Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Spell Model—Summon Lesser Fireball Bug
Su Nan paused, watching Gu Ke's reaction closely.
Gu Ke was still processing the revelation. The idea that the Blind Nun, an entity from the Energy World, was once human had already shaken him. That she had willingly abandoned humanity to join the Energy World at the behest of the "King Without Eyes" was even more staggering. What unsettled him further was the implication of her fixation on Su Nan, a so-called "wild wizard" with no proper lineage.
Why was such a formidable entity so obsessed with this unremarkable young wizard? Was it merely a coincidence of character, or was there something more?
Seeing Su Nan stop speaking, Gu Ke became impatient. "What next? Don't stop there!"
Su Nan raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Realizing the game Su Nan was playing, Gu Ke sighed and retrieved a blank scroll. He extended his hand, and countless tiny insects poured from his palm onto the parchment. As they retreated, the scroll became inscribed with text and diagrams.
He tossed it to Su Nan. "Here. This is the spell model for Accelerate Speech. Now, continue your story."
The spell wasn't particularly valuable, and Su Nan's reluctance to share more details annoyed him enough to hand it over without much resistance.
Su Nan examined the scroll, confirmed its authenticity, and allowed his neural assistant to record it. Internally, he chuckled. The Blind Nun had unwittingly done him another favor—her notoriety was proving to be a useful bargaining chip.
"The Blind Nun was likely a nun in her human life," Su Nan began. "She was tempted by the King Without Eyes and abandoned her humanity to enter the Energy World."
"She's incredibly stubborn. Once she sets her sights on you, she won't let go. In fact, her fixation on me has been rather persistent recently."
"If you thwart one of her plans or frustrate her even once, she'll make you her target. But being targeted by her isn't entirely bad."
"In some ways, it could even be beneficial."
Su Nan paused, gauging Gu Ke's reaction. "In her possession of ordinary humans, her combat capabilities are limited. However, I'm not sure if she could inhabit a bloodline warlock. Every time she crosses from the Energy World to the Material Plane, there's a soul exchange—she needs sufficient sacrifices to make the transition."
"That's all for now."
"Why, Forgotten One, you don't look very well."
Gu Ke's expression darkened. It wasn't that he felt cheated—the trade for such an insignificant spell was fair. But Su Nan's demeanor irked him. The young wizard's nonchalant attitude, as if casually discussing weather, grated against everything Gu Ke understood about the Energy World and its inhabitants.
"You're merely a 'wild wizard.' What gives you the confidence to discuss such matters so lightly?" he thought.
Suppressing his frustration, Gu Ke chuckled. "Sacrifices for soul exchange, you say? That's useful information. Assuming it's true."
"I'll verify it myself. Farewell, wizard of Peter's domain."
With that, Gu Ke exited the Hidden Realm. As he left, the young girl accompanying him waved curiously at Su Nan, studying him with interest. "Goodbye."
Reappearing in a forest glade, Gu Ke abruptly kicked a nearby tree, startling the girl.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Gu Ke calmed himself, his tone softening. "Nothing. Just annoyed at that wild wizard's arrogance. I regret making that trade."
"He thinks he's my equal, daring to negotiate with me as if we're on the same level."
"Speaking of the Energy World as casually as discussing the weather... Absurd! Our school lost countless wizard apprentices in their attempts to study those entities, and he dares to speak so flippantly."
Shaking his head, Gu Ke chuckled bitterly. "Forget it. There's no point dwelling on it. Wizards are too few these days, and I'd rather not waste energy on infighting."
---
Back in the Hidden Realm, Su Nan had instructed his neural assistant to analyze the Summon Lesser Firefly Bug spell model he had acquired earlier. Using the model as a foundation, the assistant had already developed an optimized version—Summon Lesser Fireball Bug.
Su Nan quickly memorized the enhanced spell model, a powerful standard spell for second-class wizard apprentices.
Over the next five days, he focused intensely on mastering this spell. Simultaneously, he enhanced his Stone Idol Golem with the ability to perform Dual Casting, a critical feature for his upcoming advancement ritual.
To achieve this, Su Nan experimented with distributing newly created Accelerate Speech Potions to his angelic stone soldier and ten gargoyles, as well as two minotaur statues. These enhancements were designed to streamline their capabilities and increase their efficiency during the ritual.
By the sixth day, Su Nan's intense studies bore fruit. Standing in the Hidden Realm, he felt a peculiar calling—an intangible pull toward an unseen pathway.
Before him, a shimmering, ephemeral road appeared, oscillating between existence and nonexistence. This was the Path of the Wizard, extending into the void yet obstructed by an unseen barrier. He realized this blockage was why his mental and magical strength had stagnated, unable to exceed a score of 20.
Observing this phenomenon, Or the Guardian's eyes brightened. His voice carried a rare note of excitement. "Master Su Nan, this manifestation represents your magical state within the Hidden Realm. The blocked Wizard's Path indicates that your formidable mental strength has amplified inherent flaws in your psyche. These flaws, trivial for ordinary people, have now become tangible obstacles."
"I once heard of a high-circle wizard named the Black Death Mage who used apprentices in this stage to conduct experiments."
"The Black Death Mage's experiments revealed a terrifying truth: wizards' psychological issues can materialize as real-world monsters. This is what we call the Black Death Curse."
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