Public Lecture

"Memory Runes!"

"Using Runes!"

"Analyzing Runes!"

"The world is made of runes. When we master runes, we master everything!"

"This is Rune Studies!"

After driving away the unnecessary people, the wizard at the front began his lecture.

Several semi-illusory arms were writing across the blackboard.

The wizard turned to face all the apprentices.

He said, "On the fourth floor of Tower No. 7 in District 12 is my tutoring classroom. If you want to learn more about runes, you may sign up for my tutoring class!"

Charles, sitting far back among the audience, was utterly baffled when he heard this.

How was he advertising his tutoring class in the middle of a lecture?

After promoting his tutoring class, the wizard at the front continued teaching.

He covered basic material: the functions of some new runes, how runes could be combined with one another, and so on.

The new knowledge made Charles feel as though he had pushed open the gates to a new world.

The only regret was that the class was far too short.

Two hours later, the wizard's lesson ended. Before leaving, he advertised his tutoring class once more.

He had left, but the others in the classroom had no intention of leaving.

The entire day was reserved for public lectures.

More than half an hour later, a second wizard entered the classroom.

This wizard was hunched over, dressed in a black wizard's robe with his hood pulled over his head.

Though nothing beneath that hood could be seen, the wizard gave Charles an intensely terrifying feeling.

The invisible hands continued writing on the blackboard.

The wizard's hoarse voice rang out, echoing throughout the classroom:

"Understand pain!"

"Experience pain!"

"Study pain!"

"How to transform one's own pain, the pain of others, the pain of living creatures, even the pain of the environment, into energy to enhance spellcasting, forge items, and perform sacrifices!"

"Explore the essence of the soul, using emotions and the essence of life as fuel and price!"

"This is Soul and Pain Studies!"

The voice and the subject matter sent a chill down Charles's spine.

For the first class in the afternoon, a tall female wizard stepped up.

Though she too wore a black wizard's robe, every wizard possessed a completely different aura.

From her figure and the sound of her footsteps alone, one could imagine how beautiful she was.

Her hood covered her head, but strands of golden hair spilled from beneath its brim. Her figure was perfect—ample where it should be ample, slender where it should be slender.

Standing before the podium, she introduced herself. "I am Wizard Loran. I will be explaining Abyssal Grimoire Studies in this class!"

The invisible hands behind her began writing on the board.

Loran began speaking in a voice brimming with charm and temptation:

"Deciphering grimoires!"

"Analyzing theories!"

"Mastering twisted grammar and forbidden symbols!"

"Using summoning rituals to unravel mad knowledge!"

"Studying the origins of the Abyss, deciphering forbidden symbols, resisting knowledge contamination, and wielding Abyssal bloodlines!"

"This is Abyssal Grimoire Studies!"

That seductive voice brought forbidden knowledge.

Charles, who had initially merely been captivated by Loran's figure, was now completely alert.

From atop the podium, Loran began her lecture:

"The world is vast, and the Wizard World is not the only world in the multiverse."

"In the lower planes lies the terrifying Bottomless Abyss, which contains the most horrifying and filthy things in the universe."

"Yet even in the most terrifying, chaotic, disorderly, and foul Abyss, there are living creatures!"

"Abyssal demons are a terrifying race born from the Abyss. They possess great power, not the least bit inferior to wizards of the same rank."

"Abyssal Grimoire Studies exists to analyze the Abyss, study the Abyss, and turn the power of the Abyss into our own!"

"We analyze demonic bloodlines and integrate them into ourselves, memorize Abyssal runes, and create new spells."

"We summon demons, dissect demons, study their physical structures, or summon them to assist us in battle."

"To mortals, these are forbidden and terrifying things. But to us wizards, they are a path toward becoming higher-ranking wizards!"

"You are all Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices. At this stage, coming into contact with Abyssal Grimoire Studies, studying Abyssal demons, and understanding them will be of great help in the future."

A female apprentice nervously stood and asked, "Teacher Loran, I want to know—what help can Abyssal demons offer us?"

Loran smiled faintly at the question and continued, "Any kind of Abyssal demon is a Demonic Beast. If you study Abyssal demons, you can obtain corresponding Abyssal runes from their bodies, souls, and even their appearances."

"Some runes have excellent effects on daily life, combat, and even cultivation."

"If you are fortunate enough to obtain an Abyssal demon's bloodline, you will be stronger than others when it comes to absorbing magic power!"

"The cultivation of wizards and wizard apprentices rests on two things: one is the growth of spiritual power, and the other is the growth of magic power!"

"Demonic bloodlines will allow you to grow faster in accumulating magic power!"

Someone asked, "Teacher, but aren't bloodlines innate? We never possessed Abyssal demon bloodlines before. Doesn't that make them useless to us?"

Loran smiled. "Bloodlines are a subject wizards can study for their entire lives. From the earliest Third-Rank Wizard Apprentices to the mightiest Nine-Ring Wizards, all can advance along the path of bloodline research."

"Among you, nearly everyone has mortal bloodlines, though some may possess traces of Demonic Beast bloodlines. They will have an advantage in cultivation."

"But that does not mean mortals cannot possess bloodlines. We are wizards. Through wizardry, we can integrate the bloodlines of other creatures into our bodies and make them our own!"

"That includes the bloodlines of Abyssal demons, which are also among Isata's popular bloodlines!"

"If you are interested, you may come to my laboratory and classroom, located from the third to fifth floors of Tower No. 6 in District 12. This is my classroom."

"Here, a teaching group composed of seven wizards provides instruction in multiple subjects, including evocation and curses."

"Here, I will teach you how to summon demons and how to seize demonic bloodlines to strengthen yourselves!"

"Here, you may also pay Magic Stones directly and have me modify your bodies, allowing you to obtain demonic bloodlines directly!"

Loran braced both hands against the lectern. Her smooth chin faintly emerged from beneath her hood as she said, "The earlier you obtain a bloodline, the greater the benefit to you!"

"A stronger physique and faster magic power accumulation—these will allow you to advance to Second-Rank, even First-Rank Apprentice, more quickly!"

"That way, you will have more time to study how to become wizards. Some bloodlines can even make the path to breaking through to wizard far easier!"

"Let us embrace bloodlines! Embrace evolution!"