Chapter 115: Chapter 87: A Big Purchase, Can It All Be Learned?
Just as he’d expected, the analysis would only take 166 days—less than half the previous time.
Pei Ze understood. He casually halted the analysis task for the Thunder Burst Magic Tattoo.
For now, it was better to focus on analyzing the Elemental Rune.
Putting away the weapon, Pei Ze turned and left the Magic Laboratory.
Over the past few days, he had consecutively brewed three batches of Dragon Blood Potions and Blood Boiling Potions. He sold them on the Black Market and finally covered the shortfall in his Magic Stone Coins.
Afterward, he went to the General Affairs Department and exchanged all his Magic Stone Coins and remaining merit points for rare metals, finally gathering a standard-sized combination of them.
After letting Yin Xing absorb and fuse with them, its abilities had improved significantly in all aspects.
The Spiritual Power consumption was also reduced by about ten percent, which was satisfactory enough for Pei Ze.
However, the price he paid for this was that his entire fortune was nearly wiped out.
He had finally completed the analysis of the Flash Magic Tattoo, but now he couldn’t afford the materials needed to inscribe it.
After all, the materials required for the Flash Magic Tattoo were mostly very expensive Gemstones.
Pei Ze had calculated that all the materials combined would cost at least one hundred and twenty Magic Stone Coins.
He suddenly thought of Gu Lin.
That girl usually seemed stingy and was only willing to bet twenty Magic Stone Coins against him.
But in reality, she was the truly wealthy one.
’If someone who frequently squanders Gemstones as spellcasting materials isn’t considered rich, then who is?’
"The trial is the day after tomorrow. There’s not enough time to sell more potions and earn enough for the Gemstones."
Pei Ze felt a slight sense of regret.
Fortunately, being without the Flash Magic Tattoo wouldn’t have a major impact; he was still confident he could pass the trial.
After all, compared to the time of the encirclement operation, his strength had taken a quantum leap.
If he were to face Huo Nan or Li Ke now, Pei Ze was confident he could kill either of them in a single encounter.
Even if he were to be surrounded by three or four Legendary Knights at once, he wouldn’t be the least bit afraid.
Leaving the Experimental District, Pei Ze headed straight for the General Affairs Department.
Over the past few days, he had finished improving the remaining four spells. It was time to learn new One-Ring Spells.
He had already selected the specific spells he wanted; all that was left was to purchase the corresponding Spell Books.
The person on duty at the General Affairs Department today was once again that familiar, skinny apprentice.
Upon seeing Pei Ze arrive, he immediately stood up with a broad smile and asked eagerly, "Sir, what would you like to purchase?"
His attitude was much more enthusiastic than on previous occasions; he even used a respectful title.
The few apprentices nearby saw this but weren’t the least bit surprised; on the contrary, their expressions were completely normal.
After all, this was the man who had killed a Legendary Knight.
A genius acknowledged by the entire academy as someone who would surely advance to the rank of Wizard before graduation.
Although his status was the same as theirs—a student—in reality, neither his standing nor his future prospects were something they could ever hope to compare to.
If not for the fear of annoying Pei Ze by rashly trying to get chummy with him, they would have all wanted to go over and say a few words to make their faces known.
"I’d like to purchase some spell models."
Pei Ze handed over a list.
The skinny apprentice took it with both hands and looked closely.
’Good heavens!’
’This is what he calls "some"?’
Freezing Beam, Fog Concealment Technique, Summon Level-1 Monster, Comprehend Languages, Sleep Technique, Burning Hand, Electric Claw, Feather Fall Technique, Hypnosis Skill, and Charm Humans.
A full ten One-Ring Spells!
’This is the first time I’ve ever seen an apprentice purchase so many spell models at once.’
’Can he even learn them all?’
Normally, Wizard Apprentices purchased spell models one at a time, or two or three at most.
’Buying ten at once... This is a bulk purchase!’
Although the skinny apprentice was bewildered, he didn’t dare say much. He just smiled and said, "Please have a seat for a moment."
Then he went into the back room to get the books.
A few apprentices standing nearby also saw the contents of the list and were instantly dumbfounded.
"Tsk tsk, ten spell models. How long is that going to take to learn?"
"Don’t compare him to yourself. He’s a genius. He learns Magic much faster than you do!"
"No matter how fast he is, he can’t learn one a day, can he?"
"You’re just jealous. What about it? You got the guts to say that to his face?"
"..."
"I think Pei Ze must be preparing for the competition."
"Makes sense. I knew he’d participate."
Listening to the discussions around him, Pei Ze’s expression remained unchanged.
’Ten spells is already the result of my careful selection process. If I really went all out, I could master every One-Ring Spell sold by the General Affairs Department in a short amount of time. After all, with my current Spiritual Power, I could master ten One-Ring Spells in just a moment if I accelerated the process at full tilt. It’s just that ordinary One-Ring Spells don’t do much to boost my power. The vast majority need to be improved, and that’s the most time-consuming part. That’s why I was so selective.’
’Of course, given the opportunity, I would definitely master as many spells as possible.’
’For instance, spells like Magic Alert, Invisible Servant, Detect Secret Door, Magical Disguise, Giant Transformation Technique, and Shrinking Spell aren’t very useful for boosting combat strength, but they might come in handy in certain special situations.’
Before long, the skinny apprentice emerged from the room and placed a box packed to the brim with books in front of Pei Ze—the books related to a single spell model were far more than just one volume.
"The books are all here. Please check them."
Pei Ze’s gaze swept over them. After confirming everything was correct, he waved his hand, and the box vanished instantly.
After paying, he didn’t linger and turned to leave the General Affairs Department.
That night, Pei Ze analyzed all the new spells in one go.
With that, ten new One-Ring Spells were added to his repertoire.
...
「Star Realm Calendar, Year 14523, March 1st.」
Today was the opening day for the Realm of Truth.
Pei Ze arrived at the General Affairs Department in the Experimental District early in the morning.
Coincidentally, the person on duty on the first floor was none other than Fan He.
’That’s strange,’ Pei Ze thought. ’When third-year students take on tasks, they usually accept high-paying extermination missions that require them to leave the academy. Tasks like this kind of "desk duty" are typically taken by first and second-year students. Why do I see Fan He every time I come here?’
"Junior Brother Pei Ze, you’re here early."
Fan He greeted him with a cheerful laugh.
He knew that Pei Ze had redeemed a spot for the Realm of Truth, so he had long guessed Pei Ze would come today. Unsurprised to see him, he expertly led him toward the underground hall.
"I heard from Lady Yin Xue that you plan to participate in tomorrow’s trial to compete for a spot in the competition?"
Fan He casually chatted with Pei Ze as they walked down the corridor.
With Yin Xue’s promotion to Wizard, his way of addressing her had naturally gained the title "Lady."
This was the necessary respect an apprentice showed to an Official Wizard.
"Yes," Pei Ze admitted frankly. "I heard the rewards are quite generous, so I thought I’d give it a try."
"That’s true."
Fan He nodded in deep agreement.
If he didn’t know his own strength was insufficient, he would definitely have competed for a spot as well.
"I heard that the number of Wizard Apprentices who signed up for the trial has already exceeded one hundred. Every single one is a well-known elite in the apprentice circles, and many have already reached the standard for condensing a Spirit Crystal."
A flicker of interest crossed Pei Ze’s face. He smiled and said, "Senior Brother, you seem to know a lot about the participants in the trial. Could you tell me about them?"
"I just heard it from others," Fan He said, waving his hand dismissively. "But it’s no problem to tell you what I know."
Fan He cleared his throat, seemingly choosing his words carefully. After a moment, he said slowly, "Let’s use Legendary Knights as a benchmark. Among the participants in this trial, I know of three who have the strength to fight two Legendary Knights at the same time."
"The first is a student from the Shadow Academy, a third-year named Meng Wei. He supposedly cultivates a top-tier Advanced Meditation Technique and is just one step away from advancing to Wizard. His status in the Shadow Academy is comparable to what Lady Yin Xue’s was back then."
’Meng Wei?’
Pei Ze’s eyes flickered.
’I remember that one of the five great Wizard Clans of Chenxi City has the surname Meng.’
’Could this Meng Wei be from the Meng Family?’
’If that’s the case, then he’s definitely someone to be taken seriously.’
Disciples from these major clans had deep foundations and numerous tricks up their sleeves. No one knew how many trump cards and backup plans they had hidden.
"The second is named Sang Fan. He’s from the City Guard Army and is said to be the number one person below the rank of Wizard there. He’s been a Third-level Wizard Apprentice for over ten years, so his foundation is incredibly deep. He’s not to be underestimated."
"The last one is named Su Shouhai, from the Silver Light Legion. Although he’s not a member of the Witch Hunting Team, he holds the position of a squad leader. He has also been a Third-level Wizard Apprentice for over ten years, has exceptionally rich combat experience, and is very difficult to deal with."
