Kobold Wizard's Journal

Chapter 373 Consideration and Choice
Six days passed quickly.

Ruger stroked his chin and paced around the room.

He has stayed home almost entirely these past few days.

He has mastered all eighteen runes that he will need. Although he cannot yet use them as freely as he can with commonly used meditation runes, he can at least skillfully draw them.

What he needs to do now is practice connecting these eighteen runes in a proper order with the spell models of zero-ring spells and arcane marks. Arcane marks will serve as a temporary bridge, but these are not the main issues, because they are not difficult for him. After his initial attempts, he felt that he should be able to master this strange and unorthodox technique within the next day or two.

He strolled into the yard and made it his new playground for walking around.

A tall and muscular figure appeared to the side.

"Time seems to be getting shorter and shorter."

Mahama looked up into the distance and sighed softly.

"what?"

Ruger paused for a moment.

He still showed the expected enthusiasm towards this companion he hadn't seen for many days, but the abrupt words left him somewhat bewildered.

“Dusk, Your Excellency Rug,” Mahama turned to look at him, “have you not noticed that dusk is approaching earlier? Or rather, that nearby pillar, that massive, dome-shaped Heavenly Pillar Mountain, is emitting light for a shorter period of time.”

Ruger paused for a moment. He had indeed not been distracted by anything else these past few days, focusing almost all his time on matters related to the notes.

But that's not the reason.

Such changes, unless they are too drastic, are difficult to notice in a short period of time, and the two of them have only been here for a short time.

So the problem lies with this tall, burly man; this big guy is too delicate.

That seemingly insignificant change was indeed extremely subtle.

Ruger raised an eyebrow at him.

This is not just a matter of perception, but also a matter of one's character. Situations where one sees something but doesn't pay attention to it happen every minute of every day in every corner of the world. To observe, one must not only see, but also have a sensitive heart.

"Loss of light?"

A word he had learned in the Lower Realm flashed through Ruger's mind.

I think of that young master Lorigo, who was troubled by not wanting to become the heir, but ultimately had to become the city lord at the worst possible time.

Luger suddenly realized that if underground cities in the lower realms, such as Star City and Twin Moon City, could lose their light, also known as the extinguishing of the sun, then it was possible for the same thing to happen in the upper realm. The Heavenly Pillar Mountain looked similar to the light stones that grew on the dome in the lower realms. However, the upper realm had many extraordinary beings and wizards, which made Luger overlook this problem. Because of the existence of wizards, the sources of light in various places in the upper realm were no longer limited to light stones, such as the City of Burning Blood, and Black Horn City, one of the many underground cities surrounding the crater.

"It's possible. There are quite a few places on the Endless Sea that were once prosperous but have become dark seas after millions of years. However, it would have to go through a twilight sea state first. And it won't be that extreme here, since there are other Tianzhu Mountains nearby."

Mahama stood to the side, gazing into the distance and sighing.

Luger knew that this explanation only applied to wizards. The Heavenly Pillar Mountain, which was further away in the Chaotic Star Sea, did not belong to this place. The lives of ordinary people living in this corner of the Chaotic Star Sea would still undergo earth-shattering changes.

Then we'll see how the so-called gods on each island are dealt with; it should be better than the underground cities in the lower realms.

Firstly, there is naturally a wizard or wizard apprentice as the ruler of the island. Secondly, there are the identities of these ordinary people, who, in addition to being fishermen and blacksmiths, are also followers of the wizards.

For ordinary people, this is a disaster; for wizards, it's a major upheaval. Of course, in the early stages of the disaster, they might gain more faith power, but in the long run, if they want to continue, the lives of their followers must be properly arranged. Ruger once again felt that there were truly many factors to consider when choosing followers.

Faced with such a major change, a wizard is naturally more composed than a wizard apprentice.

Ruger raised an eyebrow. Perhaps Kurt was aware of this situation and was considering becoming a formal wizard before the disaster struck.

Based on what Ruger saw and heard in the Lower Realm Star City, the loss of light will not happen immediately. By then, Kurt will have successfully advanced, and it may take him ten or twenty years to stabilize his state, learn magic, and reach a level that is not weak among first-ring wizards. He will probably also make some preparations specifically for this disaster.

"Lord Ruger, would you be interested in a duel?"

Mahama looked a little distressed, and as he spoke, he stretched his shoulders, making a sound.

"I don't know what the game is like where you're from, but we often have similar pastimes there, and some people use it to settle scores. We could have a simple, unlimited spell match, where each person can only choose one spell, and can only use the chosen spell during the match, but there's no limit to the number of times it can be used..."

As Mahama spoke, he gradually became more radiant.

This was the first time Ruger had heard of such a thing, and it seemed to be quite popular among wizard apprentices there, with many different ways to play it.

"Is it here?"

Ruger blinked.

He wasn't particularly distressed, but after days of contemplation and decision-making, he wanted to vent his frustrations, and he was also curious about the big guy's spells and fighting style.

Upon hearing this, Mahama turned his thick neck and looked around.

This place is indeed a bit inappropriate. It's a fairly large yard, but if it were to be used by the two of them to make a scene, it would probably become a mess.

"I know a place."

As he spoke, Mahama led the way.

Ruger pursed his lips, then chose to follow, neither too fast nor too slow.

From bustling crowds to quieter ones, the two strolled along.

"Based on your calculations, how long can Tianzhu Mountain hold out?"

As Ruger walked, he looked into the distance, towards the horizon where the sea met the sky, and at the towering mountain pillars that reached straight to the dome.

"This is considered medium-sized in Tianzhu Mountain. Maybe it will last for several decades?" Mahama thought for a moment. "It's hard to say for sure. The powerful Tianzhu Mountain won't lose its light directly like the underground city. Some places will persist for a long time after entering the Twilight Sea. The brightest time of day is only like dusk. However, in some cases, it can only last for one or two years in the Twilight Sea state. There is actually another factor that doesn't have a big impact."

Mahama seems to be in a good mood at this moment.

"That is the Lower Realm. These things are not creations of wizards, but are natural, like mineral veins. Many people do not know that Tianzhu Mountain does not stand alone. Its extensions, passing through wondrous mineral layers, may stretch for tens of millions of miles, or even further, winding and spreading in different directions. It may reach a certain underground region in the Lower Realm, where people discover it during their exploration, report it to wizards for help in building cities, and so on. In short, the domes of those underground cities, the large stones that can stably shine after being inscribed with magic arrays, may be a corner of one of the countless branches of Tianzhu Mountain in the Upper Realm."

Mahama shrugged as he spoke.

The two had gradually arrived at a deserted cliff where they could see the distant coastline.

"Therefore, the speed at which Tianzhu Mountain is consumed has a very low chance of being related to the underground cities in the lower regions."

Ruger said curiously, feeling that he had gained some useless knowledge again.

(End of this chapter)