Could this be a side-proof that the Knowledge World is real? Perhaps the theory that this city serves as a conduit to that realm was correct after all; it seemed his seven mana stones hadn't been wasted.

  At least, that was how Tars chose to see it. Perhaps the Knowledge World was even more terrifying than the descriptions suggested—so much so that the full wizards didn't dare enter the city, or even show their faces in the vicinity. Or, perhaps the treasures within were simply outdated, and the Great Wizards had discovered far more advanced fruits of research elsewhere, making the risk not worth the reward.

  Regardless, if the Knowledge World truly was the deterrent, then among this crowd of wizard apprentices, he was likely the one with the most profound lack of knowledge, right? Wouldn't that make him the safest? Perhaps only those few young wild wizards could compete with him in the arena of pure ignorance.

  Tars felt a strange surge of confidence in his own lack of learning. His rank as an apprentice was low, and he had spent so long huddled in a kobold den that his worldly experience was pitifully thin—so thin, in fact, that it felt like armor.

  The crowd watched the distant city in hushed anticipation. Tars felt a nudge of intuition and glanced around, searching for any sign of the half-man.

  Suddenly, a collective gasp went up from the onlookers. Even from this distance, it was obvious: the nameless, bizarre city had just expanded, growing noticeably larger.

  Tars watched the expansion along with the others, the various theories echoing in his mind. During their earlier conversation, Kanaya had leaned toward the theory of the city being a massive alchemical construct, or perhaps a hybrid of the latter two hypotheses: a specialized "City of Eternal Life" designed specifically to summon "The Answer."

  He wondered if that ancient wizard had succeeded. If so, he must be a legendary figure by now; if not, he had likely vanished into the long river of history.

  Tars blinked. If the half-man didn't show up, he was really just here to watch the show like the other wild wizards. He had no idea what Master Nitely's actual commission was; he only knew that step one was capturing the little insectoid, and if that failed, they were to move to step two. Now, it seemed step two involved entering the city itself.

  His agreement with the half-man concerned pure dragon blood. His interpretation was that the half-man wanted him here because, once inside the city, he would be assisted in obtaining something of that nature.

  He looked at the people flanking him and decided that if entry became possible, he would follow the apprentices who had accepted Nitely's commission. He wanted to see how the "professionals" handled things and what hazards to avoid; the wild wizards surely knew far less.

  Suddenly, a streak of fire cut through the darkness.

  Whoever had cast it possessed a speed Tars had never seen—the projectile was several times faster than his own Firebolt. The bolt didn't target the city; instead, it shot into the upper reaches of the cavern, forcing a small figure out of hiding.

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  The little crybaby insectoid?

  Tars felt a sudden gust of wind as Bahunt rocketed forward, landing in the clearing before the lizardman camp.

  Boom!

  With a deafening roar, Bahunt slammed his fist into the ground, cratering the center of the clearing right in front of everyone. The burgeoning clamor of the crowd instantly fell into a dead silence. Taking advantage of the distraction, the little insectoid vanished back into the shadows.

  The space rippled again, and the Mystery City grew larger once more.

  "Bahunt, we are trying to complete Master Nitely's task," someone shouted, stepping forward. Several others followed suit. Simultaneously, a few apprentices Tars hadn't met before moved to stand with Bahunt.

  "Do you really think that city is so wonderful? Look around—not a single full wizard has appeared."

  "Fulfilling Master Nitely's request and exchanging it for the reward is the only wise choice."

  Voices rose in agreement, one after another. Most people stayed on the sidelines, watching the drama unfold; they had their own stances but weren't in a hurry to declare them. Bahunt, however, seemed utterly unconcerned with being the "target." After smashing the crater, he simply stood there in silence.

  As far as Tars was concerned, he wanted to go inside. Getting a look at a place like that and broadening his horizons sounded like a treat.

  "The most valuable rewards can be claimed by three people. We can give you one share. As for the remaining two slots, we can wait until the insectoid is caught, and then the strongest among us will finish Master Nitely's mission."

  As they spoke, the city expanded again. The structures within were beginning to blur into focus. Tars scanned the area; he couldn't see through the crybaby's stealth. The creature had no wings but seemed to fly through the darkness effortlessly. If these people kept bickering, the opportunity would slip away.

  Interestingly, the Fire Guy was still calmly stirring his soup, showing absolutely no intention of interfering with Bahunt.

  "Troublesome," Bahunt finally grunted.

  "A ruin filled with treasure sits before you, and by some stroke of luck, no full wizards are present to claim it—yet you choose to give up," Bahunt said in a low, rumbling voice. "Since Master Nitely provided an alternative if the capture failed, it means an apprentice can survive that city. In my opinion, none of you are fit to walk the transcendent path."

  Tars, watching from the side, wanted to nod in fervent agreement. The wild wizards were likely delighted by this turn of events; they had no hope of completing a high-level commission anyway. Most of them had come specifically for the Mystery City, and any wild apprentice who made it this far possessed great courage.

  In Tars's eyes, there were two kinds of courage. One was the courage of having no other choice—the reality for most wild wizards. Apprentices from established lineages, who had access to resources, lacked this "great courage" because they had options. Their paths might be difficult, but their struggles couldn't compare to the desperation of a wild apprentice.

  "Has Karyu stopped playing tricks on you with his spells? Do we need to help him kick your ass again?"

  A mocking voice rang out from the crowd. It was the apprentice Tars had seen before, the one with the heavy armored guards. His dark robes looked low-key but were actually made of exquisite fabric. This time, he held a gnarled wooden staff topped with a massive black crystal—clearly a valuable artifact.

  Tars's small head darted back and forth, watching the two men. Since he knew Karyu's name, this man was clearly an old acquaintance of Bahunt. The moment he appeared, the other apprentices fell quiet.

  Zip! Another Firebolt!

  This one was even faster, flanked by two spiraling lines of flame that looked like twin tails.

  Clap! The little insectoid was once again forced out of hiding with pinpoint accuracy. It had indeed been creeping toward the city. Suddenly, a black claw manifested out of thin air, snatching the little crybaby and pinning it in place.