Chapter 322: Flame Heart
Chapter 322: Flame Heart
Jeff, his face adorned with a bushy beard, kicked a chair aside and stared at the lifeless bodies on the ground, his silence speaking volumes.
The elder of the Green Pups, with his excitement-filled face, still tightly gripped the whip he used to discipline others.
The younger brother's face was contorted, eyes wide open, his muscles tense even in death.
"The murder weapon is a sharp sword, and there are traces of fire magic," a middle-aged man in a pristine white wizard's robe examined the bodies and shook his head as he stood up. "The killer is highly skilled, efficient, and left almost no clues."
Jeff's eyes narrowed. "Could it be Linen?"
The man paused, as if recalling the name, then shook his head. "He's just a basic wizard apprentice. How could he possibly kill the Green Pups? Moreover, the wounds are more likely caused by an enchanted knight's sword, not necessarily by someone who practices fire magic."
Jeff slowly nodded, understanding why he had sent the Green Pups after Linen, only for both parties to meet their demise.
"In my opinion..." the man stroked his chin thoughtfully, "the killer is most likely a legendary knight with some knowledge of magic, or perhaps an advanced wizard apprentice."
"Oh!" Jeff's expression changed slightly. "Why?"
"The killer first took out the elder with a sneak attack, something any experienced assassin could do. But for the younger brother, it was a direct and powerful assault."
"The younger Green Pup was a great knight. To kill him without leaving a trace is proof of the killer's exceptional skills."
He pointed outside, "The Green Pups' residence had several magic traps, yet none were triggered by the killer, and they remain intact..."
"This person is incredibly strong!"
Jeff's face turned solemn.
One of the Green Pups was an intermediate wizard apprentice, and the other a great knight. Although they were both wild wizards not from the academy, their actual strength was not to be underestimated, which was why Jeff had sent them after Linen in the first place.
And now, they were both dead.
'Is the killer targeting me? If so, I must be cautious of such a skilled assassin.'
"Senior," Jeff thought for a moment before asking quietly.
"Is there a need to inform the academy's inspection team?"
"No need!" The man rolled his eyes. "They're just a couple of wild wizards living in the slums. No one cares about their lives here."
"Right..."
"Why did you suspect Linen as the killer?"
"Well..." Jeff smiled awkwardly, "the Green Pups had some issues with him."
"I think it's you who has issues with him," the man chuckled, shaking his head. "A failed primary apprentice from the academy isn't worth your attention. Senior Angus doesn't have such small concerns."
"Yes, yes," Jeff nodded repeatedly. "I just wanted to help Senior Angus by reducing his worries. A fly in the ointment is not a big deal, but it's still annoying."
"Suit yourself," the man shook his head. "Don't make a fuss over this; it won't reflect well on the senior later."
"Rest assured," Jeff hurriedly assured him. "I'll never cause trouble for the senior."
Twenty-seven magic stones!
Linen couldn't help but rub his hands together in excitement as he counted the rewards of his recent endeavor.
"One can't get rich without unexpected wealth, and a horse can't get fat without night grass. This saying holds true!"
Aside from the magic stones, there was also an enchanted item, a staff, and several books related to wizardry.
Of course, the enchanted item and staff were not easily sold, so he had to store them away for now.
Linen even went as far as to bury the items in a secret location to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
"In the end, my strength is still lacking. Killing two incompetent apprentices and a great knight was a close call."
Reflecting on his actions, he shook his head lightly. "And without my core's soul-searching ability, I don't even know who the real culprit is."
"The trouble isn't truly resolved yet."
"Strength..."
Linen tapped his temple, thinking. "I should learn another magic. This operation went smoothly, but it was still somewhat dangerous."
With his current strength, it would be challenging to directly confront and kill the Greenhound brothers. This time, he had to resort to a clever assassination.
The success of this mission was attributed to the terrifying combat experience of his core, 'Karl'.
Otherwise, even the slightest issue could have led to the mission's failure.
Closing his eyes, he delved deep into his consciousness, retrieving and rapidly reviewing certain memories.
Karl, his core, had slain countless, seizing their memories and souls, accumulating an untold number of witchcraft.
With Linen's current mental power, he could only unseal a fraction of it.
Fortunately, Karl was powerful enough to understand his intentions and directly selected the fire witchcraft from the zero-level spell.
After a moment, Linen opened his eyes, his face filled with excitement.
"This one will do!"
Flame Heart was a technique created by Karl himself, a witchcraft that even a wizard apprentice could learn and advance in.
This witchcraft combined bloodline witchcraft, the school of naturalism, and mysticism, making it a truly exceptional technique.
Upon mastering it, one could refine and absorb foreign flames into their body.
This process was akin to a special bloodline modification, granting the ability to control flames.
Furthermore, practicing fire witchcraft and meditation techniques would become more effective, and the power of fire witchcraft would increase.
"First..."
"Choose a flame."
Linen narrowed his eyes, "The grade shouldn't be too high; otherwise, my body won't be able to withstand it. But it can't be too low, or the effect will be minimal."
"Hmm?"
He turned around and looked at the magic flame beneath the alchemy furnace.
Heart of Sea Flame!
Born from the deep sea, this flame possessed an extremely docile nature and was somewhat helpful in the preparation of potions.
However, at times, it could also be incredibly ferocious, capable of withstanding the water witchcraft of advanced wizard apprentices without extinguishing.
"This is the one!"
...
Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, a month had gone by.
The deaths of Darren and the Greenhound brothers were like a droplet in the midst of a giant wave, forgotten once the wave had passed.
Only Susan, Aesia, and a few others occasionally mentioned Darren's 'disappearance'.
However, for apprentices who left the academy, 'disappearances' were not uncommon, and few people cared.
"Little Linen."
Mandy, the shop owner, leaned on the counter with her elbows and rested her chin on her hands, her eyes seeming to hold a bay of water as she looked at him.
"It seems you've found another buyer, despite my sincere friendship. I'm just joking, Linen."
"Mandy, you're too kind," Linen smiled shyly. "I've been trying to refine the Silence Potion during this time, so I couldn't come by."
"The Silence Potion?" Mandy was surprised. "You're really going to refine that potion?"
Although the Silence Potion had higher profits than the Tranquility Potion, the difficulty of refining it was on a whole different level.
In Mandy's eyes, Linen was just an apprentice who had recently left the academy, and even being able to refine the Tranquility Potion for profit already indicated considerable talent. Refining the Silence Potion, however, seemed too ambitious.
"Yes," Linen nodded and took out a potion from his belongings. "I was lucky enough to refine one. Please take a look, Mandy."
Mandy hesitated for a moment, then took the potion, her hands glowing as she analyzed its components.
"It's actually real?"
"The quality isn't high, but it's indeed a finished product."
Mandy caressed the potion, her gaze towards Linen growing complex. "Linen, I must admit I misjudged you. Your talent for potion-making is truly one-of-a-kind, even if your witchcraft talent is average."
"That's good," Linen sighed in relief. "Mandy, please exchange this potion for the ingredients to refine the Silence Potion. I refined this potion at a loss."
"That's normal," Mandy said as she fetched the ingredients. "Unless you have the backing of a wizard family or organization, all potion masters start with losses when refining new potions."
"But since you have this ability..."
"It's only a matter of time before you rise to prominence!"
After a brief conversation, Linen took the ingredients and bid farewell. As he left, Mandy took out a piece of magic paper and wrote a few words before shaking her head with a light laugh.
"A genius potion master, if you have enough strength, many organizations will make exceptions for you."
(End of Chapter)
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