Logan Bennett felt a chill in his heart. Fiona Carter, this guy, definitely had a very serious mental illness. Dealing with someone like that was no different from risking your life.

He didn’t want to stay here for even a moment longer. Gritting his teeth and forcing himself to endure the intense pain wracking his body, he dragged himself—feeling as if he might collapse at any second—staggering toward the spire’s main entrance.

When he reached the stairway, Fiona Carter’s voice sounded behind him again: “Tomorrow night, I want to see the enchanted amulet on time, or else... I’ll whip you six times!”

Logan Bennett shuddered slightly inside and replied with difficulty, “Yes, Master.”

He used all his strength to inch down the spiral staircase, step by step. With every step, it felt as if his body was about to split apart. The journey of just thirty steps seemed, to him now, as insurmountable as a cliff.

He had no idea how much time had passed—half an hour, maybe an hour—before Logan Bennett finally reached the corridor on the second floor.

“Logan Bennett, what happened to you?” A familiar low cry came from the corner of the corridor.

Logan Bennett looked toward the voice and saw Vera Smith in the shadowy corner of the hallway. The frail girl covered her mouth, tears glimmering in her eyes.

A faint warmth rose in his heart, and he forced a smile. “I’ll live.”

Vera Smith hurried over to support him. “Let me help you to rest.”

“No, I can’t rest yet. I still have to finish the enchantment!” Logan Bennett struggled weakly.

“Don’t worry, leave it to me. There are still plenty of materials in the enchantment room—I can start on other preparations.” Vera Smith spoke softly, and when Logan Bennett tried to protest, she insisted, “What you need most right now is rest—at least a full day. Once you’ve recovered, we’ll work together and we’ll definitely finish what the master ordered on time.”

Vera Smith was right. If he forced himself to go to the valley to gather materials now, he might die on the way: “Thank you, Vera Smith.”

“That’s more like it.” Vera Smith smiled, supporting Logan Bennett as they walked toward the basement room. After a while, she couldn’t help but ask, “Logan Bennett, you seemed so panicked just now—what exactly happened?”

Logan Bennett briefly recounted what had happened.

After listening, Vera Smith looked frightened. “Oh, that sounds terrifying. I really hope the master catches them soon.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” Logan Bennett nodded repeatedly.

When they reached the basement, Logan Bennett felt some strength return to his body. He pulled his arm free from Vera Smith’s support. “We’re here. I’ll go in and rest.”

“Mm~” Vera Smith nodded.

Logan Bennett turned and pushed open the door. Just as he was about to enter the room, he suddenly felt his hand gently tugged. Then, something soft was pressed into his hand. Looking down, he saw it was a small pouch. Opening it, he found three buckwheat pies inside.

This was Vera Smith’s food for the whole day. By giving it to him, she would have to go hungry herself—and it was the dead of winter!

“Stay alive. Don’t die.” Vera Smith’s voice came from behind, very soft, almost like an illusion.

“Hm?” Logan Bennett looked up in surprise, only to see Vera Smith already running off without looking back.

Logan Bennett quietly put away the pies and closed the door.

This wasn’t the first time Vera Smith had brought him food. Last time, after he’d been whipped five times, he’d only managed to survive thanks to Vera Smith’s help.

Afterward, Fiona Carter flew into a rage, cut off her food for a week, and nearly starved her to death. And now, this girl was giving him food again. Wasn’t she afraid of being severely punished by Fiona Carter if she was found out?

Really... what a foolish girl.

Chapter 009 Mana × (Oscillation + Rotation) = Flame

No matter how much pain he was in, no matter how dangerous the situation, there was no excuse for slacking off.

If he wanted to escape from Boulder Fort and gain his freedom, the only one he could rely on was himself.

In the small basement room, Logan Bennett wolfed down the pies in just a few bites. His stomach felt much fuller, and the cold in his hands and feet eased a little.

If the plan hadn’t gone wrong, those two warriors should have already infiltrated White Stone Fort by now.

They might escape smoothly, or they might be caught by Fiona Carter. If they were caught, they would surely face harsh punishment, maybe even evil spells like ‘soul search’—and then Logan Bennett would be exposed.

If that happened, Logan Bennett would be doomed!

This was the risk he had to face in pursuit of freedom. Even knowing the risks, the utterly exhausted Logan Bennett was powerless to change anything.

‘I’ve done all I can. Whether it succeeds or not is up to fate. Instead of worrying here, I might as well study magic.’

He lay quietly on the reed mat, closed his eyes, and focused his mind on the spot between his brows. Three seconds later, his vision brightened slightly.

An endless plain, a sky as blue as the sea, soft soil—everything was so familiar.

The Thought Laboratory—a strange world of the mind, with physical laws identical to the real world, but where time flowed at only one-tenth the speed of reality.

Here, he was the sole master.

On the soft soil, a tattered scroll lay quietly. Its appearance was exactly the same as the real one in the garden, even the damage was perfectly replicated.

It was waiting for Logan Bennett.