After hearing Leylin’s words, Kroft seemed to be happy. “Indeed, you are still as intelligent as before. Your eyes are also filled with wisdom, if not for your average aptitude, your achievements in future would definitely surpass Merlin’s!”
The façade of inferiority towards Merlin was put on by Leylin. He smiled, not speaking, waiting to hear what Kroft had to say.
“Actually, the war of Abyssal Bone Forest Academy is not over!”
This sentence of Kroft made Leylin’s hair stand straight.
“What?” Leylin was so flabbergasted that he stood up immediately, “Was the war not mediated after the Lighthouse of the Night stepped in to stop Sage Gotham’s Hut and Whitewoods Castle?”
“This news is indeed accurate but is incomplete. The war between official Magi have ended, but for acolytes it is still far from ending!”
Kroft smiled wryly.
“Although Lighthouse of the Night is one of the strongest guilds around, they are not the only one. Behind Sage Gotham’s Hut and Whitewoods Castle, there is also a powerful guild supporting them from behind.
“Hence, under the mediation of Lighthouse of the Night, although the war between both sides has ended, yet there was a special clause!”
“What is it?” Leylin could faintly discern that it had something to do with the acolytes, but he still asked.
“The opposing factions have requested us to recall all of our acolytes, and engage in a bloodbath with their acolytes in a secret plane!
“Secret plane!? Bloodbath?”
Towards Leylin who had abundant information and knowledge, only after searching in the A.I. Chip’s data bank, he found the information he needed regarding those two terms.
The secret plane was a dimension used by magicians to protect their own lab and store their resources. It is created by a spell and the dimension is got by connecting to a region from the outside world.
Because of the powerful spell effects outside of these secret planes, magicians of the acolyte level could not break into it. As for some higher levelled secret planes, even if official Magi were to enter, they would also perish.
With the passing of time, some magician guilds will join forces, using spells to form a temporary secret plane, and conduct some experiments or for war/battle.
As for bloodbath, it contained the meaning of madness and massacre.
In the Magus World, if two magicians have a huge conflict that could not longer be mediated, only with death they would rest their case. Under these circumstances, they will undergo a bloodbath with a host as a witness!
Before the bloodbath, both parties would sign an agreement. After any one side dies, their families, professors and friends may not directly avenge them.
This was a kind of battle, but with the effects of spells, the contracts, too, were difficult to breach. Many magicians with dignity would engage in this life and death conflict, yet they did not wish for the collateral damage to spread. So a bloodbath was the best choice.
“So, the academy summoned us acolytes back….”
Leylin suddenly realised that his throat was extremely parched as if he were a person dying from thirst.
“During the signing of the contract, the other parties have summoned Trial’s Eye as a witness, so our academy could only go according to the stipulated agreement. If not, all of us professors–- including the chairman–- will have our souls resting in eternal peace….”
“This time, it’s not only you guys, even the other genius fifth-grade acolytes, including your senior Merlin, must participate in this bloodbath. Moreover, the acolytes from each of the 3 academies, will all be at the same place….”
“Wait, which is to say, the acolytes from the other two academies will join forces and attack our Abyssal Bone Forest Academy?”
Leylin felt rather dizzy, Abyssal Bone Forest Academy acolytes have already suffered tremendous casualties from the war before. As for Sage Gotham’s Hut and Whitewoods Castle, they were forces with a level similar to Abyssal Bone Forest Academy. If any of these two were to engage in a bloodbath battle with Abyssal Bone Forest Academy’s acolytes, it would be 50-50, not to mention there’s two of them now.
Moreover, at the moment, there were only 50-60% acolytes remaining behind in Abyssal Bone Forest Academy.
“This is too crazy, why would the academy accept such conditions?”
“There’s no choice, who asked for our academy to be in such a state? Sage Gotham’s Hut and Whitewoods Castle wants to wipe our acolytes out at one go, and let the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy’s legacy be broken!” Kroft smiled bitterly, “Furthermore, be it our acolytes or the enemies’, they are not allowed to bring in any battle items of official Magus strength. This is programmed into the defensive spell of the secret plane. Any tools which exceed the strength of an acolyte will immediately be rejected upon entering the secret plane….”
“Can I still leave now?” Leylin harboured his tiny glimmer of hope.
“What do you think?” Kroft looked at Leylin deeply in the eyes, and the meaning implicated made Leylin quiver.
“Alright then!” Leylin resigned to his fate and sat down. “The bad news is over? You should tell me some good news now!”
“You little brat!” Kroft smiled and shook his head. “Before the bloodbath, the academy will conduct a competition, where the rewards are bountiful. Moreover, various remuneration have increased by twofold, and the spell models and potions on the sales counter are also at a large discount….”
“They want to raise the strength of their own acolytes before the bloodbath, huh?” Leylin thought silently. He was a very optimistic person and had already faintly thought of a scenario like this before, unlike the extremely shocked appearance he was putting on right now. Since there is no room for retreat, his brain immediately adapted to the situation.
“All these have nothing to do with the advancement of official Magus. Previous, Mentor has told me that there is a method to advance, could it be inside the bloodbath?”
“Indeed! The academy has issued a mission to all Level 3 Acolyte like you for a blood vengeance. You are to massacre as many acolytes as you can inside the bloodbath!”
A sign of madness appeared for the first time on Kroft’s bespectacled features.
“We have assigned points on the enemy acolytes, every Level 1 Acolyte is worth 1 contribution points, Level 2 Acolytes are worth 3 points, and Level 3 Acolyte as 10 points. Towards the more noteworthy acolytes, we have corresponding values assigned to them.
There was a huge temptation behind Kroft’s words, “This time the academy’s mission reward is extremely bountiful. If you were to obtain enough contribution points, no matter if it is a Rank 1 Magus defensive spell model or Grine Water, they all can be exchanged for with contribution points!”
“This is the only method that does not require a contract, and still can advance with resources!”
“If it’s this way….” Leylin closed his eyes, and quietly pondered of his mentor’s speech.
On the surface, Leylin looked calm. In fact, his brain had already begun to ponder over various scenarios, with the A.I. Chip constantly bringing out different simulations, projecting them in front of Leylin.
Minutes later, Leylin stood up again and bowed to his Professor Kroft. “If there is nothing else, please allow me to take my leave!”
“Where are you going?” Kroft was rather stunned by his own apprentice’s actions.
“Of course to see the Trading Post and sales counter!”
Leylin bowed again, and after obtaining Kroft’s approval, he left immediately.
Walking on an empty school route, Leylin thought over many things. First of all, trying to escape under the noses of various professors of the official Magus Level and then being hunted was something impossible.
Leylin only thought briefly, before beginning to toss that notion away.
Previously, he was able to escape was because of Kroft’s pointer and his personal capabilities. Th
e largest reason was still that the academy allowed him to leave. If not, regardless of then and now, Leylin would never be able to walk out of the academy’s doors.
“Compared to official Magus, it seems like there is more hope in the bloodbath between acolytes, although the situation is still as unfavourable as before!”
Leylin walked to the Trading Post. The acolytes here numbered slightly more than other places, but many acolytes still had glum expressions on their faces. It seems that they had already gotten news of the upcoming bloodbath.
First, Leylin went to Woox’s store to have a look. A pity, however, the little wooden hut was already gone, and the fatty Woox was not known to have escaped or died.
Leylin sighed in disappointment. At the Trading Post, he purchased some ingredients he needed, before walking to the spell models sales counter.
84 - A Secret Divulged
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
The disgusting woman behind the counter previously had now disappeared, changing into a friendly looking old geezer.
“Where’s the woman from before?” Leylin asked.
“Dakota? Already dead!” A tinge of sadness seemed to appear on the old geezer’s face.
“Give me the spell model catalogue!” Thinking of that fussy woman from before, Leylin felt extremely glad. Even the sinking feeling from the mandatory attendance of the bloodbath had slowly reduced.
“Here!” The old geezer handed over a booklet made from parchment paper over to Leylin.
Leylin opened to have a look. The first page was of Fire element Rank 0 spells, on the page number it shone with red light, indicating the element of the spells listed.
Leylin continued flipping. Water element, Plant element, even Necromancy Rank 0 spells had all shone in their respective colours.
As for Shadow, Dark Element Rank 0 spells, Leylin had already collected almost all, so he did not look any further.
While browsing through the booklet, Leylin realised that the prices of these spell models had reduced by more than half, so they were already selling them at a loss.
It was a pity, however, that for regular acolytes, to master a Rank 0 spell, they must take at least months. Towards this imminent bloodbath, it was futile to start mastering them now.
“This Secondary Energy Fireball of the Fire element, Dampened Earth of the Water element, and the manipulation of corpses from the Necromancy Element, and this, and this…. One of them each.”
Since the spell model prices have plunged down, and Leylin had Magic Crystals, he could naturally afford to splurge on them.
To him, it was like a sweep of the warehouse sale.
After handing the old geezer a huge bag of Magic Crystals, and requested him to send people to carry the books over, Leylin then asked, “Are there any Rank 1 spell models here?”
“My apologies, our counter here only sells Rank 0 spells for the acolytes.” The old geezer shrugged his shoulders and put on a helpless appearance. It seems like Leylin wasn’t the first acolyte to ask him about this.
After obtaining an answer he expected, Leylin nodded his head and left.
His earlier question was just to try his luck, so he wasn’t very disappointed.
* Ka-cha! Creak! *
First, it was the sound of a bronze key entering the keyhole and the turning of the lock.
“We’re here, place the things down!”
Leylin opened his dorm’s door and said towards several servants carrying boxes behind him.
* Boom! * The few servants placed the spell models books onto the ground, letting off a loud noise.
After placing Leylin’s purchase, these servants bowed to Leylin and walked out of the room.
“There is actually no change here!”
Leylin sized up his room. There was still a bright light radiating from within. Apart from more dust being collected, the rest was still the same as before.
“Amansi!”
Leylin snapped his fingers. Suddenly a green whirlwind appeared from within the room.
The spiralling of the whirlwind continued, bringing the bedsheets and tablecloths floating into the air. A few grey dust particles were sucked into that whirlwind.
Very soon the green whirlwind spun around the room once, and many dust particles were trapped in it, turning a murky green colour, finally it dropped into the bin.
“Now it seems much more comfortable and clean!”
Leylin looked at the dorm that was as good as new, and nodded his head in satisfaction, before placing the spell models and ingredients away nicely.
After all was done, Leylin first went to the dining hall to have a sumptuous dinner, before returning to the room and picking up a spell model book.
“Secondary Energy Fireball huh?” Leylin looked at the fire red book. “A.I. Chip! Record!”
[Beep! Scanning in progress!] The A.I. Chip’s voice intoned.
Hours later, the A.I. Chip replied, [The spell model of Secondary Energy Fireball has been recorded, analysing in progress: 9.23%]
After his advancement into a Level 3 Acolyte, the A.I. Chip which was part of his soul also obtained an increase in processing capabilities.
To Leylin, other acolytes need continuous memorisation and use of their Spiritual Force to construct the spell models in their mind. This would require a huge consumption of time, and once something goes awry, it would result in a waste of time.
However, for Leylin, he only needed the A.I. Chip to analyse the spell and send it over to his hippocampus, then he would remember this spell model forever. In future, he only needed to activate his Spiritual Force, before completely mastering the spell model.
To put it simply, the A.I. Chip had substituted the process of memory and also created a framework for him in his mind. It was like digging a pool, the A.I. Chip would help Leylin in digging a pool, and Leylin only needed to put forth his Spiritual Force like water into the pool. This saved a huge amount of time, which made Leylin’s learning abilities on spell models much faster than regular acolytes.
“A.I. Chip! Establish mission! With all the Rank 0 spells as the foundation, begin simulating the model for a Rank 1 spell!”
From what Leylin could see, the might of a Rank 1 spell was stronger than a Rank 0 spell. Only with enough material, with the A.I. Chip’s calculation abilities, can he manage to simulate a certain Rank 1 spell model. There could even be a new spell model that had never appeared before in the Magus World!
[Mission establishing! Information on Rank 1 spells missing, beginning simulation….]
Rows of data were projected in front of Leylin’s eyes.
[Estimated might of a Rank 1 spell: 20 degrees and above! Information sources:
The A.I. Chip listed many sources of material and even replied with an answer that it was unable to estimate for the first time.
However, Leylin smiled. “As expected, although the time is not confirmed, but the A.I. Chip can very well simulate a spell model of a Rank 1 spell….”
“What’s next, once I have a standard amount of Grine Water, and reach the requirement of the Spiritual Force to advance, then I can give it a go….”
Warlock of the Magus World 1-596 Page 66