Chapter 162 - 001: Time Suspension

Chapter 162: 001: Time Suspension

“Crackle!” A sharp sound reminiscent of an electric current igniting.

The tranquil space twisted for a moment, as though burned paper scraps materialized out of thin air, forming a ’door’ roughly two meters in diameter, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

Through this door, one could faintly make out the image of the laboratory on the other side.

Somda said, “Step through here, and you’ll be back in the laboratory.”

After pausing, he emphasized, “Once you leave, don’t go around talking about my research. Many things here are not exactly in compliance, and getting involved in unnecessary trouble is best avoided.”

Lynch asked with a hint of doubt, “Not in compliance?”

He hadn’t noticed anything he learned here being forbidden by the Tower.

Somda replied, “It’s not something I can explain in a few words. What you need to understand is that the world is vast, very vast. Organizations like the Shadow Tower are merely a tiny part of it; their rules only hold sway over this particular land.”

“In the broader world, in higher-level knowledge, there exist greater rules to govern things—rules you’re currently not in a position to encounter.”

“Only when your strength reaches a certain level will the world unfold before your eyes.”

So that’s how it is…

Lynch nodded, “I understand, Mentor.”

Somda said, “Alright then, go ahead and leave. And remember what I told you.”

“Understood.”

Lynch turned and stepped into the twisted door, his figure quickly vanishing from the warped space.

Somda watched the direction of his departure, his aged eyes rippling with faint emotion.

He sighed and said, “What an outstanding apprentice—dedicated, tenacious, endlessly curious about this world. With such a spirit of inquiry, he’s bound to make achievements in the domain of magic sooner or later.”

“Don’t you think so, Baric?”

The void in the space rippled palpably, and an eye suddenly opened in the high air.

A deep voice reverberated through the space, “So, are you planning to cultivate him? To let him complete the rest of the research in your stead?”

“It’s merely a contingency plan.” Somda shook his head.

“Even I am not certain I can find concrete answers. To pass the research to someone else, to pin my hopes on an apprentice—it would be unfair to him and would also be an act of gross irresponsibility.”

“We cannot rely on others to finish our work for us.”

The eye in the sky blinked, “I have to say, though, this apprentice is rather exceptional. He may lack the talent you possess, but he certainly doesn’t fall short in the qualities and spirit of a wizard. Give him enough time, and he’ll undoubtedly become a remarkable wizard—worth nurturing.”

Somda said, “I won’t deny the possibility. But the time needed for that would be far too long, and isn’t time precisely what we don’t have right now?”

“I’ll depend on myself.”

“Of course…”

Somda fixed his gaze on the direction where Lynch had departed, “I’ve already framed fundamental knowledge for the boy. If he truly is a qualified successor, he’ll surely follow the framework I’ve drawn to delve deeper and eventually reach where I am now.”

“By that time, if my own time has run out, then you can pass on what I’ve accumulated to him and let him carry on my research.”

The eye in the sky questioned, “And if he can’t?”

Somda said, “Then we keep waiting. Rules are eternal and immutable. Regardless of who it is, anyone researching this field of knowledge will inevitably arrive here in due course…”

…

The Shadow Tower, Somda Laboratory.

“Finally back!”

Stepping out of the Space Gate, Lynch let out a long sigh of relief. He never imagined that what started as a simple errand to retrieve some items would end in such an unexpected twist.

How long had he been trapped in that peculiar space? Surely Subaru and the others had already graduated? Had his disappearance sparked an investigation at the Tower? Had anyone been looking for him?

His mind wandered chaotically as he glanced around the interior of the laboratory.

At a glance, he froze.

“Huh?”

“Why does it feel… unchanged?”

Wearing a strange expression, Lynch surveyed the laboratory in front of him. He had expected that after such a long time with no one maintaining the room, it would have at least accumulated a thick layer of dust. Yet everywhere was clean, completely identical to how he had left it.

“Tick-tock! Tick-tock!” The sound of time flowing came from the clocks hanging on the walls.

Previously paused clocks were now moving once more.

Lynch raised his head and looked at the wall, and after just one glance, he was utterly dumbfounded.

“How could it be…”

“How could time not have changed at all?”

The time on the walls was exactly the same as when he entered—unchanged by even a fraction of a second. The moment he stepped in was the same as the moment he stepped out.

“No way…”

In disbelief, Lynch hurried to the window and glanced downward. He saw the open area in front of the Shadow Tower’s grounds, where a bonfire was burning and a group of apprentices in cloaks and pointed hats were dancing around it with brooms in hand.

Lynch froze, murmuring, “So it’s true…”

When he arrived at the laboratory, it had been a minor traditional festival celebrated by wizards known as the ’Full Moon Gathering.’ He’d seen apprentices gathering at the Tower front, dancing around a bonfire. If several years had truly passed, that group wouldn’t still be there—in the same attire, no less.

“Time really hasn’t moved at all?”

Lynch was stunned.

If this was true, it was genuinely terrifying.

Suddenly, he began to comprehend why Somda had specifically warned him not to casually reveal the knowledge he had gained here. Such a technique capable of warping time was clearly not of an ordinary caliber.

He contemplated returning to find Wizard Somda to confirm and get clarity on the matter. Yet, he recalled Somda’s explicit instructions not to attempt re-entering the laboratory after leaving, as it might cause the newly-repaired Space Gate to malfunction again.

Furthermore, Somda had deliberately partitioned the Space Gate. Even if Lynch wanted to return now, it was no longer possible.

“Never mind, I’ll figure it out later.”

Shaking his head, Lynch gave up his plan of chasing down answers for now and turned to leave the laboratory.

While inside the laboratory, he had only speculated; but now, after interacting with others, that speculation vanished entirely. It was certain: from the moment he entered the laboratory to now, time hadn’t moved an inch.

To confirm, he even sought out Subaru next door to verify the date. It was indeed the same day as when they’d parted ways at the Fairy Tavern a short while ago.

It was downright eerie.

Even though he’d spent a considerable amount of time in that strange space, the outside world remained utterly unaffected.

Were it not for his genuine improvement in strength, he might have believed everything that happened was nothing more than a drunken hallucination.

’If time didn’t pass, then so be it!’

Suddenly, Lynch remembered that if time truly hadn’t changed, then he could still make it to his sister’s wedding!

If that was the case, then he’d stick to the original plan!

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