There was still one person there. A disheveled Hodgson hid behind the bushes, gesturing to her with a whisper, "Over here!" "Hodgson." Nancy hurried over to him, looking at her former lover with a complicated expression. "How did you end up here?" "Do you have any idea how many people are looking for you? Once they find you... you’re dead meat!" "I..." Hodgson’s face was a mask of conflict. "I had nowhere else to go. And in this state, what good would going somewhere else do? Wouldn’t it still be a dead end?" "..." Nancy opened her mouth, her eyes frantic. Then, she clenched her jaw resolutely and handed over her Magic Wand. "This is the Magic Wand my tutor gave me, made from a trunk of Second Order Magic Plants. Though it’s not an Advanced Magic Item, it’s still worth quite a few Magic Stones. Take it and exchange it for some Magic Stones." That was the only valuable thing she had left. To gather Magic Stones for Hodgson’s shop, Nancy had also taken out a large loan. She had exhausted almost everything she owned to repay it, keeping only her life-saving Magic Wand, which she now handed over. "Nancy!" Hodgson looked visibly moved. "I knew you were the best to me! This business failure wasn’t my fault; it was just bad luck. Just give me one more chance, I... I will definitely succeed!" "I believe you." Nancy looked at him, her eyes filled with a struggle, a mixture of inexplicable sadness and pity. "But you’ve lost now. You owe tens of thousands of Magic Stones out there. You... you can’t possibly pay them back!" "Pay back?" Hodgson’s gaze flickered. "I don’t have to pay back!" He grabbed Nancy’s arm, his voice low. "I mortgaged the shop for the Magic Stones and transferred shares to others. I didn’t personally take out any loans. Well, not entirely no loans, but... they weren’t guaranteed by a Divine entity. It’s not a problem if I don’t pay them back." "Ah!" Nancy’s jaw dropped. "Is that so..." "Yes!" Hodgson nodded emphatically. "Nancy, don’t you know me? I’m always cautious. I never leave any openings for others. This business failed because I was unlucky. Just give me another chance, and I’ll definitely make it!" "But... but you’re out of Magic Stones, aren’t you?" Nancy frowned. "As soon as you’re discovered, they’ll capture you. You won’t be able to pay off that many Magic Stones in your lifetime." "That’s why I can’t be discovered." Hodgson grabbed her shoulders, shaking her desperately, his teeth clenched. "Nancy! Give me one last sum of Magic Stones. I’ll go somewhere else and start over. When I’ve made money, I’ll pay them back, and then we can still be together." Thıs text ıs hosted at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥 "Magic Stones?" Nancy’s expression turned bitter. "Where would I get any Magic Stones?" To repay that loan of several thousand Magic Stones, she had signed a twenty-year agreement with Marian. Now, she only had enough money for meals and even lacked many necessities for her cultivation. "You have them!" Hodgson squinted. "You do." "Where would I have them?" Nancy frowned, puzzled. "How could I not know if I did?" "You’ve forgotten," Hodgson lowered his voice. "That Wizard Tower on the mountaintop..." "You’re insane!" Nancy’s face paled. She struggled to break free from Hodgson’s grip, retreating repeatedly. "That belongs to the tutor!" "Yes," Hodgson squinted. "But you can get in, can’t you? Marian has amassed a lot of Magic Stones and valuable items. Just help me take a few, and it’ll be enough for my business." "Impossible!" Nancy shook her head frantically. "I can’t help you take the tutor’s things!" "Nancy, if the items were yours, would you give them to me?" Hodgson held her, asking, "Would you?" "..." Looking at her lover before her—his bloodshot eyes, his tormented body—Nancy opened her mouth. "Yes." "So... if Marian were to die, wouldn’t her possessions be yours to inherit?" Hodgson continued. "Since the items will be yours sooner or later, if I take a few now, isn’t it the same as you giving them to me?" "This..." Nancy shook her head; she wasn’t a fool. "It’s not the same! It’s not the same at all!" "How is it not the same?" Hodgson growled. "Are you unwilling to give them to me? Are you going to stand by and watch me die? All I need is one chance. And that chance... is in your hands! Nancy, my love, right now, only you are willing to help me, and only you have the power to do so!" Nancy stiffened, her expression caught in turmoil. Two figures walked along the deserted mountain path toward the summit. "Be careful," Nancy’s voice was heavy. "This Wizard Tower was rebuilt by the tutor based on the methods left by the Grey Robed Wizard Adison. Only the foundation has been laid so far, and there are many Witchcraft Traps around. If you fall into one, it’s certain death." "I know." Hodgson nodded repeatedly. "We don’t know when Marian will be back. Let’s hurry so she doesn’t catch us." "...Yeah." Nancy nodded, then cautioned, "Remember, once inside, just take two unimportant things. Don’t touch anything else. Otherwise, the tutor will never forgive me." "Got it, got it," Hodgson whispered urgently, "Hurry!" It wasn’t long before a low, crude, two-story Wizard Tower came into view, showing obvious signs of construction. Hodgson, somewhat impatient, darted out. However, he stopped in his tracks as he approached the Wizard Tower. "Nancy, are there no Witchcraft Traps here?" "None." Nancy shook her head. "The Wizard Tower is still under construction. Setting traps at this time would affect..."