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"Second, your domain ability originally only had a slowing effect. I've now added an ice attribute to it, but you're too weak to use my ice attribute in combat yet. You'll need to become a Second Tier ability user before it can have even a slight effect."

Xu Jintang frowned slightly. "Then what's going on with my mental sea being twice as large?"

The Ice Soul Dragon chuckled. "I was wondering why your mental sea was larger than those of others your age, too. When I entered it just now, I discovered that you had another ability that hadn't been activated, so I awakened it for you while I was at it."

Xu Jintang: "!"

She actually had a second ability?!

The Ice Soul Dragon said, "I don't know much about you humans' abilities, either. All I could tell was that its manifestation is a set of scales. Close your eyes. I'll teach you how to look inside your mental sea."

Xu Jintang grew curious, too.

Only ability users of at least the Second Tier could look inside their mental seas, but with the Ice Soul Dragon's help, Xu Jintang's consciousness form was pulled into hers in an instant.

The surface of her mental sea was a clear ice blue, and a miniature Ice Soul Dragon circled and soared above the blue waters.

Beside him, a set of silvery-white scales floated in midair. Its pointer swung from side to side, and specks of starlight lingered around it, forming a strange starry backdrop that gave off an air of mystery.

Was this her second ability?

After roaming around her mental sea for a while, Xu Jintang's miniature consciousness form turned and flew over to examine the scales.

But even after looking for ages, she couldn't see anything wrong.

The Ice Soul Dragon spoke. "I can sense that it's a star-attribute ability. If I remember correctly, your human world has a profession called inscriptionist. Awakening a star-attribute ability is a prerequisite for becoming one."

His words reminded Xu Jintang.

She studied the scales before her with even greater surprise. "It's actually a star-attribute ability?"

After studying it for another long while without discovering anything, Xu Jintang turned her attention to the Ice Soul Dragon, her expression growing serious. "Then may I ask what exactly it means that you're living in my mental sea now?"

Before this, she had never heard of a demonic beast's consciousness form being able to live in a human's mental sea.

The Ice Soul Dragon said, "Simply put, I abandoned my physical body and now exist only as your ice ability. Don't worry about me harming you. Our lives and deaths are already bound together. If you encounter danger, I'll act."

So advanced! Demonic beasts could actually choose to become humans' abilities?

Xu Jintang was even more astonished.

The Ice Soul Dragon seemed to guess what she was thinking and continued explaining. "But before you're strong enough to protect yourself, I don't recommend revealing my existence. Quite a few powerful humans are tracking me down for nothing but my dragon bones and blood. If my whereabouts are exposed, those pursuing me will surely turn their sights on you."

"Every part of your body has now been transformed by me into a heavenly treasure. Even if they can't get my dragon bones and blood, your bones and flesh would be highly nourishing, too."

The corners of Xu Jintang's mouth twitched.

This really was a forced transaction.

Still, the Ice Soul Dragon's appearance had indeed brought her a tremendous opportunity.

After examining the scales for another while without any new discoveries, Xu Jintang withdrew from her mental sea and opened her eyes, returning to reality.

She rose from the ground and brushed the dirt off herself.

She would have to find an opportunity to discreetly ask around about this Scales Ability.

Suddenly, the communicator on her chest vibrated, reminding her that the deadline for her urgent gathering commission was almost up.

The commission was about to time out!

Xu Jintang swiftly turned and ran toward the forest exit.

Half an hour later, with only a few minutes left before the deadline, Xu Jintang arrived at the main city's Inscriptionist Association branch and handed ten stalks of Snow Spirit Grass to the client.

The client wore a white robe and had a refined, dashing air.

But his expression was rather unpleasant at the moment. "Two minutes later and I'd have been late for my inscriptionist assessment!"

Xu Jintang hurriedly apologized. "I'm sorry, something unexpected happened along the way. My apologies."

The man snorted, took the ten stalks of Snow Spirit Grass, then swiped his card to transfer the payment to Xu Jintang before turning and walking into the Inscriptionist Association branch ahead.

Xu Jintang studied his retreating figure.

So he was an inscriptionist.

No wonder he could offer double the payment for an urgent commission.

When making Inscription Talismans, inscriptionists could add certain spirit plants or other rare materials to improve the inscriptions' quality.

Inscriptionists generally weren't short of money, either. Only people in their profession would post commissions with such extravagant payments.

Another thousand star coins landed in her account. Seeing her balance grow, Xu Jintang felt considerably better.

The dragon living in her mental sea had fallen silent. She left him alone and enthusiastically began looking into inscriptionists.

The demand for Inscription Talismans outstripped supply on the market, driving inscriptionists' status ever higher.

It was said that even a level-one inscriptionist would have countless ability users willing to befriend them.

But the requirements for becoming an inscriptionist were extremely strict:

First, one had to possess a star-attribute ability.

Second, it depended on the ability user's own talent for inscription.

In fact, only one in every hundred thousand people would awaken a star-attribute ability.

That requirement alone cut off countless people's paths to becoming inscriptionists.

Xu Jintang happened to have a star-attribute ability now, so she wanted to take this opportunity to give it a try.

If she really managed to carve inscriptions, she would hit the jackpot.

Xu Jintang searched the Star Network for information about inscriptionists. After learning a little about them, she soon headed to the main city's secondhand market.

She had checked the price of inscription pens. Even the cheapest brand-new one cost six hundred new coins, while secondhand pens generally sold for just over three hundred.

For someone as poor as she was, naturally, she would save wherever she could.

The market teemed with people. Many stalls were set up right on the ground, with their owners standing beside them and calling out loudly.

After making a circuit, Xu Jintang fixed her gaze on an inconspicuous stall.

She walked up, feigning casual interest. "Boss, what are you selling here?"

The stallholder had been squatting there for ages without making a single sale. Finally seeing someone come to ask, he hurriedly introduced his wares with enthusiasm. "Everything I sell is for inscriptionists. Look at this inscription pen. It was only used once before being put up for sale. It's practically brand-new, but it costs half as much as a new one. You can take it home for three hundred star coins today."

The stallholder looked Xu Jintang over curiously and asked, "Miss, are you an inscriptionist?"

Xu Jintang immediately waved her hands. "No, I'm just curious."

This world's Xu Jintang was only fifteen and looked very young indeed. In the stallholder's eyes, this girl was surely a simple-minded sort.

The stallholder launched into his sales pitch. "They all say you need some star-attribute ability to become an inscriptionist, but I think that's nonsense. You look like you've got real talent for it, miss. Why not give it a try? As it happens, I've got everything an inscriptionist needs, and I'll give you the lowest possible price on all of it!"

Xu Jintang frowned, playing along as an ignorant young girl. "Huh? Really? But three hundred star coins still seems a little expensive."

Seeing an opening, the stallholder glanced around, pulled Xu Jintang aside, and lowered his voice. "Take it for two hundred. A brand-new inscription pen would cost at least six or seven hundred. I'm giving you more than fifty percent off, and I'll throw in ten attribute-free raw stones for free. Those are used for inscriptions, too. How about it?"

People who could become inscriptionists were truly few and far between. Ordinary people had no use for inscription pens.

Professional inscriptionists, meanwhile, spent large sums on specially commissioned high-end inscription pens.

As a result, no one had shown any interest in the stallholder's secondhand entry-level inscription pen.

Now that someone had finally asked about it, he was determined to sell it, even if he made no profit.

Xu Jintang deliberately hesitated for a while before pretending to throw caution to the wind. "One hundred and fifty star coins. If that works, I'll buy it right now. If I really become an inscriptionist, I'll come back to buy materials from you."

The stallholder looked visibly pained, but still nodded. "Deal!"

He didn't take Xu Jintang's words to heart, though.

Becoming an inscriptionist was hardly that easy.

Xu Jintang paid and contentedly put the inscription pen and freebies into her spatial bracelet.

After leaving the secondhand market, Xu Jintang returned to the academy.

The academy provided students with free single dorm rooms, one per person. Each was linked to its occupant's identity and required a card swipe to enter, so the privacy was fairly good.

Xu Jintang locked the door, sat down at her desk, and took out the inscription pen and attribute-free raw stones.

An attribute-free raw stone was a thumb-sized white stone. Inscription Talismans were made by carving formation diagrams onto these stones.

The Inscriptionist Association had officially published some basic Inscription Talisman formation diagrams online. She found a defensive inscription formation diagram and set out a raw stone.

Once everything was ready, Xu Jintang began calling for someone.

"Brother Long, Brother Long, do you know how to make inscriptions? Teach me."

Woken by the noise, the Ice Soul Dragon said, "...How would I know how to make you humans' things?"

Xu Jintang looked skeptical. "Aren't you the world's only divine beast? How come you don't know anything?"

The Ice Soul Dragon had no choice but to offer guidance. "First, try condensing your star-attribute mental power into threads and channeling them into the inscription pen. Then use the pen to trace the formation diagram over the raw stone. That should be how it works."

"I'll try."

Two seconds later, strands of blue thread extended from Xu Jintang's palm and flowed into the inscription pen.

The inscription pen instantly flickered with a faint glow.