Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 266 Fate and Choice
To be fair, Ruger actually hoped that the old woman would succeed, rather than the original form of the old wizard from who-knows-how-many years ago reappearing in some way. This wasn't because he had read too many biographical novels, but because he had a natural desire to see the old woman, a fragmented and insignificant consciousness in adversity, turn everything around and change her fate. In other words, people often hope to see miracles happen before their eyes, and even as an observer, Ruger felt that would be a good thing.

Then they would end it all in a way that minimized risk and brought it to a pleasant conclusion, a conclusion he could even offer his blessings to.

But that's just how fate is, so he had no choice but to do what he could to resist.

He wanted to witness the old woman create a miracle, but instead she gave him something even more outrageous and difficult for a wizard apprentice, asking him to try and create a miracle as well.

Moreover, even if he succeeds in this miracle despite his desperate struggle, it seems there is no benefit whatsoever.

Ruger stroked his chin and continued looking at his notes.

His current mental space stability is by no means weaker than that of a normal level 5 limit apprentice. The stability of his mental space brought about by higher mental power has been smoothed out by him. He even believes that he is slightly stronger than those geniuses among the level 5 limit.

He let his mind wander, thinking of some interesting things. If he really succeeded, could his mental strength break through the apprentice's limit and transform into the level of a first-ring wizard? If he didn't complete the transformation, would he still be considered a first-ring wizard? Would he be considered a formal wizard with a flawed mental strength? Would a first-ring spell slot still be created? If it was successfully created, wouldn't that be very interesting?

Ruger stopped scratching his chin, took out the few tufts of hair and played with them in his hands, then changed his leaning posture to relax more.

The last few pages of notes made Ruger pause for a moment. He raised an eyebrow and continued flipping through them.

Ruger could fully imagine the process by which this notebook came to be. It must have been driven by the art of writing, with a pen floating beside her, the old woman casually muttering to herself, occasionally drifting off into her own thoughts, pacing around the room, or even conducting experiments. When a flash of inspiration struck, she would inevitably think about other things. All of this resulted in this notebook with its unique style.

The last few pages are filled with more nonsensical ramblings.

Ruger carefully examined the contents, searching for any potentially useful information.

The expectations placed on him, whose spiritual power was not yet at its full potential, were actually greater than those placed on Leiden, who had reached the promotion standard. Ruger frowned. The jumbled information between the lines revealed the old woman's many thoughts. It seemed that she had once imagined not becoming a wizard and truly coming back to life, but becoming a wizard apprentice and truly starting over. It was just unknown what choice she had made now, and which one was more likely to succeed.

Ruger fiddled with the few tufts of fur in his hand and suddenly noticed a cup of tea that had been placed beside his leg.

He picked up the teacup; the tea was no longer very hot, but it was still bitter.

Studying these things is simply to avoid being completely clueless in the worst-case scenario.

He finished reading the last few pages and took out the notebook containing the poems.

A collection of poems about dreams and death

Ruger thought it was time to figure out how to present the symbol perfectly to the old woman.

Give that wrinkled little guy a surprise.

He tilted his head back and drank the tea in his cup.

First, he drew a separate copy on a piece of paper, which was the most direct but also the worst option. He kept the paper as a backup.

Then he looked at his chest and touched his head.

Leiden heard his commotion and looked over curiously, but Ruger just smiled.

The nested triangle symbol isn't particularly complex, which is perhaps a piece of good news.

Luger pondered for a moment and then began to try them one by one.

He precisely controlled the hair removal spell, using the hair on his chest as a canvas to significantly expand the few tufts of hair he was playing with. He didn't even spare the sharp horns that had emerged after he cast the spell, using his fingernails in conjunction with a minor sharpening spell to carve miniature triangular symbols on the front of the horns.

His flurry of activity naturally left Leiden completely bewildered. Each time Leiden cast a curious glance his way, Ruger simply smiled and let it go. At such a moment, it was even less likely that he would break the instructions in the poetry collection and tell others about the matter.

If the old woman succeeds in undergoing a better and more complete ascension ritual similar to the Dream's Edge, and uses the power of the Nightmare World to become a being similar to the black and white giant python, she will definitely be rejected by the Underground World. She will definitely try to make further changes based on that. Luger really wants to see all of that, but things in this world are rarely as one wishes.

While racking his brains and leaving traces everywhere, Ruger was lost in thought.

The two of them spent their time in a daze.

Ruger and Leiden would sometimes look at the notes the old woman had given them, and sometimes they would stand up one after the other to search through the bookshelves.

They both had crystal clocks, but neither of them had bothered to keep track of how much time had passed.

Suddenly, the warm marks on their shoulders became burning hot again.

The two put away their notebooks and strode downstairs.

When Ruger arrived at the familiar yet unfamiliar stone chamber, he was slightly surprised to find that Mutress was still hanging in mid-air.

It seems that what happened last time really angered the old woman.

"Come here, hehehehe..."

The old woman was in the laboratory next door, and she said without turning her head.

Ruger and Leiden immediately obeyed and went over.

The guys tied to the lab table all looked at them, but Luger was only glanced at and his eyes were mostly on Leiden.

“Come on, choose a Nightmare Organ that you like,” the old woman said, pointing to several experimental tables in front of her. “They are all pretty good. These five have been cultivated by me twice, and I’m quite satisfied with them. As for these three, I’m relatively more satisfied. The fusion of the second Nightmare Organ has a chance of failure. Go and choose the one you think has the highest success rate. Don’t disappoint me…”

The old woman spoke softly, and the expressions of the people on the experimental table changed, but in her eyes they were just a group of culture tanks labeled as culturing nightmare organs.

The people lying here are clearly not just those from their camp.

Ruger noticed that several people were giving Leiden meaningful glances, but there was little fear in their expressions.

"Don't influence their choices, otherwise I'll be in a bad mood, and if I'm in a bad mood, I'll break my promise..." the old woman said again quietly.

Those people obediently stopped making any more moves.

After the old woman finished speaking, she turned around and glanced at Luger and Leiden.

The two immediately moved their feet.

Ruger scanned the bizarrely shaped nightmare organs that the old woman had made visible.

He remained outwardly calm, but his mind was racing, wondering if now was the best time to make a move.

"Don't rush, make a careful choice," the old woman said softly without turning her head. "According to my calculations, if a wizard apprentice fails to fuse with a second Nightmare Organ, he could die..."

For a moment, Ruger realized that the miracle he had been hoping for might not happen.

(End of this chapter)