Chapter 7: Furnace Apprentice (Please follow, bookmark, and recommend!)

Chapter 7

Lynn lay on the ground for a full ten minutes before he could catch his breath and pull himself up.

He was exhausted, his hands trembling as he braced himself against the ground, but he had finally regained enough strength to assess his current situation.

He knew that the only reason he had managed to survive was that he had given it his all.

To ensure the effectiveness of his "Daze" spell, he had exhausted his entire reserve of mental energy in one go, and his subsequent flurry of attacks had been pushed to his absolute limit.

The overexertion of his mental energy made his brain feel as if it were being hammered, with waves of stinging pain pulsing through it.

Lynn rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes for a moment, confirming that aside from the intense headache, his body had not sustained any serious injuries.

Although the blond youth had desperately thrown him aside, the fact that he had rolled a few times meant he had luckily avoided the boy's final counterattack, leaving him without any fatal wounds.

The only damage was to his hands.

While attacking frantically with the bone spike, he had used too much force, and his palms had been accidentally sliced by the tough bone. The wounds were not deep, but the stinging pain served as a reminder of the life-or-death struggle he had just endured.

Lynn looked down at his blood-stained hands, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he muttered

"Calculated and prepared... yet it was still such a difficult victory..."

At this moment, he felt both the relief of having survived and a deep, lingering exhaustion.

Even with a detailed plan, he still hadn't been able to avoid a wretched outcome.

However, no matter how perilous the process had been, he had ultimately survived.

This was his first time killing someone. Lynn had expected to feel intense discomfort or guilt, but he felt surprisingly calm.

Perhaps it was because this had been a life-or-death duel, or perhaps the adrenaline still coursing through his body had numbed his nerves; he felt no discomfort, only a sense of coldness and relief.

"He who kills shall be killed in turn... I am merely avenging those he harmed."

Lynn whispered softly, looking up at the blond youth's corpse with indifferent eyes before turning away, not sparing it another glance.

After sitting in place for a while longer, Lynn confirmed he was steady enough to walk. He picked up his Earth Rhino and, with slightly weak steps, headed toward the agreed-upon location.

Lynn had not forgotten that this mission was, after all, an assessment.

He looked at the Earth Rhino beside him, realizing in his heart

The reason the blond youth had been carrying the Earth Rhino was clearly because they were required to bring their prey to report to that wizard.

Before long, Lynn finally reached the entrance of the beast pen.

From a distance, he saw three figures standing at the entrance. One was clearly the scarred wizard, while the other two were sturdy-looking youths.

Lynn couldn't help but frown; these two were, in all likelihood, the blond youth's companions.

"Russell, why are you so slow?"

One of the youths with a high bridge of his nose spotted the figure in the distance and called out, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction.

But before he could finish his sentence, his expression froze.

Because the person walking toward them was not the blond youth Russell they knew, but a stranger they had never seen before.

"If the Russell you're talking about is that blond guy, then he won't be coming."

Lynn dragged the Earth Rhino closer, his gaze sweeping over the two youths before resting on the scarred wizard.

He smiled slightly, his tone relaxed.

The pupils of the two youths constricted instantly, their hearts churning.

Who was this guy? To think he could kill Russell in the beast pen and successfully walk out alive with the Earth Rhino!

However, before they could ask any more questions, the scarred wizard spoke coldly

"Hmm, indeed the last one. The three of you have passed the assessment. Follow me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked away without a hint of hesitation.

When Lynn heard this, the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped, though he kept a calm expression on his face and followed silently.

The other two youths, despite being filled with wariness toward Lynn, exchanged a glance and followed close behind.

The Furnace was vast, divided into multiple zones, and the beast pen was merely a corner of it, used specifically for capturing and raising magical beasts.

The living quarters for the wizards and their apprentices were far from the beast pen, located in the core area deeper within the Furnace.

Lynn and the two other youths followed the scarred wizard along a winding path.

The scenery on both sides changed constantly; what began as a desolate land filled with the scent of beasts gradually transitioned into a more level area, as if they had entered another world.

The scarred wizard remained silent, his pace steady and fast, showing no interest in interacting with them.

Lynn and the other two youths also remained silent.

The three of them walked without a word, only the sound of their footsteps echoing on the empty road.

Eventually, they were led to an area dense with buildings.

This was the living area within the Furnace. Everywhere he looked, there were towers of varying heights and wide plazas, and the people coming and going were quite diverse.

Lynn noticed that, without exception, they all wore robes of a uniform style and exquisite tailoring.

What was even more striking was that whenever they passed by, almost everyone would stop, bow to the scarred wizard leading them, and step aside, their actions filled with respect and fear.

"This guy really does have a high status..."

Lynn marveled inwardly, adding another layer of speculation about the scarred wizard's identity.

Amidst the many bows and gazes, Lynn and the other two were brought to a multi-story building in the center of the living area.

The building was magnificent, its outer walls carved with intricate runes that faintly exuded mysterious power fluctuations.

There was a reception desk at the entrance, behind which sat a man reviewing documents.

The man wore a well-tailored wizard's robe and carried an air of efficiency.

"Master Drell, welcome back!"

Upon seeing the scarred wizard, the man immediately put down his documents, stood up, and bowed. His gaze then swept over Lynn and the others, his tone tinged with surprise

"Is this the last batch of newcomers for this year? There are only three?"

"Yes."

The scarred wizard, addressed as Drell, nodded slightly, his tone cold. "They are in your hands now, Colin. Finally, give my regards to your teacher."

With that, he said no more and turned to leave, leaving behind a cold silhouette.

"Yes, Master."

The man called Colin nodded slightly, watching Drell leave before turning his gaze back to the three of them.

He sized them up for a moment, a polite smile appearing on his face.

"The three of you, is there anywhere you wish to go?"

Colin's tone was gentle.

Lynn was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.

He knew almost nothing about the internal workings of the Furnace, so naturally, he had no place in mind.

Before he could speak, the two youths behind him had already answered impatiently.

"Master Colin, I would like to go to the Magic Potion Department."

"Master Colin, I wish to join the Alchemy Department."

Colin nodded slightly upon hearing this and pointed to a wall not far away, where an exquisite map was hung, marking the distribution of the various areas within the Furnace.

"Good, there is a map over there. Go and report to your respective departments."

Colin waved his hand, then turned his gaze to Lynn. Seeing the blank expression on Lynn's face, he spoke with a hint of surprise

"I didn't expect that, after being here for several years, I would actually see a pure newcomer arrive..."

(End of chapter)