Felicity led Lynn out of the laboratory and into the adjoining study.
The old wizard picked up a booklet from a nearby desk and handed it to Lynn.
"Take a look first. When the others arrive, I'll explain it all together."
Only then did Lynn realize that this task had been accepted by several other Silverring apprentices as well.
His heart eased slightly. With a trace of expectation, he accepted the booklet. It bore no title. Opening to the first page, his anticipation dimmed.
This was not the original record of the foreign knowledge; it was merely a hand-copied translation.
Lynn read on. Felicity hadn't given the knowledge a name, but instead referred to it with a code: 016.
According to the notes, 016 described a method that allowed one's spirit to split off into tiny fragments, which could then be affixed to suitable materials or objects.
It's somewhat like the Emerald Shadow Mark… Lynn thought involuntarily.
The difference, however, was clear: the Emerald Shadow Mark was not a fragment cleaved from spirit, but a special existence born from the spirit itself.
In Felicity's manual, the introduction went no further than this.
Turning the page, Lynn found a set of cultivation methods, meditations, and movements that were complex and detailed.
But… It's only knowledge about how to split the spirit. There's nothing about how to use those fragments afterward…
Perhaps Felicity's source had been incomplete. Or more likely, Felicity had withheld part of the knowledge from the booklet.
After handing over the manual, Felicity busied himself with his own affairs at the desk, leaving Lynn to study quietly.
Lynn turned back to the first page, reading with focus.
For some reason, the knowledge felt strangely familiar…
Before long, three more Silverring apprentices arrived: two men and a woman, named Archer, Mick, and Libelle.
Felicity gave each of them the same booklet. Once they had skimmed through, he spoke in a deep voice:
"This knowledge came into my hands by chance, purchased from a caravan out of the Aurora Domain. It originates from a world that has long since perished.
"Its effect, as you've seen described, is peculiar; it allows the spirit to divide into a tiny, living fragment, without damaging the whole."
A subtle gleam of expectation flickered in Felicity's eyes.
At that moment, Mick raised a question:
"Master Felicity, was that destroyed world one of those conquered by the Silverring Academy? I mean, would its language be preserved in the Academy's archives?"
"No. It was a world that had already been dead for ages. I translated this knowledge myself. I know what you're worried about, but rest assured, at the very least, your lives will not be at risk."
The laboratory full of corpses, Felicity's odd manner, everything about him gave the impression of a dangerous man.
Yet his response to Mick's probing was calmer than Lynn had expected, and that, strangely enough, put Lynn more at ease.
"I understand, Master Felicity." Mick nodded and did not press further.
"Any other questions?" Felicity asked.
Lynn considered for a moment, then casually asked:
"Master Felicity, might we be allowed to see the original text of this knowledge?"
Felicity blinked, puzzled.
"The original? The pages are written in an unknown script. I haven't fully deciphered them. What's the point of looking at it?"
"Nothing more than curiosity. I come from the remote Emeraldshadow Forest. I've rarely ever seen objects from other worlds," Lynn answered evenly.
The three other apprentices looked at him in surprise, suddenly realizing his identity as a foreign exchange apprentice.
As for why he wasn't just an ordinary visiting student, Felicity had made sure that this assignment could only be taken by proper Silverring apprentices or recognized exchange scholars.
Felicity showed no suspicion, merely saying:
"If you manage to stay, perhaps then."
He looked around at them and continued:
"Next comes a test. Only those who pass may remain.
"The contents are simple: a test of spiritual compatibility, followed by a written exam on basic knowledge."
The four apprentices all nodded.
"Follow me," Felicity said.
Felicity led the four apprentices down into the basement. They followed a narrow staircase into a long corridor lined with rooms on both sides.
Lynn's eyes widened slightly. The underground space was no smaller than the floors above.
"Stay close to me and don't wander. And above all, do not touch the other rooms," Felicity warned in a low voice.
Lynn's heart tightened. He followed Felicity to the end of the corridor along with the other three apprentices, where they entered another laboratory.
This laboratory was somewhat smaller than the one upstairs, but without the glass tanks of preserved corpses, it felt much more spacious.
No… not entirely gone…
In the corner, a side chamber stood with its door half-closed. Through the narrow gap, Lynn caught sight of a faint green glow in the corner of a glass tank.
He was just shifting to get a better look when Felicity waved his hand, and the door swung shut.
"Remember, without my permission, you are not to go anywhere else. Your activity is restricted to this room," Felicity said sternly.
Then he pulled out a crystal vial filled with a pale blue liquid.
"Hold out your hands."
He opened the vial and dipped a dropper into the liquid.
Mick was the first to extend his hand. Felicity released a single drop of the liquid into his palm, then moved on to Libelle.
"Use your spiritual power to make contact with the liquid. If it solidifies into a sharp-edged crystal, you pass. If not, you fail, and 006 will escort you out."
Even before Felicity finished speaking, Mick said:
"Master Felicity, I think I succeeded."
Felicity turned back, eyes showing faint surprise. According to the records, anyone who could solidify the liquid in less than ninety seconds had decent compatibility or talent.
Mick had managed it in barely ten seconds. Clearly exceptional.
A rare smile crossed Felicity's lips. "Not bad."
Soon after, both Lynn and Archer received a drop in their palms.
As Lynn released his spirit power, he suddenly felt a faint ripple from the White Crow mana cluster inside him.
When he tried to probe deeper, the ripple vanished without a trace.
Come to think of it, the meditation-plus-movement cultivation method described here does bear some resemblance to the White Crow Sword Technique…
"I succeeded too, Master Felicity," Libelle exclaimed with delight.
Lynn snapped back to focus and directed his spirit toward the drop.
In an instant, the pale-blue liquid crystallized into a razor-sharp shard. The speed startled even him.
More curiously, Lynn realized he could reverse the process, dissolving it back into liquid.
But seeing neither Mick nor Libelle show such signs, he suppressed the impulse and simply said,
"I've succeeded as well, Master Felicity."
"Roughly thirty seconds? Very good."
Only Archer remained. After two minutes, the liquid in his palm was unchanged.
"You may leave," Felicity said coldly.
006 entered, leading away the dejected Archer.
Felicity looked at Libelle, hesitated, then said:
"I expected only two of you to qualify… but fine, you may stay for now. After all, compatibility alone isn't enough; you must also have sufficient knowledge."
His eyes flicked toward Lynn, the only one who had not been educated at Silverring since childhood. The implication was clear.
It seemed he intended to keep just two in the end.
By talent alone, the choice was obvious: Mick with ten seconds and Lynn with thirty, compared to Libelle's full minute.
But as Felicity had said, he valued more than talent.
Libelle glanced at Lynn, quietly relieved. The task didn't require ultimate success, only cooperation for a week of experiments. The difficulty wasn't high, and the reward in contribution points was excellent.
Even if Felicity extended the time, he would pay extra. It was a lucrative and safe assignment she didn't want to miss out on.
As for Lynn, his earlier thoughts of withdrawing had long since vanished. Whether it was the ripple from the White Crow mana cluster or the strange nature of the liquid, both tempted him greatly.
He very much wanted to stay, and perhaps even find a chance to glimpse the original text of this knowledge.
Still, basic knowledge was indeed his weak spot.
The body's former owner had spent nine years at Hossens, but stuck at the threshold of transcendence, he'd learned little advanced theory.
Lynn himself had only crossed over just over a year ago. Though he'd tried to patch the gaps, compared to Silverring apprentices raised in academy education since childhood, his foundation was still lacking.
Soon, Felicity handed out exam papers.
Libelle skimmed the questions, a confident smile on her lips. Glancing sideways, she was surprised to see Lynn wearing the same relaxed expression.
In breadth of basic knowledge, he was no match for academy-trained apprentices.
But with his talent of Insight, Lynn's depth in certain fields was exceptional.
For instance, the relationship between body and spirit.
Thanks to his long-term study of the Blackmoon Physique, Lynn's mastery in this area far outstripped his peers. Among apprentices, he could easily be called top-tier.
The results came out as expected: Lynn held back deliberately, yet still scored higher than Mick, second only to Libelle.
Libelle's face twisted with regret and frustration.
Felicity, after reviewing the papers, thought for a while, then said to her:
"Fine. You may stay too as another point of comparison."
Before Libelle could respond, Felicity gestured for them to turn back to their booklets.
"Now, let's begin.
"That destroyed world, I call it the Crystal World. I gave it that name because, according to these records, its people bore crystalline growths upon their chests…"
Felicity's very first words sent a tremor through Lynn's heart.
Such similar traits as the so-called Crystal World were, in all likelihood, the White Crow World, birthplace of the White Crow Sword Technique!
Felicity carefully explained the contents of the booklet. Only now did the apprentices realize that the knowledge they held had already been heavily edited and adapted by Felicity.
To suit the Guern race, he had altered many parts, and most of these changes were theoretical only, with no successful cases yet.
That, precisely, was why Felicity had summoned them.
After finishing his lecture on theory, he began to guide them in practical application.
Lynn had to admit, the old wizard's mastery of spiritual matters was extraordinary. No matter what difficulties the three apprentices encountered, he could unravel them with just a few words.
Thus, the four of them remained in the laboratory the entire day, and even their meals were brought in by 006.
It wasn't until near midnight that Felicity finally called an end to the session. He declared the day's work complete and instructed them to return at seven the next morning. He also warned that as the project advanced, they might not always have time to go home, so anything personal should be handled that night.
As for progress, it was painfully slow. Even Lynn, refraining from using his Insight ability, hadn't managed to grasp anything tangible.
"006, escort them out," Felicity ordered.
Left alone at the worktable, the cold white lamp cast his weary face into sharp relief. He sighed, then pulled from a drawer a small silver-white sphere, carefully examining it.
"Master Felicity, that's the original of Knowledge No. 016, isn't it?" Lynn suddenly asked.
Felicity glanced at him, then gave a slight nod. As though remembering something, he asked,
"Would you like to take a look?"
All participating apprentices had signed strict secrecy contracts beforehand, so Felicity saw no harm in sharing.
Even Archer, who had been eliminated, had been given a copy of the notes.
At his words, Lynn's heart leapt. All day he had been waiting for a chance to glimpse the original of Knowledge 016 without drawing suspicion, and now, just as he was leaving, the opportunity had fallen into his lap!
"If you don't mind, I would very much like to," Lynn replied quickly with a smile.
Felicity nodded, then turned to the other two apprentices as well:
"You should see it too. This object contains Knowledge 016, and it is also its corresponding weapon. Perhaps it will aid your practice…"
Weapon?
Lynn had already stepped forward. He accepted the silver-white orb, about the size of a ping-pong ball, though he was a little puzzled by Felicity's words.
He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he focused intently on the orb.
Its surface was covered in tiny script, characters shifting slowly like flowing light.
Lynn froze. The script was not the same as the one he had seen on the White Crow Sword Technique.
Yet as he invoked his Insight, the meaning unfolded before him.
"A flash of white lightning that appears in the void out of nothingness…"
That must be the name of this knowledge: Void White Lightning.
Without hesitation, Lynn slipped a hand into his pocket, pinched a magic stone, and activated his Insight.
His vision blurred for only an instant before clearing, unnoticed by anyone else. The stone in his hand had barely lost any energy.
But now, the entire set of intricate, complex, and difficult knowledge called Void White Lightning was etched firmly into his memory.
The brief glimpse hadn't deepened his comprehension much, but it had allowed him to record every detail.
And with that, his earlier doubts were answered.
From the familiar crystalline features, it was clear this knowledge truly originated from the White Crow World. The difference in script likely meant that the world possessed more than one written language.
Most worlds did.
Bidding Felicity farewell, Lynn returned home, his heart buoyed by the harvest of the day.
But as he passed a street corner, he froze.
Stepping off a public shuttle ahead of him was a familiar figure.
A wizard apprentice.
The prime suspect in hiring the assassin
Wilfer.
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