Upon arriving in the living room, Hibell elegantly lifted her skirt and sat on a chair draped with tiger skin, her eyes brimming with laughter as she said, "Don’t think it’s too expensive. This is the discounted price; only a tutor’s apprentices are entitled to it."
Carl’s mouth twitched slightly. "Yes."
"And furthermore..." Hibell continued, "This money is for the tutor. At most, I earn some tuition fees from you. I haven’t even complained."
"Senior Sister," Carl spoke. "What witchcraft can I learn?"
This was the crucial point.
"I don’t master many witchcraft, including those I have the Magic Models for but haven’t yet successfully constructed. I can teach you only these few."
She pulled open a drawer and took out a slip of paper to hand over. "Take a look and see if there’s anything you like."
Carl took it. The paper listed a series of witchcraft names, featuring tricks and Zero-Circle witchcraft, most of which he had heard of.
By now, he was no longer a newcomer utterly ignorant of the Wizard World.
Magic Missile, Acid Splash, Fog Cloud, Hidden Spikes, Poisoning, Decontamination Skill, speed writing...
"Senior Sister." After looking it over, Carl showed his confusion. "The witchcraft you have here, they all seem to need auxiliary materials to practice?"
"Most of them do," Hibell corrected him. "Magic Missile doesn’t need auxiliary materials, nor do the tricks."
"Hmph..." There were five Zero-Circle witchcraft; four required auxiliary materials, without which you couldn’t even cast.
A speechless expression crossed Carl’s face.
"What’s with that expression?" Hibell frowned. "The witchcraft I chose have simpler Magic Models and are thus easier to construct successfully, yet their power is by no means lacking."
"Take Acid Splash, for instance. Just pair it with concentrated acid, and its power is top-tier among Zero-Circle witchcraft."
She spoke the truth. Her Acid Splash could easily corrode a Knight Attendant into a pile of bones. Even Knights dared not touch it lightly. And with witchcraft like Fog Cloud and Poisoning, combined with frost or poison Potions, their power was strong enough to easily trap and kill Knights. Of course, first you had to be prepared, and then you had to hit your target.
"I understand." Carl sighed. "It’s just that I find it cumbersome to always carry so many Potions with me, and the key point is... Potions cost money."
On hearing this, Hibell couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "Then you’d better think carefully. Witchcraft using auxiliary materials have simpler Magic Models and are easier to construct."
"As for Potions, I can give you a discount on those." She still hoped that Carl would learn auxiliary witchcraft, as it would give her Potions another outlet.
"Forget it." Carl shook his head in refusal, preferring to directly increase his own strength rather than rely on external items. "I’ll learn Magic Missile instead."
"..." Hibell sighed. "That’s fine."
"Actually, Magic Missile isn’t bad either. If you could get your hands on Lesser Energy Fireball and Barrage, you’d be able to form a One-Circle Witchcraft, Magic Bullet Volley."
"Hm?" Carl looked up. "Zero-Circle witchcraft can form a One-Circle Witchcraft?"
"Yes," Hibell said as if it were obvious. "Just like the Shadow Hand, Shape Puppet, and Soul Binding that the tutor practices – if you purchase a Soul Shard, you can form a One-Circle Witchcraft, Magic Servant."
"Otherwise, how many Advanced Wizard Apprentices could successfully construct a One-Circle Witchcraft directly?"
"That’s how it is," Carl asked curiously. "Then the witchcraft you practice, Senior Sister, must also have similar advanced plans, right?"
"This..." Hibell blinked. "Secret!"
It seemed there was one. But such matters were definitely among her secrets, and she wouldn’t reveal them unless to someone she could trust with her life. Unless you were like Adolf, who had learned many witchcraft and had more than one trump card, you naturally wouldn’t care about revealing them or not.
Carl then asked, "Senior Sister, do you know where I can learn Lesser Energy Fireball and Barrage?"
"Little Brother, for you at the moment, those are too far off," Hibell shook her head when she heard this. "First, you need to construct your own first Zero-Circle witchcraft. Besides, I don’t know where to find them either."
Carl nodded. Perhaps if I went to Black Swamp, I could learn them.
One-Circle Witchcraft was indeed too early for him. He wondered if the Fire Dharma Seal could replace Lesser Energy Fireball—if so, then just Barrage would be enough.
He acquired the Magic Model for Magic Missile by buying it on credit.
The prerequisite conditions for this Zero-Circle witchcraft were "Arcane Principles," "Studies of Air," and "Ballistics Basics"...
Understanding the contents of these books made it easier to construct Magic Models. But Carl was different from ordinary people. He would first construct Magic Models in his Spiritual Inner Sea and then understand the books based on the operational principles of the witchcraft. He did it the other way around.
After chatting a bit more, Carl managed to procure three Potions to supplement and restore spiritual power at the price of five Gold Coins each.
Of course, he didn’t owe any debt for this money.
Carl was quite satisfied with this visit. Although it was on credit, he had successfully acquired a Zero-Circle witchcraft.
Alas, his lack of spiritual power meant he wasn’t yet in a position to cultivate it. As for the Dharma Seal... In Black City, there was a kind of meat casket where one could place a Dharma Seal removed from the body, keeping it from spoiling for seven days. Finding a buyer within those seven days was crucial.
Name: Carl (Master of the Divine Domain Fragment)
Spiritual Power: 1.47
Occupation: Knight Attendant, Basic-level Wizard Apprentice
With the Dharma Seal no longer siphoning his life force, consuming Exotic Beast Meat became much more effective. His Constitution was expected to reach 0.9 very soon, and his spiritual power was also steadily increasing.
"Not bad!" The people of Black City may be strong, but my potential is even greater. Time is ultimately on my side.
Picking up the broad sword beside him and caressing the blade, Carl’s movement paused slightly. "It’s time for maintenance."
He then took a step forward, arriving at Black City.
"Hmm?" The sky was gloomy as always, but the surrounding silence and an inexplicable atmosphere instinctively made his heart tighten. The enhanced perception from practicing the Poison Wolf Breathing Method sent him a warning. Danger!
SWOOSH! A dark shadow pounced from behind.
At the sound, Carl whirled around, sword in hand, simultaneously activating a lesser spell field and retreating continuously to the side.
THUD! The broad sword struck the shadow, the force of the blow sending it flying and revealing its true form.
It was a wild dog covered in yellow fur.
"Earth Wolf!" A common creature from beneath Black City, it lived on soil, and its fanged mouth could even gnaw through black rock.
How did this thing get to the surface?
"WHIMPER..." The injured Earth Wolf struggled to its feet, whining lowly as it eyed Carl, its body crouched and ready to pounce.
Carl took a step back—not out of fear, but to look at the ground.
BOOM! The ground shook as a circular maw filled with countless jagged teeth burst through the earth.
The Earth Wolf didn’t even have time to react before it was devoured by the terrifying maw.
"Worm!" Underground worms resembled earthworms but were many times larger, comparable to a truck. Their mouths, full of sharp teeth, were no mere decoration; they could easily chew through metal. Even Knights wouldn’t easily provoke such beings. It, too, lived underground, surviving by devouring soil, black rock, and other creatures, and usually didn’t come to the surface.
After swallowing the Earth Wolf, the worm’s gaping maw twisted, ’looking’ at Carl. Seemingly uninterested in him, it wriggled its body and slowly sank back underground.
Carl, sword in hand, stood ready until he sensed the underground worm moving away into the distance, then furrowed his brow.
"What’s going on?" Although he didn’t know what had happened, he was sure that some major change had occurred in Black City.