Copper Oracle: "Damn it! River North, what is the meaning of this? You go too far! When the moon is full next month, at the Obsidian Spire, do you dare meet me?"
River North Wanderer: "Indeed! As if I would fear a charlatan Oracle such as yourself? However, I shall be occupied on the next full moon. How about three months from now?" River North Wanderer accepted readily. "And how shall I find you then, given your myriad guises? Should you adopt another disguise and stand before me, I might not recognize you."
Copper Oracle was not only a 'master' of divination but also a skilled illusionist. The group members suspected he often found himself pursued after failed divinations, forcing him to constantly change identities to escape. Over time, this had honed his remarkable skills in disguise and transformation.
Copper Oracle: "Three months it is! You need only await me at the Obsidian Spire; I shall find you! Your detestable visage, I would recognize it even if it were reduced to ashes!" Copper Oracle fumed.
River North Wanderer: "Then it is settled!" River North Wanderer replied calmly, seemingly confident of victory over Copper Oracle.
Lord Obsidian, observing this, suddenly sent a smiling emoticon, then remarked, "It seems, River North, you are on the verge of a breakthrough, requiring a battle to serve as a catalyst for your advancement? You have lingered at the Fifth Tier Spirit Lord realm for too long; it is time for your ascent. Three months from now, on the full moon, if I can spare the time, I shall officiate your duel at the Obsidian Spire. And, incidentally, prepare a small gift for each of you."
River North Wanderer: "Lord Obsidian, you truly fathom my heart!" River North Wanderer instantly lost his composure. Lord Obsidian was an ancient Elder; his 'small gifts' were surely anything but insignificant. Even crumbs from these Elders' tables were treasures worthy of a lifetime's quest for their juniors!
Copper Oracle: "With Lord Obsidian's words, I shall no longer leave River North to chill at the Obsidian Spire all night. I had originally intended to do so." Copper Oracle said slowly.
River North Wanderer: "..." River North Wanderer.
Damn that wretch! He truly was a master of divination and manipulation, with a heart utterly twisted! River North Wanderer secretly vowed that in three months, he would beat Copper Oracle so badly even Lord Obsidian wouldn't recognize him! With the matter settled, the group chat fell silent.
...
Liam finished reading the chat logs, a knot of worry forming in his stomach: Would Copper Oracle and River North Wanderer truly duel at the ancient Obsidian Spire in three months? Given their personalities, they might indeed attempt such a foolish act. What if they were apprehended by the authorities? He made a mental note: before leaving the group, he must remind them not to damage national heritage sites; it was against the law.
He closed the chat and opened his university's student portal, checking for any recent news. The top headline on the campus network was about the inexplicable thunderclap that afternoon. The location of the lightning, as Liam had suspected, was indeed Haven City. Due to the sudden lightning strike, parts of Haven City and neighboring Aethelburg experienced power outages, leading to a series of minor incidents. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
Beneath that, there were a few fragmented news pieces about Aethelburg University: updates to the campus's beauty and heartthrob rankings; news of a certain academic prodigy dominating a national competition; and even a bizarre auction of a graduating senior's old blanket. Liam wasn't particularly interested in these, but he skimmed them to have some common ground for conversations.
He then searched the student portal for driving school registration information. For a standard manual car license, the student price was quite affordable. In Aethelburg, once outside the university, driving lessons started at significantly higher prices. Liam noted down the contact number. He planned to master the theoretical knowledge in the next few days, then register for lessons. The driving school had a set schedule for theory classes, but learning the theory beforehand would accelerate the process.
Ding Dong!
A new campus announcement caught his eye. Just ten to twenty minutes ago, the street thugs who frequently loitered in the alleyways near the university had been thoroughly thrashed and incapacitated by an unknown master. These so-called "thugs" were mostly university students, with a small percentage of dropouts. For the most part, they were rebellious youths who sported exaggerated hairstyles, wore various piercings, and secretly smoked in alleyways to defy their teachers. Some, however, had a penchant for "borrowing" money from younger students or timid seniors. For the thugs, ganging up on others was a pastime, while getting beaten themselves was commonplace. Lacking organized gangs, they weren't even considered true ruffians.
The beating of thugs wasn't news, but the fact that nearly a hundred of them were all brutally beaten and incapacitated in mere minutes—that was unusual. Photographs taken by students on their phones at the scene revealed the thugs' miserable state. Each face was grotesquely swollen, bruised in shades of green, purple, and red, resembling actors in a grotesque play. It perfectly illustrated the saying—they'd been beaten beyond recognition!
The campus network buzzed with speculation.
One user, delightedly: "Who did it? They showed no mercy! Was it the martial arts club, the taekwondo club, or the boxing club training new recruits by 'farming' thugs?"
Another, a gossipmonger: "They were all knocked unconscious and are being sent to the hospital. No one has woken up yet, so no one knows who was responsible."
A third, a self-proclaimed detective: "According to nearby shopkeepers, there was no large-scale gang brawl. And even in a brawl, it's unlikely everyone would be incapacitated; a mutual knockout is too coincidental. So, it's highly probable that a master, or a few masters, took them all down."
A cynical user: "A master? One who can fight eighty? Haha." The user scoffed, noting the sheer number of thugs. To subdue so many in a few minutes—only a legendary hero transported from an ancient tale could accomplish that.
A sci-fi enthusiast: "Perhaps an elite special forces operative? I hear they can take down dozens of ordinary people in minutes."
A realist: "Are you joking? Even if special forces were that skilled, they have missions. Sending them after petty thugs is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito!"
A pragmatist: "Just wait until the thugs wake up; then we'll know who did it."
Liam refreshed the page, casually scanning the replies before closing the news window. The thugs' affairs had nothing to do with him. Though Liam was only five feet nine inches tall, he was powerfully built. He wasn't the type to be "borrowed" money from by thugs. He lived in a completely different world from them. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he'd never cross paths with them.
He stretched, closed the student portal, and leaned back in his chair, clearing his mind. But the strange thundercloud from that morning lingered in his thoughts. Even with his mind supposedly clear, flashes of lightning seemed to pierce his consciousness, leaving his spirit uneasy.
The next day. June 2nd, Sunday, Sunny.
Liam awoke early. He'd intended to pull an all-nighter yesterday, but the series of strange events had left him unsettled, dispelling his desire to stay up late. He'd simply washed up and gone to bed early. His roommates would be back that evening.
After showering and dressing, Liam instinctively opened his messaging app. Anya Reed still hadn't replied; it seemed he'd have to wait another day or two. "If Anya doesn't reply in a couple of days, I'll just call her," Liam thought to himself. Then, he opened the Conclave of Arcane Lore—a glance always brightened his mood. Though too many glances could lead to assimilation.
The first message in the group was from Seven of the Serpent Clan: "My apologies for the concern. Young Sixteen's lightning trial encountered a minor mishap, but I have resolved it. After the incident, Sixteen had a slight temper tantrum, but I have retrieved her and taken her away; no major incidents occurred. However, a few... ahem, dozens of inconsiderate mortals in a certain area near Haven City were knocked unconscious by Sixteen, but no lives were lost. I must now take Sixteen back to the Serpent Clan's ancestral grounds for a short while, so I may be offline for a few days. In any case... rest assured."
This message was posted at 3:00 AM this morning.