Time had flown by.
That day, Nora and Lorna arrived at the Twin Towers with a flutter of nervousness in their hearts. They knocked on the door, which opened immediately, revealing a jade lizard with peculiar butterfly wings waiting to greet them.
“Come in quickly. Madam Justine will arrive soon.”
“Okay, okay.”
Confronted with this strange creature, both felt a tightness in their chests but reminded themselves that this was the Sorcerer’s residence and probably safe. They followed the creature into the living room.
Exchanging glances, Nora mustered her courage and said,
“We wish to see the sorcerer.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. Sorcerer Ivan is quite busy. You can speak with Madam Justine first. I am called Scented Butterfly, a member of Sorcerer Ivan’s insect swarm.
There’s another creature named ‘Wind Moth,’ but it’s currently in confinement by the mother. You will certainly meet it later.
The mother is our leader of the rapid wood silkworm clan. Sorcerer Ivan calls her ‘Silkworm Queen,’ and she usually stays by Sorcerer Ivan’s side.”
Scented Butterfly shook its small head, denying their request.
To avoid making them feel too awkward, Scented Butterfly attempted small talk in a manner typical of humans, emphasizing the wonders of the rapid wood silkworm clan.
“Can you all speak?”
“The three of us can; the rest of the rapid wood silkworms haven’t developed that far yet.”
“That’s so cool, so magical, so beautiful. Can we also find insects that can speak?”
“It’s difficult; our clan didn’t originally speak. Under Sorcerer Ivan’s meticulous training and through several mutations, we developed intelligence and became intelligent creatures.”
Of the twin sisters, Lorna was more lively, breaking the tension, showing her true colors as she stared eagerly at Scented Butterfly, her intense gaze revealing her active mind.
“Ahem, Lorna, don’t be so rude.” Nora looked at her sister in annoyance, knowing that if it weren’t for their new surroundings, Lorna would probably be more hands-on with their guest.
Soon, Madam Justine entered the living room, and the overwhelmed Scented Butterfly quickly stepped aside.
“Madam Justine.”
“Hmm, Sorcerer Ivan has been busy lately and has entrusted your matters to me. I hope you don’t mind.”
For Sorcerer Ivan, accepting two more disciples was merely a minor episode. Nora and Lorna had just stepped onto the path of sorcery, possessing only superficial knowledge, so Justine was well-suited to provide proper guidance, leading him to decisively delegate the responsibility.
“We don’t mind, we don’t mind at all.” Madam Justine’s fleeting aura of authority struck them like lightning, making them stiffen and hastily claim their compliance.
Only then did the two realize that this woman, appearing merely decorative, possessed strength far beyond their own, which was truly terrifying.
“Very well, you can ask me any questions about your training. If I can’t answer, then you may consult Sorcerer Ivan. Don’t worry, you are Sorcerer Ivan’s disciples, he will not neglect you,” Madam Justine said, her tone softening.
She came from a noble family and had received a noble’s education. She had even served as a lady of a lord for a while, naturally knowing how to handle people.
“Madam Justine, the Sorcerer has taught us about insect breeding, apothecary, and enchantment. Must we master all three?” Nora asked thoughtfully, aware that their energy and resources as apprentices were limited, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by such generous mentorship.
“Not necessarily.”
Their sigh of relief was cut short by Justine’s following words, making their hearts tense up again.
“Each of these disciplines has its charm; it’s up to you to choose.”
“We are eager to learn more.”
“Breeding insects is a tradition of our discipline, which includes the life’s work of Sorcerer Randall and Sorcerer Ivan. You will understand its importance to the advancement to full sorcery when you reach the limit of a 3rd Class apprentice.”
“And what about apothecary skill?”
“Apothecary skill is best known for earning magic stones. I can offer you more detailed guidance myself. As for enchantment, since we are part of the Enchantment Group, according to our responsibilities, we earn credits through enchantment, and credits are essential in the academy—”
After listening to Madam Justine’s detailed explanations, the two exchanged a glance, feeling the dilemma in each other’s expressions. The importance of insect breeding was undeniable, considering its influence on advancing in sorcery.
As for apothecary and enchantment, the former offered personal guidance while the latter was linked to necessary credits, making it hard to choose between them.
“You don’t need to rush your decision. Some things depend on individual talent, and what suits you best is most important, after all, not everyone can achieve remarkable success in all disciplines like your Sorcerer,” Justine counseled.
As a welcoming gift, Madam Justine gave each of them a set of low-grade magic stone water and answered many of their training-related questions.
Returning to their dormitory from the Twin Towers, Nora and Lorna exchanged a smile.
“Nora, what do you think of the Sorcerer?”
“We’ve struck it lucky.”
“Hmm, I also think it’s quite good, although I haven’t met the mentor personally.”
The two had been part of the academy for some time, and had learned quite a bit through conversations with their peers. Some had been immediately faced with unreasonable demands from their mentors and had no choice but to comply.
In contrast, they had not heard of anyone else receiving a gift of a mental power potion, nor of receiving special personal instruction. Such treatment was definitely among the top for newcomers, giving the sisters a sense of immense relief.
…
Twin Towers meditation room.
Ivan had indeed been rather busy, partly researching the Ant King Barrier Array and partly engaging in meditation to enhance the elementalization of his spiritual power.
He held a low-grade element crystal in his hand, drawing slivers of element energy from it. After repeated refinement, it merged into his mental ocean, combining with a strand of mental power to become a part of it.
With the integration of this trace of element energy, the originally colorless spiritual power began to display a barely noticeable hint of emerald green.
At this moment in the mental ocean, a large amount of vaporous mental power floated around the solidified model, continuously nourishing the ‘Flower Tree Shield’ solidification model. One could clearly see that most of the vaporous mental power had taken on a green tint, while a small part remained colorless.
Elementalization was a process of gradual progress.
It could not be done too quickly, as the mental power would struggle to adapt; nor too slowly, as the newly enhanced mental power could be influenced by the already elementalized mental power, potentially causing unforeseen changes.
“After elementalization of the mental power, it enhances the power of spells, but putting it in my hands is almost a waste,” he said.
He had initiated elementalization using a Plant-type element crystal, which only enhanced Plant-type spells. Currently, his elementalization was equivalent to 60%, which would result in a sixty percent enhancement in Plant-type spell potency, like the spell Thorny Jungle.
Unfortunately, his most frequently used spell was Black Magic Hand, which had nothing to do with the Plant-type.
Fortunately, this enhancement also applied to the ‘Flower Tree Shield.’ By now, the defense of the Flower Tree Shield had reached 40 graduated degrees, and it typically could not be penetrated by ordinary spells.
Half a month flickered by.
Ivan felt that he had nearly finished his research on the Ant King Barrier Array, so he contacted Sorcerer Christian to report his progress and inquire about the next steps.
“Sorcerer Christian, this is the situation. If we can’t directly access the Ant King Barrier Array, all this is just theoretical, and it’s hard to say how much I’ve truly mastered,” he said.
“I understand what you’re saying. Please wait a few days, I’ll prepare everything,” replied Sorcerer Christian.
Inside the meditation room, Sorcerer Christian’s half figure appeared on a crystal ball, as clearly as if he were standing there.
“Wait a moment, this matter is like provoking the ire of the Three Great Families and goes against the academy’s rules. Are you sure it won’t be noticed?” Ivan called out to Sorcerer Christian as he was about to leave, asking worriedly.
Should their actions be discovered, the consequences would be unbearable. As the primary executor, Ivan would undoubtedly face severe repercussions, forcing him to ask several more questions.
“I swear by the Mother of Earth Core that all arrangements prioritize your safety as the foremost element, and we’ll try our utmost to prevent others from detecting our actions,” promised Sorcerer Christian.
This, after all, involved the internal operations of the academy, as well as the academy’s defensive sorcery array. Sorcerer Christian understood his concerns and immediately offered a guarantee to ease his mind.
“Very well, I await good news.”
Ivan was merely stating his stance; nothing was ever foolproof. Sorcerer Christian’s words were sufficient reassurance for him.
As days passed, one day Wolban came to visit Ivan at the Twin Towers. Not long after, Wolban left to return to his own residence.
Two days later, Wolban visited another sorcerer and similarly did not stay long, as if merely partaking in normal exchanges. Little did anyone know, through such seemingly ordinary actions, ownership had been exchanged between the residences of several sorcerers.
Inside a residence combined of the Troika Tower and a castle, Ivan inspected the setup around him.
“Sorcerer Ivan, are you satisfied with our arrangements?” Andaya’s cool voice rang out.
“I didn’t expect you to have people planted in the Talent Nurturing Team. Well done,” Ivan nodded slightly.
At that moment, the forms and auras of the two had greatly changed; they were disguised as an elderly couple from the Talent Nurturing Team, to carry out their research on the Ant King Barrier Array here.
The Talent Nurturing Team was under the influence of the Wajin Family, one ofesorcerHe r Christian had long implanted a mole within it and made a series of arrangements, using it as a base to clandestinely initiate various researches.
Ivan and Andaya’s appearance here meant that others were replacing them in their own residences; Wolban had stayed back at the Twin Towers two days prior.
“Thank you for the compliment.” Hearing his words, a small wooden puppet jumped out of Andaya’s pocket. The puppet’s mouth moved up and down, yet the voice was unmistakably Sorcerer Christians.
“Sorcerer Ivan, forgive me for not being able to come in person to discuss the sorcery array with you,” it said.
“Don’t say that. The attention of the Three Great Families on you is not something we can compare to. We must prioritize caution,” Ivan realized this was not an ordinary puppet as all sensory reactions indicated that the puppet was akin to an avatar of Sorcerer Christian.
Sorcerer Christian had been a sorcerer for a long time, transitioning from an ordinary sorcerer to a steward and then from steward to chief steward. His power was well-established, controlling various secret techniques and fantastic items.
“Let us go to the observation point and have a look. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied,” he said. Find exclusive content at empire
“I’ll see for myself.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two and the puppet made their way to the secret observation point deep within the residence.