Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 79 First Test (3rd Update, 9,000 words, seeking monthly votes)

"Uh, was the surgery really successful?"

When Rean awoke from his sleep, he felt no change whatsoever.

My physical condition is good, and I don't have a headache. Apart from a faint scar on my forehead, I can't feel any trace of surgery at all.

"Hehe! Of course! Doctor Kuku is no quack!"

These words made Rean unsure where to begin his吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or critical comments). "So, Kuku, your main profession is witch doctor, not doctor? Did you just perform surgery on me using a shamanistic ritual?"
"Where's the table?" Suddenly, the empty room made Rean realize that something was wrong.

The dining table that was supposed to serve as an operating table has vanished without a trace.

Also missing were piles of books that Kuku had somehow acquired, as well as some room furnishings and paintings.

There were bloodstains on the walls, ceiling, and bed board, making it look like a crime scene that had been cleaned up.

He looked down. The cheap carpet was still there, even smelling of soap. But the strong smell of blood was still overwhelming.

Even the carpet was soaked with blood? Rean vaguely sensed the table's whereabouts, but it seemed best not to pursue the matter further.

"What about my time?!"

After going outside, I realized that I had disappeared for a whole day again.

He looked around, but Kuku had vanished without a trace again, and he seemed a little guilty.

Wasn't it supposed to be done in two hours at most? What's with the missing furniture and the smell of blood in the room? Rean seems to have to investigate this.

"Could it be that they messed up again and kept trying to fix it, adding water when there's too much flour and flour when there's too much water?" The more Rean talked, the closer he felt to the truth.

"No! The surgery was a success! The experimental subject is still alive!" Being alive means the surgery was successful? Does that mean he almost died?
Kuku suddenly appeared out of nowhere, but even from a distance, Rean could smell the soapy smell and the indelible stench of blood emanating from him.

"Forget how much blood I lost, don't tell me." Rean sighed, vaguely sensing the truth, and decided to leave this as a dark chapter in his history.

The key is not the past, but the future.

He resolved to remind himself that no matter how reliable Kuku might seem, he was still a kobold!
"Next time, don't entrust your life to those kobolds."

This isn't racism, but rather the kobolds' inexplicable confidence that seems to come from their dragon lineage (a classic kobold saying: You are a dragon, and so am I! We are all the same!).

Overconfidence and rather clumsy operation (I think) greatly increase the chances of messing things up. Especially after recalling some of Kuku's memories, Rean became more certain that he should not let him operate alone in the future.

"Let's give it a try." Rean took a deep breath and, as Kuku had taught him, concentrated his mental energy in his head.

"Bang!" He vaguely sensed that something had been activated.

It seems that another "self" has awakened and made an inexplicable connection with my consciousness.
"Is this the thought process?" It seems I can make it move.

Rean found it interesting to let it do the calculations for him, or rather, it was like he was doing the calculations himself, which was quite easy.

Seeing that everything was going smoothly, Kuku breathed a huge sigh of relief in the corner.

The next moment, he straightened his head and puffed out his chest. Kuku was indeed a genius; Kuku had easily handled everything.

So, Kuku casually put away the hammer and bloodstained scalpel on his back. If there's a problem, he'll fix it first. The kobold alchemist never fails!
It really failed? That was the kobold witch doctor's doing! There's no witch doctor on Kuku's job list!

"interesting!"

Rean tried to keep his "secondary brain" focused on casting spells and construct a model for the "Rocket Spell." An invisible arrow gathered in front of him.

But his hands were gripping the sword, ready to strike!
"Stop playing around! Let it adjust! Don't overload it now, and don't use the abilities of two professions at the same time."

Upon hearing Kuku say this, Rean naturally did as he was told.

The patient should just follow the doctor's orders, even if it's just a witch doctor. Rean was genuinely a little scared that if something went wrong, he'd be dragged back to the operating table.

So he obediently went out for a walk and did some extra morning exercise.

Meanwhile, Rean's "brain core" was analyzing another trick.

As he practiced, he stopped. He had already determined that the change from a single core to a dual core was not simply a matter of doubling the computational load.

Rather, once a certain level of computing power is achieved, the originally complex and uncontrollable magic model becomes extremely simple and easy to understand.

"Uh, all done?"

Less than an hour into his morning training, Rean was surprised to find that he had mastered the spell model of the second Trickster's Hand.

Even with the advantage of conquering the first trick and mastering many skills and abilities in the process, it still exceeded Rean's expectations to be this fast.

The second trick was indeed less difficult, but something that was originally extremely difficult was conquered so easily? "Nonsense! Kuku's soul! Amazing! Always amazing!" Kuku said smugly.

Then, Rean suddenly understood.

The newly developed "graphics card" is actually of average strength, but the problem is that the "graphics card driver" is top-of-the-line, even cheat-level.

Whether or not there is a "graphics card" is a completely different matter. Once Kuku's soul ability is activated, the characteristics of multiple lines of thought checking for omissions and repeatedly refining make the spellcaster more precise, thorough, and complete, and naturally and easily overcome difficulties.

Just like when writing a program, if there is an AI constantly correcting and adjusting, while also continuously annotating and reminding you, the completion rate will naturally be greatly improved.

"Let's go! To the Mage Tower!" Kuku, having confirmed that Rean was alright, was also extremely anxious.

Rean didn't stop him; Kuku had worked hard and was naturally entitled to a reward.

Rean himself was also somewhat interested in Mage Street and Mage Tower.

He went back to his room, took off his chainmail (which was all he could afford now), and changed into ordinary civilian clothes and trousers.

But as he walked, he felt the cloth robe he was wearing was too light and he wasn't used to it.

The fact that he felt chilly in his unprotected vest while walking on the street made him even more uneasy.

But it wouldn't be so tactless to actually wear knight's attire to see his mage teacher, Rean, as he vaguely sensed that most mages and paladins didn't have a very good relationship.

"Paladin! Stinky canned food! Who likes that?!"

It seems that this is the truth. Many professionals who are prone to crossing the line have some opinions about Paladins and keep their distance, which is considered neutral.

With his letter of introduction in hand, Rean walked smoothly into the mage street.

Then, he was a little confused. It seemed that outsiders, who were rarely seen in other areas, had become the mainstream.

At first glance, it seems that elves, dark elves, dwarves, and gnomes all have shops here; there are strange races everywhere.

What surprised Rean even more was the density of mages on this street.

He had been in this city for so long and had never seen more than a dozen monks, but now he could see twenty or thirty of them haggling over prices in various shops.

"Isn't it said that spellcasters are rare and precious? How come there are so many?" Rean was a little puzzled. Radiant City was only of average size. Was it worth having so many mages move in?

"Mage! They're chasing after magic! And magic needs materials!"

Now Rean understood: underground ruins produce all sorts of extraordinary materials, and spellcasters have an endless need for these things, so they naturally gather there.

When Rean stepped inside, he stood out because he wasn't wearing a robe, but just ordinary clothes.

He didn't care about what others thought; he simply followed the map and counted the house numbers to find his way, and soon found the shop at number 13.

The target is on the second floor and above. In order to make money and trade, the bottom floor of the "Mage Tower" is often filled with various shops.

The letter of introduction allowed him to pass the golem's inspection in the shop and step onto a "steam elevator," entering the real spellcaster's space.

Ten minutes later, he came out looking completely bewildered.

"Oh, you're the junior brother introduced by Junior Sister Sallyman. The teacher is very busy. Look, this is the teaching material. Take a look at it yourself. If you master these two tricks, I'll teach you the rest." Rean was dismissed without a second thought.

Sure enough, only mages understand. Mages and their ilk disdain talking to laymen and idiots.

Although I'm being polite, the reality is that they just throw the textbook and exam questions at you. They'll only continue talking once you've solved them and proven you're not an idiot.

Although the mage didn't say how long the test would take, if it drags on, even if you pass, no one will care about you.

Rean glanced at the spellcasting notes and saw two tricks with "special prefixes," which meant they were products of the spellcaster's modifications.

This is clearly to prevent cheating.
"I really have to thank Kuku." Without Kuku's prior preparation, Rean, whose aptitude was average, might not have even met his mentor and would have been sent away directly.

This is the world of spellcasters, rational and ruthless.

With limited resources, I naturally prioritize talented individuals. To gain more attention and investment, you need to prove your abilities.

Of course, since Rean was introduced by Sallyman, he will give him some face and eventually spend half a year teaching him a first-tier spell before happily asking him to "graduate".

This is not Rean's malicious speculation, but rather the experience of many noble children who consider themselves magical geniuses.

“It doesn’t seem too difficult.” An hour and a half later, Rean walked into the mage’s shop again.

(End of this chapter)