prynovel Chapter 120 Hick's Confidence and Arnold's Intentions
Chapter 120 Hick's Confidence and Arnold's Intentions
Chapter 121 Hick's Confidence and Arnold's Intentions
Dark canyon, core laboratory.
Just as Hick had finished one set of experiments and was about to begin another, the heavy, soundproof door to the sealed room was silently pushed open.
Ginny appeared at the doorway, holding a report made of special biological leather with faint encrypted runes shimmering on its surface. Her expression was unusually solemn, and her pace was slightly faster than usual.
"Sir, Mr. Sean has an urgent intelligence report. Priority—set to the highest level."
Ginny's voice remained as calm as ever, but a barely perceptible urgency in her speech indicated that the situation was extraordinary.
Hick looked up and took the report, which still seemed to carry a lingering tremor of mental energy.
When he quickly skimmed through Sean's concise and precise notes on how two mysterious trackers easily discovered him and forced him to decisively destroy his advanced spore clone, he was deeply impressed.
Especially the description of the opponent's unfathomable strength.
When a necromancer with keen senses and a witch skilled in eerie mental charm and control were present, his peaceful gaze, which had been immersed in the experiment, instantly turned icy and sharp, and the temperature in the laboratory seemed to drop several degrees.
"A necromancer—and a witch skilled in mind manipulation—"
Hick's fingers tapped unconsciously and rhythmically on the cold metal lab bench, producing a regular, soft tapping sound—a habitual action he took when deep in thought.
"Judging from their behavior and the way they tracked us, their goal was clear, as if they were looking for something specific, or this sudden change made Hick, who had wanted things to develop peacefully, feel a bit irritated."
Have we only settled down a few days ago?
First, the Arnold family was inexplicably investigated by a foolish young lady, and now two mysterious pursuers with terrifying strength and unclear motives have appeared out of nowhere and are heading straight for this area.
What on earth is going on?
He quickly reviewed all his activities during this period, confirming that he had not come into contact with or seized any items or secrets that would attract the attention of a powerful being of this caliber.
The location of the Dark Canyon is extremely well hidden. How did the other party pinpoint this area so accurately?
"Pass down the order to immediately activate all concealment arrays and interference fields around the canyon to maximum power!"
Enter maximum alert status!
Hick made a swift decision, his voice cold.
"As long as their target isn't us and they don't come looking for us, let's just wait and see and let them do what they want."
He paused, a chilling glint flashing in his eyes, his tone turning sinister: "But if—they're foolish enough to actually come here—"
Before he finished speaking, in the shadows behind Hick, the air distorted slightly, and a tall, silent figure exuding an invisible sense of oppression slowly emerged.
It was none other than Kabu, the strongest fighter under Hick's command!
"We've never been pushovers here!"
"Understood, sir!"
Sensing the undeniable confidence and killing intent in Hick's tone, as well as the strong sense of security brought by Kabu, Ginny quickly suppressed the slight unease in her heart. She nodded solemnly and immediately turned to convey the order.
Evans Estate, reception room.
The air was filled with a slightly awkward atmosphere, yet people were trying hard to maintain a superficial politeness.
Rico Lane tried to straighten his back, attempting to project the air of a lord.
But faced with these two clearly distinguished young members of the Arnold family, especially the one with the bright, intelligent eyes...
Young Master Kyle, with a scrutinizing gaze, still couldn't help but feel somewhat unsure of himself, his palms slightly sweaty.
Kyle Arnold was well-mannered and spoke elegantly, expressing his admiration for Mr. Evans and his gratitude for the manor's hospitality in a perfectly appropriate manner.
But deep within those seemingly gentle eyes, a subtle shrewdness and assessment would occasionally flash.
His sister, Sena, seemed somewhat distracted.
She sat to the left of her brother, her eyes curiously taking in the decorations in the side hall, which, while not the most luxurious, had a distinct sense of history.
Occasionally, when she glances at Rico and Kaina, a hint of condescending scrutiny, typical of a noble's son, flashes in her eyes, but she quickly suppresses it, replacing it with a docile expression.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the conversation inevitably turned to one of the purposes of their trip.
"To be honest, besides resting, I also wanted to inquire about something while I was passing through your area."
Kyle put down his teacup and spoke casually, as if it were just a casual chat.
"Young Master Kyle, please speak. We will tell you everything we know."
Rico quickly replied, trying to make his voice sound calmer.
Kyle smiled and said, "It's nothing really. Just a few days ago, one of our family's caravans was attacked by a group of unidentified but powerful attackers near the border of the Kingdom of Bill, not far ahead. We lost some goods and manpower."
He paused, observed Rico and Kaina's reactions, and seeing that they only showed surprise and sympathy and nothing unusual, he continued: "According to the guards who escaped, the group acted ruthlessly and used strange methods, like highly trained combat wizards, but without any markings."
Our investigation has led us to the Kingdom of Sant, and the clues seem to point towards them.
"Lord Ryan and his wife, have you heard anything unusual in the border region lately? Or any news of activities by any unfamiliar, powerful groups?"
Rico and Kaina exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
Rico shook his head and said sincerely, "Is that so? How outrageous! But—I'm ashamed to say, our Ryan territory is remote and poorly informed. We haven't heard of any major disturbances on the border recently, let alone such a group."
Kaina added, "Yes, if there really were such a group of thugs operating nearby, Father would definitely have received the news and increased security. But recently, everything at the manor has been normal."
What she said was true. Old Master Evans had been focusing on absorbing the dragon blood potion in seclusion recently, and the manor affairs were basically handled by the butler. There were indeed no unusual reports.
Kyle carefully observed their expressions and judged that they didn't seem to be lying. He couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he still maintained a polite smile: "I see. Perhaps we were following the wrong direction, or that group has already moved on to another place. I'm sorry to have bothered you."
Just then, Sena, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly spoke up. Her voice carried a touch of girlish innocence and curiosity, yet she posed a rather pointed question: "Uncle Ryan, Aunt Kaina, I heard—your son, Cousin Hick Evans, is an incredibly talented wizard who went to the Silent Forest for advanced studies at a very young age. Given his abilities, could he possibly know anything—um—special news—about the border?"
That question was quite abrupt and impolite!
Kyle's expression changed slightly, and he secretly glared at his sister, signaling her to shut up.
Rico and Kaina were also taken aback, their expressions immediately becoming somewhat unnatural.
Hick is their pride, but his situation is special and he is now at a very high level. They have no idea about their son's specific circumstances, let alone answer questions involving wizarding forces on his behalf.
Kaina reacted faster, maintaining a polite smile but speaking in a slightly cooler tone: "Miss Sena is joking. Hick is indeed studying in the Silent Forest, but we family members shouldn't interfere in or understand matters concerning wizards. He rarely comes home and doesn't talk to us about things outside."
This was a flawless statement, answering the question while simultaneously preventing the other party from pursuing further inquiries.
Kyle quickly smoothed things over: "My sister is young and ignorant, and spoke without thinking. Please forgive her, Lord and Madam. We had no intention of spying; it was just a casual question."
Rico readily backed down, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. Miss Sena was just being overly concerned."
After this little incident, the atmosphere became even more subtle.
Kyle exchanged a few more polite words, then excused himself, saying he was tired from the journey, and took Sena, who seemed to want to say something more, to leave. A servant led him to the guest quarters to rest.
Watching the two figures disappear, the smiles on Rico and Kaina's faces gradually faded, replaced by a trace of worry.
"Why are the Arnold family asking about this? And why are they specifically asking about Hick?"
Rico said in a low voice, his brow furrowed.
Kaina shook her head, her eyes filled with confusion and a hint of wariness: "I don't know. But it doesn't feel that simple. I hope it won't cause any trouble for Hick."
Unbeknownst to them, their conversation, especially the information about Hick, had been secretly eavesdropped on.
Inside the guest room.
Kyle set up a simple soundproof barrier and looked at his sister with a somewhat unpleasant expression.
"Senna! You were so impulsive! How could you ask such a question?!"
Sena, however, nonchalantly pursed her lips: "What's wrong? What's wrong with my question? Isn't Hick Evans quite famous? Maybe he really does know something?"
"Besides, brother, don't you find it strange? The group we're tracking is so powerful, yet they leave no trace whatsoever. The Silent Forest is so close; how could they not know anything about it?"
The more she spoke, the more convinced she became of her point, and her eyes lit up: "I think maybe that group has some connection to the Silent Forest! Or maybe it was even orchestrated by that Hick Evans!"
"That's enough!"
Kyle hissed, "Don't make wild guesses without evidence! The Silent Forest isn't something we can fabricate at will!"
Hick Evans is the pride of the Evans family and a genius apprentice of the Silent Forest. To suspect him without any evidence is an attempt to offend two powerful factions simultaneously.
He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
My younger sister always acts on impulse and so-called "intuition" without considering the consequences.
To his utter surprise, he had initially thought that the matter in the dense forest would be forgotten, but after the "Hidden Hand" contacted him, he learned that his younger sister had exaggerated the story and reported it to the authorities.
Having no other choice, Kyle had to obey her family's orders and help her sister carry out the so-called "justice."
You can send someone to the "Silent Forest" to gather information and carry out "justice" —
If we follow Sena's standards, there shouldn't be any living beings in the entire Silent Forest.
"Did the 'little ears' I told you to secretly send out hear anything useful?"
Kyle changed the subject and asked.
Sena proudly raised her chin and took out a tantalizing artifact the size of a fingernail, resembling a real fly, from her sleeve.
"Of course! Although they didn't say it explicitly, Lord Ryan and his wife seemed to know very little about their son's situation, and their emotions clearly fluctuated when Hick was mentioned. They were a little nervous, and a little—proud and distant? Anyway, it was very strange."
She was fiddling with the alchemical fly.
"However, they mentioned that Mr. Evans seems to be in seclusion recently, and the butler is handling the affairs of the manor. Should we—try to get some information out of the old butler?"
Or, why don't I go and have a chat with that seemingly dim-witted Lord Ryan? I think he's easy to fool.
Kyle hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Let's not cause any unnecessary trouble for now. Let's rest at the manor for a couple of days and see if there are any new instructions from the family. Your little 'ear' continues to keep watch, and tells me immediately if anything unusual happens."
He had a feeling that this mission had somehow gotten him caught up in some unexpected vortex.
That Hick Evans might be more crucial than they realize.
What they didn't know was that, while they were discussing, there was another, even smaller and more hidden "listener"—Sean's spore!
It quietly clung to the cracks in the window frame, faithfully recording everything and transmitting it through an invisible network to a distant, dark canyon.
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