Chapter 332: Vaporization and Corruption

Chapter 332: Vaporization and Corruption



Rain began to carefully study the first layer of the Iron Heart Advanced Meditation Technique in his mind, quickly grasping a wealth of knowledge that he had not previously mastered.

"The primary purpose of the Advanced Meditation Technique is to further enhance and refine one's mental power."

"Moreover, the Iron Heart Advanced Meditation Technique is particularly suitable for sorcerers specializing in metal sorcery. It is recommended for sorcerers with a Metal Affinity above eighty to learn."

Rain nodded in agreement, recalling Master Mogarro's words. This advanced meditation technique was indeed ideal for those specializing in metal sorcery, perfectly suited to his needs.

Rain immediately began practicing according to the requirements of the advanced meditation technique.

The first layer of the Iron Heart Advanced Meditation Technique was both simple and challenging. It required the practitioner to mentally visualize a complex three-dimensional pattern composed of thirty-six Will Runes.

Since there were only twenty-four Will Runes in total, many of the thirty-six runes in the pattern were repeated.

It was akin to the English alphabet, where the word "congratulation" contained repeated letters, or like a Lego set, where various basic units were combined to create a large model.

Thus, compared to the basic meditation technique, the difficulty had increased significantly.

"No wonder Master Mogarro advised me to practice this first."

Rain nodded, "Most sorcerers would probably need more than a few months to grasp it."

"However, my mental attribute is much higher than the average first-tier sorcerer, so I should be able to reduce the time significantly."

Rain glanced at his attribute panel, where his mental attribute of 64 gave him confidence in learning the advanced meditation technique.

Soon, Rain began to follow the instructions of the advanced meditation technique, gradually visualizing the first three-dimensional symbol in his mind.

Half an hour later, after more than ten attempts, Rain discovered that the difficulty of the advanced meditation technique lay in the complexity of the three-dimensional model formed by the thirty-six Will Runes. The more runes he added, the more challenging it became.

However, for Rain's mental attribute of 64, it was not as difficult.

On his last attempt, Rain successfully visualized a complex model composed of thirty-four Will Runes in one go.

In other words, he was just two runes short of completing the first layer.

This speed was beyond Rain's initial expectations but also within reason.

After all, what first-tier sorcerer could boast a mental attribute of 64 before learning an advanced meditation technique? Most would have mental attributes in the thirties.

Rain's was almost double that!

At this moment, Rain felt a familiar sensation in his temples, indicating that he was approaching the limits of his endurance for practicing the advanced meditation technique.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Rain noticed a change in his attribute panel. His mental attribute now displayed as:

"Mental: 64 (Vaporization 1%)"

"The effect appeared so quickly, and a percentage for vaporization?"

When he had officially become a sorcerer, the system had indicated the activation of mental vaporization, but due to the poor refinement of his basic meditation technique, no specific value had been shown.

"It's likely that the value hadn't even reached 1% then, so the system didn't display a specific number," Rain speculated.

And now, even without completing the first layer of the advanced meditation technique, a value of 1% had appeared, clearly demonstrating the vast difference in their effectiveness for refining mental power!

Rain sensed a subtle yet distinct change in his mental power.

Indeed, there was a noticeable difference, a more refined feeling.

This excited Rain.

He had initially planned to take it slow, resting and taking a few days to complete the first layer, but now, seeing such significant results, other ideas began to form in his mind.

"I still have four attribute points remaining. With just one or two points consumed, I should be able to break through."

"Then let's push forward with all our might!"

Feeling the effects of the refined mental energy, Rain's desire rapidly grew.

Almost without hesitation, Rain added a point to his mental attribute, and instantly, his mental energy increased from 64 to 65 points.

Rain immediately felt as if a clear spring had suddenly appeared in his mind, washing away the mental fatigue and bringing a sense of clarity and sharpness.

Without delay, Rain began to visualize the complex three-dimensional pattern of the first level of the Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart in his mind.

The first will rune.

The second.

The thirty-fifth will rune!

"Great! Just one more to go!"

Rain's face was filled with joy!

After several more attempts, Rain felt his head throbbing and dizzy, but the results were significant. He was now attempting the last rune.

It was like building a house, and all that was left was to cap it off!

So, Rain added another point.

Half an hour later, Rain joyfully sensed the unusual phenomenon in his mind.

At the base of the 'Metal Transformation' talent spell model, a thin, ring-shaped base made of mental energy crystals had appeared.

Clearly, the first level of the Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart had been successfully mastered!

The system prompt read:

[You have practiced the Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart (Incomplete), and your comprehension has improved!]



[You have comprehended a new skill — Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart (Incomplete)]



[Your skill Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart (Incomplete) has improved, experience value +1]



"Incomplete?"

"Indeed, I have only practiced the first level."

Rain quickly saw the new skill icon on his Warhammer Sorcerer (Legendary) career panel — a person sitting cross-legged with closed eyes in meditation.

The small text below read:

Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart (Incomplete) lv1 (1/100), with the special effect 'Metal Control lv1'.

[Metal Control lv1 (Passive) effect: Your ability to manipulate metallic energy particles has been slightly enhanced.]



He didn't know how long other sorcerers in the Construct Armory School had spent practicing the first level of the Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart, but it certainly couldn't have been just one day, could it?

"Pity Master Mogarro isn't here; otherwise, he would be very pleased."

"These two attribute points were well worth it!" Rain felt a great sense of relief.

"Such an important task has finally been completed. From now on, I just need to practice it systematically every day."

Rain refocused his attention on the new base that had appeared in the mental sea.

"This must be the special aspect of the Advanced Meditation of the Steel Heart, the reason it can enhance the power of metal-based sorcery."

"I can try some sorcery later to see the changes."

At the same time, Rain noticed that the silver mist surrounding the three-dimensional structure had become much denser.

The silver mist now occupied a larger area of the mental sea than when he had just advanced to sorcerer and before he practiced the advanced meditation.

Rain glanced at the system panel and was slightly taken aback.

The mental energy value on the attribute panel had actually decreased.

It displayed: "Mental: 60 (5% Condensed)"

He remembered clearly that his mental energy value was initially 64, and after adding 2 points, it should have been 66, but now it was only 60.

However, the condensation had increased significantly, from 1% to 5%.

"Could it be that this is the refining effect of the advanced meditation on mental energy? It removed impurities, leading to a lower total?"

"It probably is."

But before Rain could think further, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Huh? This is..."

Because he saw that the system prompt had refreshed with a new line:

[The prerequisites for advancing to Draconic Sorcerer (Legendary) are: 1. Mutated Dragon Bloodline concentration of 'Dense' or higher; 2. Crystalized Sorcerer level 3 or higher; 3. ???]



"The second prerequisite is clear?!"

"Whoa, Crystalized Sorcerer?"

"This requirement is way too high!" Rain couldn't help but take a sharp breath.

He was no longer a sorcerer novice and knew that levels one to three corresponded to the stages of mental energy condensation, liquefaction, and crystalization.

But he was only at 5% condensation, and the liquefaction process was still ahead, followed by crystalization.

For a regular level one sorcerer, it might take centuries to reach the crystalization stage—100 years? Or 200 years?

Moreover, the advancement of sorcerers was not always smooth, and getting stuck at a certain stage was a very real possibility.

But thinking about it, it made sense.

"Legendary profession... requiring the power of a crystalized sorcerer isn't unreasonable."

"By adding attribute points, I can enhance my mental energy several times faster than a regular sorcerer, which should significantly compress this process." Rain was very confident about this.

"Additionally, this confirms that the Draconic Sorcerer is a type of sorcerer and is related to the advanced meditation."

After learning the first level of Advanced Meditation, Rain realized the requirement for a higher-level wizard.

As he pondered the prerequisites of a Dragon Vein Wizard, Rain gained some insight.

After some thought, Rain decided to test the changes before and after learning Advanced Meditation.

First, he naturally used the Talent Spell 'Metal Transformation'.

However, Rain didn't transform his dagger, as the amount of metal in it was too little, and he could already cast it almost instantly.

To see a more noticeable difference, he needed to work with a larger amount of metal.

As Rain's thoughts shifted, the Hardened Mithril in his hand immediately began to transform into the shape of a war hammer.

The process was incredibly fast, and after testing it several times and roughly recording the time, he found that it took around 0.16 seconds, less than 0.2 seconds.

Compared to the previous 0.25 seconds, it was at least 20% faster.

This delighted Rain, and he quickly transformed the war hammer into a thick mace, then rapidly changed it into a two-handed greatsword.

Indeed, no matter what shape he transformed it into, it was noticeably faster than before.

Don't underestimate this seemingly small reduction in time.

In many situations, battles are decided in the blink of an eye.

From another perspective, this meant that in the same amount of time, Rain could transform a larger amount of metal than before.

"I need to go to the branch and exchange for some rare metals."

"Oh, and Levitation."

Rain didn't hesitate; he put away the Hardened Mithril and walked out.

Sitting in the carriage, Rain continued to ponder the changes he had experienced.

"It seems that the effect of the first level of Advanced Meditation alone is not enough to achieve the current results." Rain carefully sensed this change.

"Hmm, that portion of the condensed psychic energy has a more significant effect on enhancing the activity of metal energy particles compared to the uncondensed psychic energy."

"I see."

"Among the reasons for the increased speed, there's also the additional effect of psychic energy condensation."

"Although the effect is not significant, it's because the degree of condensation is not high enough." Rain nodded, thinking to himself.

In the Exchange Hall.

The young female staff member stood up and bowed, "Hello, sir, how may I assist you today?"

"I'd like to exchange for some rare metals."

"Of course, sir, please show me your badge."

Rain nodded and handed over his crystal badge.

The girl took one look at it and was taken aback, receiving the badge with both hands in a more respectful manner and placing it into a specially designed slot. She then asked, "Sir, which type would you like to exchange for?"

"Give me twenty pounds... no, fifty pounds of Magicized Serenium, and another fifty pounds of Hardened Mithril ingots. Oh, and add twenty pounds of Radiant Ore." Rain thought for a moment before replying.

In the recent battles, the enemies had all used Sorcery, and having a sufficient amount of Magicized Serenium would significantly reduce the damage they could inflict.

The twenty pounds of Magicized Serenium he had exchanged previously was only enough to transform into a normal-sized kite shield, which was more than enough to defend against first-rank Sorcery, but against Sam's second-rank Sorcery, the defense was insufficient.

After all, it was like using a first-rank Sorcery 'Metal Barrier' to defend against a second-rank Sorcery; it was normal for it to be ineffective.

But if he had enough Magicized Serenium to form a three-sided kite shield, the defense would undoubtedly be much stronger.

Additionally, with the supplementary effect of Advanced Meditation - 'Metal Control', even if he couldn't withstand second-rank Sorcery, the defense would still be greatly enhanced.

As for Hardened Mithril, it was hard enough to be used as throwing spears, which would be much more powerful than ordinary steel, even if it meant using durability items as consumables - it was expensive! But now, Rain had enough contribution points, so he naturally chose to maximize his combat power.

Lastly, Radiant Ore, with the recent trend of cults becoming more prominent, Rain decided to exchange some as a precaution.

However, the female staff member was stunned.

Magicized Serenium cost 180 contribution points per pound - an astronomical price.

Fifty pounds would be a total of 9000 contribution points.

Was this too exaggerated, even for a Diamond Rank Swordsman?

"I'm so sorry, sir, how much did you say you wanted?" The staff member snapped out of her daze, and Rain patiently repeated his request.

"Sir, let me confirm, fifty pounds of Magicized Serenium ingots for 9000 contribution points, fifty pounds of Hardened Mithril ingots for 1200 contribution points, and twenty pounds of Radiant Ore for 2400 contribution points."

"That's a total of 12,600 contribution points. Will that be okay?"

"Yes." Rain nodded.

"Very well, sir. I'll go and get them for you."

"Wait, I also want to exchange for a Sorcery - Levitation. Can you handle that too?"

"Of course, sir."

Ten minutes later, Rain left the Exchange Hall satisfied, with a sheepskin scroll in his left hand and a wooden box in his right.

At the same time, in the northern part of the Minstrel Province, at the Dragon Tooth Mountain Pass.

Deep within the Adachi Mine.

A five-man elite squad, the Black Sword Squad from Mystra, was slowly advancing deep into the mine.

"That's strange, do you smell that?"

"Since entering the mine, I've had this constant foul odor, like the smell of rotting food," said the dagger-wielding squad member, furrowing his brows.

"I sense it too. It wasn't noticeable at the mine entrance, but now it seems to be getting stronger."

"I didn't notice until you mentioned it. Now I can smell it too," replied another squad member carrying a large bow, nodding as his nostrils twitched.

Suddenly, Aont, the deputy squad leader and the only official sorcerer in the Black Sword Squad, who was walking at the front with a lit staff, came to a halt.

Aont was the second strongest member of the squad after the captain, Greoro.

As an official sorcerer with heightened senses and innate defensive sorcery, he was leading the way through the dimly lit mine tunnel.

When Aont stopped, the other squad members ceased their chitchat and looked up.

The next moment, they all stared in horror at the scene ahead.

About twenty meters away, a towering bronze metal gate, several dozen meters high, was opening outward.

The gate led to a dark and mysterious interior, even the light from Aont's staff couldn't penetrate it.

At the entrance, a large magic array with intricate lines was faintly glowing green.

Strangely, there was no one attending to the array, which was unusual as it required someone to operate.

"Captain, that's... the Sealed Gate!" one squad member exclaimed, pointing at the bronze gate.

The sight before them was completely unexpected for the Black Sword Squad.

Indeed, the Adachi Mine had a Sealed Gate, and more shockingly, it was already open!

"Hmm!" Greoro, the captain, nodded solemnly, his eyes still fixed on the gate's interior, as if trying to see through it.

"It's already open!"

Aont, the sorcerer, approached the array with a grave expression, knelt down, and carefully examined it. Soon, he turned and said, "Captain, this array's operation won't last more than 24 hours. Judging by the symbols, it's a blood sacrifice array. Someone must have set it up and used it to open the Sealed Gate."

"Retreat!" Greoro signaled to Aont.

He had been staring at the gate, feeling a sense of foreboding.

As a Peak Knight who had mastered top-tier techniques, Greoro trusted his instincts, which never lied.

"Hmm? Captain, aren't we going to investigate inside?" another squad member asked, puzzled.

After all, they had come all the way from Mystra to investigate this matter.

But now, without knowing what was beyond the opened gate, they were about to retreat.

"Yeah! Captain, let me take a look inside," said Bram, a slender Leather Armor Warrior who skillfully twirled two daggers.

"Huh? Bram, what's that on your face? Why is it so pale?" As Aont approached with his lit staff, a squad member pointed at Bram, who was playing with his daggers.

"Hmm?"

Bram was also puzzled.

Something on his face?

He immediately touched his face and felt a soft object. When he pulled it, a white, fan-shaped object appeared in his hand.

"Huh? Is this a mushroom?" another squad member, who was at the back of the group and carrying a large bow, walked over curiously and looked at the white fungus, which resembled a ginkgo leaf.

But when he leaned in, the other two squad members beside him looked as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide and fingers trembling as they pointed at him.

"What's wrong? You two look like you've seen a ghost."

However, when he noticed that even Captain Greoro was looking at him with shock, he realized something was amiss!

He followed their gaze and immediately touched his face.

The next moment, he froze.

His hand felt soft objects all over his face. He pulled, and a white mushroom-like object came off in his hand.

Crimson blood trickled down, making his face look sickly and terrifying.

"Ahh!"

"My face!"

"Oh, no! It's on my neck too! What the hell is this thing!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end