บท 17: Books
Kyle was surprised as soon as he saw the tray of food that Denise left for him. It doesn't seem similar to what the workers are eating.
Aside from the two pieces of buttered bread, there are two slices of meat and a cold pudding on the side.
Gulp…
As soon as he smelled the fragrance of meat, he no longer hesitated and started eating. It only took him less than ten minutes before putting down his spoon.
"Mhmm… It's tastier than I expected." Kyle nodded in satisfaction. He likes the flavorful meal for today.
After drinking water to cleanse his palate, he turned his eyes to the shelf as he wanted to read a book and see if his high intelligence affects his reading speed and reading comprehension.
'Ahh… I haven't finished the Guide to the Darkness yet.' Kyle recalled the book he brought to his room last night.
He then brought the cutleries back to the kitchen before returning to his room to read the book.
Since Mr. Heinz might return and give him some instructions about his improvement, he decided to return to the laboratory and wait for him while reading.
He then selected three books to read for the whole day…
Guide to the Darkness.
The Stimulation of Darkness.
Introduction to Dark Spells.
The first book, Guide to the Darkness, allowed him to learn how the Darkness Arcane Path helps practitioners get stronger without losing their humanity. It also shows how it differs from other Arcane Paths which is quite interesting for Kyle since the book listed a few experiences of their predecessors and their encounter with other Practitioners.
The book depicts the arduous path but it also shows the grandeur of those who persevered.
'Mhm… So those who practice Dark Arts can't increase their life span and still die of old age at around 70 to 80 years old. Their life is actually shorter than other paths. Furthermore, most of their high-level techniques consume the life force of the spellcaster… Although the offensive power of their spellcasters is several times more powerful than many elementalists, it's not worth the price unless it's a matter of life and death.'
Kyle mused as he realized that aside from the Necromancy Branch, the other Dark Arts Practitioners can only rely on very rare elixirs to increase their life span. The worst thing about this is that the book hinted that these elixirs weren't something they could make.
Most likely, it is from the Arcane Path of Alchemy Art or Holy Art. For those who had consumed the Darkness Possession Potion, any attempt to use normal alchemy wouldn't be successful at all and only Dark Alchemy will work on them.
At the end of the book, he noticed that there was a note saying that they previously have a way to increase their lifespan.
Unfortunately, one of the conditions for signing the Treaty of Keslore is to remove this technique from their heritage and stop the Dark Arts Practitioners from using this method.
'So it has been forbidden… Tsk. It's really flawed…' Kyle shook his head as he found many problems in this Darkness Path.
The book only noted that practicing this Art can lead to some side effects but it didn't really mention what the side effects are.
'Is insanity included in that? Or perhaps being cold-blooded?' Kyle mused as he recalled Mr. Heinz and Lesley's indifferent eyes when he was suffering.
***
The second book, The Stimulation of Darkness, taught him about various studies surrounding this Arcane Path.
Aside from Dark Alchemy and Necromancy, there are Rituals, Corruption, and Dark Magic.
The book gave brief information about these branches and Kyle couldn't help but like the Dark Magic.
The Rituals teaches long incantations and ceremonies, which can be very tiring. However, Dark Magic was spellcasting, and that's what he likes to learn!
Nevertheless, the main content of this book is the creation of the Practitioner's Magic Zone!
The Magic Zone is the area or limit where you can cast your Dark Spells or other techniques.
Depending on the strength of your Spirit, the size of your Magic Zone differs.
'So it's about the spirit… No wonder Mr. Heinz explained how difficult it was to get permission to drink that potion.'
The book then explains how to create the Magic Zone, but unfortunately, he can't understand how it works. If possible, he needed someone to demonstrate it for him.
In the end, he just decided to read the third book. Although he can't cast any spells because he hasn't developed his Magic Zone yet, he still has a good memory so once he has created his magic zone, he can immediately continue learning the Dark Spells.
***
It was already eight in the evening when he finished reading the books and he realized that he was indeed a fast reader.
Of course, he already noticed that he could read faster with the first book, but it still felt surreal as he looked at the thick books on the table.
Creak. Creak.
The door to the laboratory opened. Mr. Heinz finally arrived with a few things in his hand. He had changed his clothes and he seemed to have fully rested after making those three potions.
The other two potions were still on the desk but Kyle didn't dare to investigate them, afraid that they needed to be handled using some sort of magical ability he was unaware of.
"You're still here… Have you eaten your dinner, Kyle? I've brought some food with me." The old Mr. Heinz asked lovingly. It feels like he truly cares about him.
However, Kyle can already tell that this kind of care is similar to having a pet…
Yes. Looking at him now, he can subtly tell from his breathing, eyes, and subtle movements that this old man is truly looking at him as some sort of experiment subject that he needed to take care of.
Kyle exhaled as he gathered his thoughts.
"Yes… I just finished eating dinner. Denise brought it here." Kyle replied as he stood up to greet his master.
"Mhmm… I told her to serve you while you're staying here. If you need anything, just ask her."
Kyle finally understood why Denise was acting like that. She brought his lunch and dinner because she had become his servant!
'But why did she order me to return the tableware myself? Tsk...'
Kyle cleared his throat before he replied. "Yes, Master Heinz… Speaking of which, I'd like to learn how to establish my Magic Zone. Can I ask her to teach me?"
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