Chapter 64 – Flowers and Serpents

The thunder that had roared throughout the night finally began to subside, and the dim light of day gradually dispersed the night mist. When morning arrived, Lin Wei slowly opened his eyes—he leaned contentedly toward Duan Yu’s side, and after a while, he fully awoke from a night of peaceful sleep.

The first to leave the house was Daniel, a vibrant green figure drifting leisurely toward the coast. Following him were the knight siblings heading to the second floating island—the old Mages there were indeed highly interested in the bloodline of knights.

This day was not one of idleness. The remaining three Mages were to head to the opposite shore to retrieve the new first-year students. There might also be other Magic Apprentices stranded at the port, unable to return to the island, as it was customary for young Mages to return during these days.

When the three arrived at the coast, Ansel was standing on the highest rock. Before him, a massive sea creature was mostly submerged in the turbid waters churned by the waves, leaving a faint shadow, with only its smooth, flat black back visible above the surface.

Ansel waved to them: “It will take you to the opposite shore later.”

The Magic Wheel was moored in a small, calm area within the barrier. Several Alchemists were scattered around the ship, with Master Sirius busily working on the deck. His posture, from a Mage’s perspective, was rather inelegant—tapping and hammering the ship’s hull, much like Daniel had done before. Daniel, meanwhile, was bustling about, assisting his teacher. The entire outer shell of the Magic Wheel had been dismantled, revealing the crystal and Five-Colored Cloud Stone materials. Beside Master Sirius stood another Mage in a deep navy-blue Magic Robe—a tall, stern man with a prominent aquiline nose that made him appear even more serious.

Haitie whispered to Lin Wei, “That’s Teacher Mortier. He will be teaching us Magic Arrays.”

It seemed that after the damage caused by the Seasonal Tide, the Magic Academy was determined to thoroughly renovate this historic little ship—not only repairing the nearly shattered hull but also restoring the Magic Arrays on it.

The three of them climbed onto the sea creature’s back. It let out a long cry and slowly turned toward the direction of the mainland—a powerful Water Magic construct formed a solid barrier, resisting the Elemental Storm on the sea surface, allowing them to move steadily through the storm and waves.

If the sea creature swam a bit faster, the sensation on its back would be similar to riding a Giant Dragon—broad, steady, with wings spread wide as it soared into the Celestial Vault, bringing a cold wind rushing past.

Lin Wei assessed his current soul strength. Summoning a Giant Dragon was no longer difficult, and if his mental power increased further, he could maintain the summoning for a longer period.

Among Giant Dragons, there were two types: ordinary ones, whose strength was comparable to top-tier Magical Creatures, and those with greater innate intelligence, capable of advancing to levels similar to Archmages among humans. These were known as the true Dragon Clan.

The Giant Dragon Sandra, whom Lin Wei had summoned in his past life, possessed such talent. Unfortunately, her age, by the Dragon Clan’s reckoning, was only just adulthood, and she had not yet fully developed her potential.

His mental power was gradually increasing, especially while learning the seals from the Book of Contracts. Once he began the Magic Array course, the rate of growth would likely accelerate.

Although he didn’t know what would happen in the Magic World in the future, increasing his strength was always a good thing.

Speaking of which, since Duan Yu had become a High Mage, they had not yet sparred. After receiving such powerful soul strength from the Goddess, Lin Wei wondered if he stood a chance…

The sea creature’s back was soft. Haitie sat cross-legged, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the churning sea, lost in thought.

Lin Wei approached her. The red-haired Fire Mage suddenly asked in a muffled voice, “Lin Wei… why didn’t you agree to send Mr. Gregory and the others back to the mainland yesterday?”

Lin Wei didn’t answer immediately. He sat down beside Haitie and, like the Mage, looked out at the boundless ocean. “Have you already become friends with him?”

“Yes,” Haitie nodded naturally. “Mr. Gregory is a very special person.”

“Special?” Lin Wei was puzzled.

“I can’t quite explain it,” Haitie shook her head slowly, her soft, deep red curls falling over her shoulders and trembling slightly with the motion.

“Miss Haitie,” Lin Wei’s tone suddenly shifted, making the Mage turn to him in confusion.

“It is my fortune to have met you,” he said with a faint smile, his deep violet eyes focused and sincere, appearing both mysterious and captivating. “Your hair looks especially beautiful today…”

Haitie felt somewhat uneasy under such a gaze, her cheeks slightly reddening. “Lin Wei? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Lin Wei returned to his usual demeanor, looking directly into Haitie’s azure eyes. “Gregory often speaks to you like this. Although he can be reserved at times, he never hesitates to offer greetings or compliments—isn’t that right?”

Haitie, unsure of his intent, nodded hesitantly.

“Perhaps these are words you’d rather not hear,” Lin Wei said to her, word by word. “In the Magic World, you’ve never met such an elegant and polite man, so you find him unique and worthy of friendship, even captivating… But I must warn you, his compliments are not out of admiration, and his approach is not to form a friendship. He has ulterior motives—alluring colors can indeed come from vibrant flowers, but sometimes they also come from the skin of a serpent.”

He paused, then continued, “Gregory is a dangerous serpent. You’d best keep your distance from him.”

“But…”

Lin Wei looked at the Mage’s still-confused expression, unsure how to explain further.

She had grown up in the purest of environments, unaware of ulterior motives and unaccustomed to such men… Gregory didn’t need to exert much effort. Simply displaying the most basic and ordinary etiquette and grace of the Imperial Capital’s social scene, along with a bit of conversation, was enough to easily win her favor and, in turn, gain a reliable pathway to understanding the Magic World and an effective talisman for protection—especially since this Prince was also a tall, handsome young man.

“In any case, remember what I’ve said today,” Lin Wei rarely spoke in such a serious tone. “Do not easily answer any of his questions, nor believe anything he says. If he ever asks you to do something, be sure to tell me.”

The Mage nodded hesitantly.

The sea creature’s movement seemed slow, but with the aid of Water Magic, it was actually quite fast. In just half a day, the distant shoreline began to reveal the crescent-shaped black outline of the coast.

The impact of the Elemental Storm had weakened, making flight less difficult. To avoid alarming the people along the coast, the three first flew to a less populated area before heading toward the dock.

The Seasonal Tide had affected this place like never before. The usually bustling dock, even during storm seasons, was now eerily quiet. The rain, imbued with Magic, caused a burning sensation on the skin of ordinary people, leaving them in pain for a long time, so nearly everyone had taken shelter indoors.

The three planned to stay here for a day, pick up the new first-year Magic Apprentices, and return by evening.

A young Mage was already standing on the dock, accompanied by a middle-aged Mage who appeared to be a senior.

The girl with emerald eyes waved to them, raindrops falling on the light barrier around her before vanishing.

Lin Wei narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed her golden-brown curls, deep green eyes, and a face that carried a hint of pride and arrogance.

—He recognized her future self from her features: a high-ranking Light Mage who often fought alongside Duan Yu on the battlefield, her Light Magic always targeting Sandra’s sole vulnerable spot—her eyes.

“My name is Tiki,” she said, slightly tilting her chin as she introduced herself.