Chapter 20: Metamorphosis
Lin Wei held his breath, concentrating as he flipped through the pages of the book. His movements were careful and slow; he didn’t want to miss a single word.
“This is a dictionary,” he murmured, finally allowing a satisfied smile to cross his face. “A dictionary that translates the language of wizards and the language of the Star Communication Continent.”
For Lin Wei at this moment, it was indeed the most useful thing he could have found. Otherwise, even if someone handed him a book of meditation techniques right now, all he could do was stare helplessly, unable to do anything.
“Core Sphere, record the contents of this book,” Lin Wei ordered his intelligent core sphere, clinging to a faint hope.
“Ding!”
“Unknown magnetic field detected, recording failed!”
Lin Wei bit his lip. He had expected this outcome, but it was still disappointing. He could never carry this book back to the Tulip Domain. If it were discovered, he’d have no way to explain it, risking not only exposure of his abilities but also facing the Earl of Tulip’s suspicion.
Despite his frustration, Lin Wei picked up another old book.
But the moment his fingers touched the book, the mechanical voice of the core sphere unexpectedly sounded in his ear.
“Ding!”
“Unknown energy unit structure model detected. Would you like to analyze?”
Lin Wei was momentarily stunned by the abruptness of the voice. Ignoring the sphere’s prompt, he instinctively looked down at the book in his hand. Like the previous one, its pages were yellowed, but the cover was blank, except for a piece of jet-black stone, resembling crystal, embedded at the center.
“There’s a secret in this stone!” Lin Wei burst out laughing. “Core Sphere, analyze!”
“Ding!”
“Estimated analysis time: 53 seconds.”
His fingers clenched the book tighter, knuckles turning white. After waiting so long... the power of the wizard was finally about to reveal itself.
“Ding!”
“Analysis complete!”
Just as Lin Wei was about to delve deeper into the secrets of wizardry, the core sphere issued another command.
“Ding!”
“After analysis, the core sphere will undergo irreversible changes. Proceed?”
Lin Wei’s pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat.
The core sphere was his greatest lifeline in this world—it had even fused with his soul. If the change was negative...
“Better to risk it all once than spend my life groveling as a noble’s lackey!” Lin Wei steeled himself. “If I choose safety, then with the core sphere as my crutch, I’ll spend my life crawling.”
“Proceed!”
“Ding!”
“Unknown energy unit analysis complete. Core sphere changes as follows: 1. Detection range reduced to a radius of five meters; 2. Permission granted to explore unknown energy.”
Lin Wei practically leapt to his feet, his mouth stretched in a wild grin, laughter echoing throughout the third underground level.
“Finally! At last, I can!”
His mad howls filled the air.
Though the core sphere’s detection capability was diminished, Lin Wei didn’t care. With his current strength, monitoring ordinary people within three hundred meters was effortless. The old function, then, had become redundant. Now, with the ability to detect the power of wizards, he had gained a true treasure.
“Core Sphere, scan and record the contents of these two books!”
“Ding!”
“Recording... estimated time: 0.01 seconds.”
“Ding!”
“Recording complete!”
Lin Wei felt as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. The stone that had weighed him down for so long finally dropped away. From this moment on, his future was no longer confined to a mere Tulip Domain; the three great empires—even the entire West Coast—were his playground for exploration.
Just as excitement surged, Lin Wei suddenly felt dizzy. A violent urge to vomit twisted him into a ball; he collapsed onto the cold floor.
“Core Sphere... what’s happening?” His head felt as if it were about to explode.
“Ding!”
“The host’s soul is undergoing unknown mutation. Normality will resume in thirty seconds.”
Lin Wei writhed in agony on the floor like an insect. He recalled that the core sphere had already merged with him; any change in it would surely affect his soul as well.
“Ding!”
[Lin Wei, Nolan Mountain; Strength: 8.9; Agility: 8.9; Constitution: 8.9; Mental Power: 0; Skills: Fencing; Hammer Technique]
[Advanced Knight Training Method (Great Knight Stage) transmitting... estimated completion: 131 days, 17 hours, 27 minutes]
At last, the pain ebbed away. Lin Wei was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath, feeling as if he had survived a catastrophe.
“Wait... why is there a new ‘Mental Power’ entry in my attributes?” Lin Wei seemed to understand, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. “Yes, this is the foundation of wizardry. There was a similar note in Elena’s diary.”
According to Elena’s diary, mental power was an energy produced by the resonance of soul and body. It was not the power of the wizard itself, but served as the driving force behind wizardry.
“The only way to increase mental power... is through the meditation methods recorded in the Book of Meditation.” Lin Wei frowned. “Looks like my next goal is to find the Book of Meditation.”
...
After confirming there were no other secrets in the hidden chamber, Lin Wei finally withdrew.
On Lin Wei’s command, Philro led the entire security team to burn the attic to ashes. They hauled stones from elsewhere to bury the charred basement, rendering it unrecognizable.
“With this, the metal door shouldn’t be found by anyone...” Lin Wei’s eyes gleamed with cunning.
...
In the days that followed, Lin Wei personally led the charge, mercilessly crushing the remnants of Sword and Flower in the surrounding area. The northwest border of Tulip Domain was secured.
At the entrance of Ketu Town.
Lin Wei patted Philro on the shoulder. “From today onward, you are the new mayor of Ketu Town.”
Philro’s face broke into a sycophantic grin. “Thank you, Lord Lin Wei, for your promotion! I will forever remember your kindness!”
“No, what you must remember is the kindness of the Earl,” Lin Wei smiled encouragingly.
“Yes, yes... the Earl’s kindness and Lord Lin Wei’s kindness, I’ll keep both in mind,” Philro said, bowing repeatedly.
Lin Wei’s lips curled in a playful smile. With a leap, he mounted his horse. The orderly ranks of Tulip guards followed after him.
“Philro, the future of Ketu Town is in your hands. Don’t become the next Shatul.” Suddenly, Lin Wei, already on his way, turned back with a grin, revealing sharp teeth.
Philro shivered. “Yes, my lord!”