Lynn tidied his robes, pushed open the cabin door, and walked straight toward the neighboring cabins.
Cabin assignments were determined by talent, so his first stop was naturally Prince Alphonse's residence on the top floor. He raised his hand and knocked.
"Lynn?"
The moment Alphonse opened the door, his gaze sharpened. He immediately sensed the lingering traces of Negative Energy around Lynn, energy that had yet to fully dissipate. His pupils contracted slightly.
This…
"Brother, it seemed you truly live up to your reputation," Alphonse said after a brief pause, his tone warm but clearly shaken. "It seems you've gained a great deal during this period."
"Good day, Your Highness."
After exchanging pleasantries, Lynn's expression shifted, a perfectly natural hint of embarrassment appearing on his face.
"To be honest, I only managed to form my mana core by luck," he said modestly. "My heart yearns for sorcery, but… I'm currently short on funds. I was wondering if Your Highness might be willing to lend me a few magic stones."
What the heck?
Luck?
Condensed his mana core?
Why did these words sound so alien when put together?
Alphonse's expression finally collapsed, no longer bothering with composure.
This kid is a monster.
He had thought Lynn's successful meditation alone was shocking enough. But how long had it even been? And he was already a First-Class Apprentice Wizard?
After giving Lynn a long, searching look, Alphonse turned and retrieved a small cloth bag. Inside were ten magic stones, each shimmering with pure, refined light.
"I can only offer ten for now," he said calmly. "There's no need to call it a loan. Consider it a token of my regard for a friend."
His tone was sincere, carrying the natural dignity of royalty.
For a prince, investing ten magic stones into a top-tier genius was nothing.
"Thank you, Your Highness," Lynn said solemnly as he accepted the bag. "I will remember this kindness."
What a good person. Truly heartwarming.
I should interact with him more in the future. Whenever there's nothing else to do, I'll just borrow magic stones again.
In his heart, Lynn calmly labeled the young prince as: foolish, rich, and suitable for long-term cooperation.
With that, Lynn began his grand journey of "borrowing" money.
He sought out the apprentices who had previously taken the initiative to befriend him, those dressed in fine robes, bearing themselves with the confidence of noble blood or immense wealth.
These people were either aristocrats or merchant heirs. Magic stones were practically guaranteed.
"Young City Lord of Grayrock City? I've just condensed my core and urgently need magic stones to exchange for sorcery to protect myself. I wonder if you, my brother, could…"
"Young Master of the Merchant Guild, I was fortunate to receive your attention the other day, but now I've encountered a bit of difficulty…"
"…"
The rhetoric barely changed. The core message remained the same: borrow magic stones.
The moment they heard that Lynn had successfully condensed his spiritual core, shock spread across their faces.
This, this, that everyone else was progressing slowly just fine. Why did you have to be so outrageous?
Though the noble heirs and wealthy scions felt a sting of pain, Lynn's Superb Soul Talent and terrifying future potential left them little choice. One by one, they gritted their teeth and handed over one or two magic stones.
"Brother Lynn, you're too polite."
"Please take care of us in the future."
"Consider this a small welcoming gift."
Clearly, none of them expected the stones to be returned.
Yet Lynn earnestly took out paper and pen, carefully recording each person's name and the amount borrowed, looking every bit like someone determined to honor his debts.
Of course, those who were clearly wealthy yet unwilling to "sponsor" him were also recorded.
Who lent money, and how much, could always be conveniently "forgotten."
But those who refused? That debt had to be remembered clearly. There would be plenty of chances to "take good care" of them later.
When it came time to approach the apprentices from Black Marsh City, even Karl and the others, despite being severely short on funds, still pooled together nine magic stones, thinking of Lynn's potential future status.
Karl, Lillian, Irene, and Thomas each contributed two.
Benjamin, clearly embarrassed, took out his only remaining one.
Only Mary stood silently to the side. As she looked at the bag of shining magic stones in Lynn's hand, a flicker of longing and shame crossed her eyes. In the end, she lowered her head and whispered,
"I… I don't have any magic stones…"
Lynn merely glanced at her indifferently. He already knew this woman couldn't produce a single stone.
If he hadn't given her three gold coins for that test opportunity back then, she would probably still be entertaining guests at the Nightingale Pavilion.
After making the rounds, Lynn counted his gains.
Forty-two magic stones.
It didn't sound like much, but for a Wizard Apprentice, it was an enormous sum.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lynn walked back to Tutor Morris's cabin and knocked once more.
"Lord Morris, Lynn has come to visit."
The cabin door opened automatically.
"What is it? Do you have questions about meditation?" Morris asked, the red glow of his compound eyes flickering.
But the moment his gaze swept over Lynn, that red light froze.
"You… condensed your mana core? And succeeded on your first attempt?!"
Even with Morris's vast experience, he was shaken by Lynn's terrifying speed.
This wasn't just talent. It required immense willpower, precise control over Negative Energy particles, and atleast competent comprehension of the meditation method.
He had sensed the Negative Energy gathering in Lynn's cabin before. He knew the boy was attempting meditation.
But he never imagined it would succeed so quickly.
Monstrous.
"I was merely fortunate enough to grasp the basics," Lynn said humbly. "All thanks to the excellent meditation method bestowed by my tutor."
As he spoke, he produced the cloth bag and placed it forward.
"Tutor, I wish to exchange these for an offensive sorcery."
Morris stared at him for a long moment, then waved his bone-blade arm. Three bone fragments of differing colors floated into the air.
"Faint Soul Impact, directly attacks consciousness, causing temporary dizziness. Difficult to defend against."
"Necrotic Ray, a corrosive attack with high damage, but lacking flexibility."
"Hand of Bones, summons bone claws to capture or attack, dealing both physical and Necrotic damage."
"These are all Level 0 offensive cantrips, suitable for your current stage."
Lynn chose without hesitation.
"Faint Soul Impact."
Had he lacked a soul-type talent, he would have chosen Hand of Bones, a versatile spell combining physical and magical offense.
But his Superb Soul Talent could amplify soul sorcery and accelerate cultivation. Choosing anything else would be wasteful.
Moreover, soul attacks were strange, elusive, and notoriously difficult to guard against, perfect for someone who preferred to operate in the shadows.
Morris took thirty magic stones from the bag and put them away, then tossed the bone fragment toward Lynn. His tone softened noticeably.
"Good choice. Your judgment is sound."
"Soul sorcery is difficult, but its potential is immense. Practice diligently. If you encounter problems, you may come ask me."
Back in his cabin, Lynn eagerly pressed the bone fragment to his forehead.
[Detected sorcery model "Faint Soul Impact." Beginning recording…]
[Recording progress: 5%…]
[Beginning Analysis of sorcery model "Faint Soul Impact"…]
[Analysis progress: 1%…]
Lynn's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise.
After advancing to First-Class Apprentice, the panel's abilities had seemingly improved.
Recording and Analysis speeds were noticeably faster, and more importantly, the number of simultaneous Analyses had increased.
With a single thought, he attempted to Analyze the Soul Whisper Meditation Method, Faint Soul Impact, and several previously scanned books at once.
[Analysis quantity has reached its limit.]
[Current simultaneous Analysis capacity: 3 targets.]
[Analysis of "Soul Whisper Meditation Method": 26%…]
[Analysis of "Faint Soul Impact": 5%…]
[Analysis of "Ogre's Delicious Recipes": 35%…]
…