It didn’t take long for the two mages to catch up. They walked into the alley and saw Sebastian and Daniel, who had been waiting for them. One of the tall, thin men immediately smiled and said, “Please don’t misunderstand. We mean no harm. We simply want to have a conversation with you both, that’s all.”

“Exactly. The exchange office at the mysterious place has become a bit lackluster. I noticed that you two are quite familiar with the process when buying things. You seem to know exactly what you’re after. We just want to have a meaningful exchange of magic, if you’re open to it. What do you think?”

Daniel didn’t say much. He remained close to Sebastian, making sure he was safe. Of course, he also wanted to gauge Sebastian’s strength.

At least, judging by the Muggle-Repelling Charm Sebastian had cast earlier, it was clear that he wasn’t a novice. Although Sebastian was only sixteen or seventeen, there were many young wizards with extraordinary power. Daniel wasn’t surprised.

“An exchange… does that mean you want to communicate through magic?” Sebastian asked.

The two men shook their heads, smiling. “No, no, no, it’s not about ordinary communication. What we mean by ‘exchange’ is something that benefits both of us.”

“Every kind of magic has its own unique characteristics. If you’re too young and inexperienced, even the magic you’ve inherited cannot be fully understood.”

“Our idea of communication is based on this principle. You share your magic with us, and with our extensive experience, we can guide you in refining your magic practice. It’s a valuable opportunity for you, don’t you think?”

After hearing their words, Sebastian shook his head and chuckled. “You call this behavior—basically trying to steal magic from other mages—’communication,’ and you even dress it up so grandly. I have to admit, the two of you are really shameless. I’m impressed.”

“Isn’t it true?” The taller mage said with a grin. “I can tell from your voice that you’re very young and must still have a lot to learn about magic. We have years of experience, and I’m sure we could help you significantly.”

Before entering the secret place, Sebastian and Daniel had put on hooded robes, so the two mages couldn’t recognize their true identities. If they had, they would have immediately realized Daniel’s identity. It would have been impossible to mistake him for anyone else.

“Alright,” Sebastian said, his voice calm but firm. “I’ve heard what you had to say. I think it’s time for me to leave. You’ve seen that I have companions. If we wanted to communicate, we would do so on our own terms. As for your kind of communication, forget it. I’m not interested.”

The two individuals heard Sebastian’s words, and although the smiles on their faces didn’t change much, the warmth in their eyes had disappeared. They glanced at Sebastian, then at Daniel, before speaking slowly: “To reject the good intentions we’ve offered like this… you must understand that the wisdom of your elders should be embraced with an open mind, not dismissed in such a manner.”

“As a new mage, let us teach you the lesson of respecting your seniors.”

With a chuckle, Sebastian slowly raised his hands, took a step forward, and increased the distance between himself and Daniel. “After all this nonsense, you still want to fight, right? Come on! I’ve been waiting for you to make a move.”

This time, the two of them could no longer smile. They looked at Sebastian with an expression of disbelief. They feared that Sebastian and Daniel might be powerful mages, but after a moment of consideration, they regained confidence in their own abilities. Without hesitation, they moved toward Sebastian!

The shorter man, who had remained silent until now, suddenly raised his hand and waved at Sebastian. At the entrance of the alley, two large garbage bins flew up. The heavy, filthy bins, filled with trash and sewage, hurtled toward Sebastian and Daniel.

Seeing their actions, Daniel immediately prepared to intercept them.

But just as the bins were about to strike, Sebastian chuckled, raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the black-brown wand in his hand emitted a streak of light, forming an invisible barrier.

“Protego!”

The invisible wall rose, blocking the two large bins in front of them, sending them bouncing back.

The quick defensive response was clearly beyond the two men’s expectations.

The trash bins and garbage that bounced back forced the two into a brief moment of chaos. The narrow alleyways didn’t allow for a smooth escape, leaving them with no choice but to defend from the front.

The man who spoke earlier moved swiftly, almost like a dancer. As the two trash cans flew back, his hands raised, and an invisible force resisted them, sending them crashing to the ground.

Before he could catch his breath, he suddenly saw the figure in the black hooded robe closing in on him.

Sebastian took a step forward, inserting one foot between the opponent’s legs, grabbing his neckline with his right hand, and pulling him forward. Using his opponent’s body as a shield, he blocked the incoming attack route. At the same time, his right elbow slammed into the man’s chin, knocking him unconscious and making it impossible for him to resist.

Using the man as a shield, Sebastian’s wand extended from beneath his armpit, sending a red electric shock at the charging opponent.

The lightning struck in an instant, the man’s chest exploding from the impact, rendering him unconscious. Sebastian then cast Petrificus Totalus on the other enemy who was beginning to recover from the faint, causing him to collapse to the ground, completely immobilized. Within one or two minutes, Sebastian had completely neutralized the two enemies, both skilled in magic.

Daniel, witnessing this, was left utterly astonished.

Sebastian looked at the two unconscious figures on the ground. They might not have been as weak as they seemed, but it had taken more effort than expected to subdue them. Their lack of awareness of an unfamiliar magic system had certainly contributed to their downfall, but still, the battle had not been as easy as he’d hoped.

What bothered him more was the fact that, despite his abilities, he had to rely on his quick thinking and instinct rather than flawless execution. The speed, accuracy, and judgment in his spell-casting had been off, and it had cost him more energy than it should have.

This isn’t like before. In my previous life, I could’ve handled this much more effortlessly. I’ve grown too complacent. Comfort has dulled my senses.

The realization hit him hard. As he regained his magical power, he’d been focused solely on recovery, neglecting the need for personal training. He had allowed himself to become weaker, and that couldn’t continue.

A hint of regret crossed his face as he glanced at the two unconscious bodies. If Daniel weren’t here, I’d have taken a few items from them. These types of people, thieves who steal others’ magic, are bound to have something useful. But with him around, it’s best not to risk it.

At present, Sebastian still had to maintain a positive image, as jeopardizing his relationship with Kama Taj could disrupt his plans.

“Master Daniel, what should we do with these two?” he asked. “We can’t stay here much longer, right? If we do, they’re likely to resume their old ways, and they probably won’t repent.”

Even if he couldn’t kill them, Sebastian couldn’t allow these two to continue roaming free. They didn’t know his true identity, but the methods of a mage were difficult to guard against. It was better to deal with the problem now, before it had the chance to escalate.

Daniel wholeheartedly agreed with Sebastian’s reasoning. He was impressed by how much Sebastian had thought this through. Unfortunately, as he wasn’t yet a mage of Kama Taj, he could never rise to the level of someone like Casillas or Mordo, who served as trusted right hands to the Ancient One.

Despite this, Daniel was still glad to have found someone who thought as he did.

“Master Sebastian, you’re absolutely right. These two can’t be left to their own devices. I’ll bring them back to Kama Taj to be dealt with by Master Gu Yi. They’ll probably end up in Kama Taj’s Mirror Cage for an extended period.”

“Mirror Cage?”

Sebastian had never heard that term before. Whether it was something he’d forgotten or something entirely new to him, he couldn’t say. However, the concept intrigued him.

Daniel elaborated, “It’s a special containment area within the Mirror Dimension. It’s used to imprison individuals who pose a significant threat or those who cannot be held by conventional means. The Mirror Dimension itself is a place where reality can be manipulated, but the Mirror Cage takes it a step further, locking away dangerous entities in a controlled environment.”

Sebastian’s curiosity was piqued. It seemed like a powerful, yet subtle, way to deal with those who couldn’t be trusted to roam freely.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep