Chapter 68: Chapter 66: Depart! Silent Forest
Early the next morning, figures were already dotting the academy square, where a light mist had yet to disperse.
This was one of the hubs of the academy’s transportation network. In a corner of the square, several massive, ring-shaped platforms hovered in mid-air, inscribed with complex Rune Arrays whose edges shimred with light.
A few rugged-looking Alchemy Airships were quietly moored at their respective berths, their hulls marked with different route numbers.
Early-rising apprentices gathered in small groups at the platforms’ edges. The sound of their conversations mingled with the hum of distant airship engines, painting a vibrant picture of extraordinary daily life.
Most of them were Advanced Apprentices, either traveling in groups to the First Ring Belt, the [Ring of Practice], to conduct project research, or having accepted high-risk missions to try and earn a profit.
The appearance of Allen’s group of four was recognized by a few perpetually-online students.
"Look, it’s the ’Quirk Alliance’."
A sharp-eyed apprentice lowered his voice and nudged his companion with an elbow.
"It really is them... That Allen Wesren. He actually dares to take those guys to the Silent Forest."
"So what? Theory is theory, and a real battle is a real battle. He’s just a first-year from the alchemy school. What’s he going to do, equip each of those ’quirks’ with their own Golem?"
Though the voices were deliberately kept low, snippets of the conversation still drifted into the ears of Baston, Bruno, and Lina.
Baston, holding a massive shield, flushed beet-red. Veins bulged on his thick neck, and his huge fists clenched and unclenched. He instinctively moved to stand in front of his companions, but a single look from Allen stopped him.
Bruno buried his head even lower, nearly shrinking into his ill-fitting Wizard Robe.
Only Lina seed unaffected. Her azure eyes swept curiously over the gossiping students. In her unique [Emotional Spectrum Vision], they were surrounded by mottled and chaotic halos of colored light.
She then looked at Allen beside her. The deep, stable blue light around him didn’t waver in the slightest, as if those grating voices were rely a light breeze skimming across a lake’s surface.
"Don’t mind them. Let’s just focus on what we need to do." Allen’s voice wasn’t loud, yet it clearly cut through the surrounding noise.
His calm tone had a peculiar soothing effect. Baston’s tense muscles relaxed, and Bruno also quietly raised his head.
Ignoring the stares, Allen walked over to the three of them. He took out three identical cloth bags from his Space Ring and handed one to each of them.
"What’s this?" Baston asked, taking the bag. It felt heavy in his hand, and seed to contain several hard, spherical objects.
"So Alchemy Tools," Allen explained. "I made them last night. They should increase our firepower."
He took out a fist-sized tal sphere, pitch-black all over. Its surface was covered in fine, anti-slip grooves, and it felt cold and solid to the touch.
"This is called the ’Burst-Type I’ Alchemy Grenade."
Allen demonstrated for them. "Inject a trace of Magic Power to activate it. It explodes after three seconds. The pre-ford internal structure will shatter into hundreds of high-velocity fragnts. The kill radius is about five ters."
He paused, then took out a similar-looking grenade, but this one was crimson.
"’Fla-Type I.’ After exploding, it splashes a wide area with viscous flas. It’s especially effective against swarms of enemies or plant-type Magical Beasts."
Next ca the ice-blue "Frost-Type I" and the "Lightning-Type I," which had arcing patterns on it. These designs were for easy identification.
"The Frost Bomb can create a slowing field, and the Lightning Grenade can cause paralysis. The shells of the Crystal Shell Burrowing Insects are tough, but they might not be completely immune to an electrical shock."
Finally, he took out an inconspicuous square iron box.
"This is a ’Steel Ball Scatter Mine.’ It’s a tripwire-triggered trap. We’ll use it to protect our rear or in a prepared battlefield. I’ll be the one to handle it."
Baston, Lina, and Bruno stared dumbfounded as Allen matter-of-factly introduced these unheard-of "Alchemy Tools" as if they were family heirlooms.
It wasn’t that they had never seen Alchemy Bombs before, but the low-end products on the market looked incredibly crude, were ridiculously expensive, and only had a single function.
These "grenades" Allen gave them were not only compact and portable, but also incredibly versatile.
"Allen... these... how many Magic Stones did these cost?" Bruno stamred.
He knew that even the lowest-quality Alchemy Bomb cost several Magic Stones each.
Allen had given them five each, which added up to a considerable expense.
"The cost wasn’t high."
Allen said nonchalantly, "It was just the cost of materials. I’m from the alchemy school; this is my advantage. You just need to learn how to use them."
"Rember,"
His expression turned serious.
"These are consumables. Don’t be stingy with them. In battle, any hesitation can be fatal. I’ll judge when to use them, but you need to be decisive as well. Staying alive is far more important than saving a few Magic Stones."
The three of them took stock of the munitions in their bags. Each person had two Burst-Type, one Fla-Type, one Frost-Type, and one Lightning-Type.
He himself carried the remaining fifty, as well as five mines.
It was a classic case of firepower anxiety.
The three of them carefully put away these deadly "toys," and the way they looked at Allen changed completely.
If before they had followed him out of a desire to complete the mandatory mission, now their feelings were mixed with a heartfelt trust and reliance.
’This captain isn’t just decisive, he’s also unbelievably generous. More importantly, he’s genuinely thinking about the survival of the entire team.’
"Alright, let’s go buy our tickets."
Allen waved his hand and led the three toward the ticket window.
The route to the Silent Forest was a short-haul flight, a journey of about three hours.
The fare was 10 Low-Tier Magic Stones per person, and everyone paid their own way.
The four of them, holding tal tickets engraved with the flight information, boarded the "Forest Wind," an Alchemy Airship bound for the Silent Forest.
The airship’s interior wasn’t very large, containing only a few rows of simple tal benches.
After a slight vibration, the hull slowly ascended, accelerated, and flew toward the First Ring Belt outside the academy zone.
This was Allen’s first ti leaving the academy grounds. The Alchemy Airship carried them between two tall towers, climbing higher and higher.
Looking out the porthole, the magnificent seven towers gradually shrank from view, replaced by a spectacular landscape in the distance.
The ticulously planned [Ring of Practice] was like a giant artist’s palette: the crimson of the Path of Burning, the verdant green of the Silent Forest, the indigo of the Thundering Mountain Range...
Different landscapes were sharply delineated, yet coexisted harmoniously in a wondrous way.
The great power of Wizards had tad this fantastical and dangerous natural region, transforming it into a massive proving ground.
The airship looked simple, but it was actually very fast, with an estimated speed of over 150 kiloters per hour.
Occasionally, they could see enormous flying Magical Beasts streak by in the distance, but they seed to have no interest in the buzzing tal contraption, avoiding its flight path from afar.
Evidently, the Rune Array inscribed on the airship was doing its job.
Most of the apprentices on the airship were silent. So had their eyes closed in ditation, while others were polishing their weapons and Magic Staves, making final preparations for the tasks ahead.
Baston cradled his Tower Shield—which was nearly half his height—and repeatedly traced the scratches on its surface with his fingers.
Lina had opened her notebook and was doodling with her Feather Pen, recording flashes of inspiration.
Bruno, anwhile, had taken a smooth pebble from his pocket and was whispering to it, "communicating" in a low voice.
Allen leaned against the cold bulkhead and closed his eyes.
His consciousness sank into the DSeek interface. The map of the Silent Forest, the ecological habits of the Crystal Shell Burrowing Insect, his team mbers’ abilities, and the "arsenal" he was carrying—all this information ford a complex, multi-dinsional tactical sandbox.
Countless possibilities flashed, clashed, and were optimized in Allen’s mind.
This was his combat style: ticulous planning to eliminate every variable.
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