"I just wanted to cultivate in peace... Why... why must they all force me..."
Lynn's eyes flickered as countless thoughts intertwined in his mind. Finally, a trace of bitterness appeared on his face, and he let out a deep sigh.
After all, the threats and malice from the outside world still existed, and complaining about them wouldn't solve anything.
Rather than wasting time lamenting, it was better to calmly analyze how to deal with these external troubles.
"External troubles and hostilities can be divided into three stages: short-term, mid-term, and long-term..."
Lynn silently assessed the situation.
The immediate short-term trouble came from Marco, the second disciple of the Master of Warhammer.
As a prominent figure in the City of Machinery, Marco not only had a strong background but also held a high position, allowing him to break rules without consequences.
For a mere first-level wizard like Lynn, Marco was undoubtedly a significant threat.
The mid-term trouble stemmed from the alien creature and the pursuit of the Furnace Stone.
Although both appeared to be major threats, Lynn analyzed that as long as he remained within the City of Machinery, the Furnace Stone would not be an immediate concern.
As for the alien creature, while troublesome, once its identity was exposed, it wouldn't be Lynn who had to worry the powerful figures of the wizarding world would never let it go.
After all, such an otherworldly existence, once revealed, would certainly attract the attention and pursuit of the wizarding world.
As for the long-term trouble, it would be the war between the wizard civilization and the divine civilization.
While this war could shape the course of entire civilizations, it remained a distant event given the current situation.
Lynn's strength was still lacking, far from being involved in that stage, so he could afford to ignore it for now.
"So, the most pressing issue at hand is still the short-term trouble Marco..."
Lynn's thoughts became even clearer.
Marco was not just any ordinary first-level wizard. As the second disciple of the Master of Warhammer, he was practically a high-ranking figure in the City of Machinery, with significant influence.
Meanwhile, Lynn was just an outsider and a newly arrived first-level wizard. If Marco truly wanted to deal with him, the threat he posed was far greater than it seemed on the surface.
However, there was a simple yet effective way to counter Marco's becoming a citizen of the City of Machinery!
Once he became a citizen, he would be under the city's protection. Even with Marco's status as the disciple of the Master of Warhammer, he would not dare to make a move against a citizen.
Not to mention Marco even the Master of Warhammer himself couldn't harm a City of Machinery citizen without a valid reason.
Therefore, after thorough analysis, Lynn determined that his immediate priority was to find a way to obtain citizenship in the City of Machinery.
Once he became a citizen, he could establish himself in the city, secure his safety, and then focus on improving his strength.
Retracting his thoughts, Lynn stood up and began carefully exploring the virtual workshop before him.
The workshop wasn't large, roughly thirty square meters, with a minimalist industrial design.
Inside, there were two tables.
One was a workbench, covered with unfinished robot parts and tools, evidently a workspace for mechanical crafting.
The other was a desk with a book that had no text on its pages.
By focusing his mental energy on the book, he could project books from the database onto it for reading.
"This account's access level is high I can access so many books on mechanical studies, from introductory to advanced levels... I have to thank Darwin."
Lynn checked the database and sighed in admiration.
The sheer amount of extraordinary knowledge related to mechanics was invaluable. If he had to purchase these books with magic stones, the cost would be astronomical.
Yet, thanks to Darwin's citizen token, he could access these precious resources for free.
He walked over to the textless book and gently focused his mental energy on it.
As his mental energy poured in, the book's surface trembled slightly, and then lines of mechanical knowledge began to emerge.
The contents of these books were projections from the database, and they could be displayed in different languages.
Options included "Wizard Language," "Common Human Language," "Dragon Tongue," and "Elvish," among others. The choice was entirely up to Lynn.
He selected the "Common Human Language" version, and the first page appeared before him.
"The first book Introduction to Mechanical Studies..."
Lynn murmured as he turned to the first page.
Typically, such introductory guides were meant for apprentices, similar to the Introduction to Potion Processing he had studied at the Eye of the Furnace.
Now, as a full-fledged wizard revisiting these fundamentals, he could learn them much faster than before.
A full-fledged wizard's mental capacity far exceeded that of an apprentice, greatly enhancing their ability to comprehend and absorb knowledge.
"Photographic memory" might be an exaggeration, but Lynn's current learning speed allowed him to grasp information at an astonishing rate, ensuring that nothing was overlooked.
His mind processed information swiftly, engraving every line, concept, and detail firmly into his memory.
In just half an hour, he had read through the entire introductory book.
Of course, reading was one thing fully mastering the material was another. Lynn knew he still had a long way to go before truly grasping all the knowledge.
"Mechanical studies aren't just a simple foundational subject neither is potion studies, for that matter."
Lynn reflected, "Back when I studied potion-making, the introductory book also covered basic knowledge from other disciplines."
He recalled his time at the Eye of the Furnace those carefree days of clocking in for work, completing tasks, and progressing in potion studies.
Before mastering potion-making, he had delved into various related foundational subjects, including pharmacology, botany, biology, and mysticism.
Now, as he embarked on the study of mechanical sciences, he realized he would need to walk the same path again, diving into fundamental disciplines.
These included alchemy, mathematics, engineering, materials science, and more.
"Every powerful wizard is also a scholar," Lynn muttered to himself.
This wasn't because wizards particularly loved studying it was because the power they wielded stemmed from knowledge.
Whether they liked it or not, to grow stronger, wizards had to continually expand their knowledge.
"For most wizards, specializing in a single field is enough. But for me, I have no such restrictions."
Lynn's eyes gleamed slightly.
"If I have the time in the future, I can revisit and study those fundamental disciplines. No matter how advanced the field, it always relies on them, especially mathematics.
No matter what I explore, I cannot escape mathematics."
With that thought, Lynn immersed himself in deep study.
As he focused, his progress panel continuously updated, with progress points increasing one by one.
Each point marked his journey from unfamiliarity to understanding, and then to initial mastery of mechanical studies.
During this period, the number of books Lynn had read was practically countless, including titles such as:
"The Influence of Mental Power on Machinery," "Fundamentals of Mechanical Structures," "Encyclopedia of Mechanics," "Fifty Thousand Types of Metals in the World," and "On the Fusion of Mechanical Magic", among many others…
Of course, reading books should not be about rote memorization. Even if one could perfectly recall every word in a book, it wouldn't necessarily mean they had grasped its essence.
Beside the desk, there was another workstation.
Since everything here existed within a virtual space, all objects could be freely duplicated.
As long as one had access to the source of extraordinary knowledge, they could replicate it indefinitely including metal materials.
Lynn retrieved various metal materials from the database and began learning while practicing. He studied the properties of metals and pondered how to optimize the connections of mechanical joints…
Starting from scratch, he steadily delved deeper.
While studying, he also practiced continuously to truly improve his skills.
For a full-fledged wizard, going without food or drink for a short period posed no problem.
And Lynn had a habit once he entered a learning state, he would become utterly immersed, as if possessed, unable to pull himself away.
With only half a month left before the Well of Machinery opened, Lynn resolved to elevate his mechanical skills to a level sufficient to pass the citizenship examination.
According to Martha's advice, this level was roughly that of a Third-Level Elite Mechanical Apprentice, which wasn't particularly difficult.
Therefore, Lynn decided to push himself to that level in one go before emerging from seclusion.
During this time, he remained entirely within the virtual space, neither eating nor drinking, focusing solely on honing his proficiency.
Every day, Bethany diligently prepared meals, but Lynn never came out to eat.
Despite the wasted food each time, she still remembered Lord Lynn's instructions and continued cooking, waiting for the next opportunity.
When she wasn't working, Bethany would bring a small stool, rest her chin in her hands, and seemingly ponder something.
Yet, she would frequently glance toward the room where Lynn was, letting out occasional sighs as if feeling a sense of concern.
Under a sky shrouded in thick clouds, the Reed Marshlands unfolded as a vast and desolate landscape.
The air was heavy with moisture, dense with overgrown water plants, and the muddy ground lay silent beneath the dim sky.
At that moment, in the open expanse of the marsh, hundreds of figures clad in heavy exoskeleton armor clashed violently, sending shockwaves through the air.
Each of these figures was a mechanical wizard apprentice, and their combat methods relied not only on magic but also on the powerful exoskeleton armor they wore.
In fact, for these apprentices, their exoskeleton armor was their most formidable weapon.
Every suit of armor had been meticulously designed and improved, not only enhancing their physical strength but also amplifying their magical capabilities.
The magic studied by mechanical wizards was largely aimed at optimizing the use of these armors, increasing combat efficiency.
Each apprentice specialized in different aspects of mechanics, metals, and energy flow, much like how fire-element wizards and water-element wizards had distinct focuses.
Boom!
Two figures collided with immense force, producing a thunderous explosion that reverberated through the air.
The resulting shockwave rippled outward, shaking the ground. Clumps of dirt flew, water plants were uprooted, and the entire marsh seemed to tremble from the intensity of the battle.
"Kill them! Crush those fools from Group Seventeen!"
One apprentice roared, his voice hoarse but filled with unyielding battle spirit.
"This time, Group Thirteen must secure a top ranking in the drill!"
Another apprentice shouted fiercely, eyes sharp, charging forward like a ferocious beast.
"Attack!"
Dozens of apprentices roared in unison, their voices merging into a thunderous war cry that swept across the entire marsh.
The clashing of metal, the howls of warriors, and the screams of combat filled the battlefield, mingling with the scent of gunpowder and steel.
The marsh had turned into a war zone, engulfed in smoke and chaos.
The intensity of the battle never ceased, with mechanical figures clashing relentlessly.
Above them, several flying machines hovered in the sky, overseeing the battlefield from above.
Inside these flying machines, formal wizards observed the battle closely.
"Hah! Group Thirteen's kids are pretty good! Looks like you're about to lose."
A wizard laughed as he peered out from his flying machine, amused by the unfolding battle.
The other wizards, however, were not in the mood to join in his laughter.
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before they lost their bet.
"When we get back, we're training even harder! If you can't beat Group Thirteen, don't expect any rest in the next few months!"
One of the formal wizards growled, his expression dark.
The laughing wizard suddenly turned toward another flying machine and teased,
"Martha, what's going on? Are you not betting on this exercise match? That's not like you at all."
However, inside the flying machine, Martha simply replied coldly,
"Shut up, I'm busy."
The teasing wizard wasn't offended, after all, Martha had recently gained the favor of a major figure.
Though she had neglected her duties for three days, nearly causing the apprentices under her watch to perish in the Reed Marshlands, before her superiors could reprimand her, she had already received an official letter from the higher-ups.
The sender of that letter was none other than the Warhammer Master.
Martha had somehow established a connection with the Warhammer Master.
Under the master's backing, not only did she escape punishment, but her status was elevated, even receiving special rewards.
With such powerful protection, Martha's prospects were limitless.
Even the first-level Wizard had realized this, and their attitudes toward her had grown noticeably more respectful.
So even though she had just shut him down, the teasing wizard didn't take it to heart.
Inside the flying machine, however, Martha was too preoccupied to care about such trivialities.
She was carefully reviewing Lynn's progress through her citizen's medallion.
"First day he's still studying introductory mechanical knowledge? Can this guy be considered someone who has studied mechanics before?"
Perplexed, Martha continued scrolling through his records.
"Second day he's already reading more advanced books. The third day he's begun practical experiments?..."
She browsed through the entries one by one.
Then, as she continued reading, she suddenly froze in place.
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