Chapter 103: Bloodline Magic Inheritance

Chapter 103: Bloodline Magic Inheritance

Karl had many secrets, and he lived alone, only occasionally receiving deliveries of essential supplies. He had also cleared a plot of land on the island, where he grew various crops to satisfy his culinary desires.

After the winter snow, a colorful mushroom thrived.

This mushroom had thick, juicy flesh and a delicious taste. When prepared well, it was a culinary delight.

But if not prepared properly, it could be poisonous!

Karl, barefoot and wearing a white sleep robe, carried a bamboo basket as he stooped to pick colorful mushrooms from time to time.

It was the wee hours of the morning.

The cold wind howled, but Karl seemed unaffected by the biting chill. He picked up a colorful mushroom, brushed off the dirt, and placed it in his basket.

"Tsk, tsk..."

A soft click sounded from not too far away:

"You eat this stuff?"

The voice was sultry, exuding the allure of a mature woman.

Karl looked up at the sound.

Indeed, it was a mature woman, not just in age but also in her exaggerated figure that her robe couldn't conceal.

"Occasionally."

Karl nodded at her:

"Are you a friend of Heibel?"

"Alerthya Lindon, I'm a guest who arrived yesterday. I had a bit too much to drink, so I'm staying the night." The woman smiled:

"You can call me Alerthya."

"I heard that you're quite cold towards Heibel, your lifesaver. She's your senior, so shouldn't you be a bit warmer towards her?"

"Cold?" Karl shook his head:

"She's been very kind to me."

"Is that so?" Alerthya raised an eyebrow.

If they had such a good relationship, why didn't he mention her at yesterday's banquet or invite her?

Despite being his mentor and living nearby, they seemed like unacquainted neighbors.

"These colorful mushrooms aren't bad."

Averting her eyes, Alerthya laughed:

"Besides eating, these mushrooms are also magical materials. They can be used to brew hallucinogenic potions."

"I see you've grown quite a lot of them, and the yield isn't small either. Would you like to sell them to me? I'll give you a good price."

"No need." Karl stood up:

"I quite like their taste."

"Hmm..."

"Are you a merchant?"

"Yes." Alerthya placed one hand on her chest, leaning forward, and performed a somewhat peculiar greeting:

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a wizard merchant from the Slo Kingdom. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Honorable Alchemist!"

The Slo Kingdom.

Bordering the Sack Kingdom, its main deity was the Earth Mother Goddess, and there had been ongoing disputes with the Sack Kingdom.

As a portion of the Morning Sun Lord's authority overlapped with that of the Earth Mother Goddess, even ordinary people harbored animosity towards each other.

Of course.

Wizards had no faith, so there were no conflicts arising from that.

"Slo?"

Karl was surprised:

"You came all the way to the Black Swamp?"

The two kingdoms were separated by the Sack Kingdom, and it would take at least a year to travel the entire distance by carriage.

"Hehe..."

Alerthya covered her mouth and chuckled:

"Looks like Heibel was right. You're too engrossed in wizardry and lack awareness of the outside world."

"The Grey Robe Wizards want to establish a Star Gate to the true wizard world. What wizard wouldn't be interested in that?"

"Besides the Kolonians, all other wizards and wizard apprentices have been rushing to the Black Swamp upon hearing the news."

Karl realized he had underestimated the situation.

No wonder Heidi had been so excited lately; the more people who came, the more valuable her land would become.

"I run a small shop at the Swamp Alliance's base, selling various materials and enchanted items."

Alerthya tossed a wooden plaque to Karl:

"If you need anything, come find me."

"If you have enchanted items to sell, I can also take them off your hands. I'll offer a price that will surely satisfy you."

Karl took the wooden plaque.

On it were carved tiny words: Alerthya's Secret Shop, second house on the left from the camphor tree.

No wonder she was so enthusiastic; she had her eyes on his enchanted item crafting abilities.

"There's a black wizard from Slo who specializes in auctions. I have a spot reserved."

Alerthya smiled:

"At the auction, there are occasionally advanced enchanted items, so it attracts many participants."

With a customer base, there was also consumption.

As someone qualified to attend the auction, she could make a profit and was willing to acquire various enchanted items.

Karl was her ideal client.

"Advanced enchanted items?"

Karl was more interested in advanced enchanted items:

"Are those only for full wizards?"

"Not necessarily." Alerthya smiled:

"Besides wizards, some wizard apprentices also have them. For example, you have one on you."

Indeed, Karl did.

Adolph had left him 'Picture Woman' Gina.

However, 'Gina' was more like a librarian, without any other special traits.

To be honest.

'Gina' didn't live up to the name of an advanced enchanted item.

"Mr. Karl."

Alerthya's beautiful eyes sparkled:

"Have you considered selling your advanced enchanted item? I can offer two hundred magic stones for it."

Two hundred magic stones? Even for an advanced enchanted item, that was not a cheap price, and her offer was sincere.

"No, thank you."

Karl shook his head:

"I don't have that plan at the moment."

"That's a shame." Alerthya sighed:

"I hope we can cooperate in the future."

"Of course." Karl spoke up:

"If there are advanced enchanted items at the auction, please let me know. I'd like to broaden my horizons."

"No problem." Alerthya smiled:

"You're an alchemist. Perhaps you'll have the chance to create advanced enchanted items in the future."

"Alerthya!"

Heibel's lazy voice sounded:

"You're not trying to take my business, are you?"

"Currently, all the items crafted by Brother Karl are sold through me, and it's one of my main sources of income."

"How can you use the word 'rob'?" Alerthya shrugged:

"I just wanted to get to know Karl. As a qualified merchant, I need to constantly expand my customer base."

"Alright!" Heibel pursed her lips and invited:

"Karl, would you like to have breakfast together?"

"No, thanks." Karl lifted the bamboo basket in his hand:

"I have something to do."

"I'll head back first. You two carry on."

As he spoke, he nodded to the two of them and turned to walk back to the house.

"Tsk tsk..." Alerthya couldn't help but shake her head as she watched Karl's figure disappear without even a glance back:

"Your junior brother has such a cold personality!"

"Yes."

Heibel rubbed her dry eyes and muttered:

"I'd have to make an appointment several days in advance just to get into his bed."

"Is that so?"

Alerthya smiled:

"It seems he's very satisfying in that aspect, otherwise, you wouldn't be so eager. Mind if I share something with you?"

"You?" Heibel glanced at her:

"You're all fake, and my junior brother doesn't like that."

"Fake?" Alerthya straightened her ample chest:

"I'm the real deal, you're just jealous of me..."

"Oh!"

The two women bickered as they hurried back, and for a moment, the atmosphere was lively.

...

"Try this."

Anslote pushed a plate towards her:

"This is a new specialty from Cologne, called Rice Beans. It tastes good when roasted with salt."

"Thanks."

Alerthya propped up her leg, and her delicate crystal shoes swayed back and forth on her feet. She squinted and looked over:

"I asked for you, but Karl is unwilling to sell that item."

"Is that so?" Anslote's expression remained unchanged:

"That's a pity."

"Although the Picture Woman is an advanced enchanted item, it's not very useful. You're willing to offer two hundred magic stones for it." Alerthya touched her smooth chin:

"Is there some secret hidden within this item?"

"I heard you have a good relationship with your junior brother, Heibel. Is it also for the Picture Woman?"

"The spirit used in the Picture Woman is one of our family's elders." Anslote's face turned gloomy:

"No matter the cost, I must buy it."

"As for the secret..."

"It has been passed down through several generations of apprentice wizards, so even if there is one, it's likely been discovered long ago."

"That's true." Alerthya nodded:

"I can't be of much help in this matter."

"It's fine."

Upon hearing this, Anslote smiled, seemingly unbothered, but a flash of ruthlessness crossed her eyes.

Heibel stayed on the island for a few days before leaving again for the depths of the Black Swamp to carry out her mission.

Pine wasn't idle either.

He found a courier job in the Swamp Alliance, staying at the Alliance's residence and earning magic stones during his free time from cultivation.

Hedy was busy with her investment business.

Now, she was no longer satisfied with just land speculation. She planned to build houses on the land and then sell them.

She even hired a group of craftsmen and brought in several apprentice wizards specializing in earth magic to assist her.

Building houses with wizardry was, of course, much faster.

It was said that she had already constructed six buildings, two of which were for rent, and the other four would be put up for sale soon.

"Everyone is busy working hard for their future and career, but I seem to be quite the odd one out."

Karl muttered to himself.

Indeed, he was an oddity in others' eyes.

Since joining the Swamp Alliance, he had rarely left the island, dedicating most of his time to the study of wizardry.

He also rarely interacted with others.

His initial fame had faded over time, and now, few people knew about it.

Fortunately, he was able to occasionally craft enchanted items, exchanging them for magic stones to support his livelihood.

This prevented him from becoming the typical example of someone living off past glory.

"Hedy's investment returns have multiplied several times, and Pine has already mastered a Zero-Ring Spell."

"Heibel has gained some reputation in the exploration team and made many friends. Everyone is making progress."

"Only me, with just a fourth-level talent in wizardry, not trying to network, and spending my days in solitary cultivation..."

"Oh!"

"I'm already a Grand Knight and a High Wizard Apprentice, and my progress is faster than others, so there's no problem."

Karl shook his head and continued to observe the experiment before him.

Inside the glass bottle, a drop of 'Giant Squid' blood was in contact with a piece of fresh, living flesh.

Transplantation!

"Sss..."

Thin black smoke rose from the glass bottle, and at the moment of contact, the flesh melted visibly.

"No good!"

Karl frowned:

"The blood of a second-tier abyssal creature has the ability to alter and corrode other creatures. Even a legendary creature can't withstand this power."

"Bloodline suppression..."

"If I use it to cultivate bloodline magic, I'll either die on the spot or become a mindless monster."

"Huff..."

He let out a breath of turbid air:

"Dilute the blood!"

...

Half a month later.

"It still won't work."

Karl's hair was disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, and his clothes were wrinkled. The laboratory was in disarray.

Various experimental items were scattered around.

Apprentice Mage's Hands manipulated various objects that flew through the air, and the experimental data recorded by the quill pen was already half a person's height.

"It's not a matter of blood, but bloodline!"

"The bloodline of higher beings has an absolute suppression over lower beings, and no amount of dilution will help."

"Wrong!"

"Your thinking is wrong!"

...

"Ding..."

The copper bell hanging on the door rang out with a crisp sound, and Karl, looking exhausted, walked over to remove the bell.

"Sigh!"

He sighed and pushed the door to the edge of the island.

A cargo ship was already docked at the shore, and as he approached, the boatman began unloading box after box of supplies.

"Mr. Karl, this is for this month..."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Karl waved his hand. "Just a bit of sleep deprivation, I'll be fine after some rest."

"That's good," said the boatman, who was also a wizard apprentice. However, due to his low wizardry talent, he ended up doing delivery work for the Swamp Alliance.

"Have you heard about this?" he asked, assuming Karl's restlessness was related to recent news.

"It turns out that deep within the Black Swamp, there lives a group of ancient toxic crocodiles, including two mutants. They're said to be formidable legendary creatures, and several exploration members have been killed. Even a full wizard died in the mouth of a toxic crocodile before they finally resolved the trouble."

"Sigh!"

He sighed. "Sometimes, having too much wizardry talent isn't necessarily a good thing. If I just do my work honestly, I won't easily encounter danger."

Hmm? Karl's mind was filled with thoughts of his experiments, and the other's words made him hesitate for a moment before he gradually came back to his senses.

Legendary creatures?

Killed!

Even a full wizard died!

Karl opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: "When did this happen?"

"Just yesterday," the boatman said. "Now the entire Swamp Alliance is in an uproar, but I don't know why the Grey Robe Wizard hasn't taken action."

"Swish!"

Before he finished speaking, Karl's figure disappeared from sight.

...

The Swamp Alliance.

Karl didn't know many people here, and the only one with a position in the alliance was Old Arthur.

The key was that he had already left the alliance and returned to his hometown to retire.

For a moment,

He could only go find Little Pine first.

"Uncle Karl!"

Pine, wearing a worker's outfit and a round hat, had grown to a height that was gradually leaving the realm of children.

He held a soft bread in his mouth, his big eyes blinking:

"Mentor Heibel hasn't gone deep into the Black Swamp. She rented a house from the alliance to construct a spell model."

"You didn't know?"

"..." Karl smiled bitterly, feeling a bit relieved: "I've been researching a spell for almost a month, and I haven't left the house. I really don't know."

"Rent a house?"

His eyes flickered: "A wizard tower?"

A wizard tower is a tower built by full wizards, where they can more easily connect with the Astral Plane.

Ordinary wizards also benefit greatly from practicing inside.

However,

The price is very high!

It seems to cost a magic stone per day.

This is already the internal price within the alliance, as the resources required to build a wizard tower are astronomical for wizard apprentices.

Maintaining the operation of a wizard tower also consumes magic stones.

Only advanced wizard apprentices or others in special circumstances would choose to rent a wizard tower.

"Yes."

Pine nodded:

"The mentor has been inside for five days."

Five days?

Karl was pensive, but he could guess Heibel's purpose for renting the wizard tower.

"Don't worry."

Pine smiled:

"The mentor is fine, Uncle Karl. Don't worry so much."

"Karl!"

At this moment, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Bach!"

Karl turned around.

The person approaching was the bloodline wizard, Bach.

"Come,"

Bach pulled him by the arm, not allowing refusal: "Let's sit in the tavern."

"..." Karl wasn't used to his enthusiasm, and after struggling a bit, he nodded: "Alright."

"Do you have something to tell me?"

"Yes, something urgent!"

...

Inside the tavern.

The dim light flickered, casting mottled shadows on the wooden walls.

Several ancient paintings hung on the walls, their colors faded, barely recognizable as silhouettes of wizards.

The window of the private room was half-open, and the gentle breeze brought a chill, causing the tablecloth on the old table to flutter slightly.

Bach rubbed his hands, his face full of excitement. He looked at Karl, about to speak, but then changed his mind: "Why do you look so haggard?"

He hadn't noticed his excitement, but now he suddenly realized that the person before him looked as if he had aged a dozen years.

"..." Karl sighed:

"Don't mention it. I've been researching a spell for several months now, and I haven't made any progress. You said you had something urgent."

"What is it?"

"Sometimes, spells can indeed be blocked by certain factors. In such cases, it's not a bad idea to spend some money and consult an advanced wizard apprentice." Bach didn't rush to talk about his own matter: "No wizard apprentice can become a wizard by studying alone. You should know that knowledge is infinite. Perhaps something you find difficult can be easily solved with a word from someone else."

"I will," Karl nodded. "I'll give it a try."

While he said this, he had no intention of actually trying.

Bloodline wizards were already rare, and there wasn't a single full wizard. Who could he consult? Moreover,

His problem was how to analyze a second-tier abyssal creature. If he told others, he would only bring trouble upon himself.

Even a full wizard would have greedy thoughts if faced with a second-tier creature.

"As for my situation..."

Bach rubbed his hands together, feeling a bit embarrassed as he spoke, "Could I borrow some magic stones from you?"

"Borrow magic stones?" Karl looked up, "You've always been helping others with body modifications, and with your skills, you should have plenty of magic stones, right?"

"It's not for me." Bach shook his head, "It's for my mentor."

"Your mentor?" Karl frowned, "Then it's even more unlikely."

Bach's mentor, Jin, was one of the few in the Swamp Alliance who had cultivated Bloodline Magic to the level of an Advanced Apprentice Wizard.

The price for his body modifications was several times higher than Bach's.

Despite his bad temper and eccentric personality, his services were always in high demand, requiring advance bookings.

"It wasn't an issue before, but things are different now."

Bach straightened his back, "My mentor plans to purchase the corpse of a legendary creature to advance to the first rank of a Full Wizard."

Hmm? Karl's eyes lit up.

Indeed!

The reason why Bloodline Wizards couldn't become Full Wizards in the past was due to the lack of legendary creatures to analyze and research.

Now,

They had one!

And if a Bloodline Wizard successfully analyzed a legendary creature, the chances of breaking through were high.

To obtain the corpse of a legendary creature, Jin would likely be willing to pay any price.

Karl asked in a low voice, "How much do you need?"

"How many do you have?" Bach whispered, "My mentor estimated that even for the weakest legendary creature's corpse, it would require around two thousand magic stones."

"Two thousand?" Karl gasped, "That's so expensive!"

Adolph had inherited his predecessor's legacy and accumulated wealth for decades, but even if he sold everything, he wouldn't have a thousand magic stones.

He was one of the wealthier Advanced Apprentice Wizards, and the combined assets of a typical Advanced Apprentice Wizard would be at most a few hundred magic stones, including the estimated value of their knowledge.

Two thousand?

That could buy several Advanced Enchanted Items!

And not just ordinary ones.

Moreover, obtaining the corpse of a legendary creature only meant there was a chance to become a Wizard, not a guarantee.

It was outrageously expensive! Karl's lips twitched as he thought of the few corpses stored in the Fragment of the Divine Domain, and he swallowed hard.

What if...

He secretly sold one?

"Legendary creatures are already rare, especially a first-rank top-grade legendary creature," Bach sighed, "The competition for legendary creature corpses isn't just among Advanced Apprentice Wizards but also Full Wizards."

"To be honest..."

"I think it's too expensive too, but there's no other way."

"Sigh..." Karl sighed, "With two thousand magic stones, I can't be of much help."

He now understood why it was so expensive; killing a Full Wizard-level legendary creature wouldn't be easy.

First-rank top-grade? One step further was a second-rank creature!

"It's okay." Bach said, "Just lend me as much as you can."

"My mentor has extensive experience in analyzing magical creatures and has sufficient mental power. With a complete Bloodline Magic lineage and the opportunity to analyze a legendary creature, there's a high chance of advancing to a Full Wizard."

"Then, I'll repay the debt double!"

"This..." Karl pursed his lips, "Becoming a Full Wizard isn't as easy as imagined, but I believe in Jin's abilities. Still, magic stones are important to me as well."

"..." Bach frowned, "Karl, I consider you a friend. If you have something to say, just say it directly; there's no need to beat around the bush."

"Alright!" Karl nodded, "I do have some magic stones, but I don't intend to lend them. I'm wondering if Jin is willing to sell knowledge related to Bloodline Magic."

Bach looked at him with doubt.

"Knowledge related to Bloodline Magic..."

"Selling isn't impossible."

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "But Karl, how much can you offer, and isn't it too late for you to cultivate Bloodline Magic?"

Karl remained silent but lifted his left arm and rolled up his sleeve. The muscles on his arm twitched, revealing a spider eye.

"Transplantation Technique!"

Bach's eyes narrowed, "So, you've been cultivating Bloodline Magic all this time. No wonder you approached me for the Gamp Transformation Spell."

"Tell me!"

He sighed, "How many magic stones can you offer?"

Karl silently calculated and held up one finger, "One hundred."

"One hundred?" Bach's eyes widened, "Really?"

No wonder he was so surprised; a typical Basic Apprentice Mage would have at most a few magic stones.

Intermediate Apprentice Mages like him never had more than thirty magic stones in their possession.

One hundred.

This was the realm of Advanced Apprentice Wizards.

He knew that Karl had inherited Adolph's legacy, which was why he thought of asking him for money.

But in the past two years, Karl had been mostly spending and not earning, so his wealth should have been almost depleted.

He was surprised to see that Karl still had so much.

"This is all I have."

Karl spoke up, "I need a complete Bloodline Magic lineage, especially knowledge related to analyzing legendary creatures."

"In case there's another legendary creature in the Black Swamp, I..."

"I want to try too!"

"..." Bach shrugged helplessly.

"You're quite bold."

"Selling knowledge of magic requires my mentor's approval, but I don't think it'll be a problem."

His mentor Jin urgently needed magic stones.

Transactions of knowledge between Wizard Apprentices were common, and most didn't mind trading except for core lineages.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end