Flame Magic Seal

Flame Magic Seal

The Magic Seal Seed was the size of a thumb, soft in texture, and felt like the flesh of some unknown animal.

With a little pressure, sticky fluid even seeped out.

According to Old Lev, once a person with a Magic Seal died, the seal on their body would wither along with them.

That was indeed true.

Red Hair's arm had been soaked by Karl in solidifying fluid. Several days had passed without the slightest change to the arm itself, yet the Magic Seal upon it had already begun to blur.

In another while, the Magic Seal would likely vanish completely.

There would be no time left to analyze it then.

"Give it a try?"

Within the Divine Domain Fragment, Karl's control over his own flesh was precise down to the finest detail. Coupled with the method Old Lev had taught him, even if something went wrong midway, he was confident he could stop the losses in time and avoid any major consequences.

Of course, he first had to confirm that Old Lev's method was sound. For him, that was not particularly troublesome.

Not long after.

"Splash..."

Karl took the severed arm from the solidifying fluid.

The slick liquid wrapped around the arm. It slid some distance across the long table after he tossed it down before finally stopping.

Then he took out a "scalpel" and lightly sliced at the spot where the Magic Seal was located, cutting away both skin and flesh.

Only after everything was ready did Karl press the Magic Seal Seed in his hand onto the spot where the Magic Seal had been.

The previously dim Magic Seal patterns suddenly seemed to come alive the instant they touched the Magic Seal Seed, its lines flickering with a faint glow.

The Magic Seal Seed, meanwhile, slowly dissolved into it.

"So this is a Magic Seal?"

The Magic Seal, restored to "life," resembled a fleshy tumor covered in countless tentacles as Karl held it in his palm.

The "tentacles" swayed according to some pattern, increasingly resembling the trajectory of a Spell Model in operation.

Magic Seals

must have some connection to sorcery!

After a brief moment of thought, Karl grabbed the Magic Seal and fiercely pressed it onto his left arm.

"Sizzle..."

A sensation like being scorched by flames emerged, making Karl let out a muffled groan as a layer of sweat beaded across his forehead.

At the same time, the Magic Seal seemed to come alive. One tentacle after another pierced through his skin and plunged deep into his flesh.

Hungry!

So hungry!

The Magic Seal conveyed a craving to devour, and immediately, Karl's blood and vitality surged toward its location.

"Mm!"

Though he had been prepared, the sudden weakness still made his vision swim and his body sway.

"No!"

"It isn't just blood and vitality—it's also Mental Power!"

Sensing the rapid depletion of his Mental Power, Karl suddenly understood.

"Maintaining the operation of a Magic Seal consumes not only blood and vitality, but also Mental Power. No wonder ordinary people fail to meet the requirements."

Leaving aside blood and vitality.

Ordinary people's spiritual strength was scattered and disorderly, unable to meet the requirements of a Magic Seal. Only those with wizard talent possessed naturally condensed Mental Power.

A Wizard Apprentice's Mental Power could even pry at the mysterious forces between heaven and earth, making it stronger still.

"However..."

"Compared with a Spell Model, the Magic Seal consumes less Mental Power and has lower requirements because blood and vitality supplement it."

"It may even be possible to master a Magic Seal without wizard talent. Some gifted individuals might be able to do so as well."

According to Old Lev, while people with Magic Seals were not numerous, they still greatly outnumbered wizards.

Most likely, this was not because people in this other world were exceptionally gifted, but because Magic Seals had lower requirements for talent.

"Using blood and vitality to replace part of the Mental Power, allowing ordinary people to possess methods similar to those of wizards—the being who created Magic Seals was truly remarkable."

Karl was a Knight Squire and an elementary Wizard Apprentice. Whether blood and vitality or Mental Power, he had more than enough.

Naturally, there was no problem in accepting a Magic Seal.

As the sigil merged into his flesh, certain things that came with it surfaced in his mind.

Fire Seal!

That was the sigil's name.

By consuming a certain amount of vitality and Mental Power, it could unleash flames.

They could take the form of fireballs, flaming shockwaves, or even fire arrows—the exact form depended on the caster's technique and expenditure.

Following the sensation in his heart, Karl raised his left hand.

"Whoosh!"

A ball of flame abruptly sprang from his palm.

The flame hovered less than an inch from his hand, yet it did not burn his skin in the slightest. He could not even feel its heat.

"How marvelous."

Wonder shone in Karl's eyes as he lightly flicked his wrist.

"Swish!"

The flame flew from his hand like a fiery arrow, shooting seven or eight meters away before exploding with a thunderous boom.

The blast covered an area roughly a meter across.

"Not bad!"

Karl's eyes lit up.

Its power was already comparable to a combat technique used by a Knight Squire, while its attack range was even broader.

With his current strength, he could unleash this level of attack six times in succession.

A barrage like that—perhaps even a peak-level Knight Squire would not be able to escape in time.

"Unfortunately, it can't be used at close range."

Detonating flames was an indiscriminate attack. The caster was not immune to it either, so it could only serve as a long-range method.

If it could be used up close, then with the influence of the Lesser Force Field, he could hold his ground even against a knight.

"I'm getting greedy."

Shaking his head gently, Karl closed his eyes and silently sensed the sigil on his arm.

Sure enough...

It was a Spell Model!

If a Spell Model were likened to Firearms, then Mental Power was the ammunition, and activating the Spell Model was pulling the trigger.

The sigil worked the same way.

Only, its ammunition had changed from Mental Power alone to a mixture of Mental Power and vitality.

"A sigil likewise occupies part of one's Mental Power, though it consumes less than a Spell Model. But it continuously drains vitality as well. No wonder once someone gains a sigil, it becomes difficult to continue down the Knight's Path."

Knight training meant strengthening one's vitality and reinforcing one's life force, while a sigil would severely hinder that training.

It was equivalent to...

Having an extra person share in the fruits of training.

"No matter!"

Karl opened his eyes.

"As long as I completely decipher the Spell Model, I can remove the sigil and construct the spell within my Mental Sea."

"It won't be too late to cultivate the Knight's Path then."

Besides.

Judging by the current circumstances, the Knight's Path had far less promise than that of a wizard. It did not matter if he chose not to walk it.

Since he had agreed to sponsor Aya's team, and needed to rely on them to gather more supplies from the other world, Karl began taking it seriously.

Over the next few days, he went over twice a day for the most part, bringing various foods and potions with him. Once they accumulated to a certain amount, he would notify them to come collect them.

"Uncle."

That day, Aya handed him a book.

"This is something Grandpa Lev wanted you to have. If there's anything you don't understand, you can go ask him anytime."

"Oh!"

Karl took the book.

Eagle Step.

This was the martial skill Old Lev had spoken of. Unlike Gale Swordplay, it was a movement technique.

Once mastered, it could increase movement speed and leg strength, and it was especially suited for short-range bursts.

It also came with a combat technique: Eagle Strike.

Once unleashed, it would send one's speed soaring for a short time, catching opponents completely off guard.

However, martial skills could not be cultivated overnight, and figuring out how to pair it with Gale Swordplay would also require time to work out.

Karl nodded.

"Thank him for me."

"We should be thanking you." Aya smiled sweetly.

These past days, she had never gone hungry again. For someone her age, having enough food meant everything.

Her vitality and blood had improved, her skin had gained a healthy glow, and even her body had begun developing once more, gradually taking on the physical features a woman should have.

"Uncle."

Xiao Nan took out several items.

"These are things we found in the ruins. Take a look and see if any of them are useful."

Karl casually picked up a mirror.

The palm-sized mirror was set in an exquisite wooden frame, its edges carved with intricate vines and clusters of flowers, giving it an air of classical elegance.

He had no idea what the mirror surface was made from, but it was crystal-clear and transparent, like a deep lake, reflecting everything around it with perfect clarity.

It was a beautiful work of art.

Hmm...

It could serve as Yiwenni's birthday gift.