Chapter 88: Failed Experiment

Ace counted the Soul Runes floating in the lower layer of his Soul Sanctuary space—exactly 64.

“It must be some kind of constraint, close to my 6 Mental Power Units. Perhaps it is related to mental strength, or maybe Inherent Mana as well. I need to increase my mental power and verify this later.”

“The effect of the Advanced Apprentice Meditation spell is getting worse and worse. It will take over a year to increase to 7 Mental Power Units. I must quickly find the casting materials for the blessing ritual and complete the mental blessing ritual as soon as possible.”

Ace checked the magical materials he had on hand. In fact, the brain of the newly captured Gale Wolf and the strange spiritual fragments might be good candidates. This species possesses strong teamwork abilities, and the alpha wolf, in particular, has excellent command capabilities. He could capture more later and refine their essence.

Over the next few months, the Gale Wolves of the Larr Mountains suffered a disaster. The entire species was heavily wounded by Ace’s sneak attacks, and the heads of dozens of alpha wolves were severed.

The surviving Gale Wolves, led by the remaining alphas, migrated eastward.

In a secluded cave, Ace casually set up a magic base station and installed defensive and warning rune arrays. Then he began refining the brain matter of the Gale Wolves.

During this period, Ace often felt his blood surge and experienced unprovoked bursts of anger and tyranny.

He occasionally heard unknown presences whispering, but they vanished when he looked closely.

The Larr Mountains were not only home to Monsters but also to barbarians who worshiped and utilized Monsters. Ace was ambushed by over 40 barbarians while passing through a forest. He took the opportunity to capture them alive.

“Since these barbarians attacked me, I cannot be blamed for using them as experimental subjects. They are test subjects delivered to my door. If I were not strong enough, I would probably be killed by them now!”

Ordinary barbarians could not be used directly. Ace spent some materials, using the Lesser Mental Blessing and the Lesser Mental Blessing Ritual to successfully push them into Mental Overdrive.

Due to poor execution, or perhaps the inherent risk of the process, five or six barbarians died.

Ace confined them separately, using illusions to forcibly increase their mental power, and performed blessing rituals on them in batches, aiming to screen for the most optimal blessing materials and ritual forms.

The remaining barbarians were divided into groups of five, with two individuals left over.

Ace excavated a massive cavern deep within the cave to serve as the ritual ground.

The ritual ground was covered in dense, mysterious patterns. Some of these runes were for assisting the ritual, some were for condensing Mana, and others served as warning and defensive arrays.

In the center of the ritual ground was a complex and beautiful Magic Array with the unique charm of geometric composition: the Mental Fortification Magic Array.

Surrounding the Mental Fortification Magic Array were three other fortification Magic Arrays: Strength, Constitution, and Agility.

Directly beneath the Mental Fortification Magic Array was a smaller Magic Array, connected to the Mental Fortification Magic Array by etched patterns.

This was the Perception Fortification Magic Array, subordinate to the Mental Fortification Magic Array.

Ace placed the first type of prepared magical material onto the five Magic Arrays—four large and one small. The first group of three men and two women entered in order.

Ace placed the prepared Mana storage medium, then manipulated the five people to dance according to the magical rhythm of the ritual, performing the rites. Finally, the five people entered the Magic Arrays in sequence.

Ace’s expression quickly turned grim.

The people inside the Magic Arrays began to swell with bulging veins. Some even showed Monster-like changes, similar to the source of the magical materials. Finally, they let out desperate screams.

“Pop!”

Only a pool of liquid remained.

Ace experimented with a few more groups, yielding similar results.

“The path of mimicking supernatural creatures is fraught with too much danger. If I had been the subject just now, my path of Magic might have ended completely.”

Ace began recording this experiment in his Grimoire.

“Magical materials need further purification. Perhaps I should try single-attribute fortification first, which might have better results.”

Ace began re-refining and processing the magical materials. Although the conditions were rudimentary, relying on the almost omnipotent Magical Trickery, he successfully separated and purified the materials.

This time, Ace began by fortifying one Magic Array at a time. Strength, Constitution, and Agility were not problematic. A few barbarians showed signs of magification, but none turned into liquid.

However, if he attempted to fortify the mind further, they would go “Pop!” and turn into liquid.

“Powerful low-level Monsters are different from ordinary low-level Monsters. They are analogous to Pseudo-Heroes, having undergone an essential sublimation. Their body material still retains their imprint. Therefore, using this material carries a high risk of Monsterification.”

Ace repeatedly experimented while taking notes.

“What can I use to purify the materials? Perhaps I don’t need to purify them. I just need to make the material’s imprint my own.”

No sooner said than done, Ace realized that Daina’s developed application of Inherent Mana had immense potential, for instance, in contaminating magical materials.

The composition of Inherent Mana is the unified product of Mana, mental power, and will. It can be considered a standard, internally-imprinted product of magification.

Ace guided the Inherent Mana from his body and soul to merge with and contaminate the magical materials. After a week, all the prepared magical materials, except those involved in mental blessings, were “contaminated” by Ace’s Inherent Mana. The original imprints were overwritten, and they completely became Ace’s exclusive magical materials.

He continued experimenting with this material. The barbarians were successfully fortified by the blessing ritual, showing no signs of Monsterification, but instead exhibited “Ace-ification” symptoms.

Ace could sense that they had formed a certain connection with him.

“This unknown connection cannot be kept! It might be an opportunity, or it might be a hidden danger. I will record it and completely purge it after the experiment is concluded.” Ace wrote coldly in the Magic Diary experiment log.

He began to concentrate on “contaminating” the mental blessing materials. These materials were a fusion of the refined soul powder and brain matter of powerful low-level Monsters. Actual testing showed they instantly boosted the mental strength of the barbarian test subjects, but this was immediately followed by the Monsterification of the soul.

The test subject’s soul could not withstand the Monsterification transformation, ultimately causing the soul to burst, which also affected the body, turning it into liquid.

“This method could serve as an effective form of soul attack. I will record it for now. Perhaps I will gain an extra soul attack spell later.”

Ace continued his experiments. He attempted to contaminate the mental blessing materials with Inherent Mana. Progress was extremely difficult. With the aid of Soul Runes like Mental Shock, Will, and Suggestion, he finally managed to “contaminate” the materials and brand them with his own imprint.

After fortifying the strength, constitution, and agility of all the barbarian test subjects, he began the mental and perception fortification blessing rituals one by one.

As the Mana in the Mana storage medium was siphoned by the Magic Array, the Mana in the entire ritual ground began to gather. The Mana began to pulse. Ace danced with the rhythm, directing the test subjects to dance along, collectively completing the rites.

The patterns of the Magic Array lit up one by one with Mana. The entire Magic Array became immensely bright. The magical materials melted, flowed along the Magic Array patterns, and entered the bodies of the test subjects, boring into their souls.

The invisible whispering began again. The test subject began to scream, went mad, then calmed down. Ace watched his soul slowly transform into his own likeness. A strange, unpredictable sense of crisis began to spread.

The soul, now resembling Ace, smiled at Ace.

“Boom!”