This wizard only wishes to be a teacher

"I’m sorry, according to our previous agreement, that should have been your spoils of battle," Lucien said to Judge Paperman, expressing his regret.

"It is a bit of a pity," Judge Paperman nodded gently. As a "two-dimensional being," his head part subtly pressed down when nodding, making his flattened body look somewhat strange.

However, Lucien did not detect a hint of regret or remorse from his movements or words. It seemed that the grey eye didn’t matter much to him, whereas the general beside him looked relieved. He was clearly glad to have completely freed himself from the mind-controlled shadow.

The general moved his body, trying out its movements after Lucien retracted the filthy power of the Wizard’s Notes, also inspecting his condition in his own way.

After feeling that nothing major was wrong, the general then showed a smile. "I owe you one. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me."

Although suffering "filth" could lead to numerous aftereffects and even cause various degrees of "mutations" in parts of the body, these minor problems were nothing compared to losing oneself and becoming a puppet of others.

"Um," Lucien nodded slightly, but for some reason, looking at the general’s face filled with a kind smile, he always felt something was off.

He had previously had a conflict with the general, and even though they were temporary allies now, the relationship between them shouldn’t be this close, he thought. Lucien had even foreseen a scenario where the general and Judge Paperman turned on him at the last moment.

But the situation now was... too harmonious, so much so that Lucien felt it somewhat abnormal.

He furrowed his brows, looking around at the buildings.

Everything seemed normal, as if he was the only odd one out with his paranoid suspicions.

"Could it be that I’m just overthinking it?" Lucien halted, trying to find the root of his unrest.

"What’s wrong?" Judge Paperman’s voice was flat, and he floated to Lucien’s side, seemingly inquiring or perhaps caring.

Lucien stopped what he was doing and looked at Judge Paperman, but through spiritual power, he forcibly combined Carly’s identity with that of the judge.

"It’s nothing, I just feel that this operation was a bit too easy," Lucien responded nonchalantly, "By the way, Your Honor, was the one controlling the paperman also a player?"

"He is my..." Although Judge Paperman’s tone did not change, the way he spoke gradually did, and even his tone started to shift towards Carly’s usual manner of speaking.

"I’ve found you." A flash of cold light shone in Lucien’s eyes, and his spiritual power swept out, beginning to attempt to destroy the illusory space he was in.

At that moment, he wasn’t even sure when he had been ensnared—was it after seeing the grey eye, or even earlier? Lucien rapidly destroyed the surrounding environment, trying to break free from this dreamlike illusion with a violent approach.

"What are you doing?" The "general" roared angrily, brandishing a short spear wrapped with a silver spatial blade.

"Lucien... Mentor..." The paperman wailed, yet oddly uttered Carly’s words.

The next moment, the roaring general and the struggling, wailing Judge Paperman faded away, and Lucien’s consciousness plunged into a dark and chaotic space.

Suddenly, in the chaotic void ahead, a colossal eye abruptly opened.

It was a grey eye, very similar to the one Lucien had seen earlier, but more intricate and dazzling, and even the most beautiful thing Lucien had ever seen.

Within the grey main tone, it seemed to hide countless stars, and the grey pupil at the center resembled an enduring thick fog or a dense nebula entangled together.

Whoosh—

But when the colossal vertical pupil "focused" and looked at Lucien, he felt a tangible oppression, as if a force weighed on him, making him want to prostrate himself and serve this exalted being forever.

"God..." Lucien murmured, his eyes now bleeding, and his spiritual power showed signs of losing control at this moment.

This was a chasm of existence, and in front of this vertical eye’s master, Lucien felt like a tiny insect, with only the opportunity to be judged and executed. Even to be gazed upon by such a being was an incredibly honorable and proud matter.

The giant vertical pupil slowly closed, simultaneously containing the terrifying gaze that had become almost tangible. It gently lifted its head, finally allowing Lucien to see the enormous silhouette that had been hidden in the darkness. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

He looked up, gazing at the colossal entity that, even through the obstruction of dark mists, seemed somewhat blurred, yet the feeling of high-handedness made Lucien struggle to breathe.

"You’re quite impressive," an ancient voice, seeming to come from a place far beyond, echoed in Lucien’s ears, the sound booming and even causing ripples of echoes.

The voice was calm, as if discussing something trivial, and yet it carried the condescension of an adult affirming a child’s actions. It was so sincere yet so lofty.

Paired with its terrifying oppressiveness, however, it made Lucien feel that the situation seemed normal, and for a fleeting moment, even brought him a sense of joy. After all, being acknowledged by such a powerful being was an honor beyond compare.

But Lucien did not respond; instead, he looked up at the imposing silhouette that towered above him.

"Hmm?"

It seemed to sense the disdain and contempt in Lucien’s demeanor, and the gigantic figure humphed softly. The terrible pressure once again bore down on Lucien, giving him the illusion that he might suffocate.

Yet Lucien closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and withstood the daunting pressure. Then, he curled his lips, looked towards the towering being, and revealed an unsightly smile. "That’s all?"

The intense pressure that had made it hard for Lucien to breathe relaxed, and the dark expanse before him, along with the once towering and imposing shape, started to rapidly shrink, collapse, and dissolve into wisps of gray mist that disappeared without a trace.

Lucien blinked; his consciousness had just escaped from the collapsing dimension of darkness. The scene in front of his eyes transformed into a dim and cramped cellar. Beside him was a war figure who, once overflowing with battle intent, now lay sprawled on the ground, blood oozing from his mouth and nostrils.

The state of the Judge Puppet at this time was also rather poor. Chains comprised of gray mist had formed a cage, entrapping it within. Despite the Judge Puppet’s roars and the unique golden glow emanating from it, the voice could not escape the confines of the cage, and not a whisper reached beyond.

Tap tap tap...

A somewhat mechanical, numb sound of footsteps approached, followed by the unexpected sound of a door being pushed open.

Creak...

The wooden door’s noise was jarring but put Lucien on high alert.

The visitor was a somewhat familiar-looking maid, but her eyes were an unusual grayish-white, clearly manipulated by someone and acting as a "mouthpiece" to check on her "trophies."

"I didn’t expect you to find one of His feathers," the maid said with a smile, her voice raspy and ancient. It bore some resemblance to the voice of the great being Lucien had just heard, but it sounded more peculiar and malevolent.

"If you had made your moves earlier, or if your power had been stronger, perhaps I would have found it difficult to capture you," the maid chuckled, shaking her head, seemingly genuinely regretful for Lucien or perhaps it was the humility and pity of the victor.

"But unfortunately, you were just a little short. If you had spoken to other divine entities before, you would not have had such naive thoughts of killing or plotting against a god, even one whose power is restricted and who is not in a complete form."

The maid sat down beside Lucien, appearing quite casual.

"But, I appreciate you. What you lack is not ability, but vision, and it happens that I can give you that," the gray eyes watched Lucien, scrutinizing every minute change in his facial expression.

"Moreover, doesn’t your Wizard World always adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange? There are no serious conflicts of interest between us, and I can offer you the benefits you desire."

"Advancement to a second-level wizard? No! I can directly help you become a third-level wizard and even provide you with a fair chance to advance to a fourth-level life form. I can even swear to the Mother Goddess. You should know that an oath of this magnitude has almost the same effect as if you were swearing to the Will of the Wizards."

The maid continued, smiling persuasively, as if she were a powerhouse who appreciated Lucien’s talents and was trying her utmost to recruit him.

Lucien slightly bowed his head, as though he was considering the offer or as if he was tempted by the maid’s proposal.

"All you have to give up is some trivial things... such as loyalty," the maid’s voice was indifferent, yet it was filled with naked temptation at this moment.

"Let me think, I... Should still be within the dream you wove... ah, or some sort of delusionary realm, right?" Lucien coldly watched the maid before him. "I imagine you must be quite panicked now? After all, for gods like you, being killed by us ’little guys’ would be a very very embarrassing affair."