Chapter 65: The Superstar Heisenberg

This is an era of emotional coldness and indifference, yet the Beyond and Ivy have displayed an unprecedented team spirit. At this point, Ethan feels compelled to single out and criticize classmate Ivy, as he now seriously suspects that this girl has recently forgotten her identity as a devout follower of the God of Truth.

Shouldn't a hardcore believer in the God of Truth cast aside all personal emotions and emotionlessly treat subordinates as expendable resources?

And what on earth is the meaning of that golden tuft of hair on top of Ivy's head, striking a pose that practically screams, "You're definitely going to live, leave it to us!"? You are merely a single cowlick, how could you possibly bear the weight of another person's life?

"It's settled then. Before we set off, we need further intelligence."

Ivy brought the discussion to a close with a decisive wave of her hand. "Ethan, come with me to Mugram's shop. Chloe, bring all the stimulants with you—they might just produce miraculous results."

Since matters had reached this point, Ethan had no room left to argue. As for his good brothers, the Assemblers, all he could do was wish them good luck.

He sincerely hoped his good brothers would exercise extreme caution around the Beyond. Despite her slender arms and legs, she was actually one of the most formidable fighters in the entire Empire.

Ethan returned to his room to change into a suit, selecting a skin he had affectionately named "Riverwood Yanzu," and followed Ivy once again on the road to Hearthstone Bay. However, compared to his very first trip, he was already thoroughly familiar with the route.

Stepping onto the deck of the merchant vessel once more, Ivy noticed something was amiss almost immediately. Within the span of traversing less than a hundred meters, she heard the name "Heisenberg" uttered at least seven times. Most of those discussing Heisenberg were dressed as hunters and mercenaries. As they passed the magic scroll shop, the entrance was crammed with a dense crowd. A shirtless, giant brute was aggressively arguing with the owner of the magic scroll shop.

The onlookers were equally filled with righteous indignation, blocking the guards outside.

Ivy squeezed through the crowd to listen in. The shirtless giant, wearing a metal helmet, was cursing loudly right in front of the counter: "What kind of Ice Arrow scrolls are you selling? They couldn't even kill a few Bigfoots! Take a good look at my head—it was because of your shoddy, counterfeit scrolls that my head got smashed flat by a Bigfoot!"

Even though this was clearly a serious and tragic matter, someone in the crowd couldn't help snickering.

When the giant yanked off his helmet, people finally saw that the top of his head resembled a dented tin can, allowing hunters to vividly imagine the unfortunate fellow getting bludgeoned right in the forehead by a Bigfoot wielding a wooden club.

Ivy paused to listen for a moment, grasping the general situation.

The incident began the previous night when several individuals claiming to be staff members of Old Sen's Magic Scroll Shop handed out around twenty complimentary Ice Arrow scrolls on the deck. The first batch of hunters to receive the magic scrolls were shocked to discover that these items were vastly superior to guns and crossbows. After completing their missions, they eagerly rushed back to Hearthstone Bay to inquire everywhere about Old Sen's Magic Scroll Shop.

At that point, the owner of the Archmage Magic Scroll Shop, boasting seven years of sales experience, spotted a business opportunity. He hung a sign at his storefront reading, "Make Elemental Magic Great Again," and bragged that the elemental magic scrolls in his shop were personally crafted by academy instructors, making them infinitely superior to the offerings of some unknown, unverified wild mages.

Many hunters swallowed the pitch hook, line, and sinker, buying up all the basic elemental magic scrolls in the store.

Then, when night fell, the hunters and mercenaries who had suffered immensely as a result stormed the magic scroll shop. For a time, even the guards found it inconvenient to intervene, because this wasn't merely a simple disturbance—numerous people were accusing the store manager of intentionally selling counterfeit and inferior goods.

In Hearthstone Bay, this was a remarkably grave accusation. Once verified, the manager would not only be forced to pay a massive compensation sum but would also be ordered to close down and undergo rectifications.

Facing the furious verbal onslaught of the hunters and mercenaries, the shopkeeper looked on the verge of tears.

Yet Ivy, completely unfazed by the charged atmosphere at the scene, grew thoroughly bewildered. She patted Ethan on the shoulder and sought confirmation in confusion, "The Ice Arrow scrolls they were talking about... are those the ones they meant?"

"Mhm."

"And the one who smashed his head in with a wooden club was a Bigfoot, right?"

"Mhm, that's right."

"Whose Ice Arrow scroll could possibly injure a Bigfoot? Isn't this clearly a scam?"

The wildly exaggerated scene actually caused Ivy to doubt her own judgment. As a native-born citizen of the Imperial Capital, nobody grew up without knowing about Bigfoots—they were humanoid monsters inhabiting the depths of the snow-capped mountains in the northern reaches of the Empire. An adult Bigfoot stood nearly five meters tall, possessed thick skin and dense flesh, and was completely impervious to arrows and bullets alike.

These monsters also wielded weapons, typically two-meter-long clubs, and could launch ranged attacks by hurling massive boulders. Many years ago, a tribe of Bigfoots had launched an assault on the Imperial Capital, and it took the deployment of an elite knight order for the Empire to completely eradicate them.

Consequently, whenever children in the Imperial Capital cried or refused to sleep, adults would always use Bigfoots to frighten them.

"Naughty children who don't behave will be snatched away and eaten by a Bigfoot."

Any child in the Imperial Capital who had never heard this phrase was destined to have an incomplete childhood.

How could Ice Arrow, the most elementary of elemental spells, possibly injure a Bigfoot?

"Old Sen's Ice Arrows can."

Ethan said solemnly. He owed a debt of gratitude to Mr. Bigfoot, as the creature had allowed his Ice Arrow proficiency to skyrocket. Noticing Ivy's puzzled gaze, he added, "That's what the hunters and mercenaries say, at least they believe Old Sen's Ice Arrows can hurt a Bigfoot."

"That magic scroll shop is genuinely something else."

Someone who had overheard the conversation between Ivy and Ethan proactively joined in.

His withered skin, resembling a dead tree, made him particularly conspicuous in the crowd. Old Mu strolled over leisurely and remarked, "The staff member from that shop also came to my place and left three magic scrolls behind. I handed them to a few C-tier field investigators, and they ended up using those scrolls to obliterate a super-dangerous containment object."

Hearing Old Mu say this made Ivy give the matter some credence. She pressed further, asking, "Where is this elemental evoker named Heisenberg right now?"

The sudden appearance of a mysterious elemental evoker, coupled with unusual ice-element magic, made her internal radar start pinging. She added, "Is he male or female?"

"Male. Does that matter?"

Old Mu looked somewhat perplexed, yet upon hearing Heisenberg's gender, he noticed a deep sense of disappointment cross Ivy's face.

Why was this young lady engaging in gender discrimination?

What was wrong with a male elemental evoker?

The chilling sea wind on the deck made his hands and feet cold, prompting him to instinctively defend Heisenberg (Male): "Don't underestimate Heisenberg. He's currently the hottest rising star in Hearthstone Bay, and the people waiting to find him could line up the entire harbor! Word has it that he even offers high-end private custom services to clients. How did that advertisement go again? Ah right, a damn-good custom service!"

At this point, Old Mu shrugged. "It's just a pity that nobody can find him right now. You guys don't seem short on cash either; if by some miracle you happen to run into Heisenberg, you should definitely commission a few extra magic scrolls from him. Absolutely top-notch!"

In truth, Old Mu felt that the sign at the Archmage Scroll Shop was probably not entirely wrong. Recent events had given him a faint, lingering premonition.

The age of elemental magic was about to return once more!