Chapter 72: Starlit Quicksand

The border of the Kingdom of Layton.

Before the gates of Gersoyas City.

As dusk approached and the sun dipped westward, the stone-paved ground shimmered beneath a golden glow. Over a hundred guards, clad in armor and armed with long spears, stood in impeccable formation. Before them stood several men girded with cross-hilted swords, armored and helmeted in iron.

Passing merchants and travelers could not help but cast curious glances their way.

“Is one of those leading men the lord of the city?”

“That’s right, it’s the city lord. What great personage are they waiting for?”

Whispers and speculation rippled through the crowd.

Just then, someone shouted above the murmurs.

“Look! What a huge bird!”

Heads tilted skyward. A colossal bird was swooping swiftly toward the city gates.

A piercing cry rent the air, sharp enough to pain the ears of those below.

“Run! The giant bird is coming this way!”

Panic scattered the crowd and chaos ensued, even disrupting the neat ranks of soldiers.

“Maintain formation!” boomed a deep, commanding voice that reached every guard.

The speaker, a middle-aged man at the head of the ranks, wore a solemn expression, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on the descending giant bird.

The bird landed with force, its wings beating powerfully and stirring a violent wind.

“There’s someone on its back!”

Every gaze that sought the figure atop the bird held a mixture of awe and fear of the unknown.

“At last, I’ve arrived…” Lin Wei glanced at the inscription above the gate—“Gersoyas City”—and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He leapt effortlessly from the bird’s lofty back.

“Off you go,” he said, patting the Gale Bird’s head.

The great creature seemed to understand, unfurled its wings, and vanished into the distant sky.

Only then did Lin Wei notice the ordered formation of guards standing before him, surrounded by a ring of civilians. No matter who it was, all eyed him with a certain trepidation.

“Are you the wizard from the Forest of Shadows?” The middle-aged man who had spoken before now approached swiftly, his companions in tow, and addressed Lin Wei with deference.

“Wizard?” Lin Wei mused inwardly. “It seems that even here in the central reaches of the Starpath Continent, these commoners know little of the world of wizards. Otherwise, they wouldn’t address a mere apprentice as ‘wizard’.”

He lightly brushed his sleeve. “That’s me.”

“Greetings, honored wizard.” Led by the middle-aged man, the group hastily bowed to Lin Wei.

Lin Wei merely nodded, then asked the man, “Who are you?”

The man bowed low. “My name is Orien, and I am tasked with escorting you to the royal family.”

“And these others?” Lin Wei glanced indifferently, his face expressionless.

Apart from Orien, the other elderly men surrounded the young Lin Wei with the deference of servants before their master.

Orien introduced each in turn—they were the city lord and the senior officials of Gersoyas City.

“Let’s enter the city. Rest for the night; we’ll set out for the capital at dawn,” Lin Wei commanded, his tone disinterested.

…

Night fell.

Within a lavish, luxurious chamber.

Hands clasped behind his back, Lin Wei paced the room.

“I’d grown used to that cramped, shuttered cabin in the Forest of Shadows. Moving to such spacious quarters all of a sudden does feel a little unsettling,” he remarked wryly to himself.

Yet, in truth, such things mattered little to him.

“Witchcraft model analysis complete.”

Suddenly, the voice of the intelligent core sounded in his ear.

“At last!” A trace of delight appeared on Lin Wei’s face.

He had begun analyzing the new spell model back on the Gale Bird’s back.

“The model Gress gave me is clearly far more complex than Shadowed Eye. The analysis speed differed by over tenfold…” Lin Wei narrowed his eyes. “It’s worth noting that the intelligent core’s capabilities are directly proportional to my soul’s strength.”

“Though the wizards of Starpath Continent have made almost no progress in soul research, one consensus remains: a wizard’s soul grows stronger with their power. Now that I’ve advanced to a second-rank apprentice, I can distinctly feel the core’s abilities improving. Even so, this spell model still took so long to analyze. Remarkable…”

Lin Wei sat cross-legged on the bed.

“Core, transfer the analyzed spell model to my memory sector.”

“Transferring… transfer complete.”

In an instant, Lin Wei’s mind was flooded with unfamiliar knowledge, and the optimal training method for the spell crystallized in his thoughts.

“Stardark Sands!” A glint flashed in Lin Wei’s eyes as he softly uttered the name of the spell.

He closed his eyes, steadily absorbing the torrent of information from the intelligent core.

A long while passed.

Lin Wei opened his eyes, a wry smile upon his lips. “Gress truly has high hopes for me…”

Only now, as he sorted through the data, did Lin Wei grasp the complexity of the Stardark Sands spell model.

Its cultivation was exceedingly difficult, and the innate requirements for the practitioner were nothing short of monstrous.

“Only those with pure shadow or darkness affinity can master this spell. In all the Forest of Shadows, I doubt anyone but myself could even attempt it,” Lin Wei mused. “Not only is the entry threshold high, but the training is intricate as well. Stardark Sands involves condensing shadow or darkness elemental particles into tangible grains. The user can manipulate these grains, changing their form and wielding them in myriad flexible ways…”

“It shares similarities with Shadowed Eye—both demand high precision and immense mental power. Fortunately, I have the intelligent core; otherwise, who knows how long it would take to master?”

A faint smile curled Lin Wei’s lips.

“Stardark Sands… let’s begin.”

He closed his eyes again, calmly attuning himself to the surrounding shadow element particles.

“First, attempt to condense the initial grain of Stardark Sand.”

Gently, Lin Wei willed his spiritual power, drawing scattered shadow particles toward him.

Sensing his summon, the dispersed particles began to coalesce.

“Excellent,” he murmured. “Core, transmit the next steps as dynamic images to my retina.”

At once, a pale blue projection materialized before his eyes.

Lin Wei studied the animated simulation intently, over and over.

“So, even forming a single grain of Stardark Sand requires constructing a basic framework…”

Once more, Lin Wei marveled at the difficulty of cultivating this spell.

“Yet…” He grinned broadly, anticipation lighting his features. “The more difficult the spell model, the more terrifying its destructive power!”