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Chapter 58: 025: Journey with Parker
Three days later, in the morning, at Shadow Path, the only route connecting Shadow Land to the outside world.
Underneath a signboard pieced together with several wooden planks, Lynch took out his pocket watch to check the time. He had agreed to meet Avery at 8 a.m., but it was already 7:55, and she was nowhere to be seen.
"Running late?"
Just as this thought crossed Lynch’s mind, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from afar.
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The dense morning fog still cloaked the forest, and Lynch squinted into the direction of the sound, barely able to make out a few vague silhouettes approaching through the mist.
As they drew closer, Lynch finally saw who it was—it was Avery.
Spotting Lynch in the middle of the road, Avery gave a polite smile. "Didn’t expect you to arrive first. Have you been waiting long, Apprentice Lynch?"
Lynch shook his head. "I just got here."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to the people next to Avery. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
Avery hadn’t come alone. She was accompanied by two male apprentices.
One of them appeared to be about Lynch’s age, burly in build, wearing a badge indicating his status as a Low-level Apprentice. His cloak hung loosely over his shoulders, revealing a black hunting outfit underneath. At his waist hung a Cross Sword, completing the image of a knight.
The other looked visibly older, likely around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing a badge marked as a Mid-level Apprentice. In his hand, he held a magic wand adorned with multiple gemstones, its value evident at a glance. He was of medium build, with slightly curly brown hair and an ordinary face, though his chin was slightly raised and his eyes narrowed, exuding an air of arrogance.
After briefly scanning the two, Lynch’s focus returned to the apprentice wielding the sword, and his expression showed slight surprise. He recognized the man from a prior conflict—
Adam Stark.
Meanwhile, Avery noticed Lynch’s gaze and began introducing the two companions. "Lynch, these are my teammates. This is Adam Stark, and the one beside him is Lucas Philman."
She paused briefly, then turned to her teammates and said, "Gentlemen, this is Apprentice Lynch Valen. He will be assisting us in handling the Elemental Coral."
Lucas spoke with a hint of disdain in his tone, "No need for introductions; I know who he is. Lynch Valen—the lucky boy who obtained the Warrior Feather—and rose to his esteemed position from a peasant’s background."
When he mentioned the word "peasant," his tone noticeably sharpened.
Lynch frowned slightly.
Over the past three years, Lynch had deliberately kept a low profile, almost fading from public view. He hadn’t expected that someone would not only remember him but also approach him with such an overbearing attitude, as if he owed them a debt.
Avery frowned in disapproval. "Lucas, Lynch is someone I hired to assist us. If he successfully resolves the Elemental Coral issue, it will save us a lot of trouble. I hope you’ll extend to him the basic respect he deserves."
Lucas pursed his lips but said no more.
Avery turned to Lynch with an apologetic expression and said, "I’m sorry, Lynch. Lucas’s attitude isn’t directed at you personally, nor does he harbor any malice towards you. It’s just his personality. Before he entered Shadow Tower, he was a noble."
Oh...
With that, Lynch understood.
The social structure in the Mortal World was similar to that of medieval Europe on Earth, with noble lords presiding over a rigid hierarchy.
Nobles, as the ruling class, often carried an innate sense of superiority, viewing ordinary people as insignificant and weak—almost as if they were of a different species.
Thus, most nobles exuded arrogance, particularly when facing commoners. Their "noble demeanor" would unconsciously emerge, especially in the presence of someone like Lynch, a peasant by origin—it was undeniable.
These ingrained perceptions were formed in childhood and were unlikely to change, even after entering the Wizard World.
Moreover, most nobles from the Mortal World had intricate connections with Wizard Families. From a resource and network perspective, they undoubtedly held advantages over ordinary apprentices. Viewing themselves as superior wasn’t entirely surprising.
Avery continued, addressing Adam this time. "Adam, Apprentice Lynch is—"
Adam replied flatly, "We know each other."
Avery looked puzzled.
Lynch explained truthfully, "We trained in the same cohort as apprentices. Before I moved into the Inner Ring, we lived together."
He then greeted Adam warmly, "It’s been a while, Adam."
Adam nodded lightly in acknowledgment.
Lynch hadn’t had much rapport with Adam before, and after their previous conflict, Lynch had moved into the Inner Ring while Adam was confined. Since then, they had completely gone their separate ways.
Avery said, "If there are no issues, let’s set off."
...
Night fell over the Dark Forest, and in a clearing.
At the center of the clearing, a campfire burned brightly, roasting food above it. Surrounding the campfire stood several tents, while Lynch and the other three sat around the fire, preparing dinner.
"Crack!"
The wood popped in the flames, sending a few sparks dancing into the air before quickly dissolving into the wind.
Lynch sat near the campfire, tearing off pieces of jerky to feed Parker.
Over three years, Lynch had mastered the entirety of knowledge related to Extraordinary Cultivation for apprentices, reaching the pinnacle achievable at the Apprentice Rank. There wasn’t a single demon at the apprentice level that he couldn’t cultivate.
Under his meticulous care, Parker had shown remarkable improvements.
Just look at its attributes:
Strength 13.5, Agility 13.7, Constitution 13.2, Spirit 9.8.
Three Basic Attributes exceeded an astonishing 13, which was already equivalent to the level of a High-level Knight in the Human World. The Spirit Attribute was nearing the breakthrough threshold of 10 points, nearly double that of Lynch himself.
The attributes were impressive, but what was truly terrifying were its talents.
Over the past three years, Parker had gradually awakened numerous abilities. Ordinary talents like "Bite" and "Collision" weren’t worth mentioning, but it had also gained three extraordinary talents:
"Hardening," "Strong Regeneration," and "Flame Charge."
"Hardening" enabled Parker to instantly increase the density of its skin and scales, greatly enhancing its defensive power. In this state, its body became harder than steel—even Lynch’s full-strength attacks struggled to break through.
"Strong Regeneration" was another highly abnormal talent. It granted extraordinary self-healing capabilities, allowing recovery from any non-lethal injury—even lost limbs could regenerate.
Lastly, "Flame Charge" was the most prominent Extraordinary Trait. When activated, Parker’s entire body was engulfed in flames. During close combat against enemies, the image alone was terrifying.
As ironic as it was, Lynch, despite possessing numerous magical skills and swordsmanship expertise, found himself decisively outmatched in raw combat against Parker. Over the years, his primary combat goal had become defeating Parker.
"Rustle, rustle!"
Just then, the faint sound of rustling broke the stillness of the night. A nearby bush suddenly quivered.
As Lynch was about to react, the other three had already sprung into action.
"Stay here, don’t move," Adam said sternly, drawing his Cross Sword as he stepped to Lynch’s left. At the same time, Avery raised her magic wand and moved to Lynch’s right, and even Lucas, who had previously disdained Lynch, filled in the final gap.
The trio formed a defensive triangle, instinctively placing Lynch, perceived as the weakest, in the center.
Bracing themselves to confront the lurking danger in the darkness...
