[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-diary-of-a-dead-wizard":3,"chapter-diary-of-a-dead-wizard-diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Diary of a Dead Wizard",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1380388,1828,"Chapter 17: It’s Not Easy for Anyone","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>Kongsha was no saint; everything she had done for Saul came at a price he would have to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She chuckled lightly. “What are you afraid of? Didn’t you drink the potion without hesitation last time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, Saul was still just a servant, powerless in the face of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, there were still three months until the first assessment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that he had some idea of how to grow stronger, Saul didn’t want to bet his future on a potion with unknown side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This potion won’t cause any problems in the short term,” Kongsha said. “But if you use it long-term, it will burn through your potential and drain your life force. Once that’s gone, you’ll die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shifted her tone. “But if you’re determined and work hard enough, you might become a Second Rank Apprentice before that happens. Then you won’t need to forcibly boost your magic anymore. You can shift to achievements in wizardly research and still pass the biannual assessments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing, she lifted the small vial and gave it a shake. The transparent liquid swirled temptingly inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burning potential…” Saul stared at the vial and sighed softly. “If I really take it long-term, will I lose the chance to ever become a True Wizard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words, though not direct, basically confirmed his fears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, Senior Kongsha, but I can’t take this potion.” Saul bowed his head, but his voice was firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kongsha’s smile faded. She stood, looking down at the top of Saul’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the glass dome covering half her skull, five or six eyeballs appeared, squirming and pressing against the surface, glaring fiercely at Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t lift his head, Saul could feel the overwhelming pressure and fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his face turned pale and his body began to tremble, Kongsha finally withdrew the eyes with a soft laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think three months is a long time? Since you’ve refused, I won’t force you. But when you come begging for my help later, the price won’t be this simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Kongsha sauntered out of the dorm seductively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a while before Saul looked toward the tightly shut door. He wiped his sweaty forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold sweat had pooled so heavily that it formed droplets, sliding down the corner of his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrifying as it was, Saul had to reject the potion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he couldn’t let himself become Kongsha’s puppet and gamble his life on her goodwill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, as a transmigrator blessed with the hardback book, he couldn’t settle for merely becoming a Second Rank Apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate to becoming a wizard had already cracked open just a little. Even a glimpse beyond was enough to fill him with longing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Am I born under a cursed star or what? Why do I keep running into danger? It’s way too hard to survive in this world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had Sid in front of him, Kongsha behind him, and Mark’s stance was still unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above him was Kaz, below was Brown, and Duke, right beside him, was full of hidden schemes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was there not a single decent person in this Wizard Tower?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Couldn’t he just live like a normal apprentice, study diligently, and not face an enemy at every step?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still shaken from Kongsha’s intimidation, Saul’s limbs were weak. He staggered two steps, then let himself collapse onto the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since I’ve turned down Kongsha, I’ll have to find a way to grow stronger on my own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He covered his eyes with his left hand. The cold, hard bones pressed painfully against his eyelids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hell, if I have to, I’ll give up being a human! I’ve got class tomorrow… sleep!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after half a night of rest, filled with scattered nightmares, Saul didn’t sleep well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he still got up early and, with dark circles under his eyes, found George working on the fourth floor before class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George lit up with excitement when he saw Saul. He was scheduled for the early-morning corridor cleaning tomorrow, not a guaranteed death sentence, but one best avoided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Saul showed he cared, the other manservants wouldn’t dare assign him dangerous tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir, are you here to officially take me on as your personal servant?” George’s eyes sparkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George, still a child, looked disappointed but quickly perked up again. “I understand, sir. George will always be ready to serve you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul got to the point. “Has anyone been in contact with Brown recently?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George shook his head. “Everyone hangs out together during breaks, and Brown’s always there. But I don’t know about nighttime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul pondered. Maybe the one who had instructed Brown to target him hadn’t shown up yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He changed tactics. “Have you ever seen a blond youth, about eighteen or nineteen, come looking for Brown? After I was injured, I mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul described the appearance of Sid, the Second Rank Apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George’s jaw dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his expression, Saul immediately pressed, “You’ve seen him, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George stammered, “S-sir, I haven’t seen him talk to Brown… but, but isn’t that the guy who… who hit you with a book?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fragmented memories had never revealed who had killed the body’s original owner. But now, thanks to George, everything came flooding back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fear sealed away by death suddenly erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brightly lit, yet bone-chillingly eerie room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blond youth with a strange expression, pulling books off the shelves and putting them back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few vague murmurs about a “diary.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A furious glare upon turning around and seeing Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thick hardback book hurled without warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of terror and splitting pain in the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then… pitch-black silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul swayed, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what truly shocked him wasn’t that Sid had once killed “him”—it was the book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same hardback book floating beside his left shoulder!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul had always thought the book was his transmigration perk, his cheat, his golden finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now… it turned out that this book had existed in this world all along!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He resisted the urge to glance at his left shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he remembered the word “diary” Sid had muttered and the familiar format of the book before it displayed any writing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could the thing Sid was looking for be this very hardback book he’d tossed away?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul let out a cold laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Sid realize what had happened?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Sid figured out that the hardback book was what he had been searching for, then all the threats Saul had faced recently suddenly made perfect sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t know how to remove the book, and there was no way he’d give it up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then it’s kill or be killed.” The thought didn’t even scare him anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and saw George still watching him nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul softened his expression. “Alright. Go back. Once things settle down, I’ll have you transferred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George lit up with joy. With Saul’s promise, his life had just been extended by a few more years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parting with a delighted George, Saul made sure to speak to the butler as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man treated him with the utmost respect and readily promised not to assign George to dangerous jobs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Saul hurriedly pack his things and head for the East Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s first class was Basic Knowledge of All Things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He arrived late, but Keli had already saved him a seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You finally showed up. If you’d been any later, I might’ve thought something had happened to you too,” Keli said, rubbing her chin. “Though, somehow, that just didn’t seem likely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘Too? Someone else had an incident?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone more unlucky than him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keli said a name Saul didn’t recognize.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He went mad.” When Saul didn’t show any shock, she added, “Why aren’t you surprised like the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already seen how terrifying this place can be. I just didn’t expect someone to go mad this soon,” Saul muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for last night’s Big Pink appearance, madness would’ve been the best-case scenario for him, too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1340,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.591Z",1,"novelbin.me","9c63fdb5f47ff977bda3611aabe7d3929d764703d6f74170e8c02d70cea82dab","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-18","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-16",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]