I became a god through archaeology in the Wizarding World.

It was late at night on the third day after the king left.

The underground warehouse of the history building fell silent once more, but Rhodes's heart was as turbulent as the howling night wind outside the window.

In front of him was an inconspicuous black iron box.

This was secretly delivered this evening by a royal assassin disguised as a sewer cleaner. Ostensibly, it was a special cleaning agent, but in reality, it was the first promise King Edward had kept.

Rod took a deep breath and unlocked the box.

"Click".

The lid popped open, and an intense, almost suffocating energy surge instantly filled the small space.

On a black velvet lining, five hundred standard units of low-level magic stones were neatly stacked.

They emitted a faint blue glow, like stars sleeping in the deep sea, casting flickering light on Rod's slightly pale face.

Professor Isaac, standing to the side, couldn't help but take off his glasses, rub his eyes, and his voice trembled: "Gods above... five hundred magic stones! If converted to gold coins, that's enough to buy a large plot of land in the city! With that money, we can hire the best craftsmen and buy the most advanced equipment..."

As the professor spoke, he excitedly reached out his hand, wanting to touch the beautiful stones.

"professor."

Rhodes suddenly reached out and pressed down on the lid of the box, blocking the professor's hand as well.

Isaac froze. He looked up at Rhodes's eyes, which seemed exceptionally deep in the dim light: "Rhodes? What do you mean? We need this money to buy excavating equipment..."

"No, Professor."

Rhodes' voice was calm: "I want all of these magic stones."

The air froze instantly.

Professor Isaac's smile froze. He looked at his usually docile assistant in disbelief: "All of it? Rhodes, are you crazy? Even though you got the sponsorship, this is for excavating relics! Without equipment, are we supposed to dig with spoons?"

"Ordinary equipment can't break through that broken stone gate, nor can it deal with what's inside."

Rhodes looked directly into the professor's eyes and slowly said, "And do you really think those so-called alchemical potions would allow me to instantly kill three ghouls in the sewers?"

These words struck the professor like a bolt of lightning.

Isaac fell silent. He recalled Rhodes's inhumanly fast reaction speed in the Decapitation Corridor that day, and the faint yet palpable sense of oppression emanating from him.

As a scholar who has spent his life studying history, he may not have magic powers, but that doesn't mean he's stupid.

"I knew it..."

Isaac gave a wry smile, put his glasses back on, and his eyes became complicated: "That day I suspected that you weren't just some ordinary teaching assistant. That power... you succeeded, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Rhodes did not deny it. He raised his right hand, and a layer of grayish-white rock texture instantly appeared on his palm.

"Professor, the king didn't give us this money to buy shovels; he wants a sword that can kill. The Iron Duke's men have their eyes on us. If I'm not strong enough, we won't even see the sun rise tomorrow, let alone excavate the ruins."

Rhodes closed the box with a dull thud: "Investing these resources in equipment will only speed up the digging, but investing them in me will save our lives. Once I advance, I can use magic to clear paths, more efficiently than any machine."

Isaac stared at the rock-like skin in Rhodes' hand for a long time before letting out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Okay, you're right. In this damn academy, fists definitely work better than reason."

The professor waved his hand and turned to the pile of tattered books: "Take them, take them all. I only want the truth in that ruin. How you dig is your business. Just don't die. I don't want to hire another teaching assistant."

"Thank you for your understanding, Professor."

As Rod watched the old man's retreating figure, a sense of respect welled up within him.

This old man's dedication to knowledge even outweighed his greed for wealth.

With these five hundred magic stones, his rapid enhancement plan, which he had only been able to imagine in his mind, could finally be put into practice.

Without the slightest hesitation, Rhodes quickly divided the magic stones into several specially made leather bags and hid them close to his body.

Then, he changed into the dark brown camouflage cloak and disappeared back into the night.

Jack's General Store.

Jack the Fast-Legs was picking his teeth idly with his rusty little knife. Lately, things had gotten tighter at the academy, and fewer apprentices were coming to sell stolen goods, so his business had become much quieter.

Just as he was contemplating whether to close early and go for a drink, that familiar tall, hooded figure once again blocked the light from the doorway.

"Is it you?"

Jack immediately sat up straight, a glint of light flashing in his shrewd little eyes.

The Shadow Cat materials this person sold him last time were of excellent quality, allowing him to resell them and make a considerable profit.

"What good stuff do you have this time? Like I always say, as long as the stuff is good, the price is negotiable." Jack rubbed his hands together, looking expectant.

"I'm not selling anything this time."

Rod's voice was disguised, sounding low and hoarse.

He walked straight to the counter, took out a pre-prepared parchment list from his pocket, and slammed it heavily on the table.

"I want to buy things, all the materials on the list, as much as I need."

Jack picked up the list with a puzzled look and glanced at it in the dim light.

The next second, his eyes almost popped out.

"Deep-sea blue whale oil... Grade-three mental stabilizer... Swamp hydra acid glands... and this, high-purity mercury powder?"

Jack gasped, then looked up sharply at Rhodes: "Friend, are you opening an alchemy lab? Or are you preparing to become a full-fledged wizard? All of this stuff combined isn't cheap."

Everything on this list is a luxury item that aids in meditation and the construction of spell models.

Especially deep-sea blue whale oil, which is a top-grade fuel that can greatly enhance meditation efficiency; one ounce costs ten magic stones!

"Do you have any?" Rod asked coldly without offering an explanation.

"Yes, there are... but all of these things together would cost at least three hundred magic stones."

Jack tentatively gave a number, his eyes fixed on Rhodes, trying to glean something from under the hood.

Three hundred magic stones is a big deal even on the black market.

This mysterious person was haggling over a few dozen magic stones last time, how come he's suddenly become so extravagant after just a few days?

Did he rob a powerful family's treasury? Or did he discover some undiscovered ruins?

Greed is the nature of black market traders.

Jack's hand stealthily reached for the alarm rune under the counter, a fake smile plastered on his face: "Friend, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that the enforcement team has been cracking down hard lately, and large transactions require verification. Besides... I'm also curious, what windfall did you strike it rich with? If you have connections, why not bring one of your brothers along?"

This is both a test and a veiled threat.

If Rhodes shows any sign of guilt, Jack wouldn't mind double-crossing him.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Rod's mouth beneath his hood.

He had expected this situation.

In the black market, flaunting wealth is a cardinal sin, unless you have the ability to protect your wealth.

"You want to know?"

Rod slowly raised his left hand and placed it on the counter.

"Of course, everyone's after money..."

Jack's words were cut off before he could finish speaking.

Suddenly, the air around Rhodes' left hand, which was wearing a leather glove, began to distort.

A visible wisp of dark green mist seeped from between his fingers, instantly filling the entire counter area.

That was the neurotoxin of the [Poisonous Vine Demon]. Although Rhode controlled the concentration and did not release the vines directly, the terrifying aura originating from the ancient predatory plant still made Jack's scalp tingle.

The wooden planks on the counter emitted a slight hissing sound of corrosion. A passing cockroach, upon touching the layer of green mist, instantly stiffened, its belly flipping over and dying.

Jack felt his tongue go numb and his breathing became difficult. The fear of being targeted by a top predator made his body stiff.

"This...this is..." Jack stared at the hand in horror.

"This is my way."

Rhodes' voice remained calm, but to Jack it sounded like the whisper of death: "Some money can be made, some problems... can kill. Jack, you're a smart man, you should know how to choose."

The green mist slowly receded, and the suffocating oppressive feeling dissipated.

Jack was panting heavily, his back soaked with cold sweat.

He was a discerning person; the domineering nature of that poison was definitely not something an ordinary apprentice could master.

This mysterious person is a ruthless character!

"I understand... I understand!"

Jack wiped the sweat from his brow, no longer daring to harbor any wicked thoughts. He deftly pulled out a series of exquisite wooden boxes from a hidden compartment behind him: "Everything you wanted is here! The blue whale oil is brand new, absolutely pure! The total... it'll be two hundred and eighty magic stones, just to be friends!"

He voluntarily lowered the price by twenty magic stones, just to get rid of this plague god.

Rod nodded and tossed over a heavy money bag.

"Very well, I don't want a third person to know about tonight's deal."

After saying that, Rod put away the precious materials and turned to leave.

Watching Rhodes's disappearing figure, Jack slumped into his chair, staring at the dead cockroach on the counter, muttering to himself, "What kind of monster is that... that toxin, it's practically alive..."

Back in his dorm, Rod locked the door and sprinkled the warning powder he had just bought under the door.

Rod placed the expensive copper meditation lamp on the table and poured in an ounce of golden-yellow deep-sea blue whale oil.

Light the wick.

A strange fragrance instantly filled the air. The fragrance was not strong, but it could calm one's chaotic thoughts instantly, as if one were in the tranquility of the deep sea.

Rhodes sat cross-legged on the bed, tilted his head back, and drank a bottle of [Grade 3 Mental Stabilizer].

The cool liquid slid down my throat, and my mind instantly became crystal clear, with my mental energy increasing threefold!

"Let's begin."

Rhodes closed his eyes and entered a meditative state.

With the combined aid of blue whale oil and the potion, the previously sluggish ether particles in the surrounding air became incredibly active.

They rushed into Rhodes' body, where they were captured, compressed, and purified by the rapidly spinning mental energy model.

This cultivation speed is like riding a rocket!

If Rhodes' training before was like scooping water with a spoon, now he's using a water pump!

One day, two days, three days...

Aside from eating and essential physical activities, Rhodes spent almost all his time in meditation.

As time went on, the total amount of magic power within him was increasing at an alarming rate.

The magical energy, which was originally only as thick as a hair, gradually gathered into a stream, and then into a river.

Day 15.

Rhodes' body jolted violently.

In his consciousness space, the originally somewhat illusory spiritual core suddenly solidified by two times and emitted a crisp buzzing sound.

Breakthrough!

The threshold for intermediate apprenticeships is easily breached with the lure of money.

Rod opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

He could feel that the world was becoming clearer in his eyes, and his perception range of elements had expanded from ten meters to fifty meters.

But this is not enough.

Improving his cultivation level is only the foundation; he also needs stronger attack methods to conceal his trump cards.

Rhodes took out the bottle of [Swamp Hydra Acid Glands].

"Construct a spell model, a secondary acid ball."

Rhodes extended his right hand, and his mental energy rapidly outlined a complex geometric structure in his palm.

This is a level 0 spell he selected from the "Complete Book of Basic Spells".

While its power is not as direct as the fireball spell, it is superior in its stealth and insidious nature, and... it is very suitable for pairing with his [Poison Vine Demon] ability.

For an average apprentice, building this model would require at least a month of practice and dozens of failures.

But now Rhodes has highly concentrated mental energy and is aided by top-tier materials.

I only tried three times.

"Buzz!"

A fist-sized, dark green liquid sphere appeared in Rhodes' palm.

It emitted a pungent, acidic smell, and its surface was covered with deadly bubbles.

"go."

Rhodes waved his hand casually.

The acid ball flew out and accurately hit a discarded iron barrel in the corner of the room.

"Sizzle sizzle~~"

A sickening corrosive sound rang out, and within seconds, a large hole was corroded in the thick iron barrel, with acid even dripping through the floor and emitting plumes of white smoke.

"Not bad."

Rod nodded in satisfaction.

[Secondary Acid Ball] serves as the overt and conventional method, [Poison Vine Demon] as the covert control and ultimate weapon, [Stone Skin] as defense, and [Moonlight Mimicry] as survival.

Although he has only just stepped into the intermediate apprenticeship stage, his combat ability is already on par with those of senior apprentices, and he even dares to challenge unsuspecting formal wizards.

Rod pulled himself out of his thoughts, stood up, and stretched his stiff limbs.

Then, clutching his empty stomach, he pushed open the door and headed towards the cafeteria.