Chapter 0083 The Disbanded Squad

Half a day later, Grimm and Mary finally returned to the Wizard Tower.

It was only then that they learned their forced task squad had lost yet another member—Sheila. The remaining members were all injured, and the team had suffered a devastating blow.

The culprits behind this disaster were four fallen apprentice wizards who had appeared out of nowhere.

After the sudden ambush, Sabrina and the other two apprentice wizards managed to hold off three of the attackers, but the fourth fallen apprentice alone was enough to send Sheila and the rest fleeing in disarray. Sheila perished during the retreat.

Because the assailants had declared before attacking that they were seeking revenge against Grimm and Mary, the traumatized survivors, upon returning to the surface, placed all the blame squarely on their shoulders. The senior apprentices demanded they be held responsible for Sheila’s death and for the mission’s failure.

When Wizard Angus, the official in charge of evaluating and collecting the mission items, entered the hall, Isaac was especially agitated, ranting and raving.

“Wizard, it was them! They insisted on leaving the team, and that’s what brought the wrath of those four apprentice wizards upon us. That’s why the whole mission failed. You must punish them!”

Leander and Bruce joined in, shouting their outrage. The two male apprentice wizards in the team, however, stood by in sullen silence. While they weren’t willing to shift blame so blatantly, it was clear they too harbored resentment toward Grimm and Mary. The difference in their abilities had left them at a disadvantage in the confrontation with the fallen apprentices underground, forcing them all to escape with injuries.

In fact, the only member of the team to escape unscathed was Sabrina.

“Ha, ha, ha…” Wizard Angus let out a cold laugh. “You don’t need to play these little tricks in front of me. Each year, not a few apprentice teams fall into internal strife during trials. Your petty schemes and calculations are beneath my notice. I only care about one thing—what have you brought back to the Wizard Tower?”

All eyes turned to Sabrina.

With an inscrutable expression, Sabrina spread her hands, presenting the four mission tokens she possessed. Only one of them, it was clear, was activated.

“You only completed one mission? Where’s the other token?” Wizard Angus’s face darkened instantly.

“It’s here with me,” Mary stepped forward, opening her palm.

There lay another activated mission token.

“You completed only two out of five missions. According to the prior agreement, you’re spared the penalty for mission failure, but don’t expect any rewards.”

Hearing that they’d escaped punishment, the senior apprentices visibly relaxed. But Wizard Angus’s next announcement left them thunderstruck.

“Further, I have another decree from the Wizard Tower Committee. In view of Grimm and Mary’s outstanding performance during the Training Camp’s elite missions, the Committee has decided to transfer them both to the Training Camp. They are henceforth exempt from forced mission trials.”

Though Angus’s words were low and hoarse, to the ears of the team, it was like a thunderclap on a clear day, leaving them dazed and at a total loss.

“This… how can this be?” Isaac cried out in fright. “Sir, this is unreasonable! Our team is already down to eight people. If you take two more from us, how are we supposed to complete our future missions? We protest—”

Before he could finish, a black chain shot out from thin air, binding Isaac tightly in a flash.

“What’s this? Someone dares question the authority of the Wizard Tower Committee? Let me tell you, boy—never, at any time, challenge the authority and dignity of a wizard directly. This is to teach you a lesson. Next time, I won’t be so lenient.”

At Angus’s cold warning, the black chain suddenly glowed red-hot, turning into a searing iron band that scorched Isaac’s flesh with a sizzle. As Angus’s tone grew sharper, the chain tightened, its burning links biting deep into Isaac’s flesh and pressing his bones until they creaked.

Isaac’s magical resistance seemed to vanish; he was utterly unable to withstand Angus’s fiery punishment. After only a few screams, he fainted from the pain.

With a snap of Angus’s fingers, the chain vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

Angus’s eyes, bright as torches, swept the hall, and no one dared meet his gaze, all bowing their heads in pain.

“This is a small reminder for you. Your purpose here is to strengthen your abilities and complete your tasks, not to bicker and sow discord! If you’re not strong enough to crush those black wretches, then be smart, use cunning and unity to defeat your enemies and fulfill your missions. Not enough people? Go to the first-floor hall and recruit! See if there’s any fool willing to join you.”

After this rare lecture, Angus turned his gaze to Grimm.

“Boy, I hear you’re quite adept at hiding your true strength! Ha, it seems you know that keeping a low profile is crucial for survival. But hiding too much isn’t good either. The strong should have the bearing and authority of the strong. If you’d shown your abilities sooner, perhaps this team would have become your followers, and the women would all be yours—that’s far more interesting than being cautious and guarded, don’t you think? Now, show me what you gained this time!”

…It seemed this Wizard Angus hadn’t been a model apprentice himself in his youth.

Muttering to himself, Grimm joined Mary in presenting the spoils from their journey underground. Two heads of fallen apprentices—both of senior apprentice rank.

The watching team members went pale with chagrin, but Angus burst into satisfied laughter.

“Well done! Two excursions beneath the surface, and you bring back two heads. Clearly, you have the talent most suited to these shadowy depths. You have a promising future—I rather like you! Now, what reward do you seek for these?”

The peril of this latest journey had left Grimm bitter and frustrated. The newly acquired rock python of apprentice rank had been destroyed by the enemy, a loss that stung.

“Elemental cores with life force, preferably earth-aligned, apprentice level,” Grimm replied through gritted teeth, no longer hiding his talent in crafting golem creatures. After all, with the rock python’s appearance, any shrewd observer could have guessed his aptitude.

If he kept hiding his capabilities, next time he might not be so lucky.

“Ha, ha, ha… Two heads—enough for two apprentice-level earth cores. Here.” Angus grabbed the heads and tossed them into a spatial rift the size of a basin that opened before him, then withdrew two brightly glowing earth cores and handed them to Grimm before turning to leave.

With the official gone, the rest exchanged awkward glances. Grimm nodded at Sabrina, then led Mary straight back to their quarters.

This journey had revealed to both Grimm and Mary their deficiencies. In the days that followed, they each focused on addressing their weaknesses with all their might.

For Grimm, that meant good meals, rest, building up his physique, and taking a focus potion every three days to strengthen his spirit. The two apprentice-level earth cores quickly became two rock python golems.

Mary, on the other hand, had realized her lack of offensive power and resistance. She spent a fortune in magic crystals to acquire a pair of “Ruthless Claws” to enhance her attacks.

These Ruthless Claws came in a pair, one for each hand, designed as finger-ring close-combat wizard tools. The left hand offered a rending effect, the right a bleeding effect—perfectly matching Mary’s attributes. When she channeled her blood magic into the claws, she gained an additional +2 sharpness.

Mary also racked her brains to improve her magic resistance. Training her resistance bit by bit would take too long, so she focused on acquiring trinkets to boost her defenses. Had she worn a +2 lightning resistance amulet during that hazardous dash through the electric trap, she wouldn’t have ended up half-roasted, inside and out.

This time, Grimm handed all his magic crystal cards to Mary, unleashing her pent-up shopping desires. She bought a mountain of resistance jewelry and wizard potions. While Mary indulged in her spree, Grimm was engaged in a “heated yet friendly” conversation with the Snorlax back in their quarters.

Snorlax still looked like a green-skinned goblin, the only difference being a rune-engraved magic collar around its neck. This collar was a special wizard tool designed to restrain disobedient sub-species. The inside was etched with a ring of runes, and three fine needles pierced the wearer’s neck, slowly draining magic to power the device. Any attempt to damage the collar would trigger a violent lightning attack, and moving too far from the caster would have the same result.

The only way to remove the collar was for the caster to activate a specific spell sequence.

Once Snorlax wore the collar, Grimm could finally relax. The clever creature was clearly accustomed to servitude and captivity, showing no resistance to Grimm’s actions.