Wizard: Start with Biological Transformation to Grind Experience-Chapter 109 - 017: Does eternity really exist?

Don’t underestimate these skeletons for their thin arms and legs. In fact, each of them has been meticulously modified by William Heim, with average attributes around 2 to 3, comparable to the level of an Apprentice Knight.

With the combined effort of two skeletons, the heavy stone gate in front was quickly pushed open.

"Whoosh! ~"

The anticipated traps and mechanisms did not happen; only a gust of wind blew out from within the stone gate. It carried a slight warmth, as if there was a heat source inside.

Standing far back, Lynch cautiously approached to take a closer look. What appeared behind the stone gate was a staircase leading downwards.

He retrieved a Fluorescent Stone from his Space Ring and tossed it down the staircase.

"Thud! Thud! Thud..."

The stone bounced for nearly a minute before losing its sound.

"This long?"

Lynch was slightly amazed.

Judging by the final echo, the space below seemed to be quite substantial in scale.

"I’m getting more and more curious. Let’s get going!" Avery urged.

Lynch nodded and then controlled the skeletons to move forward.

The maximum control range of Corpse Control was 30 meters. Beyond that, the skeletons would only execute Lynch’s last commanded order.

"Tap! Tap! Tap!" freewebnøvel.com

Footsteps echoed as the smooth-surfaced skeletons descended step by step down the staircase.

Lynch and Avery followed behind, with Alchemy Fireflies fluttering around them. The faint white glow illuminated the surroundings.

This was a man-made tunnel, crudely excavated. The surrounding stone walls were bare, with no visible traps or mechanisms of any kind.

After walking for more than ten minutes, the two quickly reached the bottom of the staircase.

As Lynch had previously guessed, emerging from the steps led to a spacious underground chamber, roughly the size of two to three basketball courts.

Unlike the snowy, icy world outside, the temperature here was quite warm.

This was due to a hot spring pool about a hundred square meters in diameter situated at the center, with steam constantly rising from it.

Surrounding the pool was a stretch of grassland, blooming with Starry Sky Flower, Blinking Violet, Mood Flower, and other magical plants, all of which were Apprentice Level materials.

To the left of the pool stood a small wooden house, its layout exuding warmth and coziness.

A rocking chair was placed in front of the house, and lying on the chair was a skeletal remains, reduced to bare bones. A tattered cloak fluttered faintly in the wind.

"No protective measures at all?" Lynch was surprised. The journey thus far had been devoid of traps—this was far too smooth.

To be cautious, he refrained from acting recklessly. Instead, he first had Parker fly a reconnaissance circle and then controlled the skeletons to meticulously inspect the surroundings. Ultimately, he confirmed there were indeed no traps or mechanisms here. It seemed that this reclusive Transcendent hadn’t set up any defensive measures.

Lynch became more puzzled. After all, this was not the orderly White Witch Domain. Logic dictated that living in places like this should necessitate layers upon layers of defenses.

"Let’s go check it out," Avery suggested.

Lynch pondered for a moment. Although the absence of protection made him feel uneasy, there indeed seemed to be no evident danger. Judging by the level of magical materials planted here, the strength of the Transcendent inhabiting this space likely matched their previous assumption of being at the Apprentice Level.

If Apprentice Level strength truly concealed any traps or threats, Lynch was confident he could handle them.

"Alright."

Nodding, Lynch and Avery headed toward the small wooden house.

He first circled around inside the house.

It was just a simple wooden cabin with everyday furniture and facilities. Nothing of significant value was found.

"Lynch, come here quickly."

At that moment, Avery’s voice called out from outside.

Stepping out of the house, Lynch saw her standing before the skeletal remains in the yard. Beside the remains was a stone slab, with a row of bold characters engraved at the very top—

[My homeland in memory. This is where I will die.]

Below was a densely packed row of smaller text. Lynch read carefully. It detailed the life story of the deceased who once occupied this space.

His name was Henry, a child born to a shoemaker’s family in Swaine Town, a modest town in the northern part of Ramos Duchy.

Henry’s life before the age of ten had been uneventful and ordinary. If everything had proceeded without surprises, he would have lived an unremarkable life as a cobbler—wed, raised a family, and grown old in peace.

But surprises often come unbidden.

At the age of ten, a passing wizard discovered Henry’s Extraordinary Talent and whisked him away from the town, bringing him back to cultivate at the Wizard Tower, better known as the Ice Castle as Avery previously mentioned.

Did his ordinary life turn extraordinary?

Yes, but also no.

Though Henry possessed wizard talent, it wasn’t outstanding. The Ice Castle likewise didn’t offer him many resources for cultivation.

After nearly three centuries of stagnation, Henry ultimately only reached the High-level Apprentice stage.

Watching days slip by, youth gone, and his Life Force nearing depletion, Henry came to terms with the fact that he would never ascend to the rank of Wizard. He decided to leave the Ice Castle and return to his hometown.

However, his family members had long passed away during his extended years. Upon returning to his hometown, he found he could no longer retrace the path to home...

So be it, he thought. Having nowhere else to go, he chose to continue cultivating.

Henry ventured into the Ice Sealed Mountain Range, where the concentration of Ice Element was higher and conducive to learning the knowledge imparted at the Ice Castle.

After wandering for years in the icy mountains, he stumbled upon this hidden underground space. He decided to transform it into a semblance of his childhood memory of home and lived here in secluded cultivation thereafter.

In the very end, he still failed to transcend to the rank of Wizard and passed away here.

Beneath the stone slab lay a Space Pocket, alongside a small pile of Magic Stones—the treasures Henry had spent his life chasing, which he decided to leave here in death.

Avery sighed: "A pitiful soul."

Lynch responded: "It couldn’t be helped. Reality is merciless."

In the Wizard World, breaking through obstacles to reach the Wizard rank was a rarity among rarities. Just take the Ancient Ruins for example—after thousands of years and countless apprentices trained, how many Wizards truly exist?

Across the Wizard World today, the total number of living Wizards barely amounts to a few thousand...

The vast majority of apprentices spend their entire lives unable to cross that boundary, ultimately ending up as bones like Henry.

Avery added: "I wasn’t referring to that; I was talking about his life."

"A lifetime spent walking alone in the Wizard World, facing the end without anyone by his side, dying alone in this snowy mountain... It’s truly tragic."

She sighed deeply.

Lynch remarked: "That’s how it is. The Wizard’s Road is inherently a solitary path. The farther you walk down it, the lonelier it becomes."

Avery stared sentimentally at the skeletal remains on the rocking chair, her voice tinged with melancholy: "Indeed, everyone understands that in principle, but how could anyone truly face it with ease? Watching loved ones age and pass away, while you’re left to continue confronting an uncertain tomorrow."

Picking up the Space Pocket from the ground, she spoke with a sense of reflection: "A lifetime of striving and perseverance—what, in the end, was it all for?"

Turning her head toward Lynch, she posed the question: "What do you think lies at the end of the Wizard’s Road? Eternity..."

"Does it really exist?"