Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 205: Being Academyized
Ethan didn't respond immediately, but looked around.

This is not the Old Forest Elemental Magic Academy. He is still in the observatory. This is the scholar's study. On the desk are spread the results of her research and meditation over the past period of time.

but……

The image of the wind element was the product of his meditation process and should only exist in his subconscious mind, but now it appeared vividly before his eyes.

Ethan couldn't help but ask, "Why did you come out?"

"Because your mental state is unstable."

The blue-haired girl pointed at Ethan's head. Her voice became intermittent and her figure became translucent and seemed to be extinguished at any time.

"Is it the influence of those silk threads?"

Ethan understood.

Elemental spirits are everywhere, but personification may indeed indicate that he has mental problems. He immediately thought of the silk strings hanging above the heads of Silver Fox and the vice president. Many of their actions seemed like puppets.

"You, potion, drink it."

The blue-haired girl's voice became weaker and weaker until it disappeared completely.

The observatory fell into silence again.

This was related to the concentration potion. After arriving at the Mage Tower, he witnessed with his own eyes the Silver Fox drinking a bottle of ink-like potion, and then those faint threads appeared above his head. Now it seemed that it was most likely just something else that looked like the concentration potion.

Concentration potions don't cause mental instability or hallucinations.

however……

Hallucinations are not a bad thing. The actions of the blue-haired girl before she disappeared caught Ethan's attention.

She raised her little hand and pointed behind Ethan, where was a wall-mounted cabinet with various books and spellcasting materials placed on it. After the Silver Fox's previous knockback spell, most of the items on the cabinet fell to the ground. After being reminded by the wind element, Ethan discovered a clue.

There was still a lantern-like device standing steadily on the wall-mounted bookcase, which was exactly the place hit by the knockback spell. The surrounding objects were scattered all over the ground, and only this lantern was still standing.

Ethan stood up and fiddled with the lantern for a few times, then found that it was fixed on the cabinet. Compared to those strange spellcasting materials, this lantern was the most inconspicuous one. If it was placed there under normal circumstances, no one would notice its existence at all.

“…light up.”

A light breeze blew by, and the faint voices of wind elemental spirits could be heard all around.

Ethan couldn't find the button to turn on the lantern, but there was a wick inside. After studying for a long time without success, he finally had to resort to the ancient method of lighting the lamp.

A ball of golden flame ignited in the palm of his hand, and the temperature of the fire element was reduced to the lowest possible level. The fire element was led to the wick by infusing magic power. This was a delicate fire. Fortunately, the upgraded fire element was always trustworthy.

After a series of "crackling" sounds, the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate, and a dull roar came from the back hall. When Ethan followed the sound, he saw a secret door on the wall covered with gray-white energy carvings. The secret door was ajar, and a strong scent of licorice emanated from inside.

This is the smell of potion, and it was probably stored here not long ago.

In the past, every time Miss Chloe did alchemy in her apartment in Riverwood Town, a similar smell would remain in the kitchen. Some of the herbs required for making potions had a pungent smell, but Winter said that this was proof that the potion was fresh and asked him to get used to the smell.

When potions are left out for a while, the pungent smell will fade, and the effectiveness of most potions will diminish.

The shelf life of potions is not long, and the "fresh" period is usually 3-5 days. Combined with the time of the scholar's death, Ethan deduced that these reserve potions were stored here before her last meditation.

Although he was mentally prepared, Ethan was still shocked by the scene behind the secret door—the old shelves were filled with identical bottles, filled with the same liquid that the Silver Fox had drunk, which looked exactly like the Concentration Potion.

The wind element suggested that he drink the next bottle.

Although these are the collections of the scholar, it seems that the scholar no longer needs them, so he should not have any objection.

What's more, based on the 3-5 day shelf life principle, these potions may no longer be fresh in a day or two.

Ethan picked up a bottle of potion, unscrewed the cap, and the pungent smell of licorice suddenly became several times stronger.

This thing must not taste good.

He still remembered the frown on Silver Fox's face when he drank the potions.

Ethan had to hold his breath and comfort himself in his heart - he had seen many potions that smelled much worse than this, such as the Relaxing Mind Blocker 2.0. When he coaxed Mr. Marshall into drinking the blocker, the latter collapsed on the bed, like an unlucky man who had encountered a Dementor, and all the happiness in his life had been taken away.

In the spirit of "a short pain is worse than a long one", he made up his mind and poured the whole bottle of potion into his mouth.

To Mr. Marshall.

Ethan muttered to himself.

Almost at the same time, he felt something strange in his body. The palm of his other hand became warm and soft.

The blue-haired girl lowered her head, took his hand, and dragged him to the front hall with a sullen look.

As long as he wasn't driving a motorcycle, Wind Element was an introverted, taciturn literary girl, and now, this literary girl gave him an assist in an unexpected way.

She could actually understand manuscripts encrypted by magicians, even manuscripts written by contemporary polymaths themselves!

The blue-haired girl returned to the desk and picked up one of the manuscripts. Her golden eyes sparkled as she read the contents carefully. After a few minutes, she said, "She got your inspiration and is studying the connection between magicians and the God of Trickery. Magicians are a later product..."

The disadvantages of introverted personality are revealed.

The Wind Element usually speaks very little and will only tell you the parts she thinks are important, leaving out many details. As a result, it is difficult for you to figure out what she really means.

"Don't worry, you can translate slowly."

Hearing this, the blue-haired girl hesitated for a moment, looking a little hesitant, and Ethan took the opportunity to say, "Let's go racing together when we get back to the imperial capital."

"……it is good."

As the blue-haired girl translated word by word, Ethan finally understood the content of the first manuscript. One of them involved the history of magicians, which corresponded to the decay period mentioned by Palansi regarding the destruction of the magic network in the first era and the disintegration of the academy.

In the First Age, the relationship between magicians and elemental shapers was very close. At that time, there was even no distinction between the two names. In the eyes of outsiders, both could be called "magicians". After the academy was destroyed, two completely different names appeared. However, the conflict that really brought the relationship between the two sides to a freezing point was the irreconcilable contradiction in their attitudes towards the magic network after the decay period.

The magicians who returned to the academy believed that they should try to repair the magic network. However, the Elemental Shaper was worried about the danger of "magic addiction" and rejected the magicians' proposal. After a fierce conflict, the magicians were kicked out by the Elemental Shaper and exiled, prohibiting them from setting foot in the academy again.

The first scholar accidentally heard the echo of the God of Trickery during his prayer, and led the magicians who were exiled from the academy to the Mage Tower.

The old lady wrote down this history in detail in this manuscript, apparently for the purpose of explaining it in detail when Ethan visited.

But she was inspired by Ethan, and when she reviewed this period of history, she realized a key issue - although the earliest magicians were exiled from the academy, that system had already had a subtle influence on them during their time in the academy, and today magicians still use a promotion system that is almost the same as the academy.

Study and examination system.

They turned the advancement of the extraordinary path into a controllable and standardized system. Now every child has been institutionalized from the day they start learning magic.

The advantage of this system is that it can help magicians to advance from the first level to the fourth level to the greatest extent possible, greatly saving them the process of blind groping. As long as their talent is good enough, they will definitely be promoted to the fourth-level magician.

Of course, the scholar also admitted in the manuscript that the current assessment system has many problems due to the existence of pure-blood families and academic cliques. Many excellent third-level magicians will not get the opportunity to participate in the fourth-level assessment because of their mentors.

She is also part of the "academicization".

Born into a family of pure-blood magicians, she had lived a smooth life. Before being inspired by Ethan, she had never carefully examined the drawbacks of academyization and thought it was a natural process.

The old lady gave a brief self-examination in the manuscript.

Those who benefit from the system often turn a blind eye to its irrational parts.

Until her cognition received a severe impact.

"She said that you and Winter are the most unorthodox and unorthodox, yet you have achieved a level that no other elemental shaper can reach."

The blue-haired girl had dimples on her cheeks and said in a lighter voice, "I think so too."

She felt that Ethan was never the kind of person who followed the rules, and only such a person could create something as interesting as a "motorcycle".

She has been following Ethan recently, observing him silently.

This was the first human friend she had ever made, so when her friend was in trouble, she wanted to lend a helping hand. She had said more words today than she had in the past few years combined.

"The 'Fireball and Ice Arrow Magic Mechanics' proposed by the teacher is more like a promotion method before the emergence of 'Academyization'."

If the old lady were still alive, Ethan would definitely say so.

The disadvantages of this promotion method are also obvious. Only people with extraordinary talents can carve out a path of their own from this area.

Lin Dong's failed career as a teacher in the academy is the best proof of this. Students who practice in this way make slow progress and feel extremely frustrated. Ethan asked himself, if he was not in Ximu Town at the beginning, but in the academy, and there was a shortcut in front of him, he would probably find it difficult to use this seemingly long-distance method.

But now, the old lady can no longer respond to this.

Only the manuscripts record her thoughts on "academicization".

The old lady thought that the problem was with the magic network.

When she reviewed some books in the Mage Tower, she realized that the reason why the researchers of the First Era Academy had to advance to the fourth level as quickly as possible was because only fourth-level extraordinary people were qualified to enter the magic network.

Everyone’s journey and experiences in the magic network are different. They may get lost in it, or even become addicted to magic, but the advancement to saints has a fatal attraction to extraordinary people in any era.

But now, the magic network is destroyed.

Therefore, people who have been "academized" are stuck at the fourth level.

"Do you want to continue reading the second manuscript?"

The wind element looked up and asked.

"Then please."

"Two hours."

The girl did not translate the contents of the second manuscript immediately. She looked at Ethan with a sly smile on her face, "You have to play with me for two hours after we go back." "No problem."

"The second manuscript is about the study of the God of Trickery."

Studying a proper god was a bit presumptuous. The old lady admitted in her manuscript that if Ethan had not brought the news of the fall of the gods, she would never have the courage to conduct research in this area.

Khadra, the god of trickery, is the most controversial of the orthodox gods.

Almost all of His actions that can be traced back to Him are more like those of a middle god.

He plays tricks, is proficient in conspiracy, and likes the feeling of manipulating everything behind the scenes. The same is true for his believers. The reason why he was given the title of Righteous God is that his plan played an extremely important role in the First War against the Evil God. No one can ignore his contribution to the world.

Ever since academyization became popular among Kadra's followers, later magicians have become more and more like a group of well-behaved students.

This is contrary to what Khadra did.

The old lady believed that trickery was essentially a deception. She tried to put herself in Kadra's perspective. If it were the God of Trickery himself, how would He want His believers to be promoted?
It is definitely not a matter of learning magic step by step and taking exams.

Loyal knights need to prove their courage, and the Knight Lord will give them holy swords.

Well, as a believer in the God of Trickery, she might need to weave a lie that can fool everyone!

Almost at the moment when she had this thought, she heard the echo from the back hall.

That was guidance from the God of Trickery, which affirmed her thinking, as if telling her that after so many scholars, a true believer finally appeared in the Mage Tower.

She felt an unprecedented joy, and then began to think about the next question, which was also the real test given to her by the God of Trickery.

What kind of lie is she going to weave?

A bold idea was brewing in her mind. For the guild today, nothing could cause more uproar than the sudden death of the scholar.

It is foreseeable that when the news of her death spreads, the Mage Tower will fall into a long period of chaos, and the pure-blood families will fight tooth and nail for the position of the next scholar. Therefore, someone is needed to end the chaotic situation.

She mentioned Rowena's name in the manuscript.

The old lady admitted that if it weren't for Ethan and Rowena's friendship, she might never have paid attention to this man who had committed numerous crimes, and she would not have found out what happened to Rowena and her parents.

She wants Rowena to be the one to put an end to the chaos.

Since Rowena awakens her "dead" self, she can naturally hand over the scepter of the next scholar to Rowena.

She had been a scholar for too long and gradually lost interest in the trivialities of the guild. After that, she hoped to devote herself to further research.

The echo from the back hall answered her.

She was given a recipe for a potion that would help her complete the final test.

"Is this...faked death?"

Ethan suddenly became energetic, he couldn't help but applaud the scholar, even he was fooled by this old lady.

Then the third manuscript must be the method to awaken the scholar, or a script written specifically for Rowena.

"She's really dead."

However, the blue-haired girl interrupted Ethan's thoughts with a calm tone, "'I will meditate and listen to Kadra's guidance', this is the only sentence on the third manuscript."

This is a manuscript that was never completed.

Perhaps according to the scholar's plan, she needed to listen to more guidance from the God of Trickery in meditation to help her complete this wonderful ending.

She may have also deliberately ordered a pumpkin pie and placed it on the chair so that the magicians could infer the approximate time of her death. The illusions that appeared in the wizard's tower were also set up by her personally.

She arranged all this with great enthusiasm like a naughty child, looking forward to the scene where the great magicians would be thrown into chaos.

That night, she drank a bottle of potion and prepared for the last exam in her life.

“She was deceived.”

Said the wind element.

The potion and that meditation killed the scholar, and she died before she could leave any clues in the third manuscript.

The scholar didn't even have time to leave Ethan a method to decipher these symbols.

"What she heard was not the echo of the God of Trickery, but a noise disguised as an echo."

........................

At the same time, the imperial capital.

The thrilling qualifying round has ended, and the audience has gradually come back to their senses from the afterglow of excitement. The energy-storing crystal lamps outline the contours of the track, bringing a different flavor to this event.

But it was late now and they had to go home and sleep as they had work to do tomorrow.

Palansi was also immersed in this novel entertainment activity for a long time. He sat in a wheelchair and watched the audience disperse in the crowd. The energy-storage crystal lamps also illuminated the way home for people.

This was no longer the imperial capital he was familiar with.

For the first time, reality deviated from prophecy, but in a reassuring way.

He gently stroked the mask on his face, carefully considering Ethan's invitation.

It might be nice to live in such a city.

But then, his attention was attracted by a strange sight not far away. In the place where light and shadow intertwined, he vaguely saw a silk thread hanging on someone. This made Palansi's face change suddenly. A man dressed as a laborer not far away stopped, looked at him deeply, and then turned and walked towards the alley shrouded in darkness.

The man was waiting at the end of the alley. When he heard the noise behind him, he said without turning his head, "This thing will suit you very well."

Palansi's old face suddenly turned red, and he stood up from the chair with a "whoosh".

What the young girl named Rowena said was right. A wheelchair has a charm that is hard to describe in words. Once you sit on it, your soul may be sucked away by it, and your body will involuntarily stick to the wheelchair.

He has become completely accustomed to using the wheelchair as a means of transportation, which has brought him unprecedented comfort.

"It's a disguise."

Palansi said in a tough tone, "I have penetrated their inner circle."

Now everyone, including Ethan, treats him as a real old man, and tonight Bi'an even came to bring him food.

Theoretically, he had no blood relationship with this Knight Commander who was hundreds of years younger than him, but the other side brought him a strange warmth, making him feel like a real empty-nest elderly person.

But to those who know him well, Palansi really can't pretend to be an old man by sitting in a wheelchair with a shameless face.

After all, he is also a Knight of the Round Table, known as the strongest knight in the history of the empire.

"Although this is not your style, I have to say you did a great job."

A playful smile appeared on the man's face.

This put a lot of pressure on Palansi, and he didn't like this situation.

Even though this man was his comrade-in-arms in name only, when facing him, he wished he was wearing the armor of the Knights of the Round Table and carrying a holy sword.

The overly comfortable life of an elderly person these days has made him become lax.

"The Winter Witch and Ethan are both in the Mage Tower now and will not be returning to the Imperial Capital in the short term."

The man threw the bottle lightly, and Palansi subconsciously caught the bottle filled with ink-like potion. "It's a pity that I can't get that witch to join us, but that young knight is not bad either. Find a way to make her drink this, and then your mission will be accomplished."

"This is my task. I don't need you to give me instructions."

Palansi's expression changed almost immediately. When he heard that the other party asked him to drug Bi'an, he instinctively felt disgusted.

This is a little... unusual.

He witnessed the empire's rise and fall, and after living for hundreds of years, he should not have developed such unnecessary emotions.

The man seemed a little surprised by Palansi's reaction and said, "It's just a little help from my comrades."

"What happened in the Mage Tower? What trick did you use to hold them back?"

Palansi concealed his emotions and changed the subject.

"Left them with a case."

"case?"

"Nothing, just dealing with some internal disputes among believers."

Palansi did not ask any more questions.

He was facing a follower of the God of Trickery, a being that he didn't even know how long he had lived.

No one has ever seen his real face, and no one knows his exact background.

The "Puppet Gathering" at which the God Attendants meet is a spell created by a follower of the God of Trickster, who is undoubtedly one of the oldest members of the organization.

And he dared to call himself "Kardra".

The man stared at him and said, "You need to speed up, Palansi. Everyone is getting a little anxious waiting."

(End of this chapter)