Chapter 317: Linen
Chapter 317: Linen
The Origin Continent, also known as the Calim Continent, was a place where wizards gathered. On the outskirts of one such town, a low-level wizard apprentice named Linen lay on the cold ground, his body bruised and battered.
Despair filled his eyes as he gazed up at the sky, which resembled a black velvet cloth. Gritting his teeth, he picked up his broken staff and began to draw an eerie pattern on the ground.
Finally, he placed the broken staff at two symmetrical nodes within the pattern and added a drop of his blood from a wound on his body.
"Master of Essence!" he cried.
"King of All!"
"Taisui..."
Linen opened his mouth, and the light in his eyes gradually faded. His body lost its vitality and fell limp towards the ground.
Just then, the pattern on the ground glowed with a faint aura, as if a pair of eyes were staring through the void.
In the next moment, a rift appeared in the void, and a drop of dark red blood floated out, swiftly landing on Linen's forehead.
"Pitter-patter..."
A light rain began to fall, gradually intensifying and washing away the traces on the ground.
Time passed, and no one knew how long it had been.
"Hmm!"
Linen's body, lying on the ground, twitched. He slowly got up, his expressionless face rubbing and squeezing his limbs.
'Recently deceased, the consciousness has not completely dissipated, so the obsession is to become a formal wizard.'
'That's not difficult.'
'But this person is quite determined in his pursuit of knowledge. Even when faced with death, his thoughts are not of revenge but of becoming a wizard.'
'Hmm...'
'This body is too weak. The memories of the original body need to be temporarily sealed, and they can be gradually unsealed as strength increases.'
Carl,
No! It should be Linen who, raising his head, looked at the increasingly urgent rain curtain, bowed his head and walked towards his residence.
At this moment, his physical body had already been refined by Carl, and his consciousness had been replaced.
...
Vire Town.
In a town near Viper Academy, where unadmitted wizard apprentices and rogue wizards gathered.
Of course, there were also many mortals living there.
Linen was one such wizard apprentice from the academy.
However, unlike the advanced wizards who remained in the academy, Linen, at sixteen years old, was still only a junior wizard apprentice. He had been expelled from the academy and was required to repay a high monthly loan to the academy.
One magic stone per month! If he couldn't pay, he would face the consequences of the academy's debt collectors.
Thinking of the potential consequences, even as Carl's doppelganger, Linen couldn't help but shudder.
"So..."
"First, let's take stock of my belongings."
A spellbook containing three zero-level spells, a few minor tricks, and a broken staff.
Some materials for concocting potions and an alchemy set.
Fortunately, Linen specialized in the natural school of fire magic, just like Carl used to, which would save some trouble.
Unfortunately,
Linen currently only mastered one zero-level spell.
Zero-Level Spell - Flame Intensification! It could make flames burn more fiercely and increase their temperature to a certain extent.
And a minor trick - Fire Control, which allowed him to slightly manipulate flames, but it was ineffective against large-scale fires.
His meditation technique was also at a beginner level.
In Carl's eyes, Linen was a wizard apprentice with no talent and a stubborn mind.
Hmm...
The only outstanding aspect about him was probably his appearance.
At sixteen years old, he had smooth golden hair, well-defined features, and a slender build. His only flaw was a slightly weak physique.
From the remnants of his memories, Linen also knew that he was quite popular with the ladies, even receiving care from senior female apprentices after leaving the academy.
"Viper Academy was established seven hundred years ago by a triple-ring wizard named Viper Ash. Within the academy are several second-rank wizards, dozens of full wizards, and numerous wizard apprentices."
"Centuries have passed, and around Viper Academy, several towns similar to Vire Town have been established."
"Wizard apprentices seeking knowledge, rogue wizards seeking opportunities, and merchants doing business all gather here."
Linen flipped through the books in his room, and with his enhanced memory and analytical abilities, he gained a clearer understanding of his current situation.
Viper Academy annually enrolls children of the appropriate age, and upon turning sixteen, they undergo an assessment.
"If they pass, they continue their studies at the academy."
"If they don't..."
"They're expelled and burdened with the hefty student loan they accumulated during their time at the academy."
"Just like 'me'."
Viper Academy, nestled within the vast Calim Continent, seemed unremarkable, yet surprisingly, it was guarded by a Triple-Ring Warlock.
This caught Karl off guard.
It was indeed the birthplace of wizards, where one could casually hear of Triple-Ring Warlocks.
"Then..."
Linen rubbed his forehead, perplexed.
"How did I end up being attacked?"
After leaving the academy, he made a living crafting magic potions to repay his loan.
As he only crafted low-grade potions, his success rate was low, and the quality was mediocre, making it challenging to sell at a good price.
To earn more, Linen ventured into the black market, and on his way back, he was ambushed by two individuals.
In the end...
He met an unfortunate demise.
Before dying, he drew Karl's divine pattern on the ground, establishing a connection with a 'Deity' from another world.
"Hmm?"
Linen turned around, rummaged through the piles of books in the room, and indeed found the book he had sent to the Calim Continent years ago.
This book, seemingly just a travelogue, concealed his divine pattern and a method of contact within its pages.
Somehow,
By a twist of fate, it ended up in Linen's hands, and with his powerful obsession, he managed to sketch it out in his final moments.
"Crack... crack..."
The wooden door was awkwardly knocked from the outside, emitting a strange sound.
Linen, who was meditating with his eyes closed, opened them, stretched his limbs, and got up to open the door.
"Susan."
A charming young girl stood at the door, her face adorned with freckles, exuding a smart and lively aura.
Seeing his fellow academy graduate, Linen smiled:
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes." Susan nodded, her hands clutching her skirt:
"I heard you went to the black market yesterday?"
"Yes..." Linen nodded:
"As you know, the potions I craft aren't accepted by regular pharmacies, and it's hard to sell them for a good price on the street."
"In the black market, the price can be 30% higher."
"But it's too dangerous!" Susan exclaimed:
"Your room light was on very late yesterday, which was worrying."
She had been keeping an eye on Linen.
"There are only seven days left until the loan repayment date." Linen sighed, shaking his head in resignation:
"If I can't gather enough magic stones quickly, the best outcome is to be used as a test subject by the academy's wizards. I don't want to end up like that."
"..." Susan clenched her teeth and slipped a small package into Linen's hand:
"Here!"
"What's this?" Linen opened the package, his expression changing slightly:
"Magic stones!"
"Where did you get them?"
"I saved a few while at the academy, thinking I might need them after leaving. I still have some left." Susan bowed her head, speaking softly:
"Take them for now. Come to me if it's not enough, but please don't take unnecessary risks."
She turned and hurried away.
Hmm...
Linen looked at the magic stones in his hand and then at the shyly departing Susan, shaking his head helplessly.
'Being good-looking has its advantages.'
He stroked his chin and flipped his hand, putting away the magic stones.
With only seven days left to 'pay rent', it might be too late to earn money, and even if it's possible, it would be rushed.
With the magic stones in hand, he didn't need to rush for survival; he could focus on enhancing his spiritual power first.
Meanwhile,
He could also work on his second Zero-Level Spell.
As for earning money...
"I can't stop crafting potions. They aid wizard apprentices in their training, and they're not cheap. If I can craft high-quality calming potions, at least I won't have to worry about loan repayments."
(End of Chapter)
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