"Then, I shall assign you some tasks presently. This way, you won't be left idle during my absence these few days," Daof stated in a measured tone.

Glen nodded once more.

Suddenly, he recalled the enigmatic woman he had encountered on his journey. He had intended to inform Daof about her earlier but had forgotten. However, it was not too late to do so now.

"Oh, indeed. I chanced upon a peculiar individual on my way here. I deem it necessary to apprise you of this," Glen said as he rose to his feet.

"A peculiar individual?" Daof's visage betrayed a hint of bewilderment.

Glen promptly recounted the incident in a concise manner, selecting only the appropriate details.

Upon hearing this, Daof uttered a name: "It must be Avisa."

"You know her?" Glen was not overly astonished. For a mage of Daof's longevity, being acquainted with numerous notable figures was hardly a surprise.

That mysterious woman boasted extraordinary prowess above level six, undoubtedly rendering her a well - known figure within certain circles.

Daof nodded. "Avisa was a renowned witch a century ago. Subsequently, having incurred the wrath of an ancient sect, she was relentlessly pursued by two level - seven legendary popes. I had presumed her to be deceased. To my surprise, she is still alive."

"Can she be trusted?" Glen was chiefly concerned about the potential machinations she might have in store for him.

"When I was yet an apprentice, I heard rumors that she might have perpetrated a massacre in a village. Whether this is true remains uncertain," Daof stroked his beard, paused briefly, and then continued, "Nonetheless, I am familiar with moonstones. Such items are unlikely to be counterfeited. Pray, show it to me."

Without hesitation, Glen retrieved the small sphere adorned with facial features, carefully extracted the moonstone, and, suppressing his profound reluctance, proffered it to Daof.

Daof was visibly astounded to witness Glen's ability to transfer this "werewolf drug" to another.

He lightly tapped the moonstone with his magic staff and then scrutinized it intently before returning it to Glen. "I can detect no anomalies."

Glen placed the moonstone back into the sphere, looked up, and said, "Then, presumably, there is no cause for concern. Should she harbor any sinister designs, I am not daunted."

His confidence stemmed from his capacity to forfeit a portion of his rationality and transform into a werewolf of level seven or higher.

However, he instinctively sensed that such an act would precipitate a significant upheaval. Thus, he could only relegate it to the status of a last - resort contingency. The thought of inadvertently harming the innocent was abhorrent to him.

Daof expounded on the subject for a while longer before concluding the lesson.

Upon returning to the magic house, Glen first replaced the furniture procured by Daof with his own in the room assigned to him.

It was quite an arduous task.

Several young apprentices with nothing to occupy them had been observing with curiosity from outside. This was their maiden encounter with an ordinary person's chamber.

They found it rather novel.

Mako descended from the upper floor, dispersing the children, and then addressed Glen, who had just emerged from the room, "I was detained upstairs and could not make my way down earlier. Are you content with this place?"

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"It is quite novel. I anticipate having a pleasant sojourn here," Glen replied with a smile.

"That is excellent. You will soon acclimate to this environment. Should you have any queries, do not hesitate to approach me. However, I may not be present for the majority of the time. In such cases, you may consult Lucas. He is quite adept at attending to others," Mako said, then excused herself, pushed open the door, and departed, her destination unknown.

As Glen was about to turn and enter the house, his peripheral vision caught sight of Leaves hastily retreating into a blind spot.

"Leaves, what are you doing there?" Glen called out directly.

Realizing she had been discovered, Leaves ceased hiding and sauntered over, feigning nonchalance. "I was in search of something and thought to drop by and have a look at your abode."

"Oh," Glen refrained from exposing her pretense and proceeded to enter the house.

Leaves trailed behind him, gazing at the various ordinary and unadorned furnishings within the house, her thoughts inscrutable.

Glen permitted her to peruse the surroundings and retrieved a prepared notebook. He opened the tattered notes and commenced summarizing in accordance with Daof's elucidations.

The quill pen proved rather cumbersome to use, necessitating frequent manual adjustments as Glen wrote.

Given the abundance of mages present, he surmised that there would be no dearth of materials. Perhaps he should request Lucas to fashion a fountain pen for him on the morrow... As he made yet another adjustment to the quill pen's nib, this thought occurred to Glen.

At some point, Leaves had taken her leave. Glen continued to write intermittently with the quill pen until deep into the night.

Feeling a tinge of drowsiness, he finally resolved to retire for the night.

After extinguishing the lamp, Glen closed his eyes and instinctively lapsed into a meditative state.

He became aware of it instantaneously and was on the verge of opening his eyes but refrained, as he sensed something amiss.

After a period of exploration, he realized that he was unable to enter a state of profound meditation.

Could I have been tampered with?… He couldn't help but entertain this thought. It was possible that this was the consequence of the spear hurled by that shadowy figure during his initial meditation.

At least, there was no longer any need to dread the searing pain in his eyes... Contemplating the silver lining, Glen drifted back to sleep.

Dawn broke, and the strange - sounding morning bell resounded outside.

The sound, too, possessed a certain magical quality. Upon hearing it, Glen was instantly roused from his slumber, without the customary bleary - eyed state. He promptly rose from his bed.

I must obtain an alarm similar to this in the future... Glen mused with a sigh as he got out of bed.

Lucas's voice drifted from outside:

"Glen, are you awake? I shall accompany you to the ablutions area."

Glen opened the door forthwith, exchanged greetings with Lucas, and then accompanied him to the designated area.

Moments later, Glen experienced the convenience and wonder of the magic house. A plethora of magical implements could cleanse the entire body in an instant, and even the teeth were attended to by living, toothbrush - like organisms.

Emerging from the washroom, he felt thoroughly refreshed.

After partaking in a convivial breakfast with his classmates, they readied themselves to commence their daily tasks.

"The teacher has departed. Prior to his departure, he enjoined me to remind you to complete the assignments he has set with due diligence," Lucas said, turning to Glen before attending to his own experiment.

"I understand," Glen replied with a smile.

Daof had assigned three tasks. The first two involved pondering and comprehending the construction principles of a specific node within the Cleansing Magic and documenting them.

Only the third task was a practical assignment that required Glen to undertake it himself.

He had already initiated work on the first two tasks the previous night. Although he encountered some difficulties, he was not entirely stymied.

Suddenly recollecting the matter of the quill pen, Glen called out to Lucas, who was on the verge of leaving, and conveyed his desire to fashion a serviceable fountain pen.

Upon hearing this, Lucas merely smiled. "This is not overly difficult. Some mages utilize a magic pen that writes with magical energy. However, given your current level of magical power, you would likely be unable to wield such a pen."

With that, he led Glen into his laboratory.

For an apprentice of Lucas's caliber, possessing a personal laboratory was a sine qua non.

Once Glen attained a similar level of proficiency, Daof would also provide him with an identical laboratory.

However, Glen had already resolved to establish one in the basement of his residence in Bayek. By then, he might not need to trouble Daof.

Lucas placed a wire, which appeared to be discarded, on the experimental table and then began to cast a spell, explaining as he did so, "In accordance with your description, I shall employ shaping magic to transform this wire into a fountain pen that meets your requirements..."

Glen intended to suggest that it might be wiser to sketch it out first before commencing, but Lucas had already embarked on the task.

The wire transformed into a liquid - like state, coalescing into a column with tapered ends.

Upon completion, Lucas picked up his masterpiece and inquired, "Well, are you satisfied?"