Chapter 15: Malice and Light

Emerging from his meditative state, Luge couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Upon investigation, he discovered that the spell model had actually undergone a subtle change — no, it should be said to be a major change. The spell model solidified in his spell slot, already fused with him as one, had surprisingly gained an additional node.

The nineteen spell model nodes of Foul Skin had actually become twenty.

The number of nodes does not represent the spell's power, but rather brings about changes in direction and functional effects.

Is this a change that can occur on its own, without a wizard apprentice actively doing it or personally modifying it?

Is it because the spell solidified in the spell slot has already merged with his body, becoming like an instinct? He speculated wildly, really wanting to find someone to ask — whether other wizards who have completed spell solidification have also encountered this kind of situation.

If it is uncommon, it would arouse wizards' interest even more; there would inevitably be people recording and compiling statistics on it, and it would be taken for research. For instance, the Wizard Academy mentioned in the Kalu Diary would probably have some things that could answer the doubts in his heart. Perhaps in that kind of place, this fundamentally wouldn't count as any difficult question.

The Half-Man should understand too, right? He thought to himself.

He might even know what that holy bone hand tree is.

The other party's strangeness and mystery invisibly elevated his image in Luge's heart. At the very least, he crudely believed that the Half-Man should be stronger than those mentors written about in the Kalu Diary.

As for the spell's effects after the change.

He already had a rough idea in his heart.

He raised both arms and stretched lazily with great satisfaction.

Having just slept a while and then meditated for a spell, his spirit had recovered very well, and his arms were no longer sore.

He had originally planned to use the remaining two inheritance scrolls, then pick a spell from those several books to begin studying. Now it was all disrupted by a single dream.

He rose and went directly to the kobold settlement in Old Gold Tooth's group, since he still had some matters to discuss with Old Dog Head.

The appearance of the lizardmen, the Saint Lord's inexplicable replacement, and those distant relatives with iron tools from who knows where — none of it seemed to have any impact on these kobolds in the group. After the initial panic, it was still the same old appearance.

He saw two kobolds walking toward him, and a thought struck him — he activated the Foul Skin Spell.

The extra node affected all the other nodes on the spell model.

In his perception, the spell hadn't completely changed, but rather gained an additional function, which could also be considered a new method of use.

He first passed by very low-key. As the distance closed, the two kobolds were absolutely already within the spell's range of influence. Yet they acted as if nothing had happened, carrying two broken wooden sticks that couldn't even be bothered to be tied with beast teeth, strolling along leisurely.

Just as he was thinking this, one kobold turned its head to look at him, and directly collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Looking at that guy convulsing on the ground, his previous speculations were already more than half confirmed.

The corner of his mouth once again couldn't help but curl upward.

In an instant he transformed into a smug little kobold — only pity this branch didn't have tails, otherwise they would more or less have to wag a bit.

Before this, he had discovered he could occasionally sense other people's malice more clearly. He had thought it was the kobolds' wild instinctual side, and also thought that becoming a wizard apprentice strengthened his spiritual power, naturally making him more sensitive. Now it seemed this also had some relationship with the solidified zero-circle spell Foul Skin.

This spell change allowed him to sense other people's malice toward him even more clearly.

And after entering that state, it could let existences without malice toward him not suffer from the stench.

Although he hadn't figured out how the dream produced the change in the spell, it was indeed a good change.

For a moment his mood was like a child who got a novel toy.

Pity there was no one to share it with; he really did want to find a wizard apprentice to discuss and exchange ideas with.

If he wasn't mistaken, the stench fed back wasn't the kind of stench from the original spell either. Perhaps the stench when he learned this spell was already somewhat different. That was a stench from the spiritual level — the stench of malice, the unique taste of evil. The greater the malice, the heavier the malice, the more would be fed back from the origin of malice — the stench of evil.

It was feedback, and also a gift of evil.

Thud!

The other kobold also fell down.

Kobolds, these simple-minded creatures, seeing their companion fall and noticing him in the distance, immediately surged with a wave of malice toward him.

Of course this was all understandable, but this spell instead needed to be used even more cautiously, he thought.

This is a spell that very likely results in having no friends.

Living in a big city or wizard academy, it would be even more impossible to use recklessly — ask yourself, whose heart would be without malice?

Shake off your arms and knock everyone down, and you won't see a single friend.

Just like now, he had already stopped the spell, because he had to go see Old Gold Tooth.

Malice has its degrees, individual threats have their light and heavy. In his eyes, Old Gold Tooth's type belonged to the category where it didn't matter what it was like — an old kobold with limited mobility, not long for this world. Even if he had the heaviest malice, it wouldn't pose any threat to him.

"Young kobold sage, you've come to chat with Old Gold Tooth again. Want to hear what other stories Old Gold Tooth has?"

Old Gold Tooth seemed very happy to see his arrival.

Aijin was not nearby.

"Little Aijin took the big guy out to catch worms. That guy's big belly probably won't be back for a while."

Old Gold Tooth spoke, using his fingers to fiddle with the light silk on his body, looking completely unconcerned about his impending life's end.

"You mentioned the sun before," he sat down casually, not wanting to stand and look down on Old Dog Head. "Could it be you've actually been to the surface? Or do you know the way to the surface world?"

Old Gold Tooth was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Luge to say these things.

"Mhm, I knew it. Young people are definitely interested in these things," Old Gold Tooth hehe'd with a laugh. "You can actually say 'surface world.' Looks like you have some other friends. Before I came into contact with those dark-skinned pointed-ears, I knew nothing of these. When they spoke of their yearning for the surface, I couldn't understand at all. When they spoke of the sun and moon, I still thought they were foods unique to elves."

"However, you'll be disappointed, young man. I've fundamentally never seen any sun. Only on the territory of those pointed-ear elves, in those little taverns, did I hear them mention it. And they also don't know how to go to the surface. Those dragonborn kobolds are the same. Anyway, none of those I've seen have been to the surface world."

Old Gold Tooth pursed his lips, then twitched the corner of his mouth again, as if the light silk on his face made him very uncomfortable.

"Right, those pointed-ears said the sun — those humans' ground cave cities — are very, very big. Every very big ground cave city has a sun above its head. They said that light can illuminate the entire ground cave domain surrounding the city where life revolves. And every so often that light grows dark, then after a while grows bright again. When it darkens, humans sleep in their own nests."

Old Gold Tooth kept sighing at humans' power.

When Luge couldn't hear anything new from his mouth, he would open his mouth to lead into the next topic. Old Gold Tooth was also happy to do so, constantly having new topics to chat about.

This unexpectedly deep old dog head was like a treasury that couldn't be emptied, but there were also times when it jammed.

"The kobold tribe serving the dragon must be very powerful," Luge guided the conversation. "I previously encountered a group of tall kobolds with iron tools in their hands, appearing nearby. They happened to run into a squad of lizardmen and fought. Don't know if they're from the same place as you."

"Really didn't expect the nearby area to already be in this chaotic state. Looks like you not letting Aijin go follow them hunting was right. Pity I already have no strength — even eating a bit of meat is strenuous..."

Old Gold Tooth rambled on, but just wouldn't mention where his former tribe was.

(Chapter End)