Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui stood outside the fence and closed his eyes for a moment.

When she opened her eyes again, the emotions in them had been suppressed.

He tucked those images deep into his memory, never to revisit them again.

Then he lowered his head, took out the pale gold admission ticket from his pocket, and strode towards the main gate of the academy.

The Royal Magic Academy's campus is much larger than it appears from the outside.

The plaza in front of the main building is so spacious that it can accommodate thousands of people queuing at the same time.

The sound of the fountain was particularly crisp in the quiet afternoon.

The shadows of the silver-leaved trees swayed in the wind on the lawn.

Lin Gui's arrival did not attract much attention.

At least, they weren't mistaken for members of the Ashley family again because of their black hair and black eyes, and were instead summoned by the city guards to be beheaded.

Because he had used the Thousand Illusions Mask to disguise his appearance before he arrived.

The Thousand Illusions Mask is a legendary disguise item that can freely change the wearer's facial features, hair color, and eye color.

This item is not uncommon in Akara.

Auctions are held every now and then to auction off the Thousand Illusion Mask or similar items.

Elvia bought it in Copper Gate City; it was originally intended as a backup.

Unexpectedly, it came in handy at Qianta.

Lin Gui was currently appearing as an ordinary-looking young mage.

Short brown hair, brown eyes, and slightly dark skin.

With unremarkable features, he would be easily lost in a crowd.

He was wearing a plain grey robe and had a leather postman's bag slung over his back.

He looked like a lowly apprentice who ran errands and delivered messages for others.

And so he walked into the school he had once wanted to attend.

The white stone slabs underfoot were flat and smooth.

The lawns on both sides were neatly trimmed, and the air was filled with the faint scent of fresh grass and the lingering magic of the air.

Several teaching buildings of different styles are scattered around the lawn.

Some students sat on the steps flipping through books, while some professors hurried by carrying their lesson plans.

Sunlight fell on the runes on the dome, refracting into tiny golden specks of light.

Lin Gui did not visit the site extensively, nor did he linger.

He walked along the main road to the teaching area and stopped in front of a gray stone administration building.

Pushing open the door, the staff member at the counter was a middle-aged woman wearing round glasses.

Lin Gui took out the letter from the package and explained his purpose.

Some of the letters from Poplar Castle and Greenwood Court were indeed addressed to the students and professors here.

The academic affairs staff took the letter, flipped through it, and then lazily spread their hands.

Lin Gui speechlessly tossed two Star Coins into her palm.

The woman smiled.

"I will deliver it."

After resolving the letter issue, he turned and left the administration building, heading straight for the college library.

The Royal Academy of Magic's library is located on the east side of the campus.

It is a ten-story gray-white stone building with six thick stone pillars standing on the front, and an ancient inscription on the lintel.

"Knowledge is power."

Lin Gui pushed open the door and went inside.

The interior space is extremely spacious, with a high dome and excellent natural lighting.

Sunlight streamed down from the stained-glass windows high above, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.

Rows of dark wood bookshelves are neatly arranged, stretching from the floor to the ceiling.

The gold lettering on the spine shimmered slightly in the light.

The air was filled with the mixed scents of old paper, ink, and wooden bookshelves.

Lin Gui walked to the front desk.

Behind the counter stood a young female mage with short, ear-length hair and a somewhat childish face, who looked like an intern at the academy.

Lin Gui asked.

"Excuse me, do you have a scroll of the intermediate-level light magic spell 'Scattered Light' here?"

"I want the full version, not the censored one."

The female mage blinked and flipped through the register in front of her for a while.

"Astigmatism spell..."

She thought for a moment, then nodded.

"have."

"I do remember there was one."

"In the underground archives, on the third shelf in section B."

good news.

Lin Gui breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you take me to see it?"

The female mage nodded, stepped out from behind the counter, and led Lin Gui through the main reading area.

They walked to the end of the corridor, pushed open a heavy iron door, and went down the spiral staircase.

The air gradually became humid, and the light dimmed considerably.

The underground space is much older than the space above.

The walls were made of rough gray bricks, and a magic lamp hung overhead, emitting a dim yellow light.

Rows of old bookshelves were arranged in the cramped space, piled high with dusty scrolls and loose pages.

The female mage walked to the third row of shelves in section B and swept her hand across the shelves.

Her fingers stopped.

"Eh."

She scanned it again.

Then he crouched down and looked at the bottom of the shelf.

"Forehead……"

She turned to look at Lin Gui, her expression somewhat embarrassed.

"It seems to have been borrowed by someone."

Lin Gui frowned.

"Borrowed it?"

The female mage got up and walked to the end of the shelf, took down a thick entry and exit register from the wall, and turned to the section on astigmatism.

Her finger hovered over the line for the loan record.

"White Corey."

"The loan was made on October 2, 41st year of the Dark Ages."

"It seems that it has not been returned to this day."

"Uh, sorry, I didn't know it had been borrowed."

The female monk closed the register with embarrassment.

Lin Gui's lips twitched.

"41 years?? It's been two years already, long past the loan period."

"Didn't you even bother to urge them?"

The female mage scratched her head awkwardly and pointed to the dusty scrolls around her.

"Uh, these things..."

"The registrar's office won't investigate even if it's lost."

"As everyone knows, these are all trash spells. Although they are orthodox, they are not as practical as some castrated spells."

"So not many people care about this thing."

Lin Gui was helpless.

He seemed to understand why Elvia had said those things.

The Astigmatism spell seems to have a very poor status among intermediate-level spells.

"Is there a backup of this spell?"

The female mage stared at him in astonishment.

"These are all useless spells, why bother making backups?"

"The people from the magic family, just take it here, it seems like they just left it here, and hardly anyone cares."

She frowned and thought carefully for a while.

"etc!"

"Astigmatism spell..."

"Oh, it seems to be a magic spell that can only provide light."

"There are so many basic spells that can provide illumination, but this seems to be the only intermediate spell."

"I seem to remember a pastor mentioning this magic."

"It's said to be one of the few reverse optimization magic techniques."

"It was optimized from the basic Illumination spell, but the mana cost has tripled, and the illumination range is even worse than that of the Dim Light spell."

"The teacher seemed to say that only someone who's out of their mind would want to learn this magic."

After the female mage finished speaking, she looked at Lin Gui with an innocent expression.

"By the way, why are you looking for this magic?"

Lin Gui's lips twitched.

Only someone with a brain fart would learn that?

Have you heard this phrase somewhere before?

He took a deep breath and forced a stiff smile.

"It's nothing, it's just..."

"Academic research".

"It's alright, thank you."

He bid farewell to the female mage who had unintentionally hurt his pride.

But he did not give up immediately.

Undeterred, Lin Gui searched again.

From the main reading area of ​​the library to every corner of the underground archives, he flipped through the dusty scrolls one by one to make sure nothing was missing.

Then he went to the roster room of the academic affairs office and searched through the list of graduates, hoping to find the brain-dead student who had studied astigmatism correction.

but no.

The name "Astigmatism" is so thinly recorded in the academy's records that it doesn't even qualify for formal filing.

The only place it appeared was in the borrowed register.

Even the so-called "Forbidden Library," which Lin Gui overheard over the excited and lewd conversation of a few mage apprentices, was secretly explored by Lin Gui under the cover of night, shrouded in a dark veil.

It turned out to be just a few teenagers, an underground hideout where they exchanged books about Liu Bei.

Several pamphlets with pictures of women on the cover were worn out from being turned over, and a few dry leaves were stuck between the pages.

Lin Gui expressionlessly put the books back in their place and silently left the "forbidden library".

After several reversals.

Left with no other choice, Lin Gui finally had to go find the student who had borrowed the Astigmatism Technique.

White Corey.

According to the academic affairs office records, he graduated a year ago and was subsequently admitted to the Heart of Elements.

Lin Gui thought finding the person would be very easy, but he unexpectedly encountered one setback after another.

He first arrived at the Heart of Elements, two streets away from the Royal Magic Academy.

It was a three-story gray-white building with a six-pointed star emblem engraved on the lintel.

Lin Gui walked into the hall and inquired about White Corey's department at the registrar's office.

The academic affairs staff behind the counter flipped through the records, but the answer they gave surprised Lin Gui.

White Corey was expelled from school a year ago.

The reason seems to be that a student was beaten.

The student's last name was Eli.

Seeing this name, Lin Gui probably knew why White Corey was expelled from school.

Eli is from the ice magic family of the City of a Thousand Towers, and they control the entire lineage of orthodox ice magic.

White Corey is incredibly lucky to have survived beating up the Eli family and leaving Thousand Towers alive.

Lin Gui did not give up.

He re-established the man's location by asking White Corey's former classmates and friends.

In the commercial district, there is a small shop selling magical items called "Cast Iron and Starlight".

They said that after he was expelled from school, he worked there as a foundry mage.

However, when Lin Gui arrived at the shop, the shop owner said that he had already been fired.

"He went to 'Silverleaf and Runes,' on Seventh Street."

Lin Gui went there again.

I received the same answer again.

"He's not with me anymore; he went to the Twilight Forge."

Lin Gui wandered around again.

He traveled to several different places but could not find any trace of White Corey.

Every time I arrive at a new place, I get the same answer—

"He was here before, but he's gone now."

"They went somewhere else."

"I heard he went there..."

Lin Gui seemed to be chasing a fallen leaf blown by the wind, running from one end of the commercial district to the other.

Finally, guided by the last shopkeeper, he arrived at the gray area.

"He seems to be staying at the traveler's inn in the East District."

"I don't know which room it is exactly."

Lin Gui stood at the entrance to the gray area.

Looking at those familiar yet dilapidated streets, at those low brick houses and coarse cloth clothes drying in the wind.

He took a deep breath.

Who would have thought that his pursuit of the illusory light spell that created the illusion would lead him back here?

And it was the hotel he had left...

This time, Lin Gui did not conceal his presence.

He walked through the narrow alleyways and arrived at the entrance of the traveler's inn.

The old three-story wooden building has most of its exterior paint peeling off.

The sign at the entrance was still crooked, and the words "Traveler's Inn" were blurred.

He pushed open the door and went inside.

The hotel owner was still the same old man with gray hair.

He was leaning over the counter, with a book half-open in front of him.

Seeing someone come in, he raised his eyelids, glanced at Lin Gui, and asked in a hoarse voice.

"A hotel?"

Hearing that familiar voice, Lin Gui sighed at the impermanence of life.

"no."

"It's to find someone."

"Does White Corey live here?"

Upon hearing this name, the old man's previously relaxed gaze suddenly sharpened.

He straightened up, his gaze scrutinizing Lin Gui from head to toe.

Lin Gui immediately spoke.

"I am not Eli's man."

"We're not here to cause him trouble."

"Do I look like someone from the Eli family, dressed like this?"

He gestured to his faded old robe.

The cuffs were frayed, and there were several fine stitches on the hem.

Before entering the gray zone, he changed back into his wandering robes.

Having lived in the gray area for a period of time, he knew this well.

People here are particularly wary of those who are well-dressed.

Nothing good ever happens if those people are forced to "condescend" to come to the gray area.

Seeing Lin Gui's attire, the old man's wariness lessened slightly.

"White Corey lives here."

"What do you want with him?"

Lin Gui lied.

"His friend at the magic academy asked me to give him something."

The old man had no doubts.

"He's on the fourth floor, in room 409."

"After you find him, please tell him for me—"

His rent is due.

"Pay me right now!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Gui asked.

"How much is his rent?"

"Ten silver coins a month."

A gold coin was placed on the table.

The old man stared at Lin Gui in astonishment.

Lin Gui said.

"I paid for him."

"Consider the extra money as his future rent."

The old man took the gold coin and carefully examined Lin Gui again.

His gaze slid slowly from Lin Gui's face to his robes, and then back to his eyes.

Lin Gui turned around and wanted to go upstairs.

Just as he took his first step, the old man's voice rang out from behind him.

"etc."

Lin Gui paused, then turned around.

"Is there something you need?"

The old man hesitated for a moment, stared into his eyes, then sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, I accidentally mistook you for someone else."

Lin Gui paused for a moment.

"Is that so?"

His voice lowered.

"It seems that person left quite a deep impression on the boss."

The old man reminisced for a moment, then smiled and said.

"It's quite deep."

"I've lived in the gray area for over thirty years. What kind of people haven't I seen?"

"Wandering mage, fugitive, bankrupt merchant, desperate nobleman."

"But there wasn't one like him."

"He was only a teenager, but his eyes were indifferent as if he had experienced the vicissitudes of life."

"It's like I've seen too many things I shouldn't have seen."

"I've only seen that kind of look once in all these years."