Target: Ryan Spiritual Power: 7.7 Constitution: 6.4 Particle Energy: 3.6 units Wizard Meditation Method: Vast Sea (Basic) Wizard Runes: Five Supernatural Nurtured Creature: Harak (Low-level) Wizardry mastered: Fearful Flame, Scarlet Heat, Fire Element Particle Energy Wizardry
I could kill a Blue Poison Monkey with one punch. Ryan flexed his fist, surprised by the thought. Perhaps his newfound strength had gone to his head, but given the monkey's unremarkable physique, it might actually be possible.
The greatest improvement, though, was to his particle energy reserves.
Once cast, the Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield needed a continuous supply of particle energy. The drain was small, but only by the standards of a First-level Wizard Apprentice.
Ryan now had what it took to fight another Wizard.
A Particle Energy Shield was practically standard equipment for a Wizard. None would be reckless enough to leave their body completely exposed in a fight.
Once a fight began, the surrounding particle energy would be severely disturbed. The Energy Radiation from wizardry alone could trouble a Wizard for a very long time, and it was extremely difficult to purge.
An Energy Shield could also block some airborne hazards, such as poisonous mist and harmful gases.
Ryan considered himself fairly bold, but caution came first. He now had enough particle energy to cast two spells and keep the Fire Elemental Particle Energy Shield running.
Notice: Analyzing Supernatural Wizard Book. Estimated time: one day.
Ryan steadied his emotions and regained his composure. His next step was clear: master the remaining Supernatural Wizard Books. Each book took a day to analyze. By his calculation, he could finish them all in twelve days.
Absorbing that Supernatural Knowledge, then thinking it through for himself, would take a little longer, but certainly no more than fifteen days in total.
After fifteen days, he would go straight to Wizard Ethan, obtain an Admission Ticket, and enter the Umbral Wizard Academy.
Ryan changed into a white work coat and went to the small room at the back of the Nurturing Chamber. It was the only space comparable to a Personal Laboratory in a proper Wizard Residence.
Of course, it was a vastly smaller, simplified version of a Personal Laboratory. It could handle extraction, nurturing, observation, and smelting. Anything beyond that was wishful thinking.
The breakthrough in Meditation and the subsequent increase in particle energy had taken about half an hour altogether. Inside the Small Incubation Chamber, the fusion of the two Supernatural Toxins had reached its final stage.
Ryan watched without blinking. His Supernatural Spiritual Power followed his gaze, spreading over the chamber to sense what was happening deeper inside.
The Eye of Truth could still gather and identify information. The ongoing analysis did not interfere with it.
Notice: The fusion of Blue Poison and Scarlet Scale Toxin is relatively stable. Fusion is expected to finish in three minutes. Analysis is required to determine the exact changes.
Three minutes later.
Ryan's expression turned strange. The two Supernatural Toxins in the Incubation Chamber had fused completely. The result felt vicious, its Supernatural Property unmistakably strong.
It was green, the bright, glossy green of paint. The moment he opened the chamber, a pungent smell spread rapidly. His eyelid twitched, and he snapped the lid shut.
He was still too late. Dizziness rushed to his head. His circulation slowed, and even his heartbeat faltered.
Ryan was shaken. It took considerable effort to place the Small Incubation Chamber on the Experiment Table. He moved with extreme care while fighting the discomfort caused by that tiny dose of Supernatural Toxin.
He had only smelled it and nearly keeled over. What the hell had he nurtured?
Ryan could hardly imagine what the green Supernatural Toxin would do if it entered living tissue. Most likely, its victim would collapse foaming at the mouth.
One thing was certain: it could do serious harm to a First-level Wizard Apprentice. Anyone who came into contact with it was in trouble.
As for a Rank 2 Wizard Apprentice, Ryan was less certain. He had no direct basis for comparison.
Ryan named the new Supernatural Toxin Green Venom.
He set aside a portion of the toxin concentrate as a seed for nurturing more Green Venom.
He poured the rest into a specially made vial of tough glass. Its top was flat and its bottom flared outward. The recess was just large enough to hold a dagger, with its tip dipped into the Supernatural Toxin.
"Given how important this plan is, the family paid a considerable price to hire two Nameless Wizard Killers." Kadi "The Purple Gold Flower" kept his voice low enough that only Moss Bailin, sitting across from him, could hear.
They were in Moss's Freshman Residence.
Surprise crossed Moss's face. He knew that Wizard Killers varied greatly in price and reputation on the Black Market. They had their own rating system: the more jobs a Wizard Killer completed, the higher their rating.
Nameless Wizard Killers were particularly unusual. They were little more than expendable loyalists, yet they had the strength to kill Wizards. They came from a powerful underground organization within the Black Market; only such a force could produce them. Through a secret training process, children had their bodies and souls altered by wizardry until they lost their identities and names and became tools for killing.
Moss knew something about them. The children were given low-level Supernatural Bloodlines and equipped with Low-level Wizard Artifacts. Once fully grown, they were considered strong even among First-level Wizard Apprentices.
There were two ways to hire a Nameless Wizard Killer. One was to pay for a murder. The other was to pay for the murder and then make the killer disappear completely.
The price of the second option made even Moss's heart skip a beat. The family had truly spared no expense. Their willingness to back him so thoroughly suggested that the Antun Family had rattled the old men too. Who could have expected such a gulf to open between the families in just a few decades?
"Sending Nameless Wizard Killers is the safer choice," Moss said. "In the past, the family probably wouldn't have supported me in this. They would've wanted to build things slowly, bit by bit. But times have changed."
"If even one of these Wizard Freshmen under contract grows into a Third-level Wizard Apprentice, the returns for the family will far exceed what we're investing now."
Kadi sighed. "An elder from the family's direct line, among the group two intakes before ours, came up with this approach. It's brought substantial returns and helped the family establish a foothold in the Umbral Expanse."
Longing showed on Moss's face. "If we keep working at it, generation after generation, we'll raise the family to greater heights. We'll leave these barren Port Lands and head for the prosperous, magnificent heart of the continent."
"There may be plenty of gifted people there, even prodigies, but I, Moss, won't fall far behind them. I'll forge a legacy of my own as a Wizard."
Hearing this, Kadi could not help imagining it too.
After dinner at the automated cafeteria, Ryan stepped out into the dark. Fluorescent Stones along the Wizard Array Path lit the way ahead and behind him, as well as parts of the ancient woods nearby.
Ryan had walked this path many times and knew it well. But tonight, an uneasy feeling weighed on him, and his steps gradually slowed.
A faint, unusual scent hung in the air. Someone with keen senses could tell what it was.
His eyes narrowed. It was blood.
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