Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

062: I hope you can pass it on to me.

Lin Qi had just stepped out of the heavy wooden door of the mission registration room, still looking forward to the knowledge reward he was about to receive.

However, at that moment, the shadow at the corner of the corridor ahead moved slightly.

A figure silently emerged and blocked his path in the middle of the corridor.

Lin Qi paused, his thoughts instantly returning to normal, and his gaze calmly fell upon the person blocking his way.

She was a female apprentice.

She was about the same height as Lynch, with a well-proportioned figure, and looked to be around twenty years old. She wore the standard dark gray formal apprentice cloak of the Grey Tower, and on her chest was a dark silver high apprentice badge with thorn-like patterns around the edges.

Her status as a formal apprentice and her high-ranking badge already indicated that she held the same prestigious position as Lynch in this gray fog jungle.

However, in stark contrast to this badge symbolizing status and power was the one on her slender neck—

A collar about two fingers wide.

This is an ordinary leather collar from the mortal world, without any magical runes, but only one group in the mortal world would wear such a collar—

slave.

A high-ranking apprentice wearing a slave collar?

Lin Qi was extremely surprised.

After the female apprentice stopped Lin Qi, she seemed unaware of Lin Qi's gaze, or perhaps she didn't care.

She asked, "Are you Lord Lynch Warren?"

"I am." Lin Qi nodded, his tone equally calm. "And you are?"

The female apprentice answered clearly and concisely: "I am the master's 16th female slave. You may call me Number 16."

The title "master" came out of her mouth naturally, without the slightest humiliation or hesitation, as if she were simply stating an objective fact, like stating her own name or code name.

She paused briefly, then got straight to the point: "My master wants to see you."

Several thoughts flashed through Lin Qi's mind in an instant.

Master? Which master?

Within the Gray Tower, there are very few beings who would willingly serve as slaves to their high-ranking apprentices and who so openly wear collars.

Is it a peculiar hobby of a certain formal wizard?

Or is he the leader of a powerful and ruthless group of advanced apprentices?

The fact that the other party specifically requested him by name clearly indicated it wasn't random or a misunderstanding. Was it because of the recently completed bounty on the Heart-Eating Leech? Or something from an earlier period?

Has the development of Lilith's Cottage attracted the attention of some people? Or perhaps... his identity as an assistant in Hossman Wizarding Laboratory?

There is too little information to make a judgment.

But since the other party sent a high-ranking female slave apprentice wearing a collar to "invite" her, their attitude was already very clear.

Rejection might mean trouble.

Lynch's gaze swept over the black collar around the female apprentice's neck and the genuine advanced apprentice badge on her chest once more.

The master who can command such "slaves" must have considerable power.

"Oh?" Lin Qi's face showed a perfectly timed hint of doubt. "I wonder who your master is...? What business does he have with me?"

Instead of answering directly, Number 16 calmly said, "You'll find out when you come with me."

Lin Qi remained silent for a moment.

The corridor was silent, save for the faint hum of energy coming from some distant laboratory, its intensity amplified by the thick walls. The pale blue light from the wall lamps cast long shadows of the two figures onto the rough stone wall.

"Lead the way."

Finally, Lin Qi spoke, his voice steady and devoid of any discernible emotion.

Since we can't avoid it, let's go and see.

Within this gray tower, unless a formal wizard personally intervenes, with his current strength and trump cards, he should always have room to maneuver.

Moreover, since the other party used the method of "invitation" and even sent a female slave wearing a collar, it was probably more to demonstrate power or to conduct some kind of negotiation than to immediately turn against them.

Female slave number 16 nodded slightly, her expression remaining unchanged.

Please come with me.

Lynch followed Slave Number 16 through the labyrinthine corridors of the Gray Tower apprentice dormitory area. Finally, she stopped at the end of a relatively quiet corridor.

There is only one door here, which looks no different from the other dormitory doors around it.

Number 16 didn't knock, nor did she take out any keys or tokens. She simply extended her left hand, her index fingertip gently pressing on an inconspicuous, slightly concave dot in the center of the door panel.

"Buzz—"

A very faint sound, like the resonance of crystal.

The seemingly simple runes on the door panel suddenly lit up, a dark golden light flowing across them before quickly disappearing. Then, the heavy oak door opened inwards.

Inside the door, a softer, brighter light shone through, quite different from the dim yellow light of the outside corridor, along with a faint... extremely subtle, warm, humid mist and a delicate floral fragrance.

Number 16 stepped aside and gestured "please" to Lin Qi, his face still expressionless: "Sir, please come in."

Lin Qi stepped inside.

And the instant he stepped inside—

The sense of space was strangely distorted and extended.

It wasn't a dizzying, spinning sensation, but rather a clear, peeling feeling, like passing through a warm, transparent film of water.

Suddenly, everything became clear.

The first thing you notice is the light. It's no longer the magical blue or dim yellow light, but the natural, bright, and even light, like that of a sunny afternoon.

The source seems to be the high dome, yet no specific light source can be seen; it's as if the entire sky has been gently drawn into this space.

Next came the temperature and humidity. The slightly chilly, constant temperature inside the gray tower was dispelled, replaced by a warm and pleasant temperature, like a spring afternoon.

The air is moist and fresh, carrying a faint floral scent, moisture, and a relaxing, warm feeling, similar to the scent of sun-dried fabric.

Finally, what comes into view is the scene.

This is not a "dormitory" at all, and it can't even be described as a "room".

This is a vast interior space. Its size far exceeds that of a standard apprentice dormitory in Grey Tower by dozens of times; it is a veritable luxurious palace.

The hall floor is paved with smooth, mirror-like milky-white marble, polished to the point where one can faintly reflect their image. The floor is not completely flat, but rather has subtle undulations and layers, forming staggered platforms, gentle slopes, and paths.

In the center of the hall is a giant, irregularly shaped pool that occupies nearly a third of the area.

The pool water is crystal clear, displaying a captivating color between light blue and emerald green. As the water ripples, it reflects the soft sunlight streaming down from the dome, creating shimmering, golden reflections.

The edge of the pool was made of warm white jade, and low, wide couches, small tables and cushions, also carved from jade, were placed around it.

And in the pool—

Shadows flickered, and laughter could be faintly heard.

A dozen or so young girls were either playing, bathing, or languidly leaning against the jade stones by the pool.

Without exception, they all possess stunning beauty, but the types of beauty vary greatly.

There are human girls, with fair or wheat-colored skin, long hair like waterfalls or short hair bright, stretching their youthful and graceful body curves in the water.

Some female apprentices wore only thin, close-fitting gauze dresses or were completely naked, but most of them wore collars similar in style to those worn by the guide slave No. 16 around their necks, wrists, or ankles.

Some of them are clearly not purely human.

Lin Qi saw a girl with her back to him. Behind her ear and at the junction of her neck, he could vaguely see several fine, pale blue scales.

Another woman was reclining on a couch by the pool. At the end of her tailbone, a fluffy, soft, and equally fiery red fox tail was swaying unconsciously, its tip occasionally brushing against the warm pool water.

The entire scene was luxurious, extravagant, and full of sensual allure, like a living display case of a private collection.

On the opposite side of the pool, on a slightly elevated platform, there was an exceptionally large recliner covered with thick, soft animal hides.

A young man in his early twenties was lounging in a chair, leisurely drinking his wine.

Number 16 led Lynch to the man, stopped at the edge of the platform, and respectfully said, "Master, Lord Lynch Valen has arrived."

The young man did not respond immediately, but instead slowly finished the remaining liquid in his glass before leisurely standing up.

He straightened the already neat cuffs of his velvet robe and looked calmly at Lin Qi: "Lin Qi, your apprentice?"

Lin Qi met his gaze and nodded slightly: "I am. And you are...?"

The young man's lips curled into a faint smile: "I am Mars Soren, an apprentice of Master Barek."

Barek the Wizard, the original owner of the Heart-Eating Shadow Leech, and the one who posted the bounty.

His apprentice's presence here at this moment speaks volumes.

Mars Soren paused briefly before getting straight to the point, saying, "I heard that you have found the little bug that your mentor lost."

He paused briefly, then said in an unquestionable, almost matter-of-fact tone, "That's right, I hope you can pass it on to me."