I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 654: Gathering

Chapter 654: Gathering

Nighttime, somewhere unknown.

In the darkness, a kerosene lamp lit up by itself.

The dim yellow flame flickered once inside the glass shade before stabilizing, illuminating a small, hazy patch of space around it.

Stone slabs on the floor, rough brick walls, and a staircase that stretched endlessly into the distance.

This place resembled a basement, yet it was deeper, colder, and the air felt far more stagnant than any ordinary one.

One by one, kerosene lamps lit up, outlining an oval-shaped space in the darkness.

The space was not large—enough to hold twenty or thirty people at most.

There were no windows on the walls, only a low iron door. No light seeped through its seams.

These silhouettes seemed to “condense” directly out of the air.

First came blurred outlines, as if someone were quickly sketching with charcoal on black paper.

Then the outlines sharpened, lines turned solid, and transparency became opacity.

In just a few seconds, over a dozen figures in black robes appeared within the glow of the kerosene lamps.

They stood in a circle, facing the center.

Their hoods concealed most of their faces, revealing only chins and mouths.

None of the black-robed figures spoke upon meeting. The only sound was the faint sizzling of the kerosene lamp wicks burning.

The person standing in the center was a head taller than the rest. The material of his black robe was slightly different, resembling glossy satin. Dark silver patterns embroidered along the edge of his hood shimmered faintly in the firelight.

“Half a month has passed, and the Shadow Thief still has not returned. The collection of life force has been interrupted for half a month.” The central figure spoke, his voice low and unhurried, as if stating an already confirmed fact. “It can be confirmed that it has been captured.”

No one around spoke, but lips beneath the hoods tightened slightly.

“Over the past half month, the Spirit Medium Association’s controls have clearly tightened. Most of our supply channels have been cut off, and personnel movement has been restricted. Until the situation becomes clear, all contact frequency is to be reduced to the minimum.” The central figure paused. “Unless you receive direct orders from me, do not initiate contact.”

The black-robed figures standing in the circle nodded slightly.

“Meeting adjourned.”

The central figure did not wave his hand, yet the other black-robed people dispersed one after another.

Some figures faded and vanished, some turned toward the low iron door, and some stood in place for a moment before slowly disappearing.

In the end, only two people remained.

One tall, one short. The tall one was the person who had stood in the center and spoken.

The short one stood to his right, hood pulled extremely low, nearly covering their entire face.

“The Shadow Thief was not captured by the Spirit Medium Association.” The tall figure spoke again, his voice much lower than when he had addressed the group, as if discussing something no third person should hear.

“Are you certain?” The short figure’s voice was soft, making it impossible to distinguish gender.

“At the very least, I have not received any related information. If the Spirit Medium Association had truly captured the Shadow Thief, I would definitely know.” The tall black-robed figure spoke casually. From his words, it was clear he held a very high position within the Spirit Medium Association.

The short figure remained silent for a few seconds. “So it was a third party.”

“Yes, a third party.” The tall figure’s tone carried a rare gravity. “It seems there are others in Mist Capital—neither from the Association nor from us—who seized the Shadow Thief before we could.”

“This means that person also knew the Association’s internal operation details and possessed the ability to complete the capture without alerting the Association.”

“Not just knowing the Association’s intelligence.” The tall figure turned to face the short one.

His gaze beneath the hood fell on the other’s face. Though the eyes could not be seen clearly, the weight behind that gaze was real. “To capture the Shadow Thief so silently, that person’s understanding of The Strange is probably no less than that of the Association’s top researchers. It may even run deeper.”

Another stretch of silence.

The kerosene lamp flame flickered once in the faint air, causing the two figures’ shadows to sway on the wall.

“What about the previous plan…?” the short figure asked.

“I will find a substitute for the Shadow Thief.” The tall figure answered without hesitation. “Additionally, since the Shadow Thief was captured by a third party, release the Rift Dweller.”

The short figure’s body shifted slightly, as if suppressing some instinctive reaction. “The Rift Dweller… releasing it now—wouldn’t the risk be too great?”

“The risk is great, but it must be done.” The tall figure’s voice was firm, allowing no room for discussion. “The Shadow Thief and the Rift Dweller are twin Stranges, our most core asset. The Shadow Thief steals life force, while the Rift Dweller ensures the Shadow Thief cannot escape. Now that the Shadow Thief is lost, keeping the Rift Dweller serves no purpose. But it still has its uses… it can locate the Shadow Thief.”

“You mean…”

“The connection between the Rift Dweller and the Shadow Thief is bidirectional. Wherever the Shadow Thief is, the Rift Dweller can sense it. Even if the Shadow Thief is sealed in a container, even if locked down by layers of sealing runes, that connection will not completely disappear. This is determined by their very nature and cannot be severed by any sealing technique.”

The tall figure raised his hand, palm facing upward.

There was nothing in his palm, yet when the short figure’s gaze fell upon that hand, their pupils contracted slightly.

“Release the Rift Dweller.” The tall figure’s voice was calm to the point of being chilling. “Let it search. When it finds the Shadow Thief’s location, it will inevitably trigger large-scale Strange fluctuations.”

“At that time, an obvious Strange crisis will appear in that area. We only need to watch the Association’s movements and see where they dispatch people to roughly identify who captured the Shadow Thief.”

“And then?”

“And then,” the tall figure withdrew his hand, “we will know who this third party is. Whether it is a single individual or an organization. Whether they only want to study The Strange or have other goals. Once we understand these things, we can decide how to deal with them.”

The short figure stayed silent for a long time before finally nodding.

“I will make the arrangements.”

The tall figure said nothing more.

His figure began to fade, starting from his feet, as if being “erased” upward from the ground by some force.

A few seconds later, he vanished completely from the space.

The short figure stood in place, facing the empty basement. The kerosene lamp flames burned in circles around him.

He lowered his head and glanced at his own palm.

In the center of his palm was a nearly invisible black pattern extending from the base of his fingers all the way to his wrist.

The pattern squirmed faintly in the firelight.

That was the Rift Dweller.

The short figure clenched his fist, turned, and walked toward the low iron door.

The iron door closed behind him with a heavy thud.

One by one, the kerosene lamps extinguished, and darkness once again filled the entire space.