Chapter 45 - 012: Rumors and Gossip

Chapter 45: 012: Rumors and Gossip

Graham handed over a Magic Stone Bag as a meeting gift, but Lynch still didn’t accept it, even though he knew it contained thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of Magic Stones.

The main issue was that this person didn’t seem very reliable.

Lynch thought it best to remain cautious when dealing with unreliable people. Better not to grow too close, lest anything happen in the future and drag him into trouble. After all, people like this were often useless at everything except stirring up trouble.

But Graham seemed determined to befriend him. He looked like someone who wouldn’t leave unless Lynch accepted his gift.

With no other choice, Lynch symbolically selected an item from this small mountain of resources and equipment. It was a Biological Culture Dish, something that could come in handy for experiments. Its price wasn’t particularly high, probably only worth about a hundred Magic Stones, making it an appropriately modest meeting gift.

“Lynch, my brother! From now on, if you encounter any trouble, come to me right away. Cross mountains of blades, dive into boiling oil—Graham guarantees he won’t even flinch!”

Yawn~

Watching Graham, who was pounding his chest so loudly it sounded like fireworks, all Lynch wanted was to send him off quickly and get some sleep.

He was utterly exhausted!

…

The next morning, Shadow Square.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and leaves. Early-rising Fairies had already gone deep into the Forest to gather morning dew. On Shadow Square, a light mist lingered, shrouding the mysterious area in a veil of hazy beauty.

“Yawn~”

Standing in the square, Lynch let out a massive yawn, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Even though he’d slept seven or eight hours the previous night, he still felt inexplicably tired.

It seemed that apart from studying Magic and pursuing Cultivation, he couldn’t muster any energy for anything else.

“Silly boy!”

The plump Subaru appeared out of nowhere behind him, clapping a hand on Lynch’s shoulder and teasing, “Yawning so much this early in the morning—what were you up to last night? If the results come out in a bit and they make you give a speech, won’t it be embarrassing?”

“Hahaha!”

Before Lynch could reply, Carl burst into laughter. “Keep dreaming! Passing the assessment is hard enough, and you think you’ll be chosen as a role model?”

Lynch had never gone into detail about the progress of his task, yet both Carl and Subaru subconsciously lumped him into their group of assumed failures.

After all, in their eyes, the assessment this time was way too difficult. If they didn’t stand a chance, Lynch—who they considered clueless and lucky in his occasional successes—certainly wouldn’t either…

Subaru rolled his eyes. “You jinx! No one’ll think you’re mute if you just keep quiet. You might not want to pass, but some of us actually care!”

Carl sneered, “You, who couldn’t even bring back the essential quest items, think you’ll pass? If someone like you passes the assessment… then… then… then so will I!”

Subaru retorted, “You wish! Picking up scraps and thinking it counts—keep dreaming, fat chance!”

“You damned chubby oaf…”

For some reason, the two began quarreling again. Lynch pinched the bridge of his nose, debating whether to step in and mediate.

However, a voice laced with hostility abruptly called out from behind him.

“Lynch!”

Turning around, Lynch saw a young man walking toward him.

The boy looked about the same age as Lynch, with brown hair and a tall, sturdy frame. His cloak was draped loosely over his shoulders, revealing a brown leather vest and black pants underneath. At his waist hung a Cross Sword, and he wore steady, powerful strides in Deer Leather Short Boots.

Raising an eyebrow, Lynch turned to face him. “What’s the matter, Adam?”

The boy’s name was Adam, a fellow apprentice from the same cohort. Like Yuri, he had been an Apprentice Knight before venturing into the Wizard World, a fact reflected in the aura of a Martial Artist he exuded.

Adam’s expression was ice-cold. His fists were clenched tightly, giving off the impression that he bore a deep grudge against Lynch.

When he reached Lynch, Adam cut straight to the chase: “What exactly happened in the Corrupted Forest? How did Yuri die?”

He paused for a moment, then fixed his eyes on Lynch and growled, “Answer me!”

Lynch froze for a moment.

He suddenly remembered overhearing Subaru and Carl previously mention that Adam and Yuri were very close.

Their bond was somewhat dramatic—it was rumored they initially clashed over their shared affection for Alice and had privately arranged a duel to settle it, with the loser agreeing to step aside.

The outcome of that duel was unclear, but it seemed that after the fight, they had grown close, like brothers.

After Yuri’s death, aside from Lynch, who had fought alongside Yuri, Adam was perhaps the only other apprentice genuinely grieving his loss. At the funeral, Lynch had seen Adam standing before Yuri’s gravestone for a long time, silently crying.

Lynch replied, puzzled, “I already told you about this before. The Tower doesn’t allow us to talk about it.”

Adam had questioned him about the Corrupted Forest long ago. Lynch’s answer hadn’t changed, so what was the source of this sudden hostility?

The root of the matter lay in the Tower’s ongoing refusal to release a clear account of events.

Over the past days, the tragedy hadn’t faded from collective memory. Instead, the Tower’s silence had fueled a host of rumors and speculation among the apprentices.

Some claimed Richard had been tipped off about the apprentices’ test by an insider within the Tower. Others speculated Yuri had merely been gravely injured and was ultimately killed by apprentices coveting his Magic Stone resources.

Rumors were dangerous.

Many outlandish claims, initially dismissed as obvious nonsense, had gained credibility because they were repeated so often—and always in vivid detail. Without an official explanation to refute them, these rumors snowballed, infecting even the most skeptical minds and intensifying their spread.

At first, Adam dismissed these claims outright. But not long ago, one piece of news reached his ears—and was confirmed.

Subaru and Carl stopped arguing, standing on either side of Lynch with displeased expressions as they glared at Adam.

Subaru said, “What’s gotten into you, Adam?!”

Carl was more direct: “Looking for a fight, are you?”

Adam ignored the two, his gaze locked onto Lynch as he coldly asked, “Yuri’s Cross Sword is in your possession, isn’t it?”

Lynch paused, startled.

His reaction only reinforced Adam’s suspicions. His emotions flared instantly.

“The Glory Cross!”

“Don’t you dare lie or deny it. Someone saw you this morning swinging it around. That’s the sword Yuri treasured more than life itself! Many of us from the same cohort as Yuri have seen it—we wouldn’t mistake it!”

Subaru and Carl were taken aback. They instinctively wanted to defend Lynch.

Carl said, “You’ve got to be mistaken…”

But before he could finish, Lynch gently interrupted him.

A moment later, Lynch nodded slightly and admitted, “Yes.”

The confrontation had already attracted a crowd of apprentices, and a wave of murmurs rippled through them upon hearing Lynch’s response.

“See, I told you I wasn’t mistaken! The Glory Cross really is with him!”

“What’s going on…?”

“Could the rumors be true? Was there really someone who sold out information…”

Having received confirmation, Adam appeared calmer, but his gaze grew steadier and more resolute.

He demanded, “What happened? Explain!”

Yes, what had happened?

What exactly went down in the Corrupted Forest?

How had Yuri really died?

All eyes locked onto Lynch, awaiting his answer.

“…….”

Lynch fell silent for a brief moment.

Then, he replied honestly, “Sorry. The Tower forbids us from speaking about it.”

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