The letter for Zeno was from Fete.
While the ever-increasing pressure of alchemy brought Fete a mix of pain and joy, it was also making it harder for him to breathe.
The Well of Eternal Imprisonment provided a vast amount of monster materials.
This allowed him to constantly perform alchemy and hone his skills.
However, the massive volume of repetitive, low-level alchemy had left him incredibly exhausted.
He wanted to use the materials for research, not for mindless, repetitive production.
Consequently, he needed several alchemy apprentices to work for him.
As an alchemist, he was already qualified to take on apprentices.
Therefore, he planned to temporarily leave the Well of Eternal Imprisonment to find a few apprentices at the Adventurer Association.
For an alchemy apprentice, this was naturally a monumental opportunity.
To study under a true alchemist was a rare chance indeed.
However, leaving the Well of Eternal Imprisonment was far too dangerous.
The Northern Territory was becoming increasingly unstable due to the dungeon in Gray City.
An alchemist without a background traveling alone was practically a walking treasure chest to the outside world.
Within the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, there was the powerful Zeno.
But once he left the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, who would protect him?
Furthermore, without Zeno's permission, Fete did not dare to leave the dungeon on his own.
He could only grit his teeth and persevere with his work.
The turning point came from a letter sent by the Alchemist Association.
This letter had been sent to every alchemist.
The president of the Alchemist Association stationed in Gray City intended to craft a masterpiece grade magical artifact and invited all alchemists to observe the process in person.
A masterpiece grade magical artifact was the limit for an alchemist and the pinnacle of alchemical achievement.
As an alchemist, Fete simply could not refuse such an invitation.
So, he summoned his courage and wrote a request to Lady Zeno to go outside.
While Fete was anxiously awaiting Lady Zeno's response, he suddenly noticed a figure appearing in the corner of his room.
"Who is it!" Fete cried out in alarm.
"How rude. I thought you might be more interesting than this."
The figure removed her hood, revealing a face as beautiful and moving as a young girl's, with black, slightly curly hair cascading down.
Her pink pupils glowed faintly in the darkness.
"Who are you? Why..."
Staring at the stranger, Fete's previous memories were triggered, and his legs began to tremble with fear.
"Remember my name. I will only say it once."
"Feiwan."
Feiwan proudly offered her noble name, which had been bestowed upon her by her Lord.
Fete swallowed hard, his heart filled with terror.
'Lady Zeno, save me! I'm about to be bullied again!'
"Aren't you supposed to be leaving the dungeon? What is with this weak-kneed display? How unseemly."
'A... a Horned race? A beastman?'
Looking at the red, crystal-like horn on Feiwan's forehead, Fete made fearful guesses in his mind.
"Were... were you sent by Lady Zeno?"
Feiwan looked down at Fete from her height.
A humble human should be looked down upon and scorned!
"Lady Zeno?"
"A fine title. From today on, you shall address me as Lady Feiwan as well."
Fete was certain now. This girl before him was someone sent by Lady Zeno.
However, she probably wasn't as powerful as Lady Zeno herself.
After all, Lady Zeno was a legend who didn't even fear the Grey family and had forcibly seized a masterpiece grade magical artifact from them.
This Lady Feiwan could not possibly compare to Lady Zeno.
She was likely a second-rank or perhaps a third-rank being.
"Thank you for coming, Lady Feiwan."
"Please convey my regards to Lady Zeno later. Praise her beauty and her mercy."
Feiwan did not dwell on his words. She wanted to contribute to her Lord, so that he would notice her more, favor her more, and trust her more!
Fete left the dungeon for the first time in a long while.
However, the moment he stepped out, he still felt a sense of dread and anxiety.
After all, Feiwan was not Lady Zeno and could not provide him with that overwhelming sense of security.
As for Feiwan, who was leaving the dungeon for the first time, she struggled to adapt to the outside atmosphere and the discomfort of being away from her Lord.
At the same time, Feiwan received a transmission from Tongmu.
Every extraordinary being in the town outside the dungeon had been marked by Tongmu.
One of those figures was highlighted in red and was quickly leaving the town's edge.
A watcher.
Feiwan quickly calmed herself and entered her work state, her rationality erupting.
Dalun Li had naturally placed Feiwan's limited rationality where it was most needed.
Whenever she entered her work state, her rationality would take the lead.
This allowed Feiwan to fight with complete logic and analyze situations without being swayed by emotions.
Someone had been monitoring the dungeon, and upon confirming Fete's departure, they had rushed off to report.
It seemed the previous matter was not yet over.
"Shall we rest for the night and set out tomorrow morning, Lady Feiwan?"
"We leave now."
Feiwan's tone left no room for argument.
Since a watcher was present, giving them more time would only allow them to fully set up an ambush outside the town.
In her rational mode, Feiwan sought stability and efficiency.
Fete did not dare to voice any dissatisfaction. Although Feiwan might not be as powerful as Lady Zeno, she could contact her.
And just thinking about Lady Zeno caused fear to rise uncontrollably in Fete's heart.
He quickly went to a carriage rental, hired a carriage, and continued along the main road of the town toward the southern mountains.
Not long after they entered the mountains, a loud boom echoed from the road ahead.
Fete was startled and quickly poked his head out, shouting to the coachman in front.
"What happened!"
"There's been a landslide ahead! The road is blocked! We have to turn back!"
Fete did not believe for a second that it was a landslide.
His heart pounded as he realized the previous trouble was not over.
Zeno had dealt with those who tried to kidnap him, but the people behind them would not let him go!
At that moment, two figures charged out from the bushes on both sides of the road.
The sky was already beginning to dim, making it impossible to detect the two hidden figures.
Only the flash of sword light was visible.
"Run!" Fete shouted to the coachman. He did not want to involve an innocent person.
However, he discovered that the coachman had already unhitched the horses and fled, leaving the carriage behind.
'He ran away too fast!'
Fete could only place his hopes on Lady Feiwan beside him.
Feiwan's eyes glowed faintly with the light of flames as she gently lifted a slender index finger.
The two rushing figures instantly vanished, leaving nothing but fading ashes.
They were only apprentice swordsmen; the sneak attack was merely a probe.
"As I thought, were you the one who killed my men? You likely don't know the price of offending our family."
Three figures stepped out from the road ahead.
Two figures stood in the front, with one behind them holding a magic wand.
In the lead were two second-rank heavy warriors, accompanied by a third-rank mage.
"That wand is a greater magic grade magical artifact!" Fete, being an alchemist, recognized it instantly and shouted out.
Very few families in the Northern Territory could deploy a greater magic grade magical artifact like this.
"It would be a waste to kill you. You shall spend the rest of your life using your body to atone for your sins!"
The mage raised his wand and activated its ability.
The greater magic grade magical artifact, the Staff of the Puppeteer, could weaken an opponent's magical abilities and forcibly manipulate their will once they were defeated.
Its only weakness was that it could not affect those whose magic power far exceeded the user's.
But he was a third-rank mage, and he was also wearing a lesser magic grade magical artifact, the Magic Spring Necklace.
His total mana was close to that of a fourth-rank mage.
Furthermore, two second-rank swordsmen and one third-rank swordsman were secretly lying in wait around them.
Even a powerful fourth-rank mage would have no choice but to be enslaved and controlled.
Looking at Feiwan's youthful face, he could not help but begin to fantasize about how he would control her.
This was truly a prize. To see a powerful young witch slowly tortured, her pride collapsing bit by bit until she was forced to serve her enemy and obey his every command... that was the most enjoyable part for him!
"Puppeteer's Halo!"
A ring of light spread from the high-held wand.
The moment the halo expanded, all the hidden swordsmen rushed out, swinging their blades in unison as the heavy warriors charged.
The mage himself began to chant excitedly.
Sword Qi ravaged the air, rocks condensed into a rock dragon under the influence of magic, and the heavy warriors stomped across the ground in a fierce charge.
The petite Feiwan and the pale-faced, trembling Fete stood in the center of the encirclement.
Fete bit his lip and threw himself in front of Feiwan.
"Run! Let Lady Zeno avenge me!"
Fete had never expected that he would encounter an ambush of this scale upon leaving the city.
'This is the end of me.'
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