Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 222 - 209: Get to Work, William!

The City of Wandering was shrouded in a twilight-colored barrier high above, within William’s reach. This barrier was used to stabilize air currents because every spatial shift of the City of Wandering would compress the surrounding air, creating a cyclone around the city.

"Great Magic Power, that’s the direction I need to head."

William weighed the pseudo badge in his hand, deciding to focus on the present for now.

The towering canned food storage in the Dark Third District stretched as far as the eye could see, completely obscuring the surrounding environment and terrain. Damn it, I thought coming up here would make it easier to find my way, but it looks like I’ll still have to grope around in the streets.

With a sigh, William turned and quietly slipped down another dark alley. He didn’t have the nerve like Lyle to just ask a Demon Race guard for directions, so he had to rely on himself to navigate through the dim alleyways.

Thanks to the sensing ability of the Wind Element, William’s scouting range was much wider than that of his last smuggling attempt. Thinking of the past, William smiled unconsciously, wondering if he would encounter another Candy.

Just then, a breeze brought the sound of commotion to his ears, an opportunity!

Instinctively, William altered his course and entered the alley. Even when his brain caught up, William didn’t stop his actions. He had grown stronger, it could be considered a reflection on the past.

The voices grew clearer, and from them, William heard words like "bullying" and "Candy."

Candy?

Images of the frail-looking tender boy flashed through William’s mind.

Could it be that guy getting bullied again? Sensing the concentration of Magic Power in the area, hmm, it should be within my capabilities.

Only one corner away from the scene of the bullying, William, with thoughts of redeeming his past dignity, walked out from around the corner, exuding powerful Magic Power.

"Bullies, I’d advise you to release my friend, or else..." William believed he tossed his hair back with style, only then noticing the participants in the act of bullying.

The bullied, he knew, were the same three brats who once picked on Candy.

The bully, he also knew, was the face of his nightmares, Succubus Anna. The enchanting succubus girl’s body had undergone some changes; half of her torso still maintained the succubus appearance, but the other half was covered in thick black crystal, like she was wearing battle armor, reducing the allure and adding a touch of grimness and danger. One side of her cheek remained succubus’s delicate beauty, while the other was the fierce grimace of a fiend.

Well, the change in the aura of Succubus Anna didn’t make much of an impression on William because, in his eyes, Anna was always a fiend.

He completely lost the impulse to play the hero. As wild as his arrival was, his intentions of departure were equally as jittery.

William stooped, hiding his face in the shadows, planning his escape.

"They’re your friends?" Anna’s voice sounded like the dry crack of tearing fabric, or the wailing from hell. She placed the brat in her hand down, her body spinning to reveal a svelte figure; her demon tail scraped against the wall like a chain sword, marking it.

"I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before..."

"You’ve got the wrong person, I’m just passing through."

Whirlwind Escape! A wind sprang up under William’s feet, and he dashed away.

He weaved through alley after alley, the Demon Race guards on the main street were now just a step away from him, but William didn’t care about blowing his cover—he just wanted to call the police.

But no matter how fast you run, it can never beat flying.

With a series of giggles, Succubus Anna fluttered her bat wings, landing and blocking William’s path.

She had returned to the look she had at the Bloody Rose Bar, the lamb-like horns embedded in her fluffy blonde hair, her shining eyes lighting up the dim alley. Her eyes twinkled with tease as she looked at William impishly.

"Isn’t this Mr. Good Guy? Dear, you’ve come to see me again."

William’s heart sank. Exposed? Better play dumb for now.

"You’ve mistaken me for someone else, ma’am."

Anna laughed uproariously, "Stop pretending, Mr. Good Guy. Every piece of food captured by a succubus gets marked, for easy collection later. Dear, you’ve got my mark on you, a mark only a succubus can see."

"!!!" William followed Anna’s gaze, starting to search his body.

Anna let out an enticing laugh, and as William rifled through the clothes on his body, his arm had already fallen into the softness of Anna. The gloss on her lips left a mark on William’s earlobe. She whispered like a siren.

"Stop searching, my dear, we have serious matters to attend to. Let me quench your thirst first." Anna’s voice was laden with poison, rendering William powerless, only able to be led away by her support.

"Enchantment..."

"Yes, my dear, once a creature is enchanted just once, it will fall into my trap, sinking deeper and deeper. Don’t worry, as long as I erase your memory with alcohol, I’ll let you go. You seem to be worth more now."

No, it shouldn’t be like this, I still have something to pursue.

William didn’t know where the strength came from, but he swung his arms, pushed Anna away, and his weak body fell to the ground, gasping for air.

Anna stood like a stunned stake, her beautiful eyes showing surprise as she watched the figure slowly rise from the muddy ground.

"You broke free from the enchantment..."

William felt the strength gradually returning to his body and looked towards Anna again, the pressure not as severe as before. It was progress, he thought, a smile creeping onto his sweat-lined face.

"I am capable of growth, don’t underestimate humans."

Anna watched his ungraceful smile, "A human charmed by a succubus, they only become more affected by the charm over time. It’s rarer to escape after being enchanted than not to be charmed at all."

"Is that so? Thank you for the valuable information, I am glad to know I am so exceptional." William straightened his disheveled clothing, looking at Anna as if saying goodbye to a dark past.

"Goodbye, Miss Anna, I have other things to tend to."

"You can’t go!" Anna instinctively blocked him.

"I think otherwise, you can’t charm me now, and I am stronger than you, even if you were in your complete form, I’d be a bit stronger."

"You did see it, my secret."

"Hm? That half armor? I promise I won’t tell, now could you make way?"

The succubus Anna glared at him, "Expecting a man to keep a promise is like betting on the Demon Race’s soul lottery and winning the jackpot."

William’s patience wore thin with Anna’s persistence, "Woman! What can you do to me?"

Anna’s expressionless face held a small metal piece between her slender fingers, marked with Light and Shadow Zone, Cromandy Wayne. "You’re trying to sneak into the Light and Shadow Zone?"

"What if I am? Are you going to denounce me?"

Anna shook her head, "You’ve been deceived. I’ve heard a bit about the smuggling business in the Dark Third District. It’s easy to get an identity card for the Light and Shadow Zone because it’s a chaotic place that’s hard to manage, which means your name card wouldn’t have cost more than two Olious. The real difficulty is your place of residence. Unlike other areas, because it’s hard to manage, the Light and Shadow Zone requires your ID to be bound to your residence or work location, otherwise, you’ll be expelled. So, your smuggling attempt has failed."

A scheming smile returned to Anna’s face. "I can help you, on the condition that you keep my secret."

"How can you help me?"

"The Bloody Rose Bar is hiring a new cleaner. Lady Beatrice would definitely be interested in a Second Ring Elementalist cleaner. The Bloody Rose Bar will become your workplace."

William weighed the pros and cons internally and finally gritted his teeth in agreement. "Fine, I accept."

"Good." Anna finally breathed a sigh of relief, puffing out her chest, regaining her previous confident demeanor.

"Newcomer, tell sister Anna your real name, don’t tell me you’re a fool who uses their real name on a name card."

"William. So, Anna isn’t your real name either?"

"Hmph, I won’t tell you my real name, William."

Tch, I’ve been played again. William looked at the self-satisfied Anna in front of him, her fluffy blonde hair blending with the sunlight.