''That''s what I do.'' Lith lied through his brain cells while he opened a backchannel with Solus. ''What voices is he talking about? More importantly, are you okay?''


    ''My guess is that the Void usually takes care of them for you but it doesn''t give a damn about ddy. Don''t worry about me, I''m peachy. The Void likes me so I''m not hearing anything but the thoughts of you two guys.


    ''Now please be quiet. I must study our surroundings, ry your thoughts to dion, and make sure that my voice sounds like yours.'' She replied.


    The mind link allowed the two men to coordinate their movements and so they started their advance toward the Golden Griffon. dion had them take a roundabout route, passing through allndmarks that could hide them even for just a few seconds.


    Blindside wasn''t invisibility and people on active patrol would soon notice that there was something wrong with their perception. If the group remained in the open for too long and a guard focused on them, the bloodline ability would fail to hide them.


    By getting out of sight, dion resetted Blidside''s effectiveness, and the guards immediately forgot about the itch on the back of their skull. At the same time, Ka used the Eyes of Menadion to study the protective arrays of the lost academy and how not to trigger them.


    ''We are lucky that Thrud''s soldiers are solely on the lookout for an invading army or we would''ve already failed our mission.'' dion said once they reached the unmanned main gate of the external walls. ''From so close, an Awakened with Life Vision would spot us anyway.''


    ''It''s not a matter of luck.'' Lith inwardly shook his head to not break dion''s neck. ''The Kingdom''s attack left a skeleton crew and even if it didn''t, without the cloaking rings we''d be discovered in a matter of seconds and enved in hours.


    ''There is simply no need for guards because Thrud can''t n for a weakness she''s not aware of. Speaking of weaknesses and unawareness are we sure that the Golden Griffoncks the mana draining array of the six great academies?


    ''Otherwise we''ll be dead as soon as we cast a spell.'' As an alumnus and an ex-assistant Professor of the White Griffon, Lith knew that the uniform students and staff wore also worked as a security badge.


    Anyone without one inside the academy would be perceived as an enemy and their mana sucked dry to death or captured ording to the Headmaster''s wishes.


    ''Positive.'' Ka handed Lith and dion the Eyes. ''I''m making the arrays of the White Griffon ovep with those of the Golden Griffon to spot any modification to the original blueprint that Thrud might have made.


    ''As you can see, the mana draining array is supposed to rece the Unwavering Loyalty.''


    ''It makes sense.'' dion replied. ''The academies wouldn''t employ Forbidden Magic and if not for the betrayal of the Undead Courts of the past, the two arrays would be just as wless. I wish I could make something like that for Lightkeep.''


    He returned the Eyes to Ka and moved inside the Gardens of Madness, finding them empty. None of their senses, be they regr or mystical, could find any trace of more guards or magical beasts.


    ''Fuck me sideways!'' Yet the surprises were far from over.


    Mana sense perceived that many flowers, trees, and even fruits surrounding the invading party had already developed a mana flow of their own and were turning into natural treasures at an unnatural speed.


    ''How is this possible? Even a mana geyser isn''t enough to achieve so much in such a little time. Back during ourst visit, this was a regr garden.'' Lith wanted to add that not even the tower''s Greenhouse was so effective, but dion was still part of the link.


    ''This forest is Awakened just like the one surrounding the White Griffon, Scourge.'' Ka replied after sniffing the air. ''Probably you missed it before because the security arrays cut the academy from most of the power of the geyser.


    ''You have no idea how quickly natural resources form there. If not for everyone taking a piece of it, in a year you''d have enough to fill a treasure room.''


    ''How?'' Lith refused to believe that any academy could outshine Menadion''s tower.


    ''My guess is that the prolonged exposure to the world energy made every tree, flower, and de of grass partially enchanted.'' Solus replied. ''Just like a mage can pass down their talent for magic so do the nts.


    ''Our Greenhouse has formed only recently and its flora isprised of regr nts, instead. The only magical nts are those we entrusted Raaz and they are creating more, but he started with one of each whereas this is a damn forest.''


    ''It never rains, it pours, huh?'' Lith clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    ''You''ll have the right to makeparisons once the tower umtes a millennium''s worth of world energy as well or at least goes back to its full power, jackass.'' The tower was a part of her so Solus took the offense personally.


    ''No academy has a crystal mine or a source of enchanted metal, yet I don''t hear you belittling the Golden Griffon for that.''


    ''I''m sorry, Solus.'' Lith avoided shifting the me on his draconic side, knowing that she wouldn''t buy it and get even angrier.


    ''You better be.'' She telepathically pouted, looking more adorable than menacing. ''Now let''s go and don''t even think about taking souvenirs. This forest is still part of the academy and even if the rings keep Hystar from feeling our presence, he may still be able to perceive a change in his inventory like I can.''


    ''Thanks, Solus. You are the best.'' Lith had already been eyeing the most promising natural treasures, but her warning snapped him out of it.


    He was greedy, not stupid.


    The Gardens of Madness were now well-tended and extended far beyond what Lith could remember. Being incapable of flight to not get spotted and due to the thickness of the forest, it would take an intruder days just to get out of it.


    If they didn''t have a map, of course.


    ''Let''s see.'' Ka took out the parchment from one of her pockets and unrolled it.


    Now that they were inside, the nk surface of the scroll had be covered in ck lines that outlined the area of the Gardens around them and pointed at its exits. A red dot marked with "You are here" made it easy for them to find their way around.


    ''This is amazing!'' She and dion thought in unison.


    ''This is awful!'' Lith begged to differ. ''The position of the guards is not marked and the only named rooms are those immediately adjacent to the forest. Even worse, there''s no way to browse through the different floors on the map and find the power core.''


    ''What did you expect?'' Ka sneered at him. ''It would take a sentient artifact or at least something with a power core to do that. The Undead Courts did an incredible job considering the magical knowledge of their time.


    ''This is an old ass relic, not a modern artifact.''