Arcane Journey

The Chief Wizard was so angry that he laughed at Brian's straightforward way of speaking.

He looked at Brian, frowned slightly, and said unhappily, "You look very confident, Mr. Brian. I really can't understand where your confidence comes from."

"Yes, I have always been very confident." Brian heard the sarcasm in the other person's words. He smiled indifferently and continued, "My confidence naturally comes from you, that's all."

"From me?" The chief wizard chuckled. "You think you can see through me."

His voice, which was slightly angry, rose a little, "Do you really know me well? You really think I will give you the magic notebook. You are so naive."

"Yes, my ideas are indeed naive." Brian said, "But sometimes, some things that seem very complicated really need someone as naive as me to solve them, what do you think?"

"After all, if I were not naive, I am afraid you would not even give me a chance to see me." He added, "Besides, even if I did not actively tell you, you can probably guess the purpose of my coming here and what I want to do. Since you have seen through it, what do you think is the point of me saying a bunch of flattering words?"

"So, after careful consideration, I still think that a direct approach will be more effective." Brian looked at the Chief Mage meaningfully, "Because I have what Your Excellency the Mage needs most."

After saying this, he stared into the Chief Archmage's deep red eyes, trying to peer into the unfathomable abyss of his soul.

Brian's gaze was firm and sharp, as if he wanted to penetrate that invisible barrier and reach the depths of the other person's soul.

Unfortunately, however, he failed to achieve his wish.

The Chief Wizard's emotions were like a tranquil lake. No matter how hard he threw the stones in his heart, he could not cause a ripple in that still water.

That calmness and depth made Brian feel invisible pressure, and at the same time he was more looking forward to the other party's reaction.

During this long silence, the two were like chess players facing each other on the chessboard, each with different strategies and goals, but both remained silent.

Brian knew that the Chief Mage's patience was as great as his own, and he also knew that this silent contest had just begun.

The reason why he was so confident was that he was well aware of the value and ambition of the Chief Wizard.

He believed that although the other party remained silent on the surface, deep down he must be weighing the pros and cons and considering how to make use of this opportunity.

He even speculated that even if he didn't take the initiative to look for the other party, the other party might take the initiative to find him.

However, Brian was not 100% sure of the other party's thoughts.

In order to save time and uncover the mystery of the game as soon as possible, he had no choice but to decide to come to the ancient city of Orens in person.

He believed that here, the wheel of fate would begin to turn and the truth would gradually come to light.

After an unknown amount of time, just as Brian had expected, the Chief Mage finally couldn't help but speak first: "Well, I don't want to waste time talking to you, nor do I want to have a meaningless fight with you. Let's get back to the point."

"I think so too. I also don't think this is a glorious thing." Brian nodded slightly in agreement.

"To be honest, from the moment you appeared in the ancient city of Orens, my plan that I had been planning for hundreds of years was completely disrupted by you."

The Chief Wizard sat quietly in the chair, his eyes piercing through the clouds and reaching the sky, his brows furrowed, as if he was thinking about something important.

Finally, he sighed helplessly, his voice revealing an indescribable sense of vicissitudes.

Brian felt that although his eyes were deep and bright, like the brightest stars in the night sky, there was a deep sense of fatigue and powerlessness in them.

His eyes seemed to be able to see through the essence of everything in the world, but he could not avoid being crushed by the heaviness of fate. His slightly drooped shoulders seemed to be carrying the weight of the entire world.

The furrowed brows also reveal endless worries and helplessness.

The surrounding air seemed to be infected by the Chief Wizard's emotions, becoming solemn and silent.

At this moment, he was no longer the high and mighty Chief Wizard, but an ordinary mortal who was trapped by fate and exhausted physically and mentally.

His fingers gently stroked the staff in his hand, as if looking for some kind of strength to support him to move forward, his eyes filled with worry about the future and helplessness about reality.

The chief wizard sighed, like an old man:

"If it weren't for you, my plan might have really succeeded. After all, I waited for so many years and finally saw hope, but because of your appearance, it was completely wiped out."

Brian could sense the Chief Mage's deep sense of powerlessness towards fate. Even so, he still insisted on his opinion and said, "I don't think so, Your Excellency Chief Mage. I think it is me who should save you."

He thought for a moment, then continued, "As a powerful spellcaster, it is impossible for you not to be aware of the power of the gods. They are not on the same level as us. Even a high-level legendary warrior is just a stronger ant in their eyes. No one can deny this."

"So, even if I didn't show up, I wouldn't have ruined your plan." Brian said to the Chief Mage, "Your final fate would still be the same. After all, the Spider Queen is not as easy to deal with as you think."

"Your words may make sense, but if you don't show up, at least I can see a glimmer of hope for a successful resistance." The Chief Mage said, "Even if this hope is so small that it can be ignored, at least there is still a possibility of success. Even if I fail because of this, I will not regret anything."

"But it's different now." He looked up at Brian. "Your appearance has left me with no hope. You saved them, but you destroyed me and my hope. You put my plans of hundreds of years in vain, and made me lose the meaning of living."

The Chief Mage slowly stood up and looked out the window at the beautiful scenery of the ancient city of Orlens shrouded in strange flames. "In every drow city covered by spider webs in the Underdark, the power of the Spider Queen Rose is above everything else, making it impossible for anyone to resist, no matter how powerful the drow is."

"Forget it, there's no point in talking about this now." He sighed, sat back in his chair, his face calm again, and said to Brian:
"I can give you the magic notes and let you prevent the disaster in the Underdark, but the premise of all this is that you also need to agree to a few conditions of mine." (End of this chapter)