Wizard: Start with Biological Transformation to Grind Experience novel Chapter 60

Chapter 60: 027: Lake of Dust and Illusion

A quiet night passed, and the journey resumed the next day.

To be honest, at the start of the trip, when Lynch saw Avery traveling with two male apprentices, the first thing that came to his mind was a setup like a goddess on a journey with two devoted admirers, a sort of enhanced version of Alice’s entourage from before.

But once they truly hit the road, Lynch realized it was his own mind that had been mired in filth.

The relationship between Avery and her two companions was purely one of comradeship. She wasn’t like Alice, who reveled in using her looks to attract droves of admirers and took pride in it. On the contrary, Avery was extremely adept at maintaining an appropriate distance between herself and others.

She didn’t come across as unapproachable, aloof, and cold, yet at the same time, she never gave anyone the impression that she was interested in them, avoiding any ambiguous feelings or improper thoughts.

Frankly speaking, for a girl as stunningly beautiful as her to pull this off was no small feat. But reflecting on her background, it wasn’t surprising at all. With her kind of upbringing, there was never any need to rely on her appearance to gain confidence or fulfill vanity.

Perhaps this is where the fundamental difference between a top-tier, privileged beauty and an ordinary, beautiful woman lies.

...

After navigating the Shadow Path for two days, the group arrived at the Lake of Dust and Illusion on the third morning.

This was a lake situated south of the Shadow Tower. Its name originated from the Human World; in human lore, it was said to be the boundary between reality and illusion. Crossing this lake would lead one deeper into the forest, where the legendary wizards resided. It was rumored that one could learn magic there and gain unimaginable riches.

Though most of these stories were fabrications by minstrels, there was a grain of truth to them. The lake was indeed one of the gateways to the Dark Forest and, in some sense, marked the boundary between the Wizard World and the Human World.

On the shore of the Lake of Dust and Illusion grew Magic Trees. Apprentices of the Tower who had obtained permission could pluck a leaf from these trees and place it in the water, where the leaf would quickly transform into a small boat. The magic boat would then carry them along the waterways, guiding them safely out of the Dark Forest. The round trip took less than a day.

For mortals without the Tower’s authorization, even the most advanced sailboats would end up lost in the labyrinthine waterways, endlessly circling back or falling victim to the lake monsters, becoming a delicious meal.

"Apprentices, declare your purpose! You are now at the border of the Shadow Tower. Entry and departure are prohibited without permission!"

As they reached the shore, a raven flew over and perched on a tree, questioning them sternly.

This was a guardian left behind by the Tower.

It was worth mentioning that Lynch had heard these guardians were notoriously unreliable. Though it put on a strict demeanor now, rumor had it that slipping them a few Magic Stones could easily bribe them into turning a blind eye, a method many apprentices used to sneak out.

But Lynch’s group didn’t need to resort to such measures. Avery stepped forward, took out a badge, and held it up before the raven. "Greetings. This is our mission badge. We have received approval to leave on an official task."

This is... a Black Badge?

Lynch instantly recognized the badge as the Law Enforcement Department’s exclusive mark, typically associated with missions involving the Enforcement Team.

’So, these three are on a mission for the Law Enforcement Department?’

Lynch was suddenly reminded of a casual conversation he’d had with friends during a gathering. Subaru had mentioned something about Adam enrolling in the Enforcement Department’s Black Robe program.

It was akin to Earth’s university-directed training programs, allowing one to bypass the lengthy apprentice evaluations and enter the Inner Ring early as an Inner Ring Apprentice. The tradeoff, however, was that after completing their study period in the Inner Ring, they were obligated to join the Enforcement Department.

As for Lucas and Avery, Lynch knew little about them. But now that they had presented the Law Enforcement Department’s Black Emblem, it was likely they were tied to the department as well.