Chapter Eighty: Template for Defensive Witchcraft

Right now, what Hughes wanted most was to quickly gather all the materials needed to craft the Guardian’s Guidance, to finish this low-level magical item as soon as possible, and strengthen himself, giving himself a measure of security.

“Come with me!” Hughes, absorbed in his reading, was suddenly pulled up and led outside. At first he wanted to resist, but when he saw the person, he was surprised—it was Emmie, who had been missing for quite some time.

“What’s the matter! I finally managed to get permission to show you the witchcraft template, don’t look so surprised!” Emmie dragged Hughes along, paying him no mind.

Thus, Hughes was pulled by Emmie all the way to the very center of the Shadow Ring. It was his first time here—normally, entry was forbidden except to certain teachers of the academy.

As they approached, the forbidden building finally revealed its entirety: a black castle, not particularly tall, but clearly crafted with great care in every detail.

Emmie brought Hughes to the entrance, took out the necklace around her neck. On it hung a round stone. As she touched the castle door with the stone, the door responded and opened.

“That must be the key,” Hughes observed Emmie’s necklace.

“All right, let’s go!” Seeing the door open, Emmie hurried to drag Hughes inside.

The moment Hughes stepped into the castle, he felt elemental energy particles several times denser than outside.

“This place…” Hughes sensed the energy here was almost unimaginable.

“This is my father’s residence. You know who I am, don’t you?” Emmie walked ahead, speaking without turning back.

“Mm,” Hughes replied, taking in his surroundings, saying little more.

“Come on.” Emmie stopped at a certain spot.

“We’re here?” Hughes looked around, but saw nothing.

“Stand beside me,” Emmie said, pulling Hughes to her side.

Hughes saw Emmie chanting softly, her lips moving, and the ground beneath their feet began to glow.

With a rumbling sound, the floor beneath Hughes started to rise, not quickly, but steadily.

“They even have this?” Hughes remarked, seeing the floor act like an elevator. He was impressed, but upon reflection, such mechanisms were nothing extraordinary for these sorcerers.

Soon, the stone platform stopped, and the two arrived at their destination.

“Hughes, I can show you a level-one defensive witchcraft template, but this one is plant attribute. It won’t be of much use to you,” Emmie explained as she led Hughes to a room, opening the door with her necklace once more.

“And the templates suitable for you—fire and darkness—are all the academy has for level-one defensive witchcraft. As for your main lightning element, don’t even think about it; the academy doesn’t have one!” Emmie seemed to know all about Hughes.

“Plant attribute?” Hughes realized this template was deliberately mismatched for him, a move by the Shadow Ring.

“I didn’t expect the academy would agree to my request to view a witchcraft template!” Hughes admitted, surprised, likely the first in the Shadow Ring to do so.

“It’s normal. Once you could craft natural potions, the academy started paying attention to you—especially after you became a level-three apprentice and participated in the secret realm assessment. At that point, the academy was determined to recruit you. Your talent and mastery of alchemy are exactly what the academy desires. So, your request, though unusual, is only to look—it’s not much.” Emmie continued opening one stone door after another.

“So the academy’s been watching me for that long?” Hughes was a bit absent-minded, though he knew he’d never revealed any secrets.

“Don’t worry. The academy isn’t watching you constantly, only keeping track of your abilities,” Emmie could tell what Hughes was thinking.

“Oh…” Hughes didn’t dwell on it. If the academy had discovered his secrets, they would have come for him already.

“All right, we’re here!” After passing through layer upon layer of stone doors, they finally arrived in a spacious stone chamber.

Hughes’ eyes were immediately drawn to a column at the chamber’s center.

In the middle stood a pillar, chest-high to Hughes. Above it hovered a scroll, radiating a faint green glow as if enchanted. Hughes couldn’t take his eyes off it.

“That’s a level-one defensive witchcraft template—Blessing of Life, plant attribute,” Emmie said, seeing Hughes’ eager expression.

“Such a big room for just one scroll?” Hughes glanced around, finding nothing but the scroll.

“Yes, each defensive witchcraft template is stored separately. Don’t underestimate this room—a gravity spell array is embedded here. If triggered, apprentices like us would be crushed to pulp in an instant,” Emmie remarked, sitting leisurely to one side.

“Then you…” Hearing about the defenses, Hughes looked at Emmie’s necklace.

“Don’t worry, I don’t have that much authority. Hurry up, you don’t have much time!” Emmie toyed with her necklace, unclear whether she was truthful.

At her urging, Hughes approached the stone pillar and took the scroll.

“Chip, start recording immediately!”

Hughes knew his time was limited, so he instructed the chip to record.

“Beep! Recording in progress!”

As Hughes unrolled the scroll, a gentle, invigorating light radiated forth, bathing him in warmth and comfort.

He kept the chip recording, his gaze feigning intense study, while Emmie’s eyes never left him.

“What a strange one—are all geniuses like this?” Emmie thought, perplexed by Hughes’ insistence on viewing a level-one defensive witchcraft template.

The complexity of level-one defense far exceeded zero-level spells; even a level-three apprentice would need half a day to record it fully. But since the academy valued Hughes so highly, they finally agreed, though initially reluctant.

Level-three apprentices weren’t allowed to access anything related to becoming a formal sorcerer unless they signed a contract. Emmie had pleaded for ages, and since Hughes was deemed worthy, permission was granted.

“All right, Hughes, your time is up!”

“Beep! Recording complete!”

Emmie and the chip spoke almost simultaneously, and Hughes breathed a sigh of relief.

“That was close—good thing the recording finished!” Hughes felt lucky.

As Emmie spoke, her necklace flashed. Suddenly, Hughes felt a crushing force press down upon him, rendering him immobile.

Watching Hughes struggle, Emmie glanced at her necklace, smiling in satisfaction with its function.

“So this necklace really controls the chamber!” Hughes stood helplessly, the gravity intensifying, his bones feeling the pressure.

“Time’s up, Hughes!” Emmie said, grabbing the scroll from his hand, closing it and placing it back where it belonged.

Emmie fiddled with her necklace, and the gravity vanished; Hughes, drenched in sweat, collapsed onto the floor.

The scroll, now back in place, no longer floated above the pillar. Instead, a small opening appeared atop the column, the scroll slowly slid inside, and the opening sealed.

The pillar sank, merging with the floor, leaving the chamber seemingly empty.

Hughes watched the transformation in silence, the gravity had been punishing.

He suspected the chamber’s gravity adjusted to the visitor’s constitution; even with a constitution score of ten, he had been instantly immobilized by it!