Psicrystal Servants and Mind-Brains

Returning to his underground laboratory, Borne could not wait to unfurl the scroll and read it carefully.

Although the Count said it was merely some insights and techniques, in reality, this was more like a strategy manual.

After reading through it roughly once, Borne had a comprehensive understanding of the Ioun Stone.

"So that's how it is!"

Borne opened the box beside him and took out the two items inside.

One was a blue gemstone covered in cracks, and the other was a grayish-white crystal resembling amber.

He had bought these two items outside the Military Department warehouse previously; there were a few similar things, but these two were the most intact.

He had originally only intended to try his luck, never expecting that the Identification spell would actually work, revealing them to be a Psicrystal and a Mind-Brain.

Borne had not expected that a stroll through the market would allow him to purchase items belonging to Mind Flayers.

That was right, the Astral Brain Demon—the Mind Flayer!

After obtaining the Psicrystal and the Mind-Brain, Borne had spent some time researching them.

A Psicrystal could be considered an extension of a Mind Flayer; if the Mind Flayer were killed, the Psicrystal would also perish.

The mobile Mind-Brain was equivalent to a Mind Flayer's spellbook, containing records of the Mind Flayer's psionic spells.

However, both the Psicrystal and the Mind-Brain were essentially damaged; otherwise, it would never have been Borne's turn to pick up such a bargain.

The scavengers of Netheril were the top treasure appraisers in Faerûn; even if they did not recognize an item, they could deduce its nature with high accuracy.

The extraordinary power used by Mind Flayers was called "Psionics"!

According to the information from Borne's past life, Psionics was an extraordinary system that was in no way inferior to magic.

Acting on the principle of treating a dead horse as a living one, he had not truly expected to actually tinker something out of them.

He had not dared to confirm it before, but after reading his grandfather's Ioun Stone strategy today, he could finally be certain!

The so-called highest art of Netheril, the Ioun Stone, was actually a pirated version of the Mind Flayer's Psicrystal.

Yet, being able to pirate it was impressive in its own right; Concinnio was truly formidable, considering that Mind Flayer technology was top-tier even in the Outer Planes.

"It seems it must have been a Netherese scavenger team that found the wreckage of a crashed Nautiloid or Nautilus belonging to the Mind Flayers!"

With so many items related to Mind Flayers appearing, it was likely a crashed Nautiloid.

Though it was called a ship, this thing actually flew in the sky and possessed the capability for interplanar travel—a technology that only the late Netheril possessed.

There were very few things in the Prime Material Plane capable of shooting this down, and the only ones Borne could guess were Red Dragons.

Borne put down the scroll, let out a soft breath, and fell into deep thought.

"A Psicrystal is formed by the owner injecting a segment of their personality to create a semi-intelligent entity, while the mobile Mind-Brain is a device separated from the Elder Brain to provide learning for newborn Mind Flayers."

Isn't this just biotechnology?

This left Borne a bit stumped; he understood mechanical construction and physical programming, but this biotechnology was not his specialty...

A certain idea faintly emerged in his mind, but the data was too scarce, and his research direction hit a dead end; there was no choice but to wait until he obtained the specific manufacturing technology.

Now, he needed to reinforce his new residence again; since the Arcane Society could block him at the entrance of the Wizard Tower, finding this place was only a matter of time.

Coincidentally, crafting an Ioun Stone required the engraving of magic circles, so he would treat it as practice.

Sure enough, a few days later, news of Borne's activities on the coastal cliff spread everywhere.

After all, as the top student of the previous incoming class, bearing the title of the youngest Arcanist in Netheril, it was difficult not to attract attention.

Especially with the Lehman Trading Company that Borne had established last winter; its brilliant operational methods were hailed as a classic by large and small merchant houses in Netheril.

Coupled with his status as the sole heir of the Ioulaum House, Borne was like a piece of monk meat.

Anyone with a bit of power wanted to take a bite.

"Boss, someone is making trouble in the shadows!"

Relying on the resources of the trading company, Lehman was also thriving in the academy, but even so, he still could not find out who it was.

"Hmm, it's fine, I will handle it later."

Borne said indifferently, then narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "How did you get hurt again? Another mage duel?"

"Uh, yes, bad luck, ran into someone from the Great Houses."

Lehman smiled helplessly, only able to lament his poor luck.

The so-called Great Houses referred to the Seven Great Houses.

Usually, both sides would hold back during practice magic duels, and although there were instructors or mentors watching, students still got injured in spell duels every year.

But if one analyzed it carefully, one would find that ninety percent of those injured were commoners.

It was not that the overall level of commoners was lower than that of the nobles—though that was one aspect—but mainly because when commoners dueled nobles, they would hold back and control the power of their magic.

The nobles had no such concerns; not only did they not hold back, but they had to go all out and win, because if they lost, they would not only lose face for their family but also be mocked by other nobles.

For this reason, during regular practice duels, instructors would try to separate commoners and nobles; they couldn't separate them completely, as the academy knew that comparison was necessary to stimulate commoner students to strive to catch up.

Of course, to ensure the safety of the students, they would wear protective gear like bulletproof vests during practice; no matter how much a spell was controlled, it still possessed lethality. As long as vital organs were protected and they did not die on the spot, the Temple priests could save them, though the fees would be a bit expensive.

Hearing this, Borne nodded thoughtfully, "Both injuries successfully avoided the areas protected by the protective suit. They are neither too light nor too heavy, and both were inflicted by high-ranking nobles. Even the undead wouldn't believe it if you called that a coincidence!"

Borne took out a scroll containing a summary of spells and casting techniques tailored specifically for Lehman.

Upon seeing it, Lehman was so moved on the spot that he wished he could swear his oath of loyalty to Borne all over again.

Borne hurriedly sent Lehman away, urging him to recover from his injuries and improve his strength as quickly as possible.

After Lehman left, Borne sat before the alchemy bench, tapping his index finger lightly against the tabletop.

To beat a dog, one must first consider its master; given the recent turmoil, Audi had already made his own calculations!

In the following days, Borne went about his routine, traveling between the Wizard Tower and the underground laboratory, only he did not use [Fly] to deliberately avoid the crowds as before, nor did he use [Hypnotism] to obscure the people around him.

Instead, he walked the academy paths just like any normal student, and for that, Borne experienced what it meant to be the "center of attention," attracting gazes wherever he went.

All sorts of people popped up, from those seeking accidental encounters to those trying to strike up a conversation; some simply wanted to know Borne, while others had ulterior motives.

Naturally, there were plenty of love letters and confessions, all of which Borne righteously rejected!

Hmph!

Women would only slow down his spellcasting speed!

As for the reason, it was, of course, that he was still a minor.

Yes, despite Borne's tall and sturdy frame, standing nearly 1.8 meters, he was technically still underage.

Having practiced his [Breathing Technique] year-round, it had now become completely instinctive. Thanks to this, Borne's physical fitness was no less than that of a combat professional, and his Monk level had climbed to 3.

He had even mastered three Monk feats:

Evasion, Fast Movement, and Still Mind.

Even so, Borne could still feel that he had room to grow, not just in height, but in mana as well.

Reaching over 1.8 meters was no dream, yet these detestable women actually wanted to break his [Pure Yang Dao Body]—it was simply too abominable.

Once he came of age, he would certainly show them "what for"!

Hmph, hmph...

Although he had clearly stated that he would not consider dating until his coming-of-age ceremony, he still couldn't stop the enthusiasm of the young ladies.

While the confessions and love letters stopped, the gifts of cakes and pastries increased significantly. Borne accepted them all without hesitation, keeping [Still Mind] active so he had absolutely no thoughts on the matter; the young ladies were essentially batting their eyelashes at a fool.