บท 47: A Statue!
Leonard used his Mage's Hand to lift the man into the air, shaking him like a rag doll. There was no resistance; his body hung limply, lifeless. But as Leonard jostled him, something heavy fell to the ground with a dull 'thud.'
Curious, Leonard walked over to inspect it and froze. It was a bronze statue, massive and intricate, standing about half his height. 'How in the world was that guy carrying something so large?' he wondered.
The statue had a peculiar design, a mermaid-like figure with tiny scales covering its surface and ring-shaped suction cups dotting its body. Its face was indistinct, a blurred and uneven mass of bumps that gave it an eerie, unfinished appearance. Long, kelp-like tendrils draped from its shoulders, and it was adorned with strange clothing crafted from shells, corals, and pearls. The artistry was bizarre, almost alien.
As Leonard examined it, his gaze lingered a moment too long. His mind grew hazy, and a strange fog clouded his thoughts.
"This… this must be a treasure," he murmured, entranced.
Suddenly, a jolt of clarity snapped him back to reality. A sharp, cold sensation coursed through his mind, clearing the fog. Leonard blinked and took a shaky step back, his heart pounding as he stared at the statue in fear.
'What is this thing?' he thought. 'I almost lost myself just by looking at it.'
He cautiously glanced at it again, this time from the corner of his eye. The effect was much weaker now, likely because the statue's strange influence had already been dispelled once. Still, even a second look made his head throb faintly.
"This statue," Leonard muttered to himself, "must be why that guy was so unnaturally resilient."
Without hesitation, he slipped the statue into his space ring, determined to deal with it later. For now, he needed answers, answers only his teacher could provide.
---
As Leonard made his way back, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Standing in the moonlight up ahead was a familiar figure. The man's face was hidden beneath the hood of a cloak, only his sharp chin visible in the pale glow.
"Leonard," the figure called.
"Teacher," Leonard said, startled to see Alfonso here.
"I sensed that the soul protection spell I placed on you was destroyed," Alfonso said, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
Leonard hesitated for a moment before retrieving the bronze statue from his space ring. As soon as Alfonso's eyes fell on it, he stilled, recognizing it instantly.
"So, it's one of these," Alfonso said, his tone unreadable. "A statue of an Old God. This is… far beyond your level right now."
"An Old God?" Leonard repeated, the words unfamiliar and heavy with implication.
"It's no secret," Alfonso began. "There were gods in this world once, long before the age of wizards. Most of them have since been captured, sealed, or destroyed by wizards. Only one remains free." He gestured to the moon above them. "She's still hanging up there, watching."
Leonard tilted his head, gazing at the moon. For a brief moment, he thought he could make out the faint outline of a woman, her features obscured, staring down from the lunar glow.
"The gods of the old times," Alfonso continued, "are known as Old Gods. And yes, there are also New Gods, though that's another story."
"The statue," Alfonso said, pointing at the bronze figure in Leonard's hands, "contains a fragment of the Sea God's power. Through it, one could theoretically communicate with that god. The only question is—'which' Sea God?"
"There's more than one?" Leonard asked, intrigued.
"Of course. The God of Deep Sea Storms, the God of Tides, the Lord of Monsoons," Alfonso rattled off several names. "There are many, each ruling over different aspects of the sea."
Leonard frowned, trying to process it all. "So, what now?"
"Now?" Alfonso said, his voice hardening. "It's too early for you to meddle with gods. You're not ready."
But Leonard caught something in Alfonso's tone, a subtle suggestion that wizards dealing with gods wasn't unusual. "It sounds like wizards… deal with gods often," Leonard probed.
"Of course we do," Alfonso replied, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Gods are more than just deities; they're resources. Divine essence, divine power, divine fire, divine duties, these are all invaluable. For a wizard, they're prime experimental materials."
The words sent a chill down Leonard's spine. Experimenting on gods? It was a thought that defied reason, yet Alfonso spoke as though it were routine. The statue in Leonard's possession suddenly felt far heavier, and the path ahead seemed far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
Leonard pondered Alfonso's words, slowly piecing together the implications. From just a few sentences, he had gained a profound understanding of the immense power wizards held in this world.
'Gods can be captured and sealed?' The thought sent a shiver down his spine. 'How powerful must wizards be to reach such heights?' While the strongest wizards subjugated gods, weaker ones exploited their remnants.
"You're not even a formal wizard yet," Alfonso said, his tone sharp. "Your wizard's heart isn't condensed, and you lack the mental fortitude to resist the allure of a god's power."
Leonard glanced at the statue, realizing its danger. 'If I keep this, it could easily become a ticking time bomb.'
Alfonso raised his right hand, purple light swirling in his palm. "Let me seal it for you," he said. The light coalesced into a glowing formation, encasing the statue in intricate layers of purple seals. The formations shimmered like a net, trapping the statue securely.
Finally, the light dimmed, leaving faint purple traces on the statue's surface. Subtle and easy to overlook, they hummed with restrained power.
"Thank you, Teacher," Leonard said, placing the sealed statue back into his space ring.
Alfonso's gaze shifted to the corpse lying nearby. "A corrupted believer," he muttered, instantly recognizing its nature.
He turned back to Leonard, his tone cold. "If you hadn't resisted the statue's influence, you would've ended up like that wretch or worse. You might've become a polluted priest."
Alfonso's eyes narrowed. "Cherish your life, Leonard. Don't provoke forces you can't handle, especially before completing the mission I've given you."
"I understand, Teacher," Leonard replied, sensing the underlying concern in Alfonso's words. If anything happened to him, the task would remain undone.
Alfonso's expression softened, and he offered a rare compliment. "You're making excellent progress."
Leonard's mental strength had grown faster than Alfonso anticipated. He could sense the faint waves of mental energy radiating from Leonard's mind; imperceptible to ordinary people but glaringly obvious to a wizard of his caliber.
"Wizard apprentices are divided into three levels," Alfonso began. "First-level apprentices have at least 5 points of standard mental power and must master one spell. Second-level apprentices require 10 points and must know at least three spells. Third-level apprentices need 20 points and five spells, including at least one first-level spell."
"These are the general standards in the wizarding world," he continued. "But each academy sets its own additional criteria. Wandering wizard apprentices follow the general standards, while academy-certified apprentices are issued badges to mark their rank."
Leonard quickly did the math. With his current mental power and spell mastery, he likely met the criteria for a first-level wandering apprentice.
"My original goal for you was to reach the level of a second-level apprentice before boarding the ship," Alfonso said, his eyes glinting. "But now, I suspect you'll exceed my expectations."
Leonard's heart skipped. Alfonso's words carried weight, suggesting both confidence and a challenge.
"When you've fully mastered the Earth Ring Meditation Method," Alfonso added, "come see me. I'll teach you a more advanced meditation method."
Leonard nodded but felt a flicker of unease. Becoming a second-level apprentice seemed achievable, but reaching the third level felt like an entirely different beast. He knew the Earth Ring Meditation Method, even at its peak, could only bring him up to 10 points of mental strength.
His strong mental power wasn't solely from the meditation method, it came from something else entirely, something Leonard had been careful to keep hidden. The thought made his pulse quicken.
'Until I've completely mastered the Earth Ring Meditation Method, it's best to avoid my teacher,' he decided. Alfonso might have noticed too much already. Leonard wasn't ready for those questions, not yet.
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