Dark Forest to the north, ruins, Underground City.
"Sizzle!"
The torches on the walls burned fiercely, the leaping flames illuminating the expansive interior of the grand hall.
Beside a few towering stone pillars stood a circular altar constructed from human bones, dark stones, rotten wood, and various other materials. The altar was laden with an assortment of rare Magic Materials such as Deep Space Grass, Red Heart Flower, and Su Ya Water.
At this moment, Wizard Murphy, cloaked in a Black Robe, stood atop the altar, clutching a fresh, pulsating heart in his hand. His apprentice, Alfred, sat completely naked on the ground beside him.
Murphy’s palm slowly curled inward.
"Bang!"
The throbbing heart exploded in his hand, blood gushing through the gaps between his fingers and dripping to the ground.
Alfred, seated below, was drenched from head to toe in the blood, his skin painted red as it flowed across his body and onto the altar.
The altar was inscribed with intricate Mysterious Runes, which seemed to come alive as the blood reached them. One by one, the runes lit up with a dark red glow.
"The blood of a maiden, the skin of a villain... the heart of a nobleman..."
Murphy’s eyes flickered with an unstable light under the jumping flames—part excitement, part madness.
He turned to Alfred and said, "Just one step away, Alfred. Just one step, my finest student, and you will become a Wizard. Just one step left! Prepare yourself to accept this power!"
Alfred, equally thrilled, replied, "Yes, Mentor, I am ready!"
"Keh keh keh keh!"
Murphy chuckled. "Yes, I believe you are."
He produced a Magic Potion and handed it to Alfred. "Quickly, drink this. Then, I will initiate the Magic Blood Transfer Ritual to help you take that final step into becoming a Wizard!"
"A Wizard..."
Alfred’s eyes glimmered with an uncontrollable excitement. "Yes, Mentor!"
Grabbing the potion, he drank it in one gulp.
"Keh keh keh!"
Murphy’s laughter echoed through the cold and eerie Underground Palace, his shadow twisting and contorting grotesquely on the walls.
"Let’s begin!"
...
Shadow Land, Tree Bookstore.
"Welcome to the Silver Library. How may I assist you?" A ghost rose from the ground, bowing elegantly to Lynch. "I am the Book Spirit here; you may call me Frankie."
In this world, all things possessed a soul. It was a peculiar substance that, upon the death of living beings, would be carried off by Rule Power to the fabled Land of Reincarnation.
However, in special circumstances, Soul Bodies could circumvent Rule Power and linger long-term in this world, such as unique soul materials or when Wizards used certain peculiar Spells.
The Book Spirit before Lynch was one of the latter. Soul Bodies were convenient and useful; Wizards often used Spells to modify them so they could remain and perform various tasks. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Such souls had diverse functions: they could be integrated into weapons or equipment as Artifact Spirits, granting them enhanced power and intelligence. They could also be fused into a Wizard Tower to become a Witch Spirit, faithfully assisting in the tower’s management.
Lynch bowed in return. "A pleasure to meet you."
Frankie was exceedingly enthusiastic. "The pleasure is mine. It has been quite some time since we’ve had a new face visit here."
After a pause, he eagerly asked, "So, what kind of books are you looking for?"
Lynch nodded. "Yes, I’m looking for..."
He trailed off, momentarily hesitating, unsure of which book to choose.
There was so much he wanted to read: books about the mysterious characters in Richard’s booklet, High-level Biological Transformation, Bloodline fusion, and more. He was tempted to devour every single volume in this vast library.
Yet, paradoxically, having so many options made him unsure where to begin.
"I know!"
Before Lynch could come to a decision, Frankie suddenly wore an expression of understanding.
With a wave of his hand, he called, "Books, come forth!"
"Whoosh!"
Books flew off the shelves one by one, flapping their pages like birds. They gathered at Frankie’s feet, forming a towering stack of at least a dozen volumes.
Frankie said, "Are these what you’re looking for?"
I didn’t even know what I was looking for myself...
"Crack!"
Like the sound of shattering glass, the final barrier between apprentice and Wizard crumbled spectacularly.
The billowing black energy abruptly reversed its flow, surging into Alfred’s body. His Spiritual Field spiked upward in a dizzying, exponential ascent.
But his physical form began to show cracks—black fissures running across his surface, as though on the verge of bursting. Through the openings, flowing elements could be glimpsed within.
Despite this precarious state, despite appearing ready to explode at any moment, his Spiritual Field had undeniably achieved that long-coveted threshold—
Wizard!
"Huff... huff..." Heavy breaths echoed through the grand hall, the immense expenditure of spiritual energy leaving Murphy utterly drained.
But it had all been worth it!
Staring into Alfred’s gray eyes, Murphy felt an unprecedented surge of excitement and exultation.
It’s finally activated!
At long last... these eyes have been activated!
Overwhelmed, his entire body trembled as though electrified. He eagerly extended his withered hand toward Alfred’s eyes.
Ten centimeters... five centimeters...
His fingers were mere moments from touching Alfred’s eyelids.
But suddenly, Alfred, who had been motionless, raised his hand and grabbed Murphy’s arm.
...
Frankie said, "Once, a student like you came to this place. For countless nights, he combed through these texts, studying knowledge tied to gray eyes just like yours. Yes, he too possessed gray eyes like your own."
...
Murphy was stunned. How could this be? He had clearly given Alfred the highest dosage of the Deep Sleep Potion...
Before he could process it, Alfred abruptly opened his eyes.
In those gray pupils appeared a peculiar rune, a twisted symbol.
A grim and terrifying smile spread across his severely cracked face.
Gripping Murphy’s hand, Alfred spoke in an icy tone devoid of former reverence, "Old fool! Did you really think I didn’t know what schemes you were up to?"
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