Chapter 289 – Strange Bird

To the apprentices, the name “Thought of Truth” represented mysterious mages, formidable magic, and a bright future.

Now, for these apprentices who had endured hunger and cold, trudged through three weeks of arduous journey, and were still drenched in the pouring rain, the Thought of Truth also meant escaping the muddy swamp, changing into well-fitting clothes, and staying far away from that perverted leading mentor.

Almost all the apprentices, including Anya and Moli, brightened their eyes and quickly looked ahead. Whether they were ambitious volunteers or reluctant participants who had been passively coping, everyone suddenly perked up. After all, this grueling, impromptu “journey” was finally coming to an end—the long-awaited Thought of Truth Branch was now within sight.

The apprentices’ residences were located on the outskirts of the Grey Mire Swamp. This area housed many Thought of Truth apprentices. Although the mortality rate among apprentices was extremely high, the Thought of Truth recruited new apprentices every fifteen years, a frequency that was not insignificant. Thus, the number of apprentices remained substantial, preventing the vast settlement from feeling too desolate.

Anya wiped the rain from her face with effort and gazed curiously at the legendary, enigmatic mage settlement.

A faint, shimmering light formed a wall-like barrier around the area, with only a large gate open at the entrance facing the apprentices.

The massive stone gate, fifty meters high, was entirely constructed from the finest Steel Flame Stone. The runes carved on it glowed like undying flames, even through the curtain of rain.

Under the astonished gaze of the young apprentices, a two-headed strange bird carved on the stone gate suddenly came to life. It struggled free from the thick stone gate and flapped its stone-like wings, soaring into the air:

“Caw caw caw?” Another batch of little brats. They look so tender-skinned—it’s enough to make one’s mouth water. I’ve heard that the bones of these youngsters are the chewiest.”One of the strange bird’s heads opened its ferocious mouth and spoke in a bizarre tone, uttering terrifying words that sent shivers down the spines of all the young apprentices.”

Fortunately, the other head of the strange bird expressed a different opinion:

“Enough, stop playing around! We need to finish the identity registration quickly. Only after the apprentices enter the settlement can we relax. Have you already forgotten the three casts of ‘Decay Rain’ those Red Robes maniacs dropped on us last time?”

“Alright, alright, I get it. I’ll open the barrier now.”

Under the astonished gaze of over three hundred people, the two heads of the two-headed strange bird actually started arguing. Most importantly, one of the heads won the argument. Thankfully… it wasn’t the “gluttonous” head that prevailed.

Whatever the stone statue of the strange bird did, the swamp, which had previously appeared faintly luminous, gradually emitted a soft white light. Then, as if a water curtain had been torn open, ripples spread out, revealing a magnificent “new world.”

It was a city enveloped by a translucent barrier, with mysterious runes flowing slowly across its surface. A towering, ice-white pillar of light stood prominently at the center of the settlement.Through the translucent barrier, Anya could still clearly see the situation inside the settlement. The multi-story buildings there were entirely constructed from the finest granite, with rows of square houses arranged in an orderly yet seemingly chaotic pattern. Upon closer inspection, they exuded a unique aesthetic charm.

In ordinary cities, only the city lord or great Nobles would extravagantly build houses with granite, while commoners typically used wood and thatch as construction materials. Yet here, granite structures rarely seen in the ordinary world were everywhere. How could this not astonish these narrow-minded apprentices?

After observing these “luxurious” houses, Anya turned her gaze toward the towering spires visible even from a distance.

From her position, she could only see three towers. The most prominent one was vividly crimson red throughout. Looking closely, the flames on its surface seemed to burn and bloom brilliantly even amidst the Torrential Rain, their magnificent glow piercing through the gloomy rain curtain.

“It’s so beautiful. Is this the wonder of magic?”

Anya couldn’t help murmuring to herself, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the roar of the storm and the howling wind.

At that moment, Anya wasn’t the only apprentice staring dumbfounded at the marvels of the mage settlement. Most apprentices had forgotten the cold, gazing in awe at the immaculate square houses and the dazzling towers standing tall between heaven and earth. In this world where ordinary industrial technology was extremely backward, the highest structures these apprentices had ever known were city walls. Towers soaring hundreds of meters high seemed like divine miracles to them.

“That’s the Magic Tower—a perfect existence, safe, warm, and indestructible.”

For a moment, myriad thoughts swirled in the apprentices’ minds.

“Caw, caw, caw! You ignorant brats! These stone houses are just for apprentices. Formal Mages wouldn’t live in such shabby sheds. And those towers—yes, they’re the famous Magic Towers, even renowned in the world of ants. Safe, warm, and unbreakable—they are residences only Master-Level powerers can possess. No force can shatter them!”

The strange bird flying mid-air seemed to enjoy showing off. Amid the apprentices’ astonished gazes, it cawed bizarrely, boasting about the strength and wealth of the Thought of Truth. The raging wind and Torrential Rain did nothing to diminish its voice.

Seeing the admiration in the young apprentices’ eyes, the strange bird laughed even louder, its gloomy cackles echoing incessantly.

The Torrential Rain showed no signs of stopping. In the cold wind, the drenched apprentices continued to shiver uncontrollably.

Next came the registration process for the apprentices—and also the moment the strange bird would be instantly proven wrong. The facts would teach these naive apprentices and that ignorant bird a lesson: In this dangerous world, what is truly safe? Don’t even think about it—nothing is.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the top of the Dusty Tower located to the left of the Crimson Magic Tower suddenly erupted with a blinding white radiance. The intense light was as glaring as a miniature sun rising on a cloudy day.

Accompanying this sudden, unannounced “miniature sun” was an earsplitting, thunderous explosion!”BOOM”!!

A sound ten times louder than a thunderclap in the Torrential Rain tore through the howling cold wind. Startled, even panicked, the apprentices almost all covered their agonized ears, feeling only a buzzing chaos in their heads, unable to clearly hear even the shrieks of the strange bird in mid-air.

“Enemy attack, enemy attack, run, run”!

The strange bird, staggered in mid-air by the deafening blast, instantly lost its previous arrogance. Shrieking hysterically, it shot into the stone gate like a streak of gray light.

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(End of Chapter)