A scream of agony, a hundred - fold more harrowing than before, resounded through the firmament.

The passing magical beasts, as if could not bear to witness the tragic spectacle of the three hapless souls, averted their eyes and scurried away.

After an indeterminate span of time, Glen regarded the three cadavers before him with a palpable sense of helplessness.

"You should have yielded earlier. There was no need to endure such torment," he murmured, shaking his head. "To avoid despoiling the environment, I shall dig a grave and inter you here."

Having uttered these words, he readied himself to commence digging, but then, with a sudden slap to his forehead, he mused, "In your current state, you're likely to taint the soil. It would be wiser to leave you to the magical beasts. Presumably, they won't suffer from digestive ailments."

Glen then proceeded to drag the three corpses towards the region where the magical beasts congregated in greater numbers.

Once the matter was disposed of, he resumed his task.

The earlier skirmish had cost him some time, yet he was confident that he could still complete it before nightfall.

The sun was descending in the western sky.

As twilight approached, Glen at last discovered a plant nestled within a mountain hollow that appeared to match the description.

It was entirely desiccated and yellowed, exuding an elemental aura of remarkable purity and intensity. He was uncertain whether it was the so - called power of withering.

Nevertheless, Glen had an intuition that it was.

Upon returning to the magic house, he promptly sought out Lucas to verify.

After scrutinizing the plant in Glen's grasp, Lucas nodded affirmatively. "Yes, this is indeed it - withered grass. An excellent experimental material. I had anticipated that it would take you at least two days to locate it."

"Perhaps it was mere serendipity," Glen replied modestly, mentally committing the sensation of the power of withering to memory.

Stowing the withered grass in his pocket, he then casually remarked, "Oh, by the way, I seem to have encountered the teacher's adversaries whilst I was out."

"The teacher's adversaries?" Lucas seemed momentarily perplexed.

"Three dark mages. They seemed to have set their sights on us. The moment I stepped out, they trailed me, intent on seizing me," Glen elucidated.

"What?!" Lucas was immediately seized by alarm, pacing restlessly to and fro. "You're but an apprentice. It ought to have been perilous. Did they deliberately allow you to return? Are they hatching some insidious plot against our teacher?!"

Glen steadied him, hastening to say, "Those three dark mages were insufficiently powerful. I've already dealt with them."

"Ah?!" Lucas regarded Glen with a furrowed brow. "As foes of the teacher, even if they're of lesser strength, they should at least be level - three mages. And level - three mages wouldn't dare approach the teacher's magic house so brazenly, would they?"

"Regardless, all you need to know is that I've vanquished them. The teacher will provide an explanation upon his return," Glen could only conclude thus.

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Lucas stared at Glen for an extended period before reluctantly nodding.

He possessed little experience in handling such situations. Daof had shielded these apprentices too assiduously, leaving them bereft of the requisite trials.

Glen discerned this from Lucas's reaction and resolved to broach the subject with Daof.

Those apprentices with meager magical aptitude perhaps need not be of concern. They may never evolve into true mages.

However, those with a modicum of talent, such as Lucas and Leaves, decidedly require ample exposure to the outside world.

"Hey! What are you two up to?" Leaves and a young apprentice peeked in.

The two in the laboratory swiveled their heads.

Glen preempted, "Nothing of consequence. Merely discussing the creation of a serviceable pen."

Lucas remained silent, which was taken as tacit assent.

"A pen?" Leaves tugged the young apprentice inside.

Lucas promptly retrieved the work of which he was recently more satisfied and presented it to the two children. "Behold, this is it. Henceforth, you need no longer fret over the quill pen running out of ink. I've just tested it, and it functions admirably."

Children are inherently curious about novel things. Leaves immediately extended her hand. "Quick, let me have a look!"

Lucas smiled and proffered the pen to her.

Upon receiving the pen, Leaves and the young apprentice beside her immediately began to play with it with great enthusiasm.

The fountain pen seemed to incorporate numerous of Lucas's own designs, rendering it exquisitely crafted, on par with those Glen had seen in his past life.

After attempting a few strokes on the paper, Leaves was even more enamored with it.

The young apprentice beside her was practically green with envy, casting a beseeching glance at Lucas.

"Rest assured, there's one for everyone," Lucas said, reaching for another equally exquisite fountain pen and handing it to the young apprentice.

The latter accepted it with delight.

Glen recalled that the young apprentice was named Jora, yet her classmates preferred to call her Mushroom.

Presumably, it was due to the round - faced little girl's diminutive stature and the fact that she always donned a large, wide - brimmed, pointed hat, which, from afar, made her resemble a mushroom.

"Thank you, Lucas," Mushroom said in a soft voice.

"It was all Glen's idea. Otherwise, I wouldn't have conceived of making this," Lucas said, scratching his head.

Leaves, still immersed in the bliss of her newfound toy, did not react to this. Mushroom, however, stared blankly for a moment before thanking Glen once more, "Thank you, Glen."

Glen offered her a faint smile.

Mushroom blushed, lowered her head, and concealed her entire form beneath her hat.

She's a rather bashful little girl... Glen surmised.

"Leaves," Lucas suddenly called out.

Leaves instinctively responded, rousing herself from the elation of acquiring a new toy. "What is it?"

Lucas inquired, "Did you two come here for a specific reason? You don't usually frequent my abode."

Leaves seemed to have just recollected. She grasped Mushroom's hand and said, "It was Mushroom. She desired to hear Glen regale us with tales of the outside world, so she asked me to accompany her here."

"So, it was you they were seeking," Lucas directed his gaze at Glen.

I wager this little lass is eager to hear as well... Glen merely shrugged at Lucas.

The latter then queried the two young girls, "Have you completed your tasks for today?"

"Completed! All done!" Leaves declared with great confidence.

Mushroom also murmured softly, "I've finished mine too..."

Recalling that he had completed the assignments Daof had set for him several days in advance and that storytelling wouldn't consume much time, Glen led the two girls outside.

The group seated themselves in a circle, and Glen, through a series of tales, took the opportunity to impart some common knowledge of the outside world to these children who had seldom ventured beyond.

He didn't want them to be ill - equipped for survival should they ever find themselves outside.

Although he had accomplished all his assignments ahead of schedule today, the growth in his magical proficiency had not been diminished in the slightest.

The instant he discovered the withered grass, Glen distinctly felt a marked enhancement in his command over magical energy.

In the subsequent phase, he could endeavor to delve deeper into the study of the cleansing magic. Once he had fully mastered this magic, he would ascend to the rank of a level - one mage.

At this very moment, Daof had reached the royal capital, met with several of his old friends in the royal court, and, upon obtaining permission, entered the royal library.

"Daof?! Oh! Good heavens! It's truly you! It's been an age since you last graced these halls. I've been pining for you! My dear old friend!"

The moment Daof passed through the heavily - guarded gates, an exclamation of profound delight resounded from above.

It was a colossal dragon's head, carved from mahogany and embedded in a towering bookshelf. Its expression was lifelike, and its eyes were fixed intently on Daof.