Personal Instruction, Bone Domination Rune

At six in the evening.

The dying sun was like blood, staining the skyline of Lion City into a desolate, brilliant crimson.

Tylen led the old horse, step by step, dragging himself back to the miscellaneous service district of Cain Wizard Tower.

The old horse was already so exhausted it foamed at the mouth, its four legs trembling.

After all, on this already flimsy cart, seven corpses were now neatly stacked.

Besides the two thugs, the addict, and the infant originally required by the mission, there was also Haige, that bear-like brute, and the sibling pair who had died from their own greed.

This weight was practically challenging the old horse's physiological limits.

Tylen wasn't much better off. To avoid killing the old horse on the road, he had practically walked the entire way back, occasionally having to push from behind.

"Huff... huff..."

Tylen gasped for breath, pushing open the wooden door of the service district, which reeked of oil and horse manure.

"Hey! Little Ma!"

Cole, a craftsman who had just finished work and was heading home, was hanging his hammer on his belt. Seeing Tylen return fully loaded, he immediately grinned:

"Good haul today! With this cartload, your end-of-month bonus should be in the bag, right?"

"Looks like your old horse is getting a feast tonight."

Tylen wiped the sweat from his forehead, forcing a tired but sincere smile:

"Yeah, Brother Cole. Got lucky, ran into a few big jobs."

"Big jobs for sure."

Sack, a young laborer who was adding hay to the trough nearby, sidled over.

This kid was only twenty-three, cheerful by nature, and saving up to marry a wife.

He glanced at the bulging body bags on the cart and clicked his tongue:

"That weight looks heavy."

"Brother Little Ma, you still need to work on your fitness, or you won't be able to haul back the big jobs later."

Just then, a hoarse voice came from the corner:

"Little Ma, where has that old bastard Jack gone?"

It was Old Smith, the old groom who raised horses alongside Old Jack.

The two were usually the best of friends, often sharing a few cups of cheap ale and boasting about their wild younger days.

"Yesterday he said he was going into the city to deliver goods, but today there's been no sign of him."

"That old geezer, could he be hiding somewhere slacking off and drinking?"

Hearing this question, the previously relaxed atmosphere in the service district froze for a moment.

When someone suddenly didn't show up for work, everyone had some idea of what might have happened.

Tylen paused in his movements, was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh:

"Old Jack... is dead."

These words hit like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

The dozen or so people in the entire service district fell silent instantly, with only the sound of horses chewing hay echoing.

The hay fork in Old Smith's hand clattered to the ground.

He stared blankly at Tylen, a flicker of disbelief in his murky eyes, quickly replaced by grief.

"Dead... dead?"

Old Smith's lips trembled, and his eyes reddened instantly:

"That old bastard... finally... finally couldn't get past this hurdle!"

He knew all about Old Jack's situation, but unfortunately, beyond words of support, there was nothing else he could do.

After all, in this world, they could barely support themselves, with no strength left to look after others.

"Ah."

Cole took off his oil-stained hat, crumpled it in his hands, his expression gloomy:

"Uncle Jack was a good man."

"Last time my third kid was sick, it was him who lent me the money for medicine."

"Such a straightforward guy, how did he just vanish like that?"

Sack also dropped his playful grin, lowering his head to kick a pebble by his foot:

"Uncle Jack had a rough life."

"He was a capable man in his youth, lived happily with his wife for a lifetime, but who would've thought something like this would happen at the end... ah."

Tylen looked at the genuine sorrow on the faces of these low-level laborers, and a warmth surged in his heart.

In this cold wizard world, perhaps only among these lowest of the low could one still see a trace of human warmth.

"He left to protect Granny Linda."

Tylen said quietly, drawing a decent conclusion to Old Jack's life:

"I've already buried them together. In the cemetery of Saint Rest Church."

Hearing this, Old Smith wiped his tears and patted Tylen hard on the shoulder:

"Good kid... well done. That old bastard will thank you down below."

After saying goodbye to the crowd, Tylen struggled to drag the body bags, hauling the corpses from the cart one by one into the morgue.

This was definitely a physical job.

Especially Haige's body—over a hundred eighty pounds of dead weight, heavy as granite.

Tylen gritted his teeth, using all his strength to push him onto the mortuary rack.

"Huff... huff..."

By the time he had all seven bodies settled, Tylen was drenched in sweat, as if he'd just been pulled out of the water.

He collapsed into a chair, feeling like his lungs were about to burst.

"This physique... too poor."

Tylen looked at his scrawny arms and shook his head helplessly.

Five foot nine, weighing only ninety-five pounds.

This was the result of long-term malnutrition.

"I need to find a way to exercise, improve my physical condition. Otherwise, with just a brain and no body, I'll end up dead on the road sooner or later."

But then he thought again and smiled bitterly.

The prerequisite for exercise was adequate nutrition.

If he blindly trained without enough energy intake, that wasn't building strength—it was slow suicide.

He didn't have a single coin to his name right now. Every day he ate the free life-sustaining meals from the cafeteria. Where would he find spare money to buy meat for training?

Just as Tylen was leaning back in the chair, gasping heavily, his brain dizzy from lack of oxygen...

Flap flap flap...

A crow silently flew in through the window and landed on the windowsill.

It tilted its head, its pitch-black eyes shimmering with intelligence, quietly watching Tylen, pale and limp from exhaustion.

In its gaze was full of appreciation and approval.

"Magnus."

A steady, dignified voice, carrying that familiar metallic quality, sounded from the crow's beak.

It was Mentor Makley's voice.

Tylen jolted, instinctively wanting to stand and bow.

But he was too tired. His legs gave out, and he ended up half-kneeling on the floor.

"Men... Mentor!"

The crow flapped its wings, gliding gracefully onto the table, its voice carrying a rare hint of gentleness:

"No need for formalities. You're too tired, just rest well."

It turned its head, its sharp eyes sweeping over the seven neatly arranged corpses on the mortuary racks, and nodded with satisfaction:

"It seems your corpse collection task today went quite well. You could even say you exceeded expectations."

"Tell me, what happened today?"

Tylen took a deep breath, forcing down the exhaustion in his body.

Without any concealment or embellishment, he narrated everything that happened today in an objective, calm manner.

From Old Jack's matter, to the negotiation with the Fine Wine Gang, Father Logan's greed and change of face, to Haige's provocation and duel, the siblings' betrayal and counter-kill, and finally his handling of the situation at White Cloud Eye Rune Shop.

Every detail, every conversation, even how he used public funds to buy a cemetery for Old Jack and his wife and bribed the guards—he told it all without holding back.

"But please rest assured, Mentor, I didn't exceed the budget Sister Violet Star allocated."

After speaking, Tylen lowered his head, awaiting his mentor's judgment.

Makley, watching this honest, almost endearing disciple through the crow's eyes, nodded inwardly.

Having already known everything through the token's surveillance, he was very satisfied with Tylen's candor.

"You performed quite well."

Makley gave an extremely high evaluation:

"Especially in handling Haige's matter—that showed some strategy. You upheld the Wizard Tower's dignity while resolving the trouble. Very good."

Shifting his tone, Crow's voice carried a hint of authority and pressure:

"But... you secretly learning magic—did you really think you could hide it from your master?"

Tylen's heart tightened. He hurriedly bowed again, his voice filled with fear and respect:

"Reporting to my esteemed mentor! I had my own selfish motives!"

"I wanted to practice magic first, even if only half-heartedly, so I could bring you face-saving glory at a critical moment—a surprise for you."

"I hoped to prove my worth this way, and in exchange... earn more opportunities to attend your lessons!"

These words were spoken with genuine emotion, expressing ambition while flattering the teacher—a textbook-perfect response.

The satisfaction in Crow's eyes deepened.

He walked gracefully to the table, flapped his wings to signal Tylen to rise.

Then, his gaze fell on Haige's split-open chest and the cleanly severed limbs of the brother and sister.

"The sharpness of the cuts is decent."

Makley's voice turned professional and seasoned:

"For a novice, grasping the essence of 'Three-Dimensional Magic Weaving' so quickly and applying it to the Magic Thorn Art..."

"Though this is only a first-level spell, it's enough to show you have some talent in magic control and comprehension."

Hearing this, Tylen trembled with excitement, his voice choked with emotion:

"Thank you for your recognition, mentor! To receive your praise is the greatest honor of my life, Magnus!"

Crow nodded.

The next second.

Poof!

A ghostly blue flame suddenly ignited from Crow's body.

Immediately, countless tiny runes danced within the flames, and the free energy in the surrounding air rapidly converged.

Under Tylen's stunned gaze, the little crow began to swell and transform.

As a mass of mysterious runes interwove, bones stretched, and flesh reorganized, the blue ghost fire outlined the silhouette of a human form.

In just a few seconds, the crow vanished.

In its place stood Makley, clad in a black robe, his face imposing!

Though Tylen couldn't tell if this was the real person, the appearance and aura were exactly like Makley's!

What kind of technique was this?!

Tylen's eyes widened, his gaze filled with undisguised longing and shock.

Was this the means of a formal wizard? Incarnating into thousands, present everywhere?

So powerful! So convenient!

Transformed back into human form, Makley paid no attention to his disciple's astonishment.

He waved his hand casually, and a thin, black-covered book appeared out of thin air on the table.

"As a reward for your recent good performance, you've earned the right to my personal instruction."

Makley pointed at the book:

"I see you have a decent understanding of runes. This 'Detailed Explanation of Bone Domination Runes'—take it and study it carefully now."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me right away."

With that, Makley turned and walked toward the corpse rack, scanning the bodies as if selecting suitable materials.

Tylen's heart was about to leap out of his chest.

He rushed to the sink inside, washed his hands three times with soap, dried them thoroughly with a clean cloth, and only then carefully picked up the thin rune book.

As if holding the entire world.

He opened the pages.

As a seasoned top student and study fanatic, Tylen instantly entered that state of focused, distraction-free learning.

The book's content wasn't extensive—only about three thousand words in total.

But every word was a highly condensed essence of knowledge.

No wasted sentences.

The book detailed a set of rune formulas called "Bone Domination."

This wasn't just a spell; it was a complete set of engineering blueprints.

From the construction of the Runic Frame to the logic of the drawing sequence;

From the derivation of core formulas to the optimization of magic pathways;

Even the driving methods, the ratio of Mental Power to magic, and the techniques were all annotated and illustrated in detail.

Tylen watched in rapt fascination, every line brimming with logical beauty.

"Marvelous... so this is how Mental Power can be guided..."

"The runic structure at this inflection point... it's a stroke of genius..."

Tylen's mind raced, drawing on his foundational understanding of Runic Studies to quickly dissect and absorb the knowledge in the book.

Once, twice, three times...

He read it a full five times.

When he finally lifted his head and let out a long breath, he felt as if a brand-new door was swinging open before him.

Though the effect of this rune set was simple—controlling and dominating bones inscribed with the rune through Mental Power—its potential was immense.

He couldn't yet summon a horde of skeleton soldiers like a necromancer, but controlling some bone fragments or bone armor for defense was well within his reach!

Just as Tylen snapped back to reality...

Suddenly, a flash of eerie blue light burst forth.

On the mortuary slab, the corpses of the brother and sister ignited with blue flames.

That was Undead Fire—a powerful knowledge one could master upon perfecting the Spirit Summoning and Control Art. With Undead Fire as a foundation, one could cast necromantic magic of the third tier and above.

Licked by the flames, their flesh instantly turned to ash, leaving behind two sets of pristine, jade-white skeletons.

The skeletons were processed so perfectly, their surfaces smooth and moist, even cleaner than the specimens Tylen had painstakingly prepared before.

Makley stood to the side, lightly tapping his finger.

Crack! Crack!

The two skeletons seemed to be infused with souls; their joints emitted crisp sounds as they stood up directly!

They flexed their limbs, then marched with stiff but synchronized steps to stand behind Makley, hands respectfully at their sides.

Skeleton Soldiers!

True undead creatures!

Tylen held his breath. This was his first time witnessing a formal wizard cast necromantic magic firsthand.

That effortless control, that ability to turn decay into wonder—it captivated his heart and mind.

"How's the studying going?"

Makley turned his head casually and asked.

Tylen immediately composed himself and replied respectfully:

"Thanks to your clear and thorough explanations in the previous rune lessons, I've basically understood and smoothed it out now."

Then he began to speak eloquently.

From the energy flow at rune nodes, to the frequency adjustment of Mental Power resonance, to the impact of bone material on rune effects...

Tylen wove the book's content with his own unique insights, speaking with authority.

On certain key points, he even raised several constructive questions.

After listening, a flicker of surprise passed through Makley's eyes, which then turned into a satisfied smile:

"Not a bad understanding. It seems you've put real effort into runes and have some talent for it."

He pointed at the two newly transformed Skeleton Soldiers behind him:

"Since you understand, now you need to practice."

"Here's your task."

"Three days. Use your understanding and application of the Bone Domination rune to add a layer of bone armor to these two Skeleton Soldiers."

"Requirements: Ensure defensive power without compromising their agility."

"Also, these two Skeleton Soldiers will stay with you as helpers for the next few days."

Tylen immediately straightened his back, brimming with excitement, a fierce fighting spirit burning in his eyes:

"Understood! I will not let down your expectations, teacher!"

The lesson was complete.

Makley's figure began to grow ethereal, clearly about to leave.

Seeing this, Tylen quickly pulled out the Lion Head Token he had been given during the day, held it in both hands, and respectfully offered it forward:

"Master, this is your token. The task is complete, returning it as is."

Makley took the token and casually tucked it into his sleeve.

Just before his body fully dissipated, he looked at Tylen, his tone turning a few shades more serious:

"As for Jane and Tom's attack on you, don't worry about the aftermath."

"I'll warn them. In my tower, this kind of malicious internal conflict is not permitted."

At this point, Makley paused and added meaningfully:

"But you must also understand."

"Your status is vastly different from theirs. Jane and Tom are both legitimate nobles of Lion City."

"You'd best not go out of your way to provoke them."

"Your talent is decent, but it's not yet high enough to let you leap across the great chasm of class and look down on the nobility."

"Understand?"

Hearing Makley's warning, Tylen's heart tightened.

He bowed deeply, not straightening until Makley's figure had completely vanished into wisps of ghost fire.

"Thank you for your reminder and protection, Teacher."

"Your student will surely follow your orders, study hard, and strive twice as much."

Then, with a contraction of countless runes, Makley's human form turned back into that pitch-black crow, which flapped its wings and flew away.

In the empty morgue, only Tylen and the two silently standing Skeleton Soldiers remained.

Tylen looked at the two sets of white bones, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"A class chasm, huh?"

"As long as the hoe swings well, no wall can't be toppled."

"As long as I draw my runes fast enough, accurately enough... this chasm isn't impossible to fill!"

"You two bastards, just wait for me!"