Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 1543 - 531: Sudden Upheaval and Chaos

"Heh heh, Stuttgart, you remain just as hasty as ever."

A voice laced with subtle malice echoed from every direction!

All at once, the earth in the middle of the Isodre School square gave way, exposing a multitude of tightly clustered openings.

These openings differed greatly in scale, the tiniest ones matching a hand's breadth, while the biggest stretched more than two meters wide. Right after, countless black-banded arachnids of differing dimensions crawled up from below.

From a wider burrow emerged a slender figure clad in a hooded black cloak.

Rein had sensed faint watching presences from several sides moments earlier. Yet this watchfulness stayed subtle enough, and amid the crowd of Isodre School wizards nearby, locating its source proved challenging.

At last, he grasped how the foe employed these strange arachnids to form a web of observation much like a monitoring array.

That's why, in the fight just ended, he'd held back much of his power, avoiding moves like Bloodline Transformation or Shadow Shifting.

Furthermore, upon spotting this cloaked individual, Rein swiftly linked him to prior intelligence he'd reviewed.

A few months back, following Staven's botched attempt on his life, he'd delved into records on the Tutkash School.

This figure was none other than Graham, head of the Tutkash School, an uncommon undead specialist at the Dawn rank. Above all, rumors held that the Evil God Nael Breccan had already tainted him.

In stark contrast to Rein's steady composure.

The pair of senior Isodre School wizards shared a profound look, each catching traces of worry, astonishment, and incredulity in the other's gaze.

"That's Graham of the Tutkash School!" cried out one of the school's Liquidized wizards.

"Sect Leader... The Sect Leader is truly in cahoots with the Tutkash School!" another voice uttered in utter dismay.

"It all makes sense now! No surprise our patrol reports went ignored. The Sect Leader has been allied with the Tutkash School all along!"

"Curse it, Yuri, your death was for nothing. Never imagined the betrayer was the Sect Leader himself!" a Fog Wizard muttered with clenched teeth, recalling how his beloved had perished in the clash against the Tutkash School.

Just as Rein had foreseen, the majority of Isodre School wizards had fallen victim to the deceptions of Stuttgart and Deputy Sect Leader Malcolm.

"Tsk tsk, so youthful, yet you've reached High Rank Wizard status at Dawn Late Stage. Lord Rein, you've caught me off guard!" Graham doffed his hood, baring a wan, gaunt visage. He offered Rein a faint grin and remarked.

"Thanks, but I can do without praise from a fellow who skulks in burrows like a rodent," Rein replied with poise.

"You!" Rein's retort instantly wiped the grin from Graham's features.

"Such a shame, for a prodigy of your caliber to meet his end here on the Shirendil Plateau." Graham dropped the feigned amiability, glaring at Rein with raw hostility.

"Is that so? Just with your help?" Rein shot him a sidelong look, then eyed the slain Gorlon Giant's remains, pressing on:

"You assisted in reviving the Gorlon Giant, right? I suspect you kept the full story from Stuttgart. Though the Gorlon Giant might end up as a full undead, its true controller likely won't be Stuttgart—more like you!"

"Or rather, the being you serve."

Rein’s statement caused a brief twitch on Graham's ashen, wicked countenance.

"Graham, is what he says accurate?" Stuttgart's face grew stormy, his stare locked on Graham as he demanded.

"Impossible, Stuttgart! Don't you realize Rein's just aiming to drive a wedge between us?" Graham shot back without delay.

Graham's response caused Stuttgart to waver briefly. Indeed, his point held weight, and Rein offered no concrete proof regarding the Gorlon Giant issue.

"How lamentable." Rein shook his head with a sigh, adding, "Stuttgart, take a glance around. These odd spiders have encircled us entirely, and it seems they've schemed against you and the Isodre School for quite some time."

"Rubbish! These odd spiders exist to take you down."

"Attack!" Graham flicked his hand, sending the throng of bizarre spiders surging at Rein.

Stuttgart hadn't yet mulled over Rein's warning when Graham drew a shadowy etched wooden case from within his robes and flung it open. Contained therein pulsed a heart-shaped item glowing with fierce amber radiance, thrust into Stuttgart's view.

"Stuttgart, behold what I've procured for you!" Graham cooed in a seductively persuasive tone.

"The Earth Core?" Stuttgart's features eased at once, his regard for Graham warming noticeably.

"You've actually located the Earth Core!"

Stuttgart's gaze, brimming with astonishment, clung to the wooden case, refusing to shift.

The Earth Core ranks as a superior relic compared to the Earth Element Essence, extractable solely from beasts such as Mountain Giants, Hill Giants, and Gorlon Giants—entities innately gifted with supreme earth element control.

To elite Earth Wizards of High Rank, its draw proves irresistibly potent; it serves to amplify strength and forge diverse High Rank Witch Artifacts.

Yet with the extinction of these legendary or near-divine monsters, sourcing an Earth Core has grown immensely rare.

"Naturally, I vowed that after spreading the exotic spider lairs evenly over the Shirendil Plateau, we'd definitely uncover an Earth Core."