The Wizard Has A Biochip

Chapter 9: The wizards don’t care if we live or die... Bro, that kid who hanged himself in the bathroom had his organs sold at the mall.

As I approached the table where Helena was sitting, I noticed that almost everyone stopped talking.

Their eyes weren’t on me.

They were fixed on the mountain of food I was carrying.

A brown-haired boy’s eyes widened.

—By the gods...

A girl with short hair blinked several times.

—Are you planning to feed an entire battalion?

Another boy laughed.

—I thought the kitchen was being looted.

I carefully set my tray down on the table.

Helena placed a hand against her forehead.

—This is actually a little frightening.

I chuckled softly.

—I promise I can eat all of it.

She simply shook her head.

Then she looked at the others.

—George, let me introduce everyone.

She pointed first to the brown-haired boy.

—This is Arthur.

He smiled.

—Nice to meet you.

Then she indicated the short-haired girl.

—This is Clara.

She gave a small wave.

—Hi.

Next, she pointed to a tall young man with black hair.

—This is Victor.

He crossed his arms.

—Welcome.

Finally, she pointed to a blond young man with green eyes.

—And this is Leon.

Leon smiled casually.

—I hope there’s some food left for the rest of the tower.

Everyone laughed.

I smiled as well.

I gave a slight nod.

—It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.

—My name is George Gil.

Arthur raised a hand.

—We’ve already heard about you.

Helena shot him a sharp look.

Arthur quickly cleared his throat.

—I mean...

—From now on, we’ll be hearing better things.

The table burst into laughter once again.

The conversation continued naturally.

Before long, they were chatting among themselves.

That left only Helena and me carrying on a separate conversation.

As I cut a piece of meat, I commented,

—Today I started practicing my family’s breathing technique.

Helena chewed calmly before answering.

—My family has a technique too.

I looked at her.

—Really?

She nodded.

—But only the men are allowed to learn it.

She shrugged.

—It’s an old family tradition.

She smiled faintly.

—Luckily, I was born with talent for magic.

—Otherwise, I’d probably have been married off in some political marriage.

I nodded slowly.

That made sense.

According to the former George’s memories, that world was still extremely traditional.

Especially among noble families.

As we talked, I noticed several people at nearby tables discreetly glancing at my tray.

A boy walked behind me and remarked to his friend,

—Look at the glutton.

The other replied with a laugh.

—He’s going to leave the dining hall without any food.

Helena heard them.

She looked at my mountain of meat.

Then at me.

She couldn’t hold back her laughter.

—Glutton.

She pointed her spoon at me.

—That nickname suits you perfectly.

I rolled my eyes.

—How unfair.

—I’m just investing in my future.

—That’s exactly what a glutton would say.

She replied between laughs.

I shook my head as I continued eating.

After a few moments, Helena spoke again.

—But seriously...

—Don’t you think you’re spending too much time training that technique?

I looked at her.

She continued.

—There are only five months left until the professors make their selections.

—Wouldn’t it be better to devote all your time to studying?

I swallowed another piece of meat.

—I am studying.

She raised an eyebrow.

I continued.

—My family’s technique is just a hobby.

—Something secondary.

She stared at me for several seconds.

Then she folded her arms.

—I don’t believe you.

—Why not?

—Because yesterday you couldn’t even understand the books.

—And today you’re already training something else.

She tilted her head slightly.

—Then answer me one question.

I nodded.

—Go ahead.

—What is the basic meaning of the first symbol of the magical alphabet?

My heart raced for an instant.

But I kept my expression calm.

I pretended to think deeply.

I looked up at the ceiling.

I remained silent for several seconds.

As if I were trying to remember.

Only then did I answer.

—It represents...

—A connection.

—Depending on the context, it can function as a link between two magical concepts.

—It can also alter the reading direction of small magical codes.

Helena remained perfectly still.

Then she blinked twice.

—That’s correct...

—Then I misjudged you.

She rested her cheek against one hand.

—I really thought you had no future in learning.

—You’re still a little slower than I am.

—But at least you’ve started to understand.

I gave a subtle nod.

—I’m trying.

She nodded in agreement.

—And that’s already a good start.

Her gaze swept across the dining hall.

—In this tower...

—It’s always better to have clever friends.

Her voice grew a little quieter.

—I agree.

At that moment, Leon, who was seated across the table, turned his attention to me.

He looked at the enormous amount of food on my tray.

Then he asked casually,

—Are you eating all that to earn magic crystals?

I frowned.

—Crystals?

Leon nodded.

—Yeah.

—If you’re trying to make money fast...

—Training your body makes sense.

—Especially if you’re planning to fight in the tower’s Death Arena.

I stopped chewing.

I slowly raised my head.

—Death Arena?

The moment those words left my mouth, part of the former George’s memories began to surface.

I stopped chewing.

I slowly set my utensils down on the tray.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

The tower...

Was enormous.

The dormitories occupied only a small part of it.

There were also classrooms.

Magical research laboratories.

A massive library.

Training grounds.

A commercial district.

Workshops.

Warehouses.

And...

The Death Arena.

The memories were vague.

The former George had never had the courage to visit it.

He had only heard rumors in the hallways.

I opened my eyes again.

I looked at Leon.

—So it’s really as incredible as people say?

He immediately smiled.

—Yeah.

—It’s even better than the stories people tell.

His eyes practically sparkled.

It was obvious he loved talking about it.

—I’ve gone to watch a few matches myself.

Arthur smiled.

—Here he goes again...

Leon completely ignored him.

—The first fight I watched ended in less than a minute.

—One knight tore the other man’s arm clean off.

—Then crushed his throat.

He made a gesture with his hand.

—Right in front of everyone.

I immediately frowned.

—Wait.

I interrupted him.

—How would that even be possible?

Everyone looked at me.

I continued.

—Aren’t the tower’s rules perfectly clear?

—Isn’t killing forbidden?

Leon started laughing.

Then he glanced around discreetly.

He lowered his voice.

—George...

—You still believe that?

I tilted my head.

He leaned in a little closer.

—The mages don’t care whether we live...

—Or die.

My expression remained serious.

Leon continued.

—That rule exists to prevent pointless murders.

—Because they would interfere with the tower’s order.

—But...

—If two people sign a contract...

—Declaring that they’re entering the arena voluntarily...

—And accepting full responsibility for the consequences...

—Then the mages simply ignore it.

He shrugged.

—From that point on...

—Anything goes.

—Besides...

—Did you hear about the boy who was found dead in the bathroom recently?

I slowly nodded.

—I heard about it.

Leon answered with complete indifference.

—His body has already been taken away.

—They’ve probably dismantled it by now.

I frowned.

—Dismantled it?

—His organs.

He replied as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.

—They were sold in the commercial district.

—His eyes.

—His blood.

—His heart.

—Everything that was still usable.

Arthur simply sighed.

—They always do that.

Leon shrugged again.

—And nobody complained.

—Nobody ever does.

Leon smiled again.

—But it’s not all bad.

He raised a finger.

—The Arena is also one of the few places where an acolyte can get rich quickly.

My attention immediately returned to him.

—How?

—Victories.

He answered without hesitation.

—You earn rewards.

—You can challenge other acolytes.

—You can also place bets.

Arthur added to the explanation.

—The betting is real.

—I’ve seen people win dozens of magic crystals from a single fight.

Clara sighed.

—I’ve also seen entire families lose their inheritances.

Leon nodded.

—Some people bet everything.

—Their crystals.

—Even themselves.

—There have been nobles who walked away completely bankrupt.

I fell into thought once more.

Magic crystals...

The former George’s memories immediately supplied the answer.

They were extraordinarily rare among ordinary humans.

Their value was astronomical.

My own father...

Had been forced to sell half of his territory.

Give up countless tax revenues.

And sacrifice much of the family’s wealth.

All just to gather a few dozen magic crystals and secure my admission to this tower.

A few dozen.

And now...

There was a place where people could win or lose that amount in a single fight.

My mind began working rapidly.

I had no intention of entering that arena right now.

That would be suicide.

My body was still too weak.

But...

Five months.

I discreetly glanced at Helena.

Then at the other students.

All of them would have to spend those entire five months studying the magical alphabet.

The numbers.

The language.

The basic techniques.

I wouldn’t.

Thanks to the Biochip...

All of that knowledge was already stored and perfectly organized within my mind.

And perhaps...

It would be worth fighting for a few magic crystals.

...

1531 Words