Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 205 Friendship and Deterrence

Ruger and Leiden didn't dare to delay. They glanced at the bookshelves beside them and hurried down to the lower level of the tower. This room, which had quite a few bookshelves, had been entered and exited in a hurry last time. Even though they had hastily cast a light spell last time, the bookshelves after the third or fourth row were still beginning to disappear into the darkness. They hadn't yet had time to figure out exactly how many bookshelves there were.

Ruger arrived outside the old woman's room.

The stone door to the room was open, which meant that it really was the old woman looking for them.

"grown ups."

Ruger called out, then, mimicking Leiden's gesture, bowed to the small, wrinkled figure in the room.

The old woman leaned on a long cane, motionless, not looking at the two of them, but just muttering to herself. Anyone who didn't know better would probably think that the little old woman had gone mad.

Ruger and Leiden transformed into the most obedient children, standing obediently at the door waiting.

This stop took up most of the day.

Ruger couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly, wishing he had just looked through the bookshelves on the next shelf.

The old woman suddenly raised her head: "Oh, come in, you two good little fellows. I understand your little schemes. A long, long time ago, I was also a wizarding apprentice... But back then, I was lucky enough to have a mentor, though he sometimes liked to experiment on us students. There were seventeen of us who followed him at the time, and we lived in fear every day. So I secretly decided that I would never become that kind of wizard. Therefore, I try my best not to use you for experiments. Although I am not the real me, I am still me, aren't I..."

As Luger listened to her words, he felt as if the hairs on his body were coming to life and were about to bow in unison to praise her kindness.

And judging from her expression, she really seemed to think she was being very kind.

The old woman struck her long cane, and two small bottles flew over.

Ruger and Leiden quickly reached out to catch it.

“There are benefits to you helping me with my experiments. Oh, here are some scraps I’ve collected that should be useful to you, especially that dog-headed one. You’re still too weak. Swallow that thing on your back; it will increase your mental strength. I see you all cultivate something called a Nightmare Organ, which is a pretty good design,” the old woman said, tapping her long staff lightly as she habitually. “The benefits aren’t just these, but rather verifying my path. Of course, if I can use you, you might successfully advance to wizards during the verification process, although that might not be the path you’re meant to take, but you’ll still be wizards.”

The two listened attentively from the side.

Ruger glanced at Leiden beside him, wondering what this man, who had always insisted on following his own path, was feeling at this moment.

"The path to extraordinary achievements can be redefined, and becoming a wizard will broaden your horizons."

The old woman paced back and forth with her long cane, talking nonchalantly.

Regarding the chosen path of wizardry, Ruger did not sense any malice from the old woman. Instead, he had a more peculiar feeling that she was too far removed from being a wizard apprentice, or rather, a low-level wizard, and had been out of that level for too long.

Ruger and Leiden looked at each other while holding the small bottle, and Ruger confirmed that Leiden was thinking the same thing.

That is, this wrinkled old wizard, who was not even as tall as a staff, seemed unaware that they had left this elusive town.

The old woman pointed to the wall, which led to the town outside, and said, "There are still a few wizard apprentices there who barely meet the promotion criteria. You are relatively outstanding. I cherish talent, just as my mentor did for me back then. Of the seventeen students who were with me, only three successfully became full wizards and left that sacred white tower. So you will stay until the end, hoping that they can help me refine my ideas, so that you won't be wasted..."

The two men held the bottles, offering no words of thanks or greetings.

Not only were they speechless about their situation and the old woman's behavior, but they also dared not speak out or express anything else.

Ruger felt he had learned this way of bowing, but he still couldn't get used to it. He was probably the only bloodline modifier among the trapped people, at least on the surface, and he was probably the safest one here. He was a unique, weak but precious experimental material.

As long as the old woman doesn't change her mind, Leiden is the second safest person after him.

"Go and improve your strength, cultivate that thing called the Nightmare Organ, adjust your mental power to the limit, and prepare for the experiment."

The old woman spoke to the two men, but she was mainly looking at Leiden.

However, she didn't look down on Luger at all. After all, for someone of her level, her concept of time was quite different, and giving Luger some time to improve was nothing.

Luger and his companion respectfully took their leave.

The stone gate slowly closed.

Leiden seemed a little distracted, and took a slight delay as he walked out the door.

Ruger glanced at him, then looked at the bottle in his hand. The bottle wasn't the usual kind of medicine bottle; it must have been something the old woman had casually made here to store these special waste materials. Ruger slowed his pace, looking at the contents of the bottle as he walked.

The moment the cork was opened, the little wings folded behind him already seemed to be throbbing with thirst.

This bottle functions like a storage pocket, and it actually holds quite a lot of things inside. Some of them are still wriggling, seemingly real yet unreal, making it impossible to tell if they are alive or dead. This is one of the reasons why we don't just use ordinary storage pockets to store them.

Ruger paused, glanced back, and saw Leiden walking silently with the bottle in his hand, not yet opening it.

“Is this a fusion of other wizarding apprentices’ nightmares?” Ruger asked.

This is what they commonly refer to as the nightmare organ.

Leiden, who was walking behind, paused for a moment, opened his bottle, and examined it.

“It contains the flesh and blood of creatures from the Nightmare World, and some of it is a fusion of parts peeled off from other apprentices. The characteristics are very obvious…” Leiden said.

When Ruger turned around, he stood still for a moment, and in the time it took to say a word, the two were walking side by side again.

“It seems that quite a few wizarding apprentices have visited this town over the years,” Ruger said.

“Things like this, in the Nightmare World, are generally not located in one place,” Leiden said.

Ruger spilled out an eyeball.

A thought flashed through his mind, and wings appeared behind him. With a flap of their wings, they swept forward and snatched the pale eyeball from his hand. A feeling of comfort and satisfaction followed, continuously transmitted from the wings.

Ruger involuntarily stopped again, his eyes slightly narrowed as he savored the physical and mental pleasure and the slight increase in his spiritual power.

He opened his eyes after only a brief experience; this was no time to waste.

Leiden had already walked some distance at a leisurely pace. "Lord Leiden, it's time to verify our conjecture."

Ruger strode past Leiden.

Leiden snapped out of his daze and strode after him.

The two headed straight for the library on the floor above.

The so-called conjectures weren't just about the connection between the books and the old woman, but also about the inexplicable drowsiness they'd experienced earlier, including whether they'd reappear outside the town after waking up—all of which would likely be confirmed this time. Ruger guessed that after leaving the old woman for a while, they would experience that drowsiness again, just like last time. If it was different, it might be related to some aspect of the old woman's condition.

Ruger was the first to burrow into the bookshelf; if the same situation happened again, their time would be limited.

However, this time I didn't wander around aimlessly inside the tower, and even if I got sleepy like last time, I had more time.

Neither of them spoke; neither was a fool. They naturally separated and began searching on different bookshelves, in their own way and according to the order.

Ruger first looked through a few books that he vaguely remembered from the last time, but they were still vague, and the degree of vagueness had not changed.

He put down the book and continued walking among the bookshelves.

At such moments, he desperately longed for the spiritual light within him to flicker and offer him some guidance, but unfortunately, it seemed to have changed, becoming a creature even lazier and more ruthless than a kobold.

Ruger paused in his busy work, his hands and feet moving in a sudden stop.

His eyes were drawn to a book spine, the words on which were quite clear.

Perhaps the first conjecture is about to be verified: whether the book exists or not, whether it is clear or not, is related to the thoughts and ideas of that wrinkled old wizard during this period.

This is an ancient book, as it bears the names of more than one author. If this conjecture is true, it should also be a book that the old woman herself read, which was then projected onto this strange nightmare world town through her dreams.

Ruger glanced at the title—Nine Conjectures about the Sublimation Ritual.

He hurriedly flipped through the pages and found it to be a book about the ascension rituals used by wizard apprentices. The fact that such a low-level thing existed here, which was a further proof of his guess, was that the existence of these books was related to the old woman's thoughts and reflections during this period.

Ruger quickly flipped through the pages, while simultaneously taking out a notebook and using his writing technique. Although he believed he could memorize it, he still cautiously wanted to keep a written copy.

He carefully flipped through the pages, while a crystal pen he had accidentally taken from the alchemy room of Old Lunser's apothecary was also rapidly taking notes.

Ruger gradually frowned, but then slowly relaxed as he flipped through the pages.

This book was created as a compilation, a record of conversations between several wizards, which is why there are so many authors. The compiler was very meticulous; it was not a simple record, but rather a compilation of the wizards' dialogues and debates into a suitable written form, organizing the topics in order and presenting them in a more organized manner.

He was initially disappointed that there was no direct record of the sublimation ceremony when he started flipping through the pages, but he became engrossed in it as he read, and almost forgot to turn the page for the crystal pen.

And then he laughed again. This laughter wasn't just because of the interesting old wizards arguing heatedly in the book, but also because of the content that had captivated him, and a final little surprise. In the last part of the book, for the sake of examples, a sublimation ritual was described in more detail. Combining this with the content of the debates and discussions among the wizards, it could be better understood. It was even like the question that old Lenther had given him for making potions. Depending on the situation, some substitutions could be made to the sublimation ritual.

Ruger watched the ascension ceremony intently.

This was still an ascension ritual related to the bloodline of dragons, but unfortunately it was somewhat different from what he had in mind.

The Ascension Ceremony of the Dragon Tamer.

Although this book is from who knows how many years ago.

Although Ruger was not present at the debate, he could identify the wizards present simply from the name of the ascension ceremony. Among the wizards present, at least one would be from the Alien Dragon Management Council.

The so-called Dragon-Slaying Ascension Ritual is practically a device specifically designed for dragon-blooded creatures. Once successfully ascended, it naturally suppresses dragon-blooded beings. This suppression isn't limited to mental and aura-based pressure; it can even influence certain spells, making them more effective against dragon-blooded creatures. Generally speaking, ascension rituals are highly targeted, or in other words, have a narrow scope, but this type often achieves considerable success within its specific area of ​​application.

Moreover, upon closer examination, the Dragonblood Creatures are not as narrow as one might initially perceive during the ascension ceremony.

It's important to know that dragon-blooded creatures aren't just giant dragons, alien dragons, and low-level sub-dragons. There are also dragon-blooded creatures among demons and some humanoid races, and many powerful bloodline wizards have some dragon-related bloodline to varying degrees.

After successfully completing the Dragon Slayer Ascension Ritual, one gains the ability to absorb the blood of dragon-blooded creatures. Only a single drop is needed. This does not transform them into bloodline modifiers, but rather a process of collection. As different dragon blood is ingested, various types of dragon blood are collected, and the suppression of dragon-blooded creatures becomes increasingly stronger. It can even directly issue commands to those with weaker wills.

The ascension ceremony gave Ruger goosebumps, though he wouldn't actually get goosebumps.

Those who have undergone such a ritual would surely not dare to wander among bloodline wizards at night, regardless of their strength, as they are definitely the most hated objects among bloodline wizards.

Fortunately, this kind of sublimation ritual is destined not to become mainstream.

If you're not a wizard in the Alien Dragon Management Council, then in most cases it's not as good as Dasoya Star's Grief Puppet Ascension Ritual. Moreover, this path of not being human is said to be able to extend a wizard's lifespan a little. Without the influence of the body, the soul can be more easily kept pure, which is to extend the soul's immortality a little bit in reverse.

After finishing copying, Luger put the notebook away, but instead of returning the book to the shelf, he continued to hold it in his hand.

It should be about time, he estimated. Leiden also stopped what he was doing, and it seemed he had also made some progress.

They both laughed, as a wave of drowsiness began to wash over them.

This is the scene they most wanted to see.

This time, Ruger didn't choose such a disheveled posture. Instead, he held the book in one hand and sat obediently against the bookshelf.

Seeing this, Leiden followed suit, also carrying a book, clearly making the same plan.

In a daze, neither of them resisted this time, but instead followed the drowsiness and naturally closed their eyes.

Changes in light and darkness.

Ruger opened his eyes.

The last guess was confirmed: they weren't under the bird's nest tree, but in the camp, right under that tall, withered tree, near the campfire, in almost the same spot where they left.

The only change might be the number of viewers.

(End of this chapter)