Which is true and which is false
Can't ask anymore.
The old man clearly didn't want to answer their questions directly - the intuition developed from years of wandering between life and death told Ximu that if they continued asking, the old magician in front of them might no longer be as harmless as he was now.
Although her magic power has recovered and she is not afraid of fighting, and the enemy in front of her looks old and does not seem to be unable to fight, but... there is really no need.
Once the two parties fall out, regardless of who wins or loses, at least the commission fee will definitely not be received.
Although the initial request for this so-called "reward" was largely due to Ruixia's cover-up to make their adventurer identities look more authentic, it would be a huge loss if they went through all this trouble but didn't get any intelligence.
Moreover, the power of a magician cannot be easily inferred based on age alone.
Ever since he first met this old man, Ximu had been secretly assessing his level of danger.
Although this man looked very old, his eyes were not cloudy at all. With his casual posture, there were very few flaws that could be found. It was obvious that he was not as irritable and easy to understand as he appeared.
The danger should naturally be eliminated immediately, but...
Glancing at Ruixia and Morina beside him, Ximu calmed himself down, still using his eyes to convey his disapproval to them.
The information can be sorted out and explored slowly later, but for now, it is better to protect yourself first.
Ruixia understood what she meant, stopped talking and did not ask any further questions.
I don’t know if it was an illusion, but when the old man looked at them again, there seemed to be a hint of satisfaction and approval in his smile.
"Come on, these are all yours, don't be polite, take them all!"
He waved his hand, and several scrolls and thick books leaped out from under his robe and were arranged in front of everyone.
Ximu scanned it carefully, confirming that there were no obvious problems, and then nodded to Ruixia.
He took a step forward, spread out his hands, and let the things fall into his hands obediently.
The old man kept his promise and not only gave the promised magic weapon blueprints and underground mine map, but also gave some other things.
"That's the overall map of the academy. It's not very detailed, but most of the major buildings are on it.
"Those potions are for treating mental trauma, but just in case, I'm warning you. Don't think you're safe with the potions. Some trauma is permanent, and the potion's effectiveness diminishes over time. Don't use them recklessly! There are also some miscellaneous items. Here are the instructions. Go back and read them.
"Also, although I don't particularly like Mia Rhodes, his academic level is quite good. After all, he's the Vice Dean and has been involved in a lot of the academy's planning and arrangements. You should try reading these books on space magic... With your current abilities, comprehending the laws of space magic is unlikely, but at least you'll be prepared when things get tough, so you don't get killed without knowing what's happening!"
"Also, I see you're a machinist, so you should be quite skilled. I'll give you a few more blueprints... There's a workshop in the academy. If you can get in, it would mean you have some skills..."
Although his tone was impatient, the old man still explained everything in detail and gave a lot of instructions.
Ruixia responded, scanning the book and putting things into his bag. But after seeing the cover of a certain book, he froze for a moment and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Classic Styles and Restoration of Women's Accessories? Senior, what's the use of this..."
Before he could finish his words, the old man strode forward, approached Ruixia, and said with the look of a veteran: "Hey, don't be disgusted, I tell you, for a man of your age, learning some relevant knowledge like this can help you avoid a lot of detours!"
"Well……"
Ruixia was at a loss for words. When she silently put the book into her bag, she happened to make eye contact with Ximu.
Speaking of which, Ximu didn't have any jewelry on her body, and her only earring magic weapon was broken not long ago.
However, with her swift and decisive personality, she may not like to wear jewelry... Well, simple jewelry is meaningless, it is better to make it into a magical tool, which is both beautiful and practical.
I don’t know what kind of jewelry she likes... I’ll ask her next time I get the chance.
Ximu didn't know that Ruixia had thought so much in just a short glance. She just felt that the pair of golden-red eyes flickered at her with a smile on their faces, which was really beautiful.
"Old senior."
Since she had accepted the items, Ruixia decided to provide some after-sales service. "It's not easy to transport so much information. Where are you staying now? Can we help you get it there?"
That's indeed a good idea.
Not only can I continue to test the old man's background and further confirm whether he is lying, but wouldn't it be even better if I could really follow him out of this forest?
But Ximu also knew that such smooth development usually only appeared in beautiful imaginations.
"There's war all around us right now, who would want to stay in this shabby forest?"
Sure enough, the old man snorted in disdain, then waved his staff, lifting the various files piled up on the shore into the air. Then, he used some kind of magic, but as his robe spread out, all the information was "whoosh" into his bag and disappeared in an instant.
The scene was somewhat shocking. The three young men were startled, but at the same time they all realized something.
"I won't be back until the war is over anyway."
After finishing the collection, the old man patted his robe, stood up slowly, and took a deep look at the magic academy in the night.
Just as he turned to leave, Ruixia seemed to remember something and quickly called out to him: "Wait, old senior, you haven't taken this back yet."
The old man turned his head, and what caught his eye was the strange key floating in the young man's palm, emitting a faint glow.
"Look at me, I'm old, and I even forgot something so important..."
He stepped back and was about to raise his hand, but hesitated.
After a moment, the old man suddenly sighed softly.
"Come to think of it, this isn't something you should have brought out in the first place... It's just perfect that you're taking refuge in the academy, so why don't you take this key with you?"
"You mean... you want us to return it to the dean?"
Outsiders like them don't know the college's management procedures, so it's not surprising that Ruixia would speculate in this direction.
"snort."
A sneer floated out from the corner of the old man's mouth, and there was a mocking look in his eyes, but it was unknown who he was directed at.
"It doesn't matter who I return it to. As long as the key is back at the academy, my 'mistake' will be forgotten."
He muttered something, then took out a letter with a wax seal intact from his pocket and put it into Ruixia's hand.
"Here's my letter of introduction. If you're questioned again, just throw it in those idiots' faces and tell them I let you into the academy for temporary refuge! Okay, I'll open the door for you one more time. Go ahead. Once everything's over, you'll be free!"
His behavior seemed as if he was completely unaware of what was happening in the academy - but if you looked closely at his words, they seemed to be full of hints, true and false, just like the magnificent magic academy, which was right in front of him, but not clear.
The tight seal was briefly breached again, which clearly showed that they no longer wanted to answer their questions and were forcing them to make a decision immediately.
Go? Or stay?
There was really no reason to hesitate. Ruixia led the "tow truck team" back first, but she stayed until the end. Without holding out any hope, she tried to persuade them one last time: "Old senior, maybe the situation isn't as bad as we thought... Are you really not going in with us?"
"I want you to go in because you're still young. Hiding in the academy is safer than being dragged into the chaos of war. I'm leaving because people can't afford to gamble, and... I'm already this old. It's time to put aside worldly affairs and find a quiet place to do what I love."
As he spoke, the old man gradually walked away.
Although Morina had been complaining about him behind his back, when she saw an old man walking alone into the dense forest where she didn't know if there were still monsters lurking, she still turned back and shouted a warning out of some concern even though she had already boarded the mecha beast.
"It's not peaceful in that forest, so be careful, old man!"
"I'm not that old!"
At this time, a thin mist had risen, and the old man's figure was submerged in it and was no longer clearly visible. One could only vaguely see that he seemed to raise his hand.
"It's you! If someone finds out about the key, just say you picked it up on the street, okay? Don't give me away!"
The resounding voice pierced through the mist and landed right beside their ears, but before they could respond, the person completely disappeared into the hazy forest, as if he had never existed.
"He really cares about whether we will betray him..."
"Yeah. But...does anyone know his name?"
"He seems to have never said anything."
"Right! Let me tell you, this old man is very cunning..."
As the young men muttered, the gap that had been opened gradually closed behind them as if it had been rebuilt after losing the key and the blessing of magic power.
+++
"...In short, at least after entering the academy, we can temporarily relax from that inexplicable mental interference and the threat of energy drain. So, how about we use this room as a base and explore outside bit by bit?"
After moving away those overwhelming books and manuscripts, the old man's room became much more spacious. Fortunately, he didn't seem to have the habit of placing confidential devices and dangerous mechanisms in the room, so after checking around, they sat down around a round table, looking like they were having a meeting.
This magic academy is full of mysteries, and the only person they can communicate with refuses to say a word. Now they can only rely on themselves to figure out the secrets behind it.
"Don't forget our ultimate goal."
Although the adventure did sound interesting, Morina rested her chin on her hand and tapped the table subconsciously. "If we can't find a proper way to leave here, we'll be trapped here forever."
"Then it is even more necessary to clean up the surrounding area thoroughly."
In fact, among the three of them, Xi Mu was the one who cared the least about this matter. She was more concerned about her current situation than what would happen in the future.
"Now that we have a base, why don't you guys rest here for a while while I check out the surrounding rooms?"
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