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Chapter 59: 026: Name of Shadow
The three formed a triangular formation to encircle Lynch in the center, protecting him immediately.
This wasn’t because Lynch was some indispensable figure, but simply because they considered him the weakest here.
"Rustle..."
The bushes shook for a moment, and faint shadows could be seen swaying behind the leaves.
What could it be?
Now it was late autumn, with The Cold Winter Is Coming. Many species in the Dark Forest were busy preparing food to survive the harsh winter, making them unusually restless. Also, this area was near the edge of the Apprentice Protection Zone, where demon invasions occurred frequently.
Adam asked, "What is it? Can you see?"
Avery replied calmly, "Spirit perception suggests it’s a tree demon-type creature. Most likely, it’s a Forest Tree Demon, with a small chance it could be a Twisted Tree Spirit. But that’s unlikely—otherwise, we would’ve noticed when setting up camp."
Lucas couldn’t help but frown.
Both creatures were Mid-level Apprentice-level demons. Especially the Twisted Tree Spirit, infamous for its rough and thick hide; if you weren’t a Fire Element user, even an average Mid-level Apprentice would struggle to handle it.
"Scratch, scratch..."
The sound of scratching echoed in the darkness. Dense and menacing tree shadows swayed continuously, encircling the group from all directions as if probing for the weakest part of their team.
Lucas frowned deeply, his steps instinctively moving closer to Lynch. With a stern expression, he said, "Kid! When the fight starts, don’t leave my side—did you hear me?"
As a noble, protecting the weak was his duty. Even though these weren’t his subjects, he felt he must do something.
Lynch obediently nodded, "Understood."
Parker, nestled in Lynch’s arms, had already dropped its jerky. Its long neck was raised high, its eyes eager and excited.
But Lynch firmly held it down.
Time ticked by slowly. The twisted shadow hidden in the bushes circled the campsite persistently but did not launch an attack. It resembled a jackal, intimidating yet cowardly, eager for the fresh blood of its prey but wary of its prey’s strength.
Finally.
Perhaps realizing that this small team was not easy to deal with, the twisted shadows retreated after circling for a while without finding a suitable opening. The swaying bushes gradually moved farther away until the noise disappeared completely.
Lucas let out a sigh of relief, "That beast is gone."
Avery remained silent. Raising her slender right hand, she gathered a cluster of Light Element in front of her. With a gesture towards the distant bushes, the Light Element quickly flew in that direction, sinking into the bushes.
Moments later, the Light Element returned swiftly, gathering by Avery’s ear as if whispering something to her.
Lynch’s eyes lit up.
Light Whisper
He’d read about this spell in books. It was a 0-ring Low-level Magic spell of the Light Attribute, capable of communicating with Light Element to assist with reconnaissance and enemy detection. A very practical support-type spell.
Quickly, Avery finished her communication with the Light Element, lowering her Magic Wand. "It was a Forest Tree Demon. It has indeed left, but there’s no guarantee it won’t return in the middle of the night."
Adam replied coldly, "I’ll take the night watch."
"Alright." Avery nodded, then arranged, "Tomorrow night will be my turn, the night after that Lucas, and the night following..."
Her gaze fell on Lynch.
However, before she could finish, Lucas interrupted, clearly uneasy. "Let Adam take that watch again. It’s better to stay cautious when we’re out in the field."
Avery nodded, "Fine."
Lynch: "....."
Was there really a need to look down on him so much? He was, after all, the recipient of the Warrior Feather, someone who had once soloed a Black Wizard Apprentice!
Then again, he couldn’t entirely blame them. Lynch had been too low-profile for the past three years.
Over these years, he had been studying alone, never attending any gatherings or events among the apprentices. He avoided everything, including spell exchange tournaments and magic arenas. Even during the Tower’s periodic assessments for apprentices, he barely passed and avoided standing out in any way.
With such low visibility, his famed achievements from three years ago had long been forgotten by almost everyone. Occasionally, someone might bring it up, but only as a joke over tea.
"Hey, look at that guy. Didn’t I say it back then? Luck doesn’t favor someone forever. If you’re weak, you’re weak!"
Comments like that.
Now, Lynch had become a completely ordinary member of the Tower. Fading into the crowd best described his current status.
Avery, still a bit uneasy, circled the campsite, scattering dung from High-level Demons in two more rounds before finally concluding tonight’s minor scare.
Returning to the bonfire, everyone resumed preparing dinner.
Lucas pulled out a smooth silk cloth from his Space Pocket and spread it on the ground. Next, he opened a box filled with utensils and carefully arranged the silver knives, forks, and dishes methodically, with a clear sense of ceremony.
As he arranged, he chatted leisurely. "Speaking of Twisted Tree Spirits, it reminds me—just a few days ago, I was hunting with two companions in the Tree Demon Forest. We planned to hunt a Twisted Tree Spirit we’d been tracking for a while and even crafted a detailed strategy. But when we got there, it was already dead."
On the surface, this wasn’t exactly an intriguing topic. But what Lucas said next caught everyone’s attention.
"It was an impressive individual," Lucas said. "Someone skilled in both Body Refinement and Fire Element magic. Took down the Twisted Tree Spirit solo—quick and clean. Judging from the scene, the battle was over in less than 30 seconds."
Avery raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You’re sure? Defeating a Twisted Tree Spirit in 30 seconds? I haven’t heard of any High-level Apprentice from the Law Enforcement Department recently hunting in the Tree Demon Forest."
In her mind, only a High-level Apprentice could pull that off. But there were very few High-level Apprentices in the Shadow Land.
The Tower’s training for Inner Ring Apprentices only lasted until the age of 30. Those who couldn’t enter the Tower by 30 were often sent to various magic departments, stationed throughout the Dark Forest, or assigned to other magical occupations.
Apprentices who reached High-level status before 30 were rare. Unless they were Black Robed Apprentices stationed at the Law Enforcement Department of the Tower, it was uncommon to see High-level Apprentices.
"I thought it was odd, too," Lucas admitted. "So, I even asked a friend skilled in reconnaissance to check the site afterward. According to their investigation, it was a Mid-level Apprentice—battle-hardened, proficient with the Cross Sword, likely with skills comparable to a human Knight."
Avery furrowed her brows. "Fire magic and Body Refinement—a Knight, too?"
Adam, who had stayed silent until now, suddenly said, "It’s Shadow! Absolutely a Shadow Swordsman!"
As he spoke, he instinctively gripped his Cross Sword, his gaze sharp, practically burning with fighting spirit.
"Huh?"
Lucas blinked in surprise. "Why didn’t I think of that? Yeah, it really sounds like that guy’s work!"
In recent times, apprentices frequenting various hunting grounds had noticed a lone wanderer among them—a figure skilled with the Cross Sword, always traveling alone, often accomplishing hunts that normally required a team. Their strength was undeniable.
Because no one could uncover any information about this individual, they had given him a nickname based on his traits: Shadow Swordsman.
"Shadow Swordsman?"
Avery mused, "I’ve heard stories about him recently, too. A Body Refining Apprentice with outstanding swordsmanship—but does this mean he also practices Fire Element magic?"
For ordinary apprentices, excelling in one magic discipline was already an achievement. Body Refinement combined with Fire Element magic? That was something very rare.
"No!"
Yet Adam shook his head firmly. "That guy isn’t just fire-based. Do you know why he’s called ’Shadow’? The Dark Element—that’s his true forte!"
"What?"
This time, Avery was genuinely astonished. "Three disciplines at once?"
"......"
Listening to their discussion, Lynch remained silent. Despite using different hunting grounds every time, thinking he’d gone unnoticed, it seemed someone had still managed to track him. How bored were these apprentices? Couldn’t they just focus on their cultivation instead?
Clearly,
It was time to put hunting tasks on hold...
