Ian was captivated by the dazzling, art-like apple. Pandered him on from the side.

  "Hurry! Eat it quickly, don't let the old witch see it. She'll definitely snatch it away from you." As Pandero spoke, he shoved the golden apple into Ian's mouth.

  "Cough Cough!"

  This was Ian's first time trying to eat something from the 'Twilight Zone'. Pandero's as were a bit rough, and Ian almost choked. Fortunately, the apple, rger than a fist, melted in his mouth the moment it touched his tongue.

  "Ian is glowing!" Ariana's excmati out.

  Ian couldn't see her expression.

  Because he now felt a warm and strange power instantly flowing through his entire body, a sensation as if his soul was being sed, making him close his eyes to savor the feeling.

  His body seemed infused with vitality and energy.

  "Bang~"

  This wasn't Ian exploding, but rather the sound of somethiallic hitting the wall in the hall. Immediately after, Ian faintly heard Pandero's panicked voice.

  "That woman heard me call her an old witch! Let's go! Let's go!"

  "Ian, we'll wait for you iown!"

  ...

  Ariana and Pandero's voices iwined, gradually drifting away into the distance.

  Ian didn't know how much time had passed. When he opened his eyes again, the furniture in the hall had returned, and the witch was looking at him with a plex expression on her face.

  "I didn't expect them to actually find it..." The witch's tone was filled with wonder.

  "I remember you saying that you cut dow golden apple tree in the world?" Ian couldn't check his ges through the panel while iwilight Zone'.

  All he felt now was an unpreted crity in his mind.

  "Clearly, before I cut dow golden apple tree, someone had smuggled a seed here." The witch expined, making Ian's eyes widen.

  "Before me, there were others who could do this?" Ian was quite surprised.

  The witch, however, shook her head.

  "Foolish little one, no wizard is as special as you, so naturally, no wizard would receive the same favor as you. What I meant was that someone brought a seed here."

  "I don't know how it was done, but there have been many brilliant wizards throughout history. Many past legends could have achieved sureasohings."

  The witch gazed at Ian's youthful face, whispering softly.

  "After all, the reason legends are legends is that they create miracles out of the impossible." The tapestries on the walls seemed to tremble slightly as the witch spoke.

  The fmes in the paintings appeared to burn even more fiercely.

  "Maybe I find some useful information in the school's library." Ian houghtfully. There certainly wouldn't be many wizards throughout history who could be called legends.

  "You'd be better off asking that damn butcher friend of yours. Since he could bring you this golden apple, it means he already knew where the golden apple nted."

  The witch gave Ian a look as if he were an idiot, rolling her eyes dramatically.

  "His memories are also fading," Ian replied helplessly; of course, he had thought of this approach.

  "Theruly pitiful." The witch gave a sarcastic smile.

  "Professor, I apologize on his behalf. He's always been a very reckless guy." Ian lowered his tone, speaking sincerely, "I promise to find your mirror and anything else you want, as pensation for his deep apologies."

  Hearing this, the witch's expression softened a bit.

  "I only want my mirror." After a slight pause, she added, "And that western dragon he promised to catch!"

  Wow!

  Sure enough!

  The witch had indeed been hiding deep in the castle, eavesdropping!

  "Of course, no problem!"

  Ian quickly nodded in agreement. However, although his frustrated teacher's expression had calmed down, she couldn't help but curse Pandero again.

  "Damn troublemaker! Wretched executioner! Disgusting, despicable plunderer!" She tinuously piled on unfttering titles for Pandero.

  "He must have been araordinary person when he was alive?" Iaively asked.

  He could tell that the witew a lot about Pandero.

  "My foolish apprentice, why do you always ask such idiotic questions?" The witch gave Ian a disdainful look.

  "The answer has already beeed before you, but you've chosen to ighe truth." The witch sighed heavily, her words leaving Ian utterly fused.

  What had he ignored?

  Why couldn't he realize it himself?

  "Professor, I admit I'm an idiot. So, you tell me who he is?" Ian couldn't tain his curiosity.

  "You're a Pigwidgeon, but I'm not."

  The witch scoffed, "Tell you, so you tell him, and then he'll remember and tio cause trouble here for many more years. Do you think I'm the kind of person who would bring disfort upon myself?"

  Professor Mara clearly didn't like Pandero.

  She made too much sense and Ian didn't even know how to respond.

  "Did you know? All the creations in this castle, and even the abilities I've shown you, these aren't magic. They're just shaping brought about by ition."

  The witch suddenly began to reflect very abruptly.

  "ition?" Ia somewhat surprised.

  "Yes, in this nd far removed from the mortal world, itioermines what you achieve here." The witodded and tio patiently expin.

  "I believe in the power of knowledge, while he believes he achieve anythis his mind to... Three times, he proved that his ition is firmer than mine."

  The witch subtly expined why she couldn't pete with Pandero.

  Her tone was filled with relud... loneliness.

  "This happen too?!"

  Ian could hardly imagine someone using "the power of thinking" iwilight Zone'.

  "Yes, so unreasonable. Knowledge, surprisingly ot pete with belief. Isn't this also a kind of impossible miracle?" The witch sighed deeply.

  Just as Ian was still p whether her words tained some hint, the witch looked up.

  Her gaze fell on the scattered pieces of armor outside.

  "You're responsible for reshaping these guards for me."

  Another sudden twist.

  Making Ian uo help but be stunned. Just moments ago, they were talking about Pandero. How did Professor Mara suddenly make a 365-degree turn?!

  Ugh!

  The thought process of an old woman!

  "Huh? Didn't we agree that he'd find you a dead dragon to guard the door?" Ian widened his eyes ily.

  "That's pensation. This, however, is your duty as an apprehe witeered, pig up one of the potion books Ian had brought in.

  "I only know how to make dolls, not how to make moving iron men." Ian spread his hands.

  The witch responded with a cold smile.

  "If you don't know, then go and learn."

  Such familiar words.

  "Is this the new homework?"

  Ian was already starting to feel his presence fading.

  "I don't expect you to learn it in a few days, but I'll regurly check your progress." The witch, reading the potio, tore another piece from her gown.

  "ime, go back to that little girl's town first, then e find me." With a geoss, the densely written rune-covered fabrided in Ian's hands.

  "I'm afraid there won't be enough time." Ian's figure was already starting to fade.

  "There will be enough time. It's different now." The witch's voice carried a light but certain tone. She never looked up again, tinuing to read the copied book Ian had brought in.

  "Tick~ tock~ tick~ tock~"

  The clock ticked on.

  Ian abruptly opened his eyes to the real world.

  For once, he didn't check the time on the wall or look at the piece of gown in his hand. Instead, he eagerly opened his personal panel first.

  (End of Chapter)

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