After finishing the diary he had diligently kept ever since arriving in this magical world, Raymond gently closed the slightly heavy notebook in his hands.
Behind him stood a densely packed collection of organs, limbs, and heads soaking in preservative fluid.
Some belonged to humans, but more came from beasts, monsters, and other humanoid creatures.
Others had been pieced and sewn together, their appearance alone enough to make anyone's sanity plummet.
Especially over the past month, in order to determine the cause of the plague outbreak, Raymond had dissected nearly every creature in the tower that had died from infection.
Whether they were people, mages' familiars, or the beasts and monsters in the dungeon.
He had even used caged rats to conduct numerous experiments testing whether his saliva, blood, and excrement still retained infectious properties.
The pungent stench and bloody odor hanging in the air rivaled a medieval slaughterhouse, enough to make any normal person raised in peaceful times collapse to the ground and vomit up every last drop of bile.
As for the "bits and pieces" awaiting processing in the rear trough, they could scare even those self-proclaimed brave souls who dared dance on graves at midnight into wetting themselves.
Yet Raymond showed no hint of discomfort before any of it. He was as calm as an emotionless machine.
The reason was simple!
After arriving in this magical world, he had been forced by his mentor, Astar, to personally perform thousands of dissections.
He then reassembled the chunks of flesh and organs, either creating undead creatures through necromancy or making all kinds of flesh Constructs.
At his busiest, he had to cut open ten or twenty bodies a day.
After spending so long in such an environment at such a high frequency, his brain had long since grown accustomed to those sights and smells.
Raymond could even imitate the forensic examiners in certain television dramas, removing the "parts" Necromancer Archmage Astar needed from a corpse with one hand as effortlessly as a master butcher carving an ox, while eating with the other.
Forget corpses—even when dissecting living creatures, their dying screams, curses, and pleas never stirred him in the slightest.
Those small, nimble hands would continue carrying out his "work."
Because the Aelir, who had created a brilliant magical civilization, had established a cruel, tyrannical, utterly inhuman slave empire.
Only spellcasters living within the Floating Cities were the nation's supreme ruling class.
The warriors, governors, mercenaries, merchants, and bureaucrats who served spellcasters formed the country's middle management.
Everyone else—farmers, craftsmen, and other classes that should have been commoners—were without exception treated as slaves!
Take specialist mages of the necromantic faction represented by Astar, for example. They could kill their own slaves at will and use their corpses for necromantic experiments without fearing any consequences.
Even if they killed slaves belonging to someone else, all they had to do was pay a small monetary compensation to the victim's family or owner.
That was all!
In the Aelir's eyes, spellcasters naturally possessed the right to decide life and death.
As for resistance...
Sorry.
With the terrifying combat power Archmages possessed when joined with Floating Cities, even an uprising numbering over a hundred thousand people would be easily suppressed within a few days.
To avoid appearing like an "outsider," Raymond had forced himself to abandon the morals and values he once possessed. He had hardened his heart and behaved like the other apprentices around him, until he gradually became what he was now.
It had to be said that humans were remarkably adaptable creatures.
Casually tossing the corpse on the dissection table into a processing trough full of preservative fluid, Raymond slowly raised an arm and released a dazzling light from his palm.
The next second, a book glowing like the stars floated into existence before him.
A passage was written on the book's title page:
"This is a Legacy, and also an incomparably precious gift.
Unknown heir, ignite your Spark and embark on your own journey!
You may fulfill the ambitions hidden deep within your heart;
You may unleash your endless desires;
You may enjoy the thrill of exploration;
Or you may roam the ocean of knowledge and obtain great power.
But remember: beware the enemies who covet your Spark..."
Unfortunately, Raymond did not spare even a second for the words on the title page and immediately opened to the first page.
Name: Raymond (Soros) Race: Human Base Attributes Strength: 6+2 (8) Agility: 11+4 (15) Constitution: 8+4 (12) Perception: 12+2 (14) Intelligence: 16+3 (19) Charisma: 11 The attributes after the plus signs came from various permanent potions, magical enhancements, and equipment effects. The values in parentheses were the current true attributes. Mana Pool: 99/100 Currently Active Land Cards: 0 Spark Level: LV2 Classes Planeswalker—LV2 (To advance to the next level, you must first create a Land Card.) Creator (Mimicry effect)—LV5 (Advancing to the next level requires 5,000 points of universal mana or double the amount of other types of mana. Maximum level: LV15.) Currently Active Spell Effects Mind Library This magic permanently establishes an abstract library in your brain, categorized for storing all kinds of knowledge and other important memories. It grants you a photographic memory. No matter how obscure or complex the writing or language, you can firmly remember it after seeing or hearing it once, then accurately recall it repeatedly whenever needed. However, please note. Although Mind Library remembers everything you see and hear, it cannot make you understand languages, writing, or knowledge you have never studied. Mimicry This spell allows you to consume a certain amount of mana to split off an entirely new magical core and imitate a known spellcasting class that you thoroughly understand. Once the spell succeeds, you automatically gain LV1 in that class. You can continue raising its level by investing more mana. The maximum level depends on your understanding of that spellcasting class. Note: Classes, levels, and spellcasting abilities gained through Mimicry usually only function in the world where that class exists. Once the magical environment changes, Mimicry and the acquired class levels will vanish along with it. If you wish to retain a class gained through Mimicry, you must bind it to a Land Card created in that magical world. Each Land Card can only bind one class. Current Quests Create a Land Card (Reward: two card draw opportunities.) Possess a total of twenty cards (Reward: one card draw opportunity. Current number of cards held: 12.) Special Ability Unstable Transplanar, Trans-Crystal-Wall, Trans-Universe Teleportation This ability comes from the Planeswalker class. It is the power granted to you after igniting your Spark. No one can stop a Planeswalker from traveling to a world they wish to visit—not even gods. Card Creation This ability comes from the Planeswalker class. It allows you to turn magic, creatures, equipment, and items acquired during your travels into permanently effective Magic Cards. No matter what world you are in, the instant a card is activated, it immediately releases the corresponding magical effect or summons the corresponding creature or item. The higher a Planeswalker's level, the higher the level of cards they can create and use. Refinement Shaping Awaken Creation All three abilities above come from the Creator class. This is an ancient special class focused on occult knowledge, alchemy, runes, and magical rituals. Because it has completely abandoned spellcasting ability as its price, it gains additional bonuses when crafting or using potions, magical items, equipment, and Oddities. At LV1, a Creator gains the special ability to separate and refine substances and energy from nature. Upon reaching LV3, they gain a second special ability. That is, changing the outward form of any magical or non-magical item. However, its total volume and weight will not change. Upon reaching LV5, they can also grant sentience to magical creations, transforming inanimate objects into living beings. However, before reaching LV11, a Creator can only ensure complete control over one awakened creation. It is somewhat similar to the relationship between a mage and a familiar, though slightly different. Creator is an Arcane Magic spellcasting class, so like mages, they cannot wear armor while using their abilities, or the failure rate will become extremely high.
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