Chapter 66: Departure

Noon. The sun was high, and the autumn air was clear and crisp.

Bayen woke up, clutching his aching head. I am getting old. My body and spirit are no match for young people.

He habitually felt his white beard, then suddenly realized half of it was gone.

The bizarre scene from last night echoed in his mind. A strange book, inscribed with dense straight lines forming a complex, dizzying, unknown pattern, lay quietly beside him.

Looking closer, the book only had the hexagram on the cover remaining. Beneath the hexagram was a sentence: “Keep Secrets, Stand Guard Together, Equivalent Exchange, Respect Knowledge, Seek True Knowledge.”

Bayen read it softly aloud. The Illusion Spell Ace had pre-set in the book activated. The book began to exude an inexplicable attraction. Bayen held his breath, cautiously trying to touch the book.

The moment his hand touched the book, the entire book dissolved into a liquid, flowed up his arm, and stopped at his chin, where it transformed into a beard.

Bayen touched the regained beard in astonishment, pinched it, and the beard vanished again. A Grimoire appeared in his hand.

A voice seemed to whisper to him, deep and rich.

“Bayen, between the first and second pages of the Grimoire, there is a card inscribed with the Lesser Permanent Mental Blessing. Take out the card, turn to the first page, place your hand on the first page, and activate the Equivalent Exchange Ritual on the first page.”

Bayen uncontrollably picked up the card of unknown material inscribed with the mysterious pattern. He placed his hand on the first page of the Grimoire. Buzz!

He felt utter weakness, as if he had instantly contracted a serious illness, and began to cough violently.

On the other side, Ace was in the underground chamber of his house, with the Equivalent Exchange Ritual prepared. An ordinary parchment pouch was placed within the Rune Array, awaiting the equivalent exchange.

Accompanied by Bayen’s fainting, a parchment pouch appeared on the first page of his Grimoire.

Ace observed Bayen’s situation. He watched until Bayen woke up the next day, and then watched Bayen complete the Lesser Permanent Mental Blessing with the Casting Material, raising his mental power to 0.6, barely achieving Mental Overdrive.

It’s a good thing he barely reached the threshold of Mental Overdrive, otherwise it would have been quite troublesome. In the future, the selection of contractors must prioritize younger individuals with inherently strong mental attributes, and then look for compatible thinkers.

I will leave for the Northern Marches in a few days. The “cowlick’s” signal won’t cover such a long distance. I must transmit the basic information and pre-store a portion of the equivalent exchange list into Bayen’s Grimoire beforehand. Although I won’t receive the exchange from such a distance, the form of equivalent exchange must be maintained.

Switching to another scene, Daina ran to the gladiatorial arena and began watching the gladiators fight. After paying 10 Silver Thales, Daina entered the large, semi-circular grandstand of the arena.

The entire arena was mostly filled with men—crude and wild. The few women present were also mostly strong and rugged. Daina, with her gentle appearance and bookish air, looked out of place here.

A few men drinking alcohol stared at the solitary Daina. One of them staggered forward drunkenly.

“Little sister, what’s the point of watching those base slaves and Freemen fight? Why don’t you check out my strong muscles instead?”

The heavy stench of cheap alcohol and sweat assailed her, making Daina feel nauseous. Her eyes were cold. She gently extended her pale, delicate hand.

The drunkard saw Daina’s hand and reached out to grab it without thinking. Daina quickly grabbed his hand, pulled and yanked, and punched him in the stomach, crumpling him like a shrimp.

Daina slammed the shrimp-like drunkard down, fiercely stepping on his back with her leather boot. She scornfully beckoned to the other drunkards.

“If you want to sleep with me, take a look at what kind of scum you are first!”

Daina felt that the suppressed emotions caused by her recent killings had been relieved. She let loose. She dragged the shrimp-like drunkard toward the others.

Her mental power, like a palpable substance, surged outward, carrying coldness and repressed anger. The few drunkards were instantly sobered, as if splashed with cold water. Ignoring their companion, they fled in a panic.

Through continuous meditation, Daina’s overall physical constitution had greatly increased.

【Strength 1.0, Constitution 0.9, Agility 1.1, Mental Power 4.2, Perception 3.9, Mana 12.6, Inherent Mana 0】

【Magification Progress 90%】

This is the data obtained from the Grimoire’s second-page scan. Once each attribute surpassed 1, she experienced a near-non-human change.

Specifically, she was becoming more like the Divine Descendants or Monsters, possessing strength, speed, leaping ability, and perception that mortals could never achieve.

Even though Daina looked gentle, she could easily smash a large rock with one punch and lift objects weighing nearly a thousand jin. All these signs told her that she was forever different from ordinary people.

This psychological change made Daina more reckless. She had even been somewhat out of control just now, which made her vigilant.

Is this the mentality of the Nobles and even the Heroes after their bloodline awakens?

A complete transcendence of life. Are mortals and the supernatural like parallel lines, with no future possibility of convergence?

Daina thought with complex feelings but found no answer.

The gladiatorial match quickly began. She set aside her uniquely feminine melancholy and earnestly watched the fight.

A few days later, Daina easily beat her younger brother to a pulp in their home, suppressing her power. She left, satisfied.

She repeatedly utilized the Grimoire’s function, recording her insights into combat techniques in the Magic Diary: sword and shield combat, boxing, kicking, movement, and evasion techniques.

Lesser Sword and Shield Combat Technique glowed blue in the Magic Diary, while the other techniques glowed white, seemingly indicating the rarity of the technique.

In reality, the foundational sword and shield combat technique does indeed have a greater practical combat effect. Daina speculated that the Grimoire uses different colors to classify skills, items, runes, and Spell Models, and blue might represent greater potential.

She tidied her travel gear, equipped herself with a sword, a shield, and gauntlets, and then bought a standard Monster Hunter outfit. She left a long letter at home and walked toward Ace’s house.

She had decided to follow Ace to the Northern Marches, regardless of whether Ace agreed or not.

If Ace had already left, she would go north to find him herself.

Ace is so clever, so knowledgeable. If he can walk the path of Magic, he will surely go much farther than I can. The path of one person is too lonely. It is better for two to travel together.

Daina’s eyes were firm, and her steps were steady as she walked toward Ace’s house, getting closer and closer.

Ace saw Daina arrive. He welcomed her warmly into the house and gently closed the door.

He gently opened his hand. Accompanied by the rhythm of Mana, a Magic Missile began to form in his hand.

Daina’s lips trembled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She gently covered her mouth, taking a few deep breaths. Then, just as usual, she bowed slightly to Ace in salute.

“Mr. Ace, let us reintroduce ourselves. I am Daina, the contractor of the Torch-Bearer, a Lesser Wizard Apprentice.”