Chapter 52: Carol's Actions

Task Level: A-level Commission Task; Task Conditions: Find the body of Ajiluxi Pipikang or find evidence proving his death; Task Reward: 35,000 work points, 5,000 gold coins, and a magic gem worth 70,000,0840 gold coins, as well as a mysterious gift from the commissioner; Task Receiver: S-level Mercenary, Celeste Bingzhe; Task Return Location: Any Mercenary Guild within the Moon Magic Empire; Guild Code: MY0032 (Task Acceptance Location); Detailed Task Conditions: Find the body of Ajiluxi Pipi or find evidence proving his death in the Datamu Grand Canyon within 6 months from the date of task issuance. For more details, see the following page. Note: No work points will be deducted for task failure.

Flipping to the attached sheet of paper, it detailed the characteristics of the person to be found. Due to the lack of penalty for task failure, the work point reward was relatively low. This might be why Bingzhe accepted the task, and the actual location they would be heading to was the Datamu Grand Canyon, known as the 'Lizard Serpent's Resting Place.' However, the reward would only be given to the first person to complete the task.

Bingzhe read the information on the second task commission form. Task Name: 'Three Dragon Proofs'; Task Level: S-level Commission Task; Task Conditions: Capture 1 Dragon Beast, 2 Sub-Dragons, and 3 Wyrms; Task Reward: 400,000 work points, 270,000 gold coins; Task Receiver: S-level Mercenary, Celeste Bingzhe; Task Return Location: Any Mercenary Guild; Guild Code: MY0032; Detailed Task Conditions: Capture Dragon Beasts, Sub-Dragons, and Wyrms, regardless of size. Dragon Beast Information: Small in size, lizard-like. Possesses dragon bloodline but is of low rank, has dragon wings but cannot fly, only glide; Sub-Dragon Information: Very distant dragon bloodline. Resembles a giant snake, large in size, no dragon wings or legs, can spew poison, fears fire, covered in thick scales; Wyrm Information: Two claws, double wings, body like a dragon, claws like an eagle, some call it a 'Bipedal Flying Dragon.' Smaller than a dragon, body covered in fur, tail with a spike. Time Limit: 3 years, task failure deducts 520,000 work points, partial completion allowed.

Three pictures were attached at the back. Bingzhe smiled disdainfully: "What kind of tasks are these? They should be one level lower. How can these be S-level? I hope the third task doesn't disappoint." It turned out he hadn't read the specific task information before accepting it.

That night, with no moon, he couldn't sleep. Perhaps it was due to excitement, as Vain and Luo chatted non-stop, especially when Luo talked about his past practical tests, which made him even more excited. It wasn't until very late that they finally fell asleep.

At around 2:20 AM, Bingzhe's wrist suddenly ached, and he immediately woke up. The pain came from a dagger he had placed on the bed, next to his hand, which would prick him if he moved in his sleep. The small wound on his arm quickly healed: "I see. You used the odorless and tasteless Moon Sleep Herb to put me into a deep sleep, and then used mind control to make me lose my hearing. You're being very cautious with me!" Bingzhe looked at the empty bed on the second floor; Carol was gone again.

Bingzhe jumped out of bed, still undressed, and went to the balcony. If he hadn't pretended to be asleep and been prepared when she secretly ignited something, he wouldn't have known she could use mind control magic. Bingzhe slightly pursed his lips and laughed softly: "I want to see what you're up to." With that, he leaped into the air.

Carol, dressed in a simple black magic robe, arrived at a giant bull statue on the southeast side of the academy. It was late at night, and everyone was asleep. Occasionally, a patrolling guard would pass by, but they wouldn't see her hidden behind the statue.

A few minutes later, another person arrived at the giant bull statue. Carol saw the person: "You're right on time."

Seeing the person's face, Jilijil said: "No one else tonight?"

Carol replied: "I told them to lie in wait. In our line of work, fewer people are better during operations."

"Right, didn't you say the guy in the dorm was troublesome? How could you come out?"

Carol laughed lightly: "With the Moon Sleep Herb and my mind control magic, even a High Mage would sleep."

"The Moon Sleep Herb isn't cheap." Jilijil changed the subject: "Over the past two years, my brothers and I have figured out the general situation of the academy. There is indeed that thing, and I've found the 'entrance.'"

"Great, that's wonderful!"

Jilijil asked: "But why rush it to these few nights? A month later, after you pass the top 500, and figure out the situation inside the Blue Crystal Tower, wouldn't it be better?"

Carol said: "Didn't you say the Blue Crystal Tower was stolen before the start of the semester?"

"Yes, it took me a lot of effort to find out."

Carol smiled: "The academy wouldn't overlook the possibility that the thief is among the students. If it's a student, they would likely use the practical exam as an opportunity to enter the Blue Crystal Tower and investigate. The deans might think the same way. So, during the exam period, they are more likely to let their guard down. This is the best time."

"I see."

"Also," Carol continued, "I came here because of your letter, saying everything was arranged. It's been so long, and if I don't return, it will be hard to explain. How can I face the other captains as the leader? They would laugh at me."

Jilijil chuckled dryly; this was a veiled insult.

Another patrol passed by, and once they were far enough away, Carol smiled: "I'm here to lead this operation. This thing is very important to us. Once we complete the task, everyone will benefit."

Jilijil said: "Don't talk about that. Which member of the Swift Theft Gang hasn't benefited? I don't ask for much, just a promotion after this, to lead more people and do bigger jobs."

"Alright, you'll get your promotion after this."

Jilijil pointed around and said: "You already know the route from the past two days. There are a few defensive magic arrays, which I've figured out and can bypass."

Carol nodded: "I know all that. What about the timing?"

Jilijil said: "Patrols come every 5 to 7 minutes, not very regular. But at 2:50 AM, the guards on that side take a break until 3:30 AM. So, there will be fewer people, and the intervals will be longer, around 10 to 13 minutes, possibly more."

"Composite maze lock, hmpf, 10 minutes is enough." After another two minutes, as another patrol passed, the two of them quietly left.

Bingzhe sat on a tree branch, only able to see the two figures by starlight, but couldn't hear what they were saying. However, he knew it wouldn't be anything good. Before he could move, he saw two more fast-moving figures follow: "They're already being watched, and they don't know it."

A maze lock is a lock with dozens of fake slots. If the correct slot and depth are not matched, it cannot be opened. If a fake slot is triggered, the lock will be completely blocked. Of course, breaking the door would also work.

Carol wouldn't be foolish enough to break the door. She bypassed the magic arrays they had already investigated and quickly opened the metal door.

The metal door was hidden under a small patch of grass in a forest, usually unnoticed. Jilijil and Carol looked at each other: "Below is the sewer. Following the route I described will lead us to the bottom of the Blue Crystal Tower."

Carol nodded: "You keep watch here." With that, she jumped down.

Jilijil quickly closed the metal door and covered the moved grass. He looked around, seeking a place to hide. But before he could move, he was knocked unconscious.

The sewer was about ten meters deep. Carol waved her hand, and flames ignited on her left fingertips, illuminating a three to four-meter radius. The sewer was large and spacious, with walkable paths on both sides and a water channel in the middle, filled with wastewater.

She ran forward according to the route Jilijil described, not worrying about the noise of her footsteps since no one patrolled the sewer. After running about 200 meters, she came to a right fork blocked by an iron grate. Carol pulled out a short knife from her robe, its blade gleaming, and with a few swings, cut through the grate. This obstacle could not stop her.

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