"The Mage is dead? What does that mean?"
Staring at the notebook's final words, Edwyn fell into deep thought.
Taken literally, it meant the Mage who owned that hidden laboratory was dead. But if he thought further, it raised a bigger question:
How did the Mage die?
Was it an experiment gone wrong? Or did he die of old age?
If it was an experiment gone wrong, then the lab was a dangerous treasure trove. But if the Mage died of old age, the lab could be a tomb, and tomb raiding was always risky.
In that case, Edwyn needed to carefully weigh whether it was worth exploring.
"Edwyn, you still reading that thing?"
Elia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He closed the notebook and smiled.
"This book contains a method for modifying a spell. I'll copy it for you once we're back at the academy."
"Wahoo! Edwyn, you're the best!"
Elia leapt into his arms and gave him a big hug.
At the academy, the spell models available for exchange were always basic versions. In reality, modern Mages had created dozens of optimized variants through years of study. Knowing how to refine and enhance spell models was a hidden test for apprentices.
Those who used only the raw models were guaranteed to suffer in student duels.
Old John had looted quite a bit off Loken. Besides a pair of magical boots, he also turned up three Mana Stones.
Edwyn gave one of the nearly depleted stones to Old John as payment. The old man had been unbelievably useful in the Blackstone Mountains, guiding, tracking, even baiting monsters. There was little he couldn't do.
"Here you go, John."
Old John took the Mana Stone joyfully and patted his chest.
"Mage lord, you just say the word, Old John will give it his all!"
Edwyn nodded, then turned to Elia.
"These two Mana Stones are for you."
"Huh? For me? I can't accept that!" Elia quickly shook her head. "You killed him, so the loot should be yours. I can't take it."
"Then consider it a loan. I'm investing in a long-term, trustworthy teammate." Edwyn pressed the stones into her hand.
Her response to the Loken situation had impressed him. She was a good person, clear about right and wrong. Exactly the kind of partner Edwyn wanted.
Mages could work alone, yes, but that was only because they had time. Apprentices had maybe thirty years at most, and between earning stones, meditating, traveling, and resting, that time slipped away fast.
No apprentice could cover every front alone.
A reliable teammate was the best way to cover your blind spots.
Besides, Elia had shown potential as a curse mage, a rare and valuable talent.
"Well… then I'll accept." Elia bit her lip and took the stones, silently vowing to grow stronger as soon as possible.
With loot split, Edwyn examined the boots Loken had been wearing.
They were called Gale Boots, engraved with a Wind Step spell on the sole. When activated, they allowed the wearer to move faster using wind element propulsion.
For Edwyn, this was a big upgrade.
If he'd had these boots earlier, Loken wouldn't have escaped his first strike.
After resting in the valley overnight, Edwyn followed Old John the next morning to check the White Crystal Deer habitat.
These Arcane Beasts had crystalline antlers, and their shimmering white scales were often used as raw materials for crystal balls.
Once Edwyn confirmed their population was stable, he tried sneaking in to gather some crystals, but he instantly understood why the academy required apprentices to work in teams.
Beams of white light blasted from the deer's antlers. While not deadly individually, there were hundreds of them.
"Hssss… that hurt."
Edwyn slumped against a tree, smoking from the hits. Without his scaled armor and life-boosting bracers, he might've ended up like a roast pig.
"You should've listened. Old John warned you not to get close," Elia giggled behind her hand.
"Whatever. At least I got something."
Edwyn shook the bag full of white crystals proudly.
They left the habitat and visited a few herb-gathering spots popular with other Mages. Unfortunately, most of the plants were out of season.
Still, since he was already here, Edwyn harvested some unripe herbs with plans to cultivate them back at the academy.
After all, potion-making was a big part of alchemy.
For the next two days, Edwyn and Old John searched for the Black-Striped Water Python.
Finally, in a swamp, they found a five-meter-long juvenile.
Though classified as a low-tier Arcane Beast, the python could control water elements and had enough muscle to crush a Grand Knight in its swampy domain.
Old John even used himself as bait to lure it into the forest.
"Worth the stones, right?" John huffed from a treetop.
Out of the swamp, the python's advantage vanished.
Hiding nearby, Edwyn's boots lit with green light. His speed surged, and with a surprise Wind Crow Slash, he cut the serpent clean in half.
Still, Arcane Beasts were tough. Even sliced in two, the python thrashed wildly.
Blood gushed and, under the beast's control, rose into spears that smashed into the forest.
But Edwyn's group had already taken cover.
After about ten minutes, the python finally stopped moving. Edwyn walked over, lopped off its head, and filled a flask with its blood, hoping to refine and sell it later.
"Elia, try your spell on this thing," Edwyn called out.
Elia cautiously approached the body and cast her curse.
Crack... crack... crack…
Under her spell, the serpent's corpse shriveled into a dried husk.
A moment later, a large bulge formed near the tail, and from it emerged a pale-white worm with faint black stripes.
"This one looks different."
"It is," Elia said as she gently stored it. "This is a Black-Striped Worm, a superior form of the white curse worm. It's five times stronger, and five times more expensive."
"Now that's what I like to hear! We've still got the other half. Want to try again?"
Edwyn was excited. Curse worms seemed like a good business.
But Elia shook her head.
"I can't. According to the books, Elementary Apprentices can't hold more than two curse worms, or they'll invite unpredictable misfortune."
"You can't… but I can," Edwyn smiled.
He dragged over the other half of the python.
"Don't waste it. That's money on the ground."
…
With the python's head secured, Edwyn had completed his mission.
On their way out of the mountains, Edwyn casually asked Old John if there had been any landslides in the past few decades.
John replied that twenty years ago, there had been a major one. Rumors say monsters appeared afterward, and guides always avoided that area.
That was all Edwyn needed to hear.
If John's info was accurate, then most likely no one had discovered that Mage's lab.
He still had a shot.
Leaving Blackstone City, Edwyn and Elia returned to the academy via the Arcane Airship.
After submitting his mission report, Edwyn headed straight to his dorm, to begin crafting the Pale Mask.