Chapter 371 - 252: You Are a Wizard?
Lin Qi’s goal was almost perfectly achieved, and he remained neatly hidden behind the scenes.
Besides these direct goals, Aishwarya, in her capacity as a Wizard, had also fired the first shot in the resistance against the Witch Hunt. Although her motives weren’t pure, Lin Qi, as a Wizard Professional, was definitely a beneficiary.
As long as his own safety was guaranteed, Lin Qi was willing to lend Aishwarya a hand, helping her recover her peak combat strength and mending their relationship in the process.
...
Meanwhile, Aishwarya, who was controlling the Black Domain in a standoff with Billson, saw Baili Xueyuan arrive. A smile had just appeared on her face when she felt the terminal in her pocket vibrate.
"The Asian Administrative Region does not permit combat at the S-Class or Tier Four Extraordinary level. You two have broken the rules."
Baili Xueyuan’s voice was very cold. At this moment, she was not representing the Assassin Alliance’s Mercenary Corps, but rather the Eastern Alliance, the powerful entity that sets the rules.
Aishwarya spoke up, "The European broke the rules. The Big Business Alliance was merely taking out the trash in accordance with our agreement with the Eastern Alliance. Since the Eastern Alliance has decided to take over, I’ll leave it to you."
Although this was Alliance City, Aishwarya’s behavior showed that it was not the Big Business Alliance that had the real say in the Asian Administrative Region.
Even a permanent council member had to act within the framework of the rules.
Aishwarya had already achieved her goal; there was no need for her to remain in the spotlight.
Baili Xueyuan glanced at Aishwarya. She knew Aishwarya wasn’t innocent in this, but there was no longer any need to pursue the matter.
Her gaze shifted to Billson, the injured Round Table Knight.
Billson knew in his heart that he had lost this round.
But the good news was that he had just received a message: Ludwig had successfully escaped and was on his way to rendezvous with the Sword in the Stone.
As long as Ludwig got away clean, the Sword in the Stone would be safe, and the plan, despite its hitches, could be considered complete.
Facing the gaze of Baili Xueyuan, the Tier Four Blood Robe, Billson said, "I refuse to communicate with you until a diplomat from the European Political Zone Big Business Alliance arrives."
The Round Table was the enforcement arm of the European Political Zone Big Business Alliance; they were only responsible for getting things done.
This kind of situation was not for Billson to handle.
Similarly, Baili Xueyuan couldn’t really do much to Billson. Although the European Political Zone Big Business Alliance would certainly pay a price for this incident, it wasn’t within the purview of Extraordinary Professionals like them to handle.
All Baili Xueyuan could do was take Billson back and temporarily detain him.
The nature of the Assassin Alliance was actually not much different from the Round Table, except the Assassin Alliance was far more discreet.
...
Aishwarya had already returned to her exclusive Floating Vehicle, designated for a permanent council member, and took out her terminal.
She saw the message from Lin Qi.
She reached back and touched her own back, feeling a dull ache. The spot where her kidney should be had been temporarily replaced with a prosthetic.
Although Aishwarya’s medical team had cloning technology, it would take at least a month to grow a new organ, and the final product would not be perfectly compatible with the body of a Tier Four Extraordinary.
Aishwarya would need a very long time to perfectly integrate the cloned kidney with her own body.
This process might take more than three years.
The "payment" Lin Qi promised was a very tempting offer for Aishwarya.
But what still puzzled Aishwarya was that she couldn’t figure out which faction Lin Qi belonged to.
He seemed somewhat connected to the Eastern Alliance, but his methods were completely at odds with their people.
How will you help me recover? I need to consider it.
Aishwarya was no longer beholden to Lin Qi; the two of them had returned to a position of equals.
Upon receiving Aishwarya’s reply, Lin Qi didn’t bother with a lengthy explanation.
Go to Weiming Prosthetic Clinic at 20 Alliance Road, a subsidiary of Kudou Human Body Engineering Company, now. I will help you recover there. You have one hour.
Lin Qi didn’t want to say too much to Aishwarya. Although he wanted to repair their relationship to some extent, he wasn’t about to beg her.
For Lin Qi, this was just a matter of convenience.
Aishwarya frowned. The other party was still maintaining that high-and-mighty attitude.
It really pissed her off.
Back when she was just a nobody in New Reid City, she had hated it when people acted all high and mighty.
She had worked so hard for so many years, even becoming a permanent council member of the Big Business Alliance, yet here was someone still trying to lord it over her.
’Wasn’t all that effort for nothing?!’
Despite being pissed off, Aishwarya thought it over and concluded she still had to go.
Although it seemed she had pulled off an incredible comeback today, playing the Europeans and becoming a symbol of the Wizard Professionals’ resistance against the Witch Hunt, in her current position, she needed to act with even more caution.
Her Tier Four Peak strength gave her the confidence to face anything.
But a weakness in her combat power that would last for at least three years could easily become a fatal flaw to be exploited.
If the Europeans used the Holy Light again, Aishwarya would find it very difficult to withstand.
Once she transformed into her Tentacle Monster form and then reverted to her original state, she would instantly suffer fatal injuries.
"Take me to Weiming Prosthetic Clinic, 20 Alliance Road."
Aishwarya gave the order directly. Although things were still bustling outside, it had little to do with her anymore.
Her security team would handle the subsequent clean-up.
The exclusive Floating Vehicle, befitting a permanent council member, left the cordoned-off core area and headed for Alliance Road.
...
The reason Lin Qi had chosen a Prosthetic Clinic under the Kudou Human Body Engineering Company was not for any particular special reason.
It was purely because the location was about nine hundred meters from the Alliance Mansion, making it convenient for Lin Qi to use his Ability.
Before Aishwarya arrived, Lin Qi used his power in advance to make the Prosthetic Doctor inside the clinic fall unconscious.
He hadn’t even considered the possibility that Aishwarya wouldn’t show up.
’What if she doesn’t come?’
’So what if she doesn’t come!’
’Then that Prosthetic Doctor who was having a perfectly nice day would have just fainted for nothing!’
’It’s no loss to me, anyway.’
’Remote operations, work-from-home, masterminding it all...’
As it turned out, Aishwarya did come.
She didn’t have her security team follow her and entered the Prosthetic Clinic alone. As soon as she was inside, she saw the Prosthetic Doctor passed out on the floor, still clutching some kind of second-hand Divine Iron Bull part.
Frowning slightly, Aishwarya knew that the person on the other end of the chat window was not in this Prosthetic Clinic.
’How could he possibly repair the body of a Tier Four Extraordinary without even showing his face?’
’And a Wizard’s body at that!’
Repairing a Wizard’s body was much more difficult than repairing those of other Extraordinary Professions.
Once a Wizard Professional surpassed Tier Three, their body developed a special resonance with their Spiritual Power on an Extraordinary level.
This was an effect that Wizard Professionals spent a great deal of time achieving at Tier Three.
She took out her terminal, and just as she was about to send a message to ask, a new one from Lin Qi arrived.
Lower the natural barrier your Spiritual Power forms around your body. Do not resist. I am only giving you one chance.
The same domineering tone. It still pissed Aishwarya off.
Though she was pissed off, Aishwarya’s actions were honest. She manipulated her Spiritual Power, temporarily leaving her body unprotected.
However, Aishwarya hadn’t let her guard down completely. With her mastery as a Tier Four Wizard, she could react instantly to any danger and take countermeasures.
Lin Qi, sitting in his room, tossed a Rapid Growth her way.
With the natural barrier of her Spiritual Power down, Aishwarya didn’t resist, and Lin Qi’s spell entered her body smoothly.
Targeted cell differentiation began, and new flesh and blood quietly grew.
With the properties of the Rapid Growth Ability, forget just growing Aishwarya a new pair of kidneys; he could even make her asexually reproduce a whole new Aishwarya.
However...
’Using Rapid Growth on a Tier Four Wizard consumes Spiritual Power this quickly?’
Lin Qi frowned and thought for a moment.
Then he tossed a Spiritual Power Absorption her way.
’Absorbing her Spiritual Power to restore her own body... that’s a form of self-sufficiency, I suppose.’
...
Aishwarya was astonished. She could feel herself being influenced by some kind of Extraordinary Power.
’Such strong healing power... The newly grown flesh and blood feels completely indistinguishable from my original...’
’What Extraordinary Profession’s power is this?’
Aishwarya mentally compared this power against all known Extraordinary Professions.
She couldn’t find a single Extraordinary Profession that matched.
In the realm of Extraordinary Professions, if an Ability had no known origin and no matching Profession...
...then there was only one possibility!
Aishwarya took out her terminal and sent a message: Are you a Wizard?