Chapter 9: Colin's Teacher (Please keep reading, add to favorites, and recommend!)

Chapter 9

"Teacher."

Standing before the courtyard clustered with flowers, Colin did not rush in, but instead called out softly.

Lynn stood to the side, still observing the small courtyard, when he suddenly saw the surrounding flowers begin to sway gently.

There was clearly not a breath of wind, yet those flowers trembled slightly as if they had come to life, seemingly responding to Colin’s call.

A few moments later, the flowers swayed again, and this time, a gentle woman’s voice emerged

"Come in, Colin, and the little one beside you."

Having received a response, Colin stepped into the courtyard. Lynn naturally dared not be negligent and hurriedly followed behind him.

Passing through the courtyard, they soon entered the hall on the first floor.

The hall was bright with sunlight, the air filled with a faint floral fragrance, and the meticulously arranged flowers made the place appear exceptionally elegant.

Under the warm, soft sunlight, a woman wearing wizard robes stood amidst the flower beds, holding a watering can and tending to the plants.

The woman looked to be in her early thirties, with a slender figure and long golden hair draped loosely over her shoulders. Her features carried an air of intellect and elegance.

A faint smile always hung at the corners of her mouth, giving the illusion of gentleness—she looked nothing like the image of a "Dark Wizard" in Lynn’s mind.

Hearing their footsteps, the woman looked up, her cyan-blue eyes as deep and enchanting as the abyss.

She looked at Colin, smiled slightly, and asked, "What brings you to your teacher's place? And this little one is..."

"Teacher, this is a new apprentice who just passed the assessment. He’s a 'pure newcomer'! I think he should meet your requirements."

Colin scratched his head, chuckled, and walked to the woman’s side, leaning in to whisper.

Lynn stood cautiously where he was, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

He understood that the gentle, intellectual-looking woman before him was not simple. As a member of the Dark Wizards, her gentle exterior was likely just a facade; her true strength and methods were far beyond his ability to fathom.

"Hmm?" The woman’s delicate brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this, appearing somewhat puzzled. "When did the Crucible start a war? Has it already reached the point of mass-recruiting apprentices?"

"Not yet, Teacher."

Colin hurriedly shook his head and explained, "This assessment wasn't for the Crucible War. This 'pure newcomer' fought his way out from a group of well-connected candidates. He’s definitely smart, and his aptitude is quite good."

"Oh?"

The woman drew out the tone, her gaze shifting back to Lynn. Those cyan-blue eyes seemed capable of piercing through everything, carrying a hint of playfulness.

Clearly, she was quite interested in the fact that Lynn had managed to break through the encirclement of candidates with connections.

"In that case." The woman nodded, then looked at Colin and asked softly, "However, have you made things clear to this little one?"

"I have, I have."

Colin hurriedly lowered his head, though he still felt a bit guilty, his voice dropping a notch. "No matter what, he will agree."

The woman glanced at Colin indifferently, her gaze seemingly able to see through his thoughts, causing Colin to bow his head further.

She then turned to Lynn, revealing a calm smile, and asked in a tranquil tone

"Is that so?"

The woman’s gaze rested on Lynn. Those cyan-blue eyes were so bright they seemed capable of capturing one's soul, and combined with her flawless face, they exerted a pressure that inspired awe.

Lynn felt his heart tighten. Not daring to meet her gaze, he quickly lowered his head and said

"Yes, Lord Colin has already explained it to me."

"Forget it, playing your little tricks again."

The woman chuckled, reached out with slender fingers, and tapped Colin on the forehead with a hint of helplessness and indulgence.

She then turned to Lynn, her expression becoming slightly more serious

"Little one, since you are a pure newcomer, I will state this clearly and concisely."

She paused for a moment before continuing

"I need a pure newcomer with talent to take me as their master. But what I teach is different from other wizards—after becoming my apprentice, you may find that for a long time, you will have no ability to fight other wizard apprentices. In a place like the Crucible, this situation can be very dangerous. Are you sure you want to take me as your master?"

She paused, looking at Lynn with deep eyes, and added

"If you have truly thought it through, we shall proceed with the assessment. Otherwise, don't waste each other's time."

"No ability to fight?"

Hearing this, Lynn’s mind flashed back to Colin’s earlier joke—"I can't beat his backer, I can't help you."

He had thought Colin was being modest, but now it seemed that this wizard was being so blunt that the statement was likely true.

In the Crucible of the Dark Wizards, a lack of combat ability was clearly not a good thing.

But for Lynn, he had no choice at the moment.

Taking a wizard as a master was no easy feat within the Crucible.

Even those who passed the assessment and were assigned to different departments rarely had the opportunity to be directly taught by a wizard.

Moreover, Lynn knew very well—following this wizard might bring danger in the future, but that danger was still a long way off.

If he refused this opportunity and waited for Luo Su’s backer to find him, he would be dead immediately.

By comparison, this wizard’s proposal was undoubtedly his only hope for survival.

Lynn did not hesitate. He looked up and said firmly

"Yes, My Lady, I have thought it through."

The woman did not seem surprised by his answer. She smiled calmly and said

"Very well, then let us begin the assessment. Relax, do you see this flower?"

Her voice was gentle and steady, yet it contained a strange magic that left Lynn in a trance, his mind becoming heavy and muddled.

Even though he was a Level 1 Wizard Apprentice, he was as helpless as a child before a true wizard.

In Colin’s line of sight, the wooden floor beneath Lynn began to change.

On the previously flat floor, colorful flowers grew quietly, of various species, as if filled with spiritual life.

Those flowers swayed gently, as if they had a will of their own, climbing and spreading along Lynn’s body until they had completely enveloped him.

Lynn was wrapped in a structure resembling a flower cocoon. The fragrance lingered, and the air was filled with an eerie, intoxicating scent.

The beautiful teacher raised her head slightly, her slender, jade-like fingers tapping her chin as she said thoughtfully

"Aptitude... slightly above average. That makes sense. The Crucible sends apprentices with top-tier aptitude to the higher-ups during the initial screening. Being able to pass is already quite good."

She raised her eyebrows slightly, as if remembering something, and her gaze fell on Lynn

"Hmm? A Level 1 Wizard Apprentice? Is he really a pure newcomer? Let me see..."

As soon as she finished speaking, deep ripples appeared in the woman’s eyes, as if an invisible force were piercing through Lynn’s memories.

Lynn felt a slight stinging sensation in his head, but it quickly subsided.

He did not know that his surface memories were being rapidly browsed by this wizard.

From childhood to the present, scenes of Lynn’s life flashed by.

Of course, it was only the most superficial layer of his memories.

Many deeply hidden pieces of information remained undiscovered; even a formal wizard could not read all of Lynn’s memories from a distance without casting a specific spell.

But that was unnecessary; this beautiful wizard simply wanted a quick look.

"Hmm... it really is someone who has never touched the wizarding world." The beautiful teacher’s tone held a hint of doubt. "It seems you are either gifted, or you have had some special stroke of fortune."

Her gaze held a bit more interest, and she added

"However, aptitude is only the foundation. There is one final and most important item—Seed Affinity."

With that, she raised her palm. Her slender, long fingers should have inspired pity, but at this moment, the tips of her fingers began to undergo a strange change.

The soft, pink skin was gradually replaced by emerald-green vines. Those vines swirled and intertwined as if they had a life of their own, eventually forming a circular disc.

Inside the disc, hundreds of seeds were neatly arranged, each emitting a faint energy fluctuation.

"Hmm?"

The beautiful teacher looked down at the disc. Her expression had been calm and composed, but suddenly, a look of surprise appeared on her face. "A reaction? Wait... how is this possible? Every single seed is reacting?"

Her eyes widened abruptly, and her cyan-blue pupils revealed shock and disbelief.

Even a wizard of her standing could not hide the astonishment in her heart.