Heart of God, Indigenous Spirit

The group soon arrived at the Mission Hall. Whether it was the Arcane Society or the "Chief" Borne Ioulaum, both held high popularity within the academy, and their appearance together quickly drew the attention of those around them.

"Let's go, let's turn in the mission together."

Back at the academy, Lisper returned to her usual cold, sharp, and capable demeanor, not sparing a glance for the surrounding gazes.

Those who could come to Giles Academy to study were either from wealthy families or nobility; even the commoners among them lived in relatively comfortable conditions. Never mind a Lizardfolk, many had never even killed a chicken!

Seeing the Lizardfolk Chieftain behind them, who had been reduced to a human-shaped stump, they were filled with a mix of curiosity and terror!

The Chip identified the Lizardfolk Chieftain as Level 11. Although only one level higher than Borne, the tier difference was immense!

Yes, on the journey back, Borne's level in the system had reached Level 10.

In the system's settings, Level 11 was considered High-tier.

And the High-tier had already begun the initial transformation of their life essence!

If not for the fact that he had occupied the right time, place, and conditions to intimidate the Lizardfolk, and that his 3rd-circle Stinking Cloud had been boosted by two circles by the Weave, he might not have been able to take down a High-tier Lizardfolk with a mere 3rd-circle spell.

The vitality of a High-tier Lizardfolk was truly terrifying. It had woken up the day after leaving the forest; fortunately, Borne had severed all four of its limbs, otherwise, it would have been difficult to bring it back to Seventon.

Even so, without food or water, this Lizardfolk Chieftain, having been left to hang for five or six days, showed no signs of fatigue, and its limbs had even begun to slowly heal and regenerate!

Its hatred for humans was self-evident. Seeing so many people suddenly appear, its amber eyes turned blood-red, and it struggled and roared incessantly, wishing it could tear every human in sight to shreds!

The members of the Arcane Society were accustomed to the roars of the Lizardfolk and remained unfazed, but the surrounding students were not; they had never seen such a spectacle and scrambled backward in fear!

President Lisper frowned as she watched, understanding the academy's intention in issuing off-campus missions.

Even though they had essentially been along for the ride, they seemed completely changed after returning from this mission.

Borne was indifferent to everything happening around him. The academy was a small circle, and those who hadn't experienced the battlefield were just a bunch of rookies.

However, thanks to the Lizardfolk Chieftain's constant roaring over the past few days, the Chip had collected a great deal of information on the Lizardfolk language.

Borne had already mastered the basics of Draconic; now, he just lacked practice in normal spoken communication.

Of course, until he reached the High-tier, Borne had no intention of making contact with creatures like dragons.

"The points for this should be quite substantial!"

Borne was in a very good mood. Not to mention wiping out the entire Lizardfolk tribe, the 'Cursed Stone' in his hand alone was worth a significant amount of points.

However, it would still depend on the academy's evaluation afterward.

The staff member at the mission desk was stunned as he looked at the Lizardfolk tied to the ground.

Did you all misunderstand what an investigation mission is...

They were sent to investigate, yet they had carried the enemy's personnel back directly. This maneuver left the staff member at a loss for words.

Information had no standard; aside from a basic "guaranteed minimum," there was theoretically no upper limit to its value.

It seemed this Lizardfolk was also a High-tier, definitely a high-ranking enemy official.

Upon learning that this was the leader of the Lizardfolk tribe, the staff member was already numb...

Then, when the group mentioned that the Lizardfolk tribe had been wiped out, the staff member stopped speaking entirely.

How much was appropriate to give? This was no longer something he could decide, so he hurriedly reported it to his superiors.

Bringing back the Chieftain of a Lizardfolk tribe was of immense value, both in terms of strategic intelligence and raw worth; the point reward would certainly be substantial.

But deciding the exact amount was tricky, as there were no other examples to reference...

And a High-tier prisoner of war was a massive military achievement even on the battlefield! Let alone an enemy leader...

So, how many points should be awarded for this?

Rewards couldn't be handed out recklessly, or it would be difficult to conduct off-campus missions in the future.

One had to wonder, were young people these days always this reckless?

The adjudicator did not give a clear reply, only telling them to return first; the final reward would have to be decided by Academician Hawkes!

"It seems the reward this time will be very rich."

Belon was very excited.

The members of the Arcane Society were clearly looking forward to it as well. Although the lion's share of the reward would certainly go to Borne, they would receive a portion too. Besides, the number of points didn't matter as much as the special privileges.

For instance, the Arcane Society, as an institution recognized by the academy, held the privilege of borrowing the "Scrolls of Netheril" once a year.

"It looks like we won't be getting the reward today."

Borne had only promised President Lisper that he would go out and complete the off-campus mission with her. Now that it was finished, he was going back.

Borne bid farewell to President Lisper and the others, then used Fly to head straight back to his underground lair.

The members of the Arcane Society watched as Borne flew away right in front of them, all feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.

The rule against flying within the academy had been established by the first president of the Arcane Society. Back then, the academy had just been founded, its rules were full of loopholes, and many regulations were proposed or even directly dictated by the Arcane Society.

Although the academy teachers would not interfere with students' activities outside of their studies, the President of the Arcane Society was the strongest among the students!

Who dared to disobey?

In the vision of the Arcane Society's president at that time, with such a great welfare system, every student entering the academy would surely make becoming the president of the Arcane Society their goal.

Naturally, the president would be the strongest among the students. Although there had been a few terms where the top student was not the president of the Arcane Society, the president still held absolute authority.

Who could have expected a freak like Borne to appear, who had no interest in the position of Arcane Society president whatsoever?

Now there was no other way; they could only let things take their own course.

In the past, they might have grumbled a few words, but after seeing the world outside, they felt that the affairs within the academy did not seem so important anymore.

Returning to his underground laboratory once again, Borne finally felt a sense of peace.

Everything around him was exactly as he had left it. The mana storage devices were already full, and the excess mana elements were slowly seeping out, causing the mana elements throughout the underground laboratory to become active.

This was the second-generation mana storage device, and after more than a month of operation, the results were excellent.

Borne set down his excess belongings and changed into a brand-new noble robe.

Fifteen minutes later, at the Wizard Tower.

Borne teleported directly to the floor where the Count resided.

"You're back. It looks like the harvest this time was quite good!"

The Count could tell at a glance that Borne's mana had changed.

Borne's mouth twitched; he had originally wanted to show off, but he had been exposed the moment he arrived.

The old man was truly getting stronger and stronger. Even though he had become a mid-tier Arcanist, he still could not fathom the old man's depth.

If he didn't know that the Count was a high-tier Arcanist, he would have truly thought he was just an ordinary person.

He had even taken down a high-tier Lizardfolk, yet he couldn't even see through the old man...

Was the gap between high-tier individuals really that large?

Or did the old man possess some magical item that could shield his perception?

A faint light emerged in his eyes, and the colorful world came into view once again, but the moment he looked at the Count, he was instantly stunned.

Before he could react, his eyes felt a sharp, needle-like pain. His eyes reflexively closed, and the spell technique ceased.

"Oh?! Is this the spell technique you relied on for your promotion? A fine piece of Arcana!"

The Count nodded with a smile. "Also, do not use it to peek around casually, especially at those stronger than you. Probing into others' foundations is a very impolite behavior."

Borne rubbed his eyes and let out an annoyed "hmph."

The Count laughed heartily; he was becoming increasingly satisfied with this only grandson of his.

He then began to ask about Borne's intentions.

When the Cursed Stone, "sealed" in lead-lined foil, was placed before the Count, the Count's expression finally shifted slightly.

"You wiped out that Lizardfolk tribe?"

"Yes. Aside from leaving that high-tier Lizardfolk alive, the others were dealt with."

"Hmm."

The Count nodded.

He did not say much about Borne's actions.

At this moment, Borne also noticed that the Count had used the word "you," not "you all."

The destruction of the Lizardfolk tribe had been part of the plan, but it was supposed to be carried out by the academy's upper management.

The addition of Borne as a variable was completely unexpected.

The first mission was originally just to test the waters. Letting the Arcane Society go was meant to ensure the mission was completed successfully and to set a good example.

They didn't want the first mission to result in deaths or total annihilation.

Even if that group didn't say anything, the Dean would be too embarrassed to continue the program.

In the academy's plan, given the strength of the Arcane Society members, they would at most encounter some "minor" trouble. They wouldn't die, and even if there were danger, the Dean was confident he could save them; losing an arm or a leg wouldn't even be considered a problem.

Then, after a few minor setbacks, they would return to the academy, complete the mission, and finally, the academy would send people to wipe out that small tribe, allowing the students to summarize their experiences and pass them on to those who followed.

The entire plan was arranged perfectly; it was tailored exactly to their capabilities.

But the only thing the academy failed to account for was that they had pulled Borne into the mix.

A perfectly good plan turned into Borne's personal show, and the others were reduced to tourists.

So that's how it is...

Borne shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.

He suddenly thought to himself: did this count as a max-level player carrying newbies through a dungeon, not only clearing it at full health but also snagging the hidden rewards?

However, he didn't lose out. Although he felt a bit like he'd been played, he had taken the benefits, and as for the subsequent rewards, he didn't have much expectation for them anyway.

"I will take this back. It is still a bit dangerous to leave it with you."

"Wait, what is this?"

"The Heart of God."

"Heart of God?"

"Mm, you can just think of it as the core of a deity."

The Count said indifferently.

Borne swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.

"There is no need for surprise; it is merely a False God, the ancestral deity of some race, a god of faith."

As the Count spoke, he raised his hand and grasped the Cursed Stone directly.

No, in reality, the Count's fingers did not make direct contact. Borne saw dozens of magic circles manifest between his grandfather's fingers, rapidly sealing the 'stone.' As the Count lifted it and placed it into a dimensional space, the sealing was already complete—the entire process was as smooth as flowing water, finished in one go.

It left Borne completely stunned.

Is this the strength of a big shot...

"This Heart of God has not yet birthed a 'spirit,' otherwise you would not have been able to wipe out that group of little lizards so easily. Remember, if you encounter tribes with such idols in the future, be careful and try to stay far away. Do not touch them unless you possess high-tier strength. If you run into some powerful 'spirits,' even I might not be a match for them."

Upon hearing this, Borne nodded thoughtfully.

Indigenous Spirits, is it?

Judging by the Count's attitude, it was clear they were no strangers to this; no, perhaps they had even begun researching it.

On the continent of Faerûn, many intelligent races remained uncivilized, living together in tribal forms and mostly worshipping their own ancestors. Over time, special spiritual entities would be birthed, and these entities actually possessed a portion of a deity's power.

Naturally, the Temples everywhere would frantically suppress these spiritual entities, labeling them as "False Gods"!

In reality, Borne knew very well that many of the existing deities who called themselves True Gods had ascended from such Indigenous Spirits.

Researching the power of 'gods,' or even becoming one!

Borne understood this was an inevitable path. As Seventon expanded and wiped out many tribes, obtaining the cores of Indigenous Spirits was a certainty.

Because of the backlash of faith, the core of this 'Heart of God' had been corrupted by a curse, but Nether certainly possessed cores that had not been corrupted by such backlash.

Although the power of an 'Indigenous Spirit' was weak, the power they utilized was no different from that of a true 'deity'!!!