《I Created Scientific Magic》 Chapter 1: Wizard Apprentice and Magic Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Wizard Apprentice and Magic Dry throat, sweltering heat, exhaustion¡­ Under the influences of intense difort, Lynn slowly opened his eyes. What came into view was a cobweb-covered ceiling, and the unfamiliar surroundings made Lynn¡¯s mind go nk for a moment. N?v(el)B\\jnn This was a small room less than thirty square meters. Probably due to years of disrepair, the wooden walls looked very dpidated, covered with dust and traces of insects¡¯ erosion. The inside of the hut was also in chaos, with many misceneous items and garbage piled up in the corners. Dozens of uncovered books were scattered on the floor, leaving only a narrow path to walk through. Where am I? Could it be that I was kidnapped? Lynn rubbed his slightly dizzy head and struggled to sit up, feeling uneasy. He was certain that this was not a ce he knew, so Lynn had to prepare for the worst¡ªthere was a high probability that he had been kidnapped! ¡°071, disy my current location!¡± Lynn subconsciously asked in his mind, but after several seconds, there was no response. Even the auxiliary intelligence has been blocked? Lynn¡¯s heart sank immediately. He instinctively turned over and got out of bed to find an escape route but unexpectedly found a sharp short sword ced at the head of the bed and a crumpled parchment in his right hand. Lynn instinctively gripped the short sword in his hand, finally feeling a bit of security. After hesitating for a while, he opened the crumpled parchment. It was filled withplicated symbols that looked like scribbles. What puzzled him even more was that he could actually understand the writing! [Time is running out. The priests of the Judgement Court have discovered our tracks. We will rendezvous at the agreed ce in Wuer Town before the moon rises. Bring seventeen Sekas copper coins and follow the markers¡­ Please be careful¡ªJohnny.] The moment he understood the text, an inexplicable fear surged up in his heart, followed by a vague memory emerging in his mind. [In a spacious square, a noisy crowd gathered, their expressions fervent and excited, shouting something incessantly. In the center of the square stood a giant high tform. In front of it stood a bishop in a white silk robe. Amid the crowd¡¯s fervent cheers, he raised his staff high. The next moment, crimson mes soared into the sky, faint figures struggling desperately in the sea of fire, and painful screams echoed endlessly¡­] What is this? Is it a movie shoot? The cruel scene that emerged in his mind made Lynn shudder involuntarily. But why are there these inexplicable memories in my brain, and who is this Johnny at the end of the letter? Suddenly, as if thinking of something, Lynn quickly rushed to therge water tank in the room and stared at the reflection in the water. His pupils immediately contracted. His slightly trembling fingers caused ripples on the water surface, but Lynn still clearly saw his current appearance. It was a young man about eighteen or neen years old, dressed in a patched bup robe. He had a slightly slender build, a pale face covered with dirt, messy brown hair, and ck eyes full of fear¡­ Could it be that I have transmigrated? Lynn took a sharp breath, his heart giving rise to this absurd idea. But besides this, he couldn¡¯t find another exnation. Though in his time before transmigration, the Federation had made significant advances in brain development and neuron research, and brain chip imntation technology was highly advanced, the idea of transferring consciousness into a second body to achieve rebirth was pure fantasy. He also did not believe that anyone would go to such great lengths to deceive him. Realizing this, Lynn ceased to have any hopeful thoughts. He sat down heavily on the ground. Amid the shock, a flood ofplex memories surged in his mind again. After spending half an hour sorting through these sudden memories, Lynn barely managed to understand his current situation. He had transmigrated to a ce somewhat resembling medieval Europe, a world with many nations constantly at war. The most powerful country was the Sekas Empire, where he now resided. Above the earthly monarchies was an entity known as the Church, which worshipped a god called ¡°,¡± a ssic monotheistic religion with creationist doctrines. Apart from spreading faith and deceiving people, another primary goal of the Church was to hunt wizards! The particrly bad news for Lynn was that the young man he had transmigrated into seemed to be a wizard. No, to be precise, he was an apprentice wizard who was currently wanted! Lynn looked at the crumpled parchment in his hand with some annoyance. What a mess this all was. It was bad enough to transmigrate here without any decent treatment, already finding himself in a state of being hunted and almost burned at the stake any day. Speaking of which, his previous self had been quite reckless. He was the illegitimate son of a Viscount in the Sekas Empire, named Carl Sidn. Although he wasn¡¯t well-regarded usually, at least he didn¡¯tck food and clothing. In this chaotic world of constant wars, having enough to eat and clothes to wear was already a blessing! With this identity and rtively stable environment,bined with the knowledge from his previous world, he could likely thrive within a few years. Triggering an industrial revolution and overthrowing the Church wouldn¡¯t be impossible either. But this kid was deceived by a wizard named Kro, abandoning his good life to be Kro¡¯s apprentice, constantly wandering and often going without food. Four days ago, his mentor Kro tried to abduct the Duke¡¯s daughter but failed. The next day, the Judgement Court received the news and captured Kro before he could escape. After hearing this news, Carl hid in this secret base, living in constant fear. In the past six months of following his mentor Kro, Carl had witnessed wizard apprentices being burned at the stake, fearing that the priests of the Judgement Court would suddenly break in and capture him. This fear eventually led him to lose consciousness, and then Lynn transmigrated into his body. ¡°This is troublesome¡­¡± Lynn muttered with a headache, even considering whether to betray everyone. Besides him, Kro had six other disciples who were probably still atrge. Moreover, he knew their names and appearances, so being a turncoat might be a way out. At worst, he could pretend to convert and repentter¡­ But after some thought, Lynn decisively dismissed this dark thought. He couldn¡¯t trust those who preached doctrine all day and wanted to burn all the wizards. Even if he surrendered, there was still a good chance he¡¯d be tortured. Selling out hispanions was not an option¡­ He wasn¡¯t that kind of person! Getting rid of such unrealistic fantasies, Lynn forced himself to stay calm, concentrating on how to evade the Judgement Court¡¯s pursuit. In an ancient world without cameras, relying solely on sketches and impressions to identify criminals, disguising himself and fleeing might be a good strategy. Once out of the Duke¡¯s territory, capturing him again would be incredibly difficult. Fortunately, his previous self seemed to have practiced some swordsmanship, gaining the Viscount father¡¯s attention a few years ago and even single-handedly dealing with a few bandits who harassed the territory. Of course, all this was on the premise that he kept a low profile and didn¡¯t casually reveal his magical skills, lest he attract the Judgement Court¡¯s pursuit¡­ Wait¡­ magic? Lynn suddenly paused, then focused his mind, searching his memories. Gradually, his expression grew more peculiar. Because he realized that his previous self seemed to know some magic! These weren¡¯t the usual tricks and illusions of ancient chatans or some random sleight of hand¡­ But real magic! Chapter 2: Magic is Science! Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Magic is Science! Did I really travel to a magical world? After a brief moment of shock, Lynn quickly gathered himself. After all, he had traveled through time and space and couldn¡¯t even determine if he was still in the original universe. Nothing seemed impossible anymore. When it came to magic, Lynn was naturally extremely interested. His strong desire to explore even temporarily outweighed the fear brought by being hunted by the church! As a Wizard Apprentice who had been training for just over half a year, Carl knew very little about magic, only five kinds. Among them, the Basic Material Dption Skill, Condensing Water Technique, and Mage¡¯s Hand were the most fundamental zero-circle spells. Although important, they had no offensive capabilities. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The higher-level one-circle spell, Fireball Technique, required the use of corresponding magical materials. As for the other one-circle spell, Frost de, Carl hadn¡¯t managed to master it yet. Lynn reached down and fumbled with the pouch hanging at his waist, taking out all of his limited assets one by one. Two red fire stones, three Cas silver coins, more than ten copper coins, seven drafts withplex magical forms drawn on them, a yellowed Elemental Analysis book, and a small bag of gray powder ¨C the casting material for Fireball Technique, Red Fire Embers. Lynn picked up a small pinch of the fine powder, feeling a surge of excitement. Carl¡¯s memories contained theplete casting steps for Fireball Technique. First, use the Basic Material Dption Skill to analyze the casting materials. Then, use Mage¡¯s Hand to make the Red Fire Embers vibrate at a specific frequency to trigger the magic. The entire process sounded cumbersome, but the most time-consuming part of analyzing the casting materials could be done in advance. Once skilled enough, the Fireball Technique could be triggered in just one second¡­ Lynn was eager to experience the supernatural power, but he ultimately held back. This small pinch of Red Fire Embers, worth five Cas silver coins, was only enough to cast the Fireball Technique three times. It couldn¡¯t be wasted carelessly. For the first spell, it was better to choose something simpler. After thinking for a moment, Lynn chose the Condensing Water Technique as the target for his first spell. As one of the few essential zero-circle spells, if the Basic Material Dption Skill was key to using magic materials and Mage¡¯s Hand was a wizard¡¯s best assistant, then the Condensing Water Technique was an apprentice¡¯s introductory lesson! This basic magic, like its higher-level counterpart Frost de, did not require pre-prepared casting materials, or rather, the casting materials could be directly extracted from the elemental world! Following the method given in his memory, Lynn closed his eyes and meditated. Perhaps due to Carl¡¯s excellent foundation, he sessfully opened the door to a new world in just two or three seconds! With his eyes closed, he saw an incredibly magical world. Under the sensing of his spiritual power, Lynn could clearly ¡°see¡± countless magical elements glowing with faint light filling the entire room. Billions, tens of billions, hundreds of billions? No, their vast number couldn¡¯t be calcted with values alone; they shone like stars in the dark universe. Most of these elements were very active, constantly changing their positions. The most abundant element was called Selu, making up about seventy percent of the total, and was referred to as a useless element by his mentor, Kro. The magnificent scene left Lynn deeply impressed. It took him a long time to remember to focus his attention on the use of magic. The steps to cast the Condensing Water Technique were very simple. He just needed to extract two elements rted to water and fuse them at a ratio of two to one. The first type of element had a rtively high proportion in the elemental world, about twenty to thirty percent, while the second type of element was rarer and required extra effort to find. Thanks to Carl¡¯s obsession with magic, these basic spells had been practiced hundreds of times in the past. The foundation was solid, and Lynn quickly grasped the method after initial difort. However, the casting process made him feel strangely familiar. When Lynn opened his eyes again, a marble-sized water sphere was hovering in his palm, supported by the Mage¡¯s Hand. ¡°Very good, it worked!¡± Lynn¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile, but he lost focus momentarily, causing the water sphere to disintegrate and drip through his fingers. Like being doused with a bucket of cold water, Lynn quickly freed himself from the joy of sessfully casting the spell. As a Wizard Apprentice, he was still being hunted by the church. How could he becent over such a small achievement? Not to mention that this marble-sized water sphere was practically useless inbat¡­ It was barely enough to quench an enemy¡¯s thirst! However, he had seen his mentor Kro use the Condensing Water Technique as a precursor to cast the two-circle spell Group ¨C Cold Ice de in battle. Dozens of fist-sized water spheres instantly condensed, then transformed into solid rhomboid ice des that shot like locusts towards the attacking bandits. In just one strike, the attacking enemies werepletely defeated! Thinking of this, Lynn nned to sense the elemental world and try again. Perhaps due to the fusion of memories after the time travel, Lynn¡¯s spiritual power was much more abundant than Carl¡¯s, and he could also mobilize more magic power. Using the Condensing Water Technique just now had caused him negligible loss. He had a premonition that he could achieve more. Lynn closed his eyes and quickly entered the elemental world again. This time, he didn¡¯t rush to cast the Condensing Water Technique. Instead, he tried to use his spiritual power to influence every kind of element he could find around him. Chapter 3 - 2: Magic is Science!_2 Chapter 3: Chapter 2: Magic is Science!_2 The appearance of these elements was diverse, vaguely giving Lynn a familiar feeling. Some were ¡°incredibly heavy,¡± and merely moving them slightly made him feel mentally exhausted. Completely immersed, Lynn suddenly noticed a strange phenomenon. The elements floating in front of him were being absorbed into his body at a peculiar frequency, only to be expelled again, repeatedly circting. So, a wizard¡¯s body frequently needed to absorb these magical elements? This question suddenly appeared in Lynn¡¯s mind. Upon closer examination, he made a startling discovery because this phenomenon was clearly caused by his breathing¡­ Wait¡­ Isn¡¯t this just oxygen? Lynn was momentarily stunned, gasping. In his eyes, the high and mysterious image of magical elements instantly copsed. Previously, he hadn¡¯t recognized them immediately because he wasn¡¯t directly seeing these ¡°elements¡±; instead, he was using a mystical method to perceive them through spiritual power and then influencing them with magic power¡­ Moreover, the proportion of chemical elements in this world¡¯s air was slightly different from his previous life, so Lynn hadn¡¯t initially thought in this direction. But with this theory, the previous process of capturing elements to create water also had a new exnation. What is water? It is an inorganic substanceposed of hydrogen and oxygen! So, was he not performing magic just now but conducting a chemical experiment? Was a wizard essentially a group of chemists? This conclusion made Lynn pause, but he quickly shook his head. This world had an extraordinary existence called magic power, and from his recent spellcasting, it seemed that magic power could manipte matter at a microscopic level! If there were no limitations, wizards would be akin to gods! ording to the scientific theories of his previous life, all matter in the world isposed of atoms. If magic power could manipte matter at that level, it could create or destroy anything. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Lynn quickly fell into deep thought, sharply realizing how terrifying his knowledge of chemistry and physics from his previous life would be whenbined with magic! If the scientific theories of his previous life could create various machines to transform the world, wizards could directly convert those theories into magic, wielding immense power! Lynn extended his hand again, and the hydrogen and oxygen in the air around him were separated and formed a small water ball floating in his palm. This time, Lynn was not satisfied with just that. If his hypothesis was correct, the key to the so-called first-ring magic ¡°Frost de¡± was to change the form of water from liquid to solid, thereby enhancing its lethality! To achieve this, he needed to lower the temperature of the water¡­ Lynn recalled his previous life¡¯s physics lessons: the faster the molecr motion of an object, the higher its temperature; the slower the molecr motion, the lower the temperature¡­ In other words, he needed to slow down the movement of the water molecules! With a thought, the highly active water molecules in Lynn¡¯s palm slowed down under the influence of magic power, condensing tightly together. Almost instantly, the small water ball froze into a clear ice crystal. Just as Lynn was thrilled by the realization of his hypothesis, a prompt suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡°Special energy detected¡­ Origin unknown, no records in the database. Would you like to establish a rted file?¡± Lynn was stunned at first, then his face immediately showed disbelief. He could not have been more familiar with this voice. But hadn¡¯t he traveled through time and space? Even his body had changed, so the auxiliary chip previously imnted should no longer exist¡­ ¡°071, do you know how we traveled here? Is there any record in the system?¡± Lynn urgently inquired. ¡°System shut down and restarted due to unknown reasons. No records.¡± the system replied. Lynn frowned, feeling a bit disappointed, but he quicklyposed himself and asked again. ¡°How long can your remaining energy sustain your operation?¡± Since he had arrived in this otherworld, constantly facing the risk of being hunted, Lynn could only find ways to survive. The apanying auxiliary intelligence was an unexpected delight. Although due to the Federal Amendment Act, personal auxiliary chips had limited intelligence, thanks to his previous life as a data storage specialist, 071 stored a lot of technological information from his previous life¡­ In this unique world where science and magic intertwined, the importance of this information was self-evident¡­ ¡°Energy remaining thirty-seven point six percent. Special energy detected, can be used to supply system operation¡­¡± the system continued. Special energy¡­ did it mean magic power? Lynn mused. The various characteristics that magic power exhibited amazed him. If he were still in his previous life, he would probably have thrown himself into theboratory by now. Unfortunately, he was currently a penniless, powerless wizard apprentice being hunted by the church. Whether he could see the sun tomorrow was uncertain¡­ Lynn sighed, then spoke solemnly. ¡°071, establish a new file and name this special energy as magic power!¡± ¡°Loading into the database¡­¡± the system responded. Taking advantage of this interval, Lynn turned to look at the diamond-shaped ice de floating in his palm. Due to the infusion of magic power, this ice de differed from any ice he had seen before, continually emitting a chilling cold, with its head forming a pointed cone and its overall shape streamlined. Chapter 4 - 2 Magic is Science!_3 Chapter 4: Chapter 2 Magic is Science!_3 The so-called Frost de was more aptly described as an ice arrow. This form was known as the Kro Configuration, capable of minimizing air resistance as much as possible. It was evident that Kro¡¯s mastery in fluid mechanics was quite profound¡­ Lynn remarked to himself with a touch of sarcasm, his expression turning somewhat peculiar as hepared the Frost de recalled from his memory. The one in his hand was indeed much smaller. Despite this world¡¯s air having a higher hydrogen content than his previous life, even if it could all be collected, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough to create a substantial water flow. Thinking of this, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but wonder how his mentor managed to cast the second-circle magic Group Frost de Technique. Did he instantly extract the hydrogen, oxygen, and water vapor from a radius of hundreds of meters? If Kro had such an ability, he wouldn¡¯t need to cast Multiple Frost des; his enemies would suffocate themselves to death from ack of oxygen. Unable to figure it out in a short time, Lynn didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. He nced at the floating Frost de before him and suddenly had an idea. ¡°071, pull up information on armor-piercing arrows and barbed arrows,¡± Lynn silently chanted in his mind. The next moment, a massive stream of data shed across his retina. Countless pictures, data, and simted 3D models overwhelmed Lynn. ¡°Rece the materials with ice. Optimize and reorganize for stability, reduced air resistance, and maximum lethality!¡± Lynn rubbed his chin and spoke again. The images floating on his retina quickly faded, and within a second, a brand-new 3D model appeared before his eyes. Lynn firmly imprinted the 3D image in his mind. With his right hand forming a loose grip, the floating Frost de suddenly disintegrated. Zero-circle magic, Material Dption Skill. The instantly disintegrated Frost de was reduced to its basic elements,pressed tightly in his palm under the constraint of magic power, continually changing forms to match the retinal image until it stabilized quickly. The newly condensed Frost de was much narrower than before. The pointed tip was modified to be more triangr for easier pration and bloodletting. Below, there were two long barbs, suggesting that once the Frost de hit its target and pierced into flesh, it would render the opponent speechless from the pain. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The sess of this magical improvement experiment gave Lynn a glimmer of hope for survival. However, the power of the Frost de was limited. No matter how optimized the form was, it was hard to achieve a significant increase in potency. Thus, Lynn quickly shifted his focus to the second one-ring magic in Carl¡¯s repertoire, the Fireball Technique! Unlike casting the Frost de, where raw materials could be extracted from the air, the Fireball Technique required a magical material called Red Fire Embers for activation. Lynn spected that this must be a mmable substance that could quickly expand and ignite under the constraint of magic power. If he was correct, it would mean he could potentially use other mmable materials to cast this magic¡­ ¡°071, search for the production and usage methods of white phosphorus¡­¡± Lynn silently chanted in his mind. White phosphorus is a colorless or pale yellow, semi-transparent waxy substance with a strong irritant effect and a low ignition point. Once in contact with oxygen, it burns intensely, reaching temperatures above 1000 degrees Celsius¡­ Even more frightening is that white phosphorus fire is hard to extinguish and has strong adhesion. Once ites into contact with the human body, it rapidly burns through the skin and muscle down to the bone, with itsbustion gases being highly toxic. In his previous life, Lynn had seen the sight of the Federationunching a new type of white phosphorus bomb as a data storage clerk. It was a horrific scene that would be etched in his memory forever. The moment the missile exploded in the air, a rain of fire spread across the sky, igniting an inextinguishable sea of mes within a range of several kilometers. The scorching high temperatures, unquenchable nature, and horrifying toxicity meant that even those hiding in bunkers could hardly escape death. Because white phosphorus bombs were so terrifying, they were ssified as anti-human weapons and banned as early as thest century. The Federation could only secretly research them in private¡­ However, the process of making white phosphorus was not actuallyplex. The auxiliary smart brain had detailed records. As long as he found the materials, even without instruments, he had a way to produce it. As Lynn was mulling this over, a dull thudding sound suddenly came from the door behind him. Lynn¡¯s expression changed dramatically. He was currently hiding in the slums of Nornd Territory. Under normal circumstances, no one would disturb him. Unless¡­ The Judgement Court¡¯s witch hunters had arrived! (PS: New book, seeking rmendations, favorites, monthly tickets, and continued reading. Thank you¡­) Chapter 5 - 3: Witch Hunter Blaine Chapter 5: Chapter 3: Witch Hunter ine Evening, Sekas Empire, outside the slums of Nornd Territory, two unexpected guests arrived. The man leading the way was around thirty, dressed in tight leather armor with a long knife hanging from his waist. His dark golden hair trailed behind him, making him stand out against the decaying and filthy slum. Naturally, he immediately attracted countless malicious gazes. Starving rioters and thieves lurked in the shadows, their sharp, knife-like stares sweeping over the two men. But as soon as they saw the Holy Light Seal on the two men¡¯s clothes, those prying eyes instantly withdrew. In the Sekas Empire, there might be some who didn¡¯t recognize the empire¡¯s g, but no one would fail to know the Holy Light Seal¡­ It was the emblem of the Divine Messenger! Except for the clergy wearing temple robes, the only ones with the Holy Light Seal on their clothes were the witch hunters! Rumor had it that each witch hunter was blessed by the gods and possessed skills far beyond those of ordinary people. No one would dare provoke such targets. Noticing the figures in the shadows disappearing, Andre sneered, though the faint stench from the dpidated streets soon made him wrinkle his nose. ¡°As expected, Bishop Anluoke was right. These wizards are like rats, liking to hide in such dark and smelly corners.¡± Andre looked at the stains and excrement lingering in the dark corners of the street, covering his nose distastefully as heined. ¡°We should be more cautious, Andre. This time we are dealing with no ordinary characters,¡± the man leading the way was somewhat dissatisfied with Andre¡¯s mboyant behavior and couldn¡¯t help but remind him. A few days ago, a major event urred in the Duke of Nornd¡¯s territory. A wizard named Kro tried to seduce the duke¡¯s second daughter. Fortunately, the guards discovered it in time, preventing the young daughter of the Duke of Nornd from being beguiled by the devil. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The brutal scenes of that encirclement battle were still vivid. To capture this audacious wizard, the Duke of Nornd dispatched as many as two squadrons of guards to pursue him. Even so, the losses were significant. If it hadn¡¯t been for the timely arrival of the bishop from the church, the Duke of Nornd would have lost facepletely! And their target this time was the wizard¡¯s apprentice, who was also a wizard! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, ine,¡± Andre sneered. ¡°This time we¡¯re dealing with just an apprentice who has only been exposed to magic for a few months. These people usually know only a trick or two. Trust me, a farmer with a hoe is harder to deal with.¡± He had participated in several witch-hunting missions during the past six months since joining the witch-hunting team. Initially, Andre might have been afraid of the wizards, who were said to be inspired by the devil, but after direct encounters, he realized they were not as terrifying as he imagined. Most posed no significant threat; their magic was limited in power and sometimes less reliable than bows and swords. As for those apprentices with little skill, they were nothing but worthless. Once distracted, they couldn¡¯t cast magic in battle and were only waiting to be ughtered. The most satisfying part for Andre was the high bounty for capturing these wizards. The Duke of Nornd was especially generous, offering six whole Sekas gold coins for live-capturing an apprentice, enough for avish period of spending! Of course, if killed, it was worth only half the price. ine nced at Andre without rebutting, but he didn¡¯t lower his guard. In his experience, those witch hunters who overly trusted intelligence often didn¡¯t live long¡­ The slums outside Nornd Territory were notrge, with few people flowing through. Using their witch hunter identity, Andre was able to confirm the hiding ce of their target with a bit of intimidation from a vagrant. It was a structure hard to describe as a house, with a red brick wall full of green vines and a door that looked ready to copse at a gentle push. The target they sought was right in front of them, but neither of them moved immediately. Andre nced at his partner, cursing silently. He then stepped forward and pressed his palm against the door. His calloused fingers strained to pull the bolt, but the door remained immobile, clearly blocked by something from behind. Angrily, Andre kicked the door with force. The loud crash resonated, and the door broke open, revealing the interior of the hut. The narrow room was a mess, with trash piled in the corners. On a side table, a candle was lit. It swayed briefly from the force of the door burst and then went out. The originally well-lit room became very dim, with only some faint lighting in through the open window, barely illuminating the tattered nket dragged from the bed to the window. ine, who followed inside, quickly had his eyes drawn to the piece of paper on the floor. Andre also noticed it, bent down, and picked up the crumpled paper. His face turned grim after reading its contents. ¡°Damn it, looks like we came toote. The kid has gone to join the other apprentices!¡± Andre cursed angrily, piecing together events from the room¡¯s condition. Their target, the wizard apprentice, had received a warning before their arrival and fled prematurely, leaving everything behind. But from the still-warm candle and the warmth remaining on the bed, the target shouldn¡¯t have gone far. With that in mind, Andre grew impatient, ready to move. After all, this was about six Sekas gold coins. There was no way he would let the target escape. If the target joined other apprentices, capturing him would be even harder. More importantly, Andre worried some other bounty hunters might get him first. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Just as Andre hastily tried to climb out the window, ine stopped him, pointing to the side table with a look of annoyance on Andre¡¯s face. Andre turned his head to look. Besides the extinguished candle, there were several copper coins and papers with strange symbols and patterns scattered on the table. After a brief thought, Andre quickly understood his partner¡¯s meaning. If the wizard apprentice had received a warning and left, he wouldn¡¯t have left behind easy-to-carry coins, let alone these ¡°valuable¡± magic manuscripts. With his hunting experience, Andre knew most wizards would die to protect their so-called research notes. This meant the target was likely still hidden in the house¡­ Andre sneered as the scattered nket, open window, and fallen paper suggested the target had fled. It seemed the wizard apprentice had yed a clever trick, trying to mislead them elsewhere, possibly into a trap. He almost got fooled. At this moment, Lynn, hiding in the darkness, was sweating profusely. In this potentially fatal crisis, his senses became highly alert. Under the influence of his magic power, his senses radiated outward. He could even influence air flow to extinguish the candle and breathe soundlessly. Thanks to this, he was able to hide right under the witch hunters¡¯ noses. ine ignored Andre¡¯s awakening, scanning the room until his eyesnded on a dark red cab against the wall by the open window. The cab, shoulder-high and covered in dust, was unremarkable in the drafty, rundown room, yet it wasrge enough to hide a curled-up adult man¡­ Chapter 6 - 4 The Reckless Die from Recklessness Chapter 6: Chapter 4 The Reckless Die from Recklessness ine imagined it in his mind. If he were to search this cab unknowingly, the other party could easilyunch a sudden attack using the cover of clothes. If unsessful, they could jump out the window to escape¡­ This was undoubtedly the best hiding ce in the entire room! Realizing this, ine didn¡¯t hesitate for a second and unsheathed his sword without warning¡­ The soft hum of the sword de sliding against the scabbard rang out in the room¡­ In an instant, the silver-white de pierced the wooden cab like a knife through butter. Then, with a horizontal sh, the sealed cab was cut open! Wood chips mixed with shredded cloth scattered into the air. However, the expected scene of blood gushing did not appear¡­ ine frowned slightly, a bit surprised. Did he misjudge? Was the target this time simply careless and left these things behind in the room? Andre, who was startled by hispanion¡¯s sudden sword draw, was about to mock ine for his misjudgment when a short sword suddenly extended from the narrow gap between the bookshelf and the wall, aiming directly at Andre¡¯s neck! It was Lynn who made the move! When Andre and ine discovered the money and manuscripts on the table, Lynn knew he couldn¡¯t avoid this encounter. The narrow gap he was hiding in was not covered at all, relying solely on shadows and visual misdirection for concealment. This was undoubtedly a very dangerous ce, but the two came too quickly. Having just experienced a crossing, Lynn¡¯s mind was in utter chaos, and he didn¡¯t have time to find a better hiding spot or make arrangements. He didn¡¯t even have time to pick up the parchment that had fallen on the ground. Once the two discovered that there was no one hiding in the cab and started searching the room carefully, they would find him soon. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om So Lynn struck without hesitation! Considering the lethality, Lynn did not use the already mastered, modified ¡°Frost de.¡± Within three steps, the short sword was far more reliable than the ¡°magic¡± he had mastered! He chose the moment when Andre saw the flying wood chips and rxed his mind! However, this seemingly certain strike missed. The moment Lynn struck, a strong sense of crisis surged into Andre¡¯s heart. Before joining the Witch Hunt Squad, Andre was a renowned mercenary, constantly walking the edges of life and death. This ingrained feeling was all too familiar to Andre! His keen instinct saved him once again. At the moment the short sword shed down, Andre barely twisted his body, avoiding being beheaded. But Lynn¡¯s ambush was too quick. Even though Andre moved to evade immediately, he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid it; the sharp short sword left a deep wound on his neck! Scarlet blood continuously gushed from the wound. Andre was both shocked and furious. The pain from his neck warned him that he was almost dead! ¡°Bastard!¡± Andre roared in fury, swinging his sword down to split Lynn in two. The strike was both quick and heavy. Lynn barely had time to react, but his body naturally made a defensive move. The sound of sword and de shing echoed continuously in the room, causing one¡¯s teeth to ache. Before this, Lynn had never drawn a sword to attack someone before. But fortunately, the original Carl was well-trained, and his muscle memory still existed. Carl used this excellent swordsmanship to deter the ill-intentioned neighbors in the slums! However, this time his opponent was not an untrained thief, but a witch hunter armed with Divine Power, far more agile than ordinary people and ruthless in his attacks¡­ Andre¡¯s swordsmanship was unsystematic, but each strike was vicious. After just three shes, Lynn¡¯s hands were in intense pain, almost unable to hold the short sword steady. ¡°Die!¡± Andre roared, sweeping his long knife to knock the short sword aside, extending his left hand with thick knuckles to grip Lynn¡¯s throat tightly. With his throat clutched, Lynn¡¯s face turned red, and his consciousness quickly began to blur. [Warning, target of the pact is under severe life threat. ording to Article 37 of the Federal Intelligence Management Act, the nearestw enforcement personnel will be automatically contacted¡­] The sudden alert sound in his mind pulled Lynn¡¯s consciousness back from the abyss, igniting a glimmer of hope in his heart. [Warning¡­ no signal¡­ Warning¡­ failed to connect to thework¡­ please proceed to the nearest high point to search for a satellite signal and promptly call the Federal emergency hotline¡­] Shit! Lynn cursed inwardly, remembering that he had crossed worlds. He couldn¡¯t even be sure he was in the same universe. Damn, he should have saved the money he spent on the new ship and upgraded this annoying contraption¡¯s intelligence¡­ Where was he going to find a satellite signal now? Even if he could, would the Federal officerse flying in to rescue him? But at this moment, Lynn had no time for regrets. The hand gripping his throat tightened like the grasp of the grim reaper. [Warning¡­ no signal, activating emergency protocol, analyzing highest survival probability. Based on user agreement, autonomously connecting to neuralwork¡­] The alert sound in his mind became more urgent, yet Lynn couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. He felt as if his brain was exploding, his soul seemingly detaching from his body, observing the world in a strange state. Lynn¡¯s dispersed spiritual power spread like ripples, and his perception of elements grew increasingly clear¡­ ¡­ ¡°Brown hair, ck eyes, looks like we¡¯ve found the right person.¡± Seeing that Andre had easily subdued the target, ine released his grip on the sword hilt, ncing at Lynn a few times. ¡°Quite capable, little mouse. Since you¡¯re so good at hiding, let¡¯s cut off a hand and a leg¡­¡± Andre said with a sinister smile, touching the bloodstain on his neck with his left hand. Whether it was an illusion or not, Andre vaguely felt that it was bing hard to breathe, and the anger kept rising. If it weren¡¯t for the thought that a living person was worth more than a dead one, Andre would have killed Lynn immediately. For hispanion¡¯s cruel suggestion, ine wasn¡¯t surprised. He casually reminded, ¡°Just cut off a hand. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to figure out how to carry him back. Make sure you do it cleanly, so he doesn¡¯t bleed out on the way!¡± Andre, who had his back to ine, couldn¡¯t respond. His face was turning purple and blue. The long knife in his left hand fell heavily to the ground. His previously chaotic breathing became even morebored, and now he looked like a fish out of water, feeling as if his lungs would burst. Ten years ago, when he was swallowed by a massive whirlpool in the Mist Sea, Andre had experienced this suffocating, death-craving sensation. Breathing was a luxury. If it weren¡¯t for his good luck, he might have rested at the bottom of the sea. But now, he wasn¡¯t under the deep sea, and the attack just now didn¡¯t seem to have cut his trachea¡­ Andre gasped for air, yet his condition did not improve at all¡ªinstead, it worsened. His gray eyes bulged in their sockets. What kind of witchcraft is this? Andre immediately understood that the wizard apprentice in front of him was up to something, but the severe suffocating reaction made him miss the chance to retaliate. The grip on Lynn¡¯s neck became weaker. At the same time, Lynn, with his head lowered, suddenly moved. His tightly shut eyes snapped open, and at that moment, all the oxygen around him was drained away. A short sword shot upward, stabbing directly into Andre¡¯s throat! (PS: New book, please collect, rmend, vote, and follow!!!) Chapter 7 - 5 Lynn: Since I don’t need to inhale oxygen, how about nobody inhales it! Chapter 7: Chapter 5 Lynn: Since I don¡¯t need to inhale oxygen, how about nobody inhales it! A few breaths ago, with his neck being pinched, Lynn entered an extremely peculiar state. All the pain seemed to be swiftly fading away, and in its ce, his brain¡¯s thinking activity was increasing several times over. For a moment, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had already passed to the afterworld. However, he hadn¡¯t. He could still clearly perceive the blood and oxygen flowing to his brain being forcibly cut off, his body gradually losing vitality. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he truly died! Faced with such a perilous situation, Lynn unexpectedly felt no sense of panic. In the situation where someone¡¯s choking you, causing oxygen deprivation, how do you counterattack? Of course, it¡¯s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth! If I don¡¯t need to breathe, then nobody should! Lynn sensed the vast sea of elements in the void. With a thought, he used his spiritual power as a to sweep out the active oxygen molecules, instantly extracting them! What happens when a person continues breathing in a low-oxygen environment? Andre was the perfect example! Arge amount of ineffective gas flowed into his lungs, his blood pressure rapidly increased, and within a few breaths, the symptoms of oxygen deprivation appeared. Lynn keenly noticed the hand gripping his neck weakening! Now is the time! Lynn suddenly opened his eyes, and based on his earlier memories, the positions and reactions of everyone in the room transformed into data flooding into his mind. Lynn could even perform a detailed force analysis of his neck based on the angle Andre raised his arm. Countlessplex data were sorted out in an instant, and Lynn constructed a 3D scene in his mind that was 100% restored, deducing the optimal sword strike n. [Raise your hand and stab straight, 47 degrees angle!] Lynn¡¯s arm lifted and simultaneously thrust out the short sword. The hulking man before him, under the intense reaction of oxygen deprivation,pletely lost his ability to resist, only able to helplessly watch as the sword tip prated his neck. The fragile neck was clearly unable to block the sharp short sword, and crimson blood spurted like a fountain, sttering all over Lynn¡¯s clothes and face. Andre¡¯s eyes widened, his mouth involuntarily opening and closing, hands desperately gripping the gaping wound in his neck that kept bleeding, falling to the ground full of fear and unwillingness. Without hesitation, Lynn kicked Andre¡¯s body the moment he broke free from the hold, sending the corpse flying toward the stunned ine while he himself used the rebound force to escape the low-oxygen zone. ine never expected the situation on the scene to suddenly reverse. A look of astonishment immediately appeared on his face, his reaction slowed a beat, instinctively catching Andre¡¯s corpse. Upon seeing the other¡¯s death state clearly, his pupils involuntarily shrunk, a chill rising from the soles of his feet to his heart. The cyanotic face, ckened lips, and dted pupils all proved that Andre had suddenly choked, leading to his unguarded neck being pierced! How was this possible? ine was utterly terrified. Earlier, it was clearly Andre who was choking Lynn¡¯s neck, yet he inexplicably fell into asphyxiation. Could it be some strange spell that harms both friend and foe? Breathing rhythmically and regaining strength in his limbs rapidly, Lynn¡¯s brain throbbed slightly from being choked for a full minute and forcefully manipting arge amount of oxygen elements. Although he had luckily killed one of them using the principle of asphyxiation, Lynn dared not rx even a bit. The brief exchange just now made him understand the gap between them. ording to his memory, these witch hunters were skilled elites, original Lynn¡¯s swordsmanship was adequate for dealing with a few bandits, but when facing witch hunters dispatched by the church, it fell short. Countless thoughts shed through Lynn¡¯s mind, followed by a ringing prompt. [Warning, in overload mode, system energy is rapidly depleting, expected to force shutdown in two minutes and thirty seconds.] Lynn¡¯s body paused involuntarily, realizing that his sudden increase in elemental control was due to the aid of the intelligent brain. Then¡­ let¡¯s try magic! Lynn¡¯s gaze sharpened, tightly gripping the blood-stained short sword in his hand. His spiritual power once again spread through the air, frantically capturing hydrogen and oxygen elements¡­ A mass of water appeared in the void, then quickly condensed and took shape¡­ First Circle Magic¡ª[Frost de]! The icy de, exuding a chilling air, shot forth like an arrow. ine¡¯s expression hardened. He didn¡¯t choose to confront it head-on but shed out diagonally with the sword in his hand, striking the side of the ice de and knocking it off course. Yet, in that brief pause, the spell preparation wasplete. Gray powder hovered in Lynn¡¯s palm, then exploded into a zing fireball¡­ That was Lynn¡¯s other First Circle Magic¡ª[Fireball Technique]! The temperature in the room sharply rose. Though both were First Circle Magic, [Fireball Technique] was much more powerfulpared to [Frost de]! The critical point was, in this cramped room, there was simply no way to dodge! ine smelled the scent of death, kicking a shattered cab towards the raging fireball, then flipping Andre¡¯s corpse over to use as a meat shield! The next moment, the fireball hit the shattered cab, explosively expanding, and the scorching mes instantly filled the entire room. N?v(el)B\\jnn Lynn stared intently at the scattered debris ahead, breathing heavily. He had no exact concept of the power of First Circle Magic, but judging from the effect, it wouldn¡¯t be weaker than a grenadebined with an incendiary bomb. If taken head-on, even if not dead, one would be seriously injured¡­ While pondering, a sharp longsword cut through the smoky haze, the de reflecting the firelight, slicing straight towards Lynn! The speed of this strike was astonishing. By the time Lynn realized it, the sharp longsword was already close at hand! Fortunately, at this moment, thanks to the connection between the neuralwork and the intelligent brain, Lynn¡¯s reaction speed had increased several times, and his body¡¯s coordination had also improved significantly. His right hand held the sword horizontally, his left hand supported his right wrist, his body slightly crouched, and the sword tip braced against the mottled wall beside him. ng~ A sharp, unpleasant thud resounded in the narrow room. At the moment of contact, Lynn only felt intense pain in his hand, the sword tip embedded deeply into the wall, and a fine crack appeared along the de. So heavy¡­ There was only this sensation in Lynn¡¯s mind. He dropped the sword, falling to the ground, and rolled several times, narrowly avoiding a whipping kick. The fierce wind gusted over his head, followed by another muffled thud. Lynn turned his head to look; the mottled wall had already been kicked out with a concave groove. [Wall impact approximately 1.75 tons, probability of North American bison collision about 65%¡­] In an instant, data analysis shed through his mind. Lynn¡¯s pupils shrank. If he were kicked head-on, his internal organs would definitely burst open. Body modification? Cyborg? Battle Qi? Lynn knew perfectly well that a normal person, even with the most scientific professional training, could never kick with such terrifying force. Thispletely exceeded the limits of the human body! Chapter 8 - 6: This is My Final Magic! Chapter 8: Chapter 6: This is My Final Magic! ¡°Such a character is merely a witch hunter? And used to capture weak wizard apprentices like me? Lynn found it hard to believe, but reality was not a battlefield where opponents of equal strength were matched. Begging for mercy and surrendering had no meaning, only a life-and-death battle! [Frost de] Lynn raised his left hand and aimed at ine. His mastery of the Condensing Water Technique was bing more proficient. In a split second, another ice de appeared in the void. However, the spiritual power that could touch the surroundings had already exhausted the scarce hydrogen atoms, making the ice de unable to pose enough threat to the enemy. Lynn was keenly aware of this but had no way to change it, and a strong desire surged in his heart. He needed more hydrogen and oxygen¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The instant this thought emerged, Lynn felt as if his brain had been struck heavily, like countless silver needles piercing through. Following that, the magic power in his body rapidly depleted, transforming into arge amount of hydrogen and oxygen elements. At the same time, a strange rune was deeply imprinted in his mind. One-Ring High-Level Spell ¨C [Multiple Frost des] In a mere second, several sharp ice des appeared in front of him, scattering like a rain of arrows! Lynn¡¯s sudden outburst exceeded ine¡¯s expectations. In haste, the long sword turned from offense to defense. Although the reaction was extremely swift, one [Frost de] still bypassed the defense of the long sword and pierced his abdomen. ine immediately felt a bone-piercing cold. Crystals of ice began to rapidly spread from the wound on his abdomen. Being fully aware of the bizarre nature of the magic, ine did not dare to ck off. He grasped the ice de with his right hand and forcefully pulled it out! Due to the special structure of the [Frost de], barbs embedded deeply in the flesh made it difficult to pull out forcibly, causing bright red blood to spurt out. Severe pain made ine tremble uncontrobly. The wound on his abdomen was a mangled mess of flesh, and terror grew as the cold rapidly spread, quickly numbing the wound area. However, ine¡¯s ruthlessness was beyond Lynn¡¯s expectations. Realizing that the wound on his abdomen would affect the uing battle, he grabbed a burning cab handle and pressed it directly against the wound! ¡°Aaaah!¡± The scorching mes mingled with the mangled flesh, causing veins to bulge on ine¡¯s face as he roared in fury. Light smoke rose from the contact point, and the mangled flesh was nearly half-cooked, with no more blood flowing out. The bone-chilling coldness vanished with the mes¡¯ burning¡­ This horrifying sight made Lynn shudder. Whether it was ine heartlessly using arade¡¯s body to block a de or cauterizing his wound with fire, it made Lynn realize this was not an easy opponent! Taking advantage of ine¡¯s distraction, Lynn didn¡¯t hesitate to crash through the door and escape. Losing the protective short sword, he had no chance of winning in the narrow room. ine nced at Andre¡¯s charred corpse, clenched the long sword in his right hand, and gave chase. ¡­ In the evening, outside the Nornd Territory in the slums, two figures, one chasing and one fleeing, traversed the narrow, decayed streets. The sky had grown darker, and one [Frost de] after another whistled past, striking the ground and walls aimlessly. Each time he cast a spell, Lynn¡¯s brain would throb with pain, but he couldn¡¯t afford to care. Once he stopped casting, his opponent would rush forward and pierce his skull with a sword! In contrast, ine, who was chasing Lynn, seemed at ease. His sharp eyes caught the iing ice des, asionally dodging them while maintaining a close yet safe distance from Lynn. ine was so cautious because this clever wizard apprentice had proven to be exceptionally cunning. From the misleading notes in the room, the sudden ice de and Fireball Technique injuring him, to the deceptive witchcraft that killed Andre, it had left a deep impression on him. Despite his opponent seeming exhausted, ine didn¡¯t dare act rashly. Like the most patient hunter, he meticulously drained Lynn¡¯s energy, waiting for the moment his prey would copse and die! As they continued their chase, the distance from the town grew, and a foul stench filled the air. ine then realized that Lynn, in his desperation, had fled to the long-abandoned lower district. The entire Nornd Territory sloped from north to south, with the main city built along the northern bank of the Yin River. Over a decade ago, the Duke of Nornd, returning from the Holy City, was displeased with the chaotic, foul-smelling state of the main city and ordered artisans to dig a small channel, directing all the city¡¯s waste downstream of the Yin River. This decision brought misery to the impoverished living in the lower district, who relied on the Yin River for water. But the Duke of Nornd cared little for the lives of these wretched souls, so the lower district slowly fell into disrepair, with only a few scavengers lingering in the area. ine couldn¡¯t help but worry about other wizard apprentices hiding there. As he resolved to end the fight quickly, Lynn, who had been fleeing, suddenly stopped in a varied-height alley. It should be concentrated enough¡­ Lynn confirmed onest time. The strange rune in his mind activated, summoning seven [Frost des] that sparkled in the remaining light of the sunset¡­ Forcingrge amounts of magic power to convert into hydrogen and oxygen had severe side effects. Lynn felt his brain was about to explode. The magic power was squeezed to its limit; this was his final spell! In the next moment, the ice des split into two groups, shooting in unpredictable directions, blocking all of ine¡¯s evasion routes. ine¡¯s face grew somber, his eyes focused. Even he couldn¡¯t block such a quantitypletely, but if he risked injury¡­ Fortunately, the ice des seemed tock uracy, most only brushing past, with only three aimed at him¡­ A fight to the death? ine¡¯s face showed a sneer. During the chase, he noticed Lynn¡¯s spell casting wasn¡¯t truly out of thin air; at least, it had a significant mental toll¡­ Clearly, the opponent was nearing his limit. ine¡¯s lips curled slightly. His long sword shed precisely at the approaching [Frost des], failing to notice a red sphere mixed among them. ng~ The sword¡¯s edge struck the sphere, creating dazzling sparks. The odd impact made ine pause, realizing he had struck a firestone¡­ (P.S. New book, requesting support. Updates will be at 12:30 PM and around 7:00 PM daily.) ¡°¡±¡± Chapter 9 - 7: I will reveal the truth of this world to you! Chapter 9: Chapter 7: I will reveal the truth of this world to you! When the sword shed with the stone, brilliant sparks spread out rapidly like a spider web. A sudden sense of unease filled ine¡¯s mind, but before he could react, everything in front of him was engulfed by the leaping firelight! Boom~ The violent explosion echoed through the silent lower town. Lynn, who wasn¡¯t far away, was also blown to the ground by the shockwave of the explosion. At the same time, the brain¡¯s prompt tone sounded. [Energy depleted, overload mode ended¡­] ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± Lynn mbered up from the ground in a sorry state, then immediately felt a void. The continuous casting had drained his magic power dry. Compared to Lynn, who was affected by the st, ine, who was in the center of the explosion, looked much more miserable¡­ As the dust settled, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but take a sharp breath. ine, at the center of the explosion, looked inhuman. Half of his sword-wielding right arm was blown off, his exposed skin was ck and red, his chest armor was shattered and cracked, and one could faintly see putrefied flesh and white bones inside¡­ Even more terrifying, the intense explosion instantly drained the surrounding oxygen. ine¡¯s shrill screamssted only a few seconds before abruptly stopping. Lynn couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of fear. He had heard of the power of methane explosions on TV news, but it was the first time he saw it firsthand, especially since this time, he had created it himself. If ine hadn¡¯t been too far away, and the trajectory of the ¡°Fireball Technique¡± easy to predict and avoid, he wouldn¡¯t have taken the risky approach, using the principle of a methane explosion to lure and kill his opponent. It was thanks to the wondrous magic power that allowed him to manipte the flow of air to some extent. Plus, the lower town wasn¡¯tcking in ¡°materials,¡± so reaching a concentration sufficient to cause an explosion wasn¡¯t an easy feat. Lynn picked up the long sword that had fallen to the ground and cautiously approached to check ine¡¯s condition. Despite such severe injuries, ine hadn¡¯t instantly died. The two eyeballs that were barely attached to their sockets stared at him, his mouth making a ¡°clucking¡± sound, indicating that his vocal cords had also been damaged. ¡°Let me send you off. No need to thank me!¡± Lynn said coldly. He couldn¡¯t help but hate ine for barging into the house and forcing him into a desperate situation, but he had no intention of torturing him. In this state, he probably couldn¡¯t extract any information anyway. So death was the best end for him! Lynn raised the long sword and precisely thrust it into ine¡¯s heart, watching as thetter¡¯s body trembled violently before once again falling silent. Perhaps it was the influence of hatred, or perhaps it was Carl¡¯s original body¡¯s influence. In addition to the psychological difort, Lynn didn¡¯t feel excessively ufortable after personally ending a life. In fact, the aftereffects of casting spells back to back made his brain throb with pain asionally. Confirming that ine was truly dead, Lynn¡¯s tightly wound expression finally rxed. His body swayed, and he used the long sword in his right hand as a crutch to keep from copsing. ¡°071¡­¡± Lynn called softly in his mind but received no response. Remembering the earlier prompt, he understood that the brain had likely shut down due to excessive energy consumption. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om In response, Lynn had no solution but to wait for 071 to replenish its energy. At this moment, his mind was filled with confusion. What exactly was the magic power used by wizards, and why could it manipte chemical elements? And those strange runes that appeared inexplicably in his mind just now¡­ What left Lynn most perplexed was that, under the overload mode of the brain, he could even directly convert magic power into hydrogen and oxygen. Did this mean that magic power could be converted into any other element? If so, the wonder of this thing would far exceed his expectations. [Follow me! I will reveal the truth of this world to you!] Recalling what his mentor Kro had said when they met half a year ago, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Perhaps the old wizard wasn¡¯t just fooling him back then! It was no wonder Carl¡¯s original body would give up a stable life of food and clothing to be a Wizard Apprentice¡­ Unfortunately, Carl¡¯s original body had studied magic for too short a time. Plus, Kro had more than one apprentice, and teaching time was limited, so Lynn hadn¡¯t had ess to more secrets. The aftereffect of overconsuming magic power left Lynn terrified. During thest spell cast, he almost thought his brain was going to explode, and his body felt as weak as if he had just suffered a severe illness, urgently wanting to lie down and sleep. But Lynn knew this wasn¡¯t the time to rest. Though he had dealt with two enemies, themotion from the battle in the slums would likely be reported to the local tribunal soon, which would surely send more people to capture him. The immediate priority was to quickly find a ce to hide and figure out a way to contact a wizard¡­ Lynn nced down at ine¡¯s corpse, prodded it with the sword, and cut open the damaged pouch at his waist, causing a small pile of coins to spill out. A Sears gold coin, seven silver coins, and more than a dozen copper coins. Seeing that these well-crafted coins had not been damaged by the explosion, Lynn¡¯s mood improved slightly. As a noble¡¯s illegitimate child, Carl¡¯s original body had never been wealthy. After running away from home for more than three months, asionally funding his mentor¡¯s research, he could barely afford to eat¡­ With this windfall, he wouldn¡¯t have to risk returning to that dpidated house, which was likely a dead end now. ¡°Hmm?¡± Lynn bent down to gather the coins and unexpectedly found a piece of parchment that had fallen out alongside them. Underneath the scorching heat, most of the writing waspletely unreadable, leaving only faint characters like [Wuer Town], [Moonlit Day], [Johnny], and [Seventeen copper coins]. ¡°Wuer Town?¡± Lynn muttered to himself, and out of caution, he didn¡¯t destroy it on the spot but instead kept the burned parchment. He needed someone who could answer his questions. Heading to Wuer Town to find other apprentices might be a good choice. At least it would be more reliable than him searching alone for those hidden wizards¡­ As Lynn pondered, he grabbed ine¡¯s ankle and dragged the body toward the foul-smelling Seep River not far away. In this medieval world of magic and divine arts, even the dead couldn¡¯t be trusted. If the church of this world possessed the Resurrection Technique, his information could be leaked. The safest method was to dispose of the body entirely! (PS: Thanks to the readers Bloodstained Underworld Sun, Starstream Maple, and Vast Starry Sky for the reward of 100 wake-up coins.) Chapter 10 - 8 This is blasphemy against God! Chapter 10: Chapter 8 This is sphemy against God! ¡°Bishop Anluoke, it¡¯s here! I saw that wizard and the witch-hunter lorde out of the house from afar and fought all the way to here¡­¡± A quarter of an hourter, in the lower city, a ragged scavenger, covered in filth, hunched over as he looked at the priests of the church before him, carefully recounting everything he had seen. Anluoke remained silent, examining the scorch marks on the ground. The fresh blood had turned dark red under the heat, and the upturned soil mixed with shattered flesh attested to the ferocity of the battle. The severe destruction was likely caused by the second-circle spell, me Burst Skill! ¡°Where¡¯s the body?¡± Anluoke suddenly questioned. There were clear signs of a fight, but ine¡¯s body was nowhere to be found. The scavenger swallowed hard and began to speak with difficulty. ¡°After the witch-hunter lord died, that wizard threw him into¡­ threw him into the Yin River¡­¡± ¡°This is sphemy!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Before Anluoke could respond, a middle-aged priest behind him burst out angrily. Over the years, thanks to the ¡°wise¡± measures of the Duke of Nornd, the entire downstream of the Yin River had truly be a ce of filth. ine¡¯s identity was not just a simple witch-hunter; he was also a member of the church¡¯s divine punishment army, and he had even taken the Divine Grace Elixir, bing God¡¯s emissary on earth. His frequent participation in witch-hunting operations was merely to pad his resume. But that wizard, corrupted by a demon, had ruthlessly killed him and thrown his body into the polluted Yin River, undoubtedly a direct challenge to the authority of the church! The scavenger¡¯s body trembled slightly, lowering his head in fear. Anluoke tightened his grip on his staff, his anger rising. He turned to the trembling scavenger and questioned again. ¡°Did you see clearly what the wizard who killed ine looked like? Was anyone else involved?¡± ¡°I only saw a few distant glimpses, Bishop. There should have been no second wizard¡­¡± the scavenger replied, trembling. ¡°The person looked just barely an adult, with brown hair, about as tall as you.¡± ¡°Carl¡­¡± Anluoke murmured to himself, contemting the information. Previously, he had not paid much attention to this obscure wizard apprentice. After all, the intelligence indicated that the apprentice had been learning for just about half a year and was not favored by Wizard Coru, making him the least threatening target¡­ But it seemed that was not the case¡­ Releasing the second-circle spell me Burst Skill and killing two witch-hunters was not something a novice could achieve! Unless the person possessed a powerful alchemical tool, or¡­ was a formal wizard like Coru! ¡­ Several dayster, at the border of Nornd Territory, in an inn in Wuer Town. Waking from a nightmare, Lynn jumped off the hard wooden bed, quickly moving to the window to observe the scene outside. Seeing that everything was normal, with no oneing to catch him, Lynn finally breathed a sigh of relief. Since he killed those two witch-hunters in the slums five days ago, he had been worried about the Judgement Court¡¯s pursuit. He took a deliberately longer route to Wuer Town and even falsified some escape traces. Perhaps his half-baked counter-surveince techniques worked, or the Judgement Court had no time to deal with a minor wizard apprentice, as he had not encountered any pursuers yet. Despite this, the journey had been arduous. Used to the conveniences of modern life, suddenly finding himself in a setting resembling medieval Europe was almost too much for Lynn to bear. There were no phones orputers, no familiar family or friends, no hot breakfast in the morning, only hard ck bread washed down with water¡­ The only constion was that he retained all the memories of the original Carl, which allowed him to understand thenguage and writing of this world. His skills were not too weak, enabling him to deter some petty thieves and avoid dying on the way. After several days of hardship, Lynn reluctantly epted the reality of his situation, and this was his second day in Wuer Town! Out of caution, Lynn had not hurried to find the other wizard apprentices. After discovering the markers they left, he returned discreetly, taking a day to familiarize himself with the terrain and stock up on flints and ck bread. The days on the run had made Lynn paranoid, but after a preliminary understanding of Wuer Town, he realized why Johnny had chosen this ce for the meeting. As a trading town on the border of Nornd Territory, the ce saw a mix of peopleing and going regrly, with merchant caravans frequently passing through. One or two strangers would not attract much attention. As he pondered, Lynn reached for a stone mortar, cing the fragmented flints inside, and began grinding them into fine powder with a small wooden stick. During his time in Wuer Town, aside from looking for markers and familiarizing himself with the terrain, Lynn had devoted the rest of his time to making white phosphorus! White phosphorus is an allotrope of phosphorus with the chemical form P4, appearing as a white or pale yellow transparent solid. There are twomon methods of preparation. First, mixing calcium phosphate, quartz sand, and carbon powder into a mixture, heating it to 1400 to 1600 degrees Celsius. The resulting phosphorus vapor is then passed into cold water to solidify into white phosphorus. Second, heating red phosphorus to 416 degrees Celsius in the absence of air, sublimating and cooling it to obtain white phosphorus. However, in this pre-industrial, medieval-like world, gathering these materials in a short time was no easy task. 071 had shown him some ancient and ¡°convenient¡± methods of extracting materials, but Lynn preferred not to use them unless absolutely necessary. Fortunately, Lynn soon discovered a surprise: the flints he had used contained traces of red phosphorus! Given red phosphorus¡¯s role as an effective me retardant, its use in making matches in thest century to improve safety was not surprising. It seemed the natives of this world had already discovered phosphorus, albeit at a primitive level of application. As he ground the flint with the stick, removing the impurities, he was left with clumps of red powder¡­ Hecked professional equipment, but his magic was far more useful than any scientific apparatus! Mage¡¯s Hand! With a thought, the fine red phosphorus seemed to be summoned, floating up, and under the effect of the Initial Material Dption Skill, breaking down into basic molecr states¡­ (P.S.: Any support for the new book is appreciated!) Chapter 11 - 9 White Phosphorus Fire and Spell Slots Chapter 11: Chapter 9 White Phosphorus Fire and Spell Slots Lynn focused intently, simultaneously expelling the air around the red phosphorus as much as possible while using the principle of elerating molecr movement to raise the temperature. After more than ten seconds, wisps of white vapor floated out, gathered together under the constraint of magic power, and then quickly cooled and solidified into a semi-transparent yellow powder. This was White Phosphorus! Knowing the terror of this substance, Lynn dared not touch it with his hands. He held his breath the entire time, maintaining the Mage¡¯s Hand, and ced the collected white phosphorus into the bag that originally held the Embers of Red Fire. This storage bag, specifically used for storing magical materials, had an excellent insting effect, effectively preventing the sudden spontaneousbustion of white phosphorus¡­ After doing all this, fine beads of sweat had already formed on Lynn¡¯s forehead. Completing such aplicated procedure was somewhat strenuous for Lynn, who was still a wizard apprentice. If not for the spirit fusion during the transmigration that had greatly enhanced his control over magic power, this attempt would likely have ended in failure. Luckily, everything went as he had anticipated. cing the storage bag properly, Lynn recalled the terrifying scene of the zing fire of white phosphorus burning the ground in his memory, involuntarily shivering. ¡°Just hope there¡¯s no need to use it¡­¡± Growing up in an era of peace, Lynn still held deep reverence for life. However, he also knew that in this otherworld where human lives were as cheap as grass, in order to protect himself, he could only let others die while he remained alive¡­ ¡°071!¡± After everything was done, Lynn silently called out in his mind. Since the intelligent brain was forcibly shut down five days ago, this had be his daily routine. N?v(el)B\\jnn Obviously, there was no response this time either. If not for the magic power in his body slowly diminishing to supply energy to the intelligent brain, Lynn would have suspected that 071 had vanishedpletely. The intelligent brain was his important reliance for survival in this strange world. Just by connecting to the neuralwork to greatly enhance his thinking capacity, it was enough to get him out of many crises. Not to mention that in that special state, he could convert magic power into elements and cast spells without preparing materials in advance. Recalling the scene of his mentor Kro casting the second-circle spell Group Frost des, Lynn vaguely guessed that the ability to convert magic power into elements might be the key distinction between a wizard apprentice and a formal wizard! He was quite sure that Carl, as an apprentice, absolutely couldn¡¯t achieve this. There was no rted memory in his mind. It was likely after the transmigration and the spirit fusion, plus the assistance of the intelligent brain, that briefly broke through this barrier¡­ Lynn pondered as he entered meditation, and the magical world of elements reappeared before his ¡°eyes.¡± However, at this moment, Lynn¡¯s attention was already focused on the strange rune suspended in his sea of consciousness. The interior of the strange rune consisted of countless tiny dots and lines arranged in a very special manner, looking intricate and full of beauty. Testingly, Lynn touched it with his spiritual power, and the rune instantly lit up. Immediately, Lynn sensed a tenth of his magic power diminish at that moment. When he opened his eyes, a diamond-shaped Frost de hovered in his palm. ¡°This is somewhat like¡­ spell slots?¡± Rubbing his chin, Lynn quickly recalled the spell slots mentioned in the book ¡°Elemental Analysis.¡± It was also a capability of formal wizards, significantly enhancing their casting speed. In general, the process of constructing spell slots was a bit like programming work in the past, setting various parameters in advance and then pressing the confirm button when needed to immediately output the result. Thus, the arrangement of this rune probably indicated: one part oxygen + two parts hydrogen + reducing the molecr motion speed + special configuration = Frost de? Hmm, one had to admit, it was very scientific! Lynn tried several other spells with interest, but unexpectedly, no new spell slots formed. After some thought, Lynn quickly guessed the reason. To construct the corresponding spell slots, one probably needed to perform aplete casting of a first-circle spell without the aid of casting materials. With this in mind, Lynn could only temporarily abandon the n to further solidify spell slots. Without the support of the intelligent brain, there was still a considerable gap between him and a formal wizard. Lynn looked up at the sky outside, thinking it was about time to meet those wizard apprentices¡­ Today was Monday, thest agreed-upon day! ¡­ The Drunkard Tavern was located in the most bustling area of Wuer Town. If it weren¡¯t for following the secret marks all the way here, Lynn could not have imagined that Johnny would choose this ce for the meeting. And seventeen coppers was precisely the price of a cup of ancient rum! Was this a case of hiding in in sight? Lynn muttered to himself, but as soon as he pushed open the door, he couldn¡¯t help but wrinkle his nose. As a gathering ce for the lower ss, the interior of the Drunkard Tavern was bustling. The rising firece drove away the night chill, and the space, no more than a hundred square meters, was packed to the brim¡­ The wooden floor was stained with liquor and vomit, and a strong stench almost knocked Lynn out. At the long table near the entrance of the tavern, a drunken halfling immediately spotted the entering Lynn. Seeing the young face and noting that he was a stranger, the halfling maliciously shouted out. ¡°Hey, kid, why don¡¯t youe over and have a drink?¡± Lynn turned his head, scrutinizing the drunken halfling with a probing gaze. Halflings were unique to this continent. They were not called this because they had only half a body but due to their small stature, roughly half the height of an adult, resembling dwarves. However, these beings were not the result of gic defects but an entirely different race. Halflings were strong, with muscles seemingly gifted by nature, much like the dwarfs in Western fantasy works of his past life. One could only wonder what the halflings¡¯ physical structure and gicposition were like and how they differed from humans. As a data archivist by nature, Lynn¡¯s curiosity surged¡­ Under Lynn¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, the drunken halfling shivered involuntarily, feeling a chill run from his feet to his heart. Five years ago, in the Nornd Territory, he had once met the infamous Skullcutter Luke. That was a vicious thug who delighted in dismembering people. Lynn¡¯s gaze was eerily simr to Luke¡¯s back then, as if the halfling were merely a corpse waiting to be dissected¡­ Chapter 12 - 10: Carl, Why Did You Betray Us? Chapter 12: Chapter 10: Carl, Why Did You Betray Us? Gah-gah¡­ Suddenly, the crisp call of a crow interrupted the staring contest between the two. Lynn regretfully drew his gaze back and looked in the direction of the sound¡ªthere was a small gray crow perched on the counter, staring intently at him. The owner of the Drunkard Tavern was a shrewd and businesslike merchant from Greytown. He paused his ss-wiping for a moment upon hearing the crow¡¯s call, then grinned, exposing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and greeted warmly. ¡°What a rare new face. Wee to the Drunkard Tavern¡­ Do you need anything, my guest?¡± ¡°A ss of Goro Wine, four years aged. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that would be seventeen Secas copper coins.¡± Lynn walked straight to the counter,ying out the coins in neat groups of five, five, and seven. The tavern owner scrutinized Lynn, his gaze lingering on the long sword hanging from Lynn¡¯s waist, his expression remaining unchanged. ¡°That wasst year¡¯s price. Now¡­ it¡¯s twenty-one copper!¡± Lynn was taken aback but had yet to respond when a strikingly beautiful female customer beside him pursed her lips and teased, ¡°Old York, are you trying to fool a neer? Howe I didn¡¯t know that your Goro Wine suddenly became more expensive?¡± As she spoke, the female patron looked at Lynn with interest. Seventeen coppers for a ss of Goro Wine wasn¡¯t exactly luxury, but not many would be so generous at the Drunkard Tavern. Especially since the man was young and handsome, with solid muscles¡ªhe didn¡¯t seem like the useless type¡­ Old York didn¡¯t mind the woman¡¯s interruption and grinned, ¡°Two ships from the harbor capsized this year, making the ingredients for Goro Wine scarce. Prices have to go up¡­¡± Lynn frowned and spoke again, ¡°But I only have seventeen Secas copper coins!¡± The young woman¡¯s interest in Lynn diminished by half upon hearing this. He seemed like just another poor soul squandering his savings for a taste of good wine. ¡°Then I suggest you choose a different vor¡­¡± Old York shrugged, ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re interested in earning some extra coin, I could help you. Crippled Laud needs someone to do some side work for him; he¡¯s always generous with his payments!¡± Crippled Laud? Lynn raised an eyebrow. During his time spent gathering information in Wuer Town, he had heard that name more than once. The rumors were not favorable¡­ ¡°Very well, I need a suitable job anyway.¡± Lynn¡¯s mind raced, but he still nodded in agreement. Old York swept the coins into his pocket, called over an attendant to temporarily take over his duties, and then looked at Lynn again and said, ¡°Follow me. The Goro Wine you wanted is in the cer. I¡¯ll get it and then take you to meet him¡­¡± Seeing Lynn follow Old York without any defenses, the onlookers in the tavern couldn¡¯t help but reveal schadenfreude smiles. Everyone living in Wuer Town knew that although Crippled Laud was generous, he was also notoriously ruthless. Many people who worked under him had mysteriously disappeared, sometimes without even a corpse left to find¡­ They might get paid, but they wouldn¡¯t live to spend it¡­ ¡­ As the patrons reveled in their schadenfreude, Old York led Lynn through the kitchen into a storeroom filled with sacks of flour and barrels, stopping in front of arge, grimy barrel. Click¡­ Old York pressed down firmly on the barrel¡¯s side lid. Apanied by a gushing sound of liquid, the barrel slowly rotated halfway, and a wooden panel sprung open, revealing a half-human-height secret passage. ¡°Follow this path. The person you want to see is inside!¡± Old York lowered his voice and stuffed a lit candle holder into Lynn¡¯s hands, impatiently warning, ¡°Watch yourself and don¡¯t cause any trouble for me!¡± Lynn thanked him, took the candle, and stepped into the secret passage. Therge, liquor-stained barrel rotated back to its original position, followed by the sound of liquid being refilled. The faint light from outside disappeared, plunging the secret passage into total darkness. Lynn couldn¡¯t see where it led, with only the faint light from the candle illuminating the way forward. The air carried the stench of cheap wine. Lynn followed the dim corridor cautiously, mentally recapping the intel from his fellow Wizard Apprentices. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Because his mentor, Kro, had been constantly on the move in recent years, he had no fixed residence and never kept all his apprentices near him. After all, too many unfamiliar faces suddenly appearing in one city was conspicuous and made hiding difficult. So, his understanding of these people was limited, mostly having only met a few times, knowing their names and appearances. The only one he was somewhat familiar with was Johnny, who had sent him letters before. Of course, that familiarity was one-sided. To be precise, it was the original Carl who had a peculiar youthful crush on Johnny. Inyman¡¯s terms, it was a one-sided infatuation sparked by beauty. As Kro¡¯s most favored disciple, Johnny had impressive magical talent and was just one step away from bing a full-fledged Wizard. After Kro¡¯s death, Johnny became the apparent leader of their group of apprentices. Unfortunately, such a one-sided, peculiar rtionship clearly couldn¡¯t provide him with any help. As Lynn was distracted, the narrow corridor ahead gradually became more spacious. By the faint candlelight, Lynn realized that this passage led to a forest outside Wuer Town. It was deep into the night, yet the sky wasn¡¯t as dark as expected. Silver moonlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, casting a translucent veil over the firm yellow earth. Lynn could faintly feel the magic power inside him bing increasingly active. Is this Moon Day? Through the dense foliage, Lynn could vaguely see a sky full of shimmering stars and a gigantic bright moon. ording to Carl¡¯s memories, this astronomical phenomenon urred only once a year andsted about three to five days. However, there were no records in his memory about moonlight affecting magic power. Of course, he had only been a Wizard Apprentice for barely half a year¡­ While Lynn was pondering, a sudden sharp whizzing sound pierced the air. Dozens of solidified Magic Missiles shot out from the dense woods around him, blocking his escape routes in all directions. A trap? That was Lynn¡¯s immediate thought, and he reacted swiftly. Turning his empty left hand over, he dropped a handful of gray powder into his palm¡ªthe remaining casting material, Red Fire Embers! With a powerful throw, the powder ignited instantly under the influence of his magic, forming a scorching firewall in front of him. However, the hastily used new spell, Lesser Firewall, couldn¡¯t withstand the joint attack of several Wizard Apprentices. The Magic Missiles pierced through the mes almost instantly. Fortunately, Lynn had achieved his objective. The heat wave and high temperature from the firewall caused the magical projectiles to lose their uracy, ricocheting off tree trunks and the yellow earth behind him. Seeing four figures cloaked in ck robes closing in on him in a semicircle, Lynn silently drew the long sword from his waist and opened the pouch containing white phosphorus, preparing for battle. Due to time constraints, he had limited white phosphorus, but now was clearly not the time to hold back¡­ Just as Lynn was about to act, a cold voice rang out. ¡°Carl, why did you betray us?¡± (P.S.: As usual, new book seeking rmendations, collections, continued reading, and votes.) Chapter 13 - 11 Wizard Land - Green Reel (Two-in-One) Chapter 13: Chapter 11 Wizard Land ¨C Green Reel (Two-in-One) The sudden questioning made Lynn pause for a moment. As a few figures gradually approached, Lynn immediately recognized the leader¡ªit was his target for this search, Johnny. The girl wrapped in a ck robe was about twenty years old, with peculiar silver-gray long hair and bright, gem-like blue eyes. She had grown much thinner since theirst meeting, likely due to constantly fleeing and hiding, and her face carried a sickly pallor. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean, Johnny!¡± Lynn¡¯s tone was unwavering, without a trace of hesitation. With all of his predecessor¡¯s memories, he was absolutely certain that Carl had nevermitted any betrayal. At most, he might have considered it in his mind, but otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be hiding in fear in the slums. ¡°Where is your sword?¡± the gray-haired witch continued to question. Only then did Lynn realize that Johnny¡¯s gaze was fixed on the longsword in his grip, and a thought quickly rified the problem. ¡°The weapon you¡¯re holding ismonly used by witch hunters!¡± said the burly Wizard Apprentice, Buck, excitedly. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my trophy; is there a problem with that, Buck?¡± Lynn replied calmly, though cold sweat trickled down his back. He¡¯d been carrying this ticking time bomb all this while! Of course, he couldn¡¯t be med for not being cautious enough; after all, his own short sword had been lost in the slum hut, and throwing away a readily avable weapon was hardly practical. What¡¯s more, Carl¡¯s memoriescked any information on ¡°witch hunters having standard-issue weapons.¡± Considering that he hadn¡¯t encountered any trouble these past few days, it seemed knowledge of this intel was scarce, but it clearly had not escaped Old York at the Drunkard¡¯s Tavern. No wonder the other party kept evading and testing him with various excuses when he bought Kro¡¯s wine. It was likely Old York who conveyed the information about Lynn having a witch hunter¡¯s sword to Johnny and his group. ¡°A trophy?! You mean you killed a witch hunter and took his sword?¡± Buck scoffed. ¡°Carl, if I¡¯m not mistaken, you can¡¯t even master the basic one-ring spell, Frost de¡­ You should find a more believable excuse.¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Asckeys of the church, those selected as witch hunters were elites above ordinary people, usually operating in small teams. Even an official wizard would find them quite troublesome. For apprentices like them, escaping death was already a stroke of luck. ¡°Sometimes strength doesn¡¯t represent everything, Buck!¡± Lynn shook his head. ¡°Besides, ourst meeting was four months ago, wasn¡¯t it?¡± As he spoke, Lynn extended his hand, extracting hydrogen and oxygen from the surrounding air, then rapidly cooling them to condense into form. Almost instantly, a diamond-shaped ice de materialized before everyone, its odd shape exuding a peculiar beauty. The present Wizard Apprentices were momentarily stunned, not by the ice de¡¯s never-before-seen shape, but by Lynn¡¯s rapid casting speed! Before bing an official wizard, one couldn¡¯t inscribe spell slots into their brain, making the quickpletion of intricate casting tasks and speeding up casting a significant challenge. After all, in realbat, enemies wouldn¡¯t foolishly wait for one¡¯s spell toplete. Generally, an apprentice who could ready a spell in two seconds was considered qualified. Yet Lynn hadpressed the entire process to about one second, roughly sacrificing form for pure speed. Although the ice de wasn¡¯t the perfect Kro configuration, it was enough to earn the onlookers¡¯ admiration. ¡°Also, I don¡¯t believe the church would allow a wizard to be a witch hunter and provide them with weapons¡­¡± Lynn retorted, not waiting for the group to recover. Buck waspletely speechless. The church had always adopted a ¡°better to kill the wrong person than let any wizard escape¡± policy. Letting a ¡°demon-corrupted¡± wizard be a witch hunter was sacrilege¡­ The other Wizard Apprentices evidently understood this as well, showing a bit less hostility towards Lynn. Johnny did not lower her guard, but instead looked toward one of the others and asked, ¡°Have you scouted the area, Bai Ge?¡± ¡°No one is surrounding us¡­¡± the person speaking shrank back into their ck robe, replying timidly. With the clear response, Johnny finally turned around and apologized to Lynn. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Carl. The situation is urgent, and we must be cautious.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying you just suspected me, and without any proof, you were ready to strike?¡± Lynn questioned. ¡°I assure you, the spell was just a test. No one intends to harm their ownpanions!¡± Johnny exined earnestly. Lynn gazed into the girl¡¯s blue eyes, seeing no evasion or lies there, but he had genuinely felt danger during the earlier attack. Considering that his suspicion hadn¡¯t beenpletely cleared and sensing was not entirely reliable, Lynn chose not to reveal this information publicly. Among the apprentices, he had followed Kro the shortest time and was the least trustworthy one! After pausing a moment, Lynn suppressed his displeasure and asked again, ¡°Has something happened? I need an exnation¡­¡± Chapter 14 - 11 Wizard Land - Greenreel (Combined 2 in 1)_2 Chapter 14: Chapter 11 Wizard Land ¨C Greenreel (Combined 2 in 1)_2 ¡°Follow me first. This isn¡¯t a ce to chat; the battle just now might have exposed our whereabouts,¡± Johnny said apologetically, ncing at Lynn, then beckoned everyone to return to the encampment under the cover of night. When the full moon hung high overhead, a deste, ruined vige appeared before Lynn¡¯s eyes. ¡°This vige was massacred and destroyed by a group of mercenaries who infiltrated during thest conquest war led by Duke Nornd. Now, besides us, there are only a few wild beasts left here,¡± Johnny sighed, then whispered, ¡°Damn nobles, damn church, damn war!¡± Lynn looked at Johnny with a hint of surprise. He wasn¡¯t surprised by what the girl said; he just thought that almost everyone here was probably of noble origin. Was it really okay to say that? Despite her inexplicable resentment towards nobles, Johnny still chose to set up their temporary base in a noble¡¯s manor. Therge manor, ravaged by war, no longer had its former glory. The main house looked on the verge of copse, surrounded by ruins and broken walls. Inside wasn¡¯t much better. Cobwebs filled the crumbling walls, overturned chairs were covered in thick dust, and the ce reeked of decay. However, since this was a noble¡¯s residence, the vast main house was almost like a small castle designed to withstand war. It had a few guard posts and even an independent drainage system, meaning they didn¡¯t need to worry about their water supply here. Upon entering the manor, Lynn soon saw the Wizard Apprentice stationed there¡ªBarton! Compared to his burly brother Buck, Barton was almost his exact opposite, emaciated to the point of looking like he could be blown away by a gust of wind. After moving the junk to the door with everyone and resealing it, Johnny spoke up before Lynn could ask any questions. ¡°Kent is dead!¡± Who was Kent? Lynn paused, searching his memory before recalling that Kent was the third disciple of Kro and the only Wizard Apprentice not present. He hadn¡¯t expected this guy to be dead already. ¡°On the same day our teacher was captured by the church, the Nornd Territory¡¯s guards raided Kent¡¯s hiding ce. After that, both Buck and Barton, as well as Will, were also pursued, but Bai Ge managed to avoid the attack thanks to her special abilities,¡± Johnny exined. Special abilities? Lynn instinctively looked at the Wizard Apprentice named Bai Ge. She looked excessively young, about thirteen or fourteen years old, not even reaching his shoulder in height. Her yellowish face was dotted with sparse freckles, and her messy hair was tangled as she squatted in the corner feeding some gray crows. Lynn quickly recalled the sound of crows he had heard in the tavern, guessing that she might possess some kind of magic to control animals. ¡°I suspect someone sold us out, enabling the church to locate our hiding ces so precisely,¡± Johnny said worriedly. ¡°How many people know about our hiding ce?¡± Lynn asked the most crucial question. As wizards being hunted and oppressed by the church, they would never casually reveal their whereabouts, indicating very few people knew. A process of elimination would suffice. Johnny was silent for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°Normally, only we should know.¡± ¡°Could it be that the teacher¡­¡± Buck hesitated but asked nheless. ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Johnny¡¯s eyes sharpened, and she rebuked decisively. Buck immediately fell silent. Lynn didn¡¯t dwell on the issue too much but asked the second question that concerned him the most. ¡°So, what¡¯s our n from here?¡± Lynn faintly regretteding to find these Wizard Apprentices. He had assumed that while Johnny and the others were being hunted, at least their internal situation was stable and that even if they couldn¡¯t lead him to another full-fledged wizard, they could at least provide some support. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case now. If Johnny didn¡¯t have a reliable enough n to evade the church¡¯s pursuit, he would look for an opportunity to leave this group. To Lynn, moving alone was much safer than following a group of ipetentpanions. Buck and Will also looked at Johnny, and even Bai Ge stopped feeding the gray crows. During the time they were being hunted by the church, they had asked the same question multiple times, but Johnny had always dodged the question, insisting on waiting until everyone was present before divulging anything. This time, Johnny didn¡¯t conceal anything and responded smoothly. ¡°We will cross the Mist Sea by boat and head to the Wizard Land¡ªGreen Lire!¡± ¡°Does the Wizard Land really exist?¡± Will, who had been silent, suddenly asked. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that beyond the Mist Sea is a Land of Death, from where people never return.¡± n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been there with my mentor before. It¡¯s and exclusively for wizards, free from the influence of the church and witch hunters, where everyone can freely study magic!¡± Johnny said firmly. ¡°It sounds as marvelous as the Holy Land of Eira,¡± Barton mumbled, finding it impossible to imagine a world where wizards could cast spells freely without being hunted. It could only be described as a dream. Much like the Holy Land of Eira described in the ¡°Bible,¡± it was a ce only the most devout believers could reach after death. No sickness or aging existed there, and everyone lived in spacious estates, cared for by dream elves with utmost attentiveness. In the Holy Land, rivers flowed with fragrant wine, fields automatically yielded abundant wheat without the need for farming, and every tree branch wasden with sulent, juicy steaks¡­ ¡°Eira doesn¡¯t like wizards¡­¡± Squatting in the corner, Bai Ge weakly interrupted Barton¡¯s fantasy. ¡°How do we get there?¡± Will asked anxiously. Johnny hesitated for a moment but then responded truthfully. ¡°Wuer Town is very close to the Nornd Territory¡¯s port. We can board a ship there. I think¡­ Lame Laud should help us.¡± Laud? Lynn couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Previously, the boss of the Drunken Tavern, Old York, had also mentioned this name to him. Rumor had it that Lame Laud had been a pirate for several years in his youth, making quite a name for himself until a leg injury during a merchant raid forced him to fake his death to survive. This incident, however, turned Laud¡¯s luck around. After a fierce battle where most of the pirate leaders perished, Laud conveniently became the pirate leader. Yet, instead of continuing the piging lifestyle, he turned to legitimate business, now controlling the alcohol trade in Wuer Town and its port, making him the biggest local power in the western Nornd Territory. Recalling various city rumors, Lynn immediately realized that Laud¡¯s supposed alcohol trade was just a cover, and his real business was maintaining the connection between the Wizard Land and the outside world. ¡°In short, we need to hurry. The road to the Wizard Land will open briefly only on Monday,¡± Johnny swiftly drew her longsword and sketched the positions of Wuer Town and the port on the ground, marking out their route with sword strokes. ¡°We¡¯ll set off early tomorrow morning, circumnavigating through Kodesuo Mountain. We shouldn¡¯t attract much attention. Based on the star signs, this year¡¯s Monday willst for five days, so we have ample time!¡± Johnny outlined the general n. Seeing that Lynn and the others had memorized it, she cast a Fireball Technique to destroy the drawn map. ¡°That¡¯s it for tonight!¡± In the burst of me, Johnny looked around at everyone and added, ¡°Bai Ge, you¡¯ll take the night watch. Tomorrow, Carl will carry you on the journey.¡± Why me? Touching his nose, Lynn felt extremely frustrated. They were really just bullying the neer, weren¡¯t they? (PS: I couldn¡¯t find a suitable spot to end the chapter, so here¡¯s a double release today.) Chapter 15 - 12 Lynn: I Know This One! (Request for Continued Reading) Chapter 15: Chapter 12 Lynn: I Know This One! (Request for Continued Reading) After a whole night of rushing, everyone present was exhausted. Once Johnny finished speaking, they each went to rest. Of course, Lynn was no exception. He chose a room that looked somewhat decent, pushed the broken door closed, andy down on the dusty wooden bed without caring. For the past week since he crossed over, Lynn¡¯s nerves had been tense. He had slept with one eye open, fearing that soldiers might rush in at any moment and kill him. Now, he could finally rx a bit. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Greenriel¡­¡± Lynn murmured about the Wizard Land that Johnny had mentioned. Unlike Will and the others, who were suspicious, he didn¡¯t find it strange that a group of wizards who knew magic would band together to upy a piece ofnd and immerse themselves in the study of magic. Or rather, he thought it waspletely normal. On the contrary, the church, with its religious theology, seemed incredibly strange to him. For Lynn, going to the Wizard Land was undoubtedly an excellent choice. In a ce that valued magic and knowledge, he could better utilize his advantages without worrying about being captured one day. Within the Sekas Empire, which was controlled by the church, he probably couldn¡¯t even find a ce to peacefully farm and advance technology. If God really descended, there¡¯d be nowhere to appeal, even creating anti-matter weapons might not solve anything¡­ Weighing the pros and cons, Lynn temporarily gave up the idea of going alone, but a lingering concern still loomed over his mind. He didn¡¯t think that the sense of danger he had felt in the dense forest earlier was an illusion. Johnny, Bai Ge, Will, Buck, Barton¡­ One by one, their figures shed through Lynn¡¯s mind. In the six months since he became a wizard apprentice, his rtionships with these people had been shallow, and there were no grudges, so he could basically rule out the possibility of personal vendettas. As for who the attacker was? Lynn thought about it and first ruled out Johnny. It wasn¡¯t because of some lingering goodwill from his original self but because she was the least suspicious. As the apparent leader of the apprentices and the proposer of the escape n, if she surrendered, he might as well run away. Next was Bai Ge. Her ability to control animals was crucial, acting as the team¡¯s eyes and ears. If someone like that changed sides, it would be a nightmare. The parchment that had warned him earlier was written by Johnny and delivered by Bai Ge controlling a gray crow. If either of them had problems, Carl would probably have died before Lynn crossed over. Lynn hesitated over the remaining three. Buck and Barton were twin brothers; they could cover for each other and deceive Johnny and the others easily. At least, the taciturn Will was someone he knew even less about, only that he was the offspring of an earl in the Sekas Empire. Lynn closed his eyes and recalled every detail of his interactions with the other wizard apprentices, then thought of the secret passage in the [Drunkard¡¯s] tavern, old York, Wizard Land, and the crippled Laud¡­ Vaguely, a guess shed through his mind. Lynn suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, a cold feeling slowly rising in his heart. Click~ Just at that moment, the creaking sound of a door hinge turning came, and the slightly ajar door was pushed open. Already on guard, Lynn instinctively drew his longsword from his waist and shed towards the door. Seeing the person clearly, Lynn¡¯s hand movement suddenly stopped, the sharp de hovering in front of the girl. ¡°Johnny?¡± Lynn was a bit surprised. The silver-gray-haired witch raised her right hand to block the sword edge. It was then that Lynn noticed she was wearing a pure ck leather glove on her right hand, inscribed withplex and mysterious symbols. It seemed to be some kind of alchemy tool. ¡°Had a nightmare?¡± The silver-gray-haired witch frowned slightly, not understanding why Lynn reacted so violently. She paused before exining again. ¡°I knocked on the door just now, but you didn¡¯t respond.¡± Lynn nodded, sheathed his sword, and asked puzzledly, ¡°It¡¯s sote, is something wrong?¡± ¡°My teacher mentioned earlier that once you mastered the one-ring spell [Frost de], I should give this to you.¡± Johnny said dejectedly, taking a two-finger-thick book from her bosom and handing it to Lynn. The cover had the words [Basic Magic Compendium] scrawled inmonnguage. Curious, Lynn took it. The book was made of rough papyrus. Opening the first page, the first spell recorded was [Magic Missiles]. Simr to [Elementary Material Dption Skill], [Magic Missiles] was a special category of zero-ring magic, with lesser power than [Frost de] and [Fireball Technique]. The benefit was that [Magic Missiles] were purely magical constructs, requiring no pre-prepared casting materials and having no control limit. Theoretically, as long as there was enough magic power, creating hundreds of [Magic Missiles] at once was not impossible. Of course, sheer quantity was useless. Any wizard¡¯s focus was limited. Wizard apprentices managing to create and control two or three missiles for attack was already their limit; otherwise, they¡¯d easily get distracted in battle. But there was a solution. Flipping through the book, Lynn found the second page of the [Basic Magic Compendium] filled with numerous curve diagrams along with many Helram-like symbols below. After some detailed research, Lynn understood roughly what it was trying to convey. To break the control limit of [Magic Missiles], one needed to construct a three-dimensional coordinate system centered on oneself in the mind and pre-set the flight paths of the [Magic Missiles]. The flight paths could be straight lines or curves, meaning a spellcaster could create numerous [Magic Missiles], forming overwhelming, hard-to-resist barrages from different directions and angles. This required the use of straight-line and curve equations in three-dimensional space¡­ Lynn stroked his chin, this problem didn¡¯t seem too difficult¡­ Since [Magic Missiles] were pure magical constructs, they were minimally affected by gravity, needing consideration of only inertial force and wind speed. Seeing Lynn¡¯s deep interest in the pages, Johnny couldn¡¯t help but remind him. ¡°This is a spell form created by Grand Wizard Helram, further enhancing the power of [Magic Missiles]. However, it¡¯s too difficult for us right now. You shouldn¡¯t waste too much energy on it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Lynn responded fluently, closing the book after confirming his thoughts were correct. Johnny saw Lynn¡¯s dismissive attitude and helplessly shook her head. When she first encountered magic, she too loved studying theseplex forms until she hit a wall and became more self-aware¡­ (PS: A new week, asking for rmendations, monthly tickets, and continued reading.) Chapter 16 - 13: The Time is Tonight! Chapter 16: Chapter 13: The Time is Tonight! ¡°You should get some rest early tonight. It will take us many days to get to the Wizard City by boat. There¡¯s plenty of time to learn new magic,¡± Johnny said, seeing that he couldn¡¯t persuade Lynn. He gave a final reminder before turning to leave. ¡°Wait¡­ Johnny!¡± Lynn tucked the ¡°Basic Magic Manual¡± into his coat and, recalling his earlier suspicion, stopped her. ¡°What is it? Is there something else?¡± The silver-haired witch halted her steps. ¡°Are you sure that no one else knows about our hideout, aside from us?¡± Lynn asked once more. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°You suspect that someone among us might have sided with the Church?¡± Johnny¡¯s expression became serious. She naturally understood Lynn¡¯s implication and had the same suspicion. After hesitating for a moment, she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Before you arrived in Wuer Town, we had already been in this vige for an entire week¡­ The dangerous tasks of gathering intelligence and purchasing supplies were all drawn by lots,¡± She had also used these opportunities to test everyone. The fact that they had not encountered any pursuit from the Church so far was the best proof! This did not surprise Lynn. He directly and unequivocally retorted, ¡°Have you considered that the Church¡¯s primary target might not be us?¡± Lynn knew very well that if there was an insider, the only reason they hadn¡¯t acted yet was to gain arger benefit¡­ Johnny was taken aback, her face full of confusion. ¡°Lame Laud¡­ The route to Greenreel, this is the Church¡¯s true objective!¡± Lynn stated each word with precision. He didn¡¯t know what kind of rtionship the old York from the Drunken Tavern and Kro had, that made them willing to help these wizard apprentices, but one thing was certain! Such a hidden passage, directly leading out of the city, could not have been specifically created for them! In other words, old York was highly likely a spy nted by the Wizard Land in the Nornd Territory, and helping them to set sail, Laud was undoubtedly a more important figure. Lynn could imagine how many wizards had entered the Sekas Empire through this route over these years, and how many boats loaded with materials had sailed from the ports of the Nornd Territory to the Wizard City¡­ Inparison, capturing these few wizard apprentices was insignificant, merely to pacify the Nornd Duke¡¯s emotions. This might exin why they continually faced pursuit from the Church outside, yet were safe once they entered Wuer Town! With Lynn¡¯s prompting, Johnny immediately understood the point, herplexion changed instantly. As such, the Church had probably already been aware of their movements, simply holding back, waiting for them to act, and then capturing everyone in one fell swoop. Thinking of this sent a chill down Johnny¡¯s spine. At this moment, they were like birds stepping into a trap, waiting for the hunter to raise his butcher¡¯s knife. Johnny bit her lip and remained silent for a long time, unable to think of a way out. ¡°So what should we do?¡± After putting forth the question, the young girl did not expect any answer from Lynn. In this situation where they were besieged from all sides, it was near despair. How could a group of apprentices who couldn¡¯t even trust each other escape the Church¡¯s meticulously woven? However, Lynn spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s simple¡­ Wait!¡± ¡°Wait?¡± Lynn¡¯s answer took Johnny by surprise. ¡°You just revealed the n about the boat and the information about Laud to them, and we¡¯re preparing to set off tomorrow. At that time, everyone will be under mutual surveince, so¡­¡± Lynn asserted decisively, ¡°Tonight is the best opportunity to pass on the message!¡± ¡­ ¡°Squeak, squeak¡ª¡ª¡± When the moonlight crossed the thirteenth star, Will woke up to the sound of mice. The dry straw on the hard wooden bed pricked his back like needles and razors. Will struggled to sit up and saw a few mice gnawing on a half piece of ck bread beside his discarded robe. Their long tongues hung from their mouths, and their ck, grimy toes left marks on the blue robe. ¡°Damn it, you filthy vermin, scum!¡± Will kicked out in anger, sending the dirty ck bread flying. He cursed venomously for minutes before calming down, then picked up his robe and cautiously pushed open the door. The side hall was pitch-dark, devoid of any figures. At this time, everyone except the night watchman Bai Ge should have been resting. Will did not dare to stay any longer. He hurriedly walked through the corridor and entered a secluded storage room, closing the door behind him. The old wooden door creaked noisily. Thanks to the mercenaries who stormed in, all the locks in the manor had been violently broken. The entire storage room was in disarray, dusty wooden floors, chairs, and cabs tipped over. Will nervously crouched down and moved the piled-up debris in the corner, revealing a strange rhombic pattern etched on the dusty floor. When the apprentices took the elective sses for advanced studies, Johnny chose elements, Bai Ge chose spiritual energy, and he mastered alchemy! Sailing, port, Laud¡­ Will carved one character after another into the center of the array. Then, he ced magic stones within the four circles of the array. A faint glow gradually emerged, extending along the outline of the array¡­ Just as the glimmer was about to envelop the entire array, a sharp whistling sound pierced the quiet room. A Frost de embedded itself in the corner of the magic array, instantly dimming its radiant light. ¡°Who?¡± Will was startled, falling to the floor, terror filling his eyes as he looked towards the direction of the intruder. The slightly ajar door had been fully opened without him noticing. Johnny¡¯s gaze was filled with disappointment and confusion. ¡°Why did you betray us, Will?¡± The hot-tempered Buck charged forward, grabbing Will by the cor and punching his face. ¡°Answer me!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Will sneered, shoving Buck away, wiping the blood from his mouth, and said excitedly, ¡°You ask me why?¡± ¡°I am Will Isk, the second son of the Imperial Earl!¡± ¡°If not for that idiot Kro, I should have been living in the manor of the Isk Territory, attending luxurious high-society gatherings, enjoying delicious food and servants¡¯ service. I would have inherited part of my father¡¯s territory and be a Baron Lord of the Sekas Empire!¡± ¡°But now? We can only gnaw on ck bread that only peasants eat, sleep in filthy, rat-infested ruins.¡± Will cursed hysterically, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough!¡± ¡°Kro is a madman, a demon! He taught us the knowledge of devils, turning us from noble aristocrats into a bunch of bugs hiding in dark corners¡­¡± Chapter 17 - 14 Caged Bird Chapter 17: Chapter 14 Caged Bird ¡°Have you all forgotten your identities? Before bing wizards, we were all noble children of the Sekas Empire!¡± Will shouted loudly. Buck and the others nced at each other, falling into silence. They understood Will¡¯s experience well, the feeling of falling from heaven into hell was indeed unbearable. In the midst of the silence, Lynn suddenly spoke, ¡°You should understand, Will, the Church would never change their treatment of us because of our identities¡­¡± What is the most important principle of the Church as a monotheistic religion? Of course, it is the Doctrine of Divine Creation! The legendary Lord Eira created everything in the world and bestowed the nectar of life, bringing vitality to the once lifeless and barrennd. Because of this, everyone should adhere to the rule of the Church. And wizards, who sought to decipher the rules of the world¡¯s operation and gain power from it, naturally became the Church¡¯s mortal enemies. After all, this was shaking the foundation of divine rule! ¡°This time is different!¡± Will said excitedly, looking at everyone present, his entire being looking like a maniac. ¡°Johnny, Lynn, Buck, the Church¡¯s primary target is not us. As long as we sincerely repent, Bishop Anluoke and Duke of Nornd will surely forgive our sins!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Will!¡± Johnny sighed, ¡°From the moment we chose to be wizards, there was no way back.¡± Once one chose to be a wizard, magic power would forever flow within them. In the Sekas Empire, this was a symbol of demons and disgrace. If Earl Isk knew his second son had be a wizard, his first reaction would be to sever all ties and expel Will from the family¡­ This meant they could never return to their previous lives¡­ ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, I know exactly what I¡¯m doing!¡± Will said with a cold smile, turning to nce at Bai Ge, who had remained silent. He pulled a few magic stones from a hidden pocket in his robe with his right hand behind his back and suddenly, without warning, scattered them towards Johnny and the others. ¡°Johnny¡­ be careful!¡± Bai Ge screamed loudly. In her spiritual energy vision, she could clearly see that each magic stone was engraved with a hidden rune. Just as Bai Ge¡¯s voice sounded, several magic stones exploded in mid-air, and the sharp fragments fell like locusts¡­ The gray-haired witch¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She raised her right hand, her fingers tapping as if ying a piano, with runes lighting up one after another on the gloves covering her slender fingers. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om A weak me instantly appeared at her fingertips. Then, the sparks rapidly expanded, and within a second, the scorching tongues of fire covered everything in front of her! This was the first-level magic¡ªme Touch! As soon as he threw out the magic stones, Will had already nned his escape route. He clumsily rolled to avoid the scorching me tongues, then prepared to jump out of the wide-open window. But Lynn was faster. A diamond-shaped ice de shot forth, piercing Will¡¯s ankle, causing his body, which had leaped into the air, to lose bnce and crash to the ground. A piercing cold spread from his ankle, and Will immediately felt his right leg go numb. Leaning against the wall, panic-stricken, he was about to say something when a slender Magic Missile flew over and exploded in his eye socket. Scarlet blood mixed with brain matter sttered down, staining the wooden floor red. Lynn immediately turned to look in the opposite direction, and Johnny questioned in disbelief. ¡°What are you doing, Bai Ge?¡± When she used me Touch, she had deliberately reduced its power to leave Will alive for interrogation. ¡°There was no time, I had to kill him first!¡± Bai Ge screamed in terror, holding her head. ¡°Outside¡­ there are at least a hundred guards. We are surrounded!¡± Upon hearing this, Johnny immediately ran to the window and cast a fireball technique, illuminating the dark night. In the burst of firelight, Lynn could see from afar squads of armored guards with crossbow arrows at their waists, silently emerging from the dense forest and rushing towards them. The person leading them held a scepter and was dressed in a white and golden robe. Even from a few hundred meters away, in the reflected firelight, he locked eyes with Lynn. ¡°It¡¯s Bishop Anluoke of Nornd! We¡¯re doomed, we¡¯re dead!¡± Barton recognized him at once and fell into despair. He had not expected that to capture a few wizard apprentices, the bishop of Nornd would personally take action. Lynn nced at the dim Alchemy Array on the ground. Just now, they should have already stopped the magic from being triggered, which meant¡­ Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to Bai Ge. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me¡­ it wasn¡¯t me!¡± The thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl shook her head frantically, her face full of fear. The chaotic situation and the approaching Church soldiers made Johnny, already mentally tense, feel dizzy. Biting her lip, she forced herself to calm down and spoke in a low voice. ¡°Listen, it¡¯s not as bad as it seems. There¡¯s a wide drainage channel in the basement of this mansion that leads directly to the river outside. We can escape through there!¡± As she spoke, Johnny turned to Lynn with a pleading look to keep an eye on Bai Ge. She no longer knew whom to trust. ¡­ A minute earlier, in the dense forest outside Wuer Town, over a hundred neatly dressed guards were slowly advancing under the cover of the tree shade. Apanying them, Priest Aaron looked at the distant castle and asked in confusion. ¡°Bishop Anluoke, ording to the previous n, weren¡¯t we supposed to wait until these wizard apprentices reached Harbour Town to take action?¡± For the ¡°Caged Bird¡± n, they had mobilized arge number of people to monitor the entire Wuer Town, intending to use this group of wizard apprentices to root out and send to hell all those in the Nornd Territory who had forsaken the faith of the Lord. Now, by taking the initiative, they were undoubtedly destroying all the previous efforts. ¡°Aaron, apetent hunter must not only learn how to set up intricate traps but also understand the timing of closing the,¡± Anluoke responded in a deep voice. ¡°A sturdy iron cage may be able to imprison clumsy bird-ostriches, but if a gryphon were to mix in, it would break free and tear the hunter apart¡­¡± ¡°Remember, excessive greed will only make you lose everything in your hands.¡± The essence of the ¡°Caged Bird¡± n was their absolute control. No matter how these wizard apprentices struggled, they could not escape the they had set. However, ine¡¯s death made Anluoke sense unease. Among the apprentices of Kro, there was actually a formal wizard, whichpletely disrupted his n. Having dealt with these devil worshippers countless times, Anluoke was well aware of how troublesome formal wizards could be. Their witchcraft was bizarre and diverse. If not careful, one could easily die unexpectedly. During the great battle in the Nornd Territory, if Kro had not stayed behind to cover an apprentice¡¯s escape, capturing him would not have been easy. (PS: Bird-ostrich, a kind of herbivorous animal in a different world, can be understood as¡­ ostrich.) Chapter 18 - 15: The Great Battle in the Castle (Seeking continued reading) Chapter 18: Chapter 15: The Great Battle in the Castle (Seeking continued reading) In contrast, taking the initiative while the situation was still under control was undoubtedly a wiser move. If they could capture one or two key figures, it might be possible to extract information from them. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Master Anluoke.¡± Priest Aaron pondered carefully for a moment, then respectfully bowed. ¡°Everything is the Lord¡¯s instruction.¡± Anluoke replied effortlessly. Suddenly, as if he sensed something, several brilliant light arrows appeared in the void without any visible movement, pinning four gray crows that were about to take off to the trees in an instant. Three secondster, a dazzling fireball shot out from the manor not far away, the explosion illuminating the sky brightly. Anluoke raised his head, and his vision, enhanced by Divine Arts, pierced through hundreds of meters. Through the open window on the third floor, he saw Lynn and others looking out. Brown hair, medium build, handsome features¡­ n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om That was the wizard named Carl who killed ine! ¡°Everyone, advance at full speed!¡± Anluokemanded without hesitation. Since they had been discovered, there was no longer any need to hide. The originally slow-moving guards immediately broke into a run, the clinking of their armor creating a continuous roar, like waves converging towards the central fortress from all directions¡­ After seven years, the manor gates were violently breached again. Guards, holding swords and shields, formed teams of ten and methodically surrounded the entire castle. Aaron led the charge, directing several squads toward the direction where Lynn and the others had been previously. Traversing a long, wide corridor, the front-row guards had just entered the foyer when they retreated in terror. Unfortunately, they were still a step too slow. Several zing fireballs fell among them like meteors. Then came a series of violent explosions. The fireballs expanded rapidly and exploded, transforming the previously orderly formation into a chaotic sea of people. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Amidst the harrowing screams, blood spattered everywhere, bodies were flung about, and the thick smell of blood filled the air. Even though the participants in this ambush were elite troops selected from the Nornd Territory¡¯s army, each fully armed, they were instantly thrown into disarray when faced with powerful witchcraft. ¡°Everyone fall back, form up, crossbows ready!¡± Aaron, the only one remaining calm, raised his staff and shouted loudly. ¡°Do not panic, ¡°A¡± is with us!¡± The chaotic groups immediately calmed down and regained order. Everyone¡¯s eyes glowed with a white light, as the emotion of fear gradually dissipated and a mysterious courage filled their minds. This was the first circle Divine Art¡ª¡±Fear Removal¡±! Under Aaron¡¯smand, shield-bearing guards held their sturdy shields horizontally in front, advancing inrge strides. Behind them, guards uniformly took out their crossbows. Long-range volleys had always been the unfailing method to deal with Wizard Apprentices! The turtle-shell-like shield formation greatly reduced the power of ordinary witchcraft. ¡°Magic Missiles¡± couldn¡¯t prate the defense, and even powerful Fireball Techniques couldn¡¯t achieve a good effect. The dense rain of arrows forced the Wizard Apprentices to retreat repeatedly, making them hide behind the walls to avoid them. The slowest to react, Barton, was hit by a crossbow arrow in the back and fell to the ground in a sorry state. ¡°Barton¡ª!¡± Buck anxiously called out his brother¡¯s name, rushing forward to help Barton up. Seizing the opportunity, Aaron ordered again, and dozens of crossbows aimed at the two brothers. As the triggers were pulled, a dense barrage of arrows poured down like a meteor shower. The higher circle magic¡ª¡±Frost Curtain¡± Johnny didn¡¯t hesitate to step in front of the two brothers, raising his hand. A transparent water curtain appeared in the void before him, quickly solidifying into an icy crystal wall. ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡­¡± A series of dense impacts followed, and the icy fragments scattered on the ground. In just two seconds, the continuous rain of arrows pierced through the ¡°Frost Curtain,¡± with three arrows shooting straight toward Johnny! Having just used ¡°Mage Hand¡± for a hypercast, Johnny had no time to create a second Frost Curtain, and behind him were Buck and Barton¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t dodge!¡± Johnny bit his lip, forcing himself to stop the evasive action, gripping his sword hilt without confidence in blocking all the arrows aimed at him. At that moment, three Magic Missiles flew from the side, urately knocking down the arrows. Johnny was startled for a moment, unable to feel the joy of surviving the ordeal. Then he saw seven more ¡°Magic Missiles¡± flying past, curiously tracing arcs instead of straight lines, easily bypassing the shield wall and directly targeting the crossbowmen behind it. The brief confusion caused the continuous rain of arrows to pause momentarily. Johnny, Buck, and Barton took the opportunity to hide behind a low wall, looking in surprise at Lynn and Bai Ge standing nearby. The thought jumped into their minds. When did Bai Ge be so powerful? But they quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t Bai Ge who acted, because the next moment, twelve ¡°Magic Missiles¡± condensed in the void, floating beside Lynn. ¡°Magic¡ªBarrage¡±! With a single thought, Lynn sent dozens of missiles crashing into the guards. Witnessing this bizarre magic, Aaron hastilymanded the shield-bearing guards to gather together, stacking their shieldsyer uponyer, leaving no gaps, forming a half-ring to protect the crossbowmen. However, contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, these dozens of missiles all bypassed the stacked shield wall and flew further back. Did they miss? Aaron thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the possibility. If only one or two ¡°Magic Missiles¡± missed, it was possible. If all deviated, it meant the opponent¡¯s target was not here from the beginning! Aaron turned his head sharply. Twelve missiles struck a mottled pir at the same time, and amidst the smoke and dust, the seven-meter-high pir fell straight down. ¡°Disperse, everyone disperse!¡± Aaron shouted hoarsely, raising his staff high and casting the only protective Divine Art he knew¡ªHoly Shield! But clearly, this was a futile effort. The white shield had just formed when it was instantly shattered by the massive pir. Over a dozen shield-bearers and crossbowmen, unable to escape, were buried under the pir. When Aaron turned back, Lynn and the others were already gone. After hesitating for a while and looking at the soldiers trapped under the pir, bloody and crying for help, Aaron gritted his teeth and said. ¡°Leave half the men to rescue them! The rest, follow me!¡± (P.S.: Please support the new book in any way possible!) Chapter 19 - 16: Fire Magic Was Never Used This Way! (Seeking Continued Readership) Chapter 19: Chapter 16: Fire Magic Was Never Used This Way! (Seeking Continued Readership) Meanwhile, Lynn and his team were winding their way through the underground passage on their way to the castle. Everyone knew how urgent time was. The injured Barton directly refused Buck¡¯s helping hand, tied his clothes around his wound for simple bandaging, and then endured the pain in his back to follow behind the group. At the moment, Lynn¡¯s mind was still recalling the details of the spellcasting earlier. The ¡°Magic Missiles¡± spell, being a basic zero-ring spell, was not difficult to learn and use. The real troubley in pre-setting the trajectories of each missile. Lynn had not participated in the first wave of joint attacks with Johnny and the others because he was preparing to cast the spell. Unless he had 071 assist him with positioning, controlling twelve ¡°Magic Missiles¡± simultaneously was his limit, equating to the power of an upper-level one-ring spell. ¡°Are you really Carl?¡± In the silence, Buck couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Of course!¡± Lynn nodded. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°But when did you master the Helram form?¡± Johnny asked curiously. She had handed over the ¡°Basic Magic General Knowledge¡± book to Lynn just over an hour ago. Could he have learned it just by reading it a few times? ¡°Just now¡­¡± Lynn responded casually, then remembered that his original self had only been learning magic for half a year. Realizing it sounded too high-profile, he quickly exined, ¡°The teacher had previously exined the principle of this form to me. It didn¡¯t seem very difficult.¡± Not difficult? Johnny¡¯s delicate face showed a look of confusion. Why had she been unable to master it after researching for several months? Buck and Barton unanimously thought that it must have been Tutor Kro giving Carl some private lessons. ¡°Bai Ge, report the enemy¡¯s position and distance!¡± Lynn changed the topic, looking at the silent girl beside him. Although her act of killing Will was highly suspicious, in such a crisis, they had to rely on her abilities. ¡°Enemies are everywhere. They are preparing to surround us.¡± Bai Ge¡¯s body trembled incessantly as she spoke timidly. ¡°What about Archbishop Anluoke? Where is he?¡± Johnny suddenly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My Spiritual Sense can¡¯t detect him¡­¡± Bai Ge was almost in tears. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s find a ce, gather as many enemies together as possible, and deal with some of them first!¡± Lynn analyzed calmly. Besides the archbishop who had not yet acted, the greatest threat to them now was the crossbowmen¡¯s arrow rain. If they fought in an open area, several rounds of volleys would at least kill half of them. ¡°Are you serious, Carl?¡± Buck¡¯s eyes almost popped out in astonishment. They were already toote to run, yet Lynn wanted to gather the enemies for a counterattack. It was simply impossible. Lynn did not reply but looked at Barton, who was bleeding from his back and gritting his teeth to endure. Buck realized that they had a wounded man with limited mobility. Before long, the enemies would catch up from all directions. Once surrounded, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to escape. ¡°How confident are you?¡± Johnny asked bluntly. ¡°That depends on how many spells you guys have mastered!¡± Lynn answered firmly. ¡­ With Bai Ge¡¯s sensing and Lynn¡¯s coordination, the soldiers blocking them from several directions almost simultaneously arrived, trapping the Wizard Apprentices in the side hall on the first floor of the castle. Six full squads, excluding the elusive Archbishop Anluoke, the personnel guarding the exits, and those treating the wounded, all had arrived. Despite their numbers, Aaron, who had suffered a great loss at Lynn¡¯s hands earlier, did not dare to be careless. He ordered the soldiers to advance with shield walls and crossbow arrays while casting auxiliary Divine Arts with the other priests. ¡°Fear Removal,¡± ¡°Holy Blessing¡±! Two sessive shes of white light infused the shield soldiers with courage and vitality, who then marched forward with a shield wall stacked up high and wide. In front, Buck stood alone, blocking the numerous shield soldiers. He lifted a heavy counter weighing hundreds of pounds that had fallen on the ground. His already strong arms swelled again, showcasing a colossal strength beyond human limits. He hurled the heavy counter forward with great effort. ¡°Die, all of you!¡± The heavy counter collided with the dense shield wall, producing a massive thud. Immediately after, the solid stone floor beneath their feet suddenly caved in. This was the one-ring spell ¡°Turn Stone to Mud,¡± jointly cast by Johnny and Barton hiding in the darkness! The sturdy armor, instead of offering protection, became their greatest burden. Losing their bnce upon impact, the shield soldiers staggered and fell in disarray on the fine sandy soil¡­ Even though it was a cooperative spellcasting by two Wizard Apprentices, the affected area was limited. The crossbowmen at the rear had already raised their crossbows, with more than forty sharp crossbow arrows gleaming as they aimed at Buck¡­ ¡°Please, hurry, Bai Ge!¡± A drop of cold sweat slid down his forehead as Buck continuously prayed in his heart. This second was a matter of life and death! Fortunately, this time Bai Ge did not let him down. Just as the crossbows were about to be fired, a piercing shriek echoed throughout the castle. ¡°Soul Scream¡± Everyone present felt as if their brains had been hit with a heavy hammer,pletely losing control of their bodies for a moment. Enemy and ally alike, the eerie nature of the Spiritual Magic was evident! The range of Soul Scream¡¯s influence was vast, and the magic power consumption was extremely intense. It was forced to stop after just two seconds. Bai Ge wobbled and almost fell to the ground. Johnny and the others were seized with anxiety. They had done everything they could, totaling five seconds and gathering all the enemies together. This was enough for Lynn. Pale yellow phosphorus powder floated in his palm, quickly forming into a giant fireball half a meter high. The yellowish-white mes seemed nothing special, but every Wizard Apprentice and Priest present felt an internal shiver. However, this giant fireball did not aim at Aaron and others but flew into the air, bursting into sparks that trailed white smoke like splendid fireworks. Buck¡¯s face turned pale. He began to doubt whether Bai Ge¡¯s ¡°Soul Scream¡± interference had disrupted Lynn¡¯s spellcasting. Everyone knew that fire magic was always focused and concentrated! (PS: New book seeking rmendations, collections, continued reading, and monthly tickets.) Chapter 20 - 17: This devilish power comes from the fires of hell! (Please keep reading) Chapter 20: Chapter 17: This devilish poweres from the fires of hell! (Please keep reading) Did all our efforts go to waste? Under Buck¡¯s gaze, the sky filled with sparks quickly poured down on the entire field! ¡°Holy Word ¨C Shield¡± As soon as he broke free from the influence of ¡°Soul Scream,¡± Aaron immediately cast a protective divine art. A pristine light shield appeared in the shape of a semicircle in mid-air, and as the sparksnded on it, they immediately corroded it with numerous holes. Even the leftover magic, weakened by a hundredfold, possessed this kind of power? If the previous giant fireball had directly hit him, Aaron was certain he wouldn¡¯t have been able to block it! As he was still in shock, dreadful screams echoed throughout the castle. Aaron turned his head and was stunned with what he saw. Compared to the priests skilled in divine arts, the guards hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the impact of ¡°Soul Scream¡± when the falling sparks had already attached themselves to their armor, shields, bows, crossbows, and the exposed parts of their bodies and faces. The horror of the white phosphorus fire manifested in the next second. The feeble mes rapidly spread upon contact with substances. Leather shoulder pads and gloves were burned withrge holes, and the yellowish-white mes appeared to be attracted to flesh, seeping straight into the skin underneath. ¡°Ah!¡± A shield guard frantically patted his chest, trying to extinguish the gradually spreading white phosphorus mes. However, this only resulted in his arm catching fire as well. Within a few breaths, half his body was aze like a torch. Hispanion fared even worse; the sparks fell directly into the crevices of his armor. Unable to bear the extreme heat of over a thousand degrees, he screamed in agony, forcefully tore off his armor, and then inserted his right hand into his body, pulling out a bloody, ming chunk of flesh. Flesh and corpses were the best fuel for the white phosphorus fire, causing the mes to spread rapidly. The burning sea of fire, the billowing white smoke, and the soldiers with twisted, horrific death throes made the scene look like hell on earth. ¡°Devil, this must be the devil¡¯s power, fire from hell!¡± The terrifying sight made the elite guards of the Nornd Territorypletely break down. The first-tier divine art ¡°Fear Removal¡± had utterly lost its effectiveness. A priest who had luckily dodged the mes screamed desperately, threw down his staff, and fled without looking back. Johnny and the others were equally stunned, almost forgetting Lynn¡¯s instructions to hold their breath and use magic to extract oxygen from the air. ¡°What kind of magic is this?¡± Buck shivered deeply. Just being slightly close, he could feel a pain as if his very bones were being scorched. ¡°This is the Fireball Technique; don¡¯t you also know it? I just modified it a bit!¡± Lynn noticed the astonished looks from everyone and exined briefly. This is called a bit? Buck¡¯s expression turned peculiar. He thought that Lynn¡¯s understanding of this word might differ from his own. Johnny, on the other hand, suspected that Lynn might have already broken through that barrier and be a formal Wizard. However, Lynn had only been exposed to magic for merely half a year. It seemed a bit too exaggerated. Besides, their teacher Kro had always been impoverished and couldn¡¯t possibly afford a Magic Source. Compared to theplicated thoughts of Johnny and Buck, Barton¡¯s thinking was much simpler. He realized that even Wizard Apprentices like them could be so powerful when united! Barton even thought that as long as they worked together, dealing with the church¡¯s pursuit might not be such a difficult task. While he was thinking, a dazzling white light appeared from afar, breaking through the mes and heading toward the Wizard Apprentices. Distracted, Barton saw his brother Buck shout anxiously at him. Then he felt a powerful force crash into him, his frail body torn apart mid-air, spinning several times before crashing to the ground like a rag doll, instantly falling silent. The sudden change made the expressions on Johnny and the others freeze. Buck¡¯s face twisted as he screamed hoarsely. ¡°No, Barton!¡± When the white light appeared, Lynn acted immediately. Twelve ¡°Magic Missiles¡± surrounded him, tracing strange arcs toward the end of the corridor. In the end, over ten Magic Missiles were blocked by an invisible wall, with only ripples from the impact visible. Lynn¡¯s heart sank. He locked his gaze on the other side of the sea of fire, understanding that the person he had been waiting for had finally arrived and was far more terrifying than he had imagined! Suddenly, a melodic holy hymn began to echo inside the castle. An invisible force gradually enveloped the whole area, and it started to rain inside the enclosed space! This was the third-tier divine art¡ª¡±Life Ode¡±! The green raindrops contained immense divine power, gradually suppressing the terrifying mes that seemed toe from hell! The relentless white phosphorus fire, which appeared to burn endlessly, was quickly dissipating. Anluoke, d in a white-gold robe, walked in slowly. ¡°Bishop!¡± The quickest to react, Aaron, who had also luckily escaped the falling sparks, shouted excitedly, though there was a hint of resentment and hate in his words. Anluoke¡¯s timing was so precise that Aaron could easily guess that the Bishop had been watching the whole time. It was clear that Aaron and the elite guards of the Nornd Territory were merely tools to test the enemy¡¯s strength and hidden cards! Aaron¡¯s heart turned cold. He knew that once this was over, he would face severe punishment as the fieldmander. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Anluoke ignored Aaron and scanned the nearly half-dead, utterly broken soldiers on the ground. His pupils contracted because the mes, which had been put out, showed signs of reigniting immediately after ¡°Life Ode¡± ended! This was the horror of white phosphorus fire. As long as there was still oxygen in the air and something to burn, it would never stop! ¡°Don¡¯t engage, retreat!¡± After the feigned attack with the ¡°Magic Missiles¡± failed, Lynn made his choice without hesitation. The previous giant fireball, which took over five seconds to cast, had nearly exhausted the white phosphorus he had created, and the remaining amount was insufficient to defeat the powerful Bishop wielding divine arts before him. Johnny and Bai Ge were also well aware of Anluoke¡¯s terrifying power. Although deeply grieved by Barton¡¯s death, they knew that fleeing was their only hope for survival. However, at this moment, Buck, who had just lost his brother, had gone mad. He let out an angry roar, grabbed a rtively intact guard¡¯s corpse as a shield, and charged straight at Anluoke. (P.S.: The new book is seeking all kinds of support!) Chapter 21 - 18 Hymn to Ella — [Holy Spirit Light] Chapter 21: Chapter 18 Hymn to E ¡ª [Holy Spirit Light] ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive,e back, Buck!¡± Johnny shouted loudly. Buck ignored him, his face twisted as he charged forward. ¡°Praise E¡ª¡¯Holy Light Shock¡¯!¡± Anluoke spoke slowly, his action releasing a second-tier divine art. Blinding white light erupted once more, striking first despite being releasedter. The corpse used as a shield in front of him was instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist, and the terrifying impact of the aftershock sent Buck flying effortlessly. Anluoke raised his staff, ready to cast another spell to finish him off, but at that critical moment, Bai Ge intervened once again. A sharp, piercing scream sounded like the death knell from hell. Anluoke¡¯s actions paused for a moment, but only briefly. ¡®me Touch¡¯ ¡®White Phosphorus¡ªFireball Technique¡¯ Lynn and Johnny, who had covered their ears in advance, seized the opportunity to attack simultaneously with their most powerful spells. Two streams of searing mes surged toward Anluoke, forcing the Archbishop to switch to defensive magic instead of continuing his assault. Third-tier divine art¡ª¡¯Holy Barrier¡¯! An invisible barrier materialized in front of Anluoke, easily blocking the torrent of fire. However, the white phosphorus mes adhered to it, corroding the surface slowly but steadily. Roar! Having just been severely injured and knocked down, Buck stood up again, his eyes bloodshot, and his body showing more signs of beastly transformation. At this moment, Buck looked like a giant bear standing upright, charging straight into the burning sea of fire. His fur and robe quickly caught the white phosphorus mes. The agony of being burned by thousands of degrees was enough to drive anyone insane, but Buck paid it no mind. From the moment he used a wizard apprentice¡¯s spell to undergo magical transformation, the process of turning into a beast was irreversible. And to break through Anluoke¡¯s divine barriers, relying on his own strength alone was absolutely impossible! ¡°Johnny, Carl, you go first. I have to stay and avenge Barton!¡± Buck roared, mming his palm against the ¡®Holy Barrier¡¯ in front of him. Waves rippled across the invisible barrier. Anluoke, with a casual divine art, sted Buck away again. ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± Lynn nced deeply at Buck and said without hesitation. Covered in white phosphorus fire, Buck was beyond saving. After tossing Buck aside, Anluoke directly blocked the only exit. Having lost so many men, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let Lynn and the others escape easily. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡°Repent to the great Lord, believers of the devil¡­¡± Anluoke raised his bishop¡¯s staff and chanted loudly. ¡°Praise E¡ª¡¯Holy Spirit Light¡¯!¡± Dazzling light waves spread semicircrly from the staff. They were unstoppable and inescapable, as the divine art¡¯s range covered most of the side hall! However, Lynn wasn¡¯t someone who left no escape route! In fact, before entering the side hall, he had already prepared an escape n for a crisis! Lynn, Bai Ge, and Johnny almost simultaneously ced their hands on the ground. Zero-tier magic¡ª¡¯Basic Material Dption Skill¡¯! The solid floor cracked instantly, three fine lines spreading like a spider web, finally connecting. Before the terrifying white light arrived, the ground beneath them had already copsed¡­ The ¡®Holy Spirit Light¡¯ swept over the copsed floor, hitting the wall behind with sessive explosion sounds that echoed through the castle. After the dust and debris settled, Anluoke¡¯s expression became grim as he stared at the gaping hole in the side hall. Roar! A hoarse roar came from the side. Having been knocked away earlier, Buck was out of the ¡®Holy Spirit Light¡¯s¡¯ range, but he had already lost his human form, transforming into a massive bear. His skin still burned with white phosphorus fire, and beneath the scorched flesh, white bones were faintly visible. Even so, driven by his thirst for vengeance, Buck rushed forward. Anluoke frowned. He didn¡¯t have time to waste on a dying wizard apprentice. He extended his hand, summoning quick-assembling rubble and pieces of broken armor into two huge stone figures standing three meters tall. This was the second-tier divine art¡ª¡¯Summoning Spirit Realm Guardian.¡¯ Once the two stone figures were formed, they separated. One swung its fist, knocking the giant bear Buck down, while the other jumped into the copsed floor hole¡­ ¡­ ¡°Luckily, this ce isn¡¯t too high!¡± Using falling debris as a buffer, Lynn had smoothly prated the floor with thebined effort of the three using the ¡®Basic Material Dption Skill,¡¯nding directly in the castle¡¯s basement. Scanning his surroundings, Lynn saw what looked like an armory. Weapons and swords piled up on racks. There were also many empty boxes that likely once held treasures, which the castle owner had evidently taken when fleeing. After confirming the environment, Lynn immediately focused on his twopanions. Johnny was in rtively good shape, although he had expended a lot of magic power. Bai Ge, however, was a different story; after using ¡®Soul Scream¡¯ twice, she could barely stand despite being a rare spiritualist. ¡°Johnny, how far are we from the underground waterway?¡± Lynn asked. ¡°Follow this path, it¡¯s no more than three minutes away,¡± Johnny replied, helping Bai Ge up. She hesitated, then quickly made up her mind. ¡°We can split up. You take Bai Ge while I lead Anluoke away.¡± Johnny knew they couldn¡¯t outrun Anluoke. If they kept on as they were, they¡¯d be caught eventually. Despite having consumed a lot of magic power in the earlier fight, relying on her ¡®Magic Hand,¡¯ she could still cast two more first-tier spells, buying them some time¡­ The silver-gray-haired witch lowered her head, her rosy lips bitten to the point of bleeding. She had promised Mentor Kro to bring everyone safely back to Wizard Land. But now Kent was dead, Will was dead, and Buck and Bartony before her. She felt utterly helpless¡­ ¡°What you¡¯re suggesting is probably toote!¡± Lynn looked up. In just that brief moment, the sound of violent explosions erupted from above. Then, a three-meter-tall armored stone figure crashed down through the hole. ¡°Go!¡± Lynn grabbed Johnny and Bai Ge by the arms, pulling them out of the falling debris and shouting. He had used the white phosphorus fire originally meant for their retreat to rescue Buck, and with over half of his magic power already spent, he had no chance against the Archbishop. The massive, heavy spirit guardiannded, causing the ground to shake. It then stretched out its stone arms and charged towards the three. Lynn¡¯s face tightened, ready to evade when a prompt sounded in his mind. ¡°Warning¡­ detected serious illegal activity by the target of the pact, involving the use of chemical weapons for mass ughter. The nature is extremely vile! The criminal acts have been recorded. Before the federal police arrive, you will have an opportunity for an online statement¡­¡± Chapter 22 - 19: It’s Time to End This! Chapter 22: Chapter 19: It¡¯s Time to End This! [Warning¡­ No signal¡­ Warning¡­ Not connected to thework¡­ Please locate a signal source in a timely manner¡­] Lynn¡¯s face instantly showed a look of astonishment and joy. When he saw the content clearly, the corner of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but twitch. This artificial moron¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t need an online narration. Disable the warning sound and report the remaining energy!¡¯ Lynn silently recited in his mind. [Remaining energy is 19.5%. Detected a significant increase in surrounding energy density, estimated to increase energy reserves by 1% per hour.] This fast, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but be a bit surprised. Increasing by 1% per hour, wouldn¡¯t it mean the energy could be fully charged in about four days? But it had already been five days since the system shut down! Lynn nced at the prompt from the intelligent brain again. A significant increase in energy density? This certainly couldn¡¯t be rted to the castle below their feet, so¡­ it could only be the influence of Monday! ¡°Carl!¡± Lynn was deep in thought when Johnny¡¯s shout interrupted him. A three-meter-tall Spirit Realm guard charged forward, raising a stone hammer to smash at him. ¡®Enter overload mode, time three seconds!¡¯ Lynn didn¡¯t turn around but silently recited in his mind. In the next moment, a massive data stream flooded into his mind. Lynn pushed off forcefully, using the reaction force to leap into the air, avoiding the heavy stone hammer that was smashing down. He then stepped onto the thick stone arm of the Spirit Realm guard, drew out the sharp Witch Hunter¡¯s longsword, and embedded it into the crack at the neck of the stone statue, pinning it firmly to the wall behind! However, this strike clearly couldn¡¯tpletely destroy the stone statue. Lynn didn¡¯t expect as much. After temporarily restricting the Spirit Realm guard¡¯s movement, he deactivated the overload mode and continued to escape with Johnny. The energy of the intelligent brain was less than 20%; it had to be saved for more critical situations. The group ran wildly for over ten seconds before the sound of the giant stone statue stepping and shaking the floor rang out again. Bai Ge, who was clutching Johnny¡¯s arm, trembled continuously and whispered through her sobs, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Johnny¡­ Carl¡­¡± ¡°You knew from the beginning that Will betrayed us, didn¡¯t you?¡± Lynn nced at Bai Ge, speaking with certainty. When they followed Will tonight, Lynn had already noticed something was off because Will behaved too strangely on his way to the storage room. Knowing that Bai Ge on night watch could be using gray crows to monitor the entire castle, Will didn¡¯t have any vignce at all and didn¡¯t even nce around once. This clearly didn¡¯t make sense. Unless¡­ Will was sure that even if he was spotted by these gray crows, it wouldn¡¯t pose any problem. ¡°Can you tell me why?¡± Johnny held Bai Ge¡¯s slender hand tightly, unable to believe she could betray them. Bai Ge¡¯s nose twitched, and with a sobbing voice, she hesitantly began to exin. Three nights ago, it was Will¡¯s turn to keep watch. But to be safe, she still sent the gray crows out to patrol and identally discovered Will secretly reporting the situation here to the Church through the Alchemy Array¡­ ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me about this?¡± Johnny questioned. ¡°But Will¡­ Will found out first. He said the Church already knew my identity. If I dared to tell you, my parents, brothers, and sisters would all be tied to the stake and burned to death¡­¡± Bai Ge said with a terrified look, sobbing. Johnny fell silent. For wizard apprentices like them, who were disced, the safety of their family was indeed a significant concern. Because of this, inquiring about each other¡¯s identities had always been taboo. They couldn¡¯t even confirm if the names they used were real. ¡°Clearly, he lied to you. Maybe Will didn¡¯t know your true identity, or maybe he wanted to enjoy the glory alone¡­¡± Lynn said calmly. Judging by Will¡¯s hands-on approach, it was likely that his words were just nonsense. Otherwise, he could have used it to ckmail Bai Ge into doing more things. Of course, it¡¯s also possible Will intended to take all the credit for himself. After all, the more he did, the more likely the Church would see his ¡®sincerity¡¯ and forgive him as a ¡®follower of the devil¡¯. ¡°Do you want to survive, Bai Ge? I might have a way to deal with Anluoke¡­¡± Lynn suddenly asked. Before Johnny could speak, Bai Ge tearfully nodded. ¡°I do!¡± She didn¡¯t want to die¡­ ¡°Then tell me all the magic you know now. I need to understand their principles and how to use them.¡± Lynn straightforwardly said. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Johnny asked in surprise. ¡°I think it¡¯s never toote to start learning, right?¡± Lynn said seriously. Since 071 had rebooted, it was time to make an end! Having been chased all the way and witnessing the deaths of Buck and Barton, Lynn was already burning with anger! But¡­ was there really enough time? Johnny looked at Lynn in disbelief, but after hesitating for a while, she began to exin. [me Touch], [Turn Stone to Mud], [Frost Curtain], [Lesser me Demon Hand]¡­ As Wizard Coru¡¯s most valued disciple, Johnny mastered over a dozen one-ring spells, while Bai Ge knew very few, only two highly specialized spiritual energy spells, which were said to be grasped by only a few with a spiritual energy talent. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Considering the limited time, Lynn didn¡¯t attempt to learn everything but selectively memorized a few, simting them in his mind with the help of the intelligent brain. Lynn¡¯s calm demeanor also inspired Johnny and Bai Ge, boosting their confidence in defeating Anluoke. As the trio progressed, the sound of flowing water came from ahead, and the breeze carried a hint of moisture. In front of them was a rapidly flowing underground river. The swift current gushed from under the ground, passed through a long tunnel, and directly flowed out of the castle¡­ [Holy Light Shock]! Before Lynn and Johnny reached the riverbank, a white light shot from behind. [Frost Curtain] * 2 Johnny and Lynn exchanged a nce, then simultaneously raised their hands. Two shield walls made of ice crystals rose, together blocking the two-ring Divine Arts spell. The two walls of ice crystals shattered instantly, fragments falling like hail. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Johnny anxiously asked Lynn. The exit tunnel was right in front of them, but if they were swept into the turbulent water and attacked by Anluoke, they would have no way to resist. ¡°It¡¯s very simple!¡± Lynn gave Johnny a nce, then without warning, he took the girl¡¯s sword and, amidst her expressions of astonishment, surprise, and unease, pushed her directly into the rushing water. The icy water engulfed her nose and mouth, quickly soaking her body. Johnny clearly felt the enormous inertia of the rapid current forcefully pulling her towards the exit. Through the blurry water, Johnny could vaguely see Lynn¡¯s mouth moving as if saying a final farewell, and then a heavy object was thrown at her by him ¡ª it was the panicked Bai Ge¡­ Watching the two being carried away by the current, Lynn wasn¡¯t worried about the two witches¡¯ safety. A wizard who could control oxygen wouldn¡¯t drown; he just silently added thest part in his mind¡­ ¡°Very simple, just don¡¯t get in my way!¡± (PS: New book seeking rmendations, collections, follow-up reads, monthly votes¡­) Chapter 23 - 20: Deconstruction, Recording, Mimesis! (Please follow) Chapter 23: Chapter 20: Deconstruction, Recording, Mimesis! (Please follow) ¡°What a touching scene¡­¡± Anluoke¡¯s figure appeared at the other end of the passage, with a huge Spirit Realm guardian trailing closely behind him. ncing at Johnny and Bai Ge, who were being swept towards the exit by the rapid current, Anluoke didn¡¯t seem intent on stopping them, knowing the wizard standing before him would never let him seed. If not for the odd setting, this almost seemed like a reenactment of the Battle of Nornd¡­ ¡°I think you might be misunderstanding something¡­¡± Lynn turned around, his gaze piercing as he stared fixedly at Anluoke at the end of the passage. He extended his right hand, and the remaining bit of white phosphorus on the surface of his storage pouch was stripped away under the influence of the Mage¡¯s Hand. First, record¡­ Recalling Johnny¡¯s earlier exnation, Lynn instantly went into overdrive mode, casting the zero-circle magic¡ªMaterial Dption Skill! The fine white phosphorus powder quickly disintegrated, reverting to its basic molecr state¡­ n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Next was magic mimicry! Arge amount of magic power surged into his palm, just like cell division, with the white phosphorus in his hand multiplying and then suddenly transforming into a massive fireball. To deconstruct and record an element, then mimic it with magic power¡ªthis was the essence of formal wizards being able to cast spells without materials! Under normal circumstances, recording and mastering an element would take weeks or even months, but leveraging the immenseputing power brought by the cognitive brain, Lynn shortened this time to within three seconds. A new rune was quickly etched into his mind¡ªWhite Phosphorus Fireball Technique! Seeing the fireball igniting in Lynn¡¯s hand, Anluoke halted his advance. Having witnessed the horror of white phosphorus fire before, he naturally dared not be careless, immediately casting his strongest defensive divine art¡ªHoly Barrier! A formless light screen stood like a solid wall in front of him, but the white phosphorus fireball Lynn threw curved around it, crashing into the entrance behind him. A tremendous explosion sounded in the next moment, apanied by a burst of mes. The entrance behind them was now engulfed in the terrifying white phosphorus mes. Anluoke was stunned at first, but upon understanding Lynn¡¯s intention, his face turned extremely grim. It was clear that the wizard before him wasn¡¯t merely trying to cover hispanions¡¯ escape¡ªby sealing off his own retreat, it meant that Lynn intended to kill him here! ¡°Very well!¡± Realizing this, the fury in Anluoke¡¯s heart ignited, and the enormous Spirit Realm guardian beside him charged forward with heavy steps. The golem¡¯s body, made of massive stone, was incredibly heavy, leaving distinct imprints as it stomped on the broken floor tiles¡­ Standing before the Spirit Realm guardian, Lynn seemed like a mantis trying to stop a car. However, Lynn¡¯s expression remained calm, without any sign of evasion. He was silently counting in his mind. Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­ Petrify! Just as the Spirit Realm guardian charged forward and swung a heavy punch, Lynn dodged and pressed his palm against the ground. The solid ground instantly turned into soft sand, causing the heavy stone golem to lose its bnce and roll directly into the rushing water behind it. The massive ssh hadn¡¯t even settled before turning into dozens of crystalline ice des, speeding towards the enemy with unimaginable speed! Taking advantage of the terrain, Lynn cast his first second-circle magic¡ªGroup Frost de! The tides of battle turned in an instant, catching Anluokepletely off guard. The Spirit Realm guardian sank into the water, while the swarm of ice des struck directly at the Holy Barrier. How could a second-circle offensive magic surpass a third-circle defensive divine art? Lynn quickly provided the answer: The dozens of frost des struck three specific points with precision, causing ripples to spread rapidly across the formless barrier. It first cracked, then the crack expanded rapidly, and the barrier shattered¡­ This was to break the surface by targeting the points! Anluoke¡¯s face changed drastically, and he took a step back while raising his staff, immediately casting another third-circle divine art¡ªHoly Spirit Light! A dazzling beam of light, filled with the aura of death, spread semicircrly forward. Just five minutes ago, Lynn had fled miserably under this move, but he wasn¡¯t the same as before. White Phosphorus¡ªme Demon Hand! Lynn raised his hand, and the terrifying white phosphorus mes erupted again, transforming into a towering ancient demonic hand, colliding head-on with the dazzling beam of light. This ordinary first-circle upper-level magic spell burst with unimaginable power in Lynn¡¯s hands! zing mes shot into the sky, causing the entire castle to shake violently¡­ In the midst of the white smoke, debris, and fiery light, Anluoke vaguely saw something shining in the air. Upon closer inspection, it was a sword, and Lynn, holding the sword, was right in front of him. ng~ The sharp longsword shed with the gilded staff, emitting a harsh, grating sound. What was the best way to deal with a priest who could use divine arts? Of course, engage in close-quarterbat! But Lynn quickly discovered that his years of experience in games and novels failed him this time, as Anluoke single-handedly blocked his full-force strike¡­ Was this the fabled closebat priest? Cold sweat dripped from Lynn¡¯s forehead as he ducked to evade Anluoke¡¯s heavy strike. Feeling the rush of air from the staff grazing his head, Lynn estimated that the strike had at least 1.5 tons of force. This reminded Lynn of the witch hunter he had previously encountered, Were all the Church¡¯s people human-shaped tyrannosaurs? Fortunately, due to years of pampering, despite taking the divine grace elixir, Anluoke¡¯sbat proficiency was still subpar, andbat wasn¡¯t just about brute strength! After a few exchanges, Lynn quickly calcted the staff¡¯s impact point and thrust his sword at a tricky angle, leaving a gory gash on Anluoke¡¯s chest¡­ Anluoke was both shocked and enraged. Without regard for their close proximity, he immediately cast a second-circle divine art¡ªHoly Light Shock! A blinding white light burst forth, and both Lynn and Anluoke were sted away by a massive shockwave at close range. The physically weaker Lynn was sent flying over ten meters away. Fortunately, he had created an ice shield around his body at the moment of the divine art¡¯s release, mitigating most of the impact and preventing him from falling into the rushing river behind him. On the other side, Anluoke, having taken his own divine art head-on, was adorned in a tattered, once-opulent gilded robe, with the long, gruesome wound on his chest splitting open again. Holy Word: Shield, Holy Blessing, Fear Removal, Holy Barrier, Wall of Darkness¡­ In the face of sessive life-threatening dangers, the terrified Anluoke didn¡¯t bother to heal his wounds first; instead, he continuously cast defensive divine arts, essentially turning himself into a turtle shell! Chapter 24 - 21: If You Can’t Beat Them, Shake the Gods Chapter 24: Chapter 21: If You Can¡¯t Beat Them, Shake the Gods [Warning, energy remaining at just three percent, system will forcibly shut down in fifteen seconds¡­] ¡°Deactivate overload mode!¡± Hearing the prompt in his mind, Lynn said without hesitation. Last time the AI shut down, it was silent for five whole days. Lynn didn¡¯t want to experience that again. The consecutive battles nearly drained ny percent of his Magic Power. Yet despite this disparity, a slight smile curled at Lynn¡¯s lips because he had already seized the initiative in the battle! As a taboo in modern warfare, the terror of white phosphorus, besides its all-consuming burn and near-impossible extinguishability, was its dreadful toxicity! Because of this, he had specifically sent away Bai Ge and Johnny and instructed everyone in the battle to hold their breath to prevent them from dying from poisoning¡­ However, fighting Anluoke was different. Large-scale [White Phosphorus ¨C Fireball Technique] and [me Demon Hand] were all meant to fill this enclosed space with toxic gases. Close-quartersbat would exhaust Anluoke¡¯s Physical Strength, guide the airflow, and force him to inhale the poison gas more intensely! Soon, it should be about the right time. Even a true human-shaped tyrannosaurus would¡¯ve struggled to endure until now¡­ Just as Lynn thought, Anluoke, hiding in his ¡°turtle shell,¡± already sensed the weakness spreading throughout his body, dizziness, blurred vision. The once abundant power seemed to be peeling away bit by bit from his body. What witchcraft is this? In an instant, Anluoke thought of the four-ringed Magic known as [Death Harvest], a terrifying Magic that could turn an area into a forbidden zone for the living in just a few seconds. If the other party were a great Wizard capable of casting four-ringed Magic, he would¡¯ve already been dead the moment they crossed paths! It could only be poison! Anluoke immediately thought of this possibility. For instance, the three-ringed Magic [Poisonous Domain] could produce arge area of yellow-green poisonous mist with very distinct characteristics¡­ Now it was clearly toote to use Divine Arts to remove the poison. Lynn wouldn¡¯t miss the enemy¡¯s weakest moment and immediately used all remaining Magic Power! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°[Magic ¨C Bombardment]!¡± In an instant, thirty-six [Magic Missiles] floated in mid-air. Lynn even activated the three-second overload mode again, quickly adjusting the trajectories. Faced with Anluoke¡¯s ¡°turtle shell¡± tactic, Lynn had no intention of engaging head-to-head. Instead, he chose to bypass the nearly invulnerable [Holy Barrier] with the flexibility of [Magic Missiles], attacking a weak point to send this Bishop of the Nornd Territory straight to hell! After twenty-five years, Anluoke once again felt the taste of death approaching! At this life-and-death moment, Anluoke became incredibly calm. He had no doubt he would die here today, but before that, he could still do one thing¡ªsend this young Wizard, already a three-ringed witchcraft practitioner, to hell! ¡°Great Lord of the Stars, Moon Goddess, Creator of Earth and Life, your humble servant prays here and offers his feeble body, requesting the projection of the Supreme Lord to descend upon this ce¡­¡± Anluoke chanted devoutly, aging a year with every word. His skin started to wrinkle; white hair cascaded from his forehead to the corners of his eyes, and his voice grew deeper and hoarser¡­ In a daze, it seemed like a holy hymn sounded in the enclosed underground space, gradually overpowering Anluoke¡¯s voice. Before long, the entire space shook violently. ¡°Divine¡­ Descent¡­ Technique?¡± Lynn¡¯s soul almost left his body, and he squeezed out the words through clenched teeth. After arriving in this otherworld and learning that the church¡¯s Priests wielded real Divine Arts, the thing he feared and most didn¡¯t want to face was the Divine Descent Technique! Anything that could be called a god couldn¡¯t be overestimated. Even the projection carrying only a tiny fraction of its power would be enough to crush him with a finger! If you can¡¯t win, summon your god¡­ Are these people even human? Cursing in his heart, Lynnunched the preset [Magic Missiles] without dy. Not daring to check if Anluoke was dead, he immediately jumped into the turbulent underground river behind him without hesitation. Over thirty [Magic Missiles], following their predetermined trajectories, bypassed the sturdy [Holy Barrier] and struck Anluoke, colliding with a mysterious force. The sessive explosions were like thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. The underground space, which endured countless hardships, began to disintegrate rapidly! Massive stone blocks weighing tons fell incessantly from the ceiling, hitting the ground and river, bringing with them thick smoke and dust that devoured everything around. By now, Lynn had already been swept into the raging currents¡­ As someone who lived most of his life in the dry central region of the Federation, Lynn had no swimming experience. His almost-depleted Magic Power and Physical Strength robbed him of any chance to struggle, leaving him at the mercy of the powerful currents¡­ Yet, not a trace of worry showed on Lynn¡¯s face. His former profession as a data storage clerk in his previous life made him well aware of how someone who couldn¡¯t swim could survive in rapids. First, stay calm; this was the foundation of everything. Then, make full use of the water¡¯s buoyancy. As everyone knows, the human body¡¯s density is greater than water, which is why people gradually sink after falling into water. However, before diving in, Lynn had already taken a deep breath and then rxed his whole body as much as possible, adjusting his center of gravity, and adopting a supine position to increase the contact area with the water¡¯s surface. This way, as long as he held his breath until reaching a slightly calmer area, he would naturally float to the surface. Based on this theory, Lynn very calmly assumed the most standard supine posture. Even though his body was sinking slowly, he didn¡¯t mind, thinking it was just the current¡¯s influence. But as the sinking deepened, anxiety began to creep into his heart. Could it be that his backstroke posture wasn¡¯t standard enough? ¡°071? What is happening?¡± Lynn couldn¡¯t resist calling out in his mind. The AI¡¯s prompt sounded next. [ording to the ¡°Federal Diving Safety Manual,¡± Article 7, Section 32, beginners should not carry heavy objects when practicing diving, sir¡­] Lynn looked down at the steel longsword hanging at his waist and then sank straight to the bottom¡­ (PS: Thanks to dsf23dd for the reward of 300 starting points coins. Moreover, this book will be on its first round of rmendations this Sunday. Data during the new book period is extremely important, especially follow-ups. Please support and thank you very much!) Chapter 25 - 22: Sorry, Aliens Have No Human Rights (Please Keep Reading) Chapter 25: Chapter 22: Sorry, Aliens Have No Human Rights (Please Keep Reading) In the evening, as thest rays of the setting sun were about to fade away, Lynn had been drifting at sea for almost a day! Given that this obstructive longsword was borrowed from Johnny, Lynn hesitated for a long time and ultimately decided not to throw it away. Instead, under the simtion guidance of the intelligent brain, he spent two hours learning how to backstroke and dog paddle in the water. ¡°071, you should warn me ahead of time if this happens again,¡± Lynn said, struggling to tread water and avoid crashing into the protruding rocks ahead. [In ordance with the target¡¯smand seventeen hours, twenty-three minutes, and fifty seconds ago, the warning sound has been turned off¡­] ¡°Turn it on now!¡± Lynn said instinctively, then immediately regretted it. [You have an unresolved criminal record. Would you like to make an online defense statement?] Lynn sighed helplessly. Almost facing the divine projection directly, he wished that Federation officers woulde with spaceships to take him out of this wicked otherworld medieval setting. Maybe he could even get a big reward for being the first to discover an extraterrestrial life. Unfortunately, this fantasy was destined not toe true. Before his crossing, the Federation spaceship¡¯s travel range was limited to the sr system and didn¡¯t have the capability for interster navigation¡­ And without even receiving a signal, it was impossible for them to get here! Familiar with the operational logic of the intelligent brain, Lynn thought for a while and suddenly said, N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°071, based on the avable information, determine the current¡¯s location.¡± [This is detected to contain an unknown energy called ¡°Magic Power¡± and is beyond the coverage area of the Uranus signal tower. Predicting that the current location is within a certain unknown star system outside the Sr System in the Milky Way, it cannot be determined if it belongs to the same universe.] ¡°Then please describe the definition of alien lifeform protection under the ¡®Intelligent Management Law¡¯!¡± Lynn asked again. [The ¡®Intelligent Management Law¡¯ has no uses regarding the protection of alien lifeforms¡­] 071¡¯s answer was very concise. Since the Federation had not discovered extraterrestrial civilizations during its exploration of the universe, it naturally did not add any uses for the protection of alien lifeforms in the ¡®Intelligent Management Law.¡¯ ¡°So you¡¯re saying that aliens have no human rights. In fact, I didn¡¯tmit any crime!¡± Lynn said seriously. The highly functioning intelligent brain seemed to stutter for a moment. After consuming one-thousandth of its energy topute, it gave the answer. [Logical chain established, criminal record cleared!] Upon hearing this, Lynn finally breathed a sigh of relief. He realized that no matter what he did in the future, there would be no more annoying warning sounds. After all, the Federation¡¯sws couldn¡¯t reach this otherworld¡­ Lynn made a silent vow that once he became an official wizard and could freely use magic power, he would definitely research whether he could modify this artificial idiot. As Lynn was thinking, a scatter of lights appeared on the endless water surface in the distance. Upon closer inspection, a towering city wall emerged, with the fires he previously saw merely being bonfires on the battlements used for lighting. After floating on the water for a whole day, seeing something different made Lynn a bit excited, but he didn¡¯t approach rashly. Instead, he decided tond nearby and investigate what this ce was tomorrow. The previous battle outside Wuer Town had caused quite amotion, and not all the people were wiped out. The news might have already spread. Lynn had no doubt that the entire Nornd Territory was on high alert. His hair color, age, and build were very distinctive, and without some disguise, he would probably be captured as soon as he entered. Realizing this, Lynn changed his position from an effortless backstroke to an unskilled dog paddle, preparing tond and hide for now. Just then, something heavy fell from the high city wall ahead, apanied by a dull sound and a ssh. The ripples on the water surface gradually expanded, and it seemed something was struggling underwater. ¡°A person?¡± Lynn¡¯s pupils narrowed. After hesitating for a moment, he swam over quickly. Although it looked like a murder scene, he happened to need someone to answer some questions. Water sshed everywhere, and the clearke had already turned blood red. Lynn became more certain of his previous guess. He hadn¡¯t even had time to rescue when a hand suddenly emerged from theke, pulling him down with desperate force. This was a typical stress response of a drowning person, who might even drag the rescuer underwater. Luckily, Lynn didn¡¯t have to worry about oxygen. Grabbing the other¡¯s cor, he swam to the shore. ¡­ An hourter, in a natural cave outside the city, a zing fire gradually lit up, providing both illumination and warmth against the night chill. While drying his clothes, Lynn turned to look at the young man he had ¡°rescued.¡± This was a young man of about eighteen or neen, with an ordinary face and hair color very simr to Lynn¡¯s. What made Lynn sigh was the deep wound on the young man¡¯s chest, clearly inflicted by a dagger plunged into his heart. If he had known, he wouldn¡¯t have bothered. After all this effort, he ended up rescuing a corpse. Lynn shook his head helplessly but still carried out the customary act of looting the body. Judging by appearance, this was a noble youth, so there might be some valuable items. Three gold coins, over a dozen silver coins, a few exquisite ornaments, and a book with no name on the water-soaked cover constituted the young man¡¯s entire property. This was somewhat meager for a noble youth, but for Lynn, it was a fortunate windfall. In the Sekas Empire, a copper coin could buy a loaf of ck bread, enough to satisfy one meal when eaten with water. The exchange rate between silver coins and copper coins floated around 1:80, while the rate between gold and silver coins was over one hundred, sometimes much higher during wartime. After all, gold elements were rare in the entire universe, with very limited reserves¡­ Since the items were still here, the possibility of murder for money was unlikely. Lynn tossed the coins in his hand. Although he wasn¡¯t a professional detective, after closely examining the chest wound, he paused, then mimicked the motion of holding a dagger and tried to stab his own chest at a simr angle. The angle of the wound was identical¡­ Was this¡­ suicide? Lynn immediately recognized the possibility. After some thought, he picked up the book he had overlooked and gently flipped through the water-soaked pages with his fingernail. The handwriting was very messy but deeply etched, almost like it was carved in. [Maybe without me, everything would get better¡­] Chapter 26 - 23: The Diary of a Useless Person Chapter 26: Chapter 23: The Diary of a Useless Person [Training, training again¡­ No matter how many times I do it, I can¡¯t pass the selection¡­] [Why do you look at me with such expectant eyes? Father¡­] [It¡¯s that time again, July 824 of the Holy Calendar, the third knight selection¡­] [Faced Tirar, defeated in twenty-seven seconds, once again¡­ Are you hating me, Ivina? I can understand your feelings, a useless person took the opportunity that belonged to you¡­] [If only it could be reversed, why not?] [Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t exist at all¡­] Time ticked by, the bonfire in the cave slowly burned out after consuming thest bit of dry wood. The sudden darkness interrupted Lynn¡¯s thoughts. Waving his hand, the twigs and fallen leaves piled at the side floated up on their own, filling the still-glimmering woodpile. The next moment, the crimson mes jumped back to life, and Lynn resumed flipping through the journal in his hand. No, in fact, calling it a journal wasn¡¯t quite urate. It was the record of a noble boy with no exceptional talents, detailing his fears, inferiority, resentment, and pain that he couldn¡¯t express to others. ¡°Loth Pedro,¡± Lynn read the boy¡¯s name out loud. Undoubtedly, this was a case of being driven mad by too many expectations. But what he saw was moreplex than that. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Loth¡¯s father was a baron in the Sekas Empire, but one of thosendless and fallen nobles who only had a title. On regr days, he could barely maintain his noble dignity by continuously depleting his savings. Just like every parent who hopes their child will be sessful, Baron Pedro ced all his hopes of reviving the family on his son. For noble children like them, passing the knight examination before turning twenty and having a firm belief would qualify them to be a priest, the best way to change the family¡¯s fortunes. For this reason, Loth underwent the strictest training from a young age, aiming to pass the knight examination to be a clergyman of the church. Baron Pedro even spent a hefty sum to hire a formal knight to polish Loth¡¯sbat skills. However, Loth¡¯s talent was mediocre. No matter how hard he trained, it was all in vain. In the Nornd Territory, only three priests and clergymen were selected each year, yet countless others harbored the same ambition. Among them were those more talented, more determined, and even more influential than Loth! Thus, since taking the examination at sixteen, Loth faced one disappointment after another. Under the weight of family expectations and harsh realities, he gradually became dull, quiet, and extremely introverted. His sister Ivina, on the other hand, was an exception. With decent talent, she mastered noteworthy swordsmanship simply by repeatedly observing Loth¡¯s daily sparring with the formal knight. However, for Baron Pedro, Ivina¡¯s disyed talent was merely a pleasant surprise. In the Sekas Empire, there were indeed precedents for women to be nobles, but only under duress, like the absence of male heirs. Otherwise, daughters were usually tools for political marriages to expand the family¡¯s influence. Spending a lot of resources on them wasn¡¯t worthwhile. After all, the continuity of bloodlines was the essence of nobility, and choosing a female heir risked the family¡¯s amassed wealth being annexed or disappearing. Loth, unable to bear the pressure and expectations, probably intended to force Baron Pedro into making a choice through his death. To Lynn, Loth¡¯s decision was undoubtedly a foolish move. He somewhat understood the nature of these nobles. ording to the diary¡¯s description of Baron Pedro¡¯s character, upon learning of Loth¡¯s death, the baron would only consider whether he could father another son or adopt an excellent heir from a coteral line. Ivina would always be thest resort. An illegitimate child like Carl would fare even worse; they would get nothing unless the family linepletely died out¡­ The more than a hundred-page diary quickly reached thest page. Loth¡¯s experiences slightly touched Lynn, but what truly caught his attention was a term mentioned in the diary. ¡°Useless person?¡± Lynn murmured to himself. He thought he wouldn¡¯t hear that term after arriving in this other world. After all, here, even a farming peasant had exploitable value. Lynn slowly exhaled, reorganized his scattered thoughts, and turned to look at Loth¡¯s corpse. Since he had epted the other¡¯s belongings, he should bury him properly in a moment. ¡°071, how much energy reserve do we have now?¡± Lynn asked in his mind. [Remaining energy is 12.3%, energy concentration detected to be constantly decreasing, estimated to increase energy reserve by 1% every ten hours.] As expected¡­ Lynn nced at the dim sky, not surprised by this fact. As he had hypothesized, Monday affected the activity of magic power. After a night of rest, the physical strength and magic power consumed in the previous battle had mostly been restored. From Loth¡¯s diary, Lynn also obtained a very important piece of information ¡ª the ce he was in was the port town of Nornd Territory! This meant that the hidden underground river in the castle actually flowed directly to the Mist Sea! Unfortunately, to deal with Bishop Anluoke, he had already sent Johnny and Bai Ge away in advance. Lynn couldn¡¯t determine where the two witches had drifted. If their swimming skills were good, they couldnd anywhere, unlike him, who could only drift with the current and slowly learn to swim. Withoutmunication, finding two living people in the entire Nornd Territory wouldn¡¯t be easy. Avoiding the church¡¯s pursuit was also no small problem. Lynn pondered for a long time, and a name suddenly leapt into his mind: Crippled Laud! Regardless of where Johnny and Bai Ge were, as long as they still nned to go to Wizard Land, they would inevitablye to the port town to try contacting Crippled Laud. Then he only needed to find this person first! Lynn stood up, gazing at the distant towering city walls. Now, there was only one problem left: how to safely enter the port town. ¡°071, bring up information on disguise and transformation techniques, preferably those that can be done with simple materials!¡± Lynn nced at Loth, whose physique and hair color were very simr to his own. Perhaps he could temporarily borrow Loth¡¯s identity to fool the port town¡¯s guards. If he remembered correctly, besides the disguise techniques, there was also a spell in ¡°Basic Magic Common¡± that could handle this situation¡­ (PS: New book, asking for everything.) Chapter 27 - 24: [The Ship Gang] and [Harbor Town] Chapter 27: Chapter 24: [The Ship Gang] and [Harbor Town] Harbor Town was situated to the east of the entire Sekas Empire, renowned for its proximity to the vast Mist Sea. Due to the influence brought by Monday, the vortex known as the Eye of Death temporarily calmed, allowing countless merchant ships loaded with spices and ores to be transported directly to the capital of the Sekas Empire, Vickneil, by sea andnd. This was also the busiest time for the port. However, this year¡¯s situation was somewhat different. In order to capture the devil believers who had infiltrated the Nornd Territory and caused chaos, an additional checkpoint was added at the entrance of Harbor Town. The passing merchant caravans had to line up in a long queue, epting inspections amid a chorus ofints. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems, right?¡± Disguised, Lynn felt a bit uneasy, constantly adjusting his voice to match the struggling and shouting he had heard duringst night¡¯s rescue. This wasn¡¯t that difficult to achieve. The essence of sound was merely vibrations caused by a source traveling through a medium such as air, reaching the eardrums, which 071 had already recorded Loth¡¯s voice characteristics. All he needed to do was imitate it. And next, it was time to test hisposure¡­ With aplex mix of emotions, Lynn crossed the long line of merchant caravans in the most natural posture, passed through the checkpoint without stopping, nodded to the guards, and walked into Harbor Town. The guards hesitated for a moment but did not dare to stop him. ¡°Who was that who just passed by?¡± The Priest Adrian, stationed at the checkpoint, noticed Lynn¡¯s departing figure and asked with a frown. ¡°That was Lord Loth, the son of Baron Pedro,¡± the guard answered truthfully. Adrian thought for a moment and immediately remembered. In recent years, Baron Pedro had donated quite a bit to the church to ensure Loth could pass the knight¡¯s examination sessfully. He indeed had some impression. ¡­ On the other side, having sessfully entered Harbor Town, Lynn¡¯s back was already drenched in cold sweat. At the moment he passed the checkpoint, he had even been ready to take action. Fortunately, everything went as he had hoped. His current identity was the legitimate son of a hereditary Baron. It might not mean much in the entire Nornd Territory, but in the small Harbor Town, it could still provide a lot of convenience. Having passed the most challenging part, Lynn finally felt a bit relieved. But soon, the unfamiliarity of Harbor Town troubled him again, forcing him to spend a lot of time wandering around the port, silently memorizing every location while pretending to be very familiar with the area. It was not until noon that Lynn cautiously walked into a shop marked with a circr symbol. If he was not mistaken, this was the emblem of the Ship¡¯s Guild, belonging to Lame Laud. The owner of the harbor shop was an elderly halfling. When Lynn stepped through the door, he was busy moving a heavy barrel of yellow-ck ore to the other side of the room. But due to his short stature, the heavy iron barrel was tightly pressed against the halfling¡¯s face, constantly wobbling as he walked, with small fragments of ore quickly shaking loose. Seeing this scene, Lynn stepped forward to lend a hand, and the two of them together moved therge barrel of ore into the corner. ¡°Thank you so much¡­ customer!¡± The elderly halfling, with a thick nasal tone, wiped his dusty hands on his pants and then turned to Lynn, saying. ¡°Alright, now let¡¯s talk business. Wee to Bill¡¯s little shop¡­ no, I mean¡­ what can I do for you, Lord Loth?¡± After seeing Lynn¡¯s face clearly, the halfling Bill¡¯s casual attitude immediately turned obsequious. He almost lunged toward the counter, taking out several exquisitely decorated boxes from the drawer, which contained red and blue gemstones. ¡°You can have a look at these; they are the finest this year¡­ and a whole shipload of premium spices, rare treasures you won¡¯t find elsewhere¡­¡± Bill introduced enthusiastically. But Lynn, standing aside, waved his hand disinterestedly, interrupting him. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to buy anything. Quite the opposite, I have a batch of precious goods that need to reach Vickneil through the Mist Sea.¡± ¡°I heard you can arrange a ship for long voyages and ensure the safety of the goods, right?¡± Lynn asked tentatively. ¡°Of course, everyone in Harbor Town knows the reputation of the Ship¡¯s Guild. Even those foul-smelling pirates wouldn¡¯t dare to intercept our ships!¡± Bill boasted, patting his chest. ¡°However, renting an entire ship for transporting goods requires a lot of manpower and guards¡­¡± Bill carefully observed Lynn¡¯s reaction, ready to adjust the price based on his expression. This was a great opportunity for him to make a profit. ¡°Money is not an issue!¡± Lynn unhesitatingly offered a substantial deal, then, seeing Bill¡¯s ecstatic expression, added, ¡°But this batch of goods is extremely important. I need to meet Laud in person and discuss it face-to-face!¡± Bill¡¯s expression suddenly became a bit hesitant. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I don¡¯t have the qualifications to meet Lame Laud?¡± Lynn frowned, his tone growing heavier. ¡°No, no, no,¡± Bill shook his head frantically. He didn¡¯t dare to say that. After hesitating for a moment, Bill looked around cautiously and said, ¡°In fact, very few people in the entire Ship¡¯s Guild know that Mr. Laud is not in Harbor Town right now.¡± ¡°What a coincidence?¡± Lynn paused noticeably, scrutinizing the halfling before him, suspecting he was being deceived. He asked again, ¡°Do you know what he¡¯s doing?¡± Bill smacked his lips and spoke reluctantly, ¡°That I don¡¯t know. Over the years, around Monday, Mr. Laud would always be at the port, but this year is indeed an exception¡­¡± Lynn stared at the halfling for a long time before suddenly saying, ¡°Forget it, since Mr. Laud isn¡¯t here, I¡¯ll find someone else to help.¡± The elderly halfling immediately panicked, ¡°Lord Loth, why don¡¯t you reconsider? Although Mr. Laud isn¡¯t in Harbor Town right now, I can contact Rabour for you. He¡¯s Mr. Laud¡¯s most capable subordinate and can handle everything for the Ship¡¯s Guild¡­¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°I should have said that this batch of goods is very precious. I need to discuss it with Mr. Laud in person. Inform me when he returns.¡± Lynn ignored Bill¡¯s continued shouting behind him and walked out of the shop without looking back. Outside, dozens of giant sailing ships were docked at the neat pier. Dockworkers in gray clothes were busy moving boxes filled with goods from the decks to the wooden rafts at the edge of the dock. The noise of the crowd and the shouts of the overseers were incessant. Lynn surveyed the bustling scene of Harbor Town, full of doubts. In recent days, it was the busiest time for the port. ording to Johnny¡¯s description, the route to the Wizard Land would also open briefly, providing a once-a-year opportunity to transport goods to the Wizard Land. If there were any mistakes, decades of umtion would go up in smoke. At such a critical time, logically speaking, Laud should not have left¡­ (P.S.: New book, anything is appreciated!) Chapter 28 - 25: Son, learn to exercise restraint! Chapter 28: Chapter 25: Son, learn to exercise restraint! Where did it go wrong¡­ Lynn constantly pondered. Using his noble identity as a stepping stone to meet Laud through trade was the fastest and safest n he could think of, but he didn¡¯t expect to hit a wall right from the start. This made Lynn somewhat perplexed. He even suspected that Laud might have received some bad news and was purposely hiding. If this was truly the case, it would be troublesome. Finding someone who intended to hide was never an easy task. While Lynn was contemting, the dense crowd at the port suddenly became incredibly chaotic. Amidst a series of screams, a beautifully decorated carriage sped down the narrow road, hastily making its way toward him. Which noble family was so arrogant? Lynn frowned, intending to step aside, but the carriage stopped right in front of him. Before long, a well-dressed, tall, and slender middle-aged man got out of the carriage, bowing deeply. ¡°Finally, I found you, Master Loth. Pleasee with me quickly. Lord Pedro has something very important to discuss with you!¡± Faced with the sudden invitation, Lynn almost didn¡¯t react. Fortunately, he recalled Loth¡¯s diary and quickly deduced that the man before him was the butler from Pedro¡¯s mansion. A bead of cold sweat appeared on Lynn¡¯s forehead. This identity was supposed to be a temporary guise to grant him entry into the harbor town and meet the limping Laud, but he didn¡¯t expect the real master toe looking so soon. And much faster than he had anticipated! To go or not to go? Countless possibilities shed through Lynn¡¯s mind. After a second or two of hesitation, under the respectful yet determined gaze of the butler, Lynn nodded, lifted the curtain, and got into the carriage. Clip-clop, clip-clop¡­ The halted carriage slowly started moving, traveling on the muddy road of the dock. The constant jolting of the carriage made Lynn feel somewhat ufortable. ¡°Before entering the mansion, you¡¯d better tidy yourself up. If Lord Pedro sees you like this, he would definitely be displeased!¡± The butler lifted the curtain again, nced at Lynn¡¯s hands, and advised. Lynn looked down to find his hands covered in a yellow and ck powder, likely from identally getting it while helping the halfling Bill move barrels earlier. Wait a minute¡­ suddenly Lynn raised his hand, sniffing it. This scent seemed like¡­ Sulfur? ¡­ Pedro¡¯s mansion was located on the northwest side of the harbor town, on the most bustling street. The dark iron gates loomed imposingly. As the carriage slowly entered, Lynn quickly noticed something hidden beneath the surface. Tiny weeds sprouted from the gaps between the cobblestones, and the flower beds on either side of the road were half-wilted due to ack of care. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om But then, it was no surprise. Pedro¡¯s mansion hadn¡¯t hired a gardener to tend the flower beds for a long time. After a quick wash, Lynn, led by a servant, went to the mansion¡¯s front hall. Baron Pedro was already seated at the table covered with a dark red cloth, waiting. Also seated at the table was a brown-haired girl about sixteen or seventeen, staring at him with an unreadable expression. She must be Loth¡¯s sister, Ivina, mentioned in the diary¡­ Lynn observed quietly and took a seat in the only empty chair. In front of him was a te of steaming steak and a few unidentifiable leaves¡ªtheir dinner for the evening, evidently. Compared to gnawing on ck bread with water, this was indeed avish meal! ¡°Where have you been, my son? I wanted to find youst night, but you weren¡¯t in the mansion.¡± Baron Pedro asked disapprovingly as soon as Lynn sat down, his gaze shifting toward the tall, slender butler who had entered with them. ¡°I found the young master at the dock,¡± the butler responded without batting an eye. Baron Pedro¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°I must remind you, Loth, rxing a bit is fine, but never spend the night in such a ce, mingling with filthy prostitutes!¡± Lynn was speechless. Did he think I went whoring? What frustrated him more was that he couldn¡¯t refute openly. He couldn¡¯t very well say that his son hadn¡¯te home because he had jumped into the sea in an attempt to kill himself, could he? Lynn tried to imagine Loth¡¯s possible reaction, then lowered his head and stayed silent. ¡°I do not want this to happen again!¡± Baron Pedro¡¯s tone was stern. After a brief pause, he continued. ¡°Also, in theing days, all of you need to be vignt. The harbor town has not been peacefultely.¡± ¡°I heard Archbishop Anluoke recently led arge group to Wuer Town to capture those devil worshipers, but they suffered heavy losses. Out of a hundred elite guards, only about a dozen returned. Not only that, but Archbishop Anluoke himself was also gravely injured¡­¡± ¡°Are these Wizards really that powerful?¡± Ivina turned her gaze away from Lynn, incredulously asking. Keep in mind that the entire Sekas Empire, although ruled by the King and the lords, was truly controlled by the Church! Or rather, by the Lord of the Stars, the Creator Goddess¡¯s [E] emissary in the mortal world. Someone like Archbishop Anluoke was undoubtedly the God¡¯s spokesperson within the Nornd Territory. The idea that such a prominent figure had been defeated while capturing Wizards was a shocking contrast that Ivina found hard to digest. ¡°These Wizards have been corrupted by demons, wielding unimaginable witchcraft and are not easy to deal with.¡± Baron Pedro shivered as he spoke. A year ago, he had met Archbishop Anluoke, who looked about his age, if not slightly younger. Yet, tonight when they met again, he saw an old man of eighty or ny, frail and decrepit. He couldn¡¯t fathom what kind of witchcraft could transform the powerful Archbishop into such a state. Baron Pedro couldn¡¯t imagine that another key character of his story was sitting calmly beside him, methodically cutting steak with a knife and fork¡­ Lynn was also somewhat surprised by the news that Anluoke was still alive. He had assumed that in those circumstances, the Archbishop would meet one of three fates. Either be poisoned, crushed by falling rocks, or sacrifice himself for the Divine Descent Technique. Or was it that the so-called [E] projection saved him again? It seemed the saving wasn¡¯tplete; otherwise, Pedro wouldn¡¯t mention that the Archbishop was severely wounded¡­ (PS: First day of the new book promotion. Please collect, rmend, vote, and follow!!!) Chapter 29 - 26: Imprisoned Devil Believer (Please Follow) Chapter 29: Chapter 26: Imprisoned Devil Believer (Please Follow) The Baron of the Pedro Family saw that Lynn and Ivina were terrified and silent for a long time. After thinking it over, he spoke tofort them. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much. ording to Bishop Anluoke, most of the devil believers have already been executed. The Church has even secretly mobilized a squad of three thousand men to garrison in Harbor Town.¡± ¡°Three thousand people?¡± Lynn frowned involuntarily. That was too many. Generally speaking, during peacetime, a small city like Harbor Town would only have a few hundred troops stationed. Now, the Church had secretly moved so many troops here; it definitely wasn¡¯t for no reason. Lynn couldn¡¯t help but suspect that it might be because Crippled Laud¡¯s identity had been exposed, and the Church nned to wipe out the entire [Ship Gang]. ¡°Father, what does Bishop Anluoke mean by this? Is he nning to start a war?¡± Lynn tentatively asked. The Baron of the Pedro Family shook his head. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with war. However, I don¡¯t know much either. I¡¯ve only heard that Bishop Anluoke captured the Wizard Apprentice, who escaped before, on his way back to Harbor Town. They are now imprisoned in Harbor Town, awaiting public execution after Monday!¡± Upon hearing this, Lynn¡¯s expression immediately became serious. Could it be that Johnny and Bai Ge were captured? Lynn couldn¡¯t help but consider this possibility. When he sent the two witches away previously, their condition was quite poor. It was even uncertain whether they were forced to separate in the rapid currents. If the Church had immediately organized arge number of people to hunt them down after that great battle, it wasn¡¯t out of the question that they might have captured them. ¡°Father, do you know who those imprisoned devil believers are?¡± Lynn couldn¡¯t help but ask. Afterwards, Lynn immediately realized he was too eager and quickly added, ¡°I heard that witches are usually very beautiful. I wonder if the rumors are true.¡± ¡°Absurd! Who told you that?¡± The Baron of the Pedro Family scolded angrily, ¡°Those are just rumors! Listen to me, no matter what, you mustn¡¯t have any connection with those devil believers!¡± In the Sekas Empire, wizards were an absolute taboo. These devil believers possessed many bizarre forms of witchcraft and caused chaos wherever they went, practically a living disaster! In the midst of Pedro¡¯s harsh rebuke, Lynn had no choice but to suppress his doubts temporarily. Now was obviously not the time to ask questions. After scolding him harshly for a few moments, the Baron of the Pedro Family spoke again about the main matter. ¡°To deal with those devil believers, two priests unfortunately died in battle. While this ismentable, it is also an opportunity for us!¡± ¡°In other words, there will be at least five slots for this year¡¯s knight assessment!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn Speaking of this, the Baron of the Pedro Family looked at Lynn with great anticipation. In two months, it would be the official assessment date, and if he could pass smoothly, it would give the Pedro Family an opportunity to rise again. ¡°After eating, you should spar with Ivina again. Let me see how much progress you¡¯ve made these past few months.¡± Pedro said bluntly. Spar? Lynn couldn¡¯t help but turn to look at Ivina, who was sitting opposite him at the dining table. The girl was wearing a ck, slim-fitting long dress. The slightly open neckline revealed her fair neck and corbone. Her shoulder-length hair was tied up at the back, with only a red ribbon hanging down her shoulder, giving her a very neat look. But her eyes were incredibly cold, and her gaze was as sharp as a knife. It would be better to hold back a littleter, Lynn thought silently. After all, in Loth¡¯s diary, besides holding the absolute advantage in strength and physical strength years ago, he had never won against Ivina once. On the contrary, the gap between them was still rapidly widening. His best record so far was losing within twenty-three moves¡­ ¡­ ¡°Here will do!¡± After dinner, Pedro led the two of them to the practice field in the back garden of the estate and then signaled for them to begin. Lynn changed into the training wooden sword and assumed a standard sword-holding stance. However, Ivina had already rushed over at a fast pace the moment Pedro spoke. So fast! Lynn¡¯s pupils constricted. He only had time to raise his sword horizontally in defense before Ivina¡¯s wooden sword struck down from above! ¡°ng~¡± The wooden swords shed, surprisingly producing a sound simr to metal striking metal. The girl twisted her body, and as her dress swayed, a roundhouse kick was alreadying at him. Lynn sidestepped to dodge, but Ivina was faster. A spinning sword move disarmed Lynn¡¯s wooden sword, sending it flying into the air. Without pause, she swung her sword downward toward his head. The sharp wind whistling past his ear filled Lynn with a sense of danger. This indicated that the girl¡¯s strike held no reservations! If he got hit, it wouldn¡¯t just be a simple injury¡­ [Raise right hand at a 37-degree angle, grip the wrist, reverse grip to snatch the sword¡­] Lynn¡¯s gaze became very serious. With the analysis of the intelligent brain, he instantly spotted the w in her sword stance. Facing the downward sh, he neither dodged nor evaded and confronted it head-on. ¡°Enough!¡± Pedro shouted, interrupting the duel between Lynn and Ivina. The two of them stopped simultaneously. Lynn forward-stretched his right hand, and the wooden sword was suspended just above his head. Pedro first red at Ivina, then looked at Lynn with great frustration. ¡°Loth, what¡¯s wrong with you? Focus when you¡¯re fighting! If you¡¯re in this state two monthster, you might not even pass the first round of the knight assessment!¡± Lynn silently withdrew his hand, realizing he had underestimated his opponent¡¯s strength. Although Loth had referred to himself as the useless one in his diary, in reality, he had undergone more than a decade of relentless training. An Ivina who could easily defeat him was bound to be much stronger! ¡°Get back in position and continue!¡± The Baron¡¯s voice was cold, his expression extremely grim. Ivina stood still, as if she hadn¡¯t heard Pedro¡¯s words. Lynn, on the other hand, took a few steps back and voluntarily widened the distance between them. At the same time, the prompt from the intelligent brain sounded in his mind. [Activate overload mode?] No! Lynn rejected it outright. This wasn¡¯t a life-or-death battle; there was no need to waste energy here. Moreover, while the analytical function of the intelligent brain was useful, its effectiveness ultimately depended on his own abilities. Ivina wasn¡¯t like Anluoke or that witch hunter he had encountered before. She was far from reaching the point where she could decisively crush him. She was just the right whetstone¡­ The fight quickly resumed. Relying on the foundationid by his original self, Carl, and extensive life-and-deathbat experience, Lynn sessfully blocked Ivina¡¯s assault this time¡­ Chapter 30 - 27: Are you finally planning to do something to me? My brother? Chapter 30: Chapter 27: Are you finally nning to do something to me? My brother? ¡°ng~ ng~¡± In the evening, in the backyard of Pedro Manor, Lynn held a wooden sword and struggled to fend off the relentless onught of the young girl. Despite being mentally prepared, Ivina¡¯s ferocity still caught Lynn off guard. Each move was merciless, aiming for vital points as if it were a battle of life and death rather than just practice. After the twenty-first move, the brown-haired girl swung horizontally again, knocking Lynn¡¯s long sword to the ground. After several rounds, battling for nearly an hour, both Lynn and Ivina had reached their limits. Their arms and shoulders, hidden under their clothes, were bruised from the shes, and their physical strength was almost exhausted. Lynn, who was not good at closebat, ultimately could not break Loth¡¯s record. Pedro, who was watching, did not mind much. He could see that Ivina¡¯s swordsmanship had improved slightly, so losing was normal. What pleased him even more was that Lynn finally listened to him. During the battle, he was no longer as hesitant as before and fought with more sharpness. ¡°Stop, that¡¯s enough for today.¡± Baron Pedro waved his hand, stopping the fight. His gloomy face finally showed a hint of a smile. ¡°Very good, my son. You¡¯ve finally gained some insight. If you continue to practice like this, you¡¯ll have a seventy percent chance of passing the evaluation.¡± This year, there were two additional slots for the knight assessment, so the standards would certainly be lowered. Moreover, he had often donated funds to the church priests, so he should be able to pull some strings. Thinking of this, Pedro¡¯s mood improved. He then turned to Ivina and spoke. ¡°Ivina, your swordsmanship is excellent, but you can pause the training for now and spend your time on other things.¡± ¡°The Duke of Nord¡¯s son is indeed obsessed with swordsmanship, but if you appear too aggressive, it might cause displeasure¡­¡± Pedro carefully instructed Ivina on how to use theirmon interest to gain the Duke¡¯s son¡¯s attention and how to protect his fragile self-esteem. Pedro was quite satisfied with his daughter. Aside from being very beautiful, she also had an exceptional talent for swordsmanship. If she could capitalize on this to marry the Duke of Nord¡¯s eldest son, the family might have a chance to revive under his leadership. Listening to Pedro¡¯s words, Ivina gritted her teeth, her delicate face full of resentment and unwillingness. However, Pedro did not notice the young girl¡¯s expression. After his guidance, he no longer lingered. Due to the chaos caused by those devil believers, many important figures who usually couldn¡¯t be seen had appeared in Harbor Town. This was a great opportunity to make a good impression! After the baron left, Lynn looked at the brown-haired girl in front of him with a hint of pity. To have such a strong level of swordsmanship at the age of sixteen, Ivina must have worked very hard, probably hoping to gain her father¡¯s approval and change her fate. Unfortunately, Pedro always saw his daughter as a tool to curry favor with the powerful. Maybe after he left, Ivina¡¯s situation would improve a little. Thinking about it, Lynn put away the wooden sword and was about tofort her as a brother should. He remembered from the diary that Loth was still quite concerned about this sister. But before Lynn could speak, Ivina raised her head, coldly saying, ¡°Are you finally nning to act against me, my brother?¡± ¡­ When the moonlight once again illuminated the night sky, a confused Lynn was led back to his room by a servant. He couldn¡¯t figure out what the girl¡¯sst words meant, even after thinking about it all the way back. Who would¡¯ve thought that the rtionships in a small baron¡¯s manor could be soplicated? ¡°Forget it, this isn¡¯t my concern,¡± Lynn shook his head in resignation. Fortunately, he was only temporarily using Loth¡¯s identity and was not a family mediator, or he would definitely have a headache. Inparison, he was more concerned about the devil believers Pedro mentioned that the church caught while returning. Lynn couldn¡¯t determine whether it was Johnny or Bai Ge, or if both had been captured by the church. But one thing was certain, Anluoke, who had suffered a great loss at his hands, was fully prepared. Three thousand guards were secretly stationed inside and outside Harbor Town, likely targeting him. In a few days, the church would probably spread the news about publicly executing the devil believers the day after Monday to lure him into saving them. Imagining himself walking into the church¡¯s trap unprepared made Lynn shiver. Not to mention, a thousand archers firing a volley would turn him into a porcupine. Springing a jailbreak ahead of time seemed like a good n, as he could use transformation magic and disguise techniques to sneak in. As long as he could urately identify who was captured and which cell they were in, Lynn was confident he could get them out¡­ Then he would need to consider how to escape Harbor Town. The more Lynn thought about it, the more his head hurt. He wasn¡¯t really Carl and had no emotional bond with Johnny and the others, but having gone through life-and-death situations together, he still nned to save them if possible. ¡°071, is there anything that can help me against three thousand elite soldiers?¡± Lynn asked in his mind. The next moment, a long list appeared before his eyes. [Dongfeng-180 missile, sma railgun, antimatter bomb, high-energy rays, gxy-ss long-range battleship¡­] ¡°I only have a few days. Give me something practical!¡± Lynn was speechless. If he could produce these things, he would have overthrown the Pope and transformed this dark alternate world into a bright medieval era long ago. Under such a request, the several-meter-long list immediately shrank to a few lines. Lynn was quickly attracted by one of the pictures, reminding him of something he had seen in a Harbor Town shop. He had actually forgotten about it. After contemting for a moment, Lynn had a n, but it was clear he couldn¡¯t do everything alone. He needed reliable allies. Laud theme¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om A familiar name resurfaced in Lynn¡¯s mind. He was the easiest ally to win over in Harbor Town, with deep ties to the wizard and a low probability of betrayal. Now, the remaining problem was how to flush out this hidden old fox! (PS: New book asking for rmendations, collections, monthly tickets, and continuous reading!) Chapter 31 - 28 Empty Box Trap Chapter 31: Chapter 28 Empty Box Trap The next day, Lynn, who hadn¡¯t slept all night, got up early. He randomly found an ornate empty box, stuffed it into his pocket, and walked out the door. Outside, in the spacious training grounds, the crisp sound of shing could be heard continuously. Lynn nced over and noticed that ¡°his sister¡± Ivina had been there for quite some time. The young girl held a wooden sword, delivering swift and sharp strikes to the critical points of the target without any hesitation. Beads of sweat were trickling down from her forehead to her neck¡­ So diligent¡­ Lynn thought to himself, given the unpleasant experience fromst night, he didn¡¯t greet her and walked straight past. He didn¡¯t notice Ivina, who was training hard behind him, had stopped and was watching him with aplex expression. Why¡­ Why, after such an incident, can he still act so indifferent when he sees me? A look of confusion appeared on Ivina¡¯s face, but recalling Pedro¡¯s words fromst night, her gaze became firm again. She swung her sword horizontally with her right hand, shattering the strong wooden target in front of her. ¡­ Lynn, who had already left the mansion, was unaware of what was happening back home. After purchasing some necessary supplies in the market, he returned to the dockside shop he visited the previous day. ¡°Wee to Bill¡¯s¡­ Ah, it¡¯s Lord Loth!¡± The elderly halfling greeted out of habit, but upon recognizing Lynn, he eagerly approached and said warmly, ¡°You mentioned that shipment yesterday. We can discuss it more¡­ There¡¯s absolutely no better partner in Harbor Town than the [Shipping Gang]!¡± Lynn didn¡¯t rush to respond. He leisurely nced around the shop and said regretfully, ¡°What, Mr. Laud still doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡± Bill quickly exined, ¡°No, no, no, I believe Mr. Laud very much wants to see you! But unfortunately, he is currently not in Harbor Town. Even using the fastest messenger raven would take several days to deliver the message!¡± ¡°If Lord Loth is worried about safety, the [Shipping Gang] can provide coteral goods corresponding to the value!¡± The elderly Bill pounded his chest repeatedly, making drum-like sounds. Lynn feigned hesitation for a moment before finally waving his hand and saying, ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s not uneptable¡­¡± ¡°Who¡¯s in charge of the [Shipping Gang] now?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s Rabour! Please wait, I¡¯ll get him right away¡­¡± Bill hurriedly ran out, called a dockworker, whispered a few words, and then returned, standing attentively on a small stool, pouring fruit wine for Lynn. Lynn took the cup, set it aside without any intention of drinking, and pointed to the iron barrels piled in the shop¡¯s corner, inquiring, ¡°What are these?¡± ¡°Just some worthless yellow ore. A group of prospectors dug them out from a barren mountain near Harbor Town. They gathered a whole shipload.¡± Bill said gloomily. This stuff usually only sells to herbalists, but this year the yellow ore market in Vys is already saturated, meaning they have to store it until next year to sell it. ¡°Lord Loth, if you¡¯re interested in these yellow ores, I can give you a cost price. A huge barrel for just neen copper coins. I heard it¡¯s quite effective for repelling insects!¡± Bill rubbed his hands eagerly and promoted. ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious as I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Lynn shook his head and replied calmly. While they were chatting, a tall, brawny man led a few helpers into the shop from outside. ¡°It¡¯s an honor, Mr. Loth. I heard from Bill that you have something important to discuss with me?¡± Rabour pushed open the door and immediately showed a genuine smile on his burly face. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m nning to rent arge ship to transport some very important supplies!¡± Lynn said, taking out a delicate box from his sleeve and cing it on the table earnestly. ¡°This is a sample; I need a private ce to discuss it with you alone!¡± Everyone present nced at the palm-sized exquisite box in unison. Bill, the halfling, secretly wondered if it might contain some rare gemstone, but quickly dismissed the thought, considering Lynn needed arge ship to transport it. Rabour, on the other hand, looked quite serious. Unlike Bill, he had worked with the [Shipping Gang] for over a decade and asionally helped nobles handle some illicit items. For instance, Duke Nord had been privately selling an addictive substance called Soul-breaking Grass. If the church caught wind of it, small fry like them would likely be dragged out to take the me. Of course, risks and rewardse hand in hand. If the goods were delivered sessfully, the profit from one shipload would sustain the entire [Shipping Gang] for half a year. ¡°No problem! We can discuss it slowly in the side room!¡± Rabour¡¯s face lit up with an even broader smile as his thoughts raced. Lynn put away the box and followed Rabour out of the shop, crossing more than half a street, finally stopping at a seemingly ordinary house. Understanding the importance of secrecy, Rabour stationed a few helpers at the door and led Lynn alone to a well-hidden basement. The space was quite spacious, with only a few simple tables and chairs, but it was very clean. From the moment Lynn entered, he kept observing the surroundings, which further confirmed Rabour¡¯s suspicions. Smiling, he assured Lynn, ¡°Please, have a seat, Mr. Loth. It¡¯s very safe and quiet here. No one will disturb us!¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯m relieved!¡± Lynn smiled, pushing the box towards Rabour. ¡°You can take a look first, and then we¡¯ll talk!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn With a mix of anxiety and excitement, Rabour ced his hand on the box, extremely curious about what kind of contraband it contained. Soul-breaking Grass? Heim Stone? Surely not a statue of some evil god? It was said that the nobles on the western side of the Sekas Empire had a penchant for such sinister things. However, when he opened the box, Rabour¡¯s expression froze in an instant. Because the box was empty, absolutely nothing inside! Tricked? Rabour instantly sensed something was wrong. His left hand instinctively reached for the dagger at his waist, but it was already toote! The moment he opened the box, Lynn went into a brief overload mode. His right hand swiftly and precisely grabbed Rabour¡¯s elbow, bending his entire arm at the exact angle. Apanied by the dull sound of a dislocation, searing pain flooded Rabour¡¯s mind. Before he could even scream, he was grabbed by the neck and mmed heavily to the ground¡­ Chapter 32 - 29: This is simply a demon! Chapter 32: Chapter 29: This is simply a demon! The sudden attack caught Rabourpletely off guard. His head was spinning from the impact, and it took him a while to react, his voice filled with anger and fear. ¡°Mr. Loth, what are you doing? The [Fleet Gang] has never provoked the Pedro Family¡­ Don¡¯t forget, the port is our home turf. I advise you to¡­¡± Rabour threatened sternly, but before he finished, Lynn snapped his other arm back and then threw the burly man, who curled up like a shrimp, to the ground. ¡°I ask, you answer, understand? Cooperating is good for both of us!¡± Lynn squatted down, gazing at Rabour, and spoke directly. The tall, burly man was already in cold sweat from the pain, but he gritted his teeth and endured without making a sound, staring at Lynn as if he wanted to swallow him alive. His mind was racing, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why the son of Pedro Baron was attacking him. Could it be that someone in the [Fleet Gang] identally angered the other party? Just as he was thinking, Lynn¡¯s voice came over. ¡°First question¡­ Name!¡± Rabour red, feeling insulted. Wasn¡¯t this obvious? ¡°Answer!¡± Lynn¡¯s voice was very cold. After waiting for two seconds, he suddenly drew the dagger from the other person¡¯s waist and stabbed towards Rabour¡¯s right hand swiftly and decisively. ¡°Rab¡­ Rabour¡­¡± The tall, burly man shouted with all his might; he didn¡¯t want to lose his precious right hand over such a stupid question. Lynn¡¯s actions didn¡¯t stop. Under Rabour¡¯s terrified gaze, the dagger pierced between his clenched fingers. N?v(el)B\\jnn Rabour¡¯s back was soaked in sweat, but the anticipated pain did note. Looking down, Rabour realized that the dagger had been inserted directly between his fingers. ¡°You only have one second to answer each question. There won¡¯t be a next time!¡± Lynn said coldly and then asked the next question. ¡°Gender!¡± ¡°Male!¡± Rabour gritted his teeth, treating the man in front of him as a madman. ¡°Birthce¡­ which means where you were born!¡± Lynn kept asking Rabour various questions, starting with those that required no brainpower to answer, then gradually getting trickier, from the daily trivial matters to the [Fleet Gang]¡¯s trade goods and routes. If Rabour hesitated for even a moment, Lynn would break one of his fingers. In just a few minutes, six of Rabour¡¯s fingers were already broken, leaving him in a state of mental confusion from the pain. ¡°Alright, since you forgot which foot stepped out of the door three days ago, let me ask you an easier question.¡± Lynn sighed helplessly, then suddenly asked, ¡°Where is Limping Laud?¡± ¡°He is¡­¡± Rabour instinctively began to speak but stopped in the next moment, shaking his head in fear. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I told you, if you could cooperate, it would be good for everyone!¡± Lynn sighed helplessly. He wasn¡¯t good at interrogations, and the knowledge in his mind was crammed from ate-night study sessionst night. But Rabour clearly didn¡¯t intend to speak nicely, so he had to use more aggressive methods. Lynn narrowed his eyes. The entire [Fleet Gang] was formed by a group of pirates who reformed. ording to Rabour¡¯s confession, besides sailing and transporting goods, they also organized various illegal activities in private. For instance, disguising themselves as pirates to loot ships, trafficking humans, transporting contraband,mitting murders, and brawls¡­ If it were in his previous life, the things Rabour had done would warrant him death a hundred times to appease public anger! ¡°Have you ever heard of the skinning method?¡± Lynn asked slowly. Sk-skinned? Rabour shivered, then heard Lynn continue. ¡°First, you make an incision from the spine, splitting the skin on the back in half. Then you slowly cut along the muscle fibers with a knife. The action must be quick to finish before the target bleeds to death¡­¡± Lynn vividly described the ancient torture method from a certain country, detailing how to make the incisions, how much blood would flow, and how long each step should take. Rabour was already scared to the point of copse, trembling as he spoke. ¡°Lord Loth, I really don¡¯t know the whereabouts of Leader Laud.¡± ¡°Is that so? But I heard you were Limping Laud¡¯s most trusted subordinate!¡± Lynn sneered. ¡°In fact, Mr. Laud never trusted anyone¡­¡± Rabour exined fearfully. ¡°I only know he left Harbor Town three days ago¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t want to talk. We have lots of time to y!¡± Lynn stood up and dusted off his pants. While researching interrogation techniquesst night, he found many interesting, non-lethal methods; now was the perfect time to try them out! Half an hourter, Rabour waspletely copsed on the ground, almost broken down from the dual torment of the mind and body. He answered all of Lynn¡¯s questions without hesitation, even revealing that he had once embezzled an entire shipment of goods and disguised it as a shipwreck. But regarding Laud¡¯s whereabouts, Rabour knew nothing. After trying several methods of psychological torture, Lynn had to admit the other might genuinely not know. ording to the information provided by Rabour, Laud left two days ago, which coincided with the day after Anluoke led people to raid Wuer Town, and the same day the [Drunkard] Tavern was raided by the Church. Old York had been missing ever since. It was likely that during that time, Limping Laud got the news and went into hiding. Only a few high-ranking members of the [Fleet Gang] knew he wasn¡¯t in Harbor Town. ¡°It seems that even you, his most trusted assistant, are just a decoy!¡± Lynn looked at the copsed Rabour and shook his head helplessly. Rabour did know many secrets of the [Fleet Gang], but he was very limited in his knowledge of someone secretly transporting goods to Wizard Land. He only knew that every Monday, Laud would personally oversee the shipment of several big ships, but Rabour had no idea where they were headed. Lynn pondered for a long time. The other¡¯s caution and cunning were beyond his expectations. Laud was probably prepared for the betrayal or capture of high-ranking members of the [Fleet Gang] long ago. However, one person alone couldn¡¯t possibly sail across the sea, which meant that there were more core members within the [Fleet Gang] responsible for this. The other peripheral members were just a cover, following Rabour¡¯s orders and being used as pawns in critical times. Lynn recalled the names and experiences of the various [Fleet Gang] leaders he had learned from Rabour. Everyone seemed like they could be one of Laud¡¯s hidden chess pieces. As he pondered, a thought suddenly emerged in Lynn¡¯s mind. If he couldn¡¯t find them, why not make Laude to him instead¡­ (PS: New book, asking for everything.) Chapter 33 - 30: Conflict and the City Guard Chapter 33: Chapter 30: Conflict and the City Guard Thinking of this, Lynn nced down at Rabour and asked. ¡°In Harbor Town, who do you get along with the least?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ¡®ck Hand¡¯ Bob¡­¡± Rabour didn¡¯t understand why Lynn was asking this, but he exined their conflict in detail as if spilling beans from a bamboo tube. ¡°Great, let me borrow your clothes!¡± Lynn didn¡¯t hesitate to take action, stepping forward and forcibly stripping Rabour¡¯s clothes off. The burly man instinctively thought the demon before him intended to use some cruel skinning technique on him, desperately pressing his body against the ground like a girl being ravished. In the end, Lynn had no choice but to knock him out. After changing into his clothes, he stared at Rabour¡¯s face and initiated the transformation magic. This was a Shaping Magic he had learned from ¡°Basic Magic Principles,¡± capable of altering a wizard¡¯s external appearance. When Buck, who had died at Anluoke¡¯s hands, used this magic to transform into a giant bear, it briefly dyed the opponent¡¯s actions. However, this magic was not all-powerful: it required an in-depth understanding of the creature being transformed into and faced various risks. ¡°Basic Magic Principles¡± recorded numerous instances of wizards failing in learning Shaping Magic. Some had transformed incorrectly, some couldn¡¯t revert back, and some died from a magic bacsh. It could be said that the wizards who dared to learn Shaping Magic were a bunch of fearless guys. Fortunately, Lynn¡¯s biology knowledge was quite good, and the data in 071¡¯s database containedprehensive 3D models of the human body, including skin, muscles, blood, internal organs, and even cells, greatly reducing unexpected situations. Of course,pared to disguising as Loth, whose body type, age, and hair color were very simr to his, disguising as Rabour was only about 90% urate. It would be enough to deal with some unexpected situations! Lynn casually wiped some dirt onto his face, tied up the unconscious Rabour, stuffed him into the basement¡¯s utility bag, and then walked outside. ¡°Damn Bob!¡± Lynn cursed as he walked out the door. Several watchful stevedores saw Lynn¡¯s angry look and cautiously asked. ¡°Boss Rabour, did the negotiation fail?¡± ¡°A whole ship of goods, and the other party only offered 60 Sekas Gold Coins!¡± Lynn was extremely annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that bastard Bob; he¡¯s already contacted the Pedro Family. To steal our business, Bob is willing to transport goods for a meager price.¡± Upon hearing this, theborers present were filled with righteous indignation. They knew that a big ship¡¯s round trip would cost at least 50 Sekas Gold Coins, not to mention the expenses for the crew at sea. Such a low price was practically sending everyone out for nothing! ¡®ck Hand¡¯ Bob and hisborers had always been at odds with the ¡®Shipping Gang,¡¯ usually causing trouble in the shadows, but this time, he had gone too far, stealing their business at a loss just to spite them. This was purely malicious¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s go, bring the men and confront him!¡± Lynn waved his hand and loudly shouted, leading dozens of people as they marched grandly towards the dock. Meanwhile, on arge sailing ship, ¡®ck Hand¡¯ Bob was waving a whip, scolding a fewzyborers. When he saw Lynn storming in furiously, he frowned and said discontentedly, ¡°Rabour, why did you bring so many people here?¡± Lynn didn¡¯t bother with words and punched him directly, knocking the bewildered Bob to the ground. Theborers on the ship were stunned, but Lynn¡¯s men had already charged up, immediately starting a brawl. The once peaceful dock instantly turned chaotic, with the sounds of shouting and smashing incessantly. A few minutester, a piercing shout rang out. ¡°The city guards! The city guards are here!!¡± Lynn and theborers stopped their actions simultaneously, as dozens of armed, armored guards surrounded the ship. Lynn raised his hands, signaling everyone to cease resistance, his face showing no concern. That¡¯s because the captain of Harbor Town¡¯s guard, Tiris, was a long-time acquaintance of Rabour. Thest time they embezzled ship goods, he had taken a significant cut! ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Tiris strode onto the sailing ship, nced at the scattered goods and theborers sprawled on the ground, and then turned to Lynn, questioning him impatiently. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Master Tiris, these people barged in for no reason, smashed the goods stored here, and even attacked us,¡± Bob, missing a tooth from the beating, shouted angrily, feeling deeply wronged and still puzzled about why he had been struck. ¡°It¡¯s just a minor conflict, Master Tiris, and many here can testify that Bob was the first to attack!¡± Lynn approached with a beaming smile, subtly slipping a small pouch of coins into Tiris¡¯s hand. Over a hundred dockworkers chimed in, drowning out Bob¡¯s weak protests. In Harbor Town, the ¡®ck Hand¡¯ faction was far weaker than the ¡®Shipping Gang.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for an Imperial Earl backing Bob, making Loth wary, he would¡¯ve been kicked out of the dock long ago. ¡°Arrest them all!¡± Tiris, well aware of the underlying conflicts between Harbor Town¡¯s two major gangs, assessed Lynn¡¯s sincerity and quickly deemed the incident a mutual brawl. ording to Sekas Empirew, those who incite trouble in groups are to be flogged ten times! ¡­ ¡°Damn, that bastard really hit hard¡­¡± Half an hourter, Lynn walked out of the dock, frowning in annoyance. He had overestimated Rabour¡¯s ¡°rtionship¡± with Tiris. When thetter struck, he held nothing back, delivering each of the tenshes with full force. Lynn could only hope this beating wasn¡¯t in vain; he had done everything he could. Given Loth¡¯s cautious and cunning nature, he reasoned that the hideout wouldn¡¯t be far and that Loth was constantly monitoring the events in Harbor Town. Loth¡¯s biggest concern was drawing the attention of the Church. So he orchestrated this conflict to attract the city guards, keeping the intensity controlled while framing it as gang rivalry. If all went well, Loth would hear about this soon. As the public leader of the ¡®Shipping Gang,¡¯ only a direct intervention from Loth could constrain Rabour. Thus, predicting the next move was straightforward. One of Loth¡¯s trusted henchmen mighte to deliver a rebuke, but the most likely oue was¡­ ¡°Master Rabour, Mr. Loth has urgent business and requests your presence. Pleasee with me.¡± A few minutester, a nondescriptborer whispered in his ear. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way!¡± Lynn¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. Sure enough, it worked! Chapter 34 - 31: I came especially to save you, Mr. Laud! Chapter 34: Chapter 31: I came especially to save you, Mr. Laud! With the boatman leading the way, Lynn left the bustling dock, crossed a few streets, and stopped in front of an abandoned house in the northern part of town. ¡°Pleasee in, Mr. Rabour. Mr. Laud is waiting for you inside,¡± the boatman gestured. Lynn nodded, pushed the door open, and walked in, realizing that the dpidated exterior was just a fa?ade. Inside, the house waspletely transformed. The walls were built with hefty stone blocks, smooth as mirrors. The walls were adorned with many exquisite paintings and sculptures, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of perfume. In stark contrast to this elegant environment were the burly men standing at either side of the room, holdingrge axes. They red at Lynn as if they were eyeing amb awaiting ughter. Laud the Cripple stood in front of a long table, looking about fifty years old, with a head full of white hair, a skinny and hunched frame, and most notably, his wooden prosthetic leg. As soon as Laud saw Lynn, his anger red up, and he rebuked harshly. ¡°Rabour, are you insane? I should have told you not to cause me any trouble recently¡­¡± ¡°But today you fought with Bob at the harbor over a shipment. Do you realize that the Church might have noticed us? Two batches of our ships have already been seized in thest three days¡­¡± Laud cursed bitterly, but he soon realized that something was off about Rabour. Despite his reprimands, Rabour showed no fear or panic. Instead, he was steadily approaching him. ¡°Wait¡­ You¡¯re not Rabour!¡± Thoughts raced through Laud¡¯s mind. He instantly realized this and took a few steps back in terror, looking at the nearby guards and shouting. ¡°Stop him for me!¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The men allowed into this house were Loyalists chosen by Laud himself. So, at themand, the guards did not hesitate, raising their axes and chopping down at Lynn. [Activate overload mode, time is three seconds!] Just as the axe des closed in, Lynn silently chanted in his mind. In an instant, every position and movement in the room was transformed into data in Lynn¡¯s mind. Lynn easily sidestepped a guard¡¯s surprise attack, snatched his axe, and kicked the man away. He then turned, swinging the axe handle to strike another guard in the stomach, sending him crashing into the ground along with the rest of the guards. Taking advantage of the moment, Laud scrambled over the long table. His wooden leg moved faster than his real one, carrying him more than ten meters in a few steps. Laud the Cripple ran incredibly fast! Such a sight made Lynn pause for a moment but he quickly reacted. Raising his hand, several crystalline ice des materialized in the air. Simultaneously, Laud sensed the threat from behind but ignored it because the secret passage was right in front of him, within reach. However, the ice des were faster and struck his wooden prosthetic, causing Laud to lose his bnce and fall. Another [Frost de] flew and pinned his robe to the ground. ¡°Keep running!¡± Lynn approached step by step, speaking coldly. He had put a lot of effort into meeting Laud, so he couldn¡¯t let him escape. But Lynn soon realized that his words sounded a bit like those of a viin, so he quickly changed his tone and exined. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to save you, Mr. Laud!¡± Feeling the cold surrounding him and looking at the ¡®kind-faced¡¯ Lynn, Laud swallowed hard. Fine, he chose to believe! ¡­ After a brief but friendly exchange, the small misunderstanding was resolved. Laud called his men to tidy up the house, then invited Lynn to sit down. ¡°What can I do for you, Wizard?¡± Laud asked cautiously. ¡°I came to save you,¡± Lynn replied without hesitation. ¡°From what I gather, the Church dispatched three thousand guards to Wuer Town, likely targeting the [Shipping Gang]!¡± ¡°That may not be the case¡­¡± Laud shook his head. He had received the same information but did not agree with Lynn¡¯s assessment. ¡°Three days ago, Archbishop Anluoke of Nornd Territory led a raid on Wuer Town, encountering a powerful wizard. They managed to repel the wizard only after suffering heavy losses. These three thousand guards are likely meant to defend against that wizard.¡± At this, Laud suddenly looked at Lynn with a suspicion rising in his mind. ¡°You¡¯re right; it was me who fought the Archbishop before,¡± Lynn nodded, not hiding the truth. Hearing Lynn¡¯s admittance, Laud was taken aback. From the information he had, although Archbishop Anluoke had managed to repel the wizard, he himself had suffered grievous wounds that couldn¡¯t be healed. Rumor had it that the battlefield was incinerated, and the terrifying mes still hadn¡¯t extinguished¡­ This showed the power and peculiarity of that spell¡­ Could it be that the person before him was a powerful wizard? No, that was unlikely. Laud quickly dismissed the thought. He had witnessed the power of an influential wizard before. Their full spells could temporarily freeze the great vortex known as the Heavenly Disaster [Eye of Death]. If Lynn had such power, it would have been Archbishop Anluoke who fled. Given this, Laud concluded that Lynn must be a powerful Third Ring Wizard! Lynn didn¡¯t know what Laud was thinking and continued to exin. ¡°If you think the Church¡¯s ostentatious show is just to target me, then you¡¯re sorely mistaken. Anluoke¡¯s real goal is to find the route to the Wizard Land. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee to Wuer Town.¡± ¡°Moreover, I recently learned that Anluoke captured several wizard apprentices on his way to Wuer Town.¡± ¡°They are Kro¡¯s disciples and know the route and [Shipping Gang] involvement. The Church hasn¡¯t acted yet because they haven¡¯t extracted enough information from them.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time!¡± Lynn said solemnly. (PS: New book, please support!) Chapter 35 - 32: Besides This, We Have No Other Choice! (Please Continue Reading) Chapter 35: Chapter 32: Besides This, We Have No Other Choice! (Please Continue Reading) Listening to Lynn¡¯s words, Laud¡¯s face immediately changed, cursing Kro in his heart for revealing such an important piece of news to a few apprentices, which in turn implicated himself. He didn¡¯t think Lynn was deceiving him; after all, the Church¡¯s movements in the past few days had been a very obvious signal. It was precisely because of this concern that he chose to hide in the shadows, observing the situation and ready to flee at any moment, yet he still got caught. ¡°The [Ship Gang] has been operating in Harbor Town for many years, their information should be quite urate. Do you know who was captured by the church?¡± Lynn asked expectantly. Laud hesitated and then shook his head, replying rather helplessly, ¡°The Ship Gang is under tight scrutiny now, I know very little. I¡¯m afraid the Archbishop has blocked the news; only the priests in Harbor Town have the right to ess such ssified information.¡± Corrupting and controlling a priest is no easy task. These peoplemand powerful Divine Arts, usually have a firm faith, andck nothing in terms of money, being tough nuts to crack. N?v(el)B\\jnn So even though the [Ship Gang] had operated in Harbor Town for decades, he made it a habit to avoid them as much as possible, trying not to get entangled with the Church¡¯s clergy. Lynn couldn¡¯t help but frown. He had hoped to gather enough intelligence from Laud, but didn¡¯t expect even he was in the dark,pletely against his expectations. ¡°Wizard Master, are you nning to rescue those captured wizard apprentices?¡± Laud asked tentatively. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s important for you as well, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lynn replied smoothly. ¡°That¡¯s going to be difficult. Harbor Town is swarming with guards, and they might not even be imprisoned at the port. Even if by some miracle you manage to rescue them, there¡¯s no way you¡¯d escape Harbor Town,¡± Laud shook his head, refuting, ¡°Instead of taking that risk, it might be easier to eliminate them. The difficulty would be much lower!¡± Since the other party knew the secrets of the [Ship Gang], it would be enough just to make them disappear. Usually, killing is easier than rescuing! Lynn wasn¡¯t surprised by Laud¡¯s ruthlessness. In this dark, alternate world, a human life was indeed inconsequential, especially when it involved the secrets of Wizard Land. But Lynn didn¡¯t agree with him, scoffing as he spoke, ¡°Mr. Laud, you can¡¯t still be fantasizing that once this blows over, the [Ship Gang] will be able to peacefully continue their operations in Harbor Town, right?¡± Since Anluoke chose Harbor Town as a base, it signified that he had already found some clues. Even if Bai Ge or Johnny died, Laud would be implicated sooner orter. After all, most of the cargo transportation in Harbor Town was connected to the [Ship Gang]! Laud¡¯s expression turned grim. He could naturally think of this but was just unwilling to admit it. In all these twenty years in Harbor Town, everything he built was here! ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Mr. Laud. Our only way out is to cross the Sea of Confusion to Wizard Land. Otherwise, with what you¡¯ve done, the Church will hunt you down no matter where you hide!¡± Lynn said bluntly, ¡°If you sail now, you can still take some of your wealth. But if you wait for Anluoke to act, you might not even survive!¡± Laud gazed deeply at Lynn, seeming to want to say something but finally sighing in resignation, ¡°It¡¯s toote to sail now! Harbor Town has started strictly controlling the cargo ships. Today, tworge ships destined for the Imperial Capital were detained.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Lynn paused, realizing things were worse than he thought. But he quickly calmed down, asking, ¡°You must have a way to fix this, don¡¯t you?¡± During these days in Harbor Town, he almost got dizzy from all the true and false information while looking for this old fox. If not for the terrifying Shaping Magic that allowed him to disguise himself as the leader of the [Ship Gang], he wouldn¡¯t have had any way to catch him. Such a cautious person, Lynn couldn¡¯t believe Laud hadn¡¯t prepared for the day when he might be trapped in town by a port blockade. Remembering all the intelligence he¡¯d gathered these days¡­ Since the port was semi-locked down, the only ships free to leave must be the military ships patrolling the waters! ¡°Holy Spirit, Skydome, Watcher¡­ which ship has your men on it?¡± Lynn asked curiously. Laud¡¯s face twitched. He didn¡¯t expect Lynn to guess even that. He suspected one of his trusted aides had betrayed him but had to admit, ¡°The Skydome!¡± Impressive! Lynn was amazed by Laud¡¯s means, actually managing to secure control over a military ship. He had only been testing the waters with him. ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think. Though the Skydome¡¯s captain is my person, all departures and arrivals are checked. If it deviates from its route, it¡¯ll be detected quickly,¡± Laud retorted. Out in the Mist Sea, their warship relied on long-range archery or ram attacks, but the other side had priests. A few Divine Arts could tear any sturdy ship apart. Also, movingrge numbers of people and supplies wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. When we cross the sea, they will have no time to manage us,¡± Lynn confidently stated. ¡°I have a n. If it goes well, no matter the size of the force, they won¡¯t be a threat. But I¡¯ll need the [Ship Gang]¡¯s assistance¡­¡± Lynn looked at Laud, waiting for his response. The [Ship Gang] had over a thousand shipmen, and even if they were a rabble, they could form a formidable force. ¡°Don¡¯t count on them to fight the Church¡¯s guards¡­¡± Laud sighed. Though the [Ship Gang] had many members, most just earned a living under him. They could handle gang fights, but if faced with a regr army, half would switch sides before the fight even started! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I just need you to do some small tasks,¡± Lynn pulled out a parchment from his sleeve, pushing it towards Laud. ¡°Can you gather these items? The more, the better!¡± Chapter 36 - 33: Have you ever seen the shape of fireworks blooming? Chapter 36: Chapter 33: Have you ever seen the shape of fireworks blooming? Laud curiously took the parchment and nced at it, his face showing a surprised expression. It wasn¡¯t that the items Lin En wanted were particrly precious. Quite the opposite, the parchment listed some very easy-to-collect ingredients, even trash that could hardly be sold¡­ ¡°Can you tell me what these things are for?¡± Laud asked, very puzzled. Lin En did not answer directly but suddenly asked, ¡°Have you ever seen fireworks, Mr. Laud?¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Laud was stunned for a moment and shook his head in confusion. ¡°Something that can send the entire city guard up to the sky. I guarantee it will be the most spectacr sight you¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Lin En said with a smile. Laud¡¯s expression froze, filled with disbelief. The harbor town originally had an eight hundred-man guard, andter, Bishop Anluoke transferred three thousand elite soldiers from the Nornd Territory. He couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of power could destroy such arge army in a short time. Could it be materials needed to set up some powerful alchemy array? Laud immediately thought of this possibility. He had heard from Kro that some wizards proficient in alchemy could amplify certain magical powers exponentially through arrays. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om If that were the case, they weren¡¯t without a chance of victory. Thinking of this, Laud stopped his in-depth questioning because, for wizards, the secrets of magic were usually not disclosed. ¡°Besides these ingredients, I also need a map of the harbor town, the city guard¡¯s patrol routes, and most importantly¡­¡± Lin En paused, then said solemnly, ¡°I need to know the appearance, personality, and habits of every clergy member within the harbor town, the more detailed, the better!¡± Laud pondered for a while without replying. The map and patrol routes were easy to obtain, but figuring out the details of those priests wasn¡¯t an easy task. ¡°Sometimes, to stay alive, you have to pay a price, right?¡± Lin En reminded him. ¡°Alright! I can get you what you asked for, but I need to know how you n to rescue that wizard apprentice.¡± Laud gritted his teeth. The port was already blockaded by the church, so creating enough chaos was necessary to escape sessfully, and the rescue would be a part of it. Lin En no longer kept him guessing and roughly exined the whole n. The part that the [Boat Gang] was responsible for was the most detailed. After listening to Lin En¡¯s exnation, Laud couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat. But to his relief, the riskiest part of the rescue operation was to be performed by Lin En himself. The [Boat Gang] only needed to assist. Most importantly, from start to finish, Laud himself wouldn¡¯t have to get personally involved, which meant that in most cases, he would be in a safe zone. ¡°Well then, to a sessful cooperation!¡± Lin En rxedly extended his hand, and Laud followed suit, their palms quickly sped tightly together. A slight stinging sensation suddenly surged up, and Laud instinctively withdrew his hand. Looking down, he saw a me-like mark on the back of his hand. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Laud clutched the back of his hand, his voice fierce. Lin En calmly retracted his hand, smiling as he spoke. ¡°I heard from Rabour that you never trust anyone around you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a very good habit!¡± ¡°Coincidentally, I am the same way!¡± Lin En looked as though he had met a kindred spirit. Laud¡¯s face darkened, and he mentally yed the skin off Rabour, that bastard. This me mark reminded him of the horrific scene outside Wuer Town. An informant he had sent was sentenced to death just for being too close and identally catching a tiny me. Even jumping into the river couldn¡¯t save him from the hellfire¡¯s devouring fate! ¡°By the way, I left Rabour in a side room within the port. This is an internal matter of the [Boat Gang], and I won¡¯t interfere,¡± Lin En said casually as he stood up and made a farewell gesture. After Lin En left, Laud¡¯s suppressed emotions finally erupted. In a fit of rage, he swept all the valuable vases and utensils on the table to the ground. The guards outside rushed in upon hearing themotion but stood bewildered, watching their leader raging inside. After several minutes of venting, Laud sat back down, gasping, and looked at the few guards in front of him. ¡°You, go bring Rabour back to me immediately!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll skin him alive myself!¡± Crippled Laud said through gritted teeth. ¡­ When Lin En walked out of the dpidated house, the midday sun was already high in the sky. Sessfully persuading Crippled Laud and securing the cooperation of the entire [Boat Gang], Lin En silently breathed a sigh of relief. At least now he didn¡¯t have to go at it alone, and the chances of rescuing Bai Ge and Johnny were now seventy to eighty percent. As for the magic mark left on Laud¡¯s hand, it was actually a ruse and had no real effect. But Lin En knew that the previous battle outside Wuer Town had already demonstrated some of his power, which served as a deterrent! For someone like Laud, even if he told the truth, the other would never believe it, instead thinking that his life was in Lin En¡¯s hands. This was precisely the oue Lin En wanted. After all, during the actual operation, the most crucial part needed to be handled by him personally. In contrast, Laud could stay safely behind the scenes. This imbnce in risk was dangerous for cooperation! So, some bncing measures were naturally necessary! Over the next two days, the news that the Judgement Court would publicly execute the devil¡¯s followers on Monday spread throughout the entire harbor town, and almost everyone was talking about it. Lin En further confirmed his previous judgment. Usually, besides practicing swordsmanship with Ivina, he spent the rest of his time processing the delivered ingredients. In seventy-two hours, he released thousands of [Initial Material Dption Skills], nearly exhausting himself. Every time he returned to the mansion, Pedro¡¯s butler looked at him strangely. Once, he couldn¡¯t help but advise him against draining his health while still young. Lin En brushed it off casually. He couldn¡¯t find another good reason to exin why he often stayed out all night. In the end, it wasn¡¯t him who¡¯d be socially embarrassed, but Loth, so what did it matter to him? Things went smoothly, thanks to Baron Pedro often being absent, busy attending various noble parties to make an appearance in front of those big shots. In this orderly busyness, the harbor town weed thest night before Monday¡­ Chapter 37 - 34: My Brother, You Are My Hindrance (Please Keep Reading) Chapter 37: Chapter 34: My Brother, You Are My Hindrance (Please Keep Reading) When night finally fell, the once bustling and lively port town had already sunk into a state of quiet and tranquility. N?v(el)B\\jnn The bright full moon rose from the sea horizon, softly draping a thinyer of silver gauze over the entire harbor town. At this moment, Lynn was standing on the top floor of Pedro¡¯s residence, gazing down at the entire town. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the port seemed especially quiet tonight. There wasn¡¯t a single hint of insect noises, and this abnormality made him sense a tinge of danger in the air. ¡°071, report energy reserves,¡± Lynn silently inquired in his mind after putting away his notebook. [Energy remaining: 40.2%¡­] ¡°Unfortunately, still a bit short¡­¡± Lynn thought to himself silently. The full moon nights over the past four months had increased 071¡¯s energy reserves by about 30%, which was already very fast, but could only sustain overload mode for about 200 seconds. Only in such a state could he unleash the full power of the White Phosphorus Fire! Despite a vague unease in his heart, Lynn had no intention of changing the n. Tonight was their only chance to save White Dove and Johnny! After all, the only passage to the Wizard Land opened on Moon Monday, and tomorrow would be the public execution day¡­ Lynn took out Loth¡¯s notebook from his pocket and ced it on the corner of the table. After today, whether he seeded or failed, he would no longer be able to stay in the harbor town, and Loth¡¯s identity would naturally be irrelevant to him. This notebook would be left as Loth¡¯s final testament to Baron Pedro and Ivina. Though he didn¡¯t expect it to change anything, it was all he could do. After packing up, Lynn walked out of the room alone, his mind recalling the intelligence gathered by the ¡°Ship Gang¡±. Adrian¡­ newly appointed priest of the harbor town, right-hand man to Bishop Anluoke, born of noble blood, and champion of thest Nornd Territory Knight Assessment, possessingmendable swordsmanship. Most importantly, his routine was extremely regr. Every night at this time, he would definitely go out to an unknown destination, suspected of attending some noble¡¯s dinner party. As for the rescue n, Lynn had thought of several methods, the smoothest of which was to capture and rece Adrian directly. This would not only allow him to ask directly about the captives and their locations, but Adrian¡¯s identity as the bishop¡¯s right-hand man would also be extremely useful. When the full moon hung high in the sky, the ¡°Ship Gang¡± would stir up a ruckus at the docks, driving away unrted personnel and setting fires everywhere using the White Phosphorus powder he had prepared in advance. Once this unstoppable ¡°Hellfire¡± spread, it wouldn¡¯t be something a few hundred garrison troops could handle, and it was also his signature magic. At that time, whether Anluoke acted to extinguish the fire or capture Lynn, he would most likely take action himself and even deploy his elite guards hidden in the shadows. Moreover, therge amounts of goods piled up at the dock had been quietly reced by the ¡°Ship Gang¡± with special ck gunpowder. Once ignited, the warships docked at the pier and the supporting guards would be blown to the skies in an instant! If Anluoke could be blown up as well, all the better. Even if not, it would be quite some time before the archbishop could return. Meanwhile, Lynn could assume Adrian¡¯s identity to enter the ce where Johnny and the others were held. Using the chaos in the harbor town as an excuse, he could falsely transmit the archbishop¡¯s order to transfer the prisoners to a safer location. Once outside, he would be met by Laud¡¯s trusted subordinates. Of course, this was all under the assumption that everything went smoothly. Countless unforeseen circumstances might ur in the process. For example, if he were discovered while disguised as Adrian to enter the detention site, or if the guards refused to follow his orders, he would have to rely on his own strength to resolve it! The worst-case scenario would be if Anluoke chose to remain still, allowing the ¡°Hellfire¡± to spread rapidly at the docks. Then Lynn would have no choice but to put out the fire himself to prevent involvingrge numbers of ordinary residents. If left unchecked, the entire harbor town would turn into a sea of mes. Lynn continuously simted possible scenarios in his mind. A harsh ¡®creak¡¯ sound approached from the distant corridor, gradually drawing nearer. Vignt, Lynn immediately halted his steps and looked up, soon spotting the figure at the end of the corridor. A brown-haired girl stood in the shadows, holding a long, floor-scraping thin de. As she walked, her red and ck attire looked particrly eerie under the silver moonlight. ¡°Ivina, what are you doing here?¡± Lynn asked puzzledly, while cing his hand on the sword hilt. Her room should be on the second floor, after all. ¡°Why?¡± the brown-haired girl asked softly. ¡°Why, no matter how hard and excellently I perform, does father never acknowledge me, while you, who can¡¯t even pass the knight assessment and fail time and again, always easily get everything I desire¡­¡± Ivina lowered her head, her words carrying an unquenchable anger. She gritted her teeth, seemingly using all her strength to contain her rage. However, she quickly regained herposure, her voice turning cold. ¡°My dear brother, you are an obstacle in my path¡­¡± Lynn¡¯s pupils contracted. Just as her words fell, Ivina charged with her thin de at the ready. ng~ Apanied by the crisp sh of metal, Lynn drew his steel long sword from his waist, parrying the airborne thin de. He could clearly feel that her strength and speed were much greater than during their sparring matches. Evidently, this was her true power! Ivina¡¯s dark golden eyes glimmered with coldness and murderous intent. The thin de streaked through the air as a cold light, shing towards Lynn once more. ¡°You¡¯re always so indifferent¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, why didn¡¯t you tell father about this?¡± ¡°You knew all along that I have always wanted to kill you!¡± With each sentence Ivina uttered, the speed of her de grew even faster, herplex emotions fixated on her brother¡­ Chapter 38 - 35: Too Small, Ivina Chapter 38: Chapter 35: Too Small, Ivina Lynn twisted his wrist to fend off Ivina¡¯s aggressive strikes, still giving no answer to her questions. He was already dizzy from theplex rtionship between these siblings, something Loth¡¯s diary had never mentioned. Sounds of shing swords rang out continuously in the silent manor. Normally, this would have drawn the attention of the butler and servants, but now, there was no one in sight. This was also why Lynn hadn¡¯t hurriedly used overload mode or resorted to magic. ¡°Strange, isn¡¯t it? My brother, our father is not in the manor tonight. I sent all the servants away. They will only know that the demon believer the Church is hunting broke into the manor tonight¡­¡± Ivina seemed almost insane, her sword shing like the wind as it struck Lynn¡¯s de, as if trying to vent all her umted anger and resentment. Lynn¡¯s expression was peculiar because the demon believer wanted by the Church was, in fact, himself¡­ Boom~ Just as they shed again, a sudden explosion echoed from afar. Through the third-floor window, a faint glow of fire could be seen emerging from the western part of the harbor town. How could it be so soon?! Lynn¡¯s expression changed instantly. It was clearly not the time for this action. Could it be that the people from [The Crew] couldn¡¯t hold back and acted first? ¡°Where are you looking, my brother?¡± Taking advantage of Lynn¡¯s distraction, Ivina executed a spinning sh, knocking the long sword from his hand. It flew through the air, embedding itself straight into the wall. Without hesitation, the brown-haired girl raised her sword and shed down again! ¡°Die!¡± n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Ivina muttered to herself, her golden eyes fixed on Lynn, but there was no trace of fear on his face¡­ Why? Why wasn¡¯t he afraid of death? The brown-haired girl¡¯s face showed a hint of hesitation and confusion. No matter how vile her attitude had been over the years, this man had only ever looked at her with a particrly poignant gaze of pity. But she never needed charity. What she wanted, she would take for herself! A myriad of thoughts shed through the girl¡¯s mind, while on the other side, Lynn, sensing the threat, had already extended his arm. In that moment, it seemed as if the first battle was being reenacted. But this time, no one stopped them. With a swift sound, the slender de was already above Lynn¡¯s head! However, Lynn moved faster, his outstretched right hand reaching first to seize Ivina¡¯s sword-wielding wrist from a strange angle! With a powerful twist, a light sound of bones dislocating echoed in the silent corridor. Outside, the bright moonlight and the rising mes intertwined, creating a devilish tableau. Seizing the moment, Lynn raised his leg and kicked Ivina hard in the abdomen. Bang~ With a dull thud, the girl¡¯s body lurched backward and crashed heavily against the wall. How could this be? Ivina struggled to stand again, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. Shepletely ignored the pain from her wrist and abdomen, looking at Lynn in disbelief. She had used all her strength, yet she was so easily knocked to the ground. Ivina couldn¡¯t ept this reality. She grasped her sword with her still-functional left hand and charged again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my time is limited, Ivina¡­¡± Lynn dodged Ivina¡¯s horizontal sh, swiftly grabbing her slender de and elbowing her to the ground again, finally shing toward her pale neck. Ivina¡¯s pupils narrowed. She could only watch as the silver sword got closer and closer, her mind going nk. Am I about to die? The girl closed her eyes slowly. Reflecting on her fate of having to curry favor with a duke¡¯s son despite all her efforts, she found it particrlyughable. Perhaps this release would end her suffering? Ding~ The light sound of the sword tip touching the floor reached her ears, and Ivina opened her eyes in confusion. She saw Lynn bringing out a leather rope from behind, binding her hands and feet. ¡°You¡¯re not going to kill me?¡± Ivina stared in a daze at her familiar yet unfamiliar brother, questioning in bewilderment. ¡°No need for that. You will never see me again after today¡­ I think, that should be to your liking.¡± Lynn exined casually, dragging the rope meant for Adrian and tossing Ivina into his room. He was not truly Loth; he couldn¡¯t manage such aplex sibling rtionship. But since Loth chose to end it in such a manner, Lynn wasn¡¯t going to interfere. He understood where Ivina¡¯s resentment came from, knowing she struggled against a predetermined fate, destined to be a sacrificial pawn for the revival of the Pedro Family from birth. However, she had clearly targeted the wrong source of her hatred. What truly caused their suffering was the obstinacy of Baron Pedro and the foolish feudal system of the Sekas Empire¡­ Since she had cleverly sent away all the manor¡¯s butlers and servants, she could stay and reflect on her actions here. After tonight, everything concerning the Pedro Family would no longer rte to him. Lynn turned to leave, but Ivina¡¯s voice rang out again from behind. ¡°Why, with such power, can¡¯t you pass the knight¡¯s trial or even spar with me¡­¡± ¡°Are you pitying me?¡± Ivina questioned, maintaining herst shred of dignity and a sense of shame and anger. ¡°So small, Ivina¡­¡± Lynn turned his head and looked at the woeful girl on the ground,menting. ¡°Your talent in swordsmanship is outstanding, better than anyone I¡¯ve seen, yet your vision is limited to this small harbor town, a baron¡¯s title that¡¯s not even inheritable.¡± ¡°Beyond Harbor Town is the Nornd Territory. Beyond Nornd is the Sekas Empire, and beyond the Empire lies a vast world¡­¡± Lynn murmured softly. This world held magic and divine arts and uncountable secrets waiting to be discovered. ¡°Forget it, you probably can¡¯t understand.¡± Not waiting for Ivina¡¯s response, Lynn shook his head. To most residents of this world, a town, a vige, a family was everything. This matter didn¡¯t concern him. Not understanding? Ivina gazed at Lynn¡¯s departing figure withplex emotions until the door shut tightly. She remained silent for a while, then suddenly lowered her head, biting into the leather rope binding her hands, and tearing it with all her might. But the special material used to make the rope was incredibly tenacious. Her teeth alone were useless. As she struggled, her legs hit the table leg. The ck book on the table fell to the floor and rolled beside her. The brown-haired girl paused, recognizing the messy handwriting as her brother Loth¡¯s. [Perhaps everything would be better without me¡­] (PS: As usual, please rmend, collect, vote, and read! Thank you all for your support these days¡­) Chapter 39 - 36: The Battle of the Harbor Town (Seeking Continued Reading) Chapter 39: Chapter 36: The Battle of the Harbor Town (Seeking Continued Reading) At midnight, in Harbor Town, the originally sleeping crowd was awakened by sharp firelight and waves of noisy crows. ¡°Fire¡­ It¡¯s on fire¡­¡± ¡°Help, someone save me!¡± Having experienced over a decade of peace, the residents of Harbor Town, suddenly attacked, immediately fell into chaos. The streets were in disarray, with screams and cries echoing in every corner of the town. At this moment, Lynn was standing on the roof of a house, his eyes like an eagle¡¯s, gazing toward the direction of the fire. This was the one-ring magic¡ª[Tic¡¯s Far-Sight Technique] It allowed a wizard to possess the precise far-sight ability of a griffon for a short time. During these few days in Harbor Town, aside from gathering information and making ck gunpowder, Lynn did not neglect learning new magic, having already thoroughly read through the book Basic Magic Guide. ¡°Is it Johnny and Bai Ge?¡± Lynn murmured to himself, gazing at the flocks of gray crows and the moving figures in the firelight. Could they have escaped first? Wait¡­ Lynn quickly noticed something was wrong. The state of the two witches didn¡¯t look like they had been tortured. Perhaps¡­ they hadn¡¯t escaped, but were preparing to enter Harbor Town Prison to rescue someone! Lynn instantly thought of this possibility, his brow furrowing. Before tonight¡¯s action, he had considered dozens of unexpected situations, even predicting that the Church would set a trap for him in Harbor Town tonight. But he hadn¡¯t expected Anluoke to conduct such a high-profile campaign without capturing anyone. This Archbishop was undoubtedly making a big gamble, betting that the wizard apprentices hadn¡¯t regrouped; otherwise, the public ceremony tomorrow would be an utter farce. One must know that there are True Gods in this world; if the Church dared to use random prisoners as fake witches at such a public witch-hunting ceremony, it would be sphemous! Obviously, the Archbishop had bet correctly. He hadn¡¯t fallen for the trap, but Johnny and Bai Ge had stumbled into it in his ce! However, since the two witches hadn¡¯t been caught, who was the one that leaked the information about[the Gang]? Anluoke¡¯s personal visit to Harbor Town, the lockdown, and various measures against[the Gang]couldn¡¯t be faked; this was also one of the reasons he believed the two might have been captured. As he pondered, the cawing of the crows over Harbor Town grew weaker, indicating that Johnny and Bai Ge were nearly at their limit. Lynn didn¡¯t act hastily, as only a few hundred guards surrounded the two witches; Archbishop Anluoke and his three thousand elite soldiers hadn¡¯t yed their hand. This was also bait, and he was the big fish Anluoke wanted to catch¡­ ¡°071, given the current situation, if we confront them head-on, what are our chances of winning?¡± Lynn asked silently in his mind. His biggest trump card was the massive amount of ck gunpowder ced at the dock. As long as he used the information gap and the convenience of magic shaping to lure Anluoke and the others over, he could blow them all to the sky. But now it seemed that this goal might be hard to achieve. [Estimated sess rate is below the safety threshold. ording to the target¡¯s previous statement, extraterrestrials should not be included in the protection list. ording to the Federal Citizens¡¯ Life Safety Act, you should prioritize your own safety!] replied 071. Lynn was silent for a while, then asked again. ¡°Can you analyze why Johnny and Bai Ge would risk their lives to enter Harbor Town?¡± [Ny-seven percent probability¡­ They came to rescue you, sir!] ¡°So you see, 071?¡± Lynn muttered in his mind, looking at the distant firelight. ¡°Sometimes, even extraterrestrials are just like people!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in Harbor Town¡¯s church, Archbishop Anluoke was gazing absentmindedly at the chaos in Harbor Town. The faint screams and wails made the priests present turn pale, but Anluoke seemed unaffected, turning to Adrian and asking. ¡°How is it, have you extracted any useful information these days?¡± ¡°Reporting to the Archbishop, York¡¯s brain has been set with some kind of powerful spiritual magic. I¡¯ve tried several methods and couldn¡¯t break through the barrier,¡± Adrian exined with great shame. A few days ago, just as the Archbishop led the elite guard to hunt down those demon worshippers, Adrian led a team to raid Wuer Town. Based on the information obtained from Will, they went to the Drunkard Tavern and captured old York, who hadn¡¯t escaped in time. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But to Adrian¡¯s disappointment, York¡¯s brain was protected by some spiritual magic, and when he used divine arts to probe for information, he almost turned York into an idiot. The only gain was finding some information about Harbor Town in a secret room of the Drunkard Tavern. ¡°No matter. We will soon have new sources of information,¡± Anluoke said calmly without ming Adrian. ¡°Archbishop, should we deploy more manpower? At this rate, the two wizard apprentices might escape our control,¡± Adrian cautiously asked. Due to someone¡¯s act of controlling the gray crows to set fire to the town¡¯s granary, most of the stationed guards were dispatched to extinguish the fire. Only two priests and three hundred guards were in charge of the pursuit. If this continues, it might affect more and more civilians¡­ Adrian swallowed the rest of his words. He always disagreed with the Archbishop¡¯s decision to set the battlefield in Harbor Town, which only endangered the defenseless townsfolk. ¡°Now is not the time to act, Adrian!¡± Anluoke¡¯s withered face showed a few stern lines as he gazed at the priest before him. ¡°A moment¡¯s mercy will only lead to greater catastrophe.¡± ¡°The inferno outside Wuer Town has yet to be extinguished. If we fail to capture the wizard named Carl this time, such dreadful scenes might recur in every corner of the Nornd Territory.¡± ¡°The merciful Lord will forgive our transgressions¡­¡± Anluoke turned back to the firelight over Harbor Town, chanting in a raspy voice. ¡°May their souls rest in the Holy Land, receiving eternal protection. May their true spirits not fall into the abyss of the demons¡­¡± The priests in the church also showed faces ofpassion and began to chant harmonious hymns, praying that those who died in this conflict and suffered endless torment in life would be reborn in the Holy Land of the Lord¡­ Chapter 40 - 37: The Reversal of Attack and Defense Chapter 40: Chapter 37: The Reversal of Attack and Defense The melodious hymns echoed above the church, intertwining with the chaotic scenes within the seaside town, creating an eerie atmosphere. Adrian, amidst it all, found his soul seemingly cleansed by the hymns, recalling the teachings in the Bible. Life and death are actually unimportant; everywhere is the Lord¡¯s pasture. These sacrificed townsfolk have merely returned early to the Lord¡¯s embrace. After the hymns ended, Anluoke surveyed the crowd and softly spoke. ¡°The great Eternal God ¡®E¡¯ will be with you and me!¡± Perhaps it was the Archbishop¡¯s words taking effect, or maybe it was the light of ¡®E¡¯ that had already shone upon this remote small town. Outside the church, the chaotic scenes were rapidly calming down. Slightly surprised, Anluoke walked to the window and looked down at the entire northwest side of the seaside town. The mes that had been burning over the granary were extinguished, and the townsfolk were being orderly evacuated from thebat area. He couldn¡¯t see the figures of the two Wizard Apprentices directly, but judging by the trajectory of the gray crows in the sky, Anluoke quickly deduced that the two had fallen into trouble and were being chased out of the densely popted area. The endpoint of their route seemed to be the harbor of the town? ¡°Who is currentlymanding the front line?¡± Anluoke asked in astonishment. ¡°It should be Priest Danny and Albert,¡± Adrian replied. The Archbishop thought about the usual performance of these two priests. He didn¡¯t remember them having such outstandingmand abilities. Could it be a judgment made by some captain of the town¡¯s guard? Thinking of this, Anluoke couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of talent appreciation and sent the gate-keeping guard to inquire. A few minutester, a guard pushed the door open and came in, ncing vaguely at Adrian beside him with a strange expression, then responded. ¡°Reporting to Your Grace, ording to the militiamen responsible for evacuation, it is currently¡­¡± ¡°It is currently Priest Adrian giving orders!¡± Upon hearing this, everyone present turned their gaze to Adrian. Thetter was also puzzled, as he had been in the church all along and had never gone out. Anluoke¡¯s face immediately turned grim. In his decade and more as a bishop in the Nornd Territory, he had not encountered Wizards adept in Shaping Magic and was well aware of how much trouble these people could cause. Under the questioning gazes of the crowd, Adrian seemed a bit flustered and took a step back, but he quickly reacted and extended his hand to cast a first-circle Divine Art, ¡°Holy Word: Shield.¡± Witnessing the divine shield radiating Divine Radiance and condensing in midair, the priests present immediately dispelled their doubts. But then a chill shot from their feet to their brains. If the real Adrian was here, then who wasmanding the front line now? ¡­ Themander whom the priests were longing for was currently sitting in a temporary stronghold in the northern part of the seaside town, sipping tea while listening to the ¡®subordinates¡¯ reports. ¡°Lord Adrian, ording to your instructions, the newly formed militia group has been evacuating the townsfolk. It won¡¯t be long before a clear area is cleared. Also, the fire at the granary has been controlled; the istion method you taught us is very effective¡­¡± Priest Danny quickly described the current situation in the seaside town, looking at Lynn with eyes full of admiration. Those damned devil worshippers had been setting fires everywhere, wandering through the dense alleyways, and even set the granary on fire, causing them all sorts of headaches. To know, Archbishop Anluoke had only given them an eight-hundred-man garrison, these people had to capture two witches, evacuate the townsfolk, and extinguish the fires¡ªit was a severe shortage of manpower. Several requests for deploying elite guards were rejected by Anluoke, leaving Danny with no choice but to continuously draw personnel originally meant for firefighting and rescuing to chase those devil followers, lest they escape. However, this chaotic situation immediately turned around after ¡®Adrian¡¯ arrived. First, hemanded them to use Divine Arts tofort a batch of fleeing townsfolk, forcibly drawing out strongmen among them, then dispersing a small squad of regr troops to form temporary militia units with them, instantly multiplying the avable manpower several times over. These untrained militiamen would likely crumble in battle, but for firefighting and rescue work, they were barely suitable. The istion method and the sand extinguishing techniques the other had spoken of were also very effective¡­ Thinking of this, Priest Danny felt a bit ashamed. Previously, he hadined that Archbishop Anluoke had given him too few people,pletely inadequate for dealing with theplex situation. Now, however, he no longer thought so, because with the same resources, ¡®Adrian¡¯ easily quelled the chaos. It could only be said that ¡®Adrian¡¯ lived up to being the Archbishop¡¯s right hand! Sitting in the chair, Lynn listened to the priest¡¯s words with a smile and spoke appreciatively. ¡°You did well, Priest Danny. After tonight, I willmend your achievements to Archbishop Anluoke.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lord Adrian. I only did what little I could; it¡¯s all thanks to you!¡± Priest Danny responded excitedly. Lynn waved his hand, skipping over the topic, and turned to ask, ¡°Alright, enough of that. Did you convey the instructions I gave earlier?¡± Danny nodded. ording to ¡®Lord Adrian¡¯s¡¯ n, they were now to force the two witches to the open space at the harbor. The church had ambushed a thousand crossbowmen there, and a volley would turn the witches into hedgehogs. N?v(el)B\\jnn This would minimize casualties. Given ¡®Lord Adrian¡¯s¡¯ previous excellentmand, Danny had no doubt about this n. ¡°Then, Danny, your task is perfectly aplished.¡± Lynn stood up, patted Danny on the shoulder with his right hand, and said with feeling, ¡°Now it¡¯s time to send you to meet Priest Albert!¡± Albert? What happened to him? Danny paused, but before he could figure it out, a dazzling silver light shed across his neck. Bright red blood spurted from the wound, and the young priest covered his opened neck, his face full of disbelief, then fell heavily to the ground. Lynn looked helplessly at the corpse before him, shook his head, and picked up a piece of cloth from the table to wipe the blood off his dagger. Thus, the twockeys sent by Anluoke to fish him out had been resolved, but Lynn¡¯s face didn¡¯t show much joy. After all, his opponent wasn¡¯t a fool. Using Adrian¡¯s identity to give orders would quickly alert Anluoke, making him realize Lynn had the ability to disguise as someone else. Fortunately, this was precisely Lynn¡¯s goal! Because ordinary priests couldn¡¯t break this kind of magic, Anluoke would have no choice but to step in personally! Though he had taken a roundabout path, Lynn ultimately used the enemy¡¯s own forces to draw out the Archbishop and shift the battlefield back to the harbor of the seaside town! Chapter 41 - 38 This time, I’m afraid I’ll have to apologize to you (Please follow) Chapter 41: Chapter 38 This time, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to apologize to you (Please follow) ¡°Multiple-Frost des!¡± In a street to the north of the harbor town, Johnny spread his hands, and the dense diamond-shaped des of ice quickly appeared in the void, flying towards the obstructing guards like locusts. Apanied by a series of wails, several guards who failed to dodge were killed on the spot, but more soldiers wielding shields had already surrounded them from behind. Johnny clenched his silver teeth, drew his sword to parry a guard¡¯s long spear, took the opportunity to charge forward, and with a spin of his de, he severed the opponent¡¯s neck, spraying blood everywhere. At the same time, another guard swung his long knife at Johnny. The sharp gleam of the de appeared before his eyes, but continuous fighting for half an hour had already exhausted the young girl¡¯s physical strength and magic power; he no longer had the ability to turn back and block the iing long knife. Fortunately, at that moment, a fierce camel beast charged out, instantly knocking the guard to the ground, and then Bai Ge, sitting on the camel, immediately blew the wooden whistle in his hand. N?v(el)B\\jnn The flock of gray crows hovering over the harbor town immediately seemed to be guided, throwing themselves at those shield soldiers like mad. Sharp ws and beaks scratched and tore at unprotected faces and necks, but after all, they were just birds the size of a palm, and no matter how hard they tried, it was difficult to inflict fatal damage. Taking advantage of this gap, the two of them had already turned to another direction, with Bai Ge¡¯s face growing paler and his hands weakly propped on a camel, relying on it to carry him forward. Johnny nced at him with concern and let out a silent sigh. ¡°It seems I have to say sorry to you this time, Bai Ge!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that not only did we fail to rescue Carl, but we¡¯ve also fallen into the Church¡¯s trap¡­¡± Johnny conjured a fireball to temporarily repel the pursuing guards, and regret was already taking hold of his heart. He was not annoyed about the act of rescuing Lynn, but he regretted dragging Bai Ge into this. A few days ago, upon learning that the Church had captured a devil believer and nned to execute him after the Sabbath, Johnny had the idea of staging a jailbreak. But just by his own power, it was indeed too weak; there was no chance of sess. Bai Ge¡¯s spiritual magic was very useful in this situation, as it could control creatures to scout for information, create chaos, or distract the enemy. With this in mind, Johnny had nned the entire rescue operation, first having Bai Ge send gray crows with kindling to set fire to critical ces like the granary to attract the attention of the guards and create chaos, and then break into the prison to rescue the person. However, once the action truly began, Johnny realized how badly he had underestimated the situation. The guards of the harbor town were already waiting in full readiness and reacted very quickly. They had run headfirst into a trap set by the Church¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s me¡­ I chose toe,¡± Bai Ge said through clenched teeth, as he trembled in fear atop the camel beast. He was extremely afraid of death, but he was also clear that it was Lynn who had voluntarily sacrificed himself to cover their retreat, allowing them to escape the castle by a fluke. So when Bai Ge learned that Johnny nned to risk a rescue for Lynn, he resolutely followed. The two young witches looked at each other, seeing the determination in each other¡¯s eyes. Johnny¡¯s grip on the sword tightened again, and he encouraged, ¡°Their assault has begun to weaken; we may still have a chance to escape.¡± Bai Ge nodded, tears swirling in her eyes but still she brought the wooden flute to her lips and blew into it once more. The originally overwhelming flock of grey crows that had covered the sky had dwindled to around a hundred after several rounds of assault, barely enough to fulfill the task of scouting for information¡ªthey could no longer even distract the enemy. Almost all the pressure of face-to-facebat had fallen upon Johnny¡¯s shoulders. As if her prayers had been heard, the number of guards encircling them was gradually decreasing, and their aggression had noticeably lessened; no one was trying to charge at them in a do-or-die manner anymore. However, Johnny¡¯s expression grew heavier and heavier¡ªording to Bai Ge¡¯s scouting information, they were surrounded by soldiers with only one path left open. If they deviated from this path, they would be greeted by continuous shield walls and formations of swords, through which even the most explosive Fireball Technique could hardly break. Was the enemy toying with them, or were they nning a concerted encirclement? Johnny didn¡¯t know, but she was aware that if they stopped, they would die¡ªrunning might still offer a glimmer of hope, however faint that hope might be. At least¡­ at least she had to get Bai Ge out. As the girl was thinking this, Bai Ge, riding on the camel creature, suddenly began to tremble violently, and she cried out in terror, ¡°It¡¯s Anluoke, the Archbishop of the Nornd Territory, he¡¯s here himself, right¡­ right on our right!¡± Johnny paused for a moment, then turned her head to see a dazzling white light rushing towards them at high speed. This was the Second Circle Divine Arts¡ª¡±Holy Light Shock.¡± ¡°Frost Curtain!¡± Johnny only had time to raise her right hand to create a crystal wall of ice in front of her, but the horrifying white light was already upon her! The hastily cast First Circle protective magic spell proved particrly fragile against the formidable power of the Divine Arts, bursting apart in just a second or two. The immense force of the impact immediately sent Johnny and Bai Ge, who was seated on the camel creature, flying. Johnny hit the ground hard, pain shooting through her heart, a trickle of fresh blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, but she didn¡¯t have time to care about the pain in her body. She clumsily mbered up from the ground, positioning herself in front of Bai Ge, her eyes fixed intently on the direction from which the white light hade. A series of steady footsteps approached from afar, and amid the scattered ice crystals and dust, the figure of an old man dressed in a gold-embroidered robe nked by a group of priests appeared before them. Merely standing there, he exuded an indescribable sense of oppression¡­ Johnny¡¯s pupils shrank. Although the person¡¯s appearance had greatly changed and the age didn¡¯t match, she recognized him instantly from his status, attire, and Bai Ge¡¯s indication. The man before them was the Archbishop¡­ Anluoke! Visions of the chase in Wuer Town were still vivid in her mind¡ªtheir adversary¡¯s strength and terror were indescribable, utterly beyond the capability of a few Wizard Apprentices to confront. What plunged Johnny deeper into despair was the appearance of several figures on their left; the one in the lead was a young man with a solemn face, who from his attire seemed to be a priest from some church. The forces from both sides quickly formed a ring, trapping the two of them in the middle. At this moment, Johnny and Bai Ge were like birds trapped in a cage, their possibility of escapepletely cut off! Chapter 42 - 39 Aren’t I Right by Your Side? Chapter 42: Chapter 39 Aren¡¯t I Right by Your Side? ¡°` Considering that the two witches were to be used as bait to draw out a formidable enemy, the priests didn¡¯t immediately take action but instead turned their gaze to the ¡®priest Danny¡¯ opposite them, impatiently asking. ¡°Danny, where is Priest Adrian now?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Isn¡¯t Lord Adrian right beside you?¡± the leader stepped forward, asking with great confusion. ¡°Let me exin, based on the Archbishop¡¯s spection, the devil¡¯s believer just now must have masqueraded as me, directing your every move¡­¡± Adrian was exining when a withered arm blocked in front of him. ¡°Archbishop?¡± Adrian was slightly taken aback and asked, puzzled. Anluoke did not reply, nor did he hesitate. He simply raised the staff in his hand. Third-tier Divine Arts¡ª[Holy Spirit Light]! Dazzling points of light burst forth from the tip of the staff, then expanded into a half-circr shockwave of light, covering Johnny, Bai Ge, ¡®Priest Danny,¡¯ and even the guards behind them. The patchy road surface cracked openyer byyer under the erosion of the powerful energy wave, and both witches simultaneously felt the grim reaper swiftly approaching! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Dozens of Magic spells shed through Johnny¡¯s mind one by one, but she couldn¡¯t think of any that could withstand this terrifying third-tier Divine Art¡­ Waiting for death seemed to be their only choice! Through the haze, Johnny saw the young priest to her left also raise his hand. Then, a colossal handposed of endless mes burst forth from the ground, its palm forming a half-circle shield wall that protected them within. This was the modified Magic¡ª[White Phosphorus¡ªme Demon Hand]! The powerful Divine Art collided with the Magic, apanied by a violent explosion, and the patchy road surface shattered, with the hot st flipping the surrounding grass and vegetation. Countless bits of dust and debris flew into the air, and the burning ¡°hellfire¡± formed a solid wall of fire, forcibly separating the two witches from Anluoke and the others. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, go!¡± Before Johnny could recover from the sudden turn of events, the young priest had already slit the throats of several guards beside him, grabbed their arms, sted through the alley wall, and sped off with them in his grip. ¡°What exactly is going on, who are you?¡± Johnny was instinctively running alongside Lynn, her mind swimming with confusion. Why would a church priest know witchcraft, and why would he save them? Suddenly, Johnny thought of the words spoken by those priests earlier¡­ Could it be Shaping Magic? ¡°What, you don¡¯t recognize me after just a few days?¡± Lynn¡¯s features quickly changed back to normal as he spoke teasingly. ¡°Carl?!¡± Bai Ge¡¯s face immediately showed a mixture of three parts joy and seven parts amazement, looking somewhat dumbfounded. ¡°But when did you learn Shaping Magic?¡± Without waiting for Lynn to respond, Johnny eagerly asked, ¡°Wait, weren¡¯t you captured by the church?¡± ¡°` ¡°It just so happens that, before tonight, I also thought you were suffering the Church¡¯s torture,¡± Lynnmented with a helpless shrug, realizing they might have all underestimated the strength theirpanion possessed. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ we were all deceived?¡± Johnny had now caught on, the power of Lynn¡¯s me Demon Hand from before could only be described as terrifying, and indeed, he had the ability to survive on his own amidst Anluoke¡¯s relentless pursuit. ¡°Where have you been hiding these days? Didn¡¯t you look for Laud and the [Ship Gang]?¡± Lynn asked slightly puzzled. After entering the port town, aside from getting a ship to cross the sea, his most important task was to find out information about the two witches. ording to his knowledge, if the two women had not been captured by the Church, they should have sought help from Laud. Johnny shook her head helplessly. The town¡¯s guards were vignt, and the checkpoints were guarded by the Church¡¯s Priests, making it impossible for them to sneak in, so they spent the days catching gray crows in the woods, obtaining information through these inconspicuous birds. As the three exined, a series of fierce light arrows were already speeding towards them from behind. It was clear that in just a few seconds, Anluoke had found a way to breach the firewall. Lynn turned his head and nced back, with the overloading mode¡¯s enhancement, the trajectory of each light arrow was converted into data in his mind. [Magic ¨C Bombardment] In an instant, as many as thirty-six pure Magic Power missiles hovered in the air, then with precise targeted shooting, they exploded each of the numerous light arrows mid-air. Johnny and Bai Ge, who had been readying spells for defense, stopped their hands and looked towards Lynn, a sense of reassurance arose in their hearts unwittingly. ¡°Where do we go now?¡± Johnny asked at an extremely fast pace. ¡°There¡¯s a boat of ours at the dock in the port town, we have a chance to escape once we get there,¡± Lynn exined concisely, and once again nced back aimlessly, Anluoke and the others had already caught up. From his appearance, the Archbishop almost looked no different from an old man about to be buried, with white hair and sunken eyes. However, his movements were much faster than the Priests by his side. While pretending to be Adrian, Lynn had learned some intelligence: the Church¡¯s high-ranking clerics had all received the deity¡¯s blessings, their physical abilities far exceeding those of ordinary people, going head-to-head was certainly not a wise move. He originally nned to appear as Priest Danny, to see if he could bluff his way through another subterfuge, possibly a sneak attack from behind, but to his surprise, the Archbishop saw through his disguise at a nce. Was it because he didn¡¯t possess the glow of God? Lynn thought to himself, as the sound of waves hitting the rocks echoed incessantly, the port¡¯s dock was already in sight. At this moment, Bai Ge suddenly clutched his wrist tightly, her lips quivering fiercely, and she screamed with a hint of a cry, ¡°I see a lot of armored soldiers, there are too many of them, at least¡­ at least thousands!¡± Through the eyes of the flock of gray crows, fear filled Bai Ge¡¯s heart, as countless guards in armor and carryingrge shields advanced like a ck tide rolling towards them. A chill also ran down Johnny¡¯s spine. She never expected that in addition to Archbishop Anluoke, the port town also concealed an elite guard of thousands. Yet at such a dire moment, Lynn simplyughed. ¡°Good, they finally decided to make a move after waiting so long!¡± (PS: Tomorrow is the start of a new week, asking for rmendations, favorites, monthly tickets, and followers!) Chapter 43 - 40 Harbor Town... Earth-shattering! (Please follow) Chapter 43: Chapter 40 Harbor Town¡­ Earth-shattering! (Please follow) Johnny and Bai Ge looked at Lynn who suddenly became happy, utterly confused and truly did not understand why he could still manage augh. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we need to move faster!¡± Lynn did not intend to exin; he couldn¡¯t guarantee that the priests wouldn¡¯t have some kind of divine arts to overhear their conversation at this moment. Of all the threats in the port town, Lynn feared most were Anluoke and the three thousand hidden elite guards. Now that these two troubles had converged, it was naturally better than ever! ¡°All praise to ra¡ªApocalypse Storm!¡± Behind them, the Archbishop¡¯s hoarse chanting resonated once again; an invisible storm carrying arge amount of debris and dust raced towards them. Several church priests also consecutively cast spells, sealing off their retreat with several tier-one divine arts. ¡°Johnny, Bai Ge!¡± Lynn signaled the two witches with his eyes, then exerted his full power, even abandoning to adjust his aim, and in an instant, created dozens of ¡°Magic Missiles¡± that raced towards the lookout towers guiding the ships. Simultaneously, the understanding Johnny and Bai Ge, squeezing the remaining little magic power within them, used ¡°Dirt to Mud,¡± turning the solid base of the lookout tower into sand under the influence of their magic. Apanying the dozens of loud impacts, this tower that had stood near the dock for nearly a hundred years, guiding countless ships, copsed with a bang! The falling boulders and wooden frame not only blocked the invisible storm but also crushed two priests who couldn¡¯t dodge in time underneath them. Seizing this opportunity, Lynn and the others had already opened a distance of nearly a hundred meters. Anger surged to its limits in Anluoke¡¯s heart. After clearing the obstructive rubble with several ¡°Holy Light Shock,¡± he was about to make another move when the ground of the port town suddenly trembled slightly. Not just Anluoke, Lynn and hispanions felt the same, but the cause of all this was neither magic nor divine arts. Dressed in ck armor, neatly arrayed, and holdingrge shields, the Nord forces quickly appeared in everyone¡¯s sight; the crossbow arrows at their waists and the chilling atmosphere pervading the air were indeed intimidating. Compared to the delighted faced church priests, the bodies of the two witches trembled involuntarily. With such numbers, how could they fight? It¡¯s known that these fully armored elite troops weren¡¯tmon throughout the empire; evidently, the Duke of Nord had staked his all to capture these wizards. Ahead, thousands of soldiers had already raised their crossbows; a dense volley of arrows, with a sharp whistling sound, flew out like a sudden storm, leaving barely any gaps. The moment the guards raised their hands, Lynn already had scooped up Bai Ge and rolled behind a broken high wall. The fierce volley of arrows struck the earthen wall, exploding and scatteringrge amounts of mud and debris. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°What do we do now?¡± Johnny asked urgently. Lynn did not respond; he cupped his hands, and a huge fireball condensed in his palm, then he hurled it into the air without any consideration. From hundreds of meters away, it looked as if a firework had risen above the port town. Anluoke almost instantly thought of the terrifying witchcraft that Lynn had once used to wipe out dozens of elite guards and shouted without hesitation. ¡°Everyone, to defense!¡± The dense volley of arrows immediately ceased; three thousand soldiers uniformly lifted theirrge shields towards the sky, and the priests present did not dare to neglect, applying a multitude of protective divine arts all around. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, the fireball that had risen high into the sky suddenly exploded, bursting into countless dazzling sparks before gradually dissipating into the night sky. The two witches¡¯ expectant expressions instantly froze, while only Lynn gazed at the sky, casually saying. ¡°No matter, let the fireball fly a while longer!¡± How could it fly? Hadn¡¯t the magic already ended? Johnny, bewildered, looked up and noticed what seemed like specks of light flying over from the other side of the sea. As the lights drew closer, the witches realized, those weren¡¯t lights¡­ they were hundreds of ming arrows! ¡°Is it reinforcement?¡± Adrian and others also noticed this, and almost instantly analyzed that the earlier Fireball Technique was not aimed at them, but was merely acting as a signal. But such reinforcements seemed rather weak¡­ Probably due to the distance and the unclear visibility at night, the airborne ming arrows had no uracy. Even if they stayed in ce without defending, they would not be likely hit. Is this it? Is this all? Several priests felt immensely disappointed, finding their earlier worry and fear somewhat ludicrous, as they had been frightened by a few devil¡¯s believers. Only Anluoke sensed something amiss, his dark murky pupils gradually turning into shining dark gold. The unknown was always the most terrifying, but now it was toote to intervene, as the oil-wrapped fiery arrows irregrly shot towards various corners of the harbor docks¡­ A sense of inexplicable crisis gradually enveloped everyone¡¯s minds, with no direction and no source. In the midst of everyone¡¯s unease, confusion, and fright, an endless wave of fire and light engulfed the entire harbor dock, shaking the entire city violently as if Doomsday had arrived. It was a roar a hundred times louder than thunder, with mes and shockwaves instantly leveling the surrounding low houses. The air boiled intensely, a vast amount of steam rising and mingling with the thick smoke to form a giant cloud of dust. Houses copsed, boulders scattered, and tides churned backward under the terrifying impact, bringing evenrger waves crashing towards the shore. Lilting flecks of yellow-white sparks drifted down from the cloud sea, seeming to rain fire inside the dock, illuminating the entire area brightly, made of white phosphorus mixed in the ck gunpowder. All happened in the blink of an eye, the harbor dock was turned upside down in mere moments, transformed into aplete ruin¡­ The only slightly better spot was under Johnny and his group¡¯s feet, where every location of the explosives had been meticulously nned during the trap setup. Even so, the powerful impact still shattered the earthen bunkers, and Lynn had to use several protective magics in session to barely block the residual waves. The two witches behind the wall felt their brains stunned for a moment, followed by continuous ringing in their ears. After the explosion had ended, thousands of elite ck Armored Guards and those relentlessly pursuing priests had vanished without a trace, leaving only the debris and a roaring fire sea behind¡­ What is this? Is this hell? The two witches stood dumbfounded on the spot, unable to recover for a long time¡­ Chapter 44 - 41 Praise - Heavenly Judgment! (Please follow) Chapter 44: Chapter 41 Praise ¨C Heavenly Judgment! (Please follow) Several minutes had passed, and only when a familiar shout broke through their transient deafness did the two witches snap back to reality. ¡°Hold your breath¡­ filter the oxygen with magic power!¡± Johnny abruptly came to his senses and turned his head, Lynn was standing in front of a burning sea of fire, gazing ahead as the rolling waves of heat made his robe flutter vigorously. The two witches didn¡¯t know what oxygen was, but they knew how to hold their breath. But what kind of magic was this? Johnny¡¯s surprise was indescribable, and Bai Ge, beside him, was crouching by a copsed earthen wall, too scared to stand due to the limbs and flesh scattered around. Lynn wasn¡¯t paying much attention to the condition of the two witches, his expression solemn as he looked toward the harbor docks, now reduced to ruins. Logically, under such an explosion, it should have been impossible for anyone to survive, yet the reality was quite the opposite¡ªa figure stood erect in the middle of the burning sea! To call it a figure might not be quite appropriate, because by then, Anluoke had long lost his human form, his originally splendid gilt robe shredded to pieces, his entire body ignited by the white phosphorus fire of a thousand degrees. From any perspective, Anluoke should have been dead, and in fact, it was so, he should have died days before in the great battle outside of Wuer Town, but his humble prayer had stirred a great eternal existence to descend a trace of mercy¡­ A strand of Divine Power forcibly sustained his life force. The moment he sensed danger, Anluoke had actively drawn upon this Divine Power, overstepping the bounds to use a fourth circle Divine Art¡ª¡±Holy Barrier¡± and had forcibly deflected the terrible explosion. N?v(el)B\\jnn However, the power of a fourth circle Divine Art ultimately had its limits and could not block the subsequent shockwaves. The temperatures of a thousand degrees constantly scorched his flesh and organs; his life was counting down to its final moments. At this moment, Anluoke¡¯s mind could no longer feel pain, only his purest faith remained. Death and pain were but trials and tribtions one must endure on the way to heaven! Anluoke did not fear death, but if he could send the Wizard before him to hell, then surely the Lord would reward him even more in heaven¡­ ¡°Praise¡ªHeavenly Judgment!¡± Anluoke¡¯s vocal cords had already been damaged, but as he faltered, a glimmer of light shed at the tips of his burning fingers. It was the purest light of death, the glimmer quickly expanding¡­ mes retreated, rubble crumbled, everything in front of it swiftly dissolved under such power. ¡°Frost Curtain¡± Lynn stretched out his hand, solid walls of ice crystals rising one after another, but they were of no use; they were shattered almost instantly. However, Lynn managed to sidestep and avoid the deadly light by using less than a second¡¯s dy. Behind him, the pure light struck the turbulent sea, sting a spray of water ten meters high. Anluoke was relentless, casting again, this time a broader and unavoidable ¡°Apocalypse Storm¡±! Just then, Bai Ge spoke! Sharp sonic waves instantly swept across the field, causing Anluoke¡¯s movements to imperceptibly pause, and the storm that had just gathered also dissipated. But soon, the Archbishop turned his head, his pupils flickering with dark golden luminescence. Without any apparent movement, Bai Ge seemed to be choked, the sharp sonic waves abruptly stopped. The terrifying bacsh instantly prated the witch¡¯s mental defenses, causing the girl¡¯s body to copse limply to the ground, coughing up blood. ¡°Bai Ge!¡± Johnny quickly rushed forward to help the young witch, checking her condition. Fury also appeared on Lynn¡¯s face, dozens of ¡°Magic Missiles¡± appeared in the air, and then quickly ignited, turning into countless miniature white phosphorus fireballs, speeding towards Anluoke. Third Circle Divine Art¡ª[Holy Barrier]! Faced with swarms of fireballs, Anluoke dared not intercept them directly and immediately switched from offense to defense. Even though he had a trace of Divine Power enhancing him, his current condition did not allow for the use of higher-order Divine Arts continuously. He could only respond with two [Holy Barriers]. The invisible barrier collided with the exploding fireballs, and it quickly shattered, but the second [Holy Barrier] behind it remained intact, blocking all the remaining White Phosphorus fireballs. At that moment, Lynn extended his right hand forward and clenched it forcefully! The mes scattered around Anluoke and sticking to the invisible barrier, as if guided by some force, quickly gathered together and formed into a giant hand of fire, grasping Anluoke firmly in its palm. Crack¡­ The sudden change caught the Archbishop off guard. The already ravaged [Holy Barrier] was instantly crushed by the fiery giant hand, forcing Anluoke to burst forth with Divine Radiance from within his body tobat the terrifying White Phosphorus Fire. Lynn and Anluoke simultaneously gambled with the little strength left in their bodies, aiming to decide the oue with this strike! Dazzling divine light interwove with surging mes, each canceling the other out¡­ At the same time, Johnny, who was holding Bai Ge, shouted angrily. ¡°Magic Missiles!¡± Several Magic Power spheres appeared around the girl, spinning and shooting toward the Archbishop. Under normal circumstances, Anluoke would not have considered such feeble magic worth his attention, but the iing ¡°Magic Missiles¡± now turned into thest straw that broke the camel¡¯s back. The bnce that was originally stalemated was immediately broken, and the giant fiery hand slowly prated the dazzling Divine Radiance, squeezing the Archbishop, who showed a reluctant expression, until he burst. Until the moment of his death, Anluoke suddenly realized that the two witches he had always overlooked were not as useless as he had imagined. Watching Anluoke¡¯s body being crushed by the me Demon Hand, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief, then quickly scanned the surroundings with great vignce, terribly worried that his act of killing Anluoke might provoke divine wrath¡­ Fortunately, his worries did not materialize, and the terrifying aura in the air gradually dissipated. It was finally over¡­ Lynn¡¯s body swayed, nearly falling to the ground. After a whole night of continuous fighting, his Magic Power and physical strength were entirely depleted, leaving him immensely exhausted. [Overload Mode ends, energy remaining 2.1 percent.] A voice from the brain chip reverberated, and Lynn, supporting his body, looked at Bai Ge lying unconscious in Johnny¡¯s arms and asked. ¡°How is Bai Ge doing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, her condition is very bad, she needs immediate treatment,¡± Johnny said with great concern. Lynn looked toward the surging sea, thinking that since Laud could receive the signal he sent and acted ording to the n, he should have arrived by now by the time¡­ But why can¡¯t he see even a shadow of the ship now¡­ (PS: New book seeking everything!) Chapter 45 - 42 Return Home! Return Home Immediately! (Seeking Follow-up Readings) Chapter 45: Chapter 42 Return Home! Return Home Immediately! (Seeking Follow-up Readings) A few minutes earlier, above the Mist Sea. A burly man clenched the long knife in his hand and savagely swung it toward Laud, but as the de fell, it suddenly stopped. His fierce expression gradually became incredibly conflicted as he carefully spoke out. ¡°Mr. Laud, are we really going through with this?¡± ¡°Stop talking, just do it!¡± Laud, the cripple, gritted his teeth and said, extending his right hand straight out, revealing a very prominent me mark on the back of his hand. As he spoke, Laud¡¯s heart also clenched fiercely, but this was an utterly unavoidable choice. From the beginning, he had little faith in a certain Wizard¡¯s bold and outrageous rescue operation. So when he noticed that the town harbor was suddenly in chaos, and all previouslyid ns hade to an end even before they had begun, Laud immediately judged that the Wizards staying in the town would soon be done for! Exactly because of this, Laud made a decisive decision, taking advantage of the chaotic situation in the harbor town to organize a getaway. Thanks to the Church focusing most of their efforts on dealing with Lynn and the others, they had managed to take control of this ship without much effort and, taking along those portable assets, sailed away from the harbor town. Now the only thing causing Laud concern was the me mark on his hand; if the Wizard Lord found out he had fled when facing peril, he might drag him to hell right before dying. For him, who didn¡¯t understand much about magic, the only countermeasure he could think of was to cut this hand off! The muscr man, conflicted, held the knife but hesitated to strike, and Laud¡¯s mood fluctuated uncontrobly until, annoyed, he grabbed the long knife himself¡ªit would be faster than all this dithering! ¡°Boss, the signal, it¡¯s the signal!¡± At the bow, a sailor suddenly shouted loudly. Laud instinctively looked up, seeing a fireball rising from the docks at the harbor and bursting open in the night sky. Laud was somewhat surprised; he had thought that deceitful and ruthless wizard was most likely dead. He hadn¡¯t expected the other party to actually make it back to the harbor docks. Thinking this, he involuntarily looked toward his first mate, who was holding an alchemical monocr. ¡°I see many ck Armor guards; they¡¯ve alle out, and Archbishop Anluoke is there too! Those Wizards seem to be surrounded¡­¡± the executive officer swallowed hard, struggling to speak. Laud immediately understood; they had been pursued to this point. Thinking briefly, he spoke straightforwardly. ¡°Proceed with the n, fire a volley of rockets, and then we immediately set sail across the sea!¡± Since the other party had already sessfully lured Anluoke and his followers to the prearranged location, he naturally wouldn¡¯t act so heartlessly. Shooting a distant volley wasn¡¯t much trouble, buting ashore to support was out of the question. Laud didn¡¯t believe that in such a predicament, the others could make any significant moves. It¡¯s not like he could advance to a great Wizard on the spot and then destroy these thousands of elite guards with a few spells, right? This was beyond unbelievable. Over three hundred sailors and guards immediately took out the oilcloth-wrapped arrows they had prepared, lit them with torches, and drew their bows to shoot the arrows toward the distant harbor,pletely disregarding uracy; after all, the Wizard¡¯smand had been merely to hit the harbor docks. Laud nced briefly and did not look again, restless as he gestured with the long knife in his hand. To cut or not to cut¡­ Just how much should be cut¡­ This is a question worth pondering deeply! Just as Laud had made up his mind and was about to take action, the entire ship suddenly shook violently. A loud booming sound erupted beside his ear, followed by an immense force that knocked him to the ground and sent him rolling to the base of the mast, where his head mmed hard against the crossbar. Laud¡¯s head buzzed, his clothes soaked by the waves he had rolled through. Only after a while did he manage to sit up, clutching his bruised abdomen, and looked up to ask his first mate, ¡°What¡¯s going on, did we run into a storm?¡± However, at his question, the first mate did not reply, his gaze fixated nkly towards the direction of the port docks, muttering under his breath, ¡°It¡¯s all over, all over¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s all over?¡± Laud frowned in dissatisfaction. Could it be that the battle at the docks had been decided and those wizards were all done for? Laud turned his head to look and immediately took a sharp breath at the scene before him. He realized it wasn¡¯t the wizards who were done for, but the entire port town itself! A massive cloud of dust was rising from above the city, and the originally dim night sky had now turned a zing red, as if something had ripped through the darkness. What had been a prosperous and splendid dock was now nothing but ruins, with thick smoke billowing and intense heat waves sweeping upwards, turning the sky a fiery red, and a dense rain of fire falling from that vast cloud of dust, creating a hellish scene. Laud swallowed hard, his legs trembling. Even though he was too far to see clearly what had happened on the docks, he understood that under such power, the so-called ck Armored Guard and Church Priests were inconsequential. Could it be that he had really misjudged, and the opponent was actually a powerful wizard in deep hiding? The magic they named ¡°Fireworks¡± was terrifying¡­ Laud wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. The fall of a port city was indeed the most ¡°brilliant¡± spectacle he had ever seen. ¡°Mr. Laud, should we head back now?¡± a sailor stuttered, asking. Before Laud could respond, a dazzling light of death shot from the docks and struck the sea hundreds of meters away, creating a wave tens of meters high. The sail battleship shook violently again, and Laud immediately jumped up, shouting in panic. ¡°Return to port! Get us back immediately!¡± The sailors hurriedly pulled the sails and adjusted their course, not daring to dy a moment. To everyone on board, this was undoubtedly a bare warning from the mighty wizard! N?v(el)B\\jnn If they did not return to port now, the next spell might well strike their ship! Laud hastily changed into a proper set of clothes and tidied up his appearance. Although his legs were still a bit wobbly, he managed to wear his most weing smile, preparing to meet the fearsome wizard and no longer mentioning anything about cutting hands. A brawny man beside him vigorously pulled on a rope, feeling very fortunate about his earlier judgement. Thankfully he had not acted to cut earlier, or else he would have been the one cut down! Chapter 46 - 43 Divine’s Projection (Please follow) Chapter 46: Chapter 43 Divine¡¯s Projection (Please follow) Under the diligent efforts of the sailors, the sailboat made its way through the surging waves and stopped at a dock that had not yet beenpletely destroyed. Feeling the rolling heat waves in the air, and despite being mentally prepared, Laud¡¯s heart still shivered uncontrobly as he stared closely at the harbor, now reduced to ruins. The smile on his face grew even more eager than before. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Mr. Laud, you¡¯ve finally arrived. I thought you might have already sailed across the sea sessfully¡­¡± Lynn said, as he walked up the nks that had beenboriously set down, apanied by Johnny and the unconscious Bai Ge. ¡°Hahaha, Wizard sir, you jest¡­ How could that be possible? It was simply a change in our n, and since we could not receive your further orders, we had no choice but to drift on this ocean and wait,¡± Laudughed heartily, exining with ease. Lynn did not expose the other¡¯s intentions, as he and the ¡°Ship Gang¡± were never really acquainted; their cooperation was merely temporary, based on the threat from the Church and the goal of sailing to the Wizard Land. Hence, even though he suspected that they might have abandoned him to escape, Lynn was not angry. ¡°Mr. Laud, do you have a physician on board this ship?¡± Johnny, standing aside, interrupted their conversation, eagerly asking. Laud nced at the unconscious Bai Ge and immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. Without dy, he had his assistant call for the ship¡¯s physician. They were well-prepared with various medicinal herbs for any emergencies that might arise during the crossing. However, after examining Bai Ge, the ship¡¯s physician could only shake his head in helplessness. ¡°Thedy witch¡¯s physical injuries are not serious. Her current state might be¡­ perhaps it¡¯s an issue in another aspect¡­¡± Upon hearing this, Johnny immediately thought of the scene where Bai Ge used ¡°Soul Scream¡± against Anluoke and suffered the bacsh herself; this was likely a wound at the level of the soul. Seeing that the ship¡¯s physician was out of options, the silver-haired witch could only look at Lynn with thest shred of hope. ¡®071¡¯ Lynn silently called out in his mind. [Initial assessment suggests the target has suffered severe mental trauma. Rmended immediate transfer to the federal medical center for professional neurological examination.] Lynn was rather helpless. He also needed to make it back, and while the Federation¡¯s technology was advanced, their understanding and research on consciousness and the soul were quite limited, with most of the data being top-secret documents, which were definitely not essible to someone of his standing. Therefore, under the imploring gaze of the witch, Lynn could only bring himself to shake his head firmly. Johnny¡¯s beautiful sapphire eyes instantly dimmed, but soon she felt the little witch in her arms quiver slightly. ¡°Bai Ge¡­¡± Johnny shouted with surprise. ¡°So cold¡­ my head hurts so much¡­¡± The girl of about thirteen or fourteen curled up, her eyes tightly shut, lips slightly parted, breathing bing more rapid, and as her lips trembled as if in a dreamy murmur, she called out her family¡¯s names unconsciously, her voice growing weaker, her hands shaking as if trying to grasp something ephemeral¡­ Johnny held Bai Ge tightly, tears flowing down unstoppably, sobbing uncontrobly. Watching such a scene, Lynn could not help but sigh. He was not capable of handling everything; all he could do was move forward slowly and take Bai Ge¡¯s trembling hand into his own, trying to provide somefort. [Detection of unknown energy¡­ Extraction avable?] A system alert suddenly echoed in Lynn¡¯s mind, causing him to pause. Watching the girl¡¯s vitality fading away, he hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in his mind. ¡°Yes!¡± Beneath the perceptible gaze, a glow invisible to the naked eye was coursing up Bai Ge¡¯s arm and into his body, taking about half a minute before it finally stopped. [Special energy entity absorbed, estimated to be convertible into twelve percent energy reserve. Do you wish to use it immediately?] ¡°No!¡± Lynn immediately responded in his mind. Although he didn¡¯t know what the luminescence absorbed by the intelligence brain was, he could be certain that the magic power had recorded it before, and so it could be directly excluded. That left only one possibility¡­ a soul? A sudden, inexplicable spection shed through Lynn¡¯s mind. Over the past few days, a number of people had died in front of him, and he had even personally killed more. Yet, it was the first time the intelligence brain had prompted him. Was there something unique about Bai Ge? As Lynn felt a pang of sadness, he was also filled with confusion. His expression changed once more because Johnny, who was holding Bai Ge, also staggered and fell down. Everyone present was startled, and Laud red fiercely at the physician, urging him to do something quickly. If this Wizard lost his temper, they were all doomed! After a frenzied examination, the conclusion reached allowed everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Johnny had simply fainted from excessive fatigue and overwhelming grief. Laud immediately ordered some maidservants to take Johnny away to rest, then nced at Bai Ge lying on the ground and cautiously asked, ¡°What should we do with this female Wizard?¡± Lynn didn¡¯t answer; he knelt down and ced his hand on Bai Ge¡¯s abdomen. Intense ice crystals emerged around the girl and eventually formed a massive ice coffin, sealing her in the center. Although he had no way to save her now, once in Wizard Land, perhaps the Wizards proficient in various arcane magics would have a solution¡­ ¡°Look, the fire in Harbor Town seems to have gone out!¡± A sailor suddenly shouted loudly. Laud and the others immediately turned their heads to look. During the dy, the sailing warship had already left the harbor and entered the Mist Sea. Despite the distance, they could clearly see the red glow above Harbor Town slowly fading away¡­ The support from the Church must have arrived¡­ Lynn quickly came to this conclusion. Earlier, the Archbishop Anluoke had no solution for the White Phosphorus Fire, so it must have been higher-ranked clergy who resolved the crisis in Harbor Town! The next moment, a gigantic apparition of a goddess,rge enough to cover the entire city, appeared in the sky above Harbor Town. Her body, transparent as crystal, reflected a dazzling light under the silver moon thatpelled one to approach, kneel, and prostrate before her in confession of their sins¡­ Divine¡¯s Projection? Suppressing the shock in his heart, Lynn watched as Laud and the others beside him shuddered in fear, curling up and cowering on the deck. The faceless apparition of the goddess slowly cast her gaze in their direction. Fortunately, by then, the dense fog had already surged around them, and the entire sailing warship vanished from the sea surface in an instant¡­ (PS: Begging for everything for the new book!) Chapter 47 - 44: Cardinal Edwell (Please Follow) Chapter 47: Chapter 44: Cardinal Edwell (Please Follow) ¡°Hell¡­ Hell has descended!¡± ¡°Great Lord, please save your believers¡­¡± After the apocalyptic scene descended, the entire sea port town instantly plunged into chaos. The makeshift militia that had been organized werepletely incapable of maintaining order, and figures could be seen running frantically in the streets and alleys. The raging inferno that started at the docks only grew with the wind, threatening to envelop the entire town. ¡°Move the mmable objects away and create a sufficiently clear area! Where is the fire brigade? Everyone, get moving!¡± the acting captain of the guard, Tiris, shouted hoarsely, attempting to implement the istion technique passed on by Lord Adrian to block the spreading mes. Regrettably, the morale of the entire guard had almost copsed; many dropped their weapons and ran crazily toward the outskirts of the town,pletely ignoring hismands. Seeing the surging mes drawing ever closer, Tiris felt utterly desperate. Just then, a voice as loud as thunder boomed in his ears. ¡°Praise ra¡ªHeaven Descends!¡± At that moment, as if time had stopped, the entire panic-stricken crowd of the chaotic port town came to a halt, all simultaneously stopping in their tracks to look up into the night sky. The dust cloud that had shrouded the town seemed to be torn apart by some formidable force, and soon after, a dazzling white radiance descended from the heavens, covering every corner of the town. Under this nket of white light, everyone felt a renewed vigor infusing their weary bodies, and despair and fear in their hearts quickly dissipated. A man whose leg had been crushed by a falling rock in the disaster discovered, to his amazement, that his leg had miraculously healed; his face immediately lit up with fervent devotion. The fire that had covered half the city, known as Hell¡¯s Fire and the devil incarnate, was rapidly extinguished by such power, leaving no trace behind. Soon after, that pure and unblemished white light slowly converged, forming a projection of a holy and noble goddess. She looked down upon all living beings, her eyes twinkling with stars, exuding mystery and majesty. ¡°Lord, you truly haven¡¯t abandoned your most devout believers!¡± ¡°The devil¡­ the devil is dead¡­ Great Lord of the Stars, ra, thank you for your salvation¡­¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Lord, I wish to confess my sins¡­¡± Countless residents of the port town fell to their knees, praying incessantly, expressing their gratitude for the grace of the Lord. Many fervently kissed the ground, demonstrating their devotion. Among all present, Tiris was the only one who managed to maintain some semnce of reason. After being bathed in the white light, his heart too surged with fervent devotion, yet he did not kneel immediately; it was as if some miraculous force restrained him. At some point, a middle-aged man dressed in a red and gold robe, wearing an iron mask, appeared beside him. ¡°Your Eminence!¡± Tiris immediately recognized the man¡¯s identity from his attire and greeted him with great respect. ¡°Where is Anluoke? How did the sea port towne to this state?¡± Edwell looked around at the townspeople devoutly praying on the ground and asked bluntly. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the witch hunting ceremony should start at noon tomorrow.¡± Two days earlier, Holy City had received a call for help from Anluoke. The Archbishop of Nornd Territory, leading apany of elite guards in pursuit of several wizards, had almost been wiped out, and even the use of Divine Descent Technique couldn¡¯t leave the adversary behind. ording to the protocols of the Judgement Court, a formal wizard, no matter how challenging, did not warrant his personal intervention. However, Anluoke specifically mentioned in his letter that the wizard was very young and was likely to be a threat to the Church in the future. More terrifying yet was the wizard¡¯s ability to wield a very unique Hell¡¯s Fire, which could, if it spread, burn down a town within a short period; and Anluoke had no way to counter it. Taking this into ount, to ensure absolute certainty, he decided to personally go to the sea port town. Along the way, sensing the fluctuations caused by an outburst of Divine Power, he left the priests who were apanying him and rushed over alone at the fastest speed. Regrettably, he was still one step toote. ¡°The situation is like this, Your Eminence, earlier tonight, two devil worshippers broke into Harbour Town and set fire to the granary¡­¡± Tiris recounted the events as sinctly as possible. When Edwell heard that the Wizard responsible for destroying the harbour docks was the same one being pursued by Anluoke, his expression immediately turned grave. A Great Wizard had been hiding his power, infiltrating the Nornd Territory in disguise; it didn¡¯t take much to deduce that he was plotting some sort of insurrection against the Empire and the Church. With this in mind, Edwell looked through the eyes of Divine¡¯s Projection, across the ruins of the harbour docks and the vast sea, and saw the sail-powered warship disappearing into the fog. Estimating the distance, Edwell quickly abandoned the thought of taking action; even using his strongest Divine Arts, he couldn¡¯t pose a threat to a Great Wizard at such a great distance. ¡°You have done well this time, at least sparing the Empire from greater losses.¡± To Edwell, the revtion of a deeply concealed Great Wizard for the mere price of half a Harbour Town seemed a fortunate affair indeed. Previously, he had considered Anluoke to be ipetent, being so embarrassingly outmaneuvered by a formal Wizard; Edwell was ready to strip him of his Archbishop status after this incident. But now, it seemed to be a faultless defeat, Anluoke¡¯s loss was solely because the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful. Moreover, the casualties of Harbour Town were far lower than he anticipated. Edwell originally thought that such a disaster would cost at least half of the tens of thousands of townsfolk, but judging from the number of souls taken into the holynd, less than five thousand had died, including three thousand of the ck Armored Guard. This was nothing short of a miracle¡­ ¡°It was all per Lord Adrian¡¯smands,¡± Tiris said, showing no intention of taking credit, his face filled with indignant expressions. ¡°However, Lord Adrian followed Archbishop Anluoke into the port, and now I¡¯m afraid he must be¡­¡± ¡°What a pity!¡± Edwell remarked regretfully. To quell the chaos in Harbour Town within such a short span and quickly organize militia and guards to evacuate the townspeople¡ªAdrian truly had been a raremanding talent. ¡°Has Anluoke collected any intelligence on that Great Wizard over these days?¡± Edwell inquired once again. Tiris hesitated, as these were not matters within his purview as the captain of the guard. Fortunately, at that moment, Merck, the lord of Harbour Town, arrived. Upon learning of the Archbishop¡¯s request, he promptly had someone fetch the intelligence that Anluoke had previously entrusted to him. However, as Edwell perused the parchment scroll, his expression quickly solidified. Carl¡­ the illegitimate child of Viscount Sidn of the Empire, only seventeen this year, had disappeared six months ago, and the Wizard Coru they had apprehended had been to Sidn Territory at around the same time. It was conjectured that this Wizard named Carl could be one of Coru¡¯s apprentices. ¡°Which idiot gathered this intelligence?¡± Edwell snapped, highly dissatisfied. This wasplete nonsense. A formal Wizard¡¯s apprentice of under half a year was capable of casting magic that destroyed half of Harbour Town? The spies in Nornd Territory must have lost their minds¡­ The lord of Harbour Town trembled and did not dare to respond. Edwell paid no further attention to Merck but instead took out a golden book from his waist and flipped to thetest page. Using his finger as a pen, he inscribed new information onto it. [Name: Carl (True name unconfirmed) Extremely Dangerous (Great Wizard) Crimes: Murder of Archbishop Anluoke, annihtion of three thousand ck Armored Guard, destruction of half of Harbour Town! Bounty: Cas Gold Coins¡­ fifty thousand!] (PS: The hierarchy of church personnel is based on a certain religion, roughly as follows [Priest¡ªBishop (Archbishop)¡ªCardinal (Cleric)¡ªSaint (Judgement Chief and other high-ranking church officials)¡ªPope¡­]) Chapter 48 - 45 How long has it been since you last experienced battle, father? Chapter 48: Chapter 45 How long has it been since youst experienced battle, father? At midnight, within the Pedro Family¡¯s estate, a relentless series of explosions and roars could be heard from outside, yet Ivina, who was now leaning against the corner of the wall, appeared as if she heard nothing. The sharpened wooden spikes had severed the leather thong, whichy scattered beside her; her pale, jade-like fingers trembled ever so slightly as she flipped through the yellowed pages of the diary in her hands. [Sacred Calendar 708, November, the Pedro Family has been blessed with a new addition that looks so small and tender. The name is¡­ Ivina? Am I a brother now?] [Another day of training. As the eldest son of the Pedro Family, I must work even harder. Are you watching me practice my swordsmanship, Ivina? Then I need to perform even better¡­ ] [Sparring, ah, how I miss it¡­ the way I first held a sword. This time it¡¯s my turn to be the teacher¡­ ] [Ten moves, I¡¯ll give you some face¡­ But there¡¯s no need to cry if you lose, right? You¡¯re really cute, Ivina¡­ ] [Thirty-seven moves, it¡¯s only been four months, no, I definitely didn¡¯t use my full strength. I should be more serious next time¡­ ] [I lost, I actually lost, how is this possible? It¡¯s so embarrassing in front of you. As your brother, I must try harder to win back¡­ ] [Ivina, why can you so effortlessly learn the techniques I can¡¯t master? Is it because I¡¯m not trying hard enough?] [Sacred Calendar 722, July, the first Knight assessment¡­ If I pass, I could be a Priest, right? The Pedro Family would surely see better days¡­ ] [Failure¡­ failure¡­ failure!] [The second Knight selection, the third round, is this my limit?] [From morning to night, nothing but training, it¡¯s meaningless. I fear I may never pass the Knight assessment¡­ ] [Father, why do you look at me with such expectations? Why won¡¯t you give up on me?] [That look again, do you hate me, Ivina? I understand how you feel, a useless one stealing the chance that rightfully belongs to you¡­ If it were you, you would surely make it, my sister¡­ ] [Maybe without me, everything will get better¡­ Ivina, I will give you everything you want, that¡¯s the only way¡­ ] ¡­ The girl with brown hair flipped through the pages of the diary one after another, through the cold words discerning her brother whom she envied so much, who received all of father¡¯s expectations, yet who couldn¡¯t do anything right¡­ She had once resented such injustice, her own efforts and the swordsmanship she took pride in were nothing but tools in her father¡¯s eyes, meant to attract the attention of the Duke of Nornd¡¯s son. If she had had the chance, she could have definitely passed the Knight assessment, definitely have revived the Pedro Family, and definitely have made her father realize her worth¡­ Therefore, for a brother who had ess to all the family¡¯s resources, could anytime receive formal Knight¡¯s guidance, yet repeatedly failed, Ivina harbored an intense dislike, even hatred¡­ [You¡¯re really cute, Ivina¡­ ] Her fingers traced over the pages that were tightly wrinkled, and as she observed the words, the girl¡¯s body shuddered slightly, tears glistening as they rolled down her cheeks, falling continuously onto the pages¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Ivina murmured to herself, her mind nk, tears uncontrobly streaming from her eyes, her heart filled with deep regret¡­ Ivina had never hated herself so much. She had thought she had forgotten how to cry, that surely was a privilege reserved for those in the spotlight¡­ Outside the estate, the mes surged continuously, but inside the room, a deadly silence reigned, only the suppressed, intermittent sobs echoing without ceasing. It was not until the room¡¯s door was violently flung open that the girl turned her head in confusion. The Baron Pedro, who rushed through the door, surveyed the disarrayed room and, upon seeing Ivina who seemed frightened and silently weeping in a corner, was suddenly ovee with anger and asked irritably. ¡°Do you have any idea how much chaos is out in the world, Ivina? Why are you just sitting here alone like a fool? Where¡¯s Loth? Where is he now?¡± During the conversation, another st sounded from outside the estate. ¡°Is something happening outside?¡± Ivina asked, holding the diary wet with tears close to her chest, her head bowed low. ¡°Those damn Wizards are running rampant in the port town, using a terrifying form of witchcraft to blow up the entire dock. Priest Adrian is dead, Priest Danny is dead, and so is Knight Sik, even Archbishop Anluoke¡­ couldn¡¯t escape,¡± Baron Pedro said in a terrified tone. Previously, he had suggested joining this witch-hunt to gain experience in front of the Archbishop of Nornd Territory. Now he thought that if Anluoke had agreed, he would be dead at the port docks by now. Hearing one venerable name after another being dered dead, the brown-haired girl was shaken. She couldn¡¯t help but recall the words that echoed in her ears before Loth left. ¡°It¡¯s all so insignificant, Ivina¡­¡± To be a Wizard, is this your choice, brother? It was rumored that one could be a Wizard with forbidden power by offering their soul to the devil, but as a price, that person often changed dramatically, and their soul would gradually sink into the abyss¡­ And all of it was for her. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother? You haven¡¯t answered me, where is Loth? We need to leave here immediately!¡± Baron Pedro said as he clenched the girl¡¯s wrist fiercely, demanding loudly. ¡°He¡¯s dead!¡± Ivina said softly, well aware that if the news of her brother bing a Wizard got out, the entire Pedro Family would be destroyed instantly. Baron Pedro paused, and a terrifying look crossed his face. ¡°You¡¯d better not be ying tricks on me, Ivina!¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you, even if your brother is really dead, the title of Baron will never be yours! Never dream of things you can¡¯t have!¡± Baron Pedro said angrily. No matter the circumstances, he would never let an outsider take over the Pedro Family, not even if they were exceptional! ¡°In that case, I¡¯m leaving¡­¡± Ivina broke free from the grip that held her, tucked her diary into her chest, and turned towards the door without hesitation. ¡°Stop! Exin yourself!¡± Baron Pedro had not anticipated that Ivina, who never dared to defy him on normal days, would dare to resist him so brazenly. A surge of intense anger flooded his heart, and he drew his sword with its scabbard from his waist and shed fiercely towards Ivina. ng~ N?v(el)B\\jnn The sword in its scabbard flew out of his hand, spinning as it fell to the ground and emitted a low, deep thump. Baron Pedro stood frozen in ce, a three-finger-long, exceedingly sharp wooden spike already lying across his neck. ¡°How long has it been since you experienced battle, father?¡± Ivina asked Baron Pedro with aplex expression. Baron Pedro broke out in a cold sweat and sat down suddenly on the ground, only then realizing that Ivina¡¯s swordsmanship was far more expert than he knew, and had even surpassed his ownpletely. Ivina dropped the wooden spike from her hand and stepped out the door without looking back. ¡°Where are you going, Ivina? And Loth? Tell me where he is?¡± Baron Pedro finally came to his senses and began to bellow loudly. ¡°My brother is already dead. You can think of it as if I killed him¡­ father,¡± Ivina said softly. ¡°And I am leaving the port town to see the world¡­¡± (PS: This concludes the first volume; there has been quite a lot of groundworkid, so I ask for everyone¡¯s understanding. The plot of the second volume ising up next. Also, this new book needs all your support!) Chapter 49 - 46 Lynn: I Smell the Scent of Being Framed (Please Follow) Chapter 49: Chapter 46 Lynn: I Smell the Scent of Being Framed (Please Follow) Tap, tap, tap¡­ Raindrops continuously smashed onto the deck, bursting with crisp but low-pitched sounds, as Lynn, situated inside the cabin, woke from his recurring nightmare. After recognizing his surroundings, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The sudden apparition of the goddess the night before had brought him considerable psychological pressure, thankfully, she did not seem to have followed them. They should be safe now. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Lynn sat upright, rolled off the hard wooden bed, casually grabbed a cloak hanging near the door, and then opened the cabin door to step onto the deck. The gentle sea breeze carried droplets of seawater that hit his face, bringing with them the taste of salt and moisture, and dispersed the stale air within the cabin. Lynn looked up into the distance, where a thick fog spread across the sea surface, enveloping the entire sailing ship, allowing only a glimpse of about three to five meters beyond the vessel. This fog seemed to possess some mysterious power; even when he used the first-level magic ¡°Tic¡¯s Far Vision Technique,¡± he couldn¡¯t see through the white mist to the farther reaches. Sailing under such conditions was undeniably dangerous, not only making it hard to discern direction but also increasing the risk of crashing into rocks. ¡°Wizard sir, are you awake? Did you rest wellst night?¡± A familiar voice sounded from behind, and when Lynn turned around, there was Limp Laud. However,pared to the previous night, the man seemed somewhat dispirited, clearly having been scared quite a bit. Lynn did not answer Laud¡¯s question, but instead directly asked, ¡°Is this the Mist Sea? How do you usually determine your direction, and how long will it take to reach the Wizard Land?¡± ¡°Under normal circumstances, it would take about half a month to sail from the port town. As for how we determine our direction¡­¡± Laud took out apass with great care. Lynn, curious, leaned in closer. Thepass was round, made of wood, and the surface was inscribed with manyplex runes and patterns. The most eye-catching part was the needle on the top, motionless, pointing in the direction the ship was heading. Could it be apass? Lynn wondered to himself, then heard Laud exin. ¡°Thispass was crafted by the great Wizard Helram, an alchemical creation. No matter where you are, it will always point in the direction of the Wizard Land.¡± This was their reliance on navigating through the Mist Sea; no matter where they started, they only needed to follow the direction indicated by thepass to find the Wizard Land. Incredible¡­ Lynn picked up thepass and examined it closely, his interest piqued in this great Wizard Helram whose name he had now heard twice. It seemed that Anluoke had gone through so much trouble toy out a scheme against a few Wizard Apprentices, using Laud to get his hands on thispass. Handing this object over to the Church would certainly be an enormous merit! As he could not decipher the runes on thepass, Lynn simply took note of them, then handed it back. Laud reached out to take it, then seemed somewhat conflicted; after a long while, he carefully inquired, ¡°Are you a great wizard?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Lynn shook his head; he dared not admit that. At present, he was but a Wizard Apprentice who had only recently encountered magic. Being mistaken for a formal wizard was one thing, thanks to the aid of the smart brain, he indeed could do many things that only formal wizards could do, but he was still far too distant from the level of a great wizard. If it weren¡¯t for the help of the thousand-plus people from the ¡°Ship Gang,¡± he would have been unable to set up a trap capable of destroying the entire port dus. The devastation of Anluoke and the others was less a product of magic and more the power of science. Seeing Lynn shaking his head in denial, Laud appeared somewhat skeptical;st night, he had personally witnessed that terrifying explosion, absolutely a disy of great magical power! But recalling how the other party had previously requested arge amount of materials, Laud guessed that this ¡°fireworks¡± witchcraft probably required a special ritual to be prepared in advance in order to use such a strong spell out of ordinary circumstances. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, once we reach the Wizard Land, I¡¯m afraid you will face some censure,¡± Laud said with a sigh. Lynn¡¯s expression suddenly changed, his gaze toward Laudced with a hint of danger. He faintly sensed the smell of being framed. Under someone¡¯s ¡°benevolent¡± gaze, Laud hurriedly began to exin. Although he has been running the sea route from the port town to the Wizard Land, it was the great wizard Helram who created this route. In straightforward terms, the entire ¡°Ship Gang¡± was nothing but a tool in the other party¡¯s hands; whether willing or unwilling, each year they needed to transport some scarce resources to the Wizard Land. Because of their consistent secrecy over more than a decade, no major mistakes had happened; however, because of Johnny and the others, this transportation route was now totally destroyed. If Lynn were also a great wizard, then naturally, there wouldn¡¯t be much to worry about, but if not, he needed to be prepared to be held ountable, which was why he specifically asked to confirm. Thanks to Laud¡¯s exnation, Lynn quickly grasped the situation, feeling somewhat troubled. He naturally understood the importance of this sea route. This pot should have been carried by his mentor, Kro. If it weren¡¯t for thetter¡¯s audacious n to abduct the Duke¡¯s second daughter and being caught red-handed, how could the Church possibly trace the clues all the way to the port town¡­ ¡°Is this the only route from the Wizard Land to the Sekas Empire?¡± Lynn asked. ¡°There should be more¡­ The Mist Sea also connects to another important port ¡ª the capital city of the Sekas Empire, Viknir,¡± said Laud hesitantly, although not entirely certain, he guessed that inside the city of Viknir, there must be others doing the same thing as him. ¡°I understand,¡± Lynn nodded. It seemed that things hadn¡¯t developed to the worst-case scenario yet, but he had no intention of carrying this me; he needed to find a way to shake it off¡­ While pondering, Lynn casually continued to inquire about various pieces of information regarding the Wizard Land from Laud. He was too unfamiliar with this ce, andcking sufficient information could easily lead to disadvantages. Through several questions, Lynn came to understand that the Wizard Land differed from what he had previously imagined. It was not a refuge established by a group of wizards persecuted by the Church, but rather an enormous ind that had existed hundreds of years ago, with its own cities, ports, and a poption of a whole six hundred thousand, almost a small kingdom in its own right¡­ Except that there were no King and nobles here, reced instead by wizards and various schools, with the highest authority being held by a Wizard Councilprised of several legendary wizards¡­ Chapter 50 - 47: The Eye of Death Chapter 50: Chapter 47: The Eye of Death The ¡°advanced¡± political system of Wizard Land left Lynn astounded as it quickly moved into a democratic parliamentary system. But after some reflection, he found it normal. A high-level wizard alone is an army, and if such power is not granted corresponding rights, it only breeds turmoil. So there, the status of wizards was almost akin to that of nobility! ¡°Once you reach the port, you will indeed be shocked by the sight,¡± Laud said with a lot of feeling. Over the years, he had been to Wizard Land a few times, and it felt like a farmer, who had always lived in a vige, suddenly arriving in Viknil, with the shock being indescribable. ¡°Then I am indeed looking forward to seeing such a sight,¡± Lynn said with a smile. As they were talking, a sailor suddenly came over and whispered a few words into Laud¡¯s ear. Laud waved the sailor away and respectfully asked, ¡°The witchdy has woken up, do you n to visit her?¡± Lynn nodded. He had many questions to ask Johnny and quickly made his way towards the cabin. Watching Lynn walk away, Laud did not follow; instead, he looked up at the misty sky, where drops of rain pierced the white fog and fell onto the deck. Although this little bit of wind and rain did not affect the journey, Laud felt a sense of unease in his heart since they had left the port a bit toote this year to evade capture by the Church. Hopefully, the sea would quiet down a bit before they crossed this area¡­ ¡­ Lynn followed the sailor towards the inside of the cabin while the wooden ship kept rocking, the air filled with a faint stench of decay. Fortunately, he had gotten used to these medieval poor sanitary conditions over the days and this was considered good already, given that Laud had arranged separate cabins, so they did not have to squeeze in with the rest of the crew. ¡°Wizard sir, this is the ce!¡± The leading sailor stopped in front of a cabin door, looking at Lynn, memories of the harrowing scenes in the port town shing through his mind, his pupils revealing a trace of fear. Lynn paid it no mind and pushed the door open to enter. The cabin was only a few square meters in size. The silver-haired witch was leaning against the wooden headboard, her gaze fixed out of the fog-veiled window to the ocean; dim light flickered through the window and shone on the young girl¡¯s pale cheeks, revealing an unhealthy beauty. Perhaps hearing the sound of the door, Johnny turned her head, her delicate profile shadowed in semi-darkness. Looking at Lynn who walked up to the bedside, she fell silent for a long while before suddenly speaking. ¡°Bai Ge is dead!¡± Lynn paused, then softly replied, ¡°I have preserved her body in ice; perhaps the high-ups in Wizard Land might have some way to help, but¡­¡± While he said so, Lynn knew the hope was faint. Never mind whether those powerful wizards had the capability; even if they did, it was unlikely they would rescue a mere Wizard Apprentice. He did so mainly because Bai Ge, who was extremely afraid of death, had dared to enter the port town to ¡°rescue¡± him in the face of an almost certain death situation, which had touched Lynn somewhat. Secondly, the unknown energy absorbed by the neural imntst night also concerned him a great deal. Johnny seemed not to have heard Lynn¡¯s words and continued to repeat them softly. Lynn sighed inwardly. Given the girl¡¯s mental state, he feared it was futile to ask anything further. He was just about to let Johnny rest when a soft, slightly warm body crashed into his embrace. Lynn paused momentarily, not yetprehending, before the sound of the girl¡¯s sobs reached his ears. N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°Bai Ge is dead¡­ The teacher is dead¡­ and Kent, Will, Buck, Barton¡­¡± With each name she called out, Johnny¡¯s voice choked up more, her shoulders shook uncontrobly, and tears streamed down her cheeks, dampening Lynn¡¯s robe. The girl¡¯s voice was tight with sobs, she spasmodically revealed everything that had happened in Nornd Territory. Kro had the chance to escape when the clerics discovered his group, but he chose to stay behind to cover their retreat. That was why she alone had escaped. Before leaving, she had promised her teacher that she would return every apprentice safely to Wizard Land, but apart from themselves, everyone else had died¡­ Lynn stood quietly, not interrupting the girl¡¯s outpouring. He understood that what Johnny needed was only a way to vent the fear, grief, and despair that had built up over more than ten days and that she could not express to outsiders. The intermittent cryingsted for over ten minutes. Only then did Johnny¡¯s emotions begin to stabilize. It was only then that she realized she was embracing Lynn, his clothes soaked with her tears. The girl, somewhat embarrassed, released her arms, and suddenly the atmosphere in the cabin became somewhat awkward. Johnny, looking slightly flustered, wiped the tears from her eyes and said in a low voice. ¡°If the teacher had chosen to take you to the main city in Nornd Territory initially, perhaps everything would have been different.¡± ¡°You think too highly of me, Johnny,¡± Lynn shook his head. At that time, he hadn¡¯t even crossed over yet. With the original Carl¡¯s capabilities, he would most likely have been captured as well. ¡°And what you did was already enough, and it was good,¡± Lynn said earnestly. Johnny was neither a master tactician nor a cunning elder like Laud. In Carl¡¯s memory, she was just a girl with a knack for magic who liked to sit under shady trees, reading books. For Kro to entrust the lives of these wizard apprentices to Johnny¡¯s efforts was unrealistic. Johnny did not respond to Lynn¡¯s reassurances, but instead pursed her lips and asked, ¡°In Wuer Town, why did you choose to stay behind alone to face the Archbishop?¡± This dilemma had always puzzled her. Although they were all Kro¡¯s apprentices, they weren¡¯t close on regr days; yet, in Wuer Town, Lynn was willing to face danger alone, leaving a path for them to escape. Of course, it¡¯s because all of you standing there was really affecting my performance¡­ Lynn¡¯s words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back, choosing instead a more tactful tone. ¡°Facing Anluoke, I wasn¡¯tpletely confident, nor could I afford to be distracted by protecting you all.¡± Johnny looked at Lynn nkly, about to say something when suddenly the cabin shook violently without warning, throwing them toward the wooden wall. Before Lynn could steady himself, a series of terrified screams came from the deck above. ¡°The Eye of Death¡­ it¡¯s the Eye of Death!¡± (PS: I intended to split this part but clicked the wrong button, so I¡¯ll just split it in the next chapter instead. Also, it¡¯s a new month, so I¡¯m seeking monthly votes, rmendations, favorites, and followers. If you¡¯d also like to donate, that would be even better¡­.) Chapter 51 - 48: Rushing into the Great Maelstrom! (Please follow) Chapter 51: Chapter 48: Rushing into the Great Maelstrom! (Please follow) The rocking cabin and the continuous screams from above interrupted the conversation between Lynn and Johnny, who exchanged a nce before rushing up together. As they opened the cabin door, the biting gale howled, and cold raindrops poured down like a dense barrage on the deck, heralding the onset of a storm¡­ The previously calm sea surface was now churning fiercely, with the relentless beating of the water against the ship¡¯s hull causing the sail warship to rock incessantly. The continuous strong wind had thinned the initially thick fog considerably, doubling the visible range, but the fog was no longer pure white; it had turned an eerie shade of gray¡­ ¡°Quick, tighten the sails, everyone, get moving, we must escape this area as soon as possible!¡± Chaos reigned on the deck as hundreds of sailors from the ¡°Ship Gang¡± ran around in disarray. Laud¡¯s face was extremely unsightly as he yelled loudly, but to no avail. Many sailors were kneeling on the deck in despair, crying out endlessly. ¡°Mr. Laud, have we hit a reef, or is it the storm¡¯s effect?¡± Lynn approached quickly and asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s the maelstrom, the Death¡¯s Eye!¡± Laud shouted back in panic. The maelstrom? Suddenly Lynn recalled the intelligence he had gathered earlier in the harbor town. He looked again at the turbulent sea and realized what he had previously overlooked. The rolling waves were surging in the same direction, and the sail ship beneath him was gradually being pulled towards the center of the vortex. But the diameter of this vortex was simply too vast, and with the sea covered in fog and no point of reference, it gave him the illusion that the ship had been sailing normally! Hisss~ how big is this thing exactly? Lynn couldn¡¯t help but break out in a cold sweat, while Laud, as if suddenly thinking of something, turned to Lynn with an intensely eager look and asked excitedly, ¡°Wizard Lord, do you have a way to freeze the entire maelstrom?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Lynn frowned. The diameter of this maelstrom had to be several kilometers to create such a visual error. What kind of force could freeze such a vast ocean? ¡°Then we¡¯re doomed; it¡¯s toote to escape now!¡± The spark of hope in Laud¡¯s eyes extinguished instantly, and he sat on the deck, deted as if boneless, muttering to himself. The Mist Sea was so dreaded not only because of the dense fog that enveloped the entire region and could lead onepletely astray, but more importantly because of the maelstrom known as Death¡¯s Eye! It was an existence that filled countless seafarers with dread, like the Grim Reaper wandering through the vast Mist Sea, appearing without warning in any corner of the area, unpredictable and with no pattern. And once encountered, sailors were sentenced to death! For the terrifying suction of the maelstrom far exceeded any sailing ship¡¯s speed. It was rumored that those ultimately drawn into the vortex not only faced certain death, but their souls would also fall into the abyss, hence the origin of the name Death¡¯s Eye¡­ The only way to traverse the Mist Sea safely was to wait until Moonday when the Death¡¯s Eye maelstrom would briefly subside. Taking advantage of that time, ships sailed as far away from the area where Death¡¯s Eye often urred, and the rest was left to luck. That¡¯s why in previous years when transporting goods, they would always try to set sail in the first few days of Moonday to avoid a direct collision with the maelstrom¡­ But this year was different, the church had blockaded the port town, causing their departure to be a bit toote! Lynn didn¡¯t pay it any mind, strode quickly to the cargo stacked on the deck, picked up a few barrels, weighed them by tipping them, and threw them down in different directions, at different angles, then extended his right hand to measure the rtive distances of these objects. On an individual level, just using a few floating barrels as reference points to calcte the diameter and flow rate of a giant vortex wasplete nonsense. But for a smart brain, this level ofputing power was child¡¯s y¡­ ¡°The vortex¡¯s diameter is seven kilometers, the escape velocity is¡­ twenty knots! To avoid being sucked into the vortex, we need at least a speed of twenty knots!¡± Lynn quickly received the analysis from the smart brain, and couldn¡¯t help but frown. In his former world, a mere twenty knots of speed was something any small craft could achieve, and after the energy reform, these antiques could only be left collecting dust in the warehouse. But now he was in the evil alternate world, and the sailing warship they were on seemed to have a maximum speed of¡­ seven knots? ¡°This is impossible! Even the best alchemy ship from Wizard Land couldn¡¯t possibly have a speed of twenty knots!¡± Laud also heard Lynn¡¯s words and shouted in despair. Although he didn¡¯t understand what escape velocity actually was, he was very clear about what twenty knots entailed! ¡°No, it is possible!¡± Lynn said very seriously, tossing the helmsman who had copsed on the ground aside, and looking towards the people around him. ¡°I¡¯ll take the helm, everyone go back to your posts, follow mymand, and raise all the sails!¡± ¡°Do you even understand ships! With suchrge waves, once we raise all the sails, this ship will capsize in no time, and we¡¯ll all die!¡± The helmsman previously pushed aside by Lynn immediately jumped up and screamed, with the current situation, he didn¡¯t care about any Wizard or not. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But the next moment, his words were swallowed back down his throat, because a huge fireball was condensing in Lynn¡¯s palm. ¡°Do it, or you¡¯ll die right now!¡± Lynn¡¯s tone was very cold. The yellow-white White Phosphorus Fire mes made all the sailors on the deck shiver uncontrobly, and the helmsman was even frightened into sitting down on the deck with a thud. However, in an already certain death situation, with desperation, there were hardly any who obeyed the order, and some even felt it better to die under witchcraft than to have their souls swallowed into the giant vortex. Just then, the sound of the capstan turning violently came over, Lynn and the others turned their heads to see, and the person taking action was Johnny! The girl at that moment was tightly gripping a sail rope, looping it around the capstan, continuous raindrops falling from above her head, flowing over her hair tips and delicate profile, drenching her robe, but Johnny didn¡¯t care in the slightest, pulling even harder on the rope until thest loop was securely fastened to the capstan. ¡°Since you have no other solutions, sitting here is just waiting to die!¡± Johnny¡¯s eyes, like sapphires, stared at the people present, and she spoke out with determination. Laud quickly snapped out of it too, drew the long whip from his waist, and viciouslyshed it on a sailor kneeling on the ground praying, angrily shouting. ¡°Do it, do as I say, raise all the sails!¡± Chapter 52 - 49: Conquering the "Eye of Death"! Chapter 52: Chapter 49: Conquering the ¡°Eye of Death¡±! Under themand of Laud¡¯s whipping hand, the sailors, clutching at theirst sliver of hope, sprang into action: the ropes were tightened, the winches continuously turned, and the sails made of camel hide leather were raised¡ªthese hides being exceedingly tough, capable of withstanding fierce winds and torrential rain. The rest of the crew began to jettison the cargo piled on the deck to lighten the weight of the sailing vessel. Watching as the cargo was cast off, one piece after another, into the water, Laud¡¯s heart bled, but he was powerless to stop it, for his own life was always more important. The howling wind and rolling waves made the massive sail ship seem like a leaf that could capsize at any moment; the vessel rocked ceaselessly, as if it might plunge to the ocean floor at the next second. Lynn¡¯s method of response was straightforward: relying on the adjustment of the sail¡¯s angle and harnessing the power of the fierce wind to stabilize the ship. It was an operation of fine precision, and fortunately, the sailors on board, though ignorant of aerodynamics, each had decades of sailing experience, enabling them to barely maintain control of the situation. The warship, under Lynn¡¯s guidance, slowly steered around, heading at full speed in the direction of the currents¡­ ¡°Wizard sir, could you be mistaken? That way lies a massive whirlpool!¡± Laud, who had just gotten the sailors moving, turned to look at the course and was so scared he felt his soul might leave him. Were they trying to escape the whirlpool, or rush headlong into their deaths? He now believed what the helmsman had said: the other party simply didn¡¯t understand ships! ¡°Of course I know that¡¯s the great whirlpool. What we need is the power of the Eye of Death!¡± Lynn said solemnly. The speed of the sailing warship was only seven knots, and escaping the pull of the whirlpool was nearly impossible. The only way was to align the ship¡¯s direction of travel with the spiraling currents, circle halfway around the great whirlpool, then use the powerful centrifugal force to speed away! As it turned out, Lynn had no experience with sailing ships, but he had been assessed in starship piloting and knew how to use the gravitational pull ofs for slingshot maneuvers. The principles of both were more or less the same. In short, it was a matter of charging in then being flung out! Lynn exined his n in very simple terms, but Laud didn¡¯t understand a single word, although he vaguely felt it made a lot of sense. ¡°We must be mad!¡± Laud muttered to himself. He had never imagined that one day he would sail straight into a great whirlpool. Apart from Laud, the rest of the sailors soon realized there was something wrong with the course, but they didn¡¯t even have time to despair, as several of the sail ropes on deck couldn¡¯t withstand the strong winds and snapped! In such a dire situation, there was no choice but to temporarily rely on manual strength to tightly pull the ropes, avoiding any adverse effect on the warship¡¯s navigation. Lynn constantly adjusted the rudder, and with a violent yet brief shake, the vessel swerved sharply to the right, then stabilized again. The surging waters propelled the sail ship rapidly forward, firmly charging towards the great whirlpool. A thunderous, deafening boom came from the distant sea, like a thunderp from clear skies. The edge of the great whirlpool soon came into view through the thin ck mist. It looked like a gigantic, hair-raising funnel had appeared on the sea, with vast amounts of water spinning into the bottomless abyss. At the very bottom of the whirlpool was a gray and eerie coldness, exuding a breath-taking aura, obscuring any view of whaty hidden within¡­ Gazing at the terrifying whirlpool, Laud¡¯s face turned ashen, and the reactions of the sailors were even worse; many began to babble nonsensically. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ming to find you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the stars; I see the stars!¡± N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡­ Lynn faintly sensed something was off. This great whirlpool, known as the Eye of Death, seemed able to affect a person¡¯s mind, suggesting that it was not a natural phenomenon caused by ocean currents or gravitational tides. We must sail away from here as quickly as possible¡­ But it seems the current speed is stillcking! ¡°Use the Fireball Technique, at seven o¡¯clock!¡± Lynn shouted, to make sure Johnny understood, even specifying the direction. The girl with silvery-gray hair immediately got the hint and activated [Mage Hand], instantly conjuring a huge fireball in her palm, tossing it towards the aft side of the sail warship. Lynn, at that moment, performed the same action. The two massive fireballs collided, and the intense shockwave made the ship creak and groan, but the force of the impact also increased the warship¡¯s sailing speed once more! The constantly shaking sail warship dangerously skimmed the edge of the great whirlpool, and under the influence of the strong centrifugal force, it burst out at a speed several times faster than usual! The violent noise also awakened Laud and the others, allowing them to break free from the mental impact of the great whirlpool. As they saw the terrifying ¡°abyssal maw¡± receding, a look of having survived a catastrophe spread across everyone¡¯s faces. After a brief calm, the deck suddenly erupted with passionate shouts, each person venting the joy of having escaped the clutches of Death. ¡°It¡¯s incredible, we really escaped from the great whirlpool!¡± ¡°It must be a miracle!¡± ¡°Once we¡¯re ashore, let¡¯s get married right away, not a moment to wait!¡± ¡­ All the crew were overjoyed, celebrating with each other, and two bearded uncles even embraced each other tightly. ¡°First Mate, after we get past this sea area, take out my collection of liquor, let¡¯s all celebrate properly,¡± Laud said, his hands and feet shaking, but he still generously voiced his offer amid the lively scene. ¡°But, Boss Laud¡­¡± The First Mate hesitated, then carefully said, ¡°Your box of liquor¡­ we just threw it overboard¡­¡± Laud¡¯s expression immediately froze, as an immense sorrow welled up in his heart. For years he had umted treasures, mostly stored in wooden boxes on the deck, and now they were all gone! In Laud¡¯s heart, there even emerged a wild idea to dive into the whirlpool and salvage his money. But that, after all, was just a fantasy¡­ Amidst the heartache, Laud did not forget the great hero of this ¡°conquest¡± of the Eye of Death. ¡°I am immensely grateful, Wizard sir, you saved all of us! Should you have anymands in the future, please feel free to instruct¡­¡± Laud looked towards Lynn, took his hat off, ced it over his chest, and bowed as a sign of respect. The once noisy deck immediately became extremely quiet. The sailors and shipworkers present, one after another, mirrored Laud¡¯s action, which was the highest respect amongst seafarers. If after the Sea Harbor Battle they held immeasurable fear for Wizard Lynn, now it was genuine respect. Having just experienced the power and terror of the Eye of Death, they were naturally full of gratitude and belief in Lynn, who had led them in the escape from the pursuit of Death. ¡°Please instruct us on what to do next!¡± Chapter 53 - 50 The Current Situation in Wizard Land (Please Follow) Chapter 53: Chapter 50 The Current Situation in Wizard Land (Please Follow) Lynn looked around at the crew waiting for his instructions and spoke with ease. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll have to ask you to keep up the hard work. Until we havepletely left this area, we cannot consider ourselves safe¡­¡± Under Lynn¡¯smand, the sailors temporarily restrained their excitement and returned to their positions, but unlike before, they looked out at the vast Mist Sea without a hint of worry in their eyes. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d escape the ¡®Eye of Death¡¯ twice in my lifetime,¡± Laud remarked with a sense of wonder. ¡°Was it with the help of that great Wizardst time?¡± Lynn asked out of curiosity, having suspected from previous conversations that Laud had faced such dangers more than once. Laud nodded, and then began to recount his experience from those years with a tinge of emotion. It had happened more than a decade ago when he was just an ordinary pirate, living a life of killing and plundering at sea. Since their operating range was near the Mist Sea, they didn¡¯t have to worry about pursuit by the imperial fleet. If necessary, they could simply hide in the mist. As long as they didn¡¯t venture too deep and stayed on the outskirts, they wouldn¡¯tpletely lose their way back. Then, one time, his pirate gang encountered arge ship sailing out of the Mist Sea¡­ At first, they thought it was a merchant ship that had identally entered the Mist Sea and had luckily found its way back, so they decided to attack it with their superior numbers. Unexpectedly, they ran into a wall of steel. The attackers weren¡¯t Helram himself but two official Wizards apanying him. Even so, their entire pirate gang, with hundreds of members, was decimated, and Laud¡¯s right leg was blown off by the residual st of a Fireball Technique. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they wanted to keep someone for questioning, he would have died long ago. However, it was precisely this opportunity that allowed him topletely change his destiny and be the spokesperson for the great Wizard Helram at Yiyeta Harbor¡­ Hearing this, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but nce at Laud, wondering what he had done to be able to shed his status as a prisoner and gain the favor of the great Wizard. He had witnessed this old fox¡¯s integrity before, not to say it waspletely absent¡­ but it was quite limited. If it were up to him, he would never trust such a person so much. Had he been caught with some leverage? While thinking this, Lynn did not interrupt Laud¡¯s story. ¡°After arranging the affairs of the Yiyeta Harbor, I had the fortune to apany Master Helram to the Wizard Land, and it was during that sea crossing that we encountered the great whirlpool,¡± Laud said nostalgically. Of course, the ¡®Eye of Death¡¯ wasn¡¯t as terrifying then as it was this time; it covered only about a kilometer. Helram¡¯s approach was simple ¨C he froze the entire whirlpool solid! Even so, this was enough to surprise Lynn. It seemed the power held by a great Wizard was far greater than he had imagined. ¡°Right, the final destination of our voyage this time is Master Helram¡¯s territory¡ªYiyeta Harbor,¡± Laud added. Lynn nodded, it seemed that before long, he would have to deal with this great wizard. But how exactly should he confront Helram¡¯s censure, he had yet to figure out¡­ As the two talked, the sail warship beneath their feet hadpletely left the vicinity of the great whirlpool, and the sailors on board cheered loudly. Even though they had suffered heavy losses while braving the Eye of Death, Laud was uncharacteristically generous this time, allowing everyone to eat and drink their fill, letting everyone properly celebrate tonight! However, life at sea was truly somewhat monotonous and dull, and the so-called celebration was just everyone sitting together, sping a barrel of beer and guzzling it down, boasting about their past heroic deeds, and casually fishing for sea fish. Perhaps their luck had begun to improve, as they encountered no further frustrating incidents in the following days; the entire sea was nothing but white fog. If it weren¡¯t for constantly following thepass needle, Lynn would have thought they hadn¡¯t left their original position at all. This was also the terrifying aspect of the Mist Sea¡ªshould a great wizard like Helram lose direction, even if they could handle the great whirlpool, they would still bepletely lost in this sea area. During these few days at sea, Lynn also had not been idle; aside from the routine practice of magic, he spent every day asking Johnny for intelligence about Wizard Land and quickly gained a general understanding of this holynd of wizards. First and foremost was the attitude towards the outside world, which was roughly divided into two factions. One was the conservative faction that adhered to its old ways, which was the choice of most wizards in Wizard Land. Theypletely ignored the outside world, focused solely on studying magic within their own domains, and even considered the people outside Wizard Land, who were under the control of the Church, to be incredibly ignorant. For wizards, the pursuit was to unravel the mysteries of things through magic, to seek the truth of the world, rather than to fight for power andnd like those so-called kings and nobles; hence, studying magic was the same anywhere. After all, within the Wizard Land, there were extremely rich reserves of magical mines, and with the blockade of the Mist Sea, the Church couldn¡¯t invade, and it was not easy for them to venture out. It made more sense to focus on developing various magical theories and crush their enemies with one fell swoop in the future. The other was the progressive faction that advocated demonstrating the power of witchcraft to the outside, like the great wizard Helram. They believed that although Wizard Land was a superrge ind, many scarce materials could not be self-sufficient, and the poption was too small, necessitating the continuous absorption of new blood from the outside world. But the downside was very clear, the more contact with the outside world, the more dangerous it became. Relying solely on the current power umted within Wizard Land was not enough to contend with the Church; once their position waspletely exposed, Wizard Land could face a disastrous cmity. This was the fundamental reason most wizards preferred the conservative faction! It¡¯s worth mentioning that their instructor Kro was a member of the progressive faction, belonging to the school founded by the great wizard Helram¡­ ¡°So, it means thatmunication of news between Wizard Land and the outside world is very difficult, right?¡± Lynn mused as he spoke. ¡°Probably so,¡± Johnny nodded. In these four years, she had only visited Wizard Land once, and most of her knowledge about it came from what Kro had said normally. N?v(el)B\\jnn ¡°If that¡¯s really the case¡­¡± Lynn gazed thoughtfully out of the porthole, as if trying to see through the boundless white fog to the Wizard Land that stood deep in the ocean. He had already thought of how to handle the great wizard¡¯s censure. Chapter 54 - 51 [Secret Magic Society] Chapter 54: Chapter 51 [Secret Magic Society] Since boarding the sail warship, Lynn had been pondering over what identity to assume when entering Wizard Land. Kro¡¯s disciple? A Wizard Apprentice with no more than half a year¡¯s practice in magic? If he were to take on this identity, it was obvious that he would encounter countless troubles. Everyone on board the sail warship had witnessed his spellcasting, not to mention the explosion at the harbor town, which was certainly not within a mere apprentice¡¯s capabilities. As the saying goes, an innocent man bears the me because of his wealth; a weak person with significant secrets often bes the target of the ambitious. Their current status was also extremely awkward, hounded by the Church constantly like dogs that had lost their homes, fleeing to Wizard Land, and having destroyed a very important sea route, they wouldn¡¯t find it surprising to be detained for interrogation upon arriving at Yiyeta Harbor. Therefore, to break the deadlock, a change was necessary. Thinking of this, Lynn turned to Johnny and asked, ¡°Do you know why the teacher risked being captured to go to the duke¡¯s capital in Nornd Territory?¡± ¡°The teacher said the second daughter of the Duke of Nornd possesses a decent talent for magic¡­¡± Johnny paused for a moment, then added with conviction, ¡°And we¡¯re running low on money¡­¡± A twitch appeared at the corner of Lynn¡¯s mouth; he had known that Kro¡¯s enrolment of noble scions like themselves was calcted, all for the sake of research funding¡­ Of course, there was a second reason; nobles were generally literate and well-cultured, so there was no need to teach them everything from scratch. Learning magic was also a very expensive affair, for instance, the ¡°Cinder of the Ruby me¡± needed to cast the Fireball Technique cost one silver and thirty-seven copper coins, enough to sustain a poor family for a whole month. Magic was not something the poor could afford to learn! Kro might also harbor the desire to cultivate one or two noble wizards; although these apprentices were not the primary heirs, opportunities could be created¡­ Lynn didn¡¯t continue down that line of thought but shook his head and retorted, ¡°Those are just covers, have you ever heard of the ¡®Secret Magic Society¡¯?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Johnny looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s a very secretive wizard organization within the Sekas Empire, gathering many significant figures. During the time the teacher took me to study magic, I had the fortune to have some contact with members of the ¡®Secret Magic Society¡¯,¡± Lynn bluffed smoothly. Kro¡¯s approach to teaching apprentices was quite casual, usually keeping each apprentice by his side for a while before leaving them in a rtively safe ce to practice magic on their own. This meant that during the time Kro taught him alone, only the two of them knew what happened; Johnny had no way to refute his words. ¡°Aftering into contact with the ¡®Secret Magic Society¡¯, the teacher told me that much of the research theory in Wizard Land was outdated and couldn¡¯t keep up with the times¡­ That¡¯s why, in secret, hepiled a confidential research manuscript, nning to meet with a colleague from the ¡®Secret Magic Society¡¯ in the capital of Nornd Territory. If this action failed, he wanted me to bring this precious research manuscript back to Wizard Land at all costs!¡± In just a few words, Lynn shifted their identity from that of desperate refugees fleeing the Church¡¯s pursuit and identally destroying an important seaway to Wizard Land, to unfortunate dogs that had lost their way. He had be the meritorious agent who, following the instructions of his mentor Kro, struggled painstakingly and dodged the church¡¯s stringent encirclements, ultimately delivering a research manuscript containing important information to Wizard Land. As long as the weight of this research manuscript was sufficient, bringing explosive news, not only would they avoid censure, but they might also be rewarded. Is that so? Johnny looked bewildered. Kro had never mentioned anything about the ¡°Secret Magic Society¡± to her, and Lynn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem to be joking, either. ¡°So, are you saying you found out how to be promoted to an official wizard through the ¡®Secret Magic Society¡¯?¡± Johnny pondered aloud. ¡°You could say that,¡± Lynn nodded, ¡°but my situation is a bit more special, this method isn¡¯t applicable to others.¡± He did not correct the misunderstanding. In Wizard Land, only official wizards possessed a certain status and the ability to protect themselves, which aligned with everyone on board¡¯s minimal assessment of his strength. If he didn¡¯t want trouble, willing or not, he had to be an official wizard. N?v(el)B\\jnn While responding, Lynn also contemted the contents of that ¡°research manuscript¡± in his mind. Based on Johnny¡¯s descriptions over the past few days, Wizard Land¡¯s understanding of the world was roughly equivalent to the level of Western Europe during the Renaissance. As long as he put forth a slightly advanced theory, it would be enough to make those wizards¡¯ jaws drop. Due to the existence of magic power, wizards were particrly lopsided in their schrly pursuits. Even though they made significant strides in the microscopic domain, having discovered gravitation early on and created alchemical ships powered by steam, the vast majority of wizards still adhered to Geocentrism, believing that thend under their feet was the center of the entire universe. They even used thisnd as a reference point to chart out each¡¯s trajectory within the sr system, constructing a unique theory of the stars. Lynn had seen the so-called star trajectory diagrams in Kro¡¯s research documents; the entire continent was suspended in the void, encircled by a solid magic barrier. Then, the sun and the moon revolved around the continent in circr motions, with other celestial bodies following specific paths, forming an extremelyplex geometrical pattern, which was in ord with the church¡¯s depiction in the ¡°Genesis¡± chapter of the Bible. However, with a slight rearrangement of these celestial bodies and positioning the star at the very center, everything would again be familiar. It was clear that the Church¡¯s creationism was utter nonsense. Surely ¡°¡± couldn¡¯t be so confused as to whether she created a continent or a sphere, right? Of course, such erroneous beliefs were a pitfall almost every civilization had to stumble upon at some point; in in terms, so-calledmon sense had constrained thought¡­ At birth, one always tends to see oneself as the protagonist, believing that everything exists solely to revolve around them. Thend beneath one¡¯s feet seems to be a uniquely special entity in the vast universe, the center of everything. Yet, upon deeper study, a harsh reality is revealed; not justs, but even entire star systems are inconsequential in the grand scheme of the immense cosmos. Attacking the t earth doctrine as a starting point is undoubtedly a good choice, not only shocking but also supported by substantial evidence to prove its facy. By tearing away the shackles ofmon sense, without him having to say much, those wizards would naturallye to realize what is true. Lynn also nned to use this as a way to probe the ¡°scientific¡± environment of Wizard Land. Faced with skepticism, it would be essential to whether they carefully verify and ept the truth or vehemently suppress those voices that deviate from the mainstream. This would determine his future course of action! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 55 - 52 This is probably just a farce (Please follow) Chapter 55: Chapter 52 This is probably just a farce (Please follow) After finalizing their subsequent course of action, Lynn turned to Johnny again and spoke. ¡°Although we have sessfully escaped the pursuit of the church this time, we have also destroyed a very important shipping route. When we arrive at Yiyeta Harbor, we might face some difficulties. I¡¯ll exin everything when the timees.¡± Only then did Johnny realize the gravity of their situation and felt a surge of anxiety, but seeing Lynn calm and collected, she felt somewhat relieved. Together, the two considered possible troubles they might encounter upon entering Yiyeta Harbor and roughly discussed countermeasures, until Lynn hesitated for a moment and spoke again. ¡°By the way¡­ from now on, you should call me Lynn. It¡¯s a new alias I thought of. Since I¡¯ve be a Wizard, it would be best not to use my past identity anymore, to prevent any trouble from befalling my family in the future.¡± ¡­ The giant sail warship drifted at sea for half a month before finally emerging from the enshrouding fog, and the outline of a vast ind at the limit of their vision had now be visible. ¡°Hurry, put some muscle into it~ we¡¯re almost there, Yiyeta Harbor is just ahead!¡± Laud shouted loudly, and all the sailors on board were also exerting their fullest strength, none wanting to stay in that ursed fog any longer. At that moment, Lynn stood on the deck, gazing into the distance; as the ship gradually approached, the port city ahead became vividly clear. However, several patrol boats floating nearby in the sea quickly surrounded them. The boats had a very peculiar appearance, looking rather t overall, with no yardarms visible on their bodies nor therge, tall sails, instead, atop the cabins of the ships, there stood tube-like structures, emitting smoke with a puff-puff-puff. A steamship, perhaps? Lynn looked with great interest, and seeing his curiosity, Laud exined. ¡°These alchemical ships are a unique product of Wizard Land. They are much faster than the sail warship we¡¯re on and are less susceptible to strong winds¡­¡± While he exined, the sail warship gently docked under the ¡®escort¡¯ of several alchemical ships. The sailors skillfully lowered the rudder and nks, and a man dressed in a blue robe, a Wizard, was already waiting at the dockside. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ¡°Long time no see, Theodore, my old friend!¡± Laud strode off the ship and warmly embraced the Wizard, then turned to introduce the two following behind him: ¡°This is Mister Lynn and Miss Johnny!¡± ¡°How rare. It¡¯s been quite some time since we¡¯ve had an outsider Wizard set foot here.¡± Theodore¡¯s scrutinizing gaze lingered on the two for a while before he eventually spoke. ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re wee to Yiyeta Harbor. I believe it won¡¯t be long before youe to love this ce!¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Mister Theodore!¡± Lynn replied neither humbly nor arrogantly, while Johnny respectfully curtsied to the man. Theodore exchanged a few courtesies and then looked back at Laud. ¡°By the way, old limper, why did youe personally this year? And on a sail warship, no less. Has something happened?¡± If it hadn¡¯t been for him using the alchemy goggles to spot Laud standing on the deck, the Magic Crystal Cannons in the harbor would have been activated long ago. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the situation is moreplex than you imagine. We need to see Master Helram in person to exin!¡± Laud said with great gravity. Upon hearing Laud speak so solemnly, the smile immediately faded from Theodore¡¯s face, and he frowned. ¡°Master Helram is not currently in the academy, I¡¯ll take you to him.¡± Laud was well aware of the procedures and specifically instructed all the sailors to stay on the ship and wait for inspection before leaving. Since the distance was not far, the group did not take a carriage but walked with Theodore towards the inner city. The inner city of Yiyeta Harbor was apletely different scene from within the Sekas Empire. The ck asphalt roads were clean and even, the streets wide enough to amodate three carriages racing side by side. Buildings with rows of white walls and red roofs were scattered in an orderly manner. Even the roadside trees and flowers were trimmed to perfection, exuding a strong Western ssical style¡­ Although Johnny and Laud had been to Wizard Land before, they were still profoundly shocked on this visit. Lynn almost thought he had traveled through time again. If the people of the Sekas Empire were still living in the wicked Middle Ages, then Wizard Land had already leapt forward to the seventeenth or eighteenth century. ¡°Oh, look over there, what do you think, isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Walking along a stone path leading to the depths of the city, Theodore pointed at arge fountain and a group of variously shaped sculptures inside the city, introducing them quite proudly. ¡°The entire Yiyeta Harbor was designed by Master Rafael. He is also the most famous architect and sculpture master in Wizard Land.¡± Then he must be obsessivepulsive¡­ Lynn thought to himself. All the buildings in Yiyeta Harbor were meticulously orderly, with not the slightest difference between the left and right sides. If there was a decorative flower bed on one side, then there would definitely be another identical flower bed on the other! However, having seen the city¡¯s scenery, Lynn also came to understand why most Wizards would prefer to stay in Wizard Land. After experiencing such an environment, no one would want to go back to the dirty, chaotic, and foul-smelling Sekas Empire. Along the way, Theodore introduced everything about Yiyeta Harbor to the group with a bragging tone, from the road surface to the architectural design, even down to the materials used for each sculpture, and then he watched their surprised and shocked expressions with enjoyment. Every time someone from outside Wizard Land arrived here, a strong sense of superiority would rise in his heart. Lynn looked around the unique harbor city with great interest. His gaze swept over each building, such an ancient architectural style he had only seen in ck-and-white photos in the archives, and he also couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit puzzled ¨C weren¡¯t there too few people on the streets? After entering the inner city, the number of people they saw altogether didn¡¯t exceed a hundred. Just as he was thinking about it, a din of noise and mor suddenly came from ahead. Lynn looked forward to see that the huge central square of the city was already packed with people and seemed to be gathering more and more. ¡°Is there a festival today?¡± Lynn asked, slightly curious. Theodore opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally shook his head in a somewhat helpless manner. ¡°Not exactly, it¡¯s probably just a farce!¡±