Murder

The grandfather clock chimed crisply at five in the morning, the sound so loud it startled even the soundly sleeping Dove Messenger, who flapped its chubby wings in protest.

Du Pont glanced at the wake-up service he'd set for himself, then sat up and took a swig of water, his face contorted in a grimace.

Today, he would attempt to kill a large animal, partly to steel his nerves and partly for the experience points. He couldn't let laziness get in the way.

[You have 28 days to pay off your debt]

[Your physical condition has recovered somewhat. The constitution reduction caused by malnutrition has changed from -3 to -2]

After a quick wash, Du Pont took advantage of the fresh morning air to transcribe scrolls again.

Yesterday, after returning from the restaurant, he transcribed two more scrolls, spending 20 experience points, bringing his total to 434. After deducting the cost of food, his assets were 1 gold, 4 silver, and 70 copper, 8 first-circle scrolls, and 3 blank parchments, and he could claim 10 more today.

Although it was still a drop in the bucket compared to 1,000 gold coins, his wealth had increased significantly since the day he arrived, and life was looking promising.

However, perhaps it was because he got up too early, or perhaps he was distracted, but a moment of absentmindedness allowed the arcane energy he had been forcing together with his mental power to find a breakthrough. It scattered in all directions with unusual liveliness, and a patch of the dried elven script on the scroll suddenly disappeared, causing Du Pont's heart to skip a beat.

Crap, this scroll is ruined.

Although the magic within the scroll hadn't completely dissipated, once the incantation was damaged, it couldn't be repaired. New ink wouldn't enter the already formed magical circuit, so the scroll was beyond saving.

A scroll worth 1,000 copper coins had become toilet paper.

This annoyed Du Pont. He was counting every copper coin he spent, and this was a significant loss for him.

I must have a sense of awe for magic.

Du Pont silently recited in his mind.

He hung the ruined scroll in front of the window, glanced at the time, and found that he had plenty to spare. He washed his face and tried again.

This time, he was single-minded and finished in 26 minutes.

The improvement was obvious, but Du Pont still wrote a few words on the discarded parchment and hung it on a nail on the window frame.

Stay cautious, remain calm.

After putting away the scroll, Du Pont picked up his staff and headed to the cafeteria. The academy was unusually quiet after the holiday. His footsteps were the only sound in the corridor, the slight echo making it seem as if this expensive academy belonged to him alone.

Unfortunately, that's just an illusion, Du Pont chuckled self-deprecatingly.

When he arrived at the cafeteria, the human chefs in the kitchen were already busy, but they were surprised to see a student heading to the back kitchen.

Although there would be fewer people eating today, ensuring a sufficient supply of food was their top priority. It was better to have too much than not enough, otherwise they would be punished.

As for waste, the academy was rich and powerful, so it was none of their business.

Judy, however, looked at Du Pont carefully. "You actually got up? You mages usually love to sleep in. I didn't think you'd come."

"If I promise someone something, I will naturally do my best to fulfill it." Du Pont nodded to the kitchen helpers, startling them into quick responses and making them keep their distance from him.

Although they were also chefs, they were all temporary workers, villagers from nearby who were learning to cook under Judy's guidance. In their eyes, both teachers and students were noble mages, people they absolutely couldn't afford to offend.

Du Pont was surprised by their cautious expressions, but he quickly understood their behavior.

This world was inherently unequal. The gap between professionals and commoners wasn't as wide as that between mutants and ordinary people in X-Men, but powerful adventurers could be said to be omnipotent in the eyes of ordinary people.

On a small scale, they could hunt tigers and bears alone, or wipe out Gnoll tribes that plagued the area. On a large scale, they could slay dragons and destroy countries, carve off huge mountain peaks and flip them over to create floating cities, and pilot magical ships to leave Toril and wage war in other worlds.

Of course, the latter were almost mythical figures from a distant past. There weren't many floating cities floating in the sky in Faerûn now, but adventurers who could help ordinary people quell various disasters did live in their world.

They provided security, and adventurers were usually generous with their gold, buying their produce and quality services. But for every helpful adventurer, there were those who were reckless and unscrupulous, robbing, killing, and committing all kinds of evil deeds, doing whatever they pleased.

Although this world didn't have the internet, it did have newspapers and bulletin boards. Over time, ordinary people naturally kept their distance from adventurers, as if they were from two different worlds.

Among them, mages were the most special.

Haluar was Faerûn's most powerful Mage Country. It worshiped Mystra, and most of its followers were of neutral alignment. It had good security, advanced magic, and many ordinary people knew magical cantrips. It was one of the most powerful forces in Faerûn and had earned centuries of peace through its strength.

However, neutral didn't mean they wouldn't do bad things. Although they might not dare to deliberately kill people for experiments under the constraints of the council, mages were quite insane when it came to getting their experimental results. It was common for them to destroy the local ecology with spells during normal adventures.

Although most Haluar people were used to this, acceptance didn't equal understanding. Mages, who could kill people at any time even with their bare hands, were definitely more dangerous than Gnolls in their eyes.

Lost in thought, he arrived at the slaughterhouse. Du Pont looked back at the Gothic Mage Academy, a sense of awe welling up within him.

There was a long chasm between ordinary people and professionals. How big was the gap between a small student like him and a true powerhouse?

Probably bigger than the gap between a person and a dog.

I have to push myself.

Thinking of this, Du Pont's expression turned cold. Soon, he saw the two livestock that were to be slaughtered today.

A large, fat pig weighing about 300 pounds was tied up, and a small calf was tied to a stone pillar, struggling incessantly.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself to go on a killing spree, Du Pont couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the calf. He asked the halfling beside him, "This calf is only a few months old, right? How much meat will there be after the bones are removed? Was there a mistake?"

"That's right, but Lavoisier is picky about what he eats. He wants to eat calf sweetbreads today." Judy looked at the calf with some regret, reached out and stroked its forehead, comforting the frightened little creature. This was a healthy calf, and buying it cost almost as much as a big cow. "Don't think too much about it. We paid enough, and the farmers didn't say anything. Just kill it."

Du Pont didn't know who Lavoisier was. He was silent for a few seconds, then turned to look at the burly butcher, nearly seven feet tall and bare-chested, who was sitting on the pigpen drinking. "Excuse me, how do I kill them cleanly and efficiently?"

"Why are you talking so girly? You're the one who wants to learn butchering?" The butcher finished the remaining wine in the bottle in one gulp and let out a loud burp. His unrestrained, rugged body and unique aura gave Du Pont the answer to his identity.

This wasn't an ordinary butcher, but a Barbarian with a professional level.

And not a low level, either. He could feel a hint of pressure just standing in front of him.

His sixth sense was telling him that this person was extremely dangerous.

"That's right." Du Pont nodded, without a trace of fear in his eyes. "I want to end their suffering as quickly as possible. What should I do?"

"Seems you have a good heart after all." The butcher muttered, then took out a sharp dagger about 30 centimeters long from his waist and placed it aside. "This is my pig-slaughtering knife, been using it for years. The pig is already tied up. You can stab it in the middle of its throat, and it'll suffocate in a bit. Or you can stab it diagonally behind its left elbow, that's where its heart is. It'll die faster that way, with less suffering."

After speaking, the butcher walked to the calf's side and took out a small iron hammer from his waist. "As for the cow, it's too big. I see you're in good shape, but I'm afraid it'll be a bit difficult for you to pierce its heart. The mages here don't like eating cow brains, they think it's too gamey. Hold your breath and hit it on the forehead with all your strength. One hit should be enough."

Du Pont nodded, took the hammer, and stepped forward. The calf seemed to know its fate. A trace of fear flashed in its eyes, and its limbs could no longer support its body as it desperately tried to break free.

Du Pont shook his head. Judy walked to the side and turned away. Du Pont looked at its terrified eyes, pondered for a second, and quickly chanted a spell. His robe emitted a dazzling light.

Light Spell.

A bright light suddenly appeared, and the calf subconsciously closed its eyes. Du Pont then brought the hammer down directly.

With a bang, Du Pont's right arm felt a little sore. The calf lost all its strength and collapsed to the ground. Its eyes never opened again.

As if sensing something, the fat pig, which had been secretly watching, let out a terrifying howl and struggled desperately.

Looking at the [10 experience points gained] that appeared, Du Pont felt no joy. He looked at the now-quiet calf, then at the indifferent Barbarian, and asked a question in a low voice that made the other farmers' bodies turn cold.

"Does it take this much force to kill a person?"