[{"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-248":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},1380469,1828,"Chapter 248: A Slight Anomaly","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-248",248,"\u003Cp>Saul detected traces of Soul Resin properties in the bit of skin tissue provided by Byron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it could only hold a small amount of soul fragments, and storing them wasn’t its primary function.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within it, Saul noticed faint signs of the Plastic Bone Formula. Byron must have borrowed the formula Saul once gave him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After examining Byron’s body, Saul had a clear idea of the situation. If Byron ever failed to suppress the evil thought inside him, Saul was fully capable of handling it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, all those wraiths Byron had spent so long collecting… would end up benefiting Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He successfully obtained the formation for constructing a mental realm, but to actually deploy it would still require considerable preparation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days later, Saul was rummaging through old notes in the private library of the Nineteenth Floor Tower Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, he soon found the Soul Stabilization Experiment that he’d only skimmed through before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately sat down on the floor and began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even failed experiments could be valuable; Saul could use the procedures to organize his own thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Third item: reducing the chances of consciousness collapse and soul-body contamination by stabilizing the soul’s emotional state. Hypothesis One: Moon Sleep Essential Oil (Failed. No improvement). Hypothesis Two: Bell of Loss (Can temporarily stabilize, but inevitable contamination after the effect wears off. Failed).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul flipped to the next page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hypothesis Three: Grinding Sound Fruit,” He paused for a moment, then continued reading, “Temporarily stabilizes soul consciousness, but the effect is too short to contribute significantly to the experiment. Failed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Saul rested his chin on his hand, “The Grinding Sound Fruit seems to have some effect, even if short-lived… But I don’t need a long duration—just long enough to access the diary within the mental realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This plan was worth a try.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul immediately took out a blank notebook and began copying down the handling procedures and experimental methods related to the Grinding Sound Fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, some progress again—Saul, in high spirits, was ready to go to the registration office to exchange for some Grinding Sound Fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even though the amount of Grinding Sound Fruit tributed from Grind Sail Town has sharply decreased over the past two years, the Tower should still have some stock left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unable to contain his excitement to start the experiment, Saul quickly made his way downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether he passed familiar or unfamiliar faces along the way, he didn’t stop to greet anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he arrived at the registration office, the result he received was completely unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, we’re out of Grinding Sound Fruit,” The person in charge of the office was a Third Rank apprentice, but she still spoke politely to the lower-ranked Saul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” Saul frowned, “As far as I know, the Grinding Sound Fruit isn’t particularly useful in magic experiments. How could we be completely out of stock?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh…” The senior apprentice couldn’t answer, awkwardly shifting her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want to see the inventory records for the Grinding Sound Fruit,” Saul suddenly extended his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?” The apprentice was stunned, staring in disbelief at Saul outside the window, “You can’t. That’s not allowed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul smiled, “Senior, are you saying I have to request permission and get official authorization first? Is that really necessary? Just a waste of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The senior apprentice bit her lip, suddenly regretting not calling in sick today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, who among the Third Rank apprentices didn’t know Saul was the Tower Master’s favorite student? Trying to access a simple inventory log wouldn’t be hard for him at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since sticking to the rules wouldn’t work, why risk offending Saul?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having reasoned it through, the apprentice obediently went to fetch the records.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The registration office managed the Third Warehouse—the largest warehouse in the Wizard Tower, occupying the entire sixth and seventh floors of the East Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the storage ledgers alone filled an entire bookshelf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The on-duty apprentice spent some time before she finally found what Saul wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul took the record and immediately began flipping through it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the earlier entries, when Grind Sail Town had just begun tributing the fruit, some apprentices, and even mentors had exchanged for the Grinding Sound Fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later on, it became almost exclusively claimed by Nick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was understandable—Nick was probably the only apprentice in the Tower studying emotion-based wizardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as the tributes from Grind Sail Town dwindled, Nick's redemption frequency also decreased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only three other people appeared in the records during this period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What caught Saul’s attention, though, was that the final person to exchange the fruit had taken all the remaining stock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you know this apprentice named Tom?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul pointed at the name of the last person who redeemed the fruit and asked the apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Him?” The senior apprentice had completely given up resisting and came over to take a look, “That name’s pretty common, but it does seem familiar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly ran off, and after a while, dug out a personnel register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I remember now—two months ago, he went missing during an outside mission. He’s officially presumed dead, though no body has ever been found.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two months ago…” Saul looked down at the inventory record in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The date when Tom took the Grinding Sound Fruit was exactly two months ago...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he couldn’t get the fruit from the registration office, Saul wasn’t too worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was one person who definitely had a stash left!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock knock knock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul rapped on Nick’s door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since they returned from Hanging Hands Valley, he’d only seen Nick once or twice. Then he heard Nick had locked himself in his room and hadn’t come out since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he’d encountered some kind of problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Nick didn’t have any either, Saul would have no choice but to apply for a trip outside the Tower and check if there were any leftover Grinding Sound Fruits in Grind Sail Town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the barbarians had invaded last time, it was unlikely they destroyed all the fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of continuing to receive protection from the Wizard Tower, the town should’ve resumed trying to cultivate the fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially that First Rank wandering apprentice who showed up last with soldiers—he seemed like a reasonable man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d likely stay behind with those soldiers to help rebuild the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the best-case scenario would be if Nick still had some Grinding Sound Fruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul raised his hand again to knock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just then, Nick’s door creaked open a sliver, revealing a bloodshot eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior… Nick?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul was shocked—he hadn’t seen Nick in months, and the man looked completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face—there wasn’t a single hair left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, Nick’s cheeks had sunken deep into the bone, making him look more like a skeleton than a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Saul, what do you want?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’d like to purchase something from you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul glanced around. There was no one nearby, but he still felt it was inappropriate to mention the Grinding Sound Fruit aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nothing too rare, but something with particular significance to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nick’s crimson eyes stared fixedly at Saul for a few seconds, then he widened the door gap and allowed him in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Saul stepped in, Nick shut the door tightly behind him, then even took out a special kind of sealing tape and sealed the cracks around the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior Nick, what… what happened to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up close, Nick looked even more terrifying than when Saul saw him through the door gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If, through the door, Saul had thought he resembled a skeleton—then now, with Nick standing fully before him, it was clear:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a skeleton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only barely held together by the scraps of memory that still lingered in his flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1288,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.872Z",1,"novelbin.me","17126a75e5299558af956b813b4aa886804bd4e605fb20cd3e8c920ab8e863c7","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-249","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-247",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]