56: Chapter 56: A single punch can ward off a hundred.

In the basement where the Hand of Shadows organization was holding a meeting, those present could no longer sit still and stood up one by one, requesting the leader of the Hand of Shadows to give the order.

"Leader, shouldn't we choose a target? Otherwise, if we delay any longer, we will truly lose their trail!"

"Even if it's just relying on luck, we should take some action. If we keep sitting here, there really won't be a single chance left!"

"Leader, this matter is not just about you alone; it concerns whether our organization can take the initiative in the upcoming event and gain the favor of the Dean!"

"..."

The gloomy youth watched the agitated crowd, feeling a throbbing pain in his head, and began to doubt his own decision.

However, position dictates perspective. Even though he regretted the decision he made earlier—not splitting his forces or directly pursuing Dylan—it was too late for regrets now.

Since that was the case...

Looking at the noisy crowd in the room who were attempting to challenge his authority, the gloomy youth's eyes turned sharp, and he slammed his hand heavily onto the table.

"Bang!"

A dull thud interrupted everyone's words.

"Enough. My mind is made up. It is impossible for Dylan to have taken that person away so easily. That person must still be in the room. Continue waiting!"

Having said that, the gloomy youth scanned the room, his tone turning sinister.

"If anyone acts without my orders, then weigh the consequences for yourselves!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a chilling aura permeated the basement. Everyone present felt as if the wails of the dead were ringing in their ears; trembling in their hearts, they nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing this, the gloomy youth nodded slightly: "Alright, you may all leave first. I need to think in peace. Unless there is new intelligence, no one is to enter."

The others exchanged glances, said nothing more, and respectfully exited the basement.

When everyone had left and the basement fell into absolute silence, the gloomy youth slumped into his chair and muttered to himself.

"Dylan, what exactly are you up to this time? This doesn't look like your handiwork."

...

At this very moment, on the wasteland outside the Wizard Settlement.

The night, which should have been peaceful, was now filled with the sound of countless giant creatures rubbing against each other, the clashing of crystal armor, and soul-stirring screams echoing through the sky.

Dozens of Wizard Apprentices were resisting desperately while surrounded by hundreds of the Worm Race, with flesh and severed limbs flying into the sky at every moment.

Some belonged to the Wizard Apprentices, others to the Worm Race.

The crimson blood had almost completely dyed this area red, even forming a small crimson stream that wound its way across the ground.

Standing high in the sky, his figure concealed, Dylan watched the apprentices surrounded by countless Worm Race below and turned to look behind him.

"Byron, there is one thing I cannot figure out. Clearly, you had already left the Wizard Settlement with our assistance a few days ago."

"Why then did you set up this plan? Isn't this superfluous?"

Several days ago, Byron had taken advantage of the opportunity when Dylan and the others visited to impersonate one of them, leaving that person in his residence, while he left with Dylan and the others to arrive outside the Wizard Settlement.

This act of swapping a beam for a pillar looked simple, but it was only achieved after Dylan had visited frequently, weakening the vigilance of those guys.

Otherwise, even with concealment, there would have been great risk in trying to leave the Wizard Settlement smoothly without being detected by anyone.

A moment of carelessness would have led to discovery.

At this moment, Byron stood behind Dylan, also watching the tragedy unfolding on the ground, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth.

"If we had left sneakily, wouldn't that make our Sun-Fallen Apprentice Council appear weak and easy to bully, where anyone could come and trample on us without paying a price?"

"If that were the case, it would definitely have a negative impact on our subsequent actions."

"Rather than making amends later, it is better to strike them hard from the beginning. Even if this cannot make them afraid to harbor covetous thoughts again, it can at least buy us some peace for a while."

As he spoke, Byron also thought to himself: 'One punch to avoid a hundred punches. This saying from a great man is an unchanging truth, no matter which world it is applied to.'

Furthermore, being watched by these guys for so long—even a turtle would have Life Qi, let alone Byron!

Besides the reasons mentioned above, Byron had another small motive.

That was to let Dylan witness his methods, so as to avoid any complications in future matters.

Byron was not stupid enough to deliberately pretend to be a pig to eat the tiger; that would only invite trouble for himself.

Sometimes, displaying one's abilities is a form of deterrence, which can effectively reduce unnecessary trouble.

Hearing this, Dylan was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile: "That is indeed the logic!"

"And don't worry, Byron, I will keep this plan confidential for you. Everything was thought up by me, and it has nothing to do with you."

"You don't have to worry about them coming to trouble you later!"

"Then I thank you, President."

Byron nodded with a smile. These things had been agreed upon beforehand; otherwise, he would not have formulated this plan.

At most, he would lead them safely into the Desert restricted area; as for what happened afterward, it would have nothing to do with him.

If he could successfully bring out the origin crystal essence, he would proceed with Potion Making; if not, then it could not be blamed on him.

Seeing Byron so polite, Dylan also smiled and nodded in agreement: "It's nothing, a small matter. After all, you are also a member of the Council."

Seeing Byron so cautious and polite, without a hint of arrogance, Dylan felt a bit of emotion in his heart.

If it were him at fifteen years old in Byron's shoes, having accomplished such a major feat, he would surely have been desperate for the entire academy to know.

As for the gazes and hostility of other apprentices, he would have completely ignored them.

Although Byron was still only a Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice, he was also a Potion Master, and even a student of Isolde, who valued him highly.

As a Limit Wizard Apprentice, he had some understanding of Isolde's identity.

She was not as simple as she appeared on the surface, merely a mentor in the Potion Department of the academy.

With such capital, not walking sideways in the academy would be a disservice to such a background.

Of course, this was just Dylan's thought when he was fifteen and had just enrolled for a year; he certainly wouldn't do that now.

Just at this moment, a boisterous voice rang out from behind the two.

"Dylan, your business here isn't finished yet, and too much time has been wasted. Why don't we just step in and finish them off?"

Loris walked up to the two and said.

Byron remained silent, feeling a sense of emotion; no wonder Loris and Elena could hang out together—they had the same personality.

Dylan did not answer Loris's question but asked in return: "Did you shake off all those tails following you?"

Loris nodded: "Of course. Among the tails following me, there were no existences on the same level as us. Shaking them off is an easy task, otherwise, how could I have come here?"

"That's good. Anyway, Ivan hasn't finished yet, so let's wait a while longer," Dylan said.

Loris pouted: "Then we'll be waiting a while. I have a feeling those guys like Baron have probably all followed that guy Ivan."

Looking at the scene below, a hint of curiosity appeared in Loris's eyes as she asked: "Dylan, what kind of method did you use to be able to attract so many bugs?"

"If we use this when we deal with the Mother Nest later, conquering the Mother Nest will surely be much easier."