After a long and tiring night of fleeing, the group collapsed in exhaustion, seeking rest after Aubrey's briefing.
Lynn, too, sought respite, ignoring the dust and debris on the bed as he wearily collapsed onto it, the broken door shut haphazardly behind him.
The past week had been a tense and nerve-wracking one for Lynn, barely managing to catch a few hours of sleep each night with one eye open, constantly on guard for the possibility of being discovered by the hunters. Now, finally, he could relax slightly.
"Greemmier..."
Lynn murmured the name of the wizarding world mentioned by Aubrey, not sharing the same reservations as others regarding the idea of a group of magic users coming together to research and study their craft in an enclosed area.
For Lynn, the land of the wizards was clearly the optimal choice. There, he could fully utilize his abilities in an environment that esteemed magic and spells, and need not fear the prospect of being apprehended.
However, within the Sika Empire, controlled by the Holy See, it was unlikely he could even find a peaceful place to cultivate and advance.
After considering the advantages and disadvantages, Lynn temporarily abandoned his plans to venture alone, yet an air of anxiety remained.
He did not believe the sense of killing intent he had perceived during his meeting with the other apprentices to be a mere illusion.
Aubrey, Dove, Will, Beck, Batun... a string of figures flitted through Lynn's mind.
In the half year he had spent as a wizard apprentice, he had only formed surface-level relationships with these individuals, and held no grudges or resentment towards them. As such, the possibility of a personal vendetta could be ruled out.
As for the identity of the assailant or perhaps assailants?
Lynn pondered, and first on the list was Aubrey.
This was not due to any special treatment he gave her due to the positive impression his original form had left on him, but rather because her level of suspicion was the lowest.
If being the leader of the apprentices is on the surface, as well as the initiator of the escape plan, had already surrendered, then it would be best for him to make a swift escape.
Second was Dove. Her ability to control animals was of the utmost importance, and could be considered the team's eyes and ears. If such a person were to change allegiances, it would surely be a nightmare.
The parchment that had previously warned him had also been written by Aubrey and possibly delivered by a crow controlled by Dove. If either of them had any ulterior motives, Karl would likely have met his demise before Lynn had even crossed over.
Lynn was uncertain about the remaining three individuals. Beck and Batun, being twins, likely had each other's backs and would not have had difficulty concealing their actions from Aubrey and the others.
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He was even less familiar with Will, the reticent one, only aware that the young man was the offspring of some Earl within the Sika Empire.
Lynn closed his eyes, ruminating upon every encounter he had had with the wizard apprentices, and then he recalled the hidden passageway in the Drunken Tavern, Old York, the land of the wizard, Lard...
Vaguely, a suspicion flitted through his mind and Lynn suddenly opened his eyes, sitting up on the bed. An inexplicable chill began to seep into his heart.
Creak. At the same moment, the sound of a door hinge turning echoed and the makeshift door was pushed open.
Lynn, already on edge, instinctively drew the long sword besides him and swung it towards the door.
But upon seeing who it was, Lynn's actions came to an abrupt halt and the sharp sword hovered in front of the young girl.
"Aubrey?" Lynn was somewhat surprised.
The silver-gray haired sorceress held up her right hand in front of the sword's edge, revealing a pair of pure black leather gloves adorned with intricate and mysterious inscriptions.
It seemed to be some kind of alchemical tool.
"Did you have a nightmare?" The silver-gray haired sorceress furrowed her brow, not quite understanding why Lynn had such a strong reaction. After a pause, she continued to explain. "I knocked on the door earlier, but you didn't respond."
Lynn nodded and retracted his long sword, puzzled as he asked, "It's so late, is there something you need?"
"Months ago, the teacher and I talked about you. After you master the first ring of magic, [Frost Blade], I will give this to you." Aubrey said with a forlorn expression, pulling out a thick book from her bosom and handing it to Lynn. The cover was crudely made from rough papyrus and read "Basic Magic for All" in sloppy common language.
Lynn took it out of curiosity. The whole book was made from rough straw paper, and upon opening it to the first page, the first recorded spell was called - [Magic Missile].
Like the [Elementary Matter Deconstruction], [Magic Missile] is also a special zero-ring magic. Its power is weaker than that of [Frost Blade] and [Fireball], but its advantage is that it is a pure magical creation and does not require the preparation of materials for casting or have any manipulation limits.
In theory, it is not impossible for a wizard to create hundreds of Magic Missiles at once, provided they have enough magical energy.
Of course, having a large number is not useful without control. Any wizard's energy is limited, and it is already at the limit for a wizard apprentice to simultaneously create and control two or three missiles for attack. Otherwise, they risk becoming distracted during battle.
However, there is a solution.
Lynn flipped through the pages and on the second page of Basic Magic for All, there were a large number of curve graphs and a plethora of Haerlem formulaic symbols that resembled ghostly drawings.
After careful study, Lynn roughly understood the intended meaning of the text.
To break the control limit of Magic Missile, it is necessary to establish a three-dimensional coordinate system in the mind and preset the flight path of the Magic Missile.
The trajectory of Magic Missiles can be not only linear, but also curvilinear. This means that the caster can conjure an abundance of Magic Missiles, forming a deluge of attacks that are insurmountable and inescapable from various directions and angles.
This requires an understanding of the line and curve equations in three-dimensional space...
Lynn stroked his chin. This problem does not appear to be particularly challenging...
Since Magic Missiles are purely magical constructs, they are only slightly influenced by gravity. It is only necessary to take into account inertial force and wind velocity.
Observing Lynn's pensive gaze fixed on the page as he delved into his studies, Aubrey couldn't help but caution him, "These are magical formulas devised by Grand Wizard Haerlem that can further amplify the potency of Magic Missiles, but they are still too difficult for us at this stage. It would be imprudent to expend too much energy on them."
"I'll bear that in mind," Lynn replied nonchalantly after perusing the page and verifying his comprehension.
Aubrey could discern that Lynn was merely going through the motions, and she shrugged her shoulders. When she first encountered magic, she too was like Lynn, relishing in the study of these intricate formulas. It wasn't until she reached a dead end that she realized how hard the path of a wizard is...