NOVPUBFrom MC's Perspective:
Black Mine,
The middle-aged guard continued to explain about the mines while he led me toward the glass villa. For a second, I thought Manager Hellen was not here.
But I could feel the unknown pressure from here as I walked toward that place. Soon, we arrived in front of the villa.
"Here is the place. You can meet the lord. I'm going back," After saying that the middle-aged guard left the place.
I shook my head before turning toward the door. Just before I could knock, the door opened automatically.
Creak!
The next second, I walked into the place. Slowly, I came to the living area. There were neatly arranged sofas and table sets.
Just as I was pondering what to do next, I heard footsteps coming toward the place. Then I raised my head and saw a middle-aged woman with fair skin.
She was wearing a black combat uniform. On top of it, she had an overcoat. She was also wearing a pointy hat with the logo of the Silver Tower.
At that moment, I knew she was the one. I continued to look at her while she was also observing me.
"You must be Vincent Carey, right?" she asked.
"Yes, it's me," I replied to her in a polite tone.
"Come and take a seat," Hellen said before sitting on the sofa.
I nodded before sitting opposite her. Unlike Manager Lara, Wizard Hellen's age seemed to be truly middle-aged. I thought she was an old monster.
Hellen frowned. She had spoken with Lord Erwin earlier and learned about the feud between old man Filip and this kid, which shocked her.
She hadn't expected these two people to be from neighboring countries. After learning the ins and outs, she knew that old man Filip wanted to eliminate the kid for his country and himself.
But Lord Erwin had other ideas because old man Filip lost his potential to become a Magic Lord. He might be at Magic Level -10 by the end of his life.
Everyone had witnessed this kid's win against Tom Doyle. She had even watched the videos as well. She was truly impressed with Ancient Gravity Magic. It was one of the Sub-Taboo Magics in ancient and modern times.
She belonged to the same faction as Lord Erwin. Like him, she didn't want to eliminate Vincent Carey because of old man Filip.
Old man Filip also belonged to their faction. He had made many contributions to the faction. But there are things that can't be done.
For example, eliminating a potential Forbidden Wizard Seed would be a major loss not only for the Silver Tower but also for the Mage Union.
She raised her head. Her gaze fell on Vincent Carey. A complex emotion appeared in her eyes. If they had recruited this kid earlier, it would have been wonderful.
Unfortunately, he belonged to Lord Charlotte's camp. But still, everyone was under the umbrella of the Silver Tower.
Lord Erwin gave her the task of verifying this kid's potential. If this kid managed to pass her test, then according to Lord Erwin, there was no point in losing a Forbidden Wizard Seed for old man Filip, who had already run out of oil.
On the other hand, my heart was not calm. Like a turbulent sea, my thoughts were shifting between positive and negative.
Lord Erwin sent me here to pick up an important parcel. But then she was not raising further questions. Should I ask her? I couldn't handle this uneasiness.
"Lord Hellen, I came here to pick up the parcel belonging to Lord Erwin?" I asked her.
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. She didn't expect this kid to speak to her without fear. She was impressed once again.
"I'll give you the parcel. But before that, I have a small test for you," Hellen said.
"I knew it," my heart skipped a beat.
"Lord, what is it?" I asked her.
"Don't fret, it's just a small test to see your potential. I have watched your duel against Tom Doyle. It was really impressive."
"If you can pass my test, then I'll give you a reward," she said in a calm tone.
Hearing that, I was stunned and didn't know what to say. I didn't expect the conversation to go so smoothly. Recalling how Lord Erwin broke my bones with his coercion not long ago, I was expecting something else.
But she seemed to be rather talkative. Then I calmed down my turbulent heart and met her gaze.
"Lord, I will do my best," I replied.
"Good," Hellen uttered.
"The Black Mine is an underground mine. There are numerous passages inside. Most of the passages are filled with miners who are mining right now."
"Yet there are some passages filled with black mud monsters. These black mud monsters are unique magical existences. They can suck away the vitality of living things."
"In the past few weeks, their numbers have increased again. I want you to clear at least one of the passages so our miners can work," Hellen explained about the test.
"That's all?" I uttered.
A playful smile appeared on Hellen's face. She didn't remind me about another threat, which is another test.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
Hearing that, I was stunned. She hadn't replied to my previous question. It meant things were not easy.
A quick flash occurred in my eyes. At least she was not as dangerous as I thought.
"Okay," I replied.
Then we stood up and exited the room. When we came outside, I found myself rising and moving in mid-air. Then I found Lord Hellen was taking me to the underground mine.
We arrived at the place in a few breaths. After landing on the ground, I saw there were hundreds of wooden buildings near the mine entrance.
"There are numerous passages inside. Before each entrance, it's marked with a passage number."
"It's your task to find out the passage filled with monsters and clear it. After completing the task, don't forget to see the passage number," Hellen said in a soft tone.
"Here is my contact. After completing the task, send a message to my badge," she added.
Hearing that, I nodded to her before accepting her contact information.
