Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

070: Query

Lin Qi glanced at the strange bird with surprise.

It should be noted that his badge only indicated his status as a senior apprentice, yet the other party was able to accurately determine the number of runes he possessed. Such perception ability was truly remarkable.

'Looks like I'll have to find a way to blur the mental field if I get the chance...'

For wizards, information is a matter of life and death; to be caught completely off guard and have one's true strength revealed...

If he were facing an enemy right now, Lin Qi would already be half dead.

Silently reminding himself of this, Lin Qi put on a smile and calmly said, "After all, it's been seven or eight years since we last met, hasn't it?"

Morrison was taken aback: "Has it been that long?"

He said with a touch of emotion, "That's what happens when you live too long. Your perception of time becomes less sensitive. You may be doing the same things every day, but suddenly you realize that many years have passed."

That's how time is.

"In the future, when you have more time, you will gradually understand."

Lynch humbly replied, "I will keep your teachings in mind."

Morrison waved his wings: "It's not exactly instruction, just some rambling from an old bird with nothing better to do."

He paused, then looked at Lin Qi strangely and said, "But then again, seven or eight years isn't a long time for a wizard. The fact that you've managed to meditate on nine runes in that time shows you've put in a lot of hard work, hasn't it?"

This is true.

Despite Lin Qi's rapid improvement in strength, the effort he put in behind the scenes was extraordinary.

Since he transmigrated to this world, he has basically never relaxed for a single day.

Aside from the necessary eating, sleeping, and physiological needs, he spends most of his time cultivating, studying, and experimenting; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a magic fanatic.

Lynch nodded: "It is indeed not easy."

Morrison's eyes showed a hint of approval as he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Not bad, not bad at all."

"Most apprentices don't take cultivation seriously, finding it tedious and boring, and they can't endure the long periods of solitude."

"If you don't see any progress after practicing for a couple of days, you stop and start hoping for good luck, praying for a chance encounter, hoping to be noticed by some big shot, or pinning your hopes on those vague and unreal legends."

"Or they might simply give up on themselves, indulge in pleasure, and waste their time and energy on endless mating and pleas."

"How ridiculous."

Morrison is describing the current state of the wizarding world, at least in this gray fog forest, where most apprentices are just getting by, with very few truly putting in the effort to train.

Lynch was doing the same things they were doing, but he knew when to stop.

He only relaxes appropriately when his physiological threshold reaches its limit, clears his mind of desires, and calms his thoughts in order to cultivate better.

Essentially, it is still for cultivation rather than for enjoyment.

So,

Is Lynch's extraordinary ability simply because he works harder and is more dedicated than others? If others also work hard in their training, can they also continuously advance and successfully become wizards?

Actually, no...

At least in the Gray Mist Forest, effort is not the decisive factor in whether one can advance to the rank of wizard...

Morrison continued, "Keep it up, keep this mindset, and you'll understand in the future how precious this kind of mindset is in the wizarding world."

He paused briefly, then said with a hint of mystery, "Don't worry about whether your efforts will be rewarded. Soon you will all have an opportunity, and if you seize it..."

"This is the time to change your destiny and reap the rewards of your years of hard work!"

Lynch knew that Morrison was referring to the Styx Flower mission.

He nodded: "I'll remember."

Morrison then asked, "Alright, enough of the digressions. Tell me, what brings you to the archives today?"

Lin Qi did not answer immediately, but instead took out a palm-sized, flat, round metal flask sealed with wax from his pocket.

It contained Morrison's favorite Scarlet Howl.

Lynch gently placed the flask on the counter and pushed it toward Morrison: "This is the wine I promised you last time. I apologize for being late, since you haven't been to Grey Tower."

Morrison's eyes lit up noticeably, and his nose twitched slightly, clearly recognizing the taste of the wine.

It let out a satisfied, low "grumble," and with an extremely nimble paw, it reached out, grabbed the metal wine jug, skillfully unscrewed the wax seal, brought it close to its "face," took a deep sniff, and revealed an almost intoxicated expression.

"Excellent, excellent, this is the irresistible flavor!"

Morrison's eyes lit up as he looked at Lynch and said, "Ah, I'm liking you more and more, kid. Keeping promises is the most precious quality in the wizarding world!"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Speak. What do you want to ask? I will answer anything I know, within the rules and my authority."

Lynch nodded and cut to the chase, stating his purpose directly: "I want to inquire about the details of a wizarding organization. They are active deep within the Gray Mist Forest, and their name is 'The Whispers of Shadows'."

The Whispers of Shadows is a wizarding organization that has existed in the Gray Mist Forest for over fifty years.

It was once quite famous in the Gray Mist Forest, and many apprentices who failed the Gray Tower test and were forced to go to the Gray Mist Forest would go there for refuge.

Not long ago, news came from Lilith's cabin that an apprentice, while gathering resources, had apparently discovered the former core base of this wizarding organization.

Like other wizarding organizations in the Gray Mist Forest, they perished while being fed on nightmare beasts and are now ruins.

This is the culmination of fifty years of accumulation.

Magic stones, knowledge, materials... there are countless treasures inside, yet no one has ever sought them out.

Now that he had discovered it, Lin Qi naturally wanted to explore it further.

However, this site was not part of the game's storyline, and Lin Qi had never explored it when he played the game before.

He knew nothing about the traps, mechanisms, or dangers inside.

Exploring unknown ruins rashly is extremely dangerous, and Lynch certainly wouldn't make such a basic mistake.

I came here to research information in preparation for exploring this site.

"The Whispers of Shadows..." Morrison repeated the name, his claws tapping unconsciously on the perch. "Tch, a bunch of guys hiding in the shadows and mist, who like to deal with nightmares and ancient echoes... Just wait."

After saying that, it took off from the perch, its dark blue figure silently gliding into the deep alleyway behind the archives, formed by tall bookshelves, and quickly disappeared into the interwoven light and shadow.

A moment later, he flew back and threw a large box of documents into Lin Qi's hands.

Morrison said, "Everything you need about this organization, including their maps, locations, members, and so on, is here."

He paused, then added, "It's only because of you, kid. If it were anyone else, I would have just told them to get lost."

Lin Qi quickly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you so much for your help."

After saying that, he took out a small bag of magic stones that he had prepared in advance and handed it over.