Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 139 Longing and Contact

After hearing what the fat, dog-headed boss said, Ruger looked at his arcane mark more and more and felt that it really did look like an egg with one end cracked open.

“Do you have any particular insight into the pattern on this thing, my dear Uncle Lenser?” Ruger said. “I’ve always just considered it an identity mark.”

"My dim-witted nephew, you don't want me to keep calling you Eggshell Boy, do you?" Old Dog Head Lunser said irritably.

“Oh, sorry, Uncle, you can call me Ruger,” Ruger said.

"That thing is just a mark used to identify someone, of course. However, it is generated under the intervention of the world's power, so it is not that simple. Some people say that it also involves the power of fate. Among wizards, there is a most widely accepted theory that the pattern of the arcane mark is how you appear in the eyes of the world..." Uncle Luns, who had a fat head and big ears, seemed to think of the pattern on his missing bone and curled his lips unhappily.

Lunsel shook his big dog head, crawled out from behind the counter, and walked towards the back of the shop.

Ruger hurriedly followed, and it was then that he noticed that his Uncle Doghead was missing a leg, with a wooden stick replacing the lower leg. The stick may have once been exquisite, with some remaining traces of patterns, but now it was just dirty and very old.

This old man, Lunther, must be quite wealthy, running a potion shop, right? And he's at least a high-ranking wizard apprentice; surely he can fix a broken leg? Ruger stared at his leg as he walked.

“Young Luger, the last clause in the contract is a smart choice; it will make our relationship more pleasant,” old Lunser said as he walked.

“Of course, I am your nephew,” Ruger said.

“Yes, my nephew,” old Lenser said, laughing.

The merchandise area in front of the shop was small and crowded, as was the living area in the back. Ruger followed closely behind Lunser, so he only got a general look. Most of the four-story building was used to store materials, some of which were being cultivated. A small sapling was placed at the corner of the stairs, and it even wiggled a couple of times when it saw the two of them passing by.

From this floor to the fourth floor, there was no place that belonged to Luger; his only place was in the attic.

"This is your room. It's a gift from your uncle to his nephew. Hehe, you're new here and don't know much," said Old Dog Lunser. "You'll thank me later."

Ruger surveyed the attic. The attic was fairly spacious, but only a third of the area was tall enough to stand upright. A pile of crates was neatly stacked in one corner, which reduced his living space considerably. Fortunately, there was a small window.

“I have been grateful to you, Uncle Lenser,” Ruger said with a smile.

"Ah."

Old Dog Head Lunser waved his hand and picked up a book that was surprisingly thick.

Ruger's eyes lit up, and he happily accepted it.

Lenser seemed quite satisfied with his reaction: "You can rest here for today! Try to memorize this book. It covers most of the materials needed for low-level potions in the shop. The mental energy fluctuations you displayed when casting the spell after signing the contract were quite good, stable and solid. You are a guy who can learn potion making. I just hope you won't be too stupid. Although that would bring me a lot of magic stones, it would also waste a lot of materials."

"Of course, my uncle."

As Ruger spoke, the large, thick book was already open in his hands, his eyes seemingly glued to it.

Old Lunser glanced at him, swayed his big dog head, and slowly left the attic, closing the slanted little door behind him.

Ruger sat down by the window and cast a light spell.

As the fist-sized white orb of light floated above his head, his breathing calmed down, as if he didn't exist in the room, with only the occasional sound of turning pages remaining.

This is just a basic encyclopedia for beginners, but it is excellent for Ruger. It is a treasure he really likes. The encyclopedia mainly covers one of the important branches of alchemy, the vast field of potion-making. He had seen some of the little things in it when he was catching insects to eat, but he didn't recognize them at the time. Combining the descriptions in the book with his memories of their growing environments, it is quite interesting.

Before I knew it, I had already cast two Light spells.

A shadow suddenly flashed past the window. Ruger looked up, holding his book. Outside, the light was still blood-red, but it seemed a little darker than when he came down the mountain.

He stared intently and saw a nimble figure peering out of the window opposite.

That seemed to be someone who also lived in the attic. The two houses were very close, almost touching. The person opposite seemed to sense his gaze and looked up. It was a pretty young girl with a pair of red eyes like the blood-red light.

He was still distracted, subconsciously thinking about what he had just seen in the encyclopedia, and his eyes looked a little dazed, which may have caused a misunderstanding on the other end.

The woman first smiled and waved at him, but when she didn't get a response, she glared at him fiercely. By the time he raised his hand, the person opposite had already closed the window and retreated.

Ruger continued to bury himself in his book.

He had already imagined himself being able to make all sorts of extraordinary potions on his own, and the corners of his mouth would always unconsciously turn up slightly.

It wasn't until it was completely dark outside and his stomach started growling that he realized he hadn't eaten anything.

He waved as if to open the portal, but then stopped.

Since he was living here, he couldn't keep relying on himself to solve everything, he thought to himself.

He put away the heavy book, got up, and went downstairs.

The allure of becoming an apprentice pharmacist and crafting extraordinary potions momentarily captivated him.

He smiled as he thought of this, quite enjoying the enigma. Of course, he couldn't get too caught up in it right away. Like now, he needed to explore this place more thoroughly. When he came down from that cave, his first goal was to understand this place.

He descended the old, creaking stairs.

He wondered if his dear uncle was asleep.

He recalled the corner he had seen when he passed by the third floor, where the kitchen and small dining area must have been squeezed together.

A slight sound came from the innermost room.

“Uncle Lunser?” he said softly.

There was another sound.

He glanced at the empty dining table, stood quietly for a moment, and sure enough, another sound came from it.

He mustered his courage and walked towards the room at the far end of the third floor.

As they drew closer, a suppressed, painful groan gradually became clearer.

He reached out and lightly touched the door. The whole room seemed different from others. The door was made of some kind of strange metal. With a faint groan of pain coming from behind the door, runes appeared and disappeared on the door at the same time.

Ruger listened intently and confirmed that the voice belonged to old Lunser.

After hearing this, he quietly backed away.

(End of this chapter)