Charlie continued, "So, as long as the various markets withstand the impact of the beast tide and let those wild beasts know that the area ahead is dangerous, they will naturally bypass it." "And if they can’t hold out?" Carl asked. "Can’t hold out?" Charlie sighed. "Then the beast tide will break into the Human Clan’s residential areas, and their hunting instincts will make them treat this place as a hunting ground. Life here will become extremely dangerous." Carl understood. He wasn’t afraid, since he had already planned to escape to the Otherworld for a while soon. "Don’t worry." Seeing his expressionless face, Charlie thought he was overly frightened and comforted him, "The tutor has already notified the High Tower on the Karem Continent of the situation here. They’ve also sent a notification. The teleportation portal will open soon, and at that time, several Official Wizards will be sent over to take charge." "Oh!" Carl said. "Weren’t we told that no one else would come this time?" "That was the plan," Charlie said, spreading his hands. "Who knew the beast tide would suddenly appear? Not only will people be sent this time, but quite a few of them." "Junior Brother!" He patted Carl on the shoulder. "I’m leaving Barbara to you. Take good care of her." Carl gave a dry laugh. "I’ll do my best!" Upon arriving at the Wizard Tower, the members from the High Tower were well assembled; especially those from the Black Swamp were almost all present. Carl gave Oma a look. "What’s going on? Why is the atmosphere so tense?" The atmosphere was beyond tense. Everyone in the room looked as if their parents had died, their faces ashen, their eyes filled with anger, fear, and unwillingness. Oma sighed. "Hodgson has gone missing." Carl laughed. "Missing? Just missing?" "Indeed, missing," Oma nodded. "He owed so many people such a huge debt. Even if they were desperate to tear him apart, they still wouldn’t dare lay a hand on him!" "His shops, bought for tens of thousands of Magic Stones, were destroyed. Goods stockpiled with thousands more were looted. Combined with unpaid debts, the total reached one hundred thousand Magic Stones. Hodgson probably knew he couldn’t pay it back, so he took advantage of the chaos and slipped away. Thinking back... his spirited demeanor is still vivid in my mind. Falling so suddenly from such heights to the ground, it’s quite lamentable." One hundred thousand Magic Stones! Carl was inwardly shocked. He feared that even an Official Wizard wouldn’t have that much readily available. He whispered, "What? Did you also lend him Magic Stones?" Oma nodded. "I lent him one hundred Magic Stones. Actually, I’m okay. However, some people over there wanted to get shares in Hodgson’s shop and signed contracts for huge Magic Stone loans with him. The smaller loans were for two or three thousand, while the larger ones reached four or five thousand. Now they don’t know what to do, so they’ve come to seek our tutors’ help to resolve the issue." Carl clicked his tongue. Thousands of Magic Stones, for them who had only come over from the Black Swamp a year ago, was an astronomical figure. Pay it back? A lifetime might not even be enough! The one hundred Magic Stones Oma had lent were actually not insignificant; it was likely her entire savings accumulated over the years. No wonder everyone’s expressions were so grim. However, contrary to Carl’s expectations, it wasn’t just people from the Black Swamp who had invested in Hodgson—other tower disciples had also put in their money. Being able to gain the trust of so many people in such a short period was a skill in itself. The sound of footsteps came from upstairs. Daniel, wearing a white Wizard Robe, looked cold as he glanced at the people in the room. Only when his gaze fell on Oma and Carl did it soften slightly. "We’ve all seen the contract. It has the mark of the Divine on it. Unless you wish to have your souls taken, you cannot break it." Everyone’s faces turned pale, and a sense of despair appeared in their eyes. The mark of the Divine! It was similar to an intermediary, a guarantor. If the money wasn’t returned, their souls would belong to the Divine, who would then compensate the lender accordingly. The purer and rarer the soul, the greater the loan the Divine could provide. Thus, the lenders wouldn’t have to worry about not getting their money back, the Divine could profit from it, and the borrowers could take out large sums. It appeared to be a win-win for everyone. But if they were unable to repay, they would pay the price of losing their soul. The Divine really stop at nothing to get souls, even willing to act as guarantors. I wonder if I, as the master of a Divine Domain Fragment, could act as a guarantor someday? "However, compared to getting a certain compensation from the Divine, the lenders would still prefer you to return the Magic Stones to them," Daniel said, pulling out a contract. "After negotiating with the lenders, they’ve agreed to extend the deadline for you to return the Magic Stones, but you’ll need to sign an addendum. The Magic Stones still need to be returned. However, the timeframe can be after the beast tide. You will repay at a rate of one thousand Magic Stones per ten years. Of course, if you have the money, you can pay it back earlier. There’s one more thing: the interest will be slightly higher than in the original contract. If you’re okay with that, come and sign your names." The room went quiet for a moment. Then, someone slowly raised their hand. "I’ll sign!" One thousand Magic Stones over ten years meant one hundred Magic Stones a year. Even with interest, it would not exceed two hundred Magic Stones annually. Although two hundred Magic Stones was a lot, as a disciple of the Six Rings Tower, they still had a chance if they worked themselves to the bone. They could also borrow from others. It was far better than dying soon after when their souls would be taken by the Divine. "I will... sign too!" People made their decisions one after another, stepping forward to sign the additional agreement. Though they averted an imminent death sentence, it was still hard to smile. "Oma." After everyone had finished signing the addendum, Daniel looked at Oma in the crowd and spoke with a smile, "I heard your tutor say you’re planning to attempt to become an Official Wizard soon?" Oma took a deep breath. "Yes. I plan to give it a try!" Her words caused a small stir among those present, and even Carl could not help but look surprised. It has only been a few years since Oma advanced to Advanced Wizard Apprentice, and she’s already attempting to become an Official Wizard? Such terrifying Wizard Talent! Google seaʀᴄh 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝙣𝙚𝙩 Daniel said with a smile, "Good! If you can become an Official Wizard before the Star Gate opens, according to the rules, you can go to the Six Rings Tower academy on the Karem Continent to study. I wish you success!" "Thank you, Senior Daniel," Oma bowed respectfully.