Chapter 63: Return to the Academy

“Two months ago, I nearly lost my life to the Fanged Bloodshadow during a voyage on the great ship, and now, in the blink of an eye, I’ve actually become one of its members…” Lin Wei was struck by the caprice of fate.

“Mr. Gres, I have another question,” Lin Wei suddenly said.

“Go ahead.” Gres crossed his arms, paying no mind.

Lin Wei frowned slightly. “A complete Holy Pearl is much more powerful than a fragment, right? If that’s the case, why haven’t the twelve wizard academies fallen into open conflict? Shouldn’t everyone be coveting each other’s fragments? And yet, they’ve even formed the League of Wizard Academies.”

Gres smiled. “Not coveting them? How could that be? Why else do you think there’s a division between black and white wizards? Do you really believe it’s just a matter of their respective codes of conduct?”

“Hm?” Lin Wei was momentarily taken aback.

Gres sighed. “Ever since the founding of the wizard academies, there’s been endless intrigue and strife. The twists and turns are far too many to recount. But because the power of the Holy Pearl fragments is so evenly distributed, no one faction has ever dominated, and the fragments have never been reassembled.”

“Reassembling the Holy Pearl…” Lin Wei seemed to realize something. He looked into Gres’s eyes. “Lord Gres, what is the purpose and meaning of our existence in the Fanged Bloodshadow?”

“It’s exactly as you suspect.” Gres seemed to understand Lin Wei’s thoughts perfectly.

Lin Wei fell silent for a moment and then asked, as if to confirm, “To gather all twelve fragments and reassemble them?”

Gres gave a noncommittal smile, but through his mask, only the faint curve of his eyes could be seen.

“You should go now, return to the Shadowed Forest. If anything comes up, someone will contact you,” Gres said. “Stay in the Shadowed Forest for now. At least until the time of the Holy Pearl fragment offering, you’ll be safe.”

“When will the offering take place?” Lin Wei needed to confirm his situation further.

“In half a year, perhaps a year. It can’t be determined exactly. When the time comes, the dean of Shadowed Forest and several other elders will descend upon the ‘Tower’ and use their bloodline to initiate the offering.” Gres did his best to explain things clearly.

“Bloodline…” Lin Wei murmured to himself.

Gres nodded. “Exactly. They are all descendants of the first deans and elders. Through their bloodline, they’re recognized by the Holy Pearl fragments. Oh, and make sure you study Mutagenesis thoroughly. Once you leave the Shadowed Forest, it will help you earn greater favor from the Fanged Bloodshadow.”

Lin Wei pondered Gres’s words and thanked him quietly.

“What about them?” Lin Wei glanced at the three who seemed lost in an illusion, then looked back at Gres.

Gres gazed deeply at Filinsoya and replied, “I’ll lift the spell soon—they’ll forget everything that happened just now.”

“Since the Fanged Bloodshadow has spies in the Shadowed Forest, you must be well-informed about Filinsoya, right? A fifth-rank wizard apprentice—if she grows, she’ll inevitably become a threat to the Fanged Bloodshadow. Why not take this chance to eliminate her?” Lin Wei’s gaze was loaded with meaning; he made no effort to hide his intent to use Gres as a means to rid himself of Filinsoya.

He had already guessed that the meditation method Filinsoya practiced was the Celestial Trajectory, closely linked to his own Shadow of Holy Light. If it ever came to light that he possessed the Shadow of Holy Light, he’d be doomed.

Lin Wei had long contemplated eliminating Filinsoya. Even when facing the Stonefang, he’d considered stabbing her in the back, but the urgency of the moment had forced him to abandon the idea.

“I don’t know why you want to kill this girl, but I’d advise you not to act rashly,” Gres said, a trace of unease flickering in his eyes. “Behind her, there may be… that person.”

“That person?” Lin Wei sensed another secret.

“Someone even the Alliance of Wizard Academies dares not offend lightly…” Gres left the rest unsaid.

Lin Wei’s mind raced, thoughts whirling as he pondered. “A girl able to practice the Celestial Trajectory… clearly, she’s no ordinary apprentice…”

Suddenly, with a sharp flutter, the black monstrous bird perched on Gres’s shoulder took flight, swelling from the size of a palm to a giant beast with a ten-meter wingspan in an instant. It beat its wings, exuding a chilling, ghostly aura. Its crimson eyes flickered with ferocious intent.

Gres leapt onto its back.

“I look forward to our next meeting,” he said with a light laugh.

The black bird let out a piercing cry, carrying Gres as it circled into the sky and quickly vanished from sight.

“Shadowed Forest… Fanged Bloodshadow…” Lin Wei gazed upward, murmuring to himself.

“Lin Wei! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and find the way back!” Qisen’s voice called from behind him.

Lin Wei studied the three carefully—it was obvious they had no recollection of their brief entrapment in an illusion.

“No rush. We’re not far from the edge of the map. We’ll find our way soon,” Lin Wei said lightly, as if nothing at all had happened.

“Don’t forget, our task isn’t finished—we still need to collect three pairs of Ironwing Hawk eyes,” Setoli reminded them.

…

A day later.

The western gate of the Shadowed Forest.

“We’re finally back!”

Qisen plopped down on the ground, his wizard’s robe in tatters, all semblance of an apprentice’s dignity gone.

Setoli and Filinsoya also breathed sighs of relief. Though no one had died on their first assignment outside the academy, they had truly skirted the edge between life and death.

“Lin Wei.” Filinsoya walked over and looked Lin Wei straight in the eye, her gaze unwavering. “Thank you for saving me during the battle with the Stonefang.”

Lin Wei smiled faintly. “Actually, even if I hadn’t blocked that blow, you probably could have dodged it yourself.”

“Regardless, I still want to thank you,” Filinsoya replied, her eyes brimming with a special emotion.

Setoli and Qisen exchanged glances, a subtle understanding passing between them.

“Qisen, hurry up and get the temporary key for the gate,” Setoli grumbled.

With Qisen’s efforts, the gray electric current parted, revealing an opening.

Lin Wei looked up at the towering gateway, and for a moment, it seemed like a gaping, bloody maw waiting to swallow him whole.

“Lin Wei, come on! The key only works for a limited time!” Setoli urged.

Lin Wei lowered his head, a faint smile curving his lips. “Coming.”