Chapter 141: Cetori's Request

Noritz took the small gray mouse from Lin Wei's hand.

"It really succeeded..."

Noritz channeled his psychic energy into the mouse's body. He could feel the creature's life force rekindling, like a withered tree sprouting anew.

*Whoosh!*

A ball of flame erupted from Noritz's palm, and the small mouse in his hand instantly turned to ash.

"Very good. Truly worthy of being Silas's prized student, a genius of biological mutation."

Noritz's tone was filled with admiration.

"You are too kind, My Lord."

Lin Wei bowed slightly.

"You have passed the test," Noritz announced. "From now on, you may take over the unfinished work of your mentor, Silas."

"Lord Noritz... what exactly was the experiment that my teacher left unfinished?" Lin Wei asked, his brow furrowed as he looked at Noritz.

"I cannot tell you yet." Noritz offered a stiff smile. "When you return here in ten days, you will know."

Although puzzled, Lin Wei did not press the matter further.

Noritz reached into his waistband, pulled out the noodle-shaped candle he had shown earlier, and handed it to Lin Wei. "Return in ten days, and be sure to bring this candle with you."

"Yes, My Lord." Lin Wei accepted it with both hands.

"You should know how to use the candle; a simple flame is all that is needed to light it," Noritz added as a reminder.

Lin Wei nodded, indicating that he had committed it to memory.

"Very well, you may go." Noritz issued his dismissal.

"Yes, My Lord." Lin Wei bowed again and slowly opened the door.

"Wait!"

Noritz seemed to have thought of something else; his voice came again.

"Yes?" Lin Wei turned around, looking at Noritz with an inquiring gaze.

"When you go up the stairs, remember to walk backward. Do not turn around under any circumstances until you have left the 'Tower'."

Noritz’s voice carried a note of caution and wariness. "Also, do not let anyone know what you did today, or you might... die."

"Yes."

Lin Wei gave Noritz a long, searching look before backing out.

...

It was nearly noon. The scorching sun filtered through the mottled branches, casting shadows upon the ground.

"Something big seems to be brewing..."

Lin Wei walked along the academy path, lost in thought ever since he had emerged from the 'Tower'.

"Igniting life energy—what kind of experiment requires such a step?" Lin Wei quickly searched his memories. "There don't seem to be many... this experimental step is practically useless. Even if you reignite the test subject's life energy, it burns out very quickly."

"Forget it, no use dwelling on it for now. I should head to Lorna's office to retrieve the spell models and the essential knowledge of psychic sorcery. I'll mention this to him as well and see if he has any theories..."

Having made up his mind, Lin Wei headed toward Lorna's office.

"Lin Wei!"

Suddenly, a female voice called out to him.

"Satori?" Lin Wei turned his head.

It was Satori, the senior student from the year above him, who had been his partner during his first mission.

"Lin Wei, it really is you!"

Satori, clutching a few thick books, hurried over to him.

The drastic changes in Lin Wei's appearance made Satori hesitate to recognize him at first. If they hadn't fought side-by-side and faced life-and-death situations together, she might have truly mistaken him for someone else.

"When did you return to the academy?" Satori asked.

"A few days ago."

Lin Wei then recounted his journey from the Layton Kingdom to the battlefield at Lake Segave.

"War, it’s truly brutal..." Satori pursed her lips. "Remember Lilystin, who was flirting with you, and Phenil, who kept causing trouble? They both died in the war... even Chisen lost a leg."

Lin Wei was, of course, already aware of Lilystin and Phenil's deaths; in fact, he had indirectly orchestrated those outcomes.

"What about Felinsoya?" Lin Wei suddenly thought of the girl he had never been able to read clearly.

"She returned to the West Coast."

Satori's words caught Lin Wei by surprise. Subconsciously, he thought of the girl named Sayle he had seen in Banzani's dream—who looked almost identical to Felinsoya—who was also about to return to the West Coast when she parted ways with Banzani.

"Why did she go back?"

Lin Wei felt there was a connection between the two.

"It seems she went to visit an elder in her family," Satori explained.

"Visit an elder?" Lin Wei’s tone was filled with doubt.

Felinsoya's behavior seemed highly irregular to him. Generally, students who came to the Wizard Academy from mortal lands rarely returned home during their golden years of study. Many even severed ties with their mortal families entirely.

Furthermore, there was another point that didn't sit right with Lin Wei. Now that the Wizard Academy Alliance had just ended the war against the Fangs of Bloodshadow, in such a sensitive period, could a mere wizard apprentice just decide to go home? And how would she even return, given the vast ocean separating the central region of the Starlight Continent from the West Coast?

In a flash, Lin Wei recalled what Gries had once warned him.

"Behind her... there may be the shadow of that person..."

"Someone that even Gries has to be wary of..." Lin Wei felt that the situation on the Starlight Continent was becoming increasingly blurred. "Felinsoya, who exactly are you..."

"Lin Wei?"

Seeing Lin Wei lost in thought, Satori called out softly.

"Apologies, I was thinking about something." Lin Wei snapped back to reality. "I need to go to my new mentor's office, so I'll be going now."

Satori opened her mouth as if she wanted to say more, but then shrugged. "Alright, let's talk again when we have the chance."

Watching Lin Wei’s retreating figure, a flash of hesitation crossed Satori's eyes, as if she were struggling with a difficult decision. Suddenly, her expression hardened, and she hurried forward a few steps.

"Lin Wei!" Satori caught up to him again.

"Yes? Is something the matter?" Lin Wei asked.

"Could you accompany me back to my family's estate?" Satori said with some hesitation. "My family is nearby, not far from the Shadow Forest."

"Why?" Lin Wei countered.

Satori gave a slightly awkward smile. "Well... yes, there is an experiment in my family that has never succeeded, and I was hoping you could help me... don't worry, there will be a reward that you'll be satisfied with..."

Lin Wei stared into Satori's eyes, making her feel uneasy. She bit the bullet and held his gaze.

"Alright."

Just when Satori thought she would be rejected, Lin Wei suddenly agreed.

"Thank you..." Satori quickly bowed to thank him. "The time will be in three days; I will come find you then."

Before Lin Wei could say anything, Satori hurried away, as if trying to hide or evade something.

"I'm sorry, Lin Wei. Everything I’m doing is for the sake of the family..."

As she turned away, the look of deep guilt in her eyes was quickly replaced by determination.

"Satori..." Lin Wei watched her back, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You're lying."