Clinging to the Witcher world to become a god of martial arts

Chapter 201 Sadiq's Laboratory

The academic school's sky is an unchanging azure blue, maintained by some kind of large magic array. The academic wizards, who spend most of their time in research institutes, tend to have somewhat abnormal thinking.

If one is in a repressive environment, over the years, it is only a matter of time before mental instability occurs.

Wearing an apprentice's robe and a cold mask, Lorne moved inconspicuously among the towering stone towers, searching for the hall or staff.

The light curtain continued to flicker in the open area inside, showing no sign of stopping.

As things stand, Cologne will not stop the light screen from playing unless warned from above.

He needs the conflict to intensify further, the pressure to accumulate, and then, once it reaches a certain point, to detonate it and launch the Battle of the Prodigies.

At first, Lorne wondered why the Minister of Law Enforcement didn't just propose the Battle of the Prodigies directly, but instead had to create such a stir.

Based on the available information and the current situation, there are two possibilities: either the Battle of the Prodigies faces certain obstacles and requires a sufficiently large scale and conflict.

Either the influence of the Battle of the Prodigies expands to a certain extent, which would bring even greater benefits to this Minister of Law Enforcement.

I must find Sadiq as soon as possible, understand all the functions of the stabilizing wrist, and then see his mentor to see if the problem of the physical conflict can be resolved quickly.

Unfortunately, Lorne couldn't enter the academic area's inner region, as invisible energy barriers and identity verification nodes were scattered along the path leading to the core research area.

A first-level apprentice was unsurprisingly stopped at the door, and the academic wizards were not concerned about the reasons for the foreign affairs.

He tried asking several researchers hurrying along the road about Sadiq or how to get into the inner area, but they mostly just shook their heads blankly.

Some might give a response, but it's usually just a perfunctory "I don't know".

Time slipped away in the futile search, and anxiety grew. Lorne leaned against the stone wall of a secluded corridor, stroking the wizard's token in his hand.

The only wizards who can be contacted through the spiritual orb are Euryn, the bartender of the Star River Hall, and Estelle.

If only I had added Sadiq's contact information when I said goodbye, I wouldn't even be able to get into the academic circles now...

Just as Lorne was fretting, a series of slightly hurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor, approaching his location.

This clear indication quickly put him on alert.

Lorne immediately concealed his presence, pulled down his hood, and quietly raised his eyes from the shadows.

Upon seeing who it was, a hint of shock appeared in the eyes within the faceless person's pupils.

It was a face with puffy, pale eyes, a tired expression, and dark circles under the eyes.

"Let's go," Sadiq said as he was about to reach Lorne's side. "I didn't expect you to be so quick."

Lorne was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting that even though he had changed his appearance and concealed his mental energy fluctuations, Sadiq could still find him so accurately.

"Do I bear the spiritual imprint you left behind?"

"I don't have that ability." Sadiq shook his head stiffly.

"You've hidden yourself well." He sized up Lorne's unfamiliar attire and the faint fluctuations of his spiritual power. "Now you're quite a celebrity in the Black Tower."

"I came to find you on my mentor's orders; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to see through your disguise."

Sadiq's mentor? Lorne's gaze faltered slightly. He was able to detect the conflict in his own constitution from a short image and offer a brief solution: "Frostfire Ring".

He didn't seem like a simple person, as he was able to detect me the moment I entered the academic area.

It felt as if his every move was being completely monitored... This feeling of being prey being watched by a hunter made Lorne very uncomfortable.

However, with Cologne standing behind him, there was no need to worry that this old academic might have ill intentions towards him.

The Battle of the Prodigies will be held in a month, and Cologne will not allow anyone to attack it before then.

This made Lorne feel a sense of urgency. If he failed to achieve the corresponding results in the Battle of the Prodigies and lost Cologne's protection, the consequences would be unpredictable...

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but Lorne's expression was mostly hidden by his mask, making it impossible for outsiders to detect.

He lowered his head and followed closely behind Sadiq, entering the academic area under Sadiq's guidance.

At this moment, he was playing the role of a taciturn first-level apprentice, inconspicuous to the other academic wizards.

The two walked one after the other.

Sadiq didn't seem to be in the mood for much conversation. He looked more tired than when they last parted, with dark circles under his eyes, and his steps, though quick, were somewhat unsteady.

Coupled with his tired expression, Lorne wondered how his former neighbor had become so "weak".

?

Does academic research have some kind of side effect...?

Sadiq led Lorne through a series of invisible energy barriers, and after verifying his identity by showing his academic token, they passed through one node after another.

As a scholar who focuses on the Black Sun concept, he should hold a relatively important position in the academic community.

Unfortunately, only a minority of wizards within the Black Tower truly practice the "Black Sun".

It should be understood that wizards outside the community do not spend enough time on cultivation, and are unable to delve deeply into a particular path.

Needless to say, things like Black Sun require a huge investment of time, not to mention research and cultivation.

Most of them choose a cultivation path and school that has been researched and established by academics, which can greatly reduce the time required.

The required achievements are also fewer.

This greatly reduced the number of wizards practicing the Black Sun, making it a niche practice, and thus Sadiq's status was relatively lower.

The assigned laboratory was located in a relatively remote cluster of old towers.

Sadiq led Lorne to his research tower, gently pressed a section of the door, and a subtle magical fluctuation flashed as the door quickly opened to both sides.

Once activated, the complex rune circuits on the gate began to flow.

After walking through the narrow passage for about several tens of seconds, the view suddenly opened up.

This place is more like a giant library and laboratory.

The towering bookshelves reached the ceiling, crammed with scrolls and books of various materials and sizes, with many books even suspended in mid-air.

Numerous worktables are scattered among the bookshelves, displaying a dazzling array of experimental equipment.

Colorful energy points floated in the air; they were dissipating magic.

The worktable was piled high with books and strange experimental equipment, making it look somewhat messy.

The air was filled with a mixture of smells of ink, sulfur, and some kind of smelted metal.