NOVPUB
Chapter 219: Meeting with the Association Master
Danius remained silent, too afraid to speak, fearing that he might slip and anger this man. To think that woman had someone like him as a friend—he was utterly screwed!
"Yes, my friend, you’re absolutely screwed," Aldrian said with a casual wave of his hand. "You and your shadow guards are in deep trouble because of your arrogance. Fortunately, you met me. If it had been someone else, you might have lost your life for offending the wrong person."
Danius wanted to curse Aldrian in a thousand different ways inside his mind, but even that seemed impossible—this man appeared to know exactly what he was thinking.
"Anyway, you and those shadow guards of yours already have slave seals. I hope you’ll work well together," Aldrian said, walking ahead. Then, with a smile, he added, "Oh, as a thank you, I’ll give you a clue about my secret: I’m the one so many people are looking for."
Danius didn’t understand what Aldrian meant, but he didn’t care at this moment. All he wanted was for this man to leave as soon as possible.
"Now you’re good to go," Aldrian said, snapping his fingers.
Snap
Suddenly, Danius felt as though something in his surroundings had changed yet hadn’t at the same time. He was stunned to realize that Aldrian had suddenly disappeared. Moving his hand, he pushed himself up from his lying position. A strange sensation washed over him, he couldn’t explain why he had been lying down, but at least he could finally move his body.
His eyes darted around the room, searching for any trace of Aldrian. After confirming that he was truly gone, Danius slumped back onto the sofa. His body was drenched in sweat, and he felt as though he had just woken up from a nightmare.
He seemed disoriented and on the verge of vomiting, the sting of the pain he had just experienced still fresh in his senses. As the young master of a noble family, sheltered and protected by his kin, this was his first time enduring pain that struck directly at his soul, leaving him shaken and traumatized.
He had no idea what the future held for him now, but deep in his heart, one thought persisted, he wanted to escape Aldrian’s grasp.
"I’ll talk to fath—" However, the moment that thought entered his mind, Danius felt a rising pain coursing through his body and soul. Panicking, he hurriedly stopped the thought and tried to empty his mind.
As the pain gradually subsided, he gasped in relief. What that man said was true! Even harboring ill intent brought pain—acting on it was unthinkable. Grabbing his head in frustration, he cursed his helplessness.
"If only I hadn’t approached that elf... if only I hadn’t given in to my desire... if only I hadn’t been so arrogant!" His mind was consumed by endless "if only" scenarios.
He appeared to be on the verge of a breakdown—this was the first time he had faced such a severe setback, and the consequences were overwhelming. Now, he had become a stranger’s spy within his own family. He knew it was treason, and if any member of his family discovered the truth, he could be stripped of his position as young master—or even executed.
Meanwhile, Aldrian was already walking through the city streets as if nothing had happened. In truth, he had been walking for quite some time, not long after Danius first looked into his eyes.
As Aldrian had said, what Danius saw was nothing more than an illusion. The Aldrian he had spoken to didn’t actually exist. His illusions were so powerful that they could even affect cultivators with stronger cultivation than his own. So it was no exaggeration to say that Danius, being much weaker, had no chance of realizing he was under an illusion.
The effect of the illusion on those with weaker cultivation was so profound that they would never realize they were living within it. This was what they called when an illusion turned into reality.
While Danius was trapped in the illusion, Aldrian placed the Everlasting Demonic Follower seal on him and accessed his memories. Now that he had spies inside one of the noble families and within the opposing faction, Aldrian had more room to maneuver.
"Well, let’s continue my practice," he thought, blending into the crowd.
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The next day, Aldrian was still in his room, practicing his concocting and memorizing recipes, when he sensed someone approaching the Diamond Inn. The man wore an alchemist’s robe adorned with an eight-star badge, indicating a high status within the Alchemist Association. Aldrian recognized the face, he had seen it before back when he was on the top floor of the Association’s building, where he and the three grandmasters had been in discussion.
Aldrian didn’t know why the man was here, but it seemed like he was looking for him. True to his guess, the man asked the inn’s employee about his room. He then came to Aldrian’s door and knocked.
When Aldrian opened the door, the man was momentarily stunned, but he quickly bowed his head slightly.
"Forgive the disturbance," he said. "I’ve come only to deliver a message from my master. I am one of Grandmaster Marco’s students. You can call me Carlo."
"It’s okay, I don’t find it disturbing. So, what does Grandmaster Marco want to tell me?" Aldrian asked.
"He asked if you have time today. He wants you to visit the Association; he’d like to introduce you to the Association Master."
Aldrian raised an eyebrow. If it was related to the Association Master, then he would have to go. He was also curious about this person who held the position of Association Master rather than one of the three grandmasters.
"Alright, thank you for informing me. I will arrive there shortly."
"Yes, we will wait for you, Grandmaster Aldrian," the man replied, bowing one last time before walking away.
Afterward, Aldrian decided to finish his concoction practice for the time being and clean his room before heading outside toward the Alchemist Association headquarters.
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After he arrived at the Association’s building, some people who recognized his face immediately began gossiping about him. Many were still guessing who Aldrian was and what his connection to the three grandmasters might be. His face had become quite famous within the Association, but he ignored the whispers and walked straight toward the top floor.
When he reached the top floor, he was immediately directed to a room by Carlo. Upon entering, Aldrian saw the three grandmasters and an elderly man he had never seen before. The old man’s face, full of wisdom, was smiling at Aldrian with kindness. He rose from his seat and walked toward him.
Aldrian noticed the ten stars on the old man’s badge, indicating that his status was same as that of the three grandmasters.
"So, this is the young man you were talking about? Truly extraordinary. I could tell from the first glance that he was no ordinary man," the old man said.
"Aldrian, this is the Association Master, Master Dan Vasily," Grandmaster Marco introduced.
Aldrian immediately bowed to the Association Master. "Master’s compliment is too exaggerated. I’m just a person who likes to learn, that’s all."
"Hahaha, don’t be so humble. You’ve already created history that the people of this continent have never seen before. I’ve also seen the pills you concocted, and I have to say, you are the one who will pave the way for the next level of alchemy," Master Dan said, stroking his beard.
"I heard that the three grandmasters have already agreed to your position, making you an instant grandmaster of the Association. I too agree after seeing what you’ve accomplished. Even though there’s no precedent for someone becoming an alchemist and jumping straight to the 10-star rank, there’s no way our Association could give you anything less. You’ve earned it," he added.
"Thank you, Master," Aldrian said.
"Anyway, take a seat. I want to know more about you," Master Dan said. After they sat down, he continued, "So, I’ve heard you live only with your elder sister?"
"Yes, Master. I live only with my elder sister, as our parents left us when I was still a child," Aldrian replied.
"Such a pitiful experience, but despite that, you’ve become like this. You are truly a rare gem, a genius alchemist from birth," Master Dan said with an amazed expression. "Anyway, may I ask where you come from before arriving in this city? I’ve heard you’re from outside the empire, and I’m curious why you chose the Alchemist Association. With your abilities, you could even become part of the imperial family, holding a higher status than as an alchemist in this association, even surpassing the three grandmasters here."
"I’m just a vagabond cultivator, traveling with my elder sister. Wherever she goes, I follow her. The last place we came from before this city was the Ivory Empire," Aldrian said, lying without missing a beat.
"As for why I chose the Alchemist Association, it’s because I didn’t want to be tied to the imperial family’s customs. While joining the association may offer less than what I would have had in the imperial family, I gain more freedom, though I still have privilege and status."
At that moment, Aldrian continued to look at the smiling expression of Master Dan, but inside his mind, he thought something else.
"Why do I feel irritated looking at this old man?"
