Gravity Mage with Level-Up System Chapter 1818: Part 2: Day out at the city

Crystal City - Public Square

While savoring my meal further, the stares from the crowd seemed to grow sharper with each passing moment.

The driver felt a surge of concern. He noticed the attention fixed on Shop Owner Frank and suspected that several onlookers had already recognized him.

Shop Owner Frank had risen to fame lately. His image had circulated widely, and many likely viewed his online videos.

How could anyone overlook that mask? The driver figured it wouldn't be long before someone approached to bother him.

After draining the last of my soup, I prepared to settle the bill. That's when I spotted a figure heading my way. Brushing it off, I handed the shopkeeper payment covering both our shares.

The driver grew restless. He was eager to whisk Shop Owner Frank away to safety.

"Hey. Stop right there!" a middle-aged man bellowed.

At the sound, I spun around to face him, a brief spark lighting up my gaze.

"What is it?" I inquired.

"Are you Shop Owner Frank?" the middle-aged man demanded.

In response, I shook my head and replied, "No."

"Then why are you wearing the mask?"

"Remove the mask!" The middle-aged man advanced, blocking my path.

His demand sent a chill through my eyes. The driver recoiled in surprise, sensing the man's hostile intent.

"What are you doing?" the driver exclaimed, rushing forward to get between them.

The driver wasn't a formidable wizard. As a mere level-7 wizard, he paled against the level-9 strength of the middle-aged man.

Anger flared in the middle-aged man. He glared down at the driver with eyes brimming with scorn and superiority.

The commotion drew the surrounding crowd's interest. They observed from afar, yet no one moved to assist. They simply spectated the unfolding drama.

Fear gripped the driver. He was aware of Shop Owner Frank's true identity. Before he could react, the middle-aged man prepared to strike.

"Hmph," I snorted coldly.

The middle-aged man trembled violently. An overwhelming force bore down on him, threatening to shatter his very core. A wave of mortal danger washed over him: attacking the driver would spell his instant doom.

Snapping back to reality, the middle-aged man noticed the swelling throng all eyes on him. He hastily retreated from the scene. The onlookers sighed in letdown, having hoped for a clash.

I faced the driver and instructed him to fire up the vehicle.

Swoosh!

The car sped off. I directed the driver back to the Crystal Community. Word of this would spread fast, making it unwise to linger. I'd already caught glimpses of phones snapping photos and videos.

20 Minutes Later

We arrived at the Crystal Community. The driver let me out at the entrance gate. Exiting the vehicle, I compensated him with a mid-grade mana stone.

Joy lit up the driver's face. He anticipated some reward from Shop Owner Frank, but a mid-grade mana stone exceeded his hopes. Gratefully accepting it, he drove away. I proceeded into the community, heading toward the shop.

The lines of customers persisted. Dusk was nearly upon us.

"Shop Owner Frank!"

"It’s nice to meet you."

"Shop Owner, can you appraise this item for me?"

Customers called out greetings one by one. I acknowledged them with nods before entering the mansion. In the gallery room, I found patrons still browsing. After a brief scan, I withdrew to my private quarters.

Safely inside, I shifted to the Gregor Mansion. There, I unloaded every book from the system space onto the ground. Moments later, I rematerialized in my room, awaiting the shop's closing time.

Soon enough, the team gathered for a meeting. All were curious about my outing. I described it as a leisurely jaunt, mentioning visits to a few spots.

With the discussion wrapped up, I transported the Zero Puppet back to the mansion. I commanded it to absorb the books' contents into its database. The Zero Puppet dove right into the reading.

The Next Morning

The routine day kicked off normally. Rather than venturing out, I remained in the office.

The Zero Puppet positioned itself behind me, facing the gallery room. It had devoured every volume and cataloged the data. Occasionally, I probed it for specifics from the texts.

Those books detailed Crystal City's history. I gained insights into the Wizard families and the Wizard Association—their origins, formations, and the era's top wizards.

This allowed me to trace the magical city's evolution through time.

Even more captivating were the accounts of journeys to the satellite cities.

Certain cities stood on "forbidden areas." These perilous zones had been purged by elite wizards of the Mage Union. Subsequently, satellite cities rose on those reclaimed grounds. Such revelations caught me off guard.

Time Passed

More visitors flowed into the gallery room, yet no disruptions had erupted so far. Still, I remained uncertain about when the Green Elemental Tower's schemes would strike.

...

Green Elemental Tower

The leaders bided their time for the right moment. Amid handling various affairs, they deployed agents to neutralize their foes.

Shop Owner Frank ranked among their marks, though viewed as a small nuisance. Their main efforts focused on locating Vincent Carey.

To date, they drew blanks on his position. Meanwhile, the operatives assigned to sabotage the appraisal shop moved to execute their plot.

Their scheme involved implicating Frank and tarnishing the shop's standing. Agents were en route to Crystal City.

They aimed to submit a profoundly malevolent artifact for appraisal, then attempt its sale.

Should Shop Owner Frank be linked to such a wicked relic, the Mage Union would show no mercy. Harsh penalties awaited him.

They craved exactly this level of catastrophe.