Leilin's expression softened ever so slightly—a rare sight. He still remembered the grief and resolve on that unfortunate girl's face from before.
"It's so good to see you. How are Gulicha and Duolote?"
Leilin asked with a smile.
At his words, Niss's body trembled beneath the black veil, and her voice turned somber: "They're all dead. Not just them—Kreweir, Beilu, and more than half of our companions from the Keli Archipelago..."
"I'm sorry..."
Leilin didn't know what to say. Although he had given them a heads-up beforehand, his warning had been extremely vague. Whether Kreweir and the others would even think to connect the dots—and whether they'd take it seriously after that—was far from certain.
And even if they had sensed something was wrong, they were merely first-rank or second-rank apprentices with no special talents and no preferential treatment from the Academy. Whether they could get away smoothly was anyone's guess.
As expected, Niss continued: "After we received your message, we met up a few times, but we couldn't come up with any real plan. Not long after, Black Bone Forest Academy declared a full lockdown—no apprentice was allowed to leave the Academy grounds, or they'd be killed on sight... And then the war came..."
In a massive conflict between two Academies, full Wizards were the main fighting force. Kreweir and the others weren't even third-rank apprentices—they'd barely qualify as cannon fodder. Devastating casualties were only to be expected.
Leilin couldn't think of any comforting words either, and Niss said nothing more. Silence settled between them.
"Mission recorded. Confirmed complete! This is your reward—please collect it!"
At that moment, the freckled girl behind the counter finally looked up. She scribbled something on a piece of parchment with a quill, then handed a small leather pouch to Leilin.
Leilin hefted it. The sound of Magic Stones clinking together came from inside.
"I have matters to attend to—I'll take my leave now."
Leilin said to Niss, and under her complicated gaze, he left the place.
"Mission turned in. Time to see the mentor!"
Leilin crossed through the garden area and arrived at the location of Mentor Guofate's old laboratory.
Knock, knock, knock!
Leilin rapped on the door. With a creak, it opened to reveal a beautiful young woman inside.
She stood about half a head shorter than Leilin, with a gorgeous head of green hair and an incredibly alluring figure. Being so close, Leilin could even catch the scent of her perfume.
"Biji! Long time no see!" Leilin said softly.
"You're... Leilin!!" The green-haired girl first eyed Leilin with confusion for a moment, then let out a joyful cry and threw herself into his arms.
Feeling the soft, full warmth against his chest and the fragrance rising beneath his nose, Leilin silently marveled that the girl he remembered had finally grown up.
"Alright! I'm here to see Mentor Guofate!"
After waiting a long while with no sign of the girl getting off him, Leilin patted her shoulder reassuringly as he spoke.
"Teacher's inside, and Merlin is in there too!" Biji wiped her slightly reddened eyes, a smile breaking across her delicate face. "I'm so glad you're okay..."
Leilin nodded and stepped into the laboratory.
"Leilin!!" Merlin was the first to come out. His appearance hadn't changed much from three years ago, though his demeanor had grown more steady and mature. Upon seeing Leilin, he forced a somewhat awkward smile onto his face.
"Senior Merlin!" Leilin gave a slight bow. He knew that Merlin's facial muscles had suffered irreparable damage during a potion experiment, making it difficult for him to display normal expressions. He didn't think anything of it.
Then Leilin walked into the inner chamber of the laboratory.
Inside was a single black experiment table. Beside it, a white-haired middle-aged man set down the test tube in his hand, and a pair of golden eyes locked directly onto Leilin's gaze.
"On you, I catch the faintest scent of the Void Flower. It seems you truly obtained a petal of the Void Flower!"
Guofate stared at Leilin for a long time before breaking into a smile. "What a lucky young man!"
"Heh heh..." Leilin rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed grin, though inwardly he felt a surge of relief.
After deciding to use the Void Flower as his cover story, he had spent the past three years using the Chip to try to synthesize a material that resembled the Void Flower.