Wizards: Starting with Fairy Crests

022: Raven

Lin Qi's expression was unpredictable.

He knew he hadn't been in Grey Tower for long and his social circle was small, so the only person he could have a conflict of interest with was Jackman.

Therefore, it is not difficult to deduce that the person who is most likely to harm him is Jackman, and Dyson is his accomplice!

Damn it, did Jackman sell his ass? Dyson would actually risk deceiving the wizard to help him like this!

Lin Qi was filled with rage!

Jackman…and that Dyson! Those two bastards!

A violent killing intent surged in Lin Qi's chest, almost bursting out of his throat. But he clenched his teeth tightly, forcibly suppressing the surging anger and curses into his heart.

"Now is not the time to dwell on this," he whispered to himself, his voice hoarse yet carrying an icy calm.

Anger won't save lives; it will only hasten death. The most urgent thing is to find a way to survive.

He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of the river and a mixture of cheap liquor and bird droppings on Morrison, forcing himself to regain his senses.

Losing the boat did not mean that his livelihood was completely cut off.

The main reason he couldn't leave the Gray Tower before was because of its guards, but now that he's been granted permission, that's no longer a problem.

But now the problem is, where should we leave from?

The Gray Fog Forest is vast and boundless, stretching for thousands of miles. The entire forest is covered in lush vegetation, much like a giant maze.

And they were located in the deepest part of the Gray Mist Forest. Even disregarding the poisonous insects, ferocious beasts, and strange magical plants and creatures, finding a way out of such a ghostly place was a problem.

Under normal circumstances, he could figure out the way little by little over time, but now there are less than three days until the gray fog rises, so he simply doesn't have that much time to find a way out.

I wonder if this bird has any way out? If all else fails, we'll just have to rely on our strength to break through.

Thinking of this, he turned around and faced once again the strange crow that was squatting on the mooring post, lazily drinking with its old man's face.

"Lord Morrison." Lynch's voice was devoid of much emotion. He pulled out the few magic stones he had left from his pocket, held them out in his palm, and handed them over. "A small token of my respect. May I ask... besides that ship, are there any other ships recently?"

Morrison extended the claw that held the wine jug, and with an extremely deft flick, several magic stones disappeared into the feathers under its wing.

"Tsk, they're pretty savvy," Morrison commented hoarsely, taking a swig of his drink. "As for the ship, it's definitely gone. All the apprentices who were allowed to leave departed at the same time this morning, and there won't be another ship."

Lin Qi's heart sank.

"However..." Morrison changed the subject, a strange, almost sly smile appearing on the old man's face: "The ship is gone, but your 'leaving tower permit' is real. The guards at the proper exits of the Gray Mist Jungle recognize the permit stamp, not the ship ticket. As long as you can reach the exit before the Gray Mist completely seals off the forest, they won't stop you."

Lynch's eyes lit up, and he quickly looked at Morrison.

He knew that since the other party had brought this up, there must be more to come.

as predicted!

Morrison continued, "This is the road... Heh heh, there aren't any 'proper' roads for strolling through the Gray Mist Jungle. Those obvious, easy-to-walk paths either hide man-eating creatures, or they meander back to the tower, or directly into some old monster's dinner plate."

Having said all that, the intention couldn't be clearer.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Qi immediately reached into his robes and pulled out the last remaining magic stone bag. He quickly counted it; there were still thirty-six magic stones inside.

This was almost all the property he could use, excluding the essential materials.

He held the bag of magic stones in both hands and presented it to Morrison, his attitude respectful and earnest: "Lord Morrison, this is all I have right now, a total of thirty-six magic stones. If you can guide me to a way out, Lin Qi will surely repay you handsomely in the future!"

As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. The magic stones are gone, but as long as I'm alive, I can earn them back in the future.

This is not the time to be stingy!

"A generous reward?" Morrison cackled, his voice like a broken gong. "I'm sick of hearing empty promises from you apprentices! But..."

It scratched the magic stone bag with its paw, weighed it in its hand, and was clearly satisfied. "You're not bad looking, kid. You're better than those self-righteous idiots. I'll forgo the reward, but if you manage to see me alive next time, remember to bring me a jug of 'Crimson Howl' brewed from 'Weeping Thorns.' That stuff's potent!"

After saying that, it used its beak to peck hard at the base of its dark blue wing, tearing off a deep blue feather about half a foot long with a metallic sheen at the edge.

After the feathers left its body, instead of wilting, they automatically floated up, their surfaces shimmering with a faint glow.

Morrison tossed the feather in front of Lynch.

The feathers unfurled in the air, and the fine barbs seemed to come alive, automatically arranging, combining, and extending, projecting clear lines of light and shadow onto the plane formed by the feathers themselves!

In the blink of an eye, a miniature map, rich in detail and composed of light and shadow, appeared before Lynch.

The map clearly marks the route from Ash River Wharf, deep into the jungle, avoiding several areas clearly marked as dangerous.

The route is winding and meandering, mostly following barely noticeable animal trails, dry riverbeds, or specific vegetation zones, eventually leading to an exit marker in the southeast of the gray fog jungle that reads "Old Outpost Ruins".

"Take it!" Morrison said hoarsely. "Follow the light above, don't stray. Remember, the map will only last for three days. Once the gray fog rises, the magic on it will dissipate, turning you into a real bird feather."

Lynch was overjoyed, as if he had found a treasure, and carefully reached out to take the feather that carried the map of light and shadow. The feather was warm to the touch, as if it still carried Morrison's body heat, and the map's light and shadow were steadily projected onto the feather.

Morrison urged, "You need to hurry, little sparrow. I can feel the 'big guys' in the jungle starting to get restless... You don't have much time left."

"Thank you, sir!" Lin Qi bowed deeply and said no more nonsense.

"Get lost! Don't die halfway there and waste my feathers and wine!" Morrison impatiently flapped his wings, then turned his attention back to the empty wine jug, seemingly pondering how to get some more wine.

Lin Qi straightened up and took one last look at the scarlet river and the downstream shrouded in thick fog, as if trying to imprint the ship carrying the traitors away into his mind's eye.

Then, without hesitation, he turned around and ran off towards the jungle indicated by the feather map.

The figure quickly disappeared into the dark, distorted shadows of the jungle, which seemed to have a gaping maw.

On the dock, only the Ravenman Morrison's incomprehensible mutterings at the empty wine jug and the ceaseless, mournful sound of the Ash River remained.