Chapter 8: Chameleon
"Isn’t it?" Mateo asked.
"You can already enter the Magic World now—does it feel like a game to you? It’s a shame we’ve never experienced a true virtual world, but even if such a thing existed, it couldn’t possibly feel this real. The ones who call it a game are just those who keep failing their Awakening and run out of money to try again."
"Maybe," Mateo replied instinctively.
"The bottom line is, don’t stop growing in that world. If necessary, you need to have big ambitions," said Alice.
"Yeah..." Mateo nodded, his thoughts beginning to take the Magic World more seriously.
Even someone rich like Alice was obsessed with that world and told him to grow there.
"By the way, do you know how to extract elements? For example, the Life Element—how to turn it into a bottled liquid that can be stored?"
Mateo had asked William and Jack, but neither of them knew. Alice, perhaps, knew something.
"You need to master a Life-type Codex Magica, at least Class A," Alice answered. "It helps you control your Life Element better, allowing you to extract it."
"Oh..." Mateo had thought Codex Magica wasn’t important anymore if someone had talent, since he heard people say it was only a substitute for those without special talent.
Apparently, it had its own functions too.
"Do you want more?" Alice suddenly asked while looking at his plate.
His steak was already gone—he hadn’t even realized it because he kept eating, while Alice had only finished a quarter of hers.
It was simply too delicious for someone like Mateo, who came from a village.
"No, no, I’m full," Mateo replied.
He didn’t want to look greedy, even though as a village boy, he usually ate more.
Alice looked into his eyes, then suddenly placed another order on the tablet on the table.
"Just take some home," she said.
Mateo, "..."
On the way back, Mateo had nothing to say.
This time, Alice was the one driving, while Mateo carried a large box of steak—probably enough for two or three servings.
His mind wandered, thinking about this unreasonable relationship.
Unlike him, Alice drove quite fast. It only took a few minutes to arrive in front of the dorm.
"Alice, thank you," Mateo said as he was about to get out of the car.
Alice nodded slightly and said, "I’ll pick you up again tomorrow night."
Mateo didn’t know what to say when he heard that.
To him, this date had been very awkward. Alice should have felt the same, but she still seemed willing to do it again.
"Yeah," Mateo replied.
He closed the car door and let out a sigh of relief when he realized there were no students around the dorm.
He hurried inside.
When he entered, he found Jack lying on his bed with his eyes closed.
He had already entered the Magic World—it was always like this at night.
Mateo placed the box of steak on the table.
After thinking for a moment, he decided not to wake Jack.
As long as someone touched and shook his body, the System would notify him that someone was trying to wake him.
Besides, Jack was holding his phone. Mateo could just send him a message, and it would appear in his System.
But Jack had probably just entered the Magic World.
It wasn’t the right time to disturb him.
Mateo sat on his bed, then lay down, closed his eyes, and appeared in the Magic World.
He was still in the empty alley where William had pulled him earlier.
DING!
(You have obtained the Life Power Armor Codex Magica at the cost of 5 Energy Points, an S-Class Codex Magica. If your mastery exceeds 50%, you can even form Life Power Armor for others!)
Heaven Path Soul > 0.10 (SSS Class Soul)
[Codex Magica:]
Life Power Armor > 0% (S Class Codex Magica)
The notification appeared the moment he arrived.
’Life Power Armor.’
Mateo nodded.
He had wanted a Life-type Codex Magica Law ever since Alice told him it was necessary to extract the Life Element.
However, it came with 0% mastery. In other words, he had to train it himself. It seemed this was because his Soul Energy was no longer sufficient to grant full mastery.
Mateo realized the flaw.
First, he had no control. When a desire appeared in his mind, he couldn’t decide whether to take it or not. His soul would make it real instantly as long as there was enough energy.
If only he had control, he could wait until his Soul Energy was sufficient to obtain more or something of a higher level.
And Mateo realized another drawback—when his Heaven Path Soul Energy dropped below 1%, he no longer gained passive Spiritual Energy growth like before, even though he still wanted it.
As he stepped out of the alley, he saw quite a lot of people running out of the city gate.
"What’s going on?" someone else who didn’t know anything asked another who was slower.
"There’s a Boss Monster—only Level 10. The Baron promised an A-Class weapon to whoever can capture it alive."
"Really? What’s special about this boss?"
"It’s a Forest Chameleon. The Baron wants to tame it."
"A Forest Chameleon? Damn, it’s not easy to find if it chooses to hide. It can truly change form, not just color."
