Chapter 86: The Intruder

Chapter 86: The Intruder

The base was eerily quiet.

Attila walked lightly along the cobblestone path, her lips curling into an uncontrollable smile.

Just a moment ago, she had finally succeeded in casting the Healing Spell.

This was the second zero-level spell she had mastered.

"If I complete the next task of tending to the magic plants, I'll have enough contribution points to exchange for another zero-level spell tome."

"What should I learn for my third spell?"

Attila pondered this as she made her way to the magic plant garden.

Before she reached the entrance, she heard joyful and carefree singing, interspersed with the tinkling laughter like silver bells.

The laughter was so infectious that Attila couldn't help but smile even more.

As she entered the garden, she saw a group of tiny beings sitting on the flowers, singing merrily.

Each of them was less than ten centimeters tall, wearing clothes woven from leaves, with wings like petals and skin in various colors, from grayish-white to vibrant red and yellow. Instead of hair, they had petals on their heads.

They looked like little fairies from a fairy tale.

In fact, these tiny beings were a type of ultra-miniature spirit.

They were flower spirits, peculiar creatures summoned by Lord Su Nan from another world.

These flower spirits were exceptionally skilled at tending to plants and could promote the growth of magic plants.

The only downside was that they were a bit mischievous, often playing pranks on Attila, Simeon, and Cole while they worked in the garden.

But Attila still liked these little creatures.

After all, they were truly adorable.

Seeing Attila, the flower spirits immediately flew over, chirping happily.

Attila smiled and played with them for a while before bidding them farewell and continuing on her way.

On her path, she encountered a humanoid being who resembled a female elf but had skin like tree bark and hair like leaves.

"Good morning, Lady Madeline."

Attila stopped and greeted her.

This being was also summoned by Lord Su Nan from another world. She was known as a Child of the Forest and was responsible for guarding the magic plant garden.

Madeline nodded lightly at Attila and continued her patrol.

Attila didn't mind; she knew that Lady Madeline was a bit reserved.

Over the past two years, Attila had grown accustomed to finding new creatures from other worlds appearing in the base from time to time.

Reaching the Silver Moon Flower cultivation area, Attila immediately spotted Simeon watering the plants.

"Simeon," the girl called out.

Simeon turned around, and upon seeing Attila, his face broke into a smile. He quickly set down the watering can and ran over.

"Attila, what brings you here?"

Attila rolled her eyes and said, "Have you been so busy that you forgot what the teacher instructed us to do?"

Simeon slapped his forehead, quickly recalling the task, and chuckled awkwardly.

"Oh, right, it's today, isn't it?"

The grand wizard qualification test had concluded five days ago.

Unlike their time, the base was now fully developed, and new recruits who passed the test no longer had to study at the lord's manor; they could move directly into the base.

However, the teacher was too busy to spare the time, so he had instructed the three of them to show the new recruits around the base and explain the rules.

Simeon had been busy with tasks and almost forgot.

"Where's Cole?"

"He's already at the base gate."

"Then let's hurry up and go."

The two walked out of the magic plant garden together, chatting about the recent test.

"I wonder how many will pass this time?"

"Definitely more than when we took it."

"You're right."

Compared to two years ago, the territory of Flashhold had expanded by more than four or five times, and the population had also increased significantly.

With a larger population base, the number of eligible children with the necessary qualifications would naturally increase.

And being the first test, the number of participants would be especially high.

This year, the base might gain over ten new apprentices.

Thinking about becoming a senior, Simeon felt a strange surge of excitement.

The base was too quiet now, and he was eager for more people to make it more lively and to have more people to exchange ideas and learn from.

He wasn't worried that more apprentices would deplete resources.

According to Lady Gery, the warehouse had more than enough resources to support dozens of apprentices.

"Have you started making potions recently? How's it going?" Attila suddenly asked.

Simeon scratched his head and laughed bitterly. "It's really difficult. I've failed ten times making the Strength Potion, and I've wasted all the materials I saved up this month."

To reduce the difficulty, Simeon had chosen the Strength Potion, which was relatively easier for beginners, instead of more challenging potions like the Minor Vigor Potion or the Minor Dragon Blood Potion. However, his first attempt was still a disaster.

"Don't worry, the teacher said it would be tough at first, but it will get better once you get the hang of it," Attila consoled him.

Simeon nodded, but a sigh escaped his lips.

Easier said than done.

Unlike Cole and Attila, who came from wealthy families and could afford to buy materials without using contribution points, Simeon had to rely entirely on the points he earned.

All the gold coins he had were given to old Roger, and the materials he used daily were exchanged with his contribution points.

This failure in potion-making had cost him dearly, and the wasted materials pained him deeply.

"By the way, what has Cole been up to lately?" Simeon asked.

He hadn't seen Cole in a long while.

Though they all lived in the base, their busy schedules of meditation and studies left little time for socializing.

Attila replied, "Cole has been learning to craft Black Rock Leopards, but it doesn't seem to be going well."

"Crafting puppets is indeed quite challenging," Simeon agreed, nodding.

He had attempted to craft Black Rock Leopards himself but failed every time.

His talent in puppet-making was even less than in potion-making.

Thinking about puppet-making, Simeon felt a sense of nostalgia.

Black Rock Leopards were Knight-level puppets.

Two years ago, knights were high-ranking figures he could only look up to. He never imagined he would one day be capable of crafting puppets on par with knights.

The changes in his life over the past two years were truly immense.

And it was all thanks to the teacher.

Thinking of the teacher, Simeon felt a deep sense of gratitude.

As they talked, the two of them approached the base's main gate, where they saw Cole waiting.

Compared to two years ago, fifteen-year-old Cole had grown significantly, his tall and lean figure complementing his handsome features, making him the type of young nobleman that girls often admired.

Seemingly sensing their arrival, Cole turned his head, his eyes lighting up slightly as they swept over Attila, then quickly returning to a neutral expression when he saw Simeon.

Simeon couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly.

Cole really saw him as a rival.

Ever since falling behind in the Star Ring Meditation and the creation of the first Star Ring, Cole's pride seemed to have been wounded, pushing him to train even harder, determined to surpass Simeon.

While Simeon didn't enjoy competition, he had to admit that Cole's efforts had put pressure on him, leading to significant progress in his own meditation and studies.

Not long ago, the teacher had praised both him and Cole.

Perhaps having a rival did have its benefits.

Just as they had exchanged a few words, a group of figures appeared in the distance.

Twelve young men and women rode Black Rock Leopards, escorted by a squad of Black Rock Cavalry, approaching the base.

Leading the group was Lord Brad.

"Heard that Lord Brad has ascended to the rank of Great Knight, making him the second Great Knight in Flashhold after the Lord himself," Attila whispered.

"With the Dragon Blood Fruit, there will be more Great Knights in the territory in the future," Simeon responded, his gaze scanning the twelve newcomers.

From their attire, it was clear that the group included both noble offspring and children from middle-class families.

Notably absent were children from poor or peasant backgrounds.

Literacy remained a significant barrier, preventing the poor and peasants from becoming wizard apprentices.

Simeon had considered changing this, but spreading education involved many aspects, and even the Lord would find it difficult to implement, let alone him.

"Good morning, my lords and ladies."

As they approached, Lord Brad dismounted from his Black Rock Leopard and bowed to Simeon, Cole, and Attila.

Despite being old enough to be their father and holding the prestigious titles of Great Knight and Lord, he maintained the utmost respect for Su Nan's three students.

"Lord Brad, it's been a while."

Simeon and the others quickly returned the bow.

"Having delivered the new apprentices, my task is complete. The rest is up to you three."

Lord Brad left the group and departed with his soldiers in a hurry.

Watching Lord Brad ride off, Simeon and the others turned their attention to the twelve newcomers.

"Good morning, seniors."

The twelve newcomers hurriedly bowed, their demeanor visibly tense and awkward.

After two years of intense meditation and study, Simeon, Cole, and Attila had developed a mysterious and profound aura. To the average person, they seemed enigmatic and inscrutable.

Even Simeon, who came from a poor background, had undergone a complete transformation, his every action exuding confidence and decisiveness.

Anyone who saw him now would never guess that he was once a shy and insecure child.

Standing before these three, even the noble-born newcomers felt a palpable pressure.

"Don’t be nervous, from today onwards, we’re all classmates," Attila said gently.

Her warm and gentle smile helped the newcomers relax slightly.

"Let’s go, we don’t have much time," Cole said coolly. "We need to get this done quickly; I have to get back to puppet-making."

His somewhat impatient tone made the relaxed atmosphere tense up again.

Attila shot Cole a mildly annoyed look and led the newcomers into the base.

"The base is quite large and divided into many areas, but they are all easy to recognize."

"Most areas are open to everyone, but places like the detention zone and the energy core room are off-limits to apprentices. They are guarded by magical alarms, so be careful not to trigger them."

"Ah, those are the clay golems, responsible for various chores. There are also stone golems, which mainly handle the base’s security and patrols."

"Besides us apprentices, the base is also home to Lady Gery, who oversees the warehouse; Lady Madeline, who guards the magic plant garden; and the flower spirits, who tend to the magic plants. They are all helpers summoned by the teacher from another world."

Along the way, Attila enthusiastically introduced the base to the newcomers and explained various precautions.

Simeon occasionally chimed in with a few additional details.

Cole remained expressionless and silent throughout.

Fortunately, the newcomers didn’t mind. They all looked around with bright eyes, finding everything incredibly new and exciting.

Seeing the newcomers’ reactions, Simeon couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia, as if he were seeing himself from two years ago.

Back then, his first visit to the base must have been similar to the newcomers’ reactions now.

"Then there’s Hidden Dragon and Lady Amy."

"Hidden Dragon is the teacher’s magical pet, a powerful dragon lizard that can turn invisible."

"Lady Amy is the teacher’s friend, with a mysterious background. She’s not here today, but she would have likely come to see you if she were."

After touring most of the areas, Attila led the group to the warehouse.

Lady Gery was sitting at the entrance, playing a violin. The melodious music had a calming effect on everyone.

Attila motioned for the newcomers to stop and wait patiently until Lady Gery finished her piece. Once she put down the violin, Attila stepped forward and said, "Lady Gery, I’ve brought the new apprentices."

"This year’s batch is quite large," Lady Gery said with a smile, glancing over the newcomers. She pointed to a table beside her. "These are the materials Lord Su Nan wants me to give to the new apprentices, including the Star Ring Meditation guide and some basic books. You can take them."

Attila thanked her, took the materials, and distributed them to the newcomers.

"By the way, a difficult individual has recently arrived in the detention zone. Lord Su Nan asked me to tell you to avoid the area as much as possible," Lady Gery added.

A difficult individual?

Simeon, Attila, and Cole exchanged puzzled looks.

Clearly, this difficult individual was another helper summoned by the teacher from another world.

However, it was unusual for the usually kind Lady Gery to describe someone as difficult.

Curiosity aside, the three apprentices always followed the teacher’s instructions and quickly agreed.

Leaving the warehouse, they headed to the residential area to help the newcomers choose rooms.

Suddenly, a loud, shrill alarm sounded in their ears.

Simeon, Attila, and Cole’s faces all changed.

"Someone triggered the magical alarm!"

"It’s coming from the main gate, let’s go check it out!"

"Stay here and don’t move around."

After instructing the newcomers, the three apprentices hurried toward the main gate.

From a distance, they saw a group of stone golems gathered at the entrance.

As they approached, they realized the stone golems had surrounded an intruder.

To their surprise, the intruder was a single person.

The man was wrapped in a long, concealing robe, with only his pale, stiff-faced, male features visible. He appeared to be in his thirties and exuded a gloomy aura.

Looking at his face, Simeon, Attila, and Cole felt an inexplicable chill, as if goosebumps were rising on their skin.

The man’s gaze swept over the three apprentices.

"Three young First-Class Wizard apprentices."

"Interesting, these days, it’s rare to find someone who takes on students."

The man’s voice was raspy and unpleasant, like sandpaper.

What surprised Simeon and the others even more was that the voice seemed to come from under the man’s robe; his mouth never moved.

A gentle breeze blew by.

Simeon and the others sensed something and turned to see that Su Nan had silently appeared beside them.

"Teacher!"

The three young apprentices quickly bowed.

Su Nan waved his hand. "Go back, I’ll handle this."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end