Chapter 18: The Person Who Vanished into Thin Air

Chapter 18: The Vanishing Man

Words formed upon the ground, etched from soil.

[Basic Meditation Technique (Minor Mastery)] 1245/2000

[Small Fireball Spell (Zero-tier Proficiency)] 83/2000

[Invisible Armor Spell (Zero-tier Initiation)] 612/1000

For half a month, Li Wei had poured himself entirely into mastering the Invisible Armor spell, making little progress with Small Fireball.

Aside from a noticeable increase in defense, the duration of the Invisible Armor had extended dramatically.

The armor he cast ten days ago still hadn’t collapsed.

He deduced this from the daily rate at which his spell models weakened.

At present, the Invisible Armor he cast could last at least a month without failing.

Constantly, silently, it shielded Li Wei from all sides.

Its only flaw was its lack of intelligence.

Every time he ate, he had to dispel the spell—otherwise, food would simply bounce off an unseen barrier.

Li Wei naturally wished for the armor to be smarter—only activating when under attack, otherwise remaining dormant and invisible.

After leaving the spell training grounds and returning to his dormitory,

Li Wei encountered Teacher Guze in the corridor.

He greeted him first. “Good evening, Teacher Guze.”

Guze looked up at the sound of his voice, then paused, struck by sudden thought.

He studied Li Wei. “Li Wei, do you want to earn contribution points?”

Li Wei hesitated slightly. “What do you mean, Teacher Guze?”

Guze said, “Recently, food shortages in Maple City have driven grain prices skyward. The city lord ordered supplies transported from rural warehouses, but the convoy was ambushed en route—the escort team vanished without a trace. A heavy bounty has been placed on recovering the grain and eliminating the bandits.”

“Yesterday, those sent to investigate the missing grain and thieves encountered orcs—most were killed.”

“This morning, the Warrior’s Guild and Adventurer’s Association jointly petitioned the Mage Tower for aid, requesting mages assist in repelling the invading orcs.”

“This afternoon, the senior mages reached a decision: one second-rank mage, three first-rank mages, and six apprentice mages will join the guilds’ forces in combat operations.”

“Anyone who participates earns one contribution point per day from the Mage Tower. Additional rewards are granted by the guilds for notable battlefield contributions.”

One contribution point per day? Li Wei was stunned.

Each point was worth one gold coin.

Just for joining, the base pay was one gold coin a day.

Though the reward was tempting, Li Wei did not easily sway.

He asked, “How dangerous is fighting orcs?”

Guze replied, “All battle carries danger. But if a mage avoids conflict and merely buries himself in study, greatness will never come.”

“Of course, it isn’t as perilous as you imagine.”

“We’re only supporting the Warrior’s Guild and Adventurer’s Association in hunting down orcs. They’ll take the front lines—mages need only cast spells from safe positions.”

Li Wei pondered briefly, then shook his head. “Teacher Guze, I’m still far behind even apprentice mages. I’d rather not risk it.”

Guze nodded, understanding. “Hmm. Very well.”

“Goodbye, Teacher Guze.”

After parting ways, Li Wei returned to his room.

The Mage Tower’s offer was alluring, but he knew his own limits.

Compared to true apprentice mages, he was vastly inferior.

Not even counting experience—his repertoire of zero-tier spells alone paled in comparison.

Even someone as young as Guze already mastered at least four zero-tier spells, and held a first-tier spell as backup.

Senior apprentices were even more formidable.

More than the Tower’s generous rewards, Li Wei understood clearly what he truly sought.

He simply wanted to train steadily, grinding through magic and mana in peace.

For now, money wasn’t an issue.

Two days later, Li Wei watched as Guze and others departed the Mage Tower.

Beyond the assigned members, many volunteer apprentices and mage novices had signed up.

Not everyone could endure solitude in pursuit of cultivation.

Once most achieved minor success, they yearned to prove themselves.

After their departure, the teaching apprentices couldn’t even form a full class. Most of the time, students like Li Wei were left to self-study in the classroom.

So he stopped going altogether, staying in his room to focus.

When not training, he read.

Novels, travelogues, magical treatises.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

December twenty-fifth.

While eating in the dining hall, Li Wei overheard several apprentice mages chatting—tomorrow, Guze and the others would return victorious.

The next day, shortly after morning cultivation ended,

he arrived early at the classroom, standing by the window overlooking the outside.

The window faced the outer courtyard gate of the Mage Tower—

a perfect vantage to witness their triumphant return.

But no one came.

Not until noon, when the sun hung high, did a few figures finally appear at the gate.

Li Wei stared down at them, frozen for a moment.

They’d left with over twenty people—how were only seven or eight returning?

Had the battle been so fierce? The casualties so severe?

Still, Guze was safe. Li Wei exhaled in relief.

That afternoon, he knocked on Guze’s door.

“Teacher Guze, it’s Li Wei.”

“Come in.”

Li Wei looked at Guze. He bore no wounds, but his eyes were weary, shadowed with exhaustion.

"Only a third of them came back," Li Wei said.

Gu Ze paused for a moment, then smiled. "You don't actually think the others are dead, do you?"

Li Wei looked surprised. "Where are the rest?"

"Most of them are unharmed," Gu Ze replied. "Don’t worry. We just returned first. The others are still chasing the scattered orcs."

Understanding dawned on Li Wei.

Gu Ze continued, "Something strange happened during this mission."

Li Wei’s eyes lit up with curiosity, leaning in attentively.

"After we routed the main orc force and reclaimed the stolen grain, we couldn’t find the missing escort team members."

"Later, those who should have escorted the grain back to Maple City vanished midway. When we arrived, all we found were the wagons and grain left behind in the snow—no people, no footprints anywhere nearby."

"We transported the grain back to Maple City. The city lord’s personal guards inspected it and confirmed everything was in order, so we returned to the Mage Tower."

"As for how those people disappeared into thin air—no one has been able to explain it yet. Their fate remains unknown."

Li Wei listened, deeply intrigued. How could people simply vanish without a trace?

Still, he understood why Gu Ze had come back early.

Puzzled, he asked, "No footprints at all in the snow? Did they all fly away?"

Gu Ze shook his head. "Impossible. To make over a dozen people vanish silently into the sky would require at least a fourth-rank archmage."

(End of Chapter)