"Adeline, do you know where my blue everyday suit is?"
Lynn pushed open the bedroom door, poking his head out to ask the heterochromatic maid who was directing servants as they moved furniture.
"You mean the waistcoat and trousers?" Adeline walked over quickly.
"That's the one," Lynn nodded, stepping aside.
"I'll look for it. It probably hasn't been unpacked yet. I had them start with the meditation room… would another outfit do in the meantime?"
"That's fine. I'm only going out for a walk; any formal wear will do." Lynn nodded again.
The Hossens Academy had moved swiftly. On the very day of his return, they'd issued him a new Academy insignia and assigned him housing.
A three-story villa with its own courtyard, once allocated to a first-rank member of the Serpents' Society.
Since the Serpents had been annihilated, their properties had reverted to the Academy. Strictly speaking, the land had always belonged to Hossens Academy; it was simply being reclaimed.
And now Lynn was in the process of moving in.
Of course, he mostly supervised, and the actual labor was left to Adeline.
After sending Giggs off on his own path, Lynn had asked the heterochromatic girl what she planned to do next. She'd thought for a while before asking in return whether he still needed a maid to act as housekeeper.
Unlike Giggs, she had been born in Emeraldwood City. She had no yearning for the backward mortal kingdoms; she was far more accustomed to life in the wizarding world.
And besides, she found working with Lynn pleasant. Being his maid was steadier and kinder work than waiting tables at a restaurant.
So she asked.
And Lynn, since she was willing, had no objection at all. He happily agreed and brought her back to Emeraldwood with him.
"Found it, Master." Adeline came out holding a suit.
"Much obliged." Lynn took it from her.
"Master, should we keep the old decorations in the house?" she asked again.
"Get rid of the flesh-and-blood specimens, they're distasteful. As for the rest, handle it as you see fit. In two or three months, once the Academy's headquarters is rebuilt, we'll have to move again anyway."
"Yes, Master."
Lynn nodded and closed his bedroom door.
The Academy was still in the middle of reconstruction. Even the villa's meditation chamber hadn't yet had its mana supply restored.
But the good news, according to the Academy, was that in another half month, mana flow would return.
By then, the villa would receive, free of charge, mana density at the level of a mid-First Rank, just one tier above his current stage.
It was far better treatment than he'd received at the Golden Shadow Society, where even as a full first-rank member, he had only been allowed access to high-tier zero-rank mana and had to pay for it.
...
A month passed, yet Emeraldwood City had not fully recovered from the war's devastation.
Walking the streets, Lynn still saw crumbling walls and collapsed ruins. Patrol wizards passed by from time to time, sometimes carrying away the bodies of ordinary townsfolk.
The few pedestrians hurried past, heads down.
In the war, countless wizards of Emeraldwood had died, whole factions, societies, nearly wiped out.
But in terms of numbers, it was the common people who bore the heaviest toll.
They were too fragile. Falling stones, collapsing walls, even the stray shockwaves of a wizard's duel could snuff out their lives.
And those who had survived still faced hunger and disease.
If Hossens Academy hadn't intervened quickly to restore order and guarantee food distribution, many more would have perished.
Clad in his plain suit, Lynn wandered, letting his thoughts drift as he enjoyed the fleeting peace.
Before long, his steps carried him to Bauhinia Thorn Street.
This district had been one of the hardest hit during the war.
In the chaos, many wizards had looted opportunistically. The shops of Bauhinia Thorn Street were the easiest targets and had suffered terribly.
And with most gangs and societies in Emeraldwood wiped out, there weren't enough Academy staff to run things properly.
Now the street was bleak and desolate, most storefronts shuttered.
The Green Vine Restaurant is still here?!
Lynn froze in surprise.
The familiar establishment had not only survived mostly intact, but it was even open for business.
Interest sparked within him. He was just about to stride inside when a familiar voice called from behind:
"Lynn?"
He turned and saw Martin and Lucas standing there in the official robes of Hossens Academy.
"It really is you, Lynn! I can't believe you survived."
Martin sounded astonished. On the day of the catastrophe, he and Lucas had been on their way to the Academy headquarters by sheer coincidence; they had avoided being transported away and lived.
"Lord Martin, Lord Lucas," Lynn greeted them warmly, his face alight with genuine joy.
Meeting old acquaintances in old haunts, it was something to be glad for.
"You just got back? Then let me tell you the good news," Lucas began eagerly. "The Academy is expanding now, short on manpower, so even the apprentices who had been eliminated"
Lynn cut him off with a smile, taking out his silver insignia. "Thank you, Lord Lucas. But I already know."
Martin's eyes lingered on the badge, a trace of envy in his expression.
"You and Lucas are lucky you've both been reinstated as Academy apprentices. If only I'd worked harder back then… now I can barely manage to qualify as an outer member."
"Senior Martin, it's not too late. Keep training. Once you advance, you'll return as an apprentice too."
Martin shook his head, then laughed with easy resignation.
"I know my limits. I'm content helping with errands and chores.
"It's just a shame the Silver Ash Tree was destroyed in the war… Herland Academy was vile. Not only did they ruin our mountain, they also opened the teleportation array that killed half the wizards in Emeraldwood. Chaos everywhere."
Lynn kept his expression neutral. He knew full well the teleportation array had been Hossens' doing, but in the world's eyes, the blame had been laid on Herland.
History is always written by the victors.
Smiling faintly, he offered:
"It's nearly noon, and the Green Vine is just behind us. Why don't we eat there and talk more?"
Lucas and Martin happily agreed.
But when the three of them entered the Green Vine Restaurant, they were told all the private rooms were full. In the end, they had no choice but to sit in the main hall.
"It must be those wealthy types from Silver Ring Academy again," Martin remarked after sitting down. "They come here every day to feast. Must be nice to have that kind of money."
"Of course, apprentices trained at an Academy are wealthier than we poor backwater students," Lucas chimed in.
That piqued Lynn's interest. He asked,
"I only just returned to Hossens' territory, so I don't know much about what's going on. From what you're saying, the Silver Ring Academy brought apprentices along this time?"
"That's right. Partly for developing the Blood-Red World, and partly to help us rebuild Hossens' territory," Martin explained, before emphasizing:
"Now that Master Hossens has advanced to the Third Rank, we of Hossens' Academy aren't much lower in status than the apprentices of Silver Ring Academy!"
"It's still lower," Lucas said bluntly. "Strictly speaking, we're just an affiliated academy of Silver Ring. Our status is a tier below."
Martin's brows shot up. "But Master Hossens is a Third-Rank Wizard! There aren't many of those in Silver Ring Academy. As his students, we can't be considered much beneath them."
"His personal students, yes. But we're just academy apprentices," Lucas countered.
Lynn cut in before the squabble could continue:
"Gentlemen, what I don't quite understand is why rebuilding Hossens' territory requires Silver Ring apprentices?"
Status squabbles didn't interest him much.
After all, Silver Ring Academy was an Academy. Even its apprentices enjoyed much better treatment than they did. That wasn't up for debate.
What interested him more was the reason behind these apprentices coming here.
If it was just to help rebuild Hossen's territory, they weren't needed at all.
"It seems they're constructing a secure road that leads directly from Hossens' territory to the outside world," Martin said.
"Now that the Black Rose Academy has been destroyed, ours is the only Third-Rank power in the region. Silver Ring Academy apparently wants to use this chance to expand its influence here," Lucas added.
"And on top of that, the Blood-Red World's teleportation anchor point is here.
"Until the Academy establishes a new anchor point and builds a new teleportation array, this is the only place where the Blood-Red World can be developed."
"I see…" Lynn felt a faint sense of awe. He could almost glimpse the immense changes Hossens' territory would undergo in the future.
It would replace the old Black Rose Academy's lands and become the most prosperous region nearby.
"But weren't the mana lodes destroyed?" Lynn suddenly asked.
"Only the surface layer. The essential damage wasn't too bad. And I hear Silver Ring Academy will send a Fourth-Rank Wizard soon to deal with the lodes," Lucas replied.
"Deal with them?"
"Yes, supposedly they'll use special large-scale Academy techniques to connect the surrounding mana lodes to Hossens' own. That way, Hossens' lodes can draw energy from the others to last much longer and even improve in quality."
"Trust an Academy to pull that off," Lynn murmured, impressed.
"Speaking of Silver Ring apprentices
"I heard Master Hossens will soon be taking a group of outstanding First-Rank apprentices to study at Silver Ring Academy.
"This time, it's said to be different from past exchanges. They'll get the same treatment and opportunities as Silver Ring's own apprentices. If they perform well enough, Master Hossens may even take them on as his formal disciples!"
"And besides Master Hossens, they might be chosen by other mentors in Silver Ring as well," Lucas added, envy flashing in his eyes. "Even if no mentor chooses them, just the experience of training there will greatly increase their chances of advancing to First-Rank Wizard."
Lynn sipped his Green Vine juice, a mix of emotion and anticipation stirring in him.
Hossens' territory now was like the sky after a storm, with a rainbow about to appear, full of opportunities.
...
Back in his meditation chamber
Lynn opened his eyes, tossed the crushed remains of a mana stone into the waste bin, and sighed softly.
He had just finished a round of Insight, this time targeting Black Moon Spirit Body.
In fact, he had spent the entire past month using every Insight opportunity on this knowledge.
Yet even today, he hadn't managed to reach the introductory stage.
This precious knowledge was the hardest he had ever encountered.
Even the light revealed by Insight was a color he had never seen before, brilliant gold.
Part of it was because the technique itself was difficult. But also because Lynn's current knowledge base was simply too shallow.
There were too many things written there that he had never seen before.
If the Tower Spirit were still alive, it could have answered his questions.
But now Lynn could only grope forward slowly on his own, relying on Insight to gradually chip away.
"Still, I can't afford to use every Insight on this alone…"
After some thought, Lynn decided he would no longer pour all his Insight into Black Moon Spirit Body. Instead, he would alternate one Insight with another knowledge, then one on Black Moon Spirit Body.
Gathering his thoughts, he looked inward.
Pale golden motes swirled together, and a light screen floated up before him:
[Name: Lynn Kent]
[Age: 17]
[Rank: Second-Rank Wizard Apprentice (5/100); White Crow Swordsmanship · Level 1 (100/100) / Level 2 (67/100)]
[Methods: White Crow Swordsmanship · Level 1 (Mastery) / Level 2 (Proficient); Hossen's Apprentice Meditation · Second-Rank (Proficient)]
[Spells:]
Zero Ring, Lesser: Minor Fireball (Proficient); Minor Tailwind (Proficient); Mind Shock (Proficient)
Zero Ring, Intermediate: Wind Shield (Beginner); Tailwind (Beginner)
[Skills:]
Mind Shock Crystal Shard Crafting (Skilled)
Magical Arrays · Basics (Skilled)
Lambiel Skiff Construction (Expert)
[Source Energy:]
Self: 1
World: 0
Lesser Mixed Source Energy: 0
Looking over the screen, the truth was plain: aside from his White Crow Swordsmanship, Lynn had very little real strength to speak of.
Among Zero Ring Intermediate spells, he only had Wind Shield and Tailwind at beginner level, thanks to prior experience with Minor Wind Shield and Minor Tailwind.
As for the healing spell and standard Intermediate Fireball he had redeemed, he hadn't even begun learning them yet.
After all, he had only advanced to Second-Rank a little over a month ago
And most of that month had been spent on the run, with no stable environment for study.
"Well, the spell application I filed should be approved by tomorrow. Once I collect the new spells from the Academy's library, I'll learn them all together."
Lynn shook his head and dismissed the light screen.
As usual, he took out the Emerald Shadow Spirit pendant to absorb the essence within.
After a month of continuous absorption, only a faint trace of spirit remained in the crescent-shaped pendant.
One or two more sessions, and it would be completely consumed.
I wonder… after absorbing it all, what kind of gift will I obtain?
Closing his eyes, Lynn guided his mental power to draw in the spirit.
The Tower Spirit had once explained that Emerald Shadow's essence had already been refined within the Black Moon Fortress, leaving only its purest and most fundamental core.
The drawback was a slight loss of spirit, but the benefits were far greater: it was safer, posed no risk of corruption, and most importantly, because it retained only its pure essence, the spirit would fully fuse with the one absorbing it, giving birth to a new power that was truly their own.
Elena, at first glance, had gained Emerald Shadow's power, but in truth, her very nature had been altered; part of her had already fused with Emerald Shadow itself.
The next morning.
At the Hossens Academy library, a First-Rank apprentice on duty spoke kindly to Lynn:
"According to Academy regulations, you may freely receive five Zero-Ring Lesser spells and three Zero-Ring Intermediate spells."
These free spells were a welfare benefit granted to any apprentice who advanced to Third or Second Rank.
Now that Lynn had rejoined the Academy, the benefits still applied. All it took was applying, and he could claim them retroactively.
Compared to the old associations, the treatment here was leagues better.
Thanking the apprentice, Lynn thought carefully, then selected eight spells:
Zero-Ring Intermediate: Explosive Fireball, Lamp Defense Barrier, Verdant Vines.
Zero-Ring Lesser: Eagle Eye, Wind Listening, Soundproofing, Water Condensation, Lesser Poison Cure.
Explosive Fireball was of the same tier as the Standard Fireball he'd once redeemed in the Golden Shadow Society, but of much higher quality, a direct upgrade.
Since he hadn't had the chance to study the standard version anyway, swapping it out for the superior spell was ideal.
After all, a wizard's energy was limited.
Similarly, Lamp Defense Barrier was a premium defensive spell, among the strongest at the Intermediate level.
It scaled well, too, remaining useful even at First Rank, unlike weaker spells that would soon be discarded. The same was true for Explosive Fireball and Verdant Vines.
Verdant Vines filled the gap in his lack of control-type spells, especially useful in the forest terrain of Greenveil.
Eagle Eye and Wind Listening shored up his deficiencies in scouting.
Soundproofing, though seemingly unimpressive, was an excellent support spell ideal for hiding one's presence or ensuring private conversations.
Water Condensation and Lesser Poison Cure improved survival in harsh environments.
"Still… eleven spells total, counting the three Intermediates I already had queued up. Looks like I've got my work cut out for me."
Though he muttered with mock complaint, his heart was brimming with joy.
He could already picture how much stronger he'd become once he mastered them all.
...
Two days later, Lynn fully absorbed the Emerald Shadow spirit.
In his meditation chamber, he felt the final wisp merge into him, and at that moment, something strange burst forth within!
Instinct made him open his eyes. His once pale-grey irises had turned pitch black, bottomless, like a vortex spinning with a soul-piercing pull.
Moments later, the anomaly faded.
Lynn closed his eyes again and probed the gift he had gained.
*The original Emerald Shadow was a collective lifeform. Its ability seemed to be converting others into thralls, but in truth, it was more accurate to say it turned them into parts of itself.
*The so-called thralls were like its hands and feet, each with a miniature brain, all linked in a spiritual network controlled by Emerald Shadow as the central mind.
*But Elena's inherited version of the ability was already altered. She could also control others, but they were more like servile thralls than extensions of her own body.
*Her network was no longer a hive mind, but a simple channel for orders and communication.
*That was why she lacked Emerald Shadow's true strength, the ability to merge all its thralls into a stronger whole.
*What she retained instead was the power to "resurrect" through her thralls.
But even that wasn't a true resurrection. It was more like awakening a pre-loaded copy of herself stored inside her thralls.
Indeed, under Emerald Shadow's influence, Elena's essence had shifted away from ordinary humanity.
Strictly speaking, the real Elena had died back in that dining hall. Every version that fought Lynn afterwards had been nothing more than copies of residual fragments with her memories.
Whether those were still "her" was a philosophical dilemma like the Ship of Theseus.
After all, a person's spiritual essence was supposed to be unique, impossible to replicate in another body.
What Elena had preserved in her thralls was, at best, fragments of consciousness with a sliver of will, something no ordinary human could ever achieve.
That was why Lynn had concluded she was no longer fully human.
Still, whether Emerald Shadow or Elena, such powers would inevitably impact one's path as a wizard.
Not necessarily for ill, but not guaranteed to be good either.
But my gift… it has shed those flaws. It's a version better suited for a human of Guern. No mutation. No corruption.
Lynn stood, elation spreading across his face.
His ability was essentially similar to Elena's: he, too, could create thralls, linked in a spiritual network for control and communication.
But unlike Elena, he couldn't back himself up through them. His number of thralls was also limited.
On the other hand, he possessed something she never had: he could channel the strength of his thralls back into himself through the network, temporarily boosting his own power to astonishing levels!
The difference lay in how he controlled them.
He didn't fuse their spirits into his own like Emerald Shadow, nor half-fuse them like Elena.
Instead, he planted a special "mark" within their spirits.
That mark allowed him not only to command them, but also to refine and convert their strength and, when needed, channel it back into himself.
With enough thralls… it might not be impossible for me, an apprentice, to stand against a full wizard.
A quiet laugh escaped him before he forced himself to calm again.
The drawback is that each mark takes a long time to create, and it also takes time for them to store up energy. It can only serve as a trump card, not something I can use constantly.
Still, having loyal thralls at all is already a great asset. Choosing the first one… that will require careful thought.
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 145+ chapters in there
patreon.com/AetherTL