After escaping from the Nightshadow Fortress, Lynn didn't stop for a moment. He pushed himself to the limit, fleeing as fast as he could into the distance.
Every step he took was accompanied by heavy breathing, and he could still feel the lingering shadow of danger behind him, preventing him from letting his guard down.
Only when his breath became ragged and his stamina was nearly exhausted did he finally slow his pace, stopping to rest for a moment.
Fortunately, by now, he had moved beyond the direct line of sight of the Nightshadow Fortress. Looking back, all he could see was an open landscape there wasn't even a trace of the dark fortress in the distance anymore.
"I've escaped… but I can't let my guard down."
Lynn's heart sank. He knew that while he had temporarily shaken off his pursuers, he was still within the Nightshadow Fortress's sphere of influence. Safety was still far from guaranteed.
The surrounding silence and emptiness did not mean peace he remained in potential danger.
Throughout his escape, Lynn carefully avoided the Emerald Island Forest.
Earlier, he had noticed that the Black Dragon Witch seemed to be heading in that direction.
If she was indeed hiding in the forest, then the combined forces of the Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart would surely focus their attention on that area.
Charging in now would be nothing short of walking into a trap.
Thus, Lynn chose to move in the opposite direction, away from the Emerald Island Forest.
As night deepened and exhaustion set in, he finally found a concealed spot a place sheltered from the wind where he could rest.
However, still being in a dangerous zone, he didn't dare to sleep. Instead, he meditated to recover his strength.
After nearly two hours of meditation, Lynn's condition gradually improved.
He hadn't fully recovered, but he had regained enough energy to keep moving.
"I wonder how Colin and Sonya are doing…"
Lynn sighed inwardly. Though he was deeply worried, there was nothing he could do except pray that they had managed to escape alive.
"I need to find a way back to the Furnace."
Lynn made up his mind.
He didn't intend to completely abandon the Furnace. He was still bound by its contract and needed to report everything that had happened on the battlefield to his superiors.
But the Furnace was quite a distance away from both the Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart.
He had originally arrived here via the Furnace's teleportation array, but those arrays were all located within the Emerald Island Forest which was now completely off-limits.
"That means I'll have to walk back… I need to find the nearest human city tomorrow."
Lynn pinched the bridge of his nose, a bitter smile on his face.
He realized that not only did he have to evade the pursuers from the Nightshadow Fortress and the Bitter Heart, but he also needed to find a way to deliver his message back to the Furnace.
If only he could send a message by carrier pigeon… but unfortunately, the Furnace was located within the realm of the extraordinary, and ordinary pigeons would never be able to reach it.
Day and night, Lynn pressed on, traveling relentlessly, relying purely on sheer willpower to push himself forward.
Whenever exhaustion overtook him, he would meditate briefly to restore a bit of strength before continuing his journey.
After an entire day and night of travel, he finally saw signs of human habitation.
It was a small village. From a distance, wisps of smoke curled up from the rooftops, a clear sign of people living and thriving there.
Lynn didn't rush in immediately. Instead, he cautiously stole a simple set of peasant clothing and stuffed his conspicuous wizard's robe into his spatial storage.
Now, he no longer looked like an isolated wizard apprentice but rather an ordinary country youth.
Thanks to the months he had spent in the Furnace, his nutrition had improved, and his once-skinny frame had grown lean and strong.
At a glance, he now looked like a well-built young man from the countryside.
However, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention, Lynn didn't enter the village. Instead, he took a detour and continued along the main road.
After traveling some distance, he finally spotted a small city with low walls.
Sparse figures were moving in and out of the city gates.
Blending in with the crowd, Lynn quietly made his way toward the gate.
Luckily, there was no entrance fee, allowing him to slip inside without any trouble.
The city wasn't large, but its streets were bustling with people.
Most of the residents wore simple clothing, and the shops lining the streets were filled with a variety of goods, giving the city a typical medieval atmosphere.
Even though he had no money, Lynn wasn't worried in the slightest.
For a second-level wizard apprentice, earning a little money in the mundane world was an effortless task.
Avoiding any flashy moves, he positioned himself near a tavern.
Using a subtle spell of mind confusion, he discreetly dazed a few ruffians and searched their belongings, retrieving some coins.
Vagrants and scoundrels often loitered around taverns, and incidents like these weren't uncommon in the city.
Now that his immediate concerns were resolved, Lynn found an inn and dragged his weary body inside.
He completely ignored the suggestive glances from the inn's female attendants and went straight to his room.
After locking the doors and windows, he collapsed onto the bed without hesitation and instantly fell into a deep sleep.
For an entire day and night, he slept soundly, finally recovering from his extreme exhaustion.
After freshening up, he sat on the bed with two spatial storage items in front of him:
One belonged to him, filled with various potions.
The other was taken from the third-level apprentice connected to White.
"I still don't even know that guy's name…"
Lynn opened the apprentice's spatial storage.
Since the Furnace's storage tools were all of standard design, he had no trouble unlocking it and began inspecting its contents.
Inside, he found a variety of enchanted items, ranging in size and function.
One of the standout items was a shield that could reflect spells used by that very apprentice during their battle.
Other items included daggers, shackles, and similar smaller tools, which seemed less remarkable.
"I'm not from the Alchemy Department, so my knowledge of enchanted artifacts is limited. I'll have to take my time figuring these out…"
Lynn muttered to himself before turning his attention to the other storage item, which contained potions something he was much more familiar with.
Unlike magical artifacts, he knew these potions inside and out.
Looking at the neatly arranged potion bottles, Lynn couldn't help but lick his lips slightly.
"If it weren't for my contract with the Furnace, I'd love to use all these potions before continuing my journey…"
He picked up a glass bottle filled with a colorless, crystal-clear liquid, resembling pure water.
Lynn carefully examined it, it was the potion known as 'Tears of Daylight.'
This potion could significantly accelerate the cultivation speed of a second-level wizard apprentice.
Within the Furnace, a single bottle of this potion was considered quite valuable, a precious resource.
However, Lynn didn't drink it immediately.
After all, this potion came from the Nightshadow Fortress's alchemy vault.
He needed to verify whether it was tampered with perhaps sealed with an enchantment or embedded with a hidden curse.
Not every potion was as harmless as it appeared.
Lynn meticulously examined the potion for any abnormalities or hidden enchantments.
After repeated confirmations that it was safe, he finally relaxed.
Bringing the bottle to his lips, he took a careful sip.
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