The summer sunlight was dazzlingly bright. Above the Julius Manor, Augustus was alone in the Cloud Tower's alchemy garden conducting experiments. The magical creatures of this plane were intriguing—air elements captured near the atmosphere carried dual properties of wind and fire. These elements were ideal as kinetic materials for the Cloud Tower, though the process of extracting their core energy was somewhat troublesome. Air elements varied greatly in size, from as small as a cubic centimeter to as large as a library.
Refining kinetic cores required three basic steps: compression, gas decomposition, and finally, infusion with condensation liquid. Generally, the larger the air element, the easier it was to refine its core, which also resulted in stronger energy output.
High above the sky, the Cloud Tower, adorned with a violet glow, slowly activated. Enveloped in misty clouds, the massive tower gradually vanished above Julius Manor.
As daylight waned and dusk approached, Augustus piloted the Cloud Tower to the edge of the Phantom Forest in western England. There, an important herb known as the Void Flower grew—a key ingredient for crafting selective potions. Augustus had thoroughly studied the geographical distribution of important alchemical materials across England. Despite the Phantom Forest's remote location at the confluence of rivers and canyons, it was rich in resources, yielding many materials essential for magical potions.
The golden sunset bathed Augustus's black robes as patches of warm, muted green light filtered through the towering trees at the forest's edge. With soft soil beneath his feet and crisp green leaves strewn around, Augustus ventured forward alone into the serene woodland.
In truth, the Phantom Forest was far more dangerous than the Forbidden Forest. Its sparse human presence had allowed magical creatures to thrive. From the outside, the tranquil woods might seem unremarkable, but overlooking the hidden anomalies could easily lead to ill-fated adventures.
The last traces of the sunset faded. In the dense forest, squirrels and monkeys occasionally darted by. Augustus had not yet entered the forest's interior, but even at its periphery, he found a wealth of ordinary herbs. This alone hinted at the forest's abundance and richness.
Quickening his pace slightly, Augustus cast a spell for agility, and his steps grew lighter and more rapid.
After about ten minutes of walking, darkness engulfed the forest. Yet, even in such darkness, Augustus's vision remained unobstructed by the faintest glimmer of light. Rare herbs growing with the trees began to appear, along with bizarre magical creatures that quietly flitted past him.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Augustus had been maintaining a deterrence spell, ensuring that the surrounding magical beasts instinctively kept their distance. Deep within the forest, the most common sightings were giant snakes slithering about and pitch-black carrion birds perched atop trees. These apex predators dominated their territories, ensuring no other creatures dared approach within a hundred meters of their presence.
In the midst of his search, Augustus's silver eyes gleamed with delight as a pair of pale blue flowers appeared. Fortune seemed to favor him—he had found the Void Flower, a vital ingredient for potion-making. He carefully approached, retrieved silver tweezers, and began harvesting the herb, ensuring to uproot it entirely. Merely taking its flower buds would render it useless for alchemy.
A low growl echoed nearby, prompting Augustus to glance up with mild surprise. His deterrence spell was nearly impenetrable to ordinary magical beasts, yet something here could resist it.
Peering into the darkness, he spotted a vivid red flame piercing through the gloom about thirty meters away. Wrapped in blazing fire stood a tall, lean lone wolf. Augustus recognized it as a Flame Wolf, a solitary magical beast typically uninterested in attacking humans. However, its aggressive posture despite the deterrence spell was highly unusual.
Looking closer, Augustus noticed a smaller flame wriggling behind the wolf—a tiny cub with closed eyes. The chubby little pup pawed at the mother wolf's hind legs, seemingly begging for food.
The mother wolf affectionately nudged the pup's red fur with its nose before casting a wary gaze toward Augustus.
Sighing lightly, Augustus drew his wand and pointed it toward a carrion bird perched on a nearby tree. The massive predator, ruler of this forest's food chain, was instantly silenced and reduced to a lifeless carcass. Augustus tossed the body to the Flame Wolf, then calmly extracted the Void Flower with his tweezers and turned to leave.
A soft sound from the Flame Wolf stopped him. He turned to see the mother wolf's green eyes filled with a human-like gratitude. She gazed at him tenderly, her expression warm. Augustus chuckled faintly, waved at the mother and cub, then stepped into the darkness.
He continued forward for an indeterminate time. The forest grew darker as night fell. A pure white moonlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting faint silvery beams onto the emerald leaves. Blue fireflies floated among the trees, their faint glow swirling around Augustus. As he lifted his hand, two or three landed on his palm, their touch carrying a faint heat.
Suddenly, a bright blue light flared in the distance. Augustus narrowed his eyes—it was the glow of magic. At this hour and place, encountering another wizard was unexpected. Drawing his wand, he ignited a small scarlet flame for light.
The blue glow flickered slightly as a crisp female voice called out, "Who's there?"
Augustus smiled faintly, recognizing the voice. With light steps, he approached.
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