Chapter 98

That doesn't make sense; didn't Andre say there are also magic swordsmen and so-called "Corona Knights"?

Especially the Corona Knights, who are said to have combat power comparable to formal wizards; the knight path must definitely go far beyond this.

Luo En continued to flip through, hoping to find detailed information about magic swordsmen and Corona Knights, but the records of these two rare professions in the book were unusually brief:

"... Magic swordsmen are considered an alternative breakthrough in the knight path, pioneered by the bloodline knight 'Abraham Silva'."

"When he faced the bloodline limit, he created a brand-new way of using power by introducing mental power into a specially made magic sword..."

"... Records of Monarch Knights are even rarer, considered to be the product of the perfect combination of special bloodlines and magic-fleshed bodies."

"It is rumored that only a very small number of knights who have awakened the corresponding attribute ancient bloodlines and mastered the top-level breathing techniques have the possibility of stepping onto this path..."

【Monarch Knight】, a new term has appeared, perhaps corresponding to the 【Corona Knight】 in Andre's mouth.

It seems that different types of top-level breathing techniques can complete the corresponding advancement, and then are collectively referred to by wizards as so-called "Monarch Knights."

Interestingly, among those alien extraordinary beings, the most powerful existence is also called "Monarch." I don't know if there is any connection between them.

But what makes Luo En feel strange is that every time the book mentions the specific symptoms and consequences of knight deformation, the relevant paragraphs stop abruptly, with obvious traces of deletion and modification.

"Why is the consequence of deformation so taboo?" Doubts arose in his heart: "Could it be that the consequences caused after deformation are more terrifying than imagined?"

The whole book emphasizes how to prevent and control deformation from beginning to end, but almost never mentions what will happen once deformation occurs, as if this is an unspeakable taboo topic.

"Like an incurable disease, irreversible, can only wait for death..."

Combined with the mental pollution brought by meditation, the extraordinary path of this world may be far more dangerous than he imagined.

Thinking of this, he closed the book, his mood slightly low.

Putting the book back in its original place, Luo En had more questions in his heart than before coming to the library.

Information about the knight system, wizard promotion, and most importantly—the essence of deformation, seemed to be intentionally hidden, only known to those who had sufficient permissions and qualifications.

………………

In the afternoon, he arrived at the teaching area on time to attend Eric's "Magic Circuit Optimization" course.

There were already more than a dozen apprentices sitting in the classroom, mostly primary apprentices, and a few middle-level apprentices came to review the basics.

Luo En chose a seat in the front, took out the notebook he carried with him, and prepared to record key points.

Eric appeared on time as always, wearing a dark gray robe with purple edges, his expression focused.

"Today we continue to discuss the cross-optimization of magic circuits." He said straight to the point, his fingers outlining a complex energy network in the air...

Luo En listened with rapt attention, recording key information in his notebook from time to time.

Compared to the first course, he now had a deeper understanding of magic circuits, and the content Eric explained became clearer and easier to understand.

"Apprentice Luo En."

Eric suddenly called his name, his attitude significantly friendlier than toward other apprentices, "Please come up and demonstrate the 'Circular Circulation' technique we discussed last time."

Luo En stood up and walked to the podium, standing in the position Eric indicated.

This time he no longer had the confusion of the first time, but calmly closed his eyes, began to adjust his breathing, and guided the magic power in his body to flow along a specific path.

Following his guidance, strands of weak but stable magic power formed a circular circulation in his body, and every cycle made the magic power purer.

"Very good." Eric nodded with satisfaction, "Please tell everyone your own experience; after every circulation, what changes happened to the magic power?"

Luo En sensed slightly, then opened his mouth: "Every circulation, the impurities in the magic power are filtered out, and at the same time, the pure magic power resonates with the circuit, making the circuit stronger and more flexible. This is like..."

He pondered a suitable metaphor: "It's like water flowing to wash the riverbed, both clearing the silt and making the riverbed smoother."

"Brilliant metaphor!" Eric clapped his hands, a flash of appreciation in his eyes:

"This is exactly the core principle of 'Circular Circulation.' It's not just purifying magic power, but more importantly, strengthening the circuit itself. Persisting in this practice for a long time will significantly improve your magic power storage and quality."

【Spell Construction Experience +1】

Luo En returned to his seat, feeling the envious and curious gazes cast by the surrounding classmates.

Clearly, his mastery of this course in a short time had exceeded the expectations of most classmates.

When the course ended, Eric stopped Luo En: "Your speed of progress is surprising, even faster than I expected."

He lowered his head slightly and lowered his voice:

"If you are willing, you can participate in a special test next week and skip the first phase of the course directly. With your performance, there should be no problem."

Luo En said gratefully: "Thank you very much for your recognition, Master Eric. I will definitely prepare well for the test."

Eric nodded: "The test content will include two parts: basic theory and practical operation. Especially the practical part, which requires you to be able to maintain stable magic power circulation under pressure. Practice more."

After leaving Eric's course, Luo En hurried to the third classroom on the north side of the fifth floor to attend Liya's "Mental Power Stability Technique" course.

Different from the previous class, Liya's classroom focused more on practical operation.

As soon as they entered the classroom, apprentices were required to practice stable rhythm output of mental power in front of a special crystal ball.

Luo En sat in his seat, placed his hands lightly on both sides of the crystal ball, closed his eyes, and began to try.

Soon, a pale blue light lit up inside the crystal ball. As his mental power was input, the light gradually became stronger, but always maintained a certain brightness range.

"Well done, Apprentice Luo En."

Liya stopped beside him, observing the state of the crystal ball with satisfaction:

"You have already mastered the essentials of 'Constant Output'."

【Mental Power Stability Technique Experience +1】

When the course ended, Liya also invited Luo En to the special test:

"Since Eric has already recommended you to participate in the test, I have no objection here either. Your talent in mental power control is equally impressive."

She took a small transparent crystal from the inside of her robe:

"Giving you a little gadget, this is a 'Meditation Auxiliary Stone,' which can be considered a small result of my minor in alchemy. It's not worth many magic stones, but it can help you better perceive mental power fluctuations. Practice more before the test, and I believe you will perform very well."

"Thank you very much for your trust and help, Master Liya."

Luo En took the crystal after expressing his gratitude, then said goodbye and left.

After leaving the teaching area, his heart was full of curiosity about the "Meditation Auxiliary Stone" given by Liya.

He had always held an almost obsessive desire to explore new things, a habit formed when he was a student in his previous life.

This small transparent crystal emitted a faint halo under the afternoon sun, pulsing quietly as if it had life.

One must be wary of others, but having reached the proficient level in medicinal material identification, he now also possessed basic appraisal and insight capabilities for other extraordinary items that were not medicinal materials.

The crystal given to him by the other party did not have any traps or hidden hands set up; clearly, it was indeed out of good intentions, and she just casually gave him a little gadget.

"Since I'm already in the teaching area, why not go directly to the meditation room to try the effect of this crystal."

Luo En pondered, then turned and walked toward the registration office nearby.

The meditation room in the teaching area charges by the hour and has a special magic array that completely prevents magic power leakage, costing one magic stone fragment per hour.

For the probationary apprentice period when he was strapped for cash, this was not a small expense, but for Luo En, who had already become a professional Potion Master, this little spending could only be considered a drizzle.

He took out a magic stone fragment from the money bag at his waist and placed it gently on the tray in front of the registrar. The other party skillfully recorded the time, then summoned a guide to take him to the meditation room.

The guide was an expressionless middle-aged man. The sapphire emblem on his gray apprentice robe indicated that he was already a middle-level apprentice, but he seemed to have been doing this simple work for a long time.

Luo En couldn't help but ponder, in the Black Mist Jungle, how many middle-level apprentices like this were there, who, although they had survived the two rounds of elimination of the probationary period and the primary apprentice period, still couldn't see any hope of going further and could only spend the rest of their lives in such trivial matters.

Perhaps, this is the siphon effect of the Black Mist School as the top extraordinary gathering place in the surrounding area, just like the powerful siphon effect of first-tier cities on surrounding counties and cities.

Entering the meditation room, the indoor light was soft, the four walls were inlaid with low-brightness night-luminescent stones, and the floor was covered with a thick layer of soundproofing boards.

The air was filled with a subtle fragrance, which was a special incense specifically used to stabilize the spirit, seemingly mixed with the scent of calming grass and winter dream flowers, making people relax unconsciously.

Luo En sat cross-legged on the meditation mat, placed the crystal gently in his palm, and closed his eyes.

After taking three deep breaths, he began to adjust his mental state according to "The Whisper of the Star Eater."

Different from the peaceful and quiet feeling in the "Basic Meditation Method," the mental state guided by "The Whisper of the Star Eater" was more like standing on the edge of the universe overlooking the abyss of the galaxy hiding endless dangers, both full of awe and carrying a kind of unfathomable sense of danger.

Just as his consciousness gradually sank into that sea of living stars, the crystal in his hand quietly played its role.

"This feeling..."

Luo En was surprised to find that the crystal seemed to be able to capture and amplify his mental fluctuations, making those mental power lines that were originally blurry and difficult to distinguish clearer.

That feeling was like suddenly having a faint lighthouse while sailing in the dark night, although it wouldn't illuminate the entire sea surface, it could provide key directional guidance.

The star-track runes required to be constructed by "The Whisper of the Star Eater" were much more complex than the "Basic Meditation Method," and often a tiny mistake would lead to the collapse of the entire rune.

But now, with the assistance of the crystal, he could grasp the direction of each rune line more accurately than before.

Inside the mental sea, those star-like mental powers condensed into threads, drawing a complex structure similar to a double helix under the drive of consciousness.

This process was still difficult, and every step required extreme concentration, but compared to the past, there was an extra bit of smoothness.

【"The Whisper of the Star Eater" (Proficient) Experience +1】

The effect of the crystal was not particularly significant, but it did bring tangible help.

Luo En could feel that the runes he constructed were more stable and purer than usual, and the flow of mental power under the guidance of the runes was also smoother.

"Is this the charm of alchemy?"

He opened his eyes, looking at the crystal in his hand, and a trace of new interest surged in his heart.

Although this auxiliary stone was simple, it let him see the infinite possibilities of alchemy.

Using suitable materials and techniques to create extraordinary items with specific functions.

This path of creation had similarities with potionology, but also had its own unique characteristics.

Luo En closed his eyes, recalling the occasional words he heard in Lady Ailan's shop, as well as the alchemy information he learned from Andre.

Different from spells that directly manipulate magic power, alchemy focuses more on solidifying magic power in specific media to create lasting and stable extraordinary effects.

It originated from the exploration of the essence of matter, and in the long process of development, it gradually differentiated into multiple branches.

The most basic is alchemy modification—changing the basic properties of matter through special alchemy processes, such as transforming ordinary metals into extraordinary metals with special properties;

There is also alchemy construction—combining multiple materials together to create composite items with new functions;

And the most mysterious life alchemy—the forbidden art that is said to be able to manipulate the essence of life...

And among these branches, the most practical and terrifyingly powerful is alchemy explosives—those extraordinary items that can erupt with terrifying destructive power in an instant.

(End of chapter)