Wizard: I'm leveling up by AFK in another world

Temporary laboratory.

The shielding array was operating at full power, isolating all internal magical fluctuations.

Claire stood before the alchemy platform, her eyes bloodshot, but her spirits were at their peak.

The process of creating a clone of a sea monster potion master is basically the same as that of the previous Devouring Sea Monster.

After the entire skeleton extends from the assembled fish spirit spine, a crimson deep-sea coral heart is placed in the empty space in the center of the spine.

Then, he infused his spiritual energy into the primordial tidal essence, letting it transform into a white light that covered the entire skeleton.

As the white light faded, most of the flesh and scales had been formed.

Ula has been resurrected in glory.

This time, however, due to the extremely high quality of the original tidal essence, coupled with the spine that had grown from absorbing waste liquid, it is now much larger than before.

Beneath those obsidian-like scales, a network of red blood vessels faintly peeks through, as if a layer of flowing magma is running beneath the skin, creating a powerful and beautiful effect.

The next step is the final one.

He fed Ura the entire reading list that Claire had memorized.

He closed his eyes and began to channel his mental energy.

Time passed second by second.

As the last bit of information was transmitted, Claire opened her eyes, her face deathly pale.

His mental energy was almost completely depleted.

Dengdengdeng.

Ula, who had been lying peacefully, suddenly began to convulse violently.

A series of popping sounds came from its spine, and its originally thick but slightly stiff back began to wriggle, eventually becoming supple and slender.

The sharp claws on his hands, originally designed to tear apart prey, began to degenerate at a visible rate.

The fingertips became slender and sensitive, and countless tiny suction cups and tendrils grew on the fingertips.

Claire's gaze passed through Ura's belly and saw a semi-transparent sac that had appeared out of nowhere, taking up most of his chest cavity.

[Production complete]

Please name it.

"Hurrah!"

【Name: Ula】

[Rank: High-level Sea Clan]

[Traits: Shadow Stealth (skin can distort light, blending into the surrounding environment), Poison to the Bone (immune to all toxins below level one), Living Alchemy (this guy's body is a potion-making crucible), Water Psychic (increased success rate when crafting water elemental potions)]

"Perfect."

Claire looked at the masterpiece before her and felt a surge of immense accomplishment.

He put in a lot of effort to create this thing.

"Next, we need to find a good place for it to develop in secret."

This clone still lacks any combat ability, but fortunately it inherited some characteristics of the previous body, so hiding should still be no problem.

Claire opened the nautical chart.

According to recent intelligence, the northern sea area of ​​Whale City has been completely turned into a war zone, and the scope of the war is expected to continue to expand in the foreseeable future.

His gaze turned south.

Despite the intense fighting, many companies' operations and exploration team activities will continue, or even be expedited.

No one can say for sure whether the future leaders of the Blue Ocean sector will change, or whether the policies will be altered if they do.

Before that, we'll take whatever we can get.

The southern waters are close to the Black Smokers volcano group and feature extensive coral reefs and trenches, resulting in a complex topography.

Ula should be able to hide here for a while without any problems.

After all, it's just a mere high-level sea creature; it's too insignificant a target.

Having made his decision, he began packing and bagging the things he had prepared earlier.

High-concentration ink smoke bombs, deep-sea active oil ointment rapid-burst agents...

"Listen, your mission is simple." Claire handed the bag of supplies to Ura. "Infiltrate the southern seas and learn about potions."

"Remember, if you encounter any humans, do not make contact with them; instead, evacuate as quickly as possible. The same applies to sea monsters. Safety must be your top priority!"

"Do you understand?"

Ula nodded, letting out a low growl in his throat, indicating his submission.

"very good."

Five hours later.

Night falls.

Claire started the rented fishing boat and, under the cover of night, headed towards the southern waters of Whale City.

After confirming that he had sailed a sufficient distance, he summoned Ula and watched it silently disappear into the water, merging into the dark sea.

"I hope you'll bring me good news next time you come back."

With that thought in mind, he started the fishing boat and left.

The date he had agreed to meet with Kyle was approaching, and he needed to hurry back to prepare.

……

……

Grey Amber Wizarding Academy, Tower of Infinite Corridors.

Claire stood in the lobby on the first floor of the library, adjusting her robe.

Although he had been promoted to intermediate apprentice and obtained the title of trainee potion master, he still felt insignificant in this tower containing endless knowledge.

After a short wait, a silent figure, composed of brass gears and crystal eyeballs, appeared before him without a sound.

"Authentication".

The silent one emits a monotonous, mechanical sound.

Claire whispered, "Mario Charles."

hum.

The Silent One's red eyeballs contracted sharply, then began to spin rapidly, emitting a slight hissing sound.

A few seconds later, the mechanical voice sounded again, but the tone was completely different, seemingly with a hint of respect:

"Command confirmed. Welcome to the Star Corridor."

Click.

The bookshelves behind the silent man suddenly slid open to the sides, revealing a deep passageway.

"plz follow me."

The Silent One slowly floated into the passage, Claire following closely behind.

The passageway wasn't long, but Claire could feel the surrounding space constantly folding and twisting.

Clearly, they were heading to a hidden area separate from the main library space.

"arrive."

A simple stone gate appeared ahead.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing a circular hall with a star-patterned dome.

Several orbs of light of different colors floated in the center of the hall, each representing a separate reading room. Two people stood on one side of the hall.

One of them is the silent guide.

And another one...

Claire paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Hearing footsteps, the blond youth turned around abruptly.

Eyes facing each other.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"It's you?!"

The blond youth's eyes widened, his fingers instinctively pressing on his wand, his face filled with disbelief.

Kevin Charles.

Lily's cousin.

That spoiled young master who once complained at the stall that the eel skin Claire was selling wasn't right.

"Long time no see." Claire quickly regained her composure. "However, I still don't know your name..."

Kevin's shock at that moment was beyond words.

How did he end up here?

This is the Star Gallery!

It is a sub-plane that can only be entered by members of the Charles family who have obtained family approval.

Although there are always exceptions, Claire doesn't seem like the kind of person who could meet those conditions!

Kevin is standing here because he completed his mission in the Blue Ocean Realm well and received a reward from his family. He is here to select a meditation method for intermediate apprentices.

He was proud of it all day.

In his view, being able to enter this place meant joining the elite group of the younger generation of the family.

For the children of the collateral branches, this is truly a great honor.

But what gives Claire the right?

"How...how did you get in?"

Kevin stammered, then his gaze fell on Claire's chest.

There, a silver ouroboros badge gleamed under the starlight.

"An apprentice...potions master?!"

Kevin gasped, feeling like his brain wasn't quite processing what he was seeing.

How long has it been?

He hadn't forgotten that just two months ago, this guy was a novice apprentice who was haggling with him over a few magic stones.

Now he has not only been promoted to intermediate apprentice, but also obtained the potion master qualification certificate that even many senior apprentices cannot obtain.

Moreover, judging from his composed demeanor, he clearly didn't sneak in.

"Just lucky," Claire said casually.

Just then, the Silent Guide in the center of the hall floated over.

Its cold, mechanical voice broke the awkward silence:

"Identity verification complete."

It first turned to Kevin, shooting out a beam of white light that enveloped him:

"Kevin Charles. You are permitted to enter the 'Between the Stars' and choose an intermediate meditation method. One hour is allowed."

Upon hearing this, Kevin straightened his chest and managed to calm himself down.

Regardless, today is a day of honor for him.

However, the next second.

The Silent One turned to Claire.

A white light fell.

"Claire Lewis. Permission granted to enter the 'Star Chamber' to receive advanced meditation techniques."

"..."

Kevin's jaw nearly hit the ground.

What did he hear?

Between the stars, receiving advanced meditation techniques...

Received...

"This...this is impossible..."

Kevin muttered to himself, looking at Claire as if she were a monster in human skin.

Claire ignored Kevin's breakdown.

He simply nodded and said to the silent one, "Lead the way."

Please come with me.

The Silent One drifted to the deepest part of the hall, where there was a large door radiating golden light, its surface engraved with intricate runes that were dizzying to behold.

Claire stepped through the gate, and the scene before her eyes changed abruptly.

He stood on a huge stone slab floating in the void, surrounded by endless darkness and twinkling stars.

Each star seems to represent a precious book.

"Is this the Illusionary Star Chamber?"

It's definitely high-class; no wonder that spoiled young master broke down.

Claire sensed the intense, almost liquefied, magical energy surrounding him; the magical environment of this library was far more advanced than any meditation room he had ever been to.

In the center of the stone slab, there is an antique desk.

On the desk, an antique scroll emitting a pale blue glow floats quietly.

The Scroll of Time.

Claire stepped forward and gently stroked the reel with her palm.

hum.

A profound flow of information instantly flooded into his mind.

It is not merely a method of cultivation, but also contains a profound truth about "growth" and "flow"—it is a giant tree swaying in the wind.

As life cycles wither and flourish, and years pass, the element of wind propels the wheel of time, while the element of wood records the milestones of life.

Claire closed her eyes, greedily absorbing this knowledge.

No wonder Marius sent him this.

The only regret is that the deep blue of the Falai element, which occupies half of the sky in the sea of ​​spirits, has not made any move yet.

Thinking about this, Claire couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

Marius clearly knew his elemental affinity, so he gifted the "Scroll of Time," which is highly compatible with the elements of wind and wood, but made no mention of the remaining enamel element.

As a certified wizard, couldn't he have access to information about fael?

Or is there some unspeakable taboo involved?

Claire thought for a while and realized that it was still too difficult for her to fathom the intentions of a formal wizard in her current state.

Clearing her mind of the jumbled thoughts, Claire refocused her attention and returned to "The Scroll of Time".

As expected of a meditation method used by advanced apprentices, its mysteries and profoundness far surpass those of basic meditation methods.

Claire calmed herself down and felt like a leaf hanging on a branch, drifting in the wind through the slow passage of time...

Sudden.

He felt a momentary dizziness, and something vaguely appeared before his eyes.

"Damn it, it's been contaminated so quickly?"

He was momentarily flustered by Marius's warning, but then calmed down when he remembered that the Silent One was right beside him.

The things that appeared before my eyes became clear; they were a distorted script that did not belong to humankind.

But strangely enough, he actually understood it.

"When the stars return to their rightful places, the gates of the abyss will open once more..."

"The exiled king will reforge his authority in blood and fire..."

Its name is... Guixu.

Boom!

Claire's heart skipped a beat.

Return to the Ruins?

The fishbone knife that old Jack gave him also had those two words engraved on it!

Could that knife have some connection with this so-called "exiled king"?

sizzle.

The electric current brought Claire back to reality.

The crystal eyes shimmered with a rhythmic light, staring intently at Claire:

"Intermediate Apprentice, Claire Lewis."

"Your current mental stability is below 20%. It is recommended that you stop reading immediately and seek medical treatment."

"Besides that, I have an even better suggestion..."

"Okay, okay..."

Ignoring the Silent One's new GG, Claire immediately reached into her pocket, then froze.

What about the knife?

……

……

Beneath the deep sea.

Ula, who was obediently swimming towards the southern sea as Claire had instructed, suddenly stopped in the depths of the ocean.

The grayish-white color in its eyes is fading rapidly.

Instead, there is a deep, dark blue that seems to contain an endless vortex.

hum-

The fishbone knife hanging around its neck began to tremble without warning.

An obscure and ancient energy flowed along the blade into the depths of Ula's consciousness.

A hint of human confusion appeared on Ula's ferocious face.

Immediately afterwards, this confusion was replaced by a fervent devotion.

It slowly turned around and looked north.

That place was a battlefield where the sea tribes rebelled and the wizard colonists fought fiercely.

But in Ula's perception, that place was also... the direction of "home".

"roar……"

A deep roar echoed through the water, startling the surrounding fish.

Without any hesitation.

It completely disobeyed Claire's orders, waving its long limbs like a black lightning bolt, and charged headlong into the north without hesitation.