Chapter 123: The Wizarding World
Chapter 123
Pushing the door open, what caught Lynn's eye was a large underground bar.
In stark contrast to the dead and dilapidated appearance outside, this place is brightly lit and bustling with activity.
The air was filled with the strong aroma of wine and various mixed smells, and the ears were filled with conversations, clinking of glasses, and even faint arguments and laughter.
The hall was filled with people of all shapes and sizes, dressed in different clothes and with mixed auras.
There were also many people sitting in the small cubicles and leather sofas in the distance. Some were talking in low voices, some looked alert, and more were immersed in the atmosphere of alcohol and negotiation.
Lynn walked in, his nose catching a whiff of the heavy smell of alcohol in the air.
Although he was not fond of drinking and had not done in-depth research on wine, at this moment, just smelling the mellow aroma made him feel a strange desire in his heart.
His eyes casually swept across and fell on the bar on the left.
There were several drinkers sitting in front of the bar, with colorful wine glasses placed in front of them. The wine was glowing with charming colors under the dim light.
Behind the bar, a bartender was looking at him with a smile.
The man was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, with stern features and a playful look in his eyes. He was obviously a veteran who had seen countless people.
"It's a pleasure to serve you, sir. What would you like to order?"
The voice was steady and calm, but Lynn was slightly startled.
This sentence is not the common language of humans, but the language of the wizarding world!
Lin En's expression flashed a little strange under the mask, but he quickly returned to normal. He casually glanced at the menu on the bar, picked a refreshing wine, and said calmly: "Give me a glass of Dai Qili."
As soon as he finished speaking, he casually threw out two magic stones and quietly watched the bartender mix the drinks smoothly and elegantly.
However, his peripheral vision was always observing the figures in the bar.
The reason why Stone City is so lively is that it is adjacent to the Atlas Mountains, where there is a pass leading to the territory of dark wizards.
Therefore, the guests in this bar are not limited to residents of nearby countries, but mostly travelers from far away from the dark wizard territory.
In fact, not just humans!
Lin En just glanced casually and saw several familiar yet unfamiliar figures in the corner.
Familiarity means being familiar only in the information; unfamiliarity means feeling unfamiliar after meeting someone.
Dwarves, elves, orcs... and even rare hybrids! The development of the wizarding world has always been inclusive and expansive. Although humans occupy the mainstream position, wizards are not an exclusive profession for humans. Many powerful wizards have also been born in various races.
And because the guests in the bar come from different countries and races, they do not speak the same language.
At this time, the only way for them to communicate smoothly is the wizard language!
After all, as long as you embark on the path of wizard training, you will naturally learn this language.
…………………………
Lynn tapped the table lightly and watched the bartender mix the drinks skillfully.
White rum, lemon juice and sugar water were mixed in his hands. The transparent ice cubes gently collided in the shaker, making crisp sounds and fully blending with the wine.
After a moment, a glass of light yellow liquor was slowly poured into the exquisite glass. The ice cubes gently rotated in the glass, reflecting a slight yellow-green luster. Half a slice of lemon was dotted on top, which was refreshing and pleasant.
Lynn took the glass, raised it to his lips, and took a sip.
First, a hint of sourness explodes on the tip of the tongue, and then, a gentle sweetness permeates the sourness, leaving a long aftertaste.
The wine slid into his throat, and the unique flavor flowed through his taste buds. What surprised Lin En even more was——
This glass of wine actually has the subtle effect of promoting mental activity!
“Good wine.”
Lynn nodded approvingly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
The bartender smiled without saying anything, as if every compliment from the customer was the greatest compliment to his skills.
Lin En held up the wine glass and casually spun the ice in it. Then he asked with a half-smile, "How much is the customs clearance fee now?"
He spoke casually, his fingers moved slightly, and a few magic stones fell on the bar, emitting a faint luster.
However, the bartender smiled slightly, and did not reach out to take it, but gently pushed the magic stone back.
“We don’t charge our guests any extra fees.”
This attitude actually made Lin En a little interested.
"Then make me two more cups."
Lin En smiled lightly and nodded casually:
"I'll have a Negroni and a Penicillin."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
This time, the bartender accepted the magic stone and, while handling the materials skillfully, he spoke slowly, his tone relaxed and calm: "The clearance fee here is one hundred magic stones. It only provides access to the pass, but after entering, you may encounter various dangers in the Atlas Mountains..."
"Of course, if you want to be safer, we also provide a 'direct access to the Atlas Mountains' service. We will arrange for you to arrive safely at the White Wizard Territory. The price is a little higher, 800 magic stones per person."
"Finally, we also have the high-end service 'Crossing the Atlas Mountains'. We will be accompanied by a real wizard throughout the journey and escort you to the Red Swamp. The fee is 3,000 magic stones per person."
The bartender stated in a steady tone, as if he was introducing an ordinary commodity transaction.
However, after hearing these words, Lin En's heart was slightly shaken.
Has this pass become so market-oriented and humane? Whether heading to the White Wizard Territory or going deep into the Red Swamp, you can get corresponding protection services by paying? As long as there are enough magic stones, the risks along the way can be reduced to a minimum. It can even be said that there is no need to worry about safety issues at all.
Lin En glanced at the many figures in the hall, and felt a little emotional in his heart:
"The wizard who manages this pass is truly a talent..."
You know, the Atlas Mountains were once the front line where the fiercest battles between black wizards and white wizards took place. All major forces had set up numerous defense lines here and were on high alert.
But now, it has become a passage port where money transactions are paramount.
There is no telling how many travelers come in and out every year, and the hidden benefits are probably an astronomical amount of magic stone wealth...
…………………………
"Give me an admission certificate for 100 magic stones."
Lin En opened his mouth, and with a flick of his wrist, a mid-level magic stone gently fell on the bar, emitting a faint glow - this was equivalent to the value of one hundred ordinary magic stones.
"OK."
The bartender smiled and put away the magic stone, then took out a palm-sized black sign from under the counter and gently handed it to Lynn.
"If you want to leave, just go through that door."
Lynn followed his gaze and, sure enough, on one side of the tavern, there was an inconspicuous black wooden door with a few obscure runes inlaid on the door frame, faintly emitting faint energy fluctuations.
He nodded and put the black sign away.
This access token is merely a certificate that allows the holder to pass through this checkpoint.
But the real test lies in the Atlas Mountains beyond the pass.
That mountain range is full of dangers. Whether you are crossing the mountains to the White Wizard's territory or crossing to the Red Swamp, it is full of murderous intentions.
Because of this, many travelers choose to form groups in taverns before officially entering the mountains, trying to keep each other warm and increase their survival rate.
However, the temporary team in the tavern is not necessarily reliable.
There is no tacit understanding between them, and they are always on guard against whether the other party will make a move secretly. If they are not careful, they may be backstabbed, abandoned, or even have all their belongings swallowed up by their teammates.
In comparison, the escort service provided by Guanai seems particularly considerate.
As long as you are willing to pay enough magic stones, you can get safe and stable passage and be free from all kinds of unnecessary risks.
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But the price is also quite expensive.
Although Lin En was not poor, it was still a bit extravagant for him to pay out three thousand magic stones in one go in exchange for the qualification to escort an official wizard.
What's more, Reed Swamp is not the end. It is also full of dangers and other troubles and dangers.
Furthermore...Lynn now has the trump card "Ivgrid". To some extent, he can be considered a "pseudo-wizard", infinitely close to the level of a formal wizard.
With this confidence, he does not need to spend a huge amount of money to buy a "safe" route.
"Furnace Stone... I wonder if they are hunting me now..."
Lin En's gaze under the mask narrowed slightly, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, he did not have the slightest aura of witchcraft protecting him. At first glance, he was just an ordinary third-level apprentice, inconspicuous.
After becoming an official wizard, a permanent witchcraft mark will be imprinted on the soul, causing the wizard's body to emit unique energy factor radiation fluctuations at all times, making him recognizable at a glance.
The same is true for Lynn's Ifgrid. As long as he mobilizes his power, obvious energy factor fluctuations will flash on his body, and he will be directly regarded as an official wizard.
However, in [Landscape], Lin En remembered that he was being watched.
At that time, his body was filled with the vibrations of permanent witchcraft marks. If the people of Furnace Stone remembered him, they would probably treat him as an official wizard.
Therefore, he was cautious and temporarily used the Spirit of the Blue Sky to suppress his Ifgrid. Now he looked like an ordinary third-level apprentice.
Even if Furnace Stone sent people to hunt him down, they would definitely come up empty-handed and would not be able to find him, a third-level apprentice.
It will not be too late to unlock the seal after he completely leaves the dark wizard territory.
After all, if he were to be targeted by the people from Furnace Stone, with his current strength, he would probably be doomed.
Of course, he wasn't worried about real safety issues.
The spirit of the blue sky is under his control, and sealing or unsealing it is just a matter of thought.
…………………………
When the glass was empty, Lynn raised his head slightly and drank the last sip of the wine. Then he stood up, left the bar, and walked towards the sofa booth deep in the hall.
This tavern was filled with extraordinary people from all countries and races. It was his first stop when he truly stepped into the wizarding world.
At this moment, the scene in the hall can be described as bizarre and strange.
Lin En glanced around and frowned slightly.
Not far away, a dwarf, barely over one meter tall, was sitting comfortably on the lap of an elf woman. The two were very close, even... feeding wine mouth to mouth. The scene was extremely eye-catching.
Further away, a human man was hugging a centaur, but her lower body was in human form... The scene was equally unbearable to watch.
However, cases like this are only a minority among the minority. Most wizard practitioners are merely abnormal and definitely not perverted.
"That should be the goblin tribe... This is the first time I see a live goblin..."
"The one speaking in gibberish should be a fishman..."
With this opportunity, Lin En also had the chance to observe a lot of racial information that was only active in the data.
According to what he had read in the books, these were the results of the development of the wizarding world to date.
To put it nicely, as the wizarding world expanded and developed, these races gradually integrated into the wizarding world.
To put it bluntly, the wizarding world continues to invade many worlds and planes, taking in a vast number of races.
For example, the goblin race. In ancient times, ancient wizards invaded the goblin's homeland and developed a new profession of underground wizards...
After countless years of development, some races were qualified to practice wizardry, and were gradually accepted by the wizarding world and became part of it...
Lin En walked through the hall, not wandering around, but looking for information about forming a team with a purpose.
Just now, the bartender reminded him that people who are interested in forming a team usually put up a sign next to the booth to indicate their needs and conditions.
However, the teams in the hall were either too demanding or far from Lynn's goals.
He had no intention of spending a huge amount of magic stones to purchase the escort service provided by the pass, nor did he want to step into danger alone.
He needed a direct line to Red Swamp, but at the same time he was picky.
Do not want to be bound by the team and maintain absolute freedom of action; do not want to sign cumbersome contracts and avoid being forced into messy relationships.
Lin En was scared by the contract with the Furnace and had a psychological trauma. After the trip to [Landscape], he was educated by Maple Tree again. Even if there is a contract check and balance, it does not mean that he can completely rely on his teammates.
Therefore, he simply decided not to add any more contracts.
However, the journey across the Atlas Mountains is fraught with dangers and takes a very long time, and team members will inevitably face life and death challenges.
Because of this, most teams require members to sign a contract to prevent anyone from deserting or even stabbing someone in the back.
This was hard for Lynn to accept.
Because of this, teams that meet his standards are rare.
But the world is so big that there are all kinds of strange things.
This underground tavern gathers all kinds of people. No matter how demanding Lynn's requirements are, he can always find a few companions with similar ideas.
Soon, Lynn's eyes locked on a table in the corner of the hall.
This team is not bound by any cumbersome contract. Members only take care of each other when necessary. However, if they encounter a fatal crisis, they will escape on their own and will not be forcibly bound.
This is exactly the cooperation model that Lynn wants.
(End of this chapter)
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