บท 4: Life Occupation!
Leonard climbed the creaking wooden stairs, the leather-bound notebook clutched tightly in his hands. The faint smell of old wood and candle wax filled the narrow corridor as he returned to his room on the first floor. Once inside, Leonard shut the door softly behind his and sat by the small desk, placing the notebook in front of his.
His fingers ran over the leather cover, feeling its worn texture, the cracks and creases told of the age and use of the book. The book carried the weight of history, its faded heen catching the dim light. With a deep breath, Leonard opened it, his curiosity outweighing any sense of fatigue.
The pages were filled with dense, handwritten notes, but the beginning surprised his. It wasn't just a collection of facts and diagrams, it was written like a journal.
---
"Year 4670 of the Seventh Age of Wizarding, 13th Month, 5th Day.
Today I attended my first mutation course at the academy. It's a pity I joined late; this course has already been running for a month, and I don't understand many of the terms the professor uses. But I will study hard. After all, this course cost me ten magic stones, and it is my only hope.
Marlin told me that my sister's condition might be related to a curse caused by mutation infection. If I can master this field, I might find a way to save her."
---
Leonard leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing in thought. 'The Seventh Age of Wizarding?' he mused. 'That's a time I've never heard of. Is this how wizards measure time in this world?'
The mention of the "thirteenth month" intrigued him, though he had long grown accustomed to this world's peculiar calendar. In this place, a year consisted of thirteen months, each with exactly thirty days, totaling 390 days annually. It wasn't a difficult adjustment, just twenty days longer than what he remembered from his previous life.
But what truly caught his attention was the mention of an 'academy.' Alfonso's notes suggested a structured institution where wizards studied and shared knowledge, a concept far removed from the isolated and secretive life his teacher currently led.
'So, my teacher isn't entirely self-taught,' Leonard thought with mild amusement. 'I had assumed his knowledge came solely from personal experimentation. Who would have guessed he was once a student like me?'
He turned the page, eager for more.
---
"Year 4670 of the Seventh Age of Wizarding, 13th Month, 10th Day.
With Marlin's help and hours spent in the academy's library, I can now begin to grasp what the teacher is saying during lectures. Today was productive, and I've made great progress. But my sister's condition is worsening. Time is running out. Alfonso, you must work harder. She is your only family, and she is depending on you.
I both love and hate this place. The academy is a treasure trove of knowledge, but it is so cold here. Interactions between wizards are dictated by strict rules of exchange, knowledge for knowledge, service for service. There is no warmth, no camaraderie, only the constant negotiation of benefits."
---
Leonard's lips twitched into a small smile. 'So, the cold, detached Alfonso I know was once a desperate young man, full of determination and even... kindness?' The idea of his aloof teacher worrying about a sibling or struggling to fit in at the academy was almost hard to believe.
He flipped further through the book, but the personal diary entries began to thin out. In their place were meticulous notes and observations, diagrams of cells, sketches of grotesque creatures, and formulas scrawled alongside calculations. The content grew progressively more advanced, leading Leonard deeper into the intricacies of mutation science.
---
Mutation science, as the notes explained, was a vast field, closely intertwined with hemology, the study of blood. The relationship between the two was like that of biology and chemistry in his previous life, distinct yet inseparable.
A master of mutation science, the notes stressed, must also excel in hemology. Conversely, an expert in blood studies needed a strong foundation in mutation science. Both disciplines revolved around the analysis and manipulation of extraordinary creatures; beings with magical abilities, existing across various planes of existence.
The process of mutation science included research, dissection, transplantation, replication, and forced evolution. Leonard realized that Alfonso's current research was likely a continuation of these principles, his experiments aimed at creating potions to replicate the powers of extraordinary beings, like the Lizardman serum he had seen in action.
---
Leonard read on, captivated. The more he absorbed, the more the seemingly impenetrable world of mutation science began to make sense. Concepts that once felt alien were now falling into place, as if puzzle pieces were slotting together in his mind.
Suddenly, a faint black message appeared in the corner of his vision:
"Mutation science learned. Life Occupation Panel unlocked."
Leonard blinked, momentarily startled. He turned his gaze inward, as if searching for the panel that had just been mentioned. his heart raced with anticipation.
Leonard stared at his attribute panel, his curiosity heightened as he noticed the new section labeled "Life Occupation."
---
Leonard
Level: 2 (1/100)
Physical Fitness: 1.32
Mental Strength: 2.0
Mastery:
- Earth Ring Meditation (7%)
Life Occupation:
- Level 1 Mutation Science (1%) (0/10)
General Experience: 90
---
A small plus sign glowed faintly next to 'Mutation Science'. Leonard's eyebrows arched in intrigue. Experimentally, he hovered over it and realized his general experience points could be allocated to his new life occupation.
"Ten points per percent?" Leonard murmured, calculating. "Not much, easy to earn back in a day."
After a moment of thought, he decided to test it. He tapped the plus sign, allocating ten general experience points.
The numbers flickered: (10/10) flahed briefly before resetting to (0/10). The Level 1 Mutation Science progress bar, however, climbed to 2%.
---
Leonard leaned back, processing the implications. "So, ten general experience points equal 1% progress," he muttered. "To reach Level 2 in Mutation Science, I'd need 1,000 points. Well... actually, 990 since I've already got 1% progress."
But then his thoughts shifted. "Wait... studying mutation science should also increase progress. If I can learn directly, I won't have to rely entirely on experience points. That might cut down the 'tuition fee.'"
---
As if in response to his realization, Leonard felt a subtle shift in his mind. It was as though a door creaked open in his consciousness. His meditation training had attuned him to such spiritual changes, and this felt significant, almost like a floodgate of knowledge being unlatched.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the strange sensation. Information poured in, intangible at first but quickly solidifying into something coherent. The abstract fragments coalesced into entry-level knowledge of mutation science, concepts and principles he had never encountered before.
Leonard opened his eyes slowly, his gaze sharpened by newfound understanding. "This... this is fascinating," he whispered.
The knowledge wasn't comprehensive, but it was a clear and structured introduction, filling in gaps in what he'd learned from Alfonso's notebook. While incomplete, it laid a strong foundation for deeper exploration.
---
"Mutation Science is a 'life profession,'" Leonard mused aloud, glancing back at the panel. "If that's the case, are Blood Science and Alchemy also life professions? And if so, what counts as a 'main profession'?"
He pondered this as the cool night air seeped into his room. Outside, the mountain loomed dark and silent, but the peace wouldn't last.
---
The Foot of the Mountain
A hunter clad in patched animal skins hacked away at the dense undergrowth with his hatchet, his breath visible in the cold air. His voice carried back to the group following him.
"I swear, the footprints I found last time went this way," he said, his tone huhed but urgent. "There's an abandoned house ahead; been empty for years. Folks say it's haunted. Could be where those missing people ended up."
Trailing behind him was a group of over a dozen people. Most were members of the town's security team, their torches casting flickering light on the narrow path. They wore leather armor and carried muskets, their faces grim.
At the front of the security team strode their leader, a knight clad in full iron armor. Despite the heavy metal plates, he moved with remarkable ease, as though the armor weighed no more than paper. He carried an oil lamp in one hand, its faint glow illuminating the broad sword strapped to his back.
The group ascended the eastern slopes of the mountain, a place rarely visited save by hunters and herbalists. The eerie quiet of the forest weighed on them as they pressed forward.
---
Halfway up the mountain, the hunter stopped and pointed ahead. "There it is," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The group stared at the dilapidated structure before them. The wooden house was in shambles, the outer walls covered in ivy, the fence long rotted away, and the courtyard overrun with weeds. The air around it felt heavy, as though the place itself resented their presence.
"This is it?" one of the guards spat, his frustration evident.
The heriff, a burly man with a musket slung over his back, stepped forward, his expression dark. "If you're lying to us, hunter, you'll regret it," he growled, gripping the barrel of his weapon.
The hunter raised his hands defensively. "I'm not lying! This place fits the description and I saw the tracks myself!"
The heriff glared but said nothing, glancing at the knight for instructions. The knight, unbothered by the tension, inspected the house from a distance, his eyes scanning for movement.
"Check the perimeter," the knight ordered, his voice calm but commanding.
The guards moved to comply, torches bobbing as they fanned out around the property. Meanwhile, the hunter lingered near the edge of the group, clearly uneasy.
---
The house loomed in the torchlight, a relic of some forgotten era. Inside, its secrets waited, and Leonard, unbeknownst to the approaching group; was about to find himself entangled in their search for the truth.
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