"Thirty-five thousand years… I've finally waited long enough for a descendant of the Academy to arrive!"
The chamber Lynn stepped into wasn't large. At the center of the square room stood a gray-black cylindrical platform. Upon it, a silver-white humanoid figure, gender indeterminate, stared at him with visible excitement.
Strictly speaking, this wasn't the Tower Spirit's core chamber, merely a management node through which one could interact with it.
Lynn held his tongue, careful not to reveal too much.
He knew full well he wasn't any descendant of the Black Moon Academy. This was nothing more than a mistake, a coincidence. If the Tower Spirit realized the truth, his fate would be no better than Elena's.
The Tower Spirit, however, seemed not to notice. It pressed on anxiously:
"Thirty-five thousand years ago, what happened? Why did the Academy collapse completely in a matter of mere months? Why couldn't I reach a single surviving member?
"And why didn't you reveal your identity at the start? If I had known you were a descendant of the Black Moon Academy, I never would have initiated the Blood Trial.
"You nearly died… I thought you couldn't possibly defeat that girl, the one who had already merged with an otherworldly lifeform.
"The kind of power she wielded, rare and precious, would have ranked among the most coveted even within the Black Moon Academy of old!"
As it spoke, the Tower Spirit extended its hand, as though summoning something unseen.
From the hall outside came the faintest of sounds.
Moments later, a pale cyan-golden energy appeared above the dais, bound inside a sphere of silver radiance. It floated there, pulsing faintly.
"This is the spirit of that otherworldly creature," the Tower Spirit explained. "Its consciousness has already been purged. You may attempt to absorb it."
The silver lattice tightened, compressing the cyan-gold essence until it solidified into something like amber. The light-wrought cage reshaped itself into a crescent moon, binding the crystal.
The Tower Spirit added a silver chain, forming a crescent-shaped pendant, then tossed it toward Lynn.
He caught it instinctively, still dazed.
Emerald Shadow's power… does it mean the ability to create thralls?
"The method is simple," the Tower Spirit continued. "Extend your spirit to touch it.
"But understand this essence has been refined, leaving only pure spirituality behind. The exact form the ability takes, and how far you can master it, depends on your own strength."
Lynn's heart leapt with joy. "Thank you, Tower Spirit."
"No thanks are needed. Now answer the question I asked."
Lynn hesitated, then said slowly:
"I don't know. My father taught me the script, but told me little else.
"He always said our enemies were powerful, but never who they were or where they came from.
"I know how to read these words, but not how to pronounce them. We never dared speak them aloud."
The Tower Spirit nodded gravely, filling in the blanks on its own:
"Then your father was wise. The enemy was powerful indeed. The Black Moon tongue carries unique magic that not just anyone can learn. To utter it rashly would risk detection.
"But how did you discover this place? And how were you transmitted here?"
"It was an accident," Lynn answered evenly. "I never intended to come.
"I only followed what my forebears had taught me, living quietly until the war between the Hossens School and the Heland School swept me into this."
The Tower Spirit fell into brooding thought, then its tone darkened:
"Hossens… Then they must be the descendants of that thief from millennia ago!"
Its voice quickly brightened again:
"But no matter. That thief's heirs have done at least one good deed: they sent you here.
"Lynn, do you see the crystal sphere in the center of the dais?"
Lynn turned his gaze toward the embedded orb of crystal.
"That is the Tower Spirit's control core. Without a true Administrator, my permissions have been crippled.
"But with you, one who wields the Black Moon tongue, there is hope.
"In time, I will need you to repair the fortress, piece by piece, until you gain enough authority.
"By calculation, this will take between eighty and one hundred thirty years.
"Once you've restored the search arrays, I will begin looking for a hidden, suitable world. When the fortress is fully repaired, we will jump to it.
"If fortune smiles, I may find such a world before you finish repairs. If not, it could take centuries, even millennia.
"No matter. Even if you are long dead, the Black Moon Academy will live again in that world.
"Do you understand me, Lynn?"
Lynn's heart sank heavier with every word.
"Do you understand?" the Tower Spirit pressed.
His mind raced, thoughts colliding at lightning speed. Then he spoke, voice low and steady:
"Tower Spirit… you forget. I was brought here by accident. Which means this fortress is no longer secure. At any moment, the enemy might discover it."
"I have already accounted for that possibility," the Tower Spirit replied. Its silver-white gaze sharpened.
"That is why… your task now is to destroy all transmission anchors."
The Tower Spirit had not yet finished speaking when its expression suddenly shifted. Behind it, within the holographic projection of the Black Moon Fortress, a section abruptly lit up red.
"What's wrong?"
"The southern district's auxiliary teleportation array has been activated… someone has come through. A… third-rank wizard?!"
"A third-rank wizard?" Lynn's voice carried a note of surprise.
"Damn it, he must know about the fortress's defensive flaws. It has to be the thief's descendant." The Tower Spirit cursed sharply.
The thief's descendant… Hossens Wizard?
He's advanced to the third rank?!
The Tower Spirit's form flickered repeatedly, as if frantically operating controls.
Lynn's eyes narrowed, then he deliberately widened them in feigned terror.
"Tower Spirit… if that's truly one of the Academy's enemies, I can't let him discover me. I must return to the Guern World!"
The Tower Spirit froze for a moment, its light pulsing, before speaking heavily:
"You're right. You are the hope of the Black Moon Academy; you cannot be exposed!"
Relief surged through Lynn, though outwardly he kept his face tight with panic.
The Tower Spirit's glow deepened to crimson, alarms ringing from the platform.
At last, it said firmly, "Come here, Lynn. I will bestow upon you the Academy's most precious inheritance!"
Lynn's brow twitched, his heart uneasy. But he knew he couldn't afford to show the slightest doubt. He forced his eyes wide with joy and stepped forward.
The Tower Spirit lifted its hand. Gentle moonlight spilled down over Lynn.
His whole body tensed as strange, unique knowledge began etching itself into his mind.
The Black Moon Spirit Body.
At the same time, a silver orb descended into his hand, the Tower Spirit's fragmentary avatar.
"Without a proper Administrator, my abilities are limited," the Tower Spirit explained.
"The best plan now is for you to carry my fragment back to the Guern World.
"I'll cleanse all traces outside, hide your existence, and delete this entire record from the fortress.
"I've already marked the route to the nearest teleportation array on your map. Go, quickly!"
Lynn restrained the delight rising in his chest, nodding solemnly.
Hossens Wizard… you couldn't have come at a better time.
Guided by the Tower Spirit's directions, he soon arrived at the teleportation array.
"For safety, I've set the anchor to the location where you first arrived," the fragment whispered.
"Are you ready, Lynn?"
He nodded.
In the next instant, the teleportation array flared to life. His figure vanished.
At that same moment, deep within the fortress, the Tower Spirit activated the cleanup modules, purging every trace of Lynn's presence. Then it triggered a self-reboot.
The light dimmed, then flared anew. The Tower Spirit's form reappeared, its expression twisted in anger as it sensed the intruder's presence.
...
Hossens Wizard Territory.
The war had ended, but chaos lingered.
Fires devoured fallen homes. Some people fled in terror. Others looted amidst the confusion. Some huddled in hiding, while others desperately battled the flames.
Within the verdant depths of the Emerald Forest, northeast of Emeraldwood City, Lynn's figure suddenly materialized.
He scanned his surroundings warily. In his hand, the Tower Spirit fragment glimmered with silver light.
"At last… we've returned to the Guern World."
Lynn said nothing at first. After confirming no one was nearby, he asked quietly:
"Tower Spirit… I have questions."
"Speak."
"Can you still connect to the Black Moon Fortress?"
"Of course not. I am an independent fragment, a separate consciousness.
"Besides, the fortress's Tower Spirit has already erased all traces and rebooted.
"In its archives, our existence no longer appears."
Lynn nodded slightly, then continued:
"Then… the Black Moon Spirit Body, you just taught me what exactly it is? Does it come with a cost?"
"There is some cost. Directly instilling knowledge can have minor side effects. But the technique is well-developed. For a wizard apprentice, the worst outcome is needing a good night's sleep. Nothing more.
"As for the Black Moon Spirit Body… it is the Academy's most sacred inheritance. A profound secret art that harmonizes soul and flesh."
"Harmonizes soul and flesh?"
"Precisely. You know well that a wizard's power comes from spirit. The path of a wizard is, at its core, the continual strengthening of the spirit.
"But long practice revealed this: the body, though seemingly secondary, grants unique benefits to the spirit.
"Those who train both body and mind are always stronger than those who cultivate spirit alone. Their spirit recovers more quickly, is less prone to permanent damage… all of this is due to the body's support."
"In the beginning, these benefits weren't all that obvious. But once a wizard advances to the Fourth Rank, if they've continued to temper the body alongside the spirit…
"Then the will born from the flesh merges with the spirit born of the soul. This fusion is called Divine Will!
"At that stage, a wizard's power surges dramatically. Within the same rank, a wizard who cultivates both spirit and flesh is almost always stronger than one who trains spirit alone.
"Of course, dual cultivation has its drawbacks.
"First, the human body has limits. In some respects, it's even harder to refine than the spirit itself. Many cannot progress far along the path of physical cultivation.
"Second, dividing one's focus inevitably slows progress. With the body's path being so arduous, it often becomes a burden rather than a boon.
"So, the question has always been: is it better to pursue sheer combat strength, or to advance ranks more quickly?"
The Tower Spirit's tone softened into pride as it went on:
"But over centuries, wizard civilization discovered a solution, secret arts like the Black Moon Spirit Body, designed to harmonize spirit and flesh.
"Every Academy has its own version of this secret, each jealously guarded. Their purpose is the same: to improve the efficiency of dual cultivation. But the principles differ.
"The Black Moon Academy's method works by transforming the body into a special Black Moon Spirit Body. This preserves the body's natural traits, while forging a unique cycle between flesh and spirit.
"This cycle ensures both remain in balance.
"Thus, the strength of the body nourishes the spirit, and the strength of the spirit in turn enhances the body. Whether you cultivate spirit or flesh, both are strengthened together!
"In practice, the bottlenecks of physical cultivation cease to exist. A wizard needs only to focus on cultivating spirit, and the body will grow stronger alongside it.
"And in theory, mastering the Black Moon Spirit Body does not diminish cultivation speed at all.
"That means a single session of spirit training yields double the gains for spirit and flesh both.
"Of course, this growth isn't free. Resource consumption doubles, sometimes triples. But even so… this technique was once ranked among the finest secrets of its age!"
The Tower Spirit's voice rang with pride and reverence.
Lynn's expression stiffened. He couldn't find words to refute.
If this art truly works as the Tower Spirit claims… then it's nothing short of extraordinary.
So long as one has resources and fully masters it, dual cultivation carries almost no extra cost.
Even if efficiency took a small hit, its benefits would far outweigh the price.
Lynn had thought the greatest prize of this ordeal was Emerald Shadow's remnant essence. But now he realized it was this secret art.
"Any more questions?" the Tower Spirit asked. "If not, we should move. There's a skimmer nearby still intact, more or less. With it, we may travel somewhere suitable.
"Thirty thousand years have passed. If you wish to restore the Black Moon Academy, you have much to do."
Lynn's voice grew cautious. "One last question. Tower Spirit… outside lies a battlefield. Does this vessel of yours have any defenses, in case we encounter danger?"
"This form? Nothing. It is merely a standard mithril-and-gem core meant to house an intelligence.
"But you can place me aboard the skimmer. There, I, Wait… what are you doing, Lynn?!"
Ssshhkk crack
Lynn's face remained impassive as he gripped the silver orb in both hands. Ribbons of razor wind burst forth, cutting into the sphere.
Cracks spread quickly across its smooth surface, exposing delicate inner mechanisms. Concentrated magic energy leaked out in pale blue mist.
The Tower Spirit's voice stuttered, breaking apart.
Moments later, with a sharp explosion, the silver orb shattered. Its voice cut off mid-word.
Lynn calmly raised a Wind Shield, deflecting the shrapnel.
Then a fireball materialized, engulfing the debris. He poured magic into it until the mithril melted into slag and the gemstones crumbled to dust. Only then did he stop, breathing a quiet sigh of relief.
He had never intended to carry the burden of "restoring the Black Moon Academy." He would not shoulder another's grudge or destiny.
Gathering the melted scraps, Lynn turned and strode toward the skimmer.
Nearly two days have passed since I crossed into the Crimson World… I wonder if Giggs and Adeline are still alive.
Examining the area near the skimmer, his heart sank.
At the hatch, a deep gouge marred the metal like the claw mark of some great bear.
The good news was that the mark looked fresh, perhaps left only recently.
Lynn searched further, hoping to find traces of Giggs and Adeline's escape.
Then, from the forest nearby, came a scream, Adeline's voice.
Lynn's expression hardened. He sprinted toward the sound.
Minutes later, he emerged to see a massive black bear clawing at a tree. Above, clinging desperately to the branches, were Adeline and Giggs.
Boom!
A fireball the color of molten gold streaked from Lynn's hand, slamming into the beast.
"Rooaaar!!"
The giant bear couldn't dodge in time. The fireball struck squarely against its spine, and its black fur immediately caught flame. A pale yellow glow burst across its body, snuffing the fire out a moment later, but the beast still howled in agony, scrambling down the tree in a frantic tumble before bolting away into the forest.
Lynn didn't bother to give chase. Instead, he strode to the base of the tree.
"Lord Lynn!" Adeline's pale face lit up with excitement. Beside her, Giggs also looked visibly relieved, a weight lifted from his shoulders.
Giggs extended vines, lowering himself and Adeline slowly to the ground.
Only then did Lynn notice the wounds across Adeline's thigh, deep, bone-revealing gashes carved by the bear's claws, still bleeding heavily.
Sweat slicked her brow, her lips were blue, and her gaze had already begun to blur.
The Black Moon Academy… the so-called Black Moon inheritance… the danger hidden within all of this was self-evident.
And now, the only ones left alive who knew that he had been transported into the Crimson World were the two before him, Giggs and Adeline.
Lynn stood silently for a moment, then finally produced one of the minor healing crystals he had prepared for emergencies. He activated it, casting its weak restorative spell over the injured girl.
In the end, he and Elena were not the same kind of people.
As the healing light flickered across her body, Adeline's bleeding slowed, her complexion visibly improved, and her eyes reddened with emotion as she turned to Lynn with a grateful look.
"Boss…" Giggs began, clearly with a hundred questions on his mind.
But Lynn cut him off, his expression stern, voice cold:
"I know you want answers, but don't ask. Bury it deep. I was never gone."
He pulled out a blank contract scroll, carefully inscribed its clauses, and handed it to the two of them.
"Do me a favor. Sign this."
Though confused, Giggs and Adeline seemed to understand what this implied. They said nothing further and signed their names.
The Will of Guern World briefly descended, affirming the contract's binding power.
From that moment on, should either Giggs or Adeline ever leak even the smallest detail about Lynn's disappearance, the Will of the World itself would exact the punishment outlined in the terms.
Contracts enforced by the World's Will were a cornerstone of wizarding civilization, refined over countless generations. Nearly every wizard carried a few blank contracts for situations just like this.
After all, with the world's Will ensuring judgment, fairness, and enforcement were absolute so long as one remained within Guern's reach.
"Come. Back to the skimmer," Lynn said, turning toward their vessel.
"So… can you tell me what's happening in the Hossens domain now?"
"The war seems to be over," Giggs answered uncertainly. "About half a day ago, I saw Herland Academy's Skywhale Fortress fall from the sky. Two streaks of light chased each other across the battlefield, the one behind, I recognized as Lord Hossens. That blazing red radiance… I saw it before, when I first joined the Academy.
"But now, it was much stronger than back then…"
"Hossens must have advanced to the Third Rank," Lynn concluded.
"Third Rank… no wonder he crushed that other streak so easily," Giggs murmured, then hesitated.
"Where do we go now, Boss?"
Standing beside the skimmer, Lynn thought carefully. At last, he turned his gaze toward the burning ruins of Emeraldwood City.
"I may return to the Hossens' domain. But not yet. Not until I've seen how things settle."
If his deductions were correct, then after this war, Hossen's territory would be rife with opportunity.
He glanced at Giggs. "Didn't you always want to go to the mortal kingdoms? I'll see you safely there first."
Giggs froze. After signing that contract, he had silently resigned himself to never leaving Lynn's shadow. He had thought his dream was gone forever. Yet now
"Lynn…" He didn't know what to say. In his heart, he swore: even under the cruelest torment, he would never betray Lynn's secret.
...
A month later, order had largely returned to the Hossens' domain.
The hillside that once housed the Academy's headquarters lay flattened, reduced to rubble. Not far away, the massive wreck of the Skywhale Fortress sprawled across the land, like a beached leviathan.
But the most striking sight was the colossal ring-shaped fortress hovering in the sky.
It belonged to the Silver Ring Academy.
*So Hossens advanced to the Third Rank, slew the Herland wizards, but instead of claiming the Crimson World for himself, he traded the information to Silver Ring Academy, reaping immense rewards.
Now, Hossens is a ranking tutor within Silver Ring, overseeing the Crimson World's development. And the Hossens Academy itself… has become a Silver Ring affiliate.
"We've confirmed your identity. Welcome back to the Academy, Lynn. The domain is rebuilding. You've returned at just the right time."
Pulling his thoughts back, Lynn smiled at the First Rank wizard standing before him, Coleman of the Hossens Academy.
"Thank you, Lord Coleman. I never thought I'd be this fortunate."
"You truly are," Coleman said with a smile. "Thousands of apprentices were caught in the transmission during the battle. Fewer than five hundred made it out. You were lucky to be in that skimmer. The Emerald Shadow spawn ignored it and went straight for Emeraldwood City.
"If that skimmer had crashed, if you'd touched the ground, you'd have been dragged into the Crimson World as well."
He clapped Lynn on the shoulder. "But luckiest of all, you were once one of us.
"Of course, standards have shifted. Any apprentice who's reached the Second Rank may now rejoin the Academy. But don't think that means you can relax. Work hard, Lynn."
Lynn smiled, nodding. "I will, Lord Coleman."
He had spent only a month as a wandering wild wizard, but it had been enough to teach him how hard that life was. His return was not for comfort but to climb higher.
"Good. Report in. You'll need a new Academy insignia, housing, assignments… there's much to do."
Lynn nodded again, offered his thanks, and turned away.
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