Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 217 Puzzle and Endlessness

"Of course, most dark wizards still fit the common perception of being wicked, or some dark wizards don't do that simply because they don't need to," Raiden said. "There was once a very crazy high-ranking wizard who tried to deliberately transform himself into a dark wizard that the world despised, and then use the world's power of rejection to walk a path that no one else had walked..."

Ruger felt his eyes were getting a little dry again.

"He failed?" Ruger said.

“He succeeded, but he made too many attempts during the experiment. Those attempts were not just trying to make the world hate him. Although the experiment was specially reported to the High Council, and from another perspective, his exploration supplemented some data and contributed to the entire wizarding world, in the end he still could not escape, nor could he escape, the fate of being hated,” Raiden said slowly. “That was the price he paid for gaining power.”

Despite Leiden's calm tone, Ruger sensed the wizard's madness and resolute determination.

However, from another perspective, he was indeed a powerful dark wizard. Presenting his findings from exploring the unknown to the High Council only resulted in him not being hunted down by the Holy Judgment Wizards. The world's and people's aversion to him would not disappear.

Ruger thought of something else: if those who are favored are always lucky, then wouldn't those who are disliked always be unlucky?

Vito, sitting opposite him, opened his eyes and lowered his hand from his ear.

Ruger suspected that Vito wore his hat at an angle because he always tilted his head and listened attentively, so that the hat wouldn't fall off.

“Gentlemen, perhaps we still have a chance,” Vito said with a smile. “How about we call ourselves the Accidental Intruders Alliance? The alliance of three unexpected intruders will take those arrogant guys by surprise. Of course, the premise is that we must lie low first. Several powerful wizard apprentices have also arrived, and conflicts are bound to arise among them. Hehe, we just need to wait for fate to take its course, and the spirit will make its own choice…”

"Is there anyone who can deal with that Nightmare Wizard Apprentice?" Raiden asked, fiddling with the campfire as he started brewing tea.

Ruger glanced at it, but unfortunately it wasn't his favorite fruit tea.

“Because they come from different domains, you may not have heard of them. There are two people I think can contend with that guy. After all, his magical pets are not true low-level Nightmare Demons. One is a student of a high-level wizard known as the Demon Wizard. He is a Limit Wizard apprentice who has waited for this well for fifty years without advancing in order to determine his path. The other is a faith wizard from the top wizarding power, the Three Flames Divine Palace. From what I heard, he is a very famous guy there. You know, faith power is considered the lowest level of primordial power. It depends on whether he can perfectly mobilize it.”

Vito's mood improved as he spoke, and he would occasionally tilt his head to listen, though he wasn't as focused as before.

Leiden had already brewed the tea, and Vito skillfully took out his own cup.

As Ruger watched Vito listen intently, he observed their expressions while also subtly sensing the magical fluctuations emanating from them. Raiden seemed to use some minor spell while tending the campfire, but not frequently. Vito, however, was much more diligent; even when not pretending to listen, faint magical fluctuations emanated from him—almost as often as he used the Spirit Hair Nourishment spell in the darkness, and it was extremely subtle, making it difficult for Ruger to detect unless he was sitting very close.

Ruger held the teacup, took a sip of the sour and strange-tasting tea, and once again felt Vitor's magical fluctuations.

A question kept popping into his mind: this wasn't a dark place; using magic would consume mental energy.

Moreover, this magical fluctuation seemed to be a spell he had mastered and practiced occasionally, but apart from when he first learned it, he hadn't practiced it separately. He would only practice it briefly during his regular review of all his spells. However, the spell in Vito's possession was quite different from what he knew in terms of its effects. It couldn't even be described as a modified spell, or rather, while it could be modified to this extent, it was beyond the capabilities of a wizard apprentice, and there was no need for it.

When Vito poured his second cup of tea.

Ruger finally couldn't hold back and said, "Lord Vito, I have a rather presumptuous question that you may not answer... Are you using ear-planting magic? Did you plant so many ears in this forest? So many, so far away, and without them noticing?"

Leiden looked up at this, clearly intrigued. Vito adjusted his tilted hat.

“Although I expected it, you are quite perceptive,” Vito said with a smile. “I thought it would be a little later before it was discovered. Using so many ear spells at the same time is still a bit of a strain for me. I can only try my best to keep the other side from attracting attention. I can no longer completely conceal my own magical fluctuations, and even so, many of the fake ears have already been discovered and completely destroyed.”

After speaking, Vito took a sip of tea, seemingly satisfied with everything Leiden had made.

“Just as you all think,” he readily admitted, responding to what was rather impolite among wizards, “my zero-ring spell slot has the fixed spell Earplant…”

Compared to Luger, who had already guessed, Leiden was more surprised.

The two expressed surprise in clearly different directions.

Leiden seemed to have more to think about.

Ruger was astonished that someone would actually choose such a spell to solidify something. Since it was solidified, it made sense that the Ear-Planting Technique could be used to such an inhuman degree. The fact that his mental strength could withstand such frequent spell fluctuations was also understandable. But this choice was something Ruger simply couldn't comprehend.

Ruger suddenly realized that his solidified, foul-smelling skin wasn't such a big deal of courage, much less a bizarre act.

He glanced at Leiden, who seemed even more surprised than him, but after the initial surprise, he looked thoughtful.

But Ruger only glanced at it. He felt he had already been rude enough, and naturally he couldn't go to Leiden to discuss other people's secrets in front of Vito.

In the wizarding world, everything that seems illogical must have a reason.

With that thought in mind, Ruger immediately changed the subject.

“The Three Flames Palace, that sounds strange…” Ruge said. “A top-tier wizarding organization, like the Dragon Management Council?”

“How could that be?” Vito laughed, picking up the conversation. “The Dragon Management Council is a pillar-level organization, under the Highest Wizarding Council, and holds a seat within the council…”

“The Three Flames Palace is in the Endless Sea, where countless islands are territories allocated by the Supreme Council for the development of faith-based wizards,” Raiden said.

Ruger tried to imagine it, then looked down at the teacup he was holding. He hadn't expected to hear the word "sea" in the underground world. Luckily, his fur had been well-maintained lately, otherwise he would have made a fool of himself today.

"The Endless Sea... what does it look like? Has Lord Leiden ever been there?" Ruger asked.

“That was one of my goals. Between the Endless Sea and the Nightmare World, I ultimately chose the latter,” Raiden said. “There are endless seas there, and each sea is connected to a dome by a massive Sky Pillar Mountain. Besides countless islands, most wizards live in cities built on those Sky Pillar Mountains. As for the Endless Sea, I once read a book about a man who wanted to explore its end. The book said he flew across the sea for over a thousand years, but eventually gave up. It is said that what made him give up was not the endless sea ahead, but the ruins he discovered where wizards once lived…”

(End of this chapter)