Chapter 164: Homecoming (1)
"Do you think war will break out soon?" Lynn asked.
Maesys replied, "War probably won't erupt here anytime soon, despite the tension. But if it does, it will last a long time. A war between gods might end in a decade or two if it's quick, but if it drags on, it could last a century or more."
Lynn nodded. He remembered reading that wars between gods dragged on endlessly. When the time came, the entire world would be shrouded in the shadow of war, leaving an eternal, indelible mark on the plane.
"Is that so?" Lynn murmured in thought.
He nodded, feeling that all of this was unfolding with an inevitable swiftness.
If a war between gods truly broke out, he might run out of time.
It was time to go back and check on a few things. Lynn gazed at the distant blue sky, where a flock of birds was beginning its journey home.
Lynn decided to return to the Abyss Wizard Academy first.
"Just keep an eye on things here," Lynn said. "I need to take a trip back."
"All right," Maesys nodded.
Through their time together, Lynn had found that Maesys was actually rather "simple."
The guy's true form was merely a monster of the deep. The long years had granted him sapience, and his subsequent ascension to godhood had exposed him to a vast array of worldly things.
Yet fundamentally, the way Maesys thought and viewed the world still vastly differed from that of ordinary humans.
Of course, only Lynn, standing from his current perspective, would think that way. The passengers who traversed the seas, only to be snatched by sea monsters or swallowed by storms, would never consider the terrifying Lord of the Deep Sea and Storms to be a simpleton.
"I'll head back to the Continent of Vanquished Gods first," Lynn told Maesys. "Keep spreading your faith here, but be careful. I'd hate to come back and find you gone."
He delivered the last line as a joke.
The Maesys that had descended upon this plane couldn't even be considered a true avatar. Against lower-level opponents, he could easily crush them simply by relying on his high divine status. But if an enemy could withstand that pressure, he would have no way to deal with them.
Moreover, Lynn couldn't shake the feeling that the God of Dawn was acting strangely. There had also been certain exchanges made during his previous trip to the Abyss—or rather, what should now be called the Artificial Abyss.
He suspected some conspiracy might be brewing in the background, perhaps even involving the Wizard Academy's influence.
But none of that was his problem to worry about right now.
"I'm just a sliver of consciousness," Maesys said, taking it entirely in stride.
He was essentially just bluffing and scamming his way to gather divine power here. Now that he had paid back all the divine power he owed Lynn, whatever he managed to scrape up next was entirely up to his own abilities. Every wisp earned was a wisp gained.
"It's not my main body anyway. Even if this consciousness dies, it won't really matter."
Returning to the Wizard Tower, Lynn approached a room on the third floor. As the master of the Wizard Tower, he could move through its halls leaving almost no trace.
This room belonged to Kathryn, the daughter Dyo had entrusted to him. To make it easier to look after her, Lynn had simply kept her inside his Wizard Tower.
Perhaps because she had been following Lynn since she was little, Kathryn had grown used to this relatively lonely life.
But getting used to solitude was a good habit every wizard ought to have. This excellent trait would make it much easier for Kathryn to immerse herself in her studies in the future.
He had received Dyo's help many times. In a sense, the girl's mother could be considered his "investor."
According to the rules between wizards, Lynn ought to offer something in return.
What Dyo wanted was for him to become Kathryn's teacher. This was Lynn's first time playing the role of an instructor, and he lacked experience. Whenever he looked in the mirror, he still felt quite young himself, as if he were still that humble, eager-to-learn Apprentice from years ago.
The door wasn't fully closed; it sat slightly ajar. Sensing that Kathryn was studying inside, Lynn silently slipped into the room.
The room's layout was quite elegant. A large bed rested against one wall, while the other three walls were lined entirely with bookshelves. There was also a small adjoining washroom.
Finally, there was a desk facing away from the door. A girl with soft blonde hair was leaning over it, diligently taking notes.
The only sound in the room was the rustle of a quill scratching against paper.
Seeming to hit a difficult problem, Kathryn unconsciously bit her lip, her writing coming to a pause.
"Are you having trouble with something?" Lynn's voice suddenly rang out.
Startled, Kathryn jumped, then turned to look at Lynn behind her.
She sounded a bit aggrieved. "Teacher Lynn, you scared me. Also, entering a girl's room without permission is very impolite."
"I'll keep that in mind for next time," he said.
Kathryn's delicate face didn't resemble her mother's at all.
Her fair, refined features were set with a pair of bright blue eyes, and her small pink lips were currently caught in a slight pout, clearly displaying her dissatisfaction.
"Let me see your Notebook," Lynn said.
Looking a little nervous, Kathryn handed the Notebook on her desk to him.
Lynn took the Notebook and flipped through it carefully.
Through the contents of her notes, he gained a general understanding of her current progress, as well as where she was falling short.
Overall, having this kind of progress at her age was already quite impressive.
"Not bad," Lynn nodded.
Hearing his praise, a happy smile bloomed on Kathryn's face.
"Have you tried the different meditation methods I gave you? Which one feels most effective when you practice it?" Lynn asked.
"This one." Kathryn pointed to the Crystal Meditation Method resting on the top left corner of the desk.
It was the most universal meditation method, so it was no surprise that Kathryn had high compatibility with it.
However, being universal also meant it had a high floor but a low ceiling.
Lynn had prepared five meditation methods for her to test, and in the end, the universal Crystal Meditation Method still proved to be the most efficient.
"Keep using this one for now. I'll find some other methods for you to try later."
In truth, Lynn had another idea: creating a brand-new meditation method perfectly tailored to her.
But doing so would require an immense understanding of Soul Studies, as well as profound expertise in anatomy and physiology.
Not just for Kathryn—Lynn also intended to create a brand-new meditation method for himself.
"You've read through the introductory texts for all the different branches of wizardry. Which one interests you the most?" Lynn asked.
He hadn't known what field Kathryn would gravitate toward, so he had simply bought her introductory books on every subject. Interest, after all, was the best teacher for a child.
"I'm really interested in this one." Kathryn's eyes lit up at his words, and she pointed to one of the books.
Lynn's gaze fell upon the book, his eyes narrowing slightly—Introduction to Necromancy.
'A demon and a necromancer,' Lynn thought. 'You mother and daughter really chose some fine paths.'
Their hobbies were truly unmatched. Perhaps this could be considered a similarity between mother and daughter.
Lynn shook his head.
However, he had no intention of dissuading her. He didn't discriminate against any field of study. Since this was Kathryn's choice, he would respect it.