Chapter 95: Chapter 95: The Mysterious Figure
[If that\'s the case, then anyone from the Nine Provinces Alliance entering the Lulu Ruins could also detect my aura using such methods? No, that doesn\'t add up... Not every organization has access to such techniques. At least Lina doesn\'t know about them; otherwise, she wouldn\'t have brought me to this banquet!] Dean Bruce\'s thoughts raced, deeply immersed in contemplation.
[When it comes to dealing with the Nine Provinces Alliance, Lina has also made her move. She can\'t escape being enemies with them; she wouldn\'t be deliberately setting me up! This just shows that those who understand such techniques are from only a handful of organizations. I\'ll need to remind her about this when she gets back!]
[The only person from the Magic Guild attending this banquet seems to be Claire Raymond. She is powerful enough to sense my aura, yet she\'s remained silent, which must mean she has some ulterior motives!]
With this thought, Dean Bruce felt reassured.
Since Claire Raymond chose not to take direct action, it indicated that the matter was more complicated than it appeared.
"Teacher, do you have any plans? Should I help in any way?" Nicholas William noticed that Dean Bruce had stopped pondering and immediately spoke up. "I may not have brought many people this time, but they\'re all elites. If we form a military formation, no ordinary opponent would stand a chance!"
"No need."
Dean Bruce shook his head. Given his current strength, encountering someone he couldn\'t handle meant that even if Nicholas William\'s subordinates were wiped out, it wouldn\'t matter.
Moreover, if he brought Nicholas William along, he would have to share any potential benefits with him, which felt like a loss.
If only he could persuade Jennier William to join!
"This is a small matter I can handle on my own. Just take me to the Jones family."
After a brief pause, Dean Bruce urged, "Focus on grasping your magic. In this world, strength is the most important thing. As long as you have power, you can secure your position as lord; everything else can be entrusted to your subordinates."
"Teacher, I understand. I will work hard on my training."
Nicholas William nodded.
After discussing important matters, Nicholas William dispelled the magic. Once they arrived at the Jones family, he let Dean Bruce down and bid a reluctant farewell.
It wasn\'t that Nicholas William was pretending; he genuinely felt this way.
After all, he had learned two high-level spells from Dean Bruce. As long as he didn\'t perform too poorly, he wouldn\'t face a marriage annulment.
Nicholas William couldn\'t help but sigh at the thought of his engagement. He didn\'t like that woman, but to avoid disappointing his father, he had to fulfill the engagement.
[Strength, my teacher is right. I need to improve my own strength!]
Nicholas William clenched his fists tightly.
Meanwhile, Dean Bruce had returned to the Jones family. Given the events of the day, the servants recognized his status and didn\'t dare to stop him.
As night deepened, Obona Jones and his party rushed back, appearing extremely flustered.
Dean Bruce sensed something was off; he caught a whiff of blood in the air.
Clearly, Obona Jones had not only failed to secure the leadership position but had also been injured in the process.
When Obona was helped into the room, Dean Bruce glanced over and noted that while his legs didn\'t seem crippled, they were bleeding profusely, indicating a hidden injury.
Erla Jones muttered angrily, "I knew the Nine Provinces Alliance had ulterior motives! They claim their upper management isn\'t involved, yet they\'ve given treasures to their subordinates. How can we compete with that?"
"Exactly! It\'s infuriating!"
Hearing their complaints, Dean Bruce understood that it was likely Korya Cep, concerned about money, who had convinced the higher-ups of the Nine Provinces Alliance to take action secretly, ensuring the leadership position stayed with their own.
Unfortunately, Dean Bruce didn\'t specialize in pure healing magic and couldn\'t guarantee that he could heal Obona Jones. Otherwise, he could have gained a favor from them.
He pondered whether he should create a pure healing spell at some point.
Lina Jones scoffed, "Enough! This kind of injury isn\'t serious. Instead of complaining, you should take care of Dad and get him to the Church of Light early tomorrow!"
"I\'m not saying you shouldn\'t care, but our family doesn\'t really need that leadership position right now. Once I become the Saintess, we\'ll be thriving. Why fight over it?"
At her words, Obona Jones couldn\'t help but smile bitterly. Outside, Lina would give him respect as the head of the family, but inside, aside from certain matters, he couldn\'t afford to be too assertive with her.
After all, the entire family relied on Lina!
Obona Jones cleared his throat gently and turned to Dean Bruce, saying, "I\'m very sorry. I\'ve been injured, so I won\'t be able to host you for the next few days."
Dean Bruce said calmly, "I understand. Just focus on your recovery."
Nodding, Obona Jones was assisted back to his room by the others.
Before long, Herbert Jones emerged, a broad smile on his face. "Father is fine. Let\'s get ready and head out now! It\'s nighttime, so it\'ll be more discreet!"
"Alright!"
Dean Bruce readily agreed, still eager about the so-called opportunity.
They made their way to the stable, where Dean Bruce and Herbert Jones mounted their steeds and slowly left the house, heading toward the outskirts of the city.
The gates had long been closed, but the Jones family still held significant prestige. With many influential figures having been invited to the banquet, the guards didn\'t dare to stop them, merely asking for their identities before letting them pass.
Once outside the city, their pace quickened, and Herbert Jones displayed excitement and enjoyment.
The quality of their horses was exceptional, and even in the darkness, they navigated the terrain effortlessly, crossing mountains and forests until they soon reached a ravine.
The terrain inside the ravine was complex, so they slowed their speed, being cautious not to go too fast.
Eventually, even their horses struggled to weave through the obstacles. Dean Bruce and Herbert Jones dismounted, tying their horses to a tree, and walked toward the cave Herbert had mentioned.
Under the moonlight, shadows of beasts flickered in the ravine. Fortunately, Dean Bruce didn\'t need to intervene; Herbert Jones charged in with a punch, easily staggering the beasts.
If they didn\'t flee, they would be torn to shreds by Herbert\'s ferocity.
Watching such powerful attacks stirred Dean Bruce\'s blood.
While magical attacks could be flashy, the feeling of hand-to-hand combat couldn\'t be matched.
[I remember that in some magical world anime, there are spells that enhance the user\'s abilities or summon magical armor for combat! Too bad this world doesn\'t have that. If I could convince someone to learn that kind of magic, wouldn\'t that be amazing?]
Dean Bruce\'s mind was filled with anticipation; after all, he was a traveler and thought more creatively than the locals.
However, as the two fought their way through the beasts, they failed to notice a figure descending from above, landing quietly where they had tied their horses.
At that moment, both horses lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound, even crouching down.
"Interesting... I didn\'t expect this to come as a surprise! I\'m curious about the role the Jones family plays in all this."
As the voice fell, the figure settled onto Firebolt, gently closing their eyes, appearing as if they were asleep, without a hint of presence escaping them.
Meanwhile, Dean Bruce and Herbert Jones arrived at the entrance of the cave.
The entrance was quite concealed, hidden behind a waterfall with rushing waters. If it hadn\'t been for Herbert Jones\'s robust physique pushing against the current, Dean Bruce wouldn\'t have thought that there could be a hidden world behind the waterfall.
However, this reminded Dean Bruce of stories from Eastern mythology.
In that mythological framework, there existed a being known as the Monkey King, who lived behind a waterfall. He wondered if the benefits hidden behind this waterfall could also provide him with great rewards.
Lost in thought, Dean Bruce didn\'t slow his pace, following Herbert Jones through the waterfall and into the cave.
The cave wasn\'t dark; although there were no ores or crystals, many trees grew within, emitting a soft glow that allowed Dean Bruce to see everything clearly.
Looking around, he noticed no signs of habitation within the cave, which disappointed him. It seemed there were no divine beings residing here.
In the depths of the cave, he heard the sound of trickling water, glimmering with a faint light. This was likely the special spring Herbert had mentioned.
As Herbert walked toward it, he began to remove his clothing, revealing his muscular physique, and jumped straight into the pool.
"Ah!"
He let out a groan, grinning as he said, "Dean, hurry up and come soak in this! The effects of this spring are incredible; you\'ll definitely be amazed!"