Chapter 52: Fragments of the Future World
“Perhaps we should change the way we talk,” Lin Wei said, subtly pushing Filinsoya away. It wasn’t that he lacked interest in women—he simply wanted nothing to do with this enigmatic woman.
Filinsoya was taken aback, wholly unprepared for Lin Wei to rebuff her advances. Yet, instead of being angered, she composed herself with remarkable grace, smoothing her slightly disheveled hair and turning the conversation to trivial matters. “We’re classmates, after all. We should help each other out in the future.”
Lin Wei nodded, offering a courteous smile. “Of course.”
Filinsoya glanced around Lin Wei’s room, then waved her hand. “Well, I’ll take my leave. Get some rest.”
Lin Wei watched her go.
“The Shadow of Holy Light... Aside from that, there’s nothing about me that could possibly attract her,” Lin Wei mused. “That means this woman must have a deep connection to the Shadow of Holy Light. I never expected that a meditation technique I stumbled upon by chance would draw in such an unexpected element.”
He sat cross-legged and instructed the intelligent core to shut down his senses.
Wizard meditation.
“There are three levels of wizard apprentices. As long as I can successfully condense a second rune fragment, I’ll become a first-level apprentice.”
Guiding his consciousness, Lin Wei easily formed the first rune fragment—a step he’d practiced so often it was now instinctive.
“The real test comes next...”
With careful focus, he began shaping the second rune fragment. This step had ended in failure dozens of times, but tonight, he felt confident of success.
His mental strength was being wrung dry, weariness creeping into his consciousness.
“Just a little more...”
He gritted his teeth and held on.
“It’s done!”
Suddenly, the second rune fragment in his mind flashed and merged perfectly with the first.
“Core, reactivate my senses!”
As his awareness returned, Lin Wei felt the exhaustion of spent mental energy—but soon, comfort washed over him.
At the instant the second rune fragment formed, he sensed a cool, ethereal energy drifting toward his body. Though invisible to the eye, he could distinctly feel its presence.
“Is this the power of shadow elements?”
Lin Wei quieted his mind and closely observed the changes within himself.
Clusters of shadow element particles flew to him like swallows returning to their nest, filling his body, which had become a vessel for this energy.
“The fusion of the first and second rune fragments has created a stable absorption model,” he thought, entirely within his expectations. “Mental strength is the magnet. The shadow element particles—the foundation of my wizardry—are iron filings, continually drawn in...”
The influx of shadow elements continued for more than ten minutes.
“It’s stopped...” Lin Wei rose and clenched his fist.
A surge of power coursed through him.
“Core, show me my physical stats.”
“Updating data...”
[Lin Wei, Nolan Mountain; Strength: 16.5; Agility: 16.7; Constitution: 16.3; Mental Strength: 2.7; Skills: Fencing, Hammering, Wizard Meditation: Shadow of Holy Light]
“My mental strength has reached 2.7... Still a bit away from the first-level apprentice peak of 3.5,” Lin Wei pondered. “The other attributes have improved as well. Ever since becoming a Grand Knight, my physical growth has slowed to a crawl. But no matter—the focus from now on is mental strength and wizardry.”
“Now that I possess wizard power, can I attempt the special effect of the Shadow of Holy Light?”
A fierce desire flickered in his eyes.
To capture fragments of the future world.
“Come on! Let me see what it’s like to predict the future!”
Following the instructions of the Shadow of Holy Light, Lin Wei simultaneously channeled mental strength and wizardry.
“My mental strength is draining fast!”
A grave expression crossed his face, sweat beading on his brow.
“A sense of temporal distortion...”
His pupils no longer perceived his surroundings—everything was washed in blinding white. Iridescent specks of light danced across his irises in a mesmerizingly bizarre display.
Then, in a sudden shift, a blurry image appeared before him.
A figure clad in a dark red robe, face hidden behind a bronze mask—judging by the build, a man. On his shoulder perched a jet-black bird, its eyes glowing an eerie red.
The masked man’s gaze met Lin Wei’s through the mask, as though they were reuniting across countless ages.
“Ah!”
A scream escaped Lin Wei’s lips as the vision shattered instantly.
“My mental strength and wizardry... completely drained...” He clutched his head, eyes bloodshot.
He panted heavily, sweat dripping onto the floor in fat droplets.
“That hazy vision... was that a fragment of the future world I just glimpsed?”
A sharp light flashed in his eyes.
“Who is that masked man? And what connection will we share?”
Suddenly, Lin Wei’s thoughts turned to the “Fanged Blood Shadow” who had attacked them earlier.
“Could it be the Fanged Blood Shadow?”
He had no evidence for this guess—just a sudden, inexplicable intuition.
“No matter. I can’t make sense of it now, so I’ll set it aside for the moment. But the Shadow of Holy Light’s power must not be used lightly. If I overdraw it a few more times, it could cause irreversible harm to my body,” Lin Wei worried. “I’ll need to find a way to resolve this in my future studies and cultivation.”
In this, at least, he had confidence. After all, he had the intelligent core—a superlative auxiliary device—at his disposal.
...
The next morning.
Lin Wei had just finished tidying his room. His face was pale from last night’s exhaustion, and his body had yet to fully recover.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Who is it?”
He opened the door.
A young woman he didn’t recognize stood outside. She was about his height, her looks above average, but her figure was so striking that it drew the eye without restraint, radiating a wild, vibrant energy.
“And you are?” Lin Wei asked, puzzled.
“Lin Wei of Nolan Mountain?” The young woman blinked curiously at him.