[{"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-344":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},1380763,1828,"Chapter 344: A New Discovery","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-344",344,"\u003Cp>Byron pulled Saul onto the shore. He noticed Saul’s soul body and magic were both unstable, so he took the initiative to handle Saul’s recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I saw that sunken ship. And those strange glowing soul fragments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.” Byron reached out his hand, and a transparent, narrow-necked vial appeared in his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the vial swirled a white mist, with two glowing wisps drifting gently up and down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul looked at Byron’s vial and silently held out his own hand. His arm hadn’t deformed—it was still grayish-white and hadn’t turned into a light source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I gathered a few too. That’s why I took a bit longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm!” Byron nodded. This “hm” was a little heavier, as though warning Saul not to be so greedy next time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul actually still felt puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because there were just too many fragments this time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe the diary hadn’t issued a warning simply because Saul could endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the time, I thought I saw a thread. But before I could touch it, the diary suddenly absorbed all the impurities. Was that intentional too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was that thread? Had the diary deliberately stopped him from touching it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get the feeling something terrible would’ve happened if I had touched it… at least, the current me—clear-headed—would never poke it carelessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?” Byron had no idea what Saul was thinking. He produced another vial, this one holding a thumb-sized gray stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I found this too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul snapped his fingers. Little Algae instantly darted over, opening its wide mouth to reveal a chaotic mess inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul rummaged around inside and fished out two stones identical to Byron’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding them in his hand, Saul realized they looked like ordinary rocks—blending into the seafloor without drawing notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once in his hand, the stone felt soft, like rubber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul pressed lightly, and the gray stone cracked with a “click.” Yet before he could inspect the cross-section, both broken halves squirmed and reshaped themselves into irregular, vaguely spherical lumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not stone. Not metal either. This is some kind of synthetic material. Definitely shows signs of artificial crafting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Byron nodded, having reached the same conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he seemed to have made another discovery as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened the vial, poured one of the gray pellets onto a reef, then took out a bottle of red liquid and dropped a single droplet on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strange magic aura surrounding the gray substance vanished instantly. In its place, it emitted a wave of mental energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensitive to mental force, Saul instinctively leaned closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the gray lump itself didn’t change much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Byron tapped Saul’s shoulder, directing his gaze toward the ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul turned and saw the black sea glowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, one or two faint lights. Then five or six. Eventually, a whole cluster formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not as many as near the sunken ship, it was still enough to illuminate a ten-square-meter patch of water around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawn by some unseen force, the fragments drifted over, gathering near the reef.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen anything that can attract soul fragments,” Saul marveled. Then his eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this gray substance could attract soul fragments… could it be accepted by souls?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If used as a vessel—or to improve a vessel—could it solve the problem of soul bodies not being able to remain in containers for long?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Byron hadn’t been involved in the resurrection experiments, but he clearly saw potential in this strange gray substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Saul looked up, he saw Byron staring at the sea, eyes gleaming with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul rested his chin on his hand. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about fusing it into your own skin, Senior Byron?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, that night, two research maniacs dove again and again, collecting the gray material—surfacing only to breathe, then diving again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d completely forgotten why they’d come here in the first place…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the peculiar gray material was rare. After searching all night, even with their magic nearing warning levels, they’d only gathered a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the clouds in the sky slowly scattered, a soft morning light spread across the sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darkened ocean finally revealed its true colors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But amidst the blue remained streaks of gray, giving the water a vaguely oppressive look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Byron decided it was time to return—he couldn’t wait to study this newfound gray substance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul had come here to replenish his soul fragments through the soul tide. Though he hadn’t seen that bizarre tide this time, he had no regrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bluewater Bay would still be here. The tide wouldn’t vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief rest to restore their magic and mental strength, the two prepared to head back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul still had no idea how Byron—who hadn’t learned flight—got here in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he wasn’t eager to find out either. He had a feeling that knowing might chip away at his sanity. So he opted to fly himself and have Little Algae carry Byron along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It just cost him a bit more magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Saul spotted the coastline, he specifically looked toward the cliff where Parker and Andy had been hiding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his surprise, that cliff had collapsed. Their hiding spot was now a tall mound of dirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only faint traces of blood lingered—enough to suggest they’d been injured, but had gotten away alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.” Byron’s expression grew serious as he analyzed the shape and impact of the landslide, trying to deduce the method and force of the attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul kept a sharp watch on their surroundings, eyes scanning every possible ambush point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ehehe~” A little girl’s giggle echoed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saul instantly understood—Andy and Parker must’ve been tripped up by a little trick the Nightmare Butterfly had left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it looked like they got tripped badly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Senior, I think the enemy’s gone. Let’s leave too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Byron nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two cloaked themselves and left quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after they departed, the sun rose fully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bluewater Bay no longer seemed so dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, a few fishermen would set out while the tide was calm, or scavenge seaweed and shells from the reefs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But delicacies like black sea snails never appeared in broad daylight. Otherwise, people who harvested them wouldn’t be considered disposable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The coastline of Bluewater Bay began to stir with faint activity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that so-called “bustle” was only an upgrade from empty to three or four figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a middle-aged man in a wrinkled formal suit, carrying a massive luggage trunk on his back, stepped onto the beach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sander stood there, staring blankly at the vast, desolate sea beneath the lingering clouds, unable to come back to himself for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His sister had died at Bluewater Bay Port. Wracked with guilt, he had never returned since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he learned from a Wizard that his sister hadn’t drowned, but had her soul taken by the soul tide here, he rushed over at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time he arrived, he’d nearly run out of money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patting the trunk, Sander said, “Don’t worry, Sis. I will find your soul.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But first, he had to find a job here in Bluewater Bay to support himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swore this to the sea, then turned and headed for the town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he walked, he saw a group of five or six children heading down toward the shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather was growing cold, and they were all underdressed. Huddled together, they whispered and giggled as they walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sea breeze carried snippets of their chatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Wizard…obedient…remember…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe one of the older brothers was telling them Wizard stories—probably using them to scare the younger ones into behaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sander looked on enviously, gently stroking the trunk at his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe we’ll meet again, Middor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1284,"2026-06-05T22:22:08.873Z",1,"novelbin.me","efddf7028c519e305bf3c46cb117fce1a047f645027dbdc68d62926146081122","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-99","diary-of-a-dead-wizard-chapter-98",1037,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdiary-of-a-dead-wizard-cover.jpg"]