"How much for this stone?"
Lynn suppressed the excitement in his chest and asked the apprentice in charge.
"You mean this Light-Absorbing Blackstone? If you take both pieces, I'll give you a deal: 100 primary-grade magic stones each," the apprentice replied.
Lynn couldn't help but click his tongue at the price. Judging from the apprentice's tone, that was already a discount.
"Do you want them? Light-absorbing blackstone doesn't have many applications, but it's extremely rare. In Emeraldwood City, stones of this size usually sell for at least 150 primary-grade stones apiece," the apprentice added.
"May I hold it for a closer look?" Lynn asked.
"Of course."
Lynn picked up the Blackstone and carefully examined it. After confirming it was indeed the material used to aid cultivation of the Blackmoon Spirit Body, he clenched his teeth and nodded without further hesitation.
Once I buy these, I'll only have around 200 stones left… If I need more in the future, I'll have to find a way to make money.
His original wealth had only been a little over a hundred stones. The 400+ he had now came from looting Elena and another apprentice he had crossed paths with inside the Blackmoon Fortress.
After the final battle, he had considered searching the other fallen apprentices for stones as well, but ultimately gave up. On reflection, he had even left the magical tools he had taken behind in the fortress.
Partly because there was no time to strip so many corpses, but more importantly, it carried unnecessary risk.
Compared to those spoils, his safety was worth far more.
Losing a few stones was no great matter. Hossens would never know how much wealth those apprentices carried.
But if too much was missing or an especially conspicuous item of gear, suspicion would inevitably follow.
In truth, Lynn reasoned, when Silver Ring Academy and Hossens eventually explored the fortress in detail, they would comb through the remains to better understand its mechanisms.
Just as he couldn't leave the Tower Spirit behind, he couldn't afford that risk either.
"Tell me, does Blackstone appear here often?"
After finalizing the purchase, Lynn asked the apprentice.
"Not at all. In fact, this is the first time the pioneers have ever brought back Light-Absorbing Blackstone," the apprentice replied. Then he held out a hand with a smile.
"Jason Welt. If you'd like, I can keep an eye out for you. Next time you pass through, just bring a few things for me, and I'll set any aside."
"Lynn Kent." Lynn quickly grasped his hand. "Then I'll trouble you, Jason. Just one thing, the price is steep. If there are too many, I may not be able to pay right away."
"No need to worry. Blackstone isn't nearly that common. And even if you can't take them immediately, I'll be here for three months. I'll hold them for you."
Outposts were harsh places; frontier pioneers had every reason to maintain good ties with the transport crews.
It was all within the bounds of accepted, mutually beneficial rules.
"Then thank you," Lynn said, pleased. Alongside his joy, he also felt the pressure of needing to earn more.
As a second-rank Hossens apprentice, he received a monthly stipend of 25 stones. His lodging, meditation chamber's mana supply, and required courses were all free.
For most, such an income was more than enough for a comfortable life.
Many wild wizards, after paying for meditation chambers, would be lucky to have 25 stones left at the end of a month.
And there were also mission rewards like this escort job, which would net Lynn about 100 stones for two months of work, plus side earnings that could easily push his total above 200.
In short, academy apprentices generally lived well.
The only real strain came when paying for specialized courses or knowledge.
But for Lynn, if he factored in cultivating the Blackmoon Spirit Body and the costs of nurturing familiars, that income suddenly felt tight.
After securing the Blackstones, it was nearly time to depart.
When he returned to the Land-Barge, Serena and Leah were already waiting. The latter held a pale-pink flower, asking Serena questions.
Lynn greeted them.
They didn't hide the topic from him, so he listened and soon realized Leah was asking about a spell he himself was currently studying: Green Vine.
He focused on their exchange, quietly gleaning insights.
Truly, the Academy's resources are leagues beyond anything outside.
Soon, the other three returned.
Serena ended the conversation and gathered everyone.
"From here until Outpost Twelve, there will be no more stops.
"The road ahead is far more dangerous. I need everyone on high alert.
"Remember what I wrote in the mission notes: the poisonous lowland, the cliff. Do not let your guard down. Report immediately if anything happens."
"Yes, Lady Serena!" they chorused, boarding the Land-Barge once more.
...
Two days later, they reached the area marked on the map as the Poison Fog Lowland.
This region stood out sharply from the surrounding forest. A pale-green haze lingered in the air, and the plants were curled, barren, and ash-gray, radiating a strange dread.
According to Serena, a powerful Second-Rank frog-beast had once lived here.
Its presence had twisted the local vegetation.
Even after its death and the clean-up by official wizards, the toxic fog it exhaled had not fully dissipated. A thin veil of green mist still lingered.
This remnant of a Second-Rank creature was still deadly.
Ordinary Zero-Ring defensive spells offered little protection. Anyone, even a First-Rank apprentice, wouldn't last a day.
And besides the fog, there were still venomous beasts lurking within.
"…Joel, Theodore, activate your protective bracelets now."
Serena's voice came through the badge.
Inside the cockpit, Lynn sat in the co-pilot's seat, eyes fixed on the hazy green expanse ahead, assisting Leah's driving.
The lowlands were treacherous terrain with almost no visibility; the two of them had to pilot together to avoid disaster.
"Careful, there's a pit ahead to the left. Veer right," Lynn suddenly warned.
Splash
Leah panicked, jerking the controls sharply to the right. The Eight-Limbed Land-Barge lurched, swaying violently as it swerved in a wide arc and narrowly avoided the pit hidden beneath the toxic mist!
The probe module kept feeding back readings: depth 10… 18… finally stabilizing at 22 meters. But that was the limit of the Land-Barge's detection range in the poison fog, not the true depth of the pit.
Some of these holes had been dug out by the beasts that once lived here. Others were scars left from battles between wizards and monsters.
All of it made traversing the lowlands far more difficult.
In the cabin behind them, Rosa woke abruptly from her nap. Serena's voice followed immediately through the badge:
"What happened?"
"S-sorry…" Leah stammered.
"Steep slope ahead, left side. Adjust course," Lynn reminded, before replying over the badge, "Everything's fine. We just avoided a pit, but the turn was a bit sharp."
"Understood. Stay focused," Serena responded.
"Relax," Lynn reassured the girl at his side. "As long as you stay alert, the Barge moves slowly enough that you'll always have time to adjust."
"O-okay." Leah brushed back her golden hair, her pale face flushing slightly with embarrassment.
The poisonous lowlands were vast, and with the reduced speed, it would take them twelve to sixteen hours to cross. Leah was scheduled to handle the first half, Lynn the second.
After his reminder, she steadied.
The journey went smoothly. Six hours later, Lynn took over as main pilot, nudging the speed up a notch.
Eight hours after that, they finally reached the edge of the mist-filled basin. Along the way, they had faced a few scattered monster attacks, but Serena and the others had handled them with ease.
Lynn exhaled, tension loosening. Fourteen hours of sustained concentration, even for a wizard, was exhausting. Still, once they were out of the lowlands, he could rest at last.
Thud
A heavy sound reverberated from beneath the Land-Barge.
Moments later, Lynn felt the machine grow sluggish, increasingly hard to control.
"Lady Serena, the Land-Barge seems to have a malfunction!"
"What kind of malfunction?"
"I'm not entirely sure. It feels like… no, not the controls. Probably the power or energy module. It's gradually losing thrust."
He relayed the problem quickly while guiding the Barge to a slow stop.
"Lynn, is there anything I can do?" Leah asked anxiously.
Behind them, Joel stirred awake, still groggy and confused about what was happening.
"Keep watch on the terrain. Make sure we don't drift into any pits," Lynn ordered grimly.
If the Barge toppled into one of those holes now, it would be disastrous.
Creak… creak… creak…
The Land-Barge slowed rapidly. Its eight legs, once moving with speed and force, faltered and shuddered, jerky and unsteady.
Fortunately, Lynn's deft handling managed to bring it to a controlled stop.
Bang
The Barge went dead. Its eight legs froze in awkward poses, some stretched stiff, some curled, leaving the vessel tilted dangerously to one side.
As it settled, Serena, Rosa, and Theodore dropped down from the railing they had been using topside.
Joel reflexively moved to open the cabin door, but Lynn stopped him.
"The outside is filled with poison fog. We don't have enough protective gear."
The Barge had built-in filtration modules, enough to resist the haze under normal operation. Because of that, each vessel carried only three additional anti-poison devices. Those were all in use by Serena, Rosa, and Theodore outside.
"If the Barge's protections fail, we won't last a day in this fog," Joel muttered, face pale.
Click.
The cabin door suddenly opened from the outside, letting greenish mist surge in.
Their faces tightened until Serena and Rosa stepped in, followed by Theodore.
Serena held out a wristband to Lynn. "These bracelets project a field large enough for two. Stay close."
Behind her, Theodore waved Joel over. "Don't just stand there! This isn't the herbal vapor we used to toy with back in Black Rose City move!"
Lynn wasted no time, strapping on the band and pulling Leah within its shield.
The green mist stopped cold at the barrier's edge.
Leah exhaled in relief, then instinctively edged a little away out of politeness.
Lynn ignored it, keeping his attention on ensuring she stayed inside the protective zone. Thankfully, she was small enough that they both fit comfortably.
"When I came in, I checked. No damage to the hull. The problem must be internal," Serena said as she flipped through a repair manual, her composure unshaken.
"I'll inspect it myself. If it's beyond us, we'll need to call for help. Stay alert."
She and Rosa moved deeper into the vessel to investigate.
"Lady Serena," Lynn spoke up, "may I come as well? I know a fair bit about arraywork. I might be able to help."
She hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Four sets of eyes are better than two."
With a grave nod, Lynn followed them, Leah trailing close behind.
Together, they combed through the interior. Before long, Serena and Rosa found the source of the failure.
At the corner of the lower cargo hold, a crystal flask of corrosive liquid had shattered. Its contents had leaked down, eating into a section of the power module beneath.
"This is bad… not something we can just swap a part to fix," Serena muttered, frowning.
"Should we call for aid?" Rosa asked.
"Of course. But there's another problem," Serena said, brow furrowed.
"We're still deep within the mist. The poison fog in the air may interfere with the transmission. I'll have to fly above the forest canopy to send the signal.
"To pierce the denser layer above, I'll need the protective band. Which means you'll be exposed briefly."
Rosa blinked, then gave a carefree smile. "It's fine. My body's been reinforced. A little contact with poison fog won't kill me."
Serena's expression eased. "Then, no reason to delay. I'll go transmit the signal now."
At that moment, Lynn, who had been studying the corroded module, looked up and said thoughtfully:
"If we have the right materials, I might be able to repair the Land-Barge."
All three turned in surprise, eyes widening slightly.
Lynn's face remained calm as he explained, "Perhaps you're not aware, since you've spent most of your time in the mountains. Before I returned to the academy, I was actually taken in as a student by a wizard of the Golden Shadow, because of my talent in arraycraft."
In a crisis like this, Lynn needed the others to trust him.
Serena's eyes flickered; for the first time, her composed face showed real surprise. She hadn't expected Lynn to be so skilled in magical arrays.
Even Rosa raised her brows in astonishment.
But Serena quickly regained her composure and said gravely:
"In that case, we'll proceed on two fronts. I'll deliver the distress signal, while Lynn stays here and attempts to repair the array.
"Spare materials for the Land-Barge should be in the second deck, north section. Do you need anything else?"
"Not for now," Lynn replied after a moment of thought.
Beside him, Leah tilted her head up to look at him, eyes shimmering with admiration. Though he was only two years older than her, Lynn seemed mature and utterly reliable.
Serena nodded, then, with Rosa's help, carried the massive distress-array up to the Land-Barge's roof.
Taking a deep breath, Serena clasped the device, pouring all her strength into a flight spell. Slowly, with effort, she began to lift it skyward.
She glanced at Rosa, who waved and turned back inside the Barge. Within, the concentration of poisonous mist was lower, and the harm would be less.
Serena refocused her gaze upward, her heart tense.
The Emerald Forest was no place to fly carelessly. The higher you went, the denser the canopy became. Who knew what might lurk within those thick crowns of leaves?
Joel and Theodore, already briefed through the badges, stood outside on guard. They raised their heads, silently praying for her safety.
Serena's figure vanished into the green haze.
Moments later, her voice came through the badge:
"I've broken through the fog, initiating transmission."
The message cut off abruptly. A chill of unease gripped them all.
Joel froze, staring upward. "Why is the fog… moving?"
Theodore lifted his gaze. Above them, the poison mist was swirling, forming a vortex.
As if… something was sucking the toxic vapor in.
And sure enough, through the thinning haze, he spotted it: a bat-like beast, black as night, crouched on a treetop, drinking in the poison mist below!
Directly beneath it, Serena clutched the distress array, carefully concealing herself.
Joel and Theodore felt their scalps go numb. Instinctively, they held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
Any creature that could absorb this poison was no less than a first-tier monster!
They didn't know how long they stood frozen. At last, the bat-beast seemed satisfied and took flight, vanishing into the distance.
The mist below grew noticeably thinner.
Joel and Theodore let out shaky breaths just as Serena's voice returned over the badges:
"The distress array is active. The nearest station, Outpost 10, should already have received our signal.
"Every two hours, the array will continue to broadcast our position until rescue arrives.
"By my estimate, if they send another Land-Barge, it'll take two days. If they dispatch a full wizard, perhaps only half a day."
"Two days… in this fog…" Joel muttered, ready to complain
But Theodore suddenly gasped.
"Careful! Something crept close while we were distracted!"
He hastily threw up a defense spell, eyes sharp with vigilance.
Joel, slower to react, didn't have the chance. From the poison haze behind him, a lizard the size of two men lunged!
In that split second, Joel jolted to life, barely managing to cast a steel armor shield around himself.
CRACK!
The massive lizard's bite shattered the defense like glass.
Its blood-red maw, full of jagged teeth, sank straight into Joel's left thigh!
"AHHH!"
His scream tore through the fog as his leg was bitten clean off at the root. Blood sprayed everywhere.
"Joel! Damn it!!"
Theodore roared, catching his comrade with one arm while hurling a spell with the other.
Zero-Ring, Mid-Tier Explosive Fireball!
A blazing orb of orange shot forth, slamming into the monster's skull!
"Hisss!"
The creature howled, staggering back. Half its face had been blasted into a bloody ruin, but for a beast of its massive size, the wound was little more than a scratch.
The lizard-beast quickly recovered.
"Lady Serena, we're under attack!"
Theodore shouted as he cast a healing spell over Joel.
At last, Joel managed to catch his breath, adding his own healing incantation. Under the effect of the two spells, the blood gushing from his severed thigh finally stopped.
Joel's eyes fixed on the lizard in front of him, filled with burning hatred.
The two were prepared to strike back
Hisshh
The mist churned violently.
From behind the first lizard, more emerged.
They were smaller in size compared to the one leading them, but their numbers were overwhelming. In the space of a heartbeat, over twenty scaly shapes slipped out of the green haze!
The two men froze, horror spreading across their faces.
Just then, Serena descended from the sky. Vines burst upward from the ground, coiling tightly around the foremost lizard.
Whoom!
A deep crimson fireball blossomed in her palm, drifting toward the bound beast. The instant it touched, it detonated, exploding into a mass of roaring flame that swallowed the creature whole!
The lizard thrashed desperately, but Serena's spell wasn't mere Green Vines; it was Iron Vines, a superior Zero-Ring spell of the Hossens Academy!
These specially crafted vines were not only far tougher than their common counterpart, but also resistant to flame, strong enough to withstand the inferno blazing upon them.
Serena ignored the doomed lizard, turning instead to carefully set the distress array atop the Land-Barge.
Such pack-beasts usually scattered once their leader was slain.
Her mana reserves were already running low, and who knew what else awaited them ahead. If fear could drive the rest to flee, that would be best.
Hissss!
But before she could finish placing the array, a larger figure surged out from the rear of the pack.
This lizard was even bigger than the one writhing in fire, its head crowned with a spiraled horn.
It carried the faint trace of draconic blood!
Roaring, it rushed to the burning beast, trying frantically to smother the flames.
But it was no wizard, and this fire was no ordinary flame. It had no way to extinguish it.
The horned lizard let out a furious roar.
Seizing the moment, Serena lashed her Iron Vines at it, intent on roasting another.
But the beast had been wary of her all along. With a sudden leap, it sprang back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
At that moment, the burning lizard finally collapsed, dead.
The horned lizard bellowed in grief and fury, but instead of charging, it retreated into the mist, waiting for its chance to strike.
Serena's expression darkened.
"This is trouble…"
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