Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

”Modifications and innovations?” Amiditch said lightly. ”Feel free. Those runes have existed for years; making any meaningful changes is an incredibly difficult task.”

”The only reason the school has such a requirement is to keep you all from simply inheriting knowledge without a second thought, reaping what you haven’t sown. That sort of behavior is... quite similar to how you just wanted to get information for free...”

”...So in reality, it isn’t absolutely necessary to make modifications?”

’Four thousand gold pounds is a fortune. Isn’t it only right to feel the sting?’ Wei’en clenched his fists.

”With so many Wizards in the school, there are bound to be a few fools. But I imagine you aren’t one of them, are you, Group Leader Wei’en? After all, you’re the genius Wizard who created such a powerful Corpse Explosion Skill and Blink Spell.”

A glint of amusement flashed in Amiditch’s vertical pupils. ”These days, the talk about you has practically caused an uproar within the Phantoms.”

”Hm? What talk?” Wei’en asked, slow on the uptake.

”Ever since the school’s internal restructuring and the establishment of the various Research Centers, you’re the first genius Wizard that others have sworn allegiance to!”

Wei’en’s mouth slowly fell open. ”Swear allegiance... to me?”

”Hearing this news,” Amiditch broke into a wide grin, ”does it make you want to return to the school? Of course, for everyone who is captivated by your abilities, there will surely be someone who isn’t.”

”If you really were to return to the school, both glory and trouble would surely follow. When that happens...”

”I’m sorry, Director. I have no plans to return to the school for the time being.”

Wei’en shook his head, cutting him off.

At first, hearing he had followers was a novel experience, and he even felt a sliver of secret delight.

But the thought that those Wizards were only interested in the effects of his Magic made his happiness fade...

’What if someone forces me to produce my research notes on that Magic, or asks for my guidance? I’d be exposed, wouldn’t I?’

At that moment, he was immensely grateful for his original choice. ’Not returning to the school was the right decision!’

”The decision is yours, but regarding the study of Magic, let me give you a piece of advice.”

The smile on Amiditch’s face vanished. He extended a claw and tapped it for emphasis. ”Besides being concerned about Wizards getting something for nothing, the most fundamental reason you’re forced to modify and innovate Magic Runes is to prevent you from being influenced by the wills hidden within them.”

’Will?’

Wei’en’s heart skipped a beat. That was the same term the Clown had used before.

”Do such things really exist?”

”They do. And far more than you can imagine, especially some of the old monsters from the middle-to-late Third Era, and from the chaotic period of the last era.”

Amiditch’s gaze grew cold. ”They attach their essential will to knowledge, dreaming they might one day be revived. It’s just the same old trick used by rats hiding in the gutters.”

”Revived?”

”The specific methods involve a level of knowledge that is too profound for me—it’s not my area of expertise. But, as far as I know, some Wizards within the Phantoms have used such methods to revive themselves—”

’There are resurrected people?!’

Wei’en was shaken. He suddenly recalled a passage he had read before.

”Speaking of an attached essential will, is it possible to turn someone else’s very essence into a rune?”

”Oh?” Amiditch furrowed his brow, seemingly puzzled as to why he would ask such a question. ”Where did you read that?”

Wei’en subconsciously clenched his fist and answered vaguely, ”It was just a random thought.”

’He couldn’t very well tell him it was basic knowledge from an introduction to runology, could he?’

He was thinking of the famous declaration by a great Wizard from the mid-Third Era: ’Give me a little time, and I will turn a god into an Origin Rune!’

”That’s... a very good thought.”

Amiditch gave him a long, deep look. ”That is, in fact, the proper application of an attached essence. To put it simply, you erase its will, preserve only the Origin Power, and finally forge it into a single rune.”

’So there really is a method like that?’

Wei’en nodded, keeping his expression neutral. ’Looks like I stumbled upon the right idea by chance...’

”However, since this method was proposed, no one has ever actually managed to do it. Or perhaps, the great Wizard who proposed the theory succeeded, but failed to pass down the knowledge.”

At this, Amiditch looked at Wei’en and remarked emotionally, ”Perhaps those Wizards who wish to swear allegiance to you made the right choice. With your current level and accumulated knowledge, your future achievements may well surpass everyone’s imagination.”

”Director, you flatter me.”

”Alright, for the questions I just answered for you, the fee is a modest two hundred gold pounds.”

”...Are you serious?”

Wei’en was completely floored by that statement.

’Damn it, you’re charging me two hundred gold pounds for a few questions?!’

”Of course. In the world of Wizards, everything has a price,” Amiditch said with a wide grin. ”I look forward to our next meeting, Group Leader Wei’en.”

As his voice faded, his figure dissipated, and the communicator slowly went silent.

The only sound in the entire workshop was Wei’en’s increasingly heavy and ragged breathing.

”Damn it! Two hundred gold pounds! Why don’t you just go rob someone!?”

’Even robbery isn’t this fast, is it?’

Wei’en was deeply wounded by the intelligence director’s actions. ’Was it two questions or three? That’s an average of nearly a hundred gold pounds per question!’

’The man is a bandit! A thug! A gangster!’

Full of resentment, Wei’en wrote down the list of intelligence he wanted to purchase, added the damn consultation fee, and placed four thousand two hundred gold pounds directly into the blue and white box.

’Hmph! I’ll be keeping a tally of this!’

’You’re interested in intelligence on the Sea Crow Race, aren’t you?’

’Just you wait and see what I charge you then!’

Soon after the gold pounds were transported away, the blue and white box flickered to life. After a few muffled THUMPS, Wei’en opened the box and took out its contents.

He saw twenty full parchment scrolls. Fifteen contained information about the Black Pearl, and the other five were about the Sea Crow Race.

Wei’en eyed the pile of scrolls. ’So many... Never mind. I’ll read them when I have time.’

Right now, the top priority was to improve his strength. He could finish reading the intelligence over the next few days.

With that in mind, Wei’en took out another blank parchment, pulled up the exchange list for the Wizard-level, and began looking for knowledge related to Mechanical Puppets and the Flesh Enhancement Magic system.

Of course, he didn’t forget to also purchase some knowledge on mechanical modification, to be used for his future research combining it with undead modification.

Mechanical Puppet Substitute Technique: Within a certain range, the Caster can switch places with a Mechanical Puppet to have it block an attack in their stead. Exchange price: 680 gold pounds.

Mechanical Puppet Teleportation Technique: A spell that can teleport a Mechanical Puppet to a designated location, capable of ignoring distance and obstacles to some extent. Exchange price: 900 gold pounds.

...

Boiling Blood: Upon activation, increases the body’s explosive power. Exchange price: 730 gold pounds.

Heal: Rapidly recovers from physical injuries. Exchange...

Wei’en studied for over two hours. He even specifically purchased a guide to certain Magic Rune patterns before finally selecting the ones he needed.

He spent nearly two thousand gold pounds to acquire two spells from the Mechanical Puppet system and four from the Flesh Enhancement system.

”The average price for one spell is five hundred gold pounds, and that’s after a twenty percent discount...”

He had to admit, the price of knowledge at the Wizard level was more than ten times that of the apprentice level.

And it was all thanks to that damn intelligence fee!

If not for the treasures and gold pounds he’d just plundered from the Storm Hunter, plus the profits from making his Anomaly-Suppressing Potions, he would probably be back to his days of eating black bread by now.

But of his more than seven thousand gold pounds, only three hundred and thirty remained...

’Sigh. I really need to make more money.’

Wei’en glanced at the grandfather clock. Seeing that it was still a while before nightfall, he opened one of the Magic Scrolls he had just acquired and began to study how to draw the runes within.

[You have successfully drawn the Mechanical Substitute Technique (Death God) Rune. Special Reward: Survival Points +3, Spirit Level +1.]

[...]

[You have successfully drawn the Boiling Blood (Death God) Rune. Special Reward: Survival Points +3, Spirit Level +1.]

[You have successfully imprinted the Mechanical Substitute Technique (Death God) Rune. You have learned Mechanical Substitute Technique, Level 1. Evaluation: Congratulations, a very practical spell from the Mechanical Puppet system. Mechanics, heh heh heh... an excellent choice indeed. Special Reward: Spirit Level +1, Survival Points +2.]

[...]

[Congratulations, your Mechanical Substitute Technique (Death God) Magic has been raised to Level 3. Evaluation... Special Reward...]

P.S. Thank you to the great Bakalakameow for the tip, thank you so much!

Just one Chapter for today, I’m too tired. I’ll write more tomorrow.