Chapter 218 I can only craft replicas.
Tristan didn't challenge Alice again. After all, seeing how frightened the young girl was, it would seem like bullying if he pressed for another duel.
William didn't fuss over it either, carrying Alice into a guest room.
At that moment, in the moderately sized room with just the two of them, Alice clung to William in a rather intimate manner.
The atmosphere felt a bit off.
"Let go!" William said, raising an eyelid, his voice filled with authority.
Just a moment ago, Alice had been wondering if her mentor was about to toss her onto the bed...
Such a scene would certainly be thrilling.
But with that stern command, she was jolted from her reverie and quickly released William, standing there in a daze.
William set her down and turned to leave, only to find out that Seraphina had arrived as well.
A "demi-god" who possessed demonic powers had actually come to Ravenwood. She was audacious, especially considering the Arcane Society's unfriendly stance towards demons.
However, given her strength, unless both William and Kyle intervened, no one else could really handle her.
William had just stepped out when he saw Seraphina already standing at the door, with Alice trailing behind.
While others thought of William as a novice Soulmancer, she knew better. To her, William was the true "god among men."
William asked coldly, "What are you doing here?"
"I... I... Seraphina sent me."
William took a deep breath, realizing his mistake. The one controlling this body was Sofia, while the woman named Seraphina was still in hiding.
Softening his tone slightly, William inquired, "What did she send you here for?"
Appearing pitiable and evasive, Sofia fidgeted with her clothing and murmured, "She wants me to contend for a mystical realm."
With a somewhat indifferent expression, William asked, "And why are you standing here?"
"I... I just wanted to greet you," Sofia said nervously, resembling a startled rabbit. "You're the only one I know here..."
"You've greeted me. You can go now."
"Oh, goodbye." Sofia lowered her head and turned, heading towards her guest room.
Alice whispered to William, "Have I seen this girl somewhere before?"
William replied, "In Le Chateau de Paris restaurant. She's the one who played the violin."
Alice squinted slightly, teasing, "I wouldn't have guessed. You have quite the knack for attracting women."
She couldn't help but ponder. In just a few days, two more women had taken interest in William. Was he planning to become a playboy, just like those movie stars?
"You talk too much! Go to your room and practice your skills!" William didn't see himself as having irresistible charm.
He felt more like a mythical fruit from legends, where deities who consume these fruits maintain their youth and longevity. Many who approached him often had ulterior motives.
He even wondered if an ordinary person would gain immortality by consuming a piece of his flesh.
Of course, he would never allow such a thing.
No one had the capability to take a bite out of him.
"Where are you going? I'll come with you," said Alice, keeping things simple. Seeing how Sofia had pursued him all the way here and noticing her coquettish demeanor when talking to William, she felt the need to be vigilant.
"I'm going to check if Zoey has woken up," William said, heading towards Zoey's room.
Alice said discontentedly, "Why are you visiting her? With her strong combat abilities, are you still worried something might happen to her?"
"She's probably fine, but I have things to handle." William had come to Ravenwood and decided not to let the Arcane Society take the blame on his behalf. After all, those archaeologists were still lingering in Ravenwood, refusing to leave.
From their demeanor, if they didn't retrieve the lost relics, they probably wouldn't depart.
"Then let's go together," Alice insisted, suspecting that William might have more intimate intentions with Zoey.
William didn't respond and continued towards Zoey's room.
At that moment, the previous Director of the 13th Bureau, Steven Garcia, was also at the entrance to Zoey's room.
"Are you William?" Steven's glasses reflected the sunlight as he sized up William. "Just a few days ago, you were an ordinary person. Now, you're a novice Soulmancer. Such a rapid ability to sense the presence of soul energy and maintain its balance within oneself is truly remarkable. It's no wonder Zoey values you so highly."
"It's nothing special," William replied with a modest smile. Praise from others held little meaning to him.
Steven, however, found this young man grounded. Unswayed by flattery or criticism, neither humble nor arrogant, he seemed like someone with great potential.
He pushed open Zoey's room door, took a glance by her bedside, and then turned around and walked out.
"Now, there are only three of us from the 13th Bureau on this mountain," Steven inquired. "How do you think we should deal with the missing artifacts from Mount San Juan Teotihuaca?"
That question struck right at the heart of the matter.
William had been intending to address this very issue.
"It's simple. Make replicas for those archaeologists," William suggested. "To my knowledge, they only have photographs and haven't actually touched the real items."
Mr. Garcia nodded, stating, "As far as I know, Thane Aldric from the Aetherforge Guild is also here. I've discussed this with Kyle. We'll claim that the artifacts possess mysterious powers. Once Nelson retrieves them, Kyle can help seal their energies, and then we can return them. All we need to do is provide the archaeologists with some sort of explanation."
William inquired with a smirk, "Who do you think currently possesses those artifacts?"
"Nelson must know!" Steven fixed his gaze on William, adding, "I heard he's currently working with you at the same bookstore?"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure if the items are with Nelson, but you and Zoey don't need to concern yourselves with this. The old mage, Kyle, should handle it properly," said Steven. "This time, our 13th Bureau also needs to secure a secret realm. How is your combat ability?"
"My combat skills?" William chuckled, "I can only craft replicas. Fighting isn't my forte."
"Craft replicas?" Steven initially mentioned William's combat prowess in passing, but hearing about his crafting skills, he realized something crucial. "Do you mean you can replicate the artifacts from Mount San Juan Teotihuaca?"
"I believe I can create convincing replicas," William confidently replied. As for magical artifacts, making them look similar was enough. The key point was ensuring not to infuse them with his divine power; otherwise, if the replica exudes more energy and has greater potency than the original, that would spell trouble.
Another option was to infuse the replicas with divine power and then forcefully seal it.
After pondering for a moment, Steven said, "We should first meet with Thane Aldric. After all, he's the professional."
Though William claimed he could create indistinguishable replicas, crafting such items wasn't straightforward. William was just a twenty-year-old young man. While he might be capable of replicating ordinary antiques, replicating the artifacts from Mount San Juan Teotihuaca wasn't something just anyone could achieve.
To Steven, it seemed like William's youthful eagerness to prove himself.
I was just admiring his composure a moment ago. It seems young people still can't keep their cool!
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