Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Notebook
In the moonlit forest, Old John crouched low, carefully examining broken plant stems and blood trails.
"This way," he whispered, pointing in a direction.
Loken's escape trail was obvious, even with many clues burned away by fire. Old John effortlessly tracked him to a valley.
Sparse vegetation in the valley made it easy for Richard to spot Loken by his campfire.
"He's looking at something," Ellie whispered.
Richard saw the object in Loken's hands—a notebook.
"I'll approach him head-on. Ellie, use magic to prevent his escape. Old John, you should hide," Richard instructed.
Plan set, Richard activated his bloodline, black scales covering his body, then cast a silencing spell on himself.
Ready, he charged from the forest, a black streak wielding a greatsword, aiming for Loken.
Thanks to the silencing spell, Richard's approach was soundless. Loken, engrossed in the notebook, noticed nothing amiss.
Slash.
Blood sprayed.
Loken sensed danger at the last moment, rolling aside clumsily. A deep gash across his back oozed blood.
"You survived!" Loken exclaimed, shocked.
"Not only did I survive, but now I'll take your life," Richard replied coldly, swinging his sword again.
This time, Loken was prepared, erecting two invisible barriers before the blade.
Two force field barriers!
Loken sneered at Richard.
"Fool, you're a wizard apprentice and still only use a sword?"
But Richard's mocking gaze met his.
If Saban could break through a force field, so could Richard.
The sword sang a sharp note as it cleaved through the barriers, a testament to Duke Blackwood's signature technique, the Raven's Slash. The swift blade could cut through plate armor, leaving destruction in its wake.
The sword sliced through, and a head flew.
Loken's eyes widened in disbelief, even in death.
How could his sword break through two layers of force field?
With Richard's success, Ellie and Old John joined him.
Ellie uttered an incantation, her magic surging, and a wisp of black energy flowed from her fingertip, entering Loken's corpse.
Moments later, Loken's body deflated like a balloon, leaving a skeletal shell.
"It's done," Ellie said nervously, eying the body.
It was her first time using a curse spell, unsure of the outcome.
Suddenly, a bulge formed on the corpse, and a fist-sized white worm emerged.
"It worked!" Ellie cheered.
"What is that?" Richard asked, intrigued.
"A curse worm, used in many curse spells as a casting material," Ellie explained, holding the worm. Unlike typical worms, it lay still in her hand.
"This one's big. It could sell for five magic stones."
"It can be sold?"
"Of course," Ellie replied, rolling her eyes as she carefully stored the worm. "It can curse others or protect against curses."
"That's useful."
After testing her spell, Richard picked up the notebook Loken had been reading.
The notebook's pages were yellowed, with edges wrinkled from humidity. It seemed to have been exposed to the elements for years.
The text was in the wizard language, somewhat faded but mostly legible, saving Richard the trouble of extracting its contents psychically.
He wasn't sure if the Miracle Furnace could extract from such faded writing.
Flipping through a few pages, Richard understood why those people were after Loken.
"A senior apprentice's notes, how did this end up in the Blackstone Mountains?"
Puzzled, Richard began reading by the fire.
"July 10th, Rainy.
The weather's terrible. It's been pouring since two days ago. If this keeps up, the room will grow mushrooms.
July 15th, Clear.
The rain finally stopped. A massage parlor opened next door today. They say it relieves mental fatigue. Not sure if true.
Going to check it out tomorrow.
July 16th, Clear.
The massage parlor's good. I heard the special services are even better.
Trying that tomorrow.
July 17th, Clear.
Went to the massage parlor.
July 18th, Overcast.
Went to the massage parlor.
July 19th, Clear.
Damn it, those bitches used aphrodisiac incense as meditation incense!
July 20th, Clear.
Went to the massage parlor."
Richard skimmed through pages filled with the writer's reviews of the massage parlor.
"Damn, even a construction worker wouldn't visit so often."
Skipping the parlor entries, Richard finally reached relevant content.
The notebook's owner specialized in the Enchantment School, documenting his modifications to the spell model for Flame Hand and the resulting effects.
"Power increased by one level, consumption reduced by a tenth. This modification alone makes tonight worthwhile," Richard thought excitedly.
Power level, a unit used by the Enchantment School to measure spell potency, equaled one magic missile's power. Though not applicable to many spells, it was standard for the Enchantment School.
Richard continued reading.
"May 12th, Clear.
Only one magic stone left. Those bitches at the massage parlor drained me dry.
May 13th, Overcast.
The task hall's packed. These new students should stick to classes, not tasks!
May 15th, Clear.
Finally found a decent task. Collecting herbs in the Blackstone Mountains pays twenty magic stones, with travel reimbursed. Alchemy School wizards are filthy rich.
May 19th, Light Rain.
It's raining again. Been in the Blackstone Mountains for a day, found nothing. The high pay makes sense."
Suddenly, the diary entries stopped.
Richard flipped a few pages to find a few scrawled lines, the last written in blood.
"What is that! What did the mudslide unleash!"
"Living Iron Net, how is this in the Blackstone Mountains?"
"Guard Golem! I know, I stumbled into a wizard's lab! Those strange things are the wizard's defenses!"
A wizard's laboratory!
Richard felt his heart skip a beat.
The treasures in a wizard's lab were immense. Specimens, experimental materials, and equipment were priceless to apprentices.
Richard read on, finding a long gap before a final blood-written line appeared at the notebook's end.
"The wizard is dead!"