booktalesy Chapter 150 An Invitation from Vidis
Chapter 150 An Invitation from Vidis
Chapter 150 An Invitation from Vidis
A month later, the Silent Forest seemed to have been forgotten by time, still shrouded in a suffocating silence.
Deep within the dark canyon, the negative energy grew increasingly intense, almost solidifying into a tangible form. Twisted thorns and vines writhed silently in the shadows, as if they were alive.
"Is this the place those two guys absolutely refused to come to?"
A man dressed in a pure white wizard's robe, with an unusually young face, stood quietly at the entrance of the valley, muttering to himself.
He surveyed the seemingly cursed land before him, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a scrutinizing gaze that bordered on amusement.
"I never expected to have new friends visiting my run-down place today. It's a pleasant surprise."
Hick's voice rang out calmly. He and Kabu appeared quietly not far from the white-robed man, their eyes warily scrutinizing the uninvited guest.
With Kabu's keen perception, Hick vaguely sensed that beneath the calm exterior of the man before him lay an indescribable sense of disharmony, as if a thin veil of illusion were covering reality.
"You must be the master of this place, Lord Hick."
Upon seeing Hick appear, the white-robed man seemed to have known him for a long time, and a perfectly timed smile appeared on his face. As he spoke, he gracefully performed an ancient and standard aristocratic curtsy.
Do you know me?
Hick scrutinized the other person, his mind rapidly filtering through his memories, but he couldn't recall when he had ever met such a unique white wizard.
"Excuse me, I forgot to introduce myself."
Faced with Hick's question, the man said gently with a hint of apology on his face.
"My name is — Vidis."
"Vidis————"
Hick repeated the name softly, his brow furrowed slightly. However, before he could ponder it further, the other person spoke again, gently uttering crucial information.
"From the sanctuary."
These three words were like a key, instantly unlocking the lock of Hick's memory—he had indeed vaguely heard this name from Lilith and Hughes's complaining words.
"What?" Hick's lips curled into a cold smile. "The Holy Temple finally remembered to pay its debts?"
"Of course," Vidis's smile was impeccable, "Our sanctuary has always valued its reputation and always keeps its word."
After saying that, he calmly took out an antique-style ring from his pocket, flicked his finger, and the ring flew in an arc, precisely towards Hick.
Hick caught the ring steadily in his hand.
The ring has a cool feel to the touch, is neither gold nor iron, and its material is unknown. It has a dark, silvery-gray hue.
The surface is engraved with incredibly complex ancient runes, which seem to have a life of their own and flow slowly, emitting extremely faint yet clearly discernible spatial fluctuations.
He didn't rush to examine the ring's interior. Instead, he raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife, and looked at Vidis. The enigmatic smile on his face deepened. "Vidis—the Sanctuary. I just remembered, Lilith and Hughes seemed to have some reservations about you," they said, adding that you always dumped the difficult tasks on them while enjoying the peace and quiet yourself.
Vidis's smile remained unchanged, as if Hick's words were merely harmless banter between friends: "Lilith and Hughes are more straightforward and better at taking action. As for me, I focus more on internal coordination and planning, which makes it inconvenient for me to be on the front lines every time, inevitably causing them some minor complaints. I apologize for the amusement."
He casually changed the subject, then elegantly gestured for you to proceed: "Would you like to examine the contents of the ring first? It has been carefully prepared for you by our sanctuary, and we hope it will perfectly meet your requirements."
Hick gave Vidis a deep look.
This person gave him an extremely strange feeling. Although he could sense that the person’s aura was around that of a second-level wizard, in Kabu’s enhanced perception, there was always an elusive sense of unreality, as if the person’s existence itself was not entirely stable, or was just a sophisticated disguise.
Hick said no more, and separated a highly concentrated strand of spiritual energy, like the finest probe, to carefully invade the space inside the ring.
The space inside the ring far exceeded his expectations, being much larger and more stable than any of the space rings he had inherited from his mentor, Mochamo. Its craftsmanship was clearly that of a master, and it was by no means an ordinary object.
Within the vast space, various resources were categorized and neatly stacked.
The precious materials he had listed in his previous letter, as well as the reward the church had promised earlier, not only met his requirements in terms of type, quantity, and even quality, but also far exceeded his initial expectations!
The "sincerity" displayed by the sanctuary was surprisingly abundant, even making one feel vaguely uneasy.
Hick's mental energy carefully scanned each item, cautiously checking for possible traps, tracking spells, or any hidden malice.
At least, with his current abilities and Kabu's assisted perception, he did not detect any obvious abnormalities.
He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he grew increasingly alarmed. The Holy Temple's generosity must indicate that their intentions were far from insignificant.
He withdrew his spiritual energy, casually placing the ring on his finger, and said calmly, "The item is fine. The Sanctuary truly lives up to its word."
He deliberately slowed down his speech and slightly emphasized the last four words.
Vidis seemed completely oblivious to the probing and deeper meaning in Hick's words, his smile remaining gentle: "I'm glad you're satisfied. For the Holy Temple, the value of establishing a good cooperative relationship with a future powerhouse like yourself, with limitless potential, far exceeds what these external things can measure."
"Allies?" Hick raised an eyebrow, his tone clearly questioning. "When did we become allies?"
"This connection was established from the moment we successfully completed our first transaction, wasn't it?"
Vidis smiled, his words carrying a hidden meaning.
"We have shown sufficient sincerity and have seen your outstanding abilities and—that unique and amazing value."
Especially in handling that seemingly minor matter concerning the Eddard family, the precision and far-sighted planning you demonstrated were truly impressive.
His words were casual, yet clearly demonstrated that he was fully aware of everything that had happened in the city of Sel.
Hick sneered inwardly. Sure enough, the other party knew everything.
He remained expressionless, simply stating, "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. So, besides delivering this generous reward, there must be other minor matters to discuss, Your Excellency Vidis?"
"It's a pleasure to talk to intelligent people."
Vidis's smile faded slightly, making him appear more sincere.
"Indeed, there is something even more important. Your Excellency Hick, on behalf of the Holy Church, I formally extend to you an invitation—an invitation to join us."
"Invite me? To join the Sanctuary?"
For the first time, genuine astonishment appeared on Hick's face.
"Your Excellency, this joke is not funny. I think you should know very well that I am a wizard from the Silent Forest."
He emphasized his identity.
Vidis's smile did not fade in the slightest, as if Hick's reaction was exactly what he had expected.
He gently shook his head, his tone still gentle, yet carrying an all-knowing certainty: "The Silent Forest? Lord Hick, do you really believe that this canyon filled with shadows and negative energy, or that Mochamo of the Silent Forest, can truly define your future, binding a dragon like you destined to soar to higher skies?"
He took a small step forward, and the faint, ethereal aura around him seemed to ripple. A subtle yet profound and unsettling aura flashed by, causing Kabu, standing next to Hick, to instinctively go on alert.
"What our sanctuary is concerned with is never which faction a wizard wears or which organization he comes from. What we are concerned with is essence, potential that transcends common sense, and the future boundaries that can be reached."
Vidis's gaze became incredibly penetrating, as if it had passed through Hick's body and was looking directly into the eternally leaping black flame deep within his soul.
"The power you wield, those great attempts you are undertaking" — do you really think you can keep it hidden from everyone forever?
"The Silent Forest, and indeed the entire Anse Academy, when you truly unleash that power, will they still be able to tolerate you? Will they—dare to tolerate you?"
Hick's eyes turned completely cold, the air around him distorted slightly, and the phantom of the death flame spread silently, scorching black marks on the ground at his feet.
Are you threatening me?
His voice lowered, carrying a chilling coldness.
No, quite the opposite.
Vidis spread his hands, making a gesture of complete honesty and without malice.
"I am showing you a broader and safer path. The church is not the rigid, disciplined traditional organization you might imagine."
We are more like an alliance, a community of like-minded people, fellow seekers of truth and power.
We share resources, exchange knowledge, and collaborate on specific matters involving common goals, but most of the time, each member maintains absolute independence and freedom.
He pointed to the brand-new ring on Hick's finger.
This compensation is merely the initial expression of the church's sincerity. If you choose to join us, you will gain far more than just these fixed resources in the future.
You will have the opportunity to access deeper, more hidden knowledge systems, obtain unimaginable information support, and even receive assistance from other members when needed! Just like how Lilith and Hughes helped you deal with that little problem before.
Vidis's voice was full of persuasiveness: "You don't need to leave the Silent Forest, nor do you need to change any of your existing identities. You only need to respond when the Sanctuary issues a summons, usually when it is convenient for you and the task matches your abilities and interests."
The church will never interfere with any of your research or personal affairs; on the contrary, we will do everything we can to facilitate your research and growth.
"It sounds absolutely wonderful, almost flawless."
Hick responded coldly, unmoved by the words.
"But there's no such thing as a free lunch. What exactly does the Holy Church want from me after all this trouble to recruit me? Just tell me, what 'value' do you see in me?"
Vidis finally suppressed most of his smile, and his eyes became serious and deep.
"Your value lies in your uniqueness! The Fire of Death—this power originating from beyond the rules of the world, and your insane courage in attempting to merge with and control it—and the astonishing progress you have made so far! The Sanctuary holds great interest and respect for all power and knowledge that transcends the norm."
Your very existence is a priceless treasure, worthy of our long-term investment! We hope to witness and support your growth, and look forward to the opportunity to share your research findings and unique insights at the appropriate time.
He paused briefly, then added a crucial point in a meaningful way.
"Furthermore, don't you think that having such a secret and powerful partner as the backing of the Sanctuary will make you more composed and confident when dealing with certain inevitable troubles in the future," such as the Eternal Tower's relentless investigation, or other forces that covet your power?
A brief silence fell over the canyon. Only the hissing sound of flowing shadow energy and the faint crackling of space caused by the silent burning of the Deathfire could be heard.
Hick's mind was racing, weighing the pros and cons.
Vidis's words were undoubtedly carefully crafted, half true and half false; the sanctuary could never be as purely harmless and relaxed as he described.
However, the resources, knowledge channels, and relatively free cooperation model they offered were indeed fatally tempting to him, especially at this stage when he was extremely lacking in resources and conducting many taboo researches.
Becoming a member of a clandestine organization could also provide a layer of protection for his real activities.
More importantly, Vidis pinpointed a reality he could not avoid:
As his power continues to grow and his experiments deepen, he will inevitably attract attention and danger that cannot be ignored. It is indeed extremely risky for him to deal with it all by himself.
"I need to know exactly what I need to give in return," Hick asked in a deep voice, his tone already softening.
"The conditions are very simple and clear."
Vidis seemed to have anticipated that Hick would be interested, and smiled as he listed the terms.
"The first principle to adhere to is the most basic principle of the church: absolute secrecy."
Secondly, within your convenience and capabilities, you may choose to complete tasks occasionally issued by the Sanctuary! You have full choice, but successfully completing a task will earn you corresponding contribution points, which can be used to exchange for more valuable resources or knowledge within the organization.
Third, when you make a significant breakthrough in your research on "the fire of death" or related fields, prioritize providing the church with a non-core research summary.
These conditions don't sound too harsh, especially the choice of tasks and the non-core requirements of the research brief.
Hick hesitated for a moment, his gaze sharpening as he looked at Vidis, before finally speaking slowly: "I can agree to join. But there are a few conditions that must be clarified:"
The First Church must not inquire into or interfere with my core experiments and private space in any way.
Secondly, my relationship with the church must be kept absolutely secret and must not be disclosed to any level except by necessary personnel.
The Third Sanctuary must provide me with a certain amount of basic research resources on a regular basis. After all, the research results on "The Fire of Death" that you expect to see also require corresponding investment to support them.
Vidis's smile returned, this time with more sincerity: "Very reasonable requests, Your Excellency Hick—no, perhaps I should now call you a colleague." The Holy Church can accept all your conditions.
Regarding the regular supply of subsequent resources, you can contact me separately, and I will personally take charge to ensure that your needs are met to the greatest extent possible.
He bowed gracefully again.
"Welcome to the Church, Mr. Hick! I believe you will never regret your choice today. In the future, you will gradually discover that the true vastness and wonder of this world far exceed what you have seen so far."
After he finished speaking, his figure began to blur and become transparent, like a reflection in water being scattered by ripples, gradually merging into the dense shadows of the canyon, leaving only a sentence containing endless profound meaning, slowly echoing in the air filled with negative energy: "Looking forward to witnessing more truths with you."
Hick stood alone, his fingers unconsciously stroking the cool-feeling temple ring, his gaze fixed on the direction where Vidis had disappeared, deep and unfathomable.
He knew perfectly well that he had stepped into a deeper, more complex, and more dangerous game.
But in order to obtain crucial resources and the necessary support to address future risks, this seems to be an unavoidable path.
The shadows behind them shifted, and Thary and Sean appeared silently, standing respectfully with their hands at their sides, awaiting new instructions.
"Be prepared to receive and process new resources."
Hick didn't turn around; his voice returned to its usual calm and indifference as he turned and walked towards the laboratory.
"All our plans—starting today, will be fully accelerated."