Lynn walked out of the underground chamber, but he did not feel at ease.
Only when he sat inside Elena's carriage, rode with her to the Guard Post, and passed through the warding array at the entrance, confirming that Lyman had not left anything hidden on him, did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
It seemed Lyman really had let him go.
"Finished with your work already?"
Elena noticed the change in him and asked.
Lynn nodded, exhaled, then gathered himself and said:
"Starting tomorrow, I can begin work on building the Lambiel Skiff."
"Tomorrow? You're planning to rest tonight?"
Lynn shook his head and, without hiding it, calmly explained:
"If all goes as expected, after tonight, I'll be able to advance to a Second-Rank Apprentice."
The Hossens Apprentice Meditation Method, mastered to the level of Great Accomplishment, was astonishingly effective. Coupled with his move to a new home where the concentration of magical energy was far higher after becoming a First-Tier member, it was as if a meditation master had started training anew under superior resources. Very quickly, he had touched the threshold of advancement.
"Advance…?" Elena's surprise was obvious.
Lynn didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked:
"Are the materials ready?"
"Most of them," Elena replied, before adding, "And congratulations on your upcoming advancement, Lynn."
"Thank you." Lynn nodded, unsurprised.
Though he had been buried in work these past days, he had still heard bits and pieces about Elena.
Several apprentices long involved in slave trafficking had "accidentally" abducted one of her personal maids…
Shortly afterward, Elena came knocking. In the course of investigating, she found those apprentices had broken several old rules laid down by the Hossens School regarding slave-trading.
As a result, the apprentices lost their lives. Elena inherited the majority of their wealth, while the Guard Post claimed the rest.
"What's still missing?" Lynn pressed.
"A few Lanveined Gems," Elena said. "With trade between the Hossens Domain and the outside cut off, many non-essential resources are scarce.
"I've asked every apprentice I know and combed through every merchants' guild, but not a single Lanveined Gem."
Lanveined Gems were a high-grade energy storage material, frequently used in advanced arrays or energy-hungry magical constructs like flying artifacts.
Lynn frowned. That was a key material.
He thought for a moment and then recalled the power units he had been crafting these past weeks.
Could I, like the Golden Shadow, design a module composed purely of basic power units to fuel the skiff?
The main ingredient for basic power units was high-quality crystals, which were much easier to obtain.
But the catch was that designing such a module fit for a skiff was extraordinarily difficult.
While he had "completed" the energy systems for the Wizard Tower's flight module, in truth, he had only copied Lyman's schematics by rote.
He had gained some insight through the process, but it was only fragments far from the whole picture.
"Tomorrow, I'll ask around the Golden Shadow Society, see if anyone can get Lanveined Gems.
"If not, we'll just have to gather more high-quality crystals instead."
That was Lynn's final word.
...
Late at night.
Inside the meditation chamber, Lynn was in the midst of advancing.
He focused with all his concentration, carefully guiding his spiritual power to add new structures to his existing meditation rune.
If the rune from before was merely a foundation, now Lynn was building the framework of a house upon it.
The process was complex and difficult, yet with the blessing of a Great Accomplishment-level meditation method, he handled it with ease.
By the time dawn broke, Lynn slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath.
He turned his head toward the sheet of draft paper on his desk and focused his mind.
A moment later, one corner of the paper shifted ever so slightly.
Lynn's lips curved upward.
For one's will to touch the physical world, this was a clear sign of a strengthened spirit.
He had successfully advanced to a Second-Rank Apprentice!
Unfortunately, there's little time to learn new spells.
Back when his work had not yet concluded, Lynn had already exchanged his Golden Shadow Society contribution points for spells suitable for a Second-Rank Apprentice.
They were: Wind Shield, Zero-Circle Standard Fireball, Tailwind, and a healing spell, Accelerated Healing.
Apart from the new healing spell, the others were simply upgraded versions of spells he already knew.
This made the learning process far easier, something most apprentices deliberately chose when expanding their spell repertoire.
Even if I don't learn entirely new spells right now, my Lesser Tailwind and Minor Wind Shield should reach the level of standard Zero-Circle intermediate spells after this advancement. As for Lesser Fireball, it may still lag somewhat, but its power should definitely improve.
The idea that spells grew stronger as one advanced was not difficult to grasp.
In essence, it was simply the difference between standard output and overcharged output.
As a Third-Rank Apprentice, Lynn had cast Zero-Circle lower spells at standard output. But now, as a Second-Rank Apprentice, he could channel them with surplus energy.
That surplus translated directly into extreme potency, whereas standard output remained ordinary.
Some spells, however, had unusually high potential when overcharged.
Take Mind Shock, for example. In the hands of a Third-Rank Apprentice, it carried only the force of a lower Zero-Circle spell. But in the hands of a First-Rank Wizard, its power could rival a First-Circle spell.
Such spells were known as general-purpose spells; their potential range was vast, and once mastered, they could serve a wizard for a very long time without needing replacement.
Of course, these general-purpose spells had their drawbacks. They were usually simple in structure and therefore limited in effect. They also tended to use magical power less efficiently.
...
The next day, Lynn began formally working on the Lambiel Skiff.
Thanks to his multiple rounds of Insight, he had already reached a proficient level, and so the crafting proceeded smoothly with little trouble.
Aside from the missing Lanveined Gems, everything progressed steadily.
At his current pace, in three weeks the skiff would be complete.
Meanwhile, rumors that war might break out between the Hossens and Herland schools finally spread through Emeraldwood City.
The atmosphere of the entire city grew noticeably tense.
Many Society members came to visit Lynn, hoping to glean news from him.
But Lynn declined most of them, using his "duties for the Golden Shadow Wizard" as an excuse.
A sword kept hanging overhead loses its power to intimidate.
At first, members came frequently, fearful and restless. But within a week, the visits dropped sharply.
It was the same for other rogue apprentices in the city.
Since there was no way to leave Emeraldshadow Forest, most simply continued with their daily lives as best they could.
Some capable First-Rank rogue apprentices began holding secret meetings, debating whether to attempt an escape.
But given their status in the city and their lack of reliable information, such discussions rarely went anywhere.
One notable development was that the Golden Shadow Wizard made a rare appearance in the Society.
He delivered a short speech, declaring Hossen's inevitable victory and dismissing Herland as nothing but "chickens and dogs."
Lynn sneered inwardly at the words, all the while pushing the skiff's construction even faster.
By the time his progress passed the halfway mark, the New Year of the Guern World arrived.
And with it, Lynn faced something far grimmer.
Old Carter, it seemed, had reached the end of her life.
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