The vast expanse of the Emerald Island Great Forest was truly boundless. Even with all three of them being wizard apprentices, traveling day and night, it still took nearly ten days for Lynn and his companions to finally locate the Furnace Army's encampment.
They were fortunate not to have encountered entanglements with apprentices from the Nightshadow Fortress or the Bitter Heart Sect along the way; otherwise, it would have taken even longer.
No wonder the Furnace Army was able to wage guerrilla warfare against Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart Sect within this immense forest.
Throughout these ten days of travel, Lynn and his companions faced numerous battles.
By the grace of Lady Luck, their most perilous encounter involved an ambush by four third-level wizard apprentices. Thankfully, they did not run into a fully-fledged wizard.
With the formidable defensive power of the Heart of Floral Language, Lynn barely managed to withstand the pressure, buying enough time for Sonya and Colin both third-level wizard apprentices to eliminate their attackers.
These skirmishes, large and small, quickly acclimated Lynn to the rhythm of combat between wizard apprentices.
After all, practice is the best teacher.
Finally, upon reaching the Furnace Army's encampment, they were halted by a group of third-level wizard apprentices serving as sentries. After verifying their identities, the guards allowed them to pass.
A vast number of tents stood tall amidst the dense forest, blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings.
It was evident that the Furnace Army had not cleared the trees to build a proper base. Instead, they had preserved as much of the forest's natural landscape as possible to maintain their mobility in guerrilla warfare.
At the heart of the encampment, a few large, square-shaped military tents stood out conspicuously, occupying a significant area. These were the command tents of the official wizards.
There was no need to guess these tents belonged to the Furnace Army's high command.
Lynn surveyed the camp and noted that, while there were numerous apprentices and tents, the area wasn't overcrowded.
It appeared that this was just one of many encampments. The Furnace Army had other bases elsewhere.
A Suspicious Gathering
That night, the three of them gathered in the same tent, conversing in hushed tones.
"I've asked around. This is just one of the many outposts of the Furnace Army. The wizards in charge seem unwilling to concentrate all their forces in one place it would make them too easy a target," Sonya reported, her striking appearance has made it easy for her to gather information.
"Normally, each outpost only stays put for three to five days before launching an attack on Nightshadow Fortress or the Bitter Heart Sect. After the assault, the apprentices scatter while the wizards regroup elsewhere."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But our outpost has been stationary for a whole week. The wizards aren't moving out; instead, they're gathering more apprentices."
Lynn exchanged a glance with Colin, both lost in thought.
"Could it be that the Furnace Army is shifting strategy? If they stop the guerrilla tactics and fight a direct battle, they must be confident in their strength. But if Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart Sect join forces to retaliate…"
A single name came to their minds the Black Dragon Witch!
The multi-front warfare of the Furnace Army was under the command of the Black Dragon Witch. Though she was currently preoccupied with another battlefield, the actions of the Furnace wizards suggested that she would soon be arriving at the Emerald Island Great Forest.
And when she did, it would likely mark the beginning of an all-out counterattack against Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart Sect!
After their discussion, each of them returned to their tent, their minds filled with speculation.
With the safety of the Furnace Army's encampment, there was no need to take turns standing watch, allowing them to finally get some proper rest.
Breakthrough and Study
However, upon returning to his tent, Lynn did not immediately go to sleep. Instead, he entered a state of meditation.
Due to the ongoing war, he did not have much time to focus on his training, and his progress had slowed significantly.
But as the saying goes, a steady accumulation leads to breakthroughs.
Tonight, he sensed himself nearing one.
Holding a crystal sphere close to his chest, he steadied his mind and immersed himself fully in meditation.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally opened his eyes and checked his spiritual power using the crystal sphere.
"Lynn Spiritual Power: 11, Constitution: 3."
His spiritual power had increased by a point one step closer to becoming a third-level wizard apprentice.
Since joining the war effort, Lynn had encountered more wizard apprentices than he had in his six months at the Furnace Army's base.
Through careful observation of their spiritual power, he had roughly gauged the difference between second-level and third-level apprentices.
Most second-level wizard apprentices had spiritual power between 10 and 15, while third-level apprentices usually had 25 or more.
The strongest third-level apprentice Lynn had met so far was Colin, whose spiritual power reached a staggering 38 points.
"Once I break through to the third level and reach 25 spiritual power, the limitations of my Life Seed will be greatly reduced. At the very least, I'll be able to cast multiple spells instead of just one…"
His eyes sharpened.
Despite the dangers of being conscripted into battle, it was also an opportunity to gain resources.
"When the Black Dragon Witch arrives and the Furnace Army crushes the two factions, that will be my chance to claim my share of the spoils."
With that thought in mind, Lynn turned his attention to the spell he had recently acquired Wraith Breath.
He rubbed his temples and summoned his progress panel:
Name: Lynn Cole
Rank: Second-level Wizard Apprentice
Talent: Heaven Rewards Diligence
Progress:
Wraith Breath [10%]
Basic Potion Processing [100%]
Ice Arrow [100%]
Fireball [100%]
Journey of Life [100%]
Basic Potion Maintenance [100%]
Knowledge of Earth Rhino Cultivation [100%]
Beginner's Meditation Technique [100%]
Although Wraith Breath was also a mid-level Zero-Circle spell, his progress in learning it was significantly slower than Fireball or Ice Arrow likely due to his low affinity for negative energy.
Still, thanks to his talent, as long as he kept working hard, progress was inevitable.
Since arriving at the encampment, he had focused almost entirely on studying Wraith Breath. Only when he was exhausted would he switch to meditation for recovery?
Every other waking moment was dedicated to grinding its progress.
By noon on the fourth day, he had finally fully mastered the spell.
Just then, a thunderous dragon roar resounded from the sky above.
The Black Dragon Witch had arrived!
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