Chapter 153: 028: More than just good luck
Bike sighed, âIâm afraid next time we meet, Iâll have to address you as Sir, wonât I?â
The High-level Apprentice tier in Shadow Tower already represents a group with potential statusâafter all, reaching this level means being just one step away from completing the ultimate transformation as an apprentice and joining those who truly wield power.
Lynch modestly smiled, âItâs just a matter of luck.â
Bike shook his head, âItâs not just luck.â
âAs an Immortal Species, Iâve been here for countless years and have observed numerous apprentices. Some came from nobler backgrounds than you, some had exceptional talents greater than yours, and others were so much smarter.â
âBut to be honest, youâre the most persevering one Iâve ever seen.â
Bike exclaimed, âSometimes I even wonder whether youâre actually an alchemy machine disguised as a human, fueling yourself with a magic crystal to keep running endlessly. Donât you ever get tired?â
Lynch was speechless: âThat comparison is anything but friendly.â
After a pause, he admitted frankly, âIâm simply interested in knowledge, and I love magic. Thatâs all.â
This was the truth.
Others cultivate for powerful strength or to live longer. Lynch, of course, shared these motives, but beyond that, it was primarily out of love.
A pure love for understanding mysterious knowledge, a fondness for the wondrous magic built upon such mysteries.
Bike replied, âWouldnât that be considered a type of talent? No, more accurately⊠this is actually the most precious talent a wizard can possess.â
âI hope you can hold onto it; itâs the key to traveling farther along the Wizardâs Road.â
Lynch nodded, âUnderstood.â
After a pause, Lynch continued, âDid they reassign you here again?â
Bike shook his head, âNot yet. Before the Blood MoonâŠâ
At this point, Bike seemed to realize something and didnât continue his sentence.
He added, âThe Towerâs trial zone has been expanded, and I was sent back to recruit more manpower. Otherwise, itâs impossible to manage everything.â
Lynch raised an eyebrow. Blood Moon? What is it?
Recently, this term seemed to surface frequently. Rumors surrounding it were stirring all sorts of speculation within the Tower.
Some said it foretold a disaster; others claimed it meant war with the Black Wizards; still, others suggested it was some kind of opportunity.
Almost everywhere, Tower apprentices discussed the term, but no one could offer a definitive explanation of what it really meant.
Lynch even tried researching it in the library but found nothing useful. Frankie told him outright that this part of the content had been erased from the Silver Key Library. To know more specifics, access to the Golden Key Library was necessary.
Golden Key LibraryâŠ
Thatâs the Towerâs highest-level library, storing the Shadow Towerâs most critical knowledge, the most secretive materialsâessentially, its core of cores.
Basic entry requirements include at least Wizard-level strength, and reportedly, a slew of other regulations. Even among wizards, hardly anyone has permission to enterâŠ
Lynch asked, âThe Blood Moon you mentioned earlierâis that the Crimson Moon? It seems to be a hot topic lately.â
Bike shook his head, âSorry, thereâs a Tower restrictionâI canât say much about this. All I can tell you is that itâs a millennial cycle, something this land must undergo every thousand years, unavoidable by anyoneâŠâ
âFor the specifics, wait for the Towerâs official disclosure. Thereâs not much time left in the thousand-year cycle. If youâre determined to learn early, ask your mentor.â
You think I wouldnât want to?
When it came to this point, Lynch couldnât help feeling resigned. He had known from the beginning that Wizard Somda wasnât someone who enjoyed guiding apprentices. He was aware that opportunities for interaction under Somdaâs tutelage were rare.
But Lynch truly hadnât anticipated thisâa complete absence of contact!
Yes,
In the entire decade since Lynch became his apprentice, aside from the initial day of apprenticeship, a brief meeting, and an exchange of a few wordsâŠ
He had never seen him again.
Ten full years!
If it werenât for the exceptional memory granted by the Spirit Attribute common to Transcendents, Lynch probably wouldnât even recall what his mentor looked like.
Spirit Coefficients bring numerous extraordinary effects, and enhanced memory is one of them. The higher oneâs Spirit Coefficient, the stronger their memory. While an ordinary mortal might struggle to recollect ten-year-old memories, a Transcendent could effortlessly recall images from a decade ago.
Memory serves as a perception-based measure of time for living beings. Often, the sense of time passing slowly for mortals is judged based on gradually fading memories. For Transcendents, time flows slower largely due to the slower fading of memories tied to their perception of time.
Lynch responded, âAlright.â
Failing to draw out any valuable information, Lynch decided against pressing further. If he was still curious, he could perhaps ask Graham the next time they crossed pathsâthat guy was always well-informedâthough lately, Grahamâs whereabouts were unknownâŠ
âŠ
After completing the task assignment, Lynch headed to the Fairy Tavern, where he had plans to meet Subaru and the others.
Unlike Lynch, an inner Netta Apprentice, Subaru and Carl were both pushing thirty years old yet hadnât found an opportunity to enter Netta. Soon enough, both would face eventual departures from the Tower.
Lynch valued his two friends, often attempting to find ways to help them enter the Tower, but always to no availâslots for Netta Apprentices were heavily restricted, and entry channels exceedingly scarce.
This parting meant dispersal to distant corners of the world, making future reunions incredibly challenging. So lately, theyâd been meeting more frequently, arranging gatherings, meals, and catching up. Though Lynch generally disliked social gatherings, he mostly attended their invitations.
âCaw! Caw!â
Just as he stepped out of the task zone, he heard a dry croaking sound overhead.
Lynch looked up to see a raven gliding through the sky above, quickly landing on a flower bed beside the road.
âMr. Lynch Valen, you have a registered letter.â
The raven greeted Lynch politely before retrieving a letter from its jet-black feathers to hand over.
âThank you.â
Lynch accepted the letter and examined it.
It was an uncommon third-edition magic envelope. This type of envelope featured long-term preservation capabilities in non-magical environments, though its crafting was complicated and costly. Hence, it wasnât often used in the Wizard Worldâmore frequently by wizards for communication with the mortal nobles of the Human World.
âA letter from the Human World? And addressed to me?â
âWho could it be from?â
With a mix of curiosity and doubt, Lynch opened the letterâŠ
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