章 129: CH143 - CH146
CH143
Helag understood the risks and had no intention of acting recklessly.
From Brack's description, sneaking from the Barren Lands into the Land of Dawn without permission was akin to illegal immigration.
If caught, there wouldn't be any "sending you back"—you'd be killed on the spot.
Helag had no doubt that the wizards of the Land of Dawn had the power to do so. They occupied better lands with superior conditions.
Over the years, with a larger population of wizards, they created a positive cycle where more talented wizards continuously emerged.
Helag finally understood why Augustus Academy was so unique. Not only did no one dare provoke them, but they also mediated conflicts between wizard organizations.
Even their internal workings were open, allowing other wizards to visit.
All of this was due to their powerful backing and strength.
Helag made a mental note of this. Although he currently had no way to reach the Land of Dawn, he would seize any opportunity in the future.
Being able to cultivate in a place with better conditions was obviously ideal, and Helag had no reason not to go.
Brack sighed. "Honestly, a talented person like you would have much better prospects there. Unfortunately, there are too many restrictions. Over the years, I've seen countless brilliant wizards stuck at the first-level crystallization stage, unable to break through to the second level. In the Land of Dawn, advancing to a second-level wizard is relatively easier."
"They have abundant resources and the power to plunder other planes. As long as you're talented enough, you'll never lack resources. But here in the Barren Lands, we don't have those conditions. Most people struggle just to become formal wizards, let alone advance to the second level."
"This is also a way for the Land of Dawn to control the Barren Lands. Without enough resources, we'll never have the power to surpass their control."
Helag nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Mr. Brack, for explaining this to me."
He finally realized why wizards like Dino and Malcolm remained stuck at the crystallization stage.
Helag had originally thought that the threshold for becoming a second-level wizard was simply too high, preventing these talented wizards from advancing.
Now, it was clear that the lack of resources severely limited their progress.
"Dino's constant voyages at sea—could he be searching for a solution?" Helag suddenly wondered.
If they couldn't find resources on land, they might turn to the sea.
Helag asked, "Since this wizard array was purchased from the Land of Dawn, does that mean you have some channels of communication with them?"
Brack nodded. "We do, through intermediaries. There are always some resource transactions, but they sell to us at exorbitant prices."
He gritted his teeth as he spoke, clearly frustrated by the high costs.
It made sense, though. The Land of Dawn controlled most of the resources and could set whatever prices they wanted when selling to the Barren Lands. There were no other options.
"Let's go inside and talk more." Brack smiled and put away the map, leading the way.
Helag followed closely behind, while Pete drove the carriage at the rear.
As Helag passed through the castle gates, he felt a wave of magical energy sweep over him.
Brack turned and explained, "That's part of the wizard array's scanning system. It checks for hidden threats like evil spirits or lingering resentments. Those things are usually well-concealed and troublesome to deal with."
"I see," Helag nodded.
He had once harbored a hidden evil spirit, and Moonlight Forest likely had similar defenses, but they hadn't detected it.
If not for Lady Moran helping him remove the spirit, Kent Valley's array might not have caught it either.
***
The path through Kent Valley started narrow but opened up after a few hundred meters.
Before Helag was a vast plain, divided into numerous plots like farmland, each growing different types of plants.
Scattered among the fields were wooden huts, likely homes for the people who tended the crops.
Brack introduced the area. "From here on, this is the Terchy family's potion garden. We produce a large quantity of potion ingredients every year, which we sell to various wizard organizations and families."
"Besides that, we also make finished potions for sale, or we take commissions to craft potions for others. These are some of the tasks you'll likely be involved in."
"This potion garden is huge. Can I buy ingredients for my own use?" Helag asked.
With such a large potion garden, Helag no longer had to worry about lacking materials for his experiments.
The only question was what the rules were.
Brack laughed. "You're truly a dedicated potion master. Of course, you can buy ingredients. Most of the materials here are available for your use. You just need to follow the proper procedures and record what you take. The cost will be deducted from your earnings."
"Oh, by the way, your monthly salary is 100 magic stones. If you take on potion-making tasks, you'll earn commissions for each one. In fact, most of a potion master's income comes from these orders. You'll also find that the prices for materials here are much lower than market prices. You'll be surprised at how cheap they are."
Helag smiled. "That sounds great."
Since this was the source of the materials, it made sense that the prices would be low.
Helag was just one person, and no matter how much he used, it wouldn't make a dent in the Terchy family's resources.
Besides, this was part of the cost of nurturing a potion master.
A monthly salary of 100 magic stones was more than enough for Helag.
He had never asked Larry about the salary because his main goal in coming here was to find a safe environment to grow. The salary was the least of his concerns.
Plus, Helag trusted that Larry wouldn't treat him unfairly.
"That's mandrake over there, and those are stone-root herbs…"
Brack led Helag along the paths between the fields, introducing the various potion ingredients. Helag made a mental note of each one.
"Alright, you'll have time to familiarize yourself later. Let's head to your new residence."
Brack led Helag to a wide crossroads and then turned north.
"This will be your home from now on," Brack said, stopping in front of a castle and turning to face Helag.
CH144
The castle looked ancient, and its style dates back at least seven or eight hundred years.
Spanning over 6,000 square meters, the castle was vast yet eerily quiet, with no signs of activity.
"This castle belonged to the noble family who originally owned Kent Valley. No one lives here now; it's always been empty. The apprentices and servants aren't worthy of living here, and I wouldn't say I like it—it's too big. What do you think?" Brack asked.
Helag was pleased. "It's quite nice. I like it."
For others, the castle might feel too empty and quiet, unsuitable for long-term living. But for Helag, it was perfect. He enjoyed solitude without interruptions.
Being alone made many things more convenient.
"Let's take a look inside," Brack said, leading Helag into the castle.
The castle had many buildings. Helag chose the innermost part as his bedroom and laboratory.
"I'll arrange for two servants to help with daily chores. They'll live in the gatehouse at the entrance," Brack said.
"Thank you. I really like this place," Helag replied.
Brack smiled. "I was worried you'd find it lifeless. I'm glad you like it. I'll be in the courtyard to the east. If you need anything, just come find me. The servants will handle food, clothes, and other necessities."
After Brack left, a man and a woman arrived.
The man, Lennon, was forty, skilled in driving and horse care, responsible for errands and messages.
The woman, Mary, in her thirties, handled cooking, laundry, and cleaning.
"Just do your jobs, and don't enter the inner castle without my permission," Helag instructed.
They bowed in acknowledgement.
Helag noted their physical state. They seemed fine, but their appearance didn't match their age.
Both were in their thirties or forties, yet their hair was already greying.
In Kent Valley, only wizards or apprentices lived there. Ordinary people suffered from radiation, shortening their lifespan.
Servants were expendable to the Terchy family, and no one cared about their longevity.
Only someone like Pete, a Grand Knight, could withstand the radiation due to his physical strength.
This was because there were few formal wizards in Kent Valley, mostly apprentices.
If Pete were in a place like Moonlight Forest, full of formal wizards, he'd need anti-radiation potions to avoid a shortened lifespan.
Lennon returned with a carriage, now Helag's, for travel.
He unloaded many items, including bedding and other essentials.
The castle had been cleaned, but Mary meticulously tidied every corner of the inner castle.
She dared not slack off, picking up even a single hair to throw away.
Mary had more tasks ahead. Lennon would bring vegetables, some for storage in the cellar, others for pickling and drying.
There were also meats and smoked fish to store. Helag might not eat much, but it was essential to have supplies.
Helag explored the castle, checking each room and planning its future use.
Finding a spacious basement, he decided to set up his lab there, as it was more secluded and soundproof.
He took out some lab equipment from his space ring, quickly organizing the basement into a makeshift lab.
***
A few days later, in the basement.
Helag was now fully familiar with the castle and had discovered two hidden rooms, though they were empty.
The castle was running smoothly. Mary placed meals on the designated table at mealtimes.
Tonight, Helag would begin the most crucial step: practising Great Dark Heaven.
Before him, a glass container held a potion-soaked black leg.
In the past, practitioners of Great Dark Heaven consumed the flesh of their target to absorb its bloodline power.
Helag didn't need such primitive methods. With his lab equipment and Deep Blue's help, he could extract the bloodline without eating the limb.
The black creature's leg remained active, not decaying.
Helag extracted it, infused it with magic, and drained the blood into a beaker.
The next step was tedious: removing impurities from the blood with magic.
With Deep Blue's assistance, Helag slowly eliminated the impurities.
An hour later, only pure red blood remained in the beaker.
Helag channelled magic into the Great Dark Heaven spell model, a stone tablet's phantom appearing behind him.
With a thought, the blood was absorbed into the stone tablet's phantom.
The bloodline power spread from the tablet, merging with Helag's own bloodline.
Helag felt pain throughout his body, indicating the bloodline power was being absorbed and integrated.
An hour later, Helag opened his eyes, a spark of electricity flashing within them.
"Deep Blue, analyze my body."
[Helag Merlin:
Strength 16.5
Agility 17.3
Constitution 17.4
Spirit 42.2
Mana 100%.]
All his stats had improved significantly, especially agility, which rose to 17.
This was just the physical enhancement from absorbing the bloodline power, without using the power itself.
After absorbing the black creature's bloodline, Helag gained a new innate ability: control over lightning, called Lightning Mastery.
Through bloodline power, Helag could stimulate his muscles with lightning, greatly enhancing his speed, defence, and strength.
He also learned that as his bloodline power grew stronger, he could cover his entire body with lightning, further boosting his speed and strength.
There were two ways to enhance bloodline power: absorbing more of the same type of bloodline or increasing his own strength, which would gradually reveal the hidden power within his bloodline.
CH145
[Special mark detected,] Deep Blue suddenly alerted.
Hearing the prompt, Helag glanced at his chest, noticing a black mark.
The mark resembled a humanoid figure with wings, though the details were unclear, showing only a simple shape.
"Deep Blue, what is this?" Helag asked.
Deep Blue responded, [Retrieving data, searching for related information…]
Ten seconds later.
[Based on data analysis, there is a 97.7% probability that this is a bloodline mark. Typically, a bloodline mark is found only in the most original and pure bloodline of a lineage.]
[Since the subject absorbed a black creature with a trace of the Primordial Thunder God's bloodline, it is hypothesized that the subject awakened the true Primordial Thunder God bloodline during absorption.]
Deep Blue provided the data-driven conclusion.
"The true Primordial Thunder God bloodline?"
Helag suddenly understood. The black creature had only a faint trace of the Primordial Thunder God's bloodline, which was already very diluted.
Typically, even if he absorbed the black creature's bloodline, most of the power would be from the creature itself.
However, Helag had awakened the Primordial Thunder God bloodline, meaning he was now a direct descendant of that lineage, a true bloodline holder.
"What does this bloodline mark do?" Helag continued to inquire.
Deep Blue provided the information: [A bloodline mark generally conceals more core bloodline power. The holder can activate the mark to gain stronger bloodline power.]
"Activate?"
Helag focused his thoughts, connecting with the Primordial Thunder God mark on his chest.
The mark quickly reacted, emitting a black glow.
Starting from the mark, his skin began turning black, seemingly spreading to cover his entire body.
Helag patiently awaited the transformation, but unexpectedly, the blackness was suppressed by some force, retracting back into the mark.
At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, as if the world around him was rejecting him—a completely new experience.
Once the blackness fully retracted, the sense of rejection vanished.
"I see… I understand now."
Recalling his experiences in the Abyss Plane, Helag realized.
The Primordial Thunder God's bloodline power belonged to the Abyss Plane, which was suppressed and rejected by the world will in the wizarding world.
In other words, Helag found it difficult to use the true Primordial Thunder God bloodline power in this plane.
After two more attempts, he confirmed that an unknown force was suppressing him, preventing the activation of the bloodline mark.
"It seems I'll have to wait until I return to the Abyss Plane to test this bloodline's true power."
With no success after two attempts, Helag temporarily abandoned activating the mark.
Unable to activate the bloodline mark, Helag began testing his existing bloodline power.
With a thought, he channelled the bloodline power, causing sparks of electricity to flicker across his skin.
[Strength +1.2,
Agility +2.3,
Constitution +1.7]
Deep Blue synchronized the data on the bloodline power's enhancements.
Helag continued channelling the bloodline power, the electric sparks increasing, even making his hair stand on end.
[Strength +5.3,
Agility +5.7,
Constitution +5.5]
This was the current enhancement the bloodline could provide, though the improvements weren't substantial.
Helag needed to continue absorbing the Primordial Thunder God bloodline or further enhance his strength to unlock more bloodline power.
However, he wasn't limited to absorbing only the Primordial Thunder God's bloodline. Great Dark Heaven could absorb any bloodline power.
After verifying the bloodline power, Helag began casting other spells, recording the data.
He started with various zero-level attack spells.
[Small Fireball: 2.5 units]
[Magic Missile: 1.7 units]
[Ice Spike: 2.9 units]
[Ice Arrow: 1.5 units]
.
.
Each zero-level spell showed significant improvement in attack strength.
Helag still lacked first-level attack spells, but that couldn't be rushed. It would take time.
He planned to ask Brack to contact the Terchy family's channels to see if he could purchase some suitable first-level spells.
He currently had over 2,000 magic stones, which seemed like a lot, but first-level spells were expensive.
Helag couldn't spend it all on spells; he needed to keep some reserves.
Now that he had left Moonlight Forest, many things weren't as easy to obtain.
Rare potion and casting materials, if they suddenly appeared, would be gone in a flash if he didn't have enough magic stones to buy them.
So he needed to maintain a certain amount of magic stone savings for emergencies.
"Absolute Defense!"
After testing all the attack spells, Helag moved on to his strongest defensive spell.
As a third-level apprentice, it had a defence strength of 18 units. Now, he wondered how strong it was.
"Deep Blue, calculate the strength of Absolute Defense."
[After calculation, the estimated strength of Absolute Defense is 45 units]
"45 units… I can withstand Malcolm's Blood Hand spell twice now." Helag was satisfied with the result.
Malcolm was a first-level crystallized wizard, and the Blood Hand spell seemed to be his commonly used first-level spell.
In terms of attack strength, Blood Hand wasn't Malcolm's strongest attack spell.
But it indicated that a first-level crystallized wizard's normal spell attack strength was around 20 units.
Helag's zero-level attack spells were all below 3 units in strength.
"I wonder what strength my first-level spells would have?" Helag guessed that even with first-level spells, his strength wouldn't exceed 10 units.
After verifying Absolute Defense's strength, Helag applied some blood to his palm: "Rage of the Blood Bull."
He continued testing various enhancement spells on himself.
With each enhancement spell applied, Helag monitored the changes in his stats.
.
.
[Helag Merlin:
Strength 26.1(3.1)(3.3)(3.2)
Agility 24.5(2.1)(2.2)(2.9)
Constitution 26.3(4.3)(4.6)
Spirit 42.2]
.
.
.
With all the enhancement spells stacked, Helag's stats reached an impressive level.
He believed that with these stats, Malcolm would find it much harder to kill him.
The only drawback was that while his physical stats were high, they might not counteract all the strange spell techniques.
At least Malcolm wouldn't engage him in close combat.
"Not enough, let's add the bloodline power."
Helag closed his eyes, channelling the Primordial Thunder God bloodline power.
As electricity coursed through him, his stats rose again.
[Strength 31.4
Agility 30.2
Constitution 30
Spirit 42.2]
CH146
After using his bloodline power, Helag's strength, agility, and constitution all surpassed thirty points.
He casually clenched his fist, feeling the explosive power within.
Helag felt he could easily take down the mammoth in Creek Valley Town with an average attribute of thirty points with a single punch.
Even against Malcolm, he believed that if he got close enough and caught Malcolm off guard, he could seriously injure him.
This level of power was beyond what an ordinary body could withstand.
"I wonder what kind of power I'll have when I activate the bloodline mark in the Abyss Plane," Helag mused, though he suppressed the urge.
The Abyss Plane was too dangerous to venture into recklessly.
The Land of Dawn's separation from the Barren Lands provided Helag with a relatively safe environment, free from the threat of encountering second or third-level wizards.
After advancing to the first level, Helag's current abilities gave him a degree of self-protection.
"I wonder how long until the energy is fully charged."
Helag glanced at the plane coordinate mark on his palm, noting it was more solid than before, indicating some energy had been replenished.
He attempted to communicate with it, but the feedback showed it wasn't enough yet.
For his next journey to the Abyss Plane, Helag knew he needed to be well-prepared.
***
The next morning, Lennon waited quietly outside the inner castle.
The two servants had learned that if they needed Helag, they should wait outside the inner castle.
Helag noticed him immediately, knowing there was something to report, and left the basement.
"Sir, Master Brack asked me to tell you that he'll take you to tour the potion fields this afternoon," Lennon reported.
Helag nodded. "Alright, I understand."
Brack hadn't contacted him in the past few days, leaving Helag to focus on his cultivation and research.
***
In the afternoon, Brack arrived outside the castle and smiled upon seeing Helag waiting at the gate. "How are you settling in? Let me know if you need anything."
Helag replied, "I'm doing well, no issues. There is something I could use your help with."
"What is it?" Brack asked.
"I'd like to purchase some first-level spells. Do you have any channels for that?" Helag expressed his request.
Brack nodded. "Sure, that's no problem. What type of spells are you looking for?"
Helag considered. "Preferably shield spells, attack spells, or enhancement spells. What's the usual price range?"
"The prices vary greatly. The cheapest might be seventy or eighty magic stones, but some first-level spells can cost over a thousand."
Brack continued, "I'll inquire for you. Once I have specific spells and prices, you can decide."
"Thank you, Mr. Brack!" Helag said gratefully.
Brack waved it off. "We're all family here; it's no big deal. If I couldn't even help you with this, I'd have no face to keep you here."
"You're too kind, Mr. Brack," Helag chuckled.
He knew that staying here was the best option.
His main reason for coming was to escape Malcolm's threat, with work being secondary.
"Let's go check out the potion fields."
They chose to walk rather than ride.
Horses were forbidden in the potion fields due to the narrow paths between the plots. A runaway horse could cause significant damage.
"There are over seven hundred plots currently cultivated, with someone overseeing each section. These are mostly first-level wizard apprentices or knight-level ordinary people."
As they walked through the fields, Brack explained the setup.
The wooden huts Helag had seen housed those tending the fields.
Their job was to plant potion seeds and monitor the growth of potion materials, addressing any issues promptly.
If they couldn't resolve a problem, they reported it to Pete, who would then inform Brack.
Now, with Helag, he would also be notified.
With the knowledge he gained in Moonlight Forest, Helag found managing basic potion material growth easy, as it was fundamental to herbalism and potion-making.
"Deep Blue, record the details of each plot, including the types, quantities, and growth status of potion materials.
[Task archived and in progress]
In Helag's mind, a 3D map of the potion fields appeared, marking each plot's materials and growth status.
Brack spent several hours showing Helag around the fields, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the area.
"Larry mentioned he sent some books, still on the way, all related to potion-making. They're for you. Once you get them, you can study more advanced potion-making knowledge," Brack said.
Helag nodded. "I'll study them carefully."
His current knowledge was sufficient for making ordinary potions, but he needed to learn about high-level potions like ancient potions.
With his current mental power, Helag was ready to make higher-level potions.
These high-level potions were the main income source for potion masters.
On the outskirts of the potion fields was a large flat area.
Here, over thirty people, responsible for managing the fields, stood.
Helag and Brack stood before them, and Brack introduced him. "This is First-Level Wizard Helag Merlin, one of your future managers, responsible for overseeing the potion fields."
The group turned their attention to Helag, surprised by his youth and somewhat youthful appearance, firmly remembering him.
For these wizard apprentices with limited talent, working for a pure-blood wizard family like the Terchy family was a great opportunity, one they cherished.
To them, a formal wizard was someone to look up to.
Helag smiled and nodded, observing their condition.
Most appeared healthy and energetic, indicating the food here was adequate.
To the west of Kent Valley were rows of wooden huts, their homes, which seemed to be in good condition.
The Terchy family, wealthy and generous, treated their workers well, not as slaves.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット