A mage's journey begins with a battle mage.

Chapter 204 Exploring the Blood Lake

"Sir, you wanted to see me?"

Jim rushed out after receiving Jiang Shuzhou's summons.

"Yes, I have something to ask you."

"Sir, please ask me, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Jim was quite a bachelor, after all, he didn't have much left, he even gave away the key to the Blood Lake, so his revenge depended entirely on Jiang Shuzhou's credibility.

However, after seeing Jiang Shuzhou actually killing elves to avenge him, he still felt that he had made the right bet.

"It's your wife's business."

Jiang Shuzhou cut to the chase and asked without any politeness.

"My wife?"

Jim was a little confused. Wasn't this mage supposed to be completely indifferent to matters of love and romance?

"It's about your wife; her death might not be as simple as you think."

A descendant of Hamlet's family was hunted down for letting something slip.

Besides, Jim has been hunted down for years, is it really necessary?

Isn't this a bit too far-fetched?

Has she ever told anyone her surname?

"She...she seems to have said it once..."

Jim also sensed that something was wrong.

"When was she killed?"

Jiang Shuzhou continued to ask.

"Just a week after she mentioned her surname, but she had talked about the sky with others before..."

That makes sense, no wonder.

The incident in the sky was merely a cover-up and a trigger; the real reason was the surname.

There are old elves still alive, and it's quite obvious they're after the Hamlet family.

"Besides you, does anyone else know the location of Blood Lake?"

No, that's all.

"Even the elves don't know?"

"Yes, the elves cannot find that place."

Jim nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go, today."

Jiang Shuzhou was not one to dawdle. Since the elves were unaware of the Blood Lake's existence, he naturally wanted to go there first to investigate.

At the very least, we should see if the elders left any secrets or hidden mechanisms for the younger generation, such as a mysterious little switch that, when pressed, could wipe out the entire elven race.

If this thing existed, Jiang Shuzhou wouldn't need to waste his energy fighting; he could just press the button to receive the inheritance.

It saves time and effort, and is very simple.

"Your will."

Jim didn't know why Jiang Shuzhou, who wasn't in a hurry to begin with, was so anxious, but this was where his value lay, so he didn't refuse.

"I will avenge you. These foolish elves will all be wiped out."

Of course, this will also include those on the ground in the future.

Don't ask why, Jiang Shuzhou is just that kind of person who will help those in need when he sees injustice. He can't stand seeing alien races harming humans.

It is absolutely not because they covet the Mother Tree of Elves.

As the spell was activated, Jiang Shuzhou and Jim took to the air.

Following Jim's guidance, Jiang Shuzhou headed towards the Blood Lake.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The crimson lake water, like blood, rippled and spread. The Blood Lake, which had not seen visitors for hundreds of years, finally welcomed its first visitor.

"Is this the Blood Lake?"

Contrary to Jiang Shuzhou's imagination of a sticky and foul-smelling liquid, the liquid in the lake was not blood, but a blood-red nutrient solution.

According to Jiang Shuzhou's analysis, this nutrient solution is about 20% of the higher quality than the nutrient solution he usually uses.

Good stuff, I'll steal it, no, I'll borrow it.

Clearly, this alchemist also wanted to create a biosphere, but unfortunately, it ended before it even began.

Looking around, what comes into view is an island in the middle of a lake.

There is an ancient castle on that island.

It was obvious that this was Hamlet's castle.

Flying over is no longer possible; the maze here is still in effect.

Flying is prohibited here.

Swimming is impossible; Jiang Shuzhou isn't stupid.

Jiang Shuzhou immediately released the spell.

A bridge made of solidified ice stretched from the island in the middle of the lake to Jiang Shuzhou's feet.

"Let's go."

Jim was dumbfounded; he had never imagined such a thing could be done.

Upon arriving on the island, they found the castle gates tightly shut.

As Jiang Shuzhou approached, the family crest in his hand emitted a strong light.

Then, a riddle appeared on the door.

The beginning of truth.

Just these four words.

The beginning of truth is a very broad riddle.

However, based on Jiang Shuzhou's deduction and understanding, it is clear that it should be a guiding rune.

This is where mages begin their pursuit of truth. Whether they are exceptionally gifted or mediocre, they cannot avoid learning it. Guiding runes are the beginning of all magic and the place where mages' dreams begin.

Sure enough, the moment Jiang Shuzhou drew the guiding runes...

The gate opened.

"My lord, you may go ahead. I will wait for you here."

Jim was sensible and didn't insist on going in.

"Okay, be careful. Here, take this. Protect yourself."

Jiang Shuzhou naturally had no reason to refuse, but he was somewhat worried that Jim might be ambushed and killed by enemies like elves when they came out.

So Jiang Shuzhou mercifully gave Jim a pendant that could activate a mage's shield and a one-time use staff that could activate a fireball spell.

"Just shout it out yourself, or pinch it hard."

After explaining how to use it, Jiang Shuzhou turned and entered the castle.

It can be seen that this castle is quite old, at least 500 years old.

Fortunately, the magic array protected it; otherwise, this place would probably have collapsed long ago.

The items inside the castle were covered in dust, indicating that no one had taken care of them for a long time.

The puppet that had been tending to it had exhausted its energy, but it still clutched the cleaning tools in its hand, continuing to carry out its master's orders in its final moments.

All the doors were closed, and there was a note on the wall.

"Go to the study. There's nothing in the other rooms, but you're welcome to stay here for a while if you wish."

That's quite humorous.

Jiang Shuzhou cautiously walked towards the study, having thoroughly explored the surrounding walls and sensed the fluctuations of magical energy beforehand.

There don't seem to be any traps here.

However, it's always better to be safe than sorry. No one knows what kind of personality this senior has. What if he's the kind of person who wants to take others down with him after he dies?

Although it's rare, it's not impossible.

However, Jiang Shuzhou was overthinking it. This Mr. Hamlet was a kind man. He didn't set any traps or put up any fancy trials. As long as you could guess the riddles correctly, you could enter without any trouble.

Putting himself in Jiang Shuzhou's shoes, he would definitely create a lot of trials, breaking down his knowledge into at least a dozen parts, and giving him a part for each trial he passed.

If you didn't get it, you're incompetent and don't deserve my knowledge.

Upon entering the study, a huge portrait comes into view.

Below the portrait is a line of text: Seth Hamlet, High Alchemist, Researcher of the Way of Flesh and Blood.