Chapter 98


    “Hey, I’m heading to the Abyss tomorrow,” Ido repeated.


    “Ah, may the winds be at your back,” Lynn replied.


    <em>Winds at my back?</em> Ido mused, chewing on this unfamiliar phrase.


    It strangely resonated with her.


    “Well, thank you then,” Ido’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, hands sped behind her back, and she walked away, her figure gradually receding as she returned to her room.


    Observing her departing figure, Lynn and Ido parted ways at the intersection, with Lynn returning to hisboratory.


    Inside theboratory, goblin engineers were diligently operating the forge, forging armor for Iron Serpent No. 1. They had crafted an improved scale-like outer armoryer for the Iron Serpent, adding an extrayer of scales to its original body. Although the actual enhancement wasn’t significant, the defense had increased by about 20% in testingpared to the previous standard version, and it looked more aesthetically pleasing.


    To encourage the innovative spirit of the goblin engineers, Lynn had named this moreplex upgraded version of Iron Serpent No. 1 the “Noble Edition,” priced one magic stone higher than the standard version.


    Surprisingly, this Noble Edition gained a considerable market share after its release.Time flew by in Demon City without the concept of seasons.


    The temperature seemed constant throughout the year.


    Lynn repeated his daily routine, finding it all not dull at all.


    However, since Ido went to the Abyss, she hadn’t returned. Sometimes, after finishing an experiment, Lynn would nce asionally at the quiet gray spire next door, then lower his head and immerse himself back into his experiments.


    “<em>Chirp</em>~”


    In theboratory, a ck crow spread its wings, shattering into countless fragments with a bang, as if exploding into numerous ck shadows, blending into the surrounding darkness.


    Soon, these shadows coalesced and reshaped on the nearby scaffold, returning to the form of a ck crow.


    “The experiment was finally sessful,” Nocturne said satisfactorily in theboratory.


    “I originally thought it would take at least two more years, but it turned out faster than I expected.”


    Nocturne turned to look at Lynn, realizing how much this assistant introduced by Wizard Harin had helped him. Lynn’s assistance had saved him a lot of time. Some time ago, he had suddenly found inspiration, and during that period, Lynn even lived in his wizard tower, apanying him for three days and nights of continuous work.


    If Nocturne had done everything on his own, it would have not only dyed the progress of the experiment but might have also caused the loss of inspiration.


    Furthermore, in theter stages of the experiment, he found that Lynn was progressing rapidly in mutation studies, often offering fresh insights and alternative suggestions for his experiments. Sometimes, Nocturne even felt that Lynn’s proficiency in mutation studies was not far behind his own.


    In Demon City, there were probably no apprentices at the apprentice level who could match Lynn’s proficiency in mutation studies.


    “Congrattions on fulfilling your wish, Wizard Nocturne,” Lynn smiled.


    “Your help was significant too,” Nocturne acknowledged.


    Lynn didn’t respond, well aware of how much assistance he had provided over the past year.


    He conducted mutation experiments at home every day, which allowed him to continuously umte experience points in mutation studies. He gained 0.2% or 0.1% proficiency in life upation every day, andter, after bing more proficient, it was mostly 0.2% every day.


    Later, after spending a considerable amount of general experience points, he finally raised his mutation studies to level 3 three months ago.?


    The reason he had focused on improving mutation studies first was because Lynn had his own motives.


    His daily experiments with Nocturne had severely affected his own time management.


    So, he wanted to increase his level in mutation studies as much as possible. In fact, when he reached level 2 in mutation studies, Lynn had found that although Nocturne’s proficiency in mutation studies was higher than his, it wasn’t much higher. There was only one extra level of proficiency.


    Sure enough, after breaking through to level 3 in mutation studies, Lynn understood many things, so during the experiment, he asionally, unconsciously revealed some of his thoughts to elerate the experiment progress.


    As expected, Wizard Nocturne, with Lynn’s assistance, finallypleted the experiment within a year.


    Lynn felt genuinely gratified by this oue.


    “I have two source materials here that should be useful to you. Take a look and see which one catches your eye,” Nocturne said, retrieving two items from his spatial essory, holding one in each hand.


    On the left was a honeb-like object in orange-red, about the size of a basketball, yet entirely translucent, with a silkworm-sized entity nestled in its center.


    On the right was a jelly-like substance emitting iridescent colors, resembling both a stone and jelly.


    “The one on the left is the queen bee’s hive of the me Bee Monarch. With proper cultivation, it can be fashioned into a sector thatbines defense and attack capabilities. The me Bee Monarch has strong reproductive abilities, and its honey is also a valuable raw material,” Nocturne exined.


    “The one on the right is Elemental Stone Marrow, the core material for constructing an elemental pool.”


    Lynn examined the two items and, without much hesitation, chose the Elemental Stone Marrow.


    While the queen bee’s hive was a valuablemodity, using it would rece the need for an attack sector, saving a lot of energy in constructing rune magic arrays. However, Elemental Stone Marrow was rarer and thus held higher value.


    However, merely building an elemental pool did not ensure its sess. They still needed the coordinates of an elemental ne and assurance that the ne’s inhabitants wouldn’t dismantle their coordinates.


    The elemental pool acted as a pump, capable of extracting water from some natural ponds. However, it was easy for the original owners of these ponds, the elemental lords or kings residing within the elemental ne, to pull the plug on their water supply.


    Only with their recognition could one legitimately extract water from the elemental ne.


    Nocturne handed the Elemental Stone Marrow to Lynn.


    “Are you interested in this?” Nocturne raised the queen bee’s hive in his left hand.


    “But wasn’t it supposed to be one source material?” Lynn asked.


    “But we can make another deal,” Nocturne proposed.


    Hearing another familiar trading proposal, Lynn didn’t immediately agree. “I’m listening.”


    “I have a sister. If you’re willing to be the son-inw of our ck Crow n, then we’re family.”


    “Does your sister look like you?” Lynn asked seriously, eyeing the crow’s beak on Nocturne’s face. This was very important.


    “Of course, my sister looks like me. She’s the belle of our ck Crow n.”


    “Next time, let’s talk about it next time.” Lynn said.


    “All right, whenever you change your mind, let me know. My sister has a beak as big and long as mine, and every feather on her body is as beautiful as the finest cotton in the world.”


    “I’ll head back now. Until next time,” Lynn waved and turned away.


    “Okay, I still have some things to take care of. I won’t see you off this time, but I’lle find you after I’m done,” Nocturne informed Lynn.


    Lynn had earned Nocturne’s respect with his knowledge of mutation studies. Combined with their year-long coboration in experiments, Nocturne now considered Lynn a friend on the same level as him to a certain extent. Although Lynn wasn’t a wizard yet, Nocturne believed it was only a matter of time before Lynn became one, and it wouldn’t take him long.


    “Okay,” Lynn responded happily upon receiving the source materials.


    Exiting Nocturne’s wizard tower, Lynn noticed that ck Crow, which usually appeared to escort him away whenever he emerged into the open, was conspicuously absent.


    Suddenly, the sky split open, revealing a massive rift behind it—a tumultuous world aze with inextinguishable mes. A colossal hand, resembling a mountain, descended from the heavens.


    As the colossal palm opened, a green figure soared out from its grasp.


    “Damn old relic, just you wait. I’ll extinguish every fire on your ck me Mountain sooner orter.” The green figurended on the ground, hands on hips, cursing at the sky.


    The colossal hand paid no heed to the cursing figure below, retracting back into the rift, which promptly vanished.


    In the wizard tower behind him, Nocturne hurriedly rushed out. Thest thing he saw was the colossal hand retracting into the sky.


    “Is it the headmaster?” Nocturne breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that something unexpected had happened.


    After cursing for a while, the green figure snorted coldly and turned around, spotting Nocturne standing behind with Lynn at his side.


    At this moment, Lynn recognized that the figure with long green hair was none other than Lady Maybetessa, whom he had encountered briefly before.


    “Lady Maybetessa, where did you go? I haven’t been able to reach youtely,” Nocturne inquired.


    “Oh, it’s nothing. I took a stroll in the Abyss and coincidentally ran into the headmaster, so I asked him to give me a lift back,” Maybetessa replied nonchntly.


    Suddenly, she turned her head towards Lynn. “Have we met somewhere before?”


    “I believe it was at the academy, esteemed Lady Maybetessa,” Lynn replied.


    Maybetessa’s face stiffened for a moment, her expression subtly changing.


    “Oh, I remember now. You’re the boy who sat in the front row,” Maybetessa said calmly, giving Lynn a meaningful nce.


    Lynn understood her gaze.


    “Oh, I’m tired from the trip. I’ll go home and rest for a few days,” Maybetessa stretchedzily, revealing her graceful figure.


    Nocturne patted Lynn’s shoulder before returning to his wizard tower to attend to his remaining tasks. Lynn boarded ck Crow and returned to Demon City.


    Upon returning, Lynn noticed that the invitation in his hand had be dull and lifeless.


    Without daily participation in Nocturne’s experiments in the inner court, Lynn suddenly found himself with an additional six hours of free time each day, which he struggled to adjust to.


    Looking at the empty neighboring tower, Lynn went to the service hall and found Toby. “Is there a way to check if someone has encountered danger in the Abyss?”


    “Who do you want to check on?” Toby asked. “Theoretically, it’s not possible to check.”


    “Ido,” Lynn said.


    Toby’s eyes showed a hint of understanding. He knew Lynn didn’t have many acquaintances, so the probability was high that he was referring to <em>her</em>.


    Toby pondered for a moment. “Ido’s situation is somewhat unique, but I can tell you.”


    Lynn looked puzzled.


    “She has a special identity. Her true identity is the daughter of a legendary wizard who came to the Abyss Wizard Academy two thousand eight hundred and ny-seven years ago.”


    Two thousand eight hundred and ny-seven years ago?


    Lynn hadn’t expected Ido to be so old. It was just a hundred and three years short of aplete three thousand years.


    “But in her sixth year at the wizard academy, she died. She died two thousand eight hundred and ny-one years ago,” Toby stated a chilling fact.


    Dead?


    Then who had he seen?


    Lynn didn’t fear the fact that Ido was supposedly dead. He was already ustomed to dissecting numerous corpses and extracting blood in theboratory every day, let alone dealing with souls.


    “I heard her death was quite special. Even her soul couldn’t be recalled, so her father delved into the river of time, leaving her past shadow in the Abyss Wizard Academy. Thus, she became a cycle here, a special existence. Every six years, she undergoes a new cycle, but she forgets the memories from the previous cycle.”


    Lynn suddenly froze.


    He suddenly remembered the faint sigh of the young woman standing beside him on the quiet path a year ago. ‘<em>Always so boring, it seems like you’ve thrown all your time into seeking the truth. Isn’t the scenery along the way worth stopping for a moment?</em>‘


    Forgetting everything every six years, then repeatedly making new friends only to forget them again.


    He couldn’t help but wonder who was truly lonely, her or those forgotten by her.


    “After the cycle, can’t she remember anything from before the cycle?” Lynn was silent for a moment before asking.


    Toby didn’t answer. He just extended a finger.


    A small me ignited at the tip of his finger out of thin air.


    After a moment, the me extinguished.


    Then Toby snapped his fingers again, and once more, he extended his index finger, which ignited a small me.


    “Do you think this is still the same me?” Toby asked.


    ——