Gravity Mage with Level-Up System Chapter 1821: Placed in secret

Crystal City —Hotel

In the hotel, the elderly man and the three middle-aged individuals lingered. They anticipated the arrival of their local contact, uncertain if he had managed to offload the cursed artifact.

Before long, the local contact came back. He handed the item over to the old man and explained all that had transpired.

Upon discovering that Frank, the shop proprietor, had inspected the artifact himself and refused to purchase it, the local had no option except to bring it back.

Stunned by this news, the old man and his three companions stood frozen. Their backup scheme had collapsed in utter failure too.

Uncertainty gripped them about the next move. The elder felt bewildered. Eventually, they dismissed the local contact.

"What should we do next?" inquired one of the middle-aged men.

The old man stayed quiet. Returning without results wasn't an option. Fear gnawed at the three middle-aged men as well.

Suddenly, a cunning scheme formed in the old man's mind. Direct approaches having failed, an indirect tactic was necessary.

Over the following thirty minutes, they recruited another local helper. They directed him to deposit both the Black Box and the Red Book within the appraisal establishment.

Terror struck the local, yet the generous compensation from the old man proved irresistible. Refusing mid-grade mana stones was impossible.

Earning mana stones proves challenging without ties to a major organization. For ordinary locals, such mid-grade stones represent elusive treasures.

The local accepted the task. Clutching the two objects, he departed the location.

...

That evening, the local slipped into the Crystal Community. He joined the line swiftly to gain entry into the shop.

His purpose wasn't shopping or seeking appraisal services. Rather, he sought a spot to conceal the items.

His moment arrived promptly. He stepped inside the structure, passing by the seated old man in the chair.

The local displayed no odd behavior. This marked his initial visit. He proceeded to the gallery area, pretending to browse the exhibits.

Shoppers filled the gallery, examining the displays. Patrick and Otto mingled among them, engaging with the patrons.

Wasting no time, the local darted toward the exit door and stashed the Black Box and Red Book behind it.

Acting casual, he exited as though all was normal, departing the shop en route to the community gates.

Though Patrick and Otto overlooked the incident, the Zero Puppet observed it entirely. It promptly alerted the Master.

Receiving the update, I chose not to pursue. I allowed the intruder to depart first. Then, from the office, I headed to the gallery's entryway.

There, on the ground, lay the Black Box and Red Book. I retrieved them, storing them in the system space, before heading back to the office.

Throughout the sequence, my movements were rapid and discreet. Even Patrick and Otto remained unaware. Disappointment flickered in my gaze.

As Supreme Wizards, their vigilance fell short. They permitted an outsider to infiltrate, deposit the cursed artifacts, and escape undetected.

Worse still, Old Man Rock and Hank mirrored this lapse. No irregularities caught their attention.

Had they deployed mental power for surveillance, the intruder's maneuvers would have been impossible to miss.

Back in my quarters, I commanded the puppet to wipe all recordings from the very first day.

Plans include dismantling the current cameras and fitting superior models soon. Settling into the chair, I pondered the Green Elemental Tower.

Their intent to incriminate me was obvious. They resorted to extreme measures, smuggling prohibited items into my premises.

...

At the same time,

The local contact made his way back to the hotel, updating the old man and the group. Joy surged through them at the scheme's triumph.

The elder then compensated the local with mid-grade mana stones. Elated, he departed.

Excitement now buzzed among the old man and the three middle-aged men regarding the subsequent stage. The superiors would handle that part.

Thus, they vacated the hotel and swiftly exited Crystal City.

...

Midnight,

Within Gregor Mansion, I set down the Black Box and Red Book upon the floor. These artifacts carried a dark aura. Countless wizards had perished due to their influence.

Discovered in the Forbidden Area, they piqued my curiosity about SunHaven City; unlike Crystal City, it lacked such perilous lore.

Perhaps I ought to explore those forbidden zones, now reclassified as satellite cities. With that thought, I retired to bed.

...

The next morning,

News of the appraisal shop reached the Green Elemental Tower. The mission's issuers among the leadership felt relieved.

Now, alerting the Flame Elemental Tower was essential. Direct involvement wasn't required. The Flame Elemental Tower found itself entangled in the conflict.

Avoiding exposure, they reached out to allies within the Flame Elemental Tower.

The Flame Elemental Tower, still smarting from a prior humiliation, received word of the ploy. Astonishment gripped them.

They hadn't anticipated aid from the Green Elemental Tower. Handling ominous artifacts demands caution. Yet, driven by animosity toward the Silver Tower, the Green Elemental Tower took the risk.

They expected the Flame Elemental Tower to execute the remaining steps.

Joint action by the two Magic Towers against the appraisal shop would allow the Silver Tower to exploit the chaos within the Mage Union.

Hence, they sought the Flame Elemental Tower's assistance for immediate measures. Both towers' leaders were official members—Supreme Wizards and Level-9 Wizards.

To leverage the Magic Tower's authority, approval from Magic Lords and Forbidden Wizards was mandatory.

The Flame Elemental Tower escalated the issue to their Magic Lords.

Magic Lord Scott among them learned first, having previously guided the Tulip Auction House delegation to that very appraisal shop.