129 - Council Member

Building a new school of magic in the land of wizards in a short amount of time is no easy task.

Relying solely on recruiting apprentices for training is too slow, and trouble is bound to come his way sooner or later, especially given his current power; he can't simply walk around in the land of wizards.

Although he managed to hold out for a long time in his battle with the grand wizard Herlram, Lynn is well aware that it was only due to the sudden takeover of the virtual domain's control by the AI during the opponent's full-power spellcasting, leading to a strong magical backlash. Even with the support of nine third-tier wizards, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

In this case, he needs to convince the right people to believe that the "Society of Mystical Arts" is a real thing and become a part of it voluntarily, ensuring the development of the school is supported.

This virtual domain is his most useful tool.

The gathering format of the "Faceless" gave Lynn a lot of inspiration. However, the location of this gathering must be grand, considering that he has already inflated his reputation.

As Lynn contemplated, he created a limited cosmic bubble, floating in the endless expanse of space. Inside, there was an atmosphere, and even gravity, and all the constants were identical to the surface of a planet.

"Let's call this place 'Beyond Space and Time.'" Lynn quickly had the AI record this name. From now on, this will be where he deceives those advanced wizards.

"Yeah, it still needs a little something extra..." Lynn indulged in his creativity until he noticed that the AI's energy reserves had depleted by more than half. He quickly stopped.

It's important to note that the soul energy collected by the AI is not infinite; consuming one means having one less.

Even though he had recorded the alchemical formula for stripping souls from their bodies, Lynn had no intention of using such a life-draining method to recharge the energy.

After decorating the interior of the cosmic bubble, Lynn once again asked, "071, how are those 'Faceless' that I connected with mentally before? Are they still okay?"

Since these Faceless people had spent two to three years inside the virtual domain, participating in hundreds of gatherings, their mental defenses had become as solid as a sieve.

When Lynn used the fourth-tier magic, "Deflection Force Field," the computational power he mobilized was terrifying, reaching over fifty percent. Therefore, after the battle, these people's mental strength had all been severely damaged.

Five of them died on the spot, and the remaining four lost contact temporarily. It was unclear whether they had fallen into a coma or destroyed their Faceless rings.

[No remaining connected targets in the virtual domain.]

Could it be that they were really wiped out?

Lynn was amazed, but the AI could only roughly assess the situation of these people through magical energy connections, which may not be entirely accurate. Nevertheless, the "Faceless", this secretive organization, was on the verge of collapse.

Just like the "Blood-Red Thorns," as Herlram's white gloves, each Faceless had a long list of atrocities to their name. By just looking at their research results, one could get a glimpse of their evil doings, and Lynn had no sympathy for this group. Making them disappear along with Herlram might not be a bad thing.

The only regret Lynn felt was that the means of enhancing his own power by stealing computational power would likely be unusable in the short term, and even if new members joined, it would take a long time to crack their mental defenses.

Lost in thought, Lynn temporarily exited the virtual domain and retrieved three beautifully crafted rings: Nos, Barbara, and Hank's Faceless rings.

As a spellcaster, Herlram didn't need these rings to enter and exit the virtual domain, but it was precisely because of their deep connection that he experienced a strong backlash when control was seized from him.

Since acquiring the Faceless rings, he had been researching their principles. After damaging one of the rings, he had made some progress, but it would still take some time to fully analyze and successfully replicate them.

"071, change the magic frequency for entering the virtual domain," Lynn silently said in his mind.

This way, the remaining rings scattered outside would lose their original functionality.

Without a receptor, those things were just junk.

Thud, thud, thud...

Just as Lynn was contemplating, a sudden knocking on the door echoed. After putting away the remaining rings, Lynn activated Mage Hand to open the door.

A silver-haired witch stood quietly at the door and softly reminded, "Professor Lynn, Mr. Tike asked me to inform you that several council wizards will be arriving today."

"Alright, I'll head over." Lynn nodded and followed Jenny out.

Arriving at the entrance of the Iyeta Academy, Philip, Kevin, and Theodore were already waiting there.

Before they could exchange greetings, Lynn noticed that several beautifully decorated carriages were approaching from a distance. Instead of camels, they were pulled by sturdy fire lions with flaming manes, giving them a majestic appearance.

The caravan came to a perfectly smooth stop in front of everyone. With all eyes on them, the carriage curtains slowly opened, revealing a middle-aged wizard with a hint of beard and deep, discerning eyes. He disembarked from the carriage and immediately began observing the surrounding architectural layout. Seeing the rows of identical houses, he nodded in satisfaction and remarked.

"Iyeta Harbor, it's been a while."

Tike felt uneasy at the unexpected arrival of this council member. However, relief washed over him as a familiar figure soon descended from another carriage behind.

It was a very young wizard, looking to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face and a hint of a smile that made him instantly likeable.

Lynn also observed the two individuals, especially the distinctive wizard medals on their chests.

Two council members?

Lynn had no recollection of the leading middle-aged wizard and couldn't guess his identity, but the other one was easily recognizable. Such a young council member could only be the renowned "Star of Magic/Magic Star" of the land of wizards, Ogest.

Philip, Kevin, and the others exchanged glances, immediately sensing that something was amiss. In the past, when they held academic seminars, the council would send a formal wizard to inform them. However, this time, two council members had arrived suddenly, leaving the wizards of the Iyeta Academy with a vague sense of unease.