Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 164 Books and Words

Ruger's pace was neither fast nor slow. Although disturbing the old bald man after mastering the divine artifact was permitted, he was still afraid of provoking him and being slapped to death by those wrinkled hands. He had already completed a sublimation ritual with good compatibility and was a rising star in the wizarding world, an unprecedented kobold wizard who had finally reached this point.

Speaking of the Ascension Ritual, one of the prerequisites for the Shepherd's Ascension Ritual is to learn a built-in spell, which means he has obtained a spell for free.

In any case, he can learn the spell in his spare time. Even if he doesn't use the ritual in the end, it won't affect his learning of the spell. He currently has two zero-ring spells to learn: one is Lesser Sharpness, which Green gave him, and the other is Spirit Hair Nourishment, which is included in this ritual.

The Spirit Hair Nourishment spell is said to make hair easier to manage, but that's secondary. The subtle spiritual awakening effect that comes with long-term use is the original purpose of the spell. These wizards, who are crazy about fur, even want to create something more interesting, to make every hair full of spirit, or even like a living individual.

Ruger approached the gaunt, bald old wizard step by step.

He had never been this close to the old man before; the old wizard's emaciated appearance only accentuated his robust and broad frame.

The old man suddenly frowned, raised his head, and looked at Luger with unfocused eyes.

“I told you,” the bald old wizard said in a low voice, “besides learning the art of artifacts, don’t bother me…”

Ruger immediately stood still, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.

The bald old wizard's eyes gradually regained their liveliness, but he still frowned as he looked at him.

“My lord, I have mastered the art of divine objects,” Ruger said without further ado, bowing. “It is truly a wondrous spell.”

The bald old wizard frowned even more deeply, scrutinizing Luger from head to toe. His beast-like eyes seemed to want to brush away all the fur and scales from Luger's body, seeing right through him.

"Show me your magic, and prove it to me." The bald old wizard revealed a crooked smile.

Luger nodded as instructed, raised a finger, looked around, and simultaneously empowered the spell model in his mental space.

The moment the empowerment was complete, Ruger casually pointed to a small stone at his feet.

In most cases, the ritual does not require raising hands or glaring. These actions serve more as a psychological guide to make the ritual smoother.

But today, these two common spell-casting gestures among wizards were performed by two people: Ruger was responsible for reaching out to cast the spell, while the bald old wizard, who was over a hundred years old, was responsible for sitting aside and staring.

"Hahaha!"

The bald old wizard let out a deafening laugh.

This startled Luger, who had just entered the spell state, causing him to exit the spell.

"Very good, you little rascal, I wasn't wrong about you."

The old wizard's laughter also attracted Green's attention from afar.

"You hairy brat, how many nodes does your spell model have?" the bald old wizard said with a smile. "Also, don't easily cast artifact spells on the rocks and cave walls here, especially when you're not around."

Ruger glanced back at Green and nodded, saying, "Reporting to my lord, twenty-nine nodes."

Upon hearing this, the old man stroked his bald head and pondered.

“Your mental strength is probably not up to the standard of a fifth-level wizard apprentice,” the old wizard said, looking at him.

“Yes, sir,” Ruger replied honestly.

The bald old wizard took out a thick, large, blood-red book and handed it over.

Ruger accepted it with both hands. "The divine artifact technique isn't something you get for nothing; now is the time for you to pay the price," the old man said.

"Yes, sir." Ruger bowed his head, holding the book.

"I need you here to help me find a language. You know the underground language, so what you see is the underground language. You can recognize this language once you've seen it. It has a peculiar quality; you'll understand it as soon as you see it." The bald old wizard said, taking out an object.

Ruger held the book, his gaze following the old wizard's movements.

It was a strangely shaped, blood-red gemstone, which upon closer inspection resembled a man-made badge.

“Now, cast a spell on this thing, and you will see those words,” the old wizard said with a crooked smile.

Ruger did as he was told and used the Divine Artifact Technique once again.

The moment the spell was successfully cast, he was enveloped in a crimson haze. A dizzying sensation washed over him, as if countless people were roaring. The roars were above his head, below him, and suddenly behind him. Gradually, he was nothing but a crimson haze, unable to distinguish up from down, left from right, and right, amidst the omnipresent, desperate roars.

As Luger felt himself tumbling and drifting, he saw the first word, then the second. They didn't form words at all, as if they were unrelated, but he could clearly feel their connection. Just as the old wizard had said, this kind of word could be understood as soon as you saw it. The word seemed to be permeated with blood, but there was no sense of bloodshed, nor any fear or disgust.

Snapped!
Ruger held the book in one hand and covered his swollen forehead with the other.

"See them? Try to find these words in the book, you hairy little ones," the old wizard withdrew his wrinkled fingers. "Everyone has a different perspective. Although you are weaker than me, and your magical abilities are not as clear as mine, and your spiritual power seems to be blown out in a breath, I have been looking for over a hundred years. At first, I could find new words quickly, but now I can't find even one for a long time. I hope you two little ones won't disappoint me."

"If you can help me achieve my wish, I will naturally keep my promise and help you leave this place..." The bald old wizard's eyes swept over the two young men standing one near and one far.

Ruger and Green exchanged a glance and nodded solemnly in agreement.

The bald old man seemed not to see anything, staring blankly at the cave ceiling for a while before he came to his senses and waved for the two to continue their work.

Before Ruger had taken more than a few steps, the old wizard, as usual, lowered his head to look at the thick, large book.

Back to the little nest behind the cover.

“Lord Ruger, you truly surprise me. I think I may have to stay in the City of Burning Blood for a while longer after I leave here…”

As soon as Ruger sat down, Green spoke up from the side.

"It seems this guy has developed a strong interest in bloodline modification," Luger thought, rolling his eyes.

"Lord Green, would you mind telling me about your Divine Artifact spell model? How many nodes does it have?" Ruger asked curiously.

“Thirty-two, the later nodes are simply a long torture. This spell has tormented me for a long time…” Green said, looking at Ruger with envy again.

Luger ignored his change in expression, stood up and glanced at the large hole, then quickly sat down again.

"What do you think we're doing looking for these words?" Ruger asked.

Green shook his head: "I've only found one these past few days, and he was so happy. I never imagined he could laugh like that. It must be something very important to him. And I've discovered that after he wrote down the word I found, he's never encountered it again..."

As Ruger listened, he weighed the heavy book in his hands. Since this apprentice seeker of the law from the Temple of Knowledge said he didn't know, he didn't need to waste his energy anymore and could just focus on his work.

I just don't know if this book is dangerous.

(End of this chapter)