Mr. Death in the Steam World

Moen looked at the professor, whose face was full of shock.

This was the first time he had seen the stern vice dean show such an expression that evening.

He subconsciously aimed the small flame at the professor and flicked it lightly.

The flame drifted out like a feather and landed lightly on the professor's shoulder.

Moen immediately felt a faint connection being established between him and the professor.

He could sense the professor's slight discomfort.

Then, a small portion of that pain flowed through the connection to Moen himself.

Is this what "sharing the pain" means?

Before he could think about it, a faint warmth dispelled most of the pain he was feeling.

This feeling is very strange, like a cycle.

The flames enveloped the victim, sharing his pain, and in turn, used warmth to alleviate that pain.

This is the true "Guardian Flame".

"Professor!" Moen finally came to his senses and realized what he had done.

The professor waved his hand.

"It's alright."

Anna peeked out and looked at Moen with a look of utter disbelief.

"First reading, destiny engraved, self-created magic?"

She looked down at the notes she had just taken, then looked up at Moen.

"Vice Dean Celides, how long did it take you to get to this point?"

"Four months," the professor said calmly. "After reading fourteen magic books, and what I inscribed wasn't a fire spell, but a wind one."

Moen touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed. He hadn't expected to go this far.

To be precise, it is Death Note that can achieve this.

He is now certain that the Death Note, after being transformed into a Life Seat, seems to have gained some new functions.

For example, it can automatically convert his insights from reading magic books into usable magic.

Ordinary magicians need to perceive, understand, and refine their own understanding, and then gradually integrate their insights into magic to form stable spells.

This process involves repeated reading, repeated reflection, and repeated practice.

But for him, once he finished reading, that was it.

"So, Marcus, you chose this chapter because you've recently become interested in Vulcan?"

"It's not really an interest, I'm just curious," Moen said truthfully.

"I recently took on a mission to explore a site related to the god of fire, and I want to do more research before setting off."

"Remains related to Vulcan?" The professor's gaze sharpened slightly. "You mean that newly discovered ruin in the northwest?"

"You know?"

"Of course I know. The reports that the Academy's Intelligence Department forwards to the Department of Heritage Management are sent to me first before being archived."

He paused briefly, his tone becoming more serious.

"Since you chose this mission and happened to awaken the Guardian Flame spell, is this a coincidence of fate, or—"

He didn't finish his sentence and changed the subject.

"Remember how you felt just now."

"As you read that chapter, your consciousness resonates with the pages, and magic flows along a specific trajectory, ultimately engraving the knowledge from the book into your destiny."

"This process is the core of 'Grimoire Reading'."

"The same method applies to other magic books. Once you have read enough magic books and accumulated enough insights, your magic power will naturally solidify."

"By then, you won't be far from reaching the second tier."

He stood up and straightened his clothes.

That's all for tonight. Take your time to process what you've learned today.

Moen quickly stood up and bowed to the professor.

Anna closed her notebook, stood up, and smiled at Moen.

"Then I'll take my leave, Mr. Marcus. I'll organize and file the transcript of tonight's conversation as soon as possible. If there's anything that requires your signature for confirmation, I'll contact you again."

Moen nodded.

"Do more practice before the next lesson."

The two figures vanished instantly, the candle flame returned to its normal height, and the curtains remained tightly drawn.

Only a faint, lingering smell of burning remained in the air, reminding Moen that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.

He could sense that he needed more experience to stabilize the magic circuit to the point where it was sufficient to advance to the second tier.

However, judging from the current progress, that day is not far off.

In the days that followed, Moen completely immersed himself in a frenzied study mode.

He organized the twenty-odd textbooks left by the professor according to their table of contents and divided them into three stacks based on their difficulty level.

He started with the first stack, chewing through it page by page.

At first, he held onto the hope that "maybe he could awaken a few more new magic tricks," but he was quickly disappointed.

Although those basic textbooks are also magic books, most of their content consists of theories and concepts, and there are no stories or insights that can evoke magical resonance.

These past few days, Moen has mainly been studying "The Complete Book of Basic Techniques".

This book is quite practical, containing a large number of basic spells applicable to various attributes.

From the most basic lighting and cleaning spells to slightly more advanced levitation and soundproofing spells, it has everything.

Moen selected a few spells that matched his attributes and practiced them several times according to the incantations and magic circuit diagrams in the book. He quickly mastered them.

While shuttling between the firm and his commissions, Moen almost never put down his book, seizing every possible spare moment to read his grimoire.

Everything went smoothly at first, until his nose suddenly started bleeding.

Even if he is dead and doesn't need to follow a regular schedule like ordinary people, it's still not advisable to exhaust his mental energy.

Before we knew it, the day of departure had arrived.

After confirming that all the equipment was in place, he pushed open the bedroom door.

In the living room, Clara was sitting on the sofa, holding Lucy, engrossed in reading "An Introduction to the Principles of the Steam Engine".

It was an extracurricular reading material that Mr. Baker lent her, supposedly because she excelled in natural science class and the teacher felt she could get a head start on more in-depth content.

Clara looked up when she heard footsteps.

"Brother, are you going out again?"

"Mmm." Moen walked over and reached out to pat her head.

"I've taken on a job, so I definitely won't be back today. You can heat up the stew in the kitchen tonight, and remember to lock the doors and windows."

"Okay, I know." Clara nodded obediently, then added, "You say that every time you go out, I've memorized it."

Moen: "..."

Moen crouched down and looked Clara straight in the eye.

"This time it might take longer than before. If it goes quickly, we'll be back in a day; if it goes slowly, it might take four or five days."

Clara remained silent for a long time, then suddenly said:

"Brother, when you get back, could you teach me some... um, those things you know?"

"What is it?"

"It's—those things." Clara's gaze drifted to the dressing mirror hanging on the wall.

"I know you're no ordinary detective. No ordinary detective would receive an award from a church bishop, nor would any ordinary detective have a priest come to visit them."

"I'm not a child anymore, brother, I can tell."

He already knew that Clara possessed rare psychic abilities.

The Queen of Hearts once said that mediums welcome pure spirits, but reject the magic used by magicians.

This means that Clara is not suited to follow the orthodox path of a magician like Phils, who studied at the St. Alice Magic Academy, and is not even suited to learn any spells that require converting spirit into magic.

But just because it's not suitable doesn't mean it's impossible. Although it will definitely be difficult, Moen decided to go along with her wishes.

"Wait for me to come back," he said finally. "When I get back, I will teach you."

Clara's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.