent."

When the time is right, mastering a first-level spell will be a natural consequence.

Kane thanked him respectfully on the surface, but his heart was ice-cold.

This ghoul disguised as "Everett" has probably already devoured the lives of countless mage apprentices.

The memories and magical knowledge of those apprentices are now probably all in his possession.

He probably already has a variety of first-order spells in his mind, and even second-order spells are not impossible—after all, he is backed by the Cult of Demons, which can bypass the Nords' spell control to acquire knowledge.

In a flash, Kane stood up and bowed: "Thank you for your guidance. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

Everett nodded in agreement, but his gaze remained fixed on Kane's retreating figure.

In those kind eyes, a greedy light was gradually rising, becoming so intense it was almost overflowing.

……

Kane ran into Talia as he walked.

This female apprentice, whose succubus abilities were awakened through the ritual, had a hint of unknowing lust in her eyes, yet also a trace of lingering naiveté.

She looked at Kane and asked, "Did you learn anything from Everett?"

"It's a first-level spell called 'Elemental Absorption,' but I'm not yet capable of mastering it."

Kane sighed dramatically, and Talia looked on with envy.

Seeing this, Kane said gently, "Once I've mastered it, I can teach you."

This spell originated from the demon cult, so there's no need to worry about Nord's spell control regulations.

Talia's face lit up with a spring-like smile, and her charming posture drew sidelong glances from several apprentices nearby.

She leaned closer to Kane and whispered, "Is it convenient for you tonight... to keep me company?"

"Inconvenient." Kane almost instinctively wanted to refuse; he needed to hurry up and study the new spells he had just acquired.

But then he thought, before he could finally take action, he absolutely couldn't let this woman have even the slightest suspicion of him.

So he suppressed his thoughts and nodded with a smile: "Okay."

……

In the hotel room, the candlelight flickered.

The shaking of the bed gradually subsided, and the woman's soft moans subsided, leaving only their slightly hurried breathing.

Sweat mingled with Talia's sweet fragrance, filling the small space.

Aching all over, Talia nestled in Kane's arms, her fingertips lightly tracing his firm chest, her voice filled with amazement:

"How can you be so strong? Your physique doesn't look like that of a spellcaster; it's more like that of a seasoned warrior."

Kane smiled without saying a word, reached out and ruffled her hair, then asked, "Have you ever seen a warrior like me who can use magic tricks?"

Talia shook her head, pressed her cheek against his warm chest, listened to his steady, strong heartbeat, and suddenly asked softly:

"What do you plan to do after the ceremony? Will you stay at the Mage Tower as an apprentice, or will you go to another city like the others who participated in the ceremony before you?"

Those people have probably already been eaten by that ghoul.

Kane could guess their fate, but still replied casually, "I'll probably leave the mage tower."

"I see..." Talia looked up, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, before she became extremely serious.

"Then why don't you consider staying? Staying in Shantar, with me."

She gripped Kane's clothes tightly, her speech quickening involuntarily:

"Everett has already spoken with me and asked me to take charge of the club's follow-up matters after the ceremony."

As long as I'm willing to dedicate myself, I can obtain a continuous supply of spells. With me around, you won't need to go out and search for spellbooks anymore.

She looked into Kane's eyes and said, word by word, "And... I want to introduce you to my family."

family?

Kane's eyes flickered slightly—this woman had fallen in love. The original agreement was merely to help her alleviate the backlash of desire caused by the ritual.

Sure enough... but of course, that's impossible.

Kane remained silent, offering no reply. Talia read rejection in his eyes.

Her eyes dimmed, and she slowly withdrew from his embrace, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She bit her lip, her voice heavy with sobs, barely forming sentences:

"I'm sorry... I was being presumptuous... I thought..."

She couldn't bring herself to say the rest.

She quickly wiped her face, hurriedly dressed, turned and ran out of the room without even saying goodbye.

Watching her retreating figure, Kane silently said in his heart: I'm sorry.

Then, his gaze hardened once more.

……

Inside the Night Watch headquarters, at the outpost of the Thirteenth Squad.

Kane recounted his experiences over the past period to Reed and the others.

Reed's expression darkened upon hearing "second-tier ghoul," and his tone became grave:

"A second-tier demon that has devoured numerous mage apprentices... This threat is far greater than we imagined."

Sienna paused, then asked:

"Kane, you're not mistaken, are you? You've been on leave lately because you infiltrated the Mage Tower and then a secret club, and that club is backed by a demon cult?"

She blinked, finding it hard to comprehend how her colleague had accomplished so much in just one month.

"That's right." Kane nodded.

"Therefore we must capture that ghoul as soon as possible."

The next club activity is on Wednesday night; we can catch them all then.

"Currently, the club has about twenty people, including a 'silent killer'."

Considering the possibility of other demonic cult forces lurking behind them, I believe it would be safer for several captains to form a team, while the remaining first-tier members deal with the apprentices from the perimeter.

Reed pondered for a moment, then tapped the table: "But other teams are currently busy with their own missions, making it difficult to spare more people. I can cooperate with Hans's team."

"Only two teams?" Kane frowned. Demons of the same rank are usually not easy for humans of the same rank to deal with, and he believed that the more forces involved, the better.

Hans looked at him and suggested:

"Perhaps... you could contact the 'Lamp Bearers' team? We have three Tier 2 members and more than ten Tier 1 members, which should be enough to handle them."

Regarding the city guards, coordination is possible if needed, and I will make arrangements in advance.

"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it's settled then. We'll move out on Wednesday night, right on time," Reed finally decided.

Kane nodded, then added, "When making an arrest, I hope to show leniency to one person."

"Who?"

"Her name is Talia, and she was the middleman who helped me join the club. On the other hand, there's something between her and me..."

Kane did not hide anything. These relationships would inevitably be revealed during the trial.

Therefore, he prepared a reason for Talia in advance, hoping that she could avoid being implicated too much.

This can be considered... a small compensation for the woman he used.

Sienna's lips twitched slightly when she heard the name "Talia".

After hearing about their romantic relationship, she looked at Kane with disbelief and remained silent for a moment...