Chapter 81: Sowing the Seeds

This was a profoundly miraculous life experience, indescribable in language. If one were forced to make an analogy, it was like a single-celled organism being unable to imagine the existence of a multi-celled organism.

From this moment, Ace’s life state utterly changed, evolving from a singular life form into a collective life form.

Although there were many drawbacks, such as the mirror image being unable to exist independently; it must be subordinate to the host.

If the host dies, the mirror image will also perish, but the reverse is not true.

Ace, clutching his body where the stomach wound had already healed, stood up. He was still in intense pain, almost unbearable. In the black-and-white field of his mental perception, the wound on his soul had not yet healed.

“Then, respected host.”

The eyes of the two Aces met. Their minds connected instantly. Without needing superfluous description or dialogue, the naked mirror image Ace’s lips trembled rhythmically, making a strange sound: “Fresh and Clean!”

The mirror image Ace’s body was cleansed by Mana. He stretched languidly, moving his body with creaking sounds.

“Clothes Fly On!”

The mirror image Ace put on his clothes, standing before Ace. Their eyes met, and he nodded, then turned and took the mechanical magic lift down.

From now on, the mirror image Ace would focus his energy on researching Magical Trickery and deducing its Soul Runes, concentrating on developing supernatural languages and incantations. He would join Daina in hunting Monsters in the wilderness.

If the two were separated by a certain distance, their minds could not synchronize, but they could still communicate using the Grimoire and the signal base stations.

Ace watched the mirror image leave, then collapsed weakly onto the floor. After a long while, in the field of his mental perception, the profusely bleeding wound on his soul slowly scabbed over. Only then was he able to stand up.

This feeling of weakness suggested he had expended nearly 1 Mental Power Unit. It would take a long time to recover, and he lacked the strength to create a second mirror image anytime soon.

All of this was worth it. He had experienced a higher state of life, evolving from single-threaded to multi-threaded.

He could now freely use his personas!

Ace took out a button, which gradually transformed into “Emberlight.” He then transformed himself into Iron Face Fire Fist.

“Caw caw caw. Everything is ready. It is time to sow the seeds. Only then will there be a harvest in the autumn!”

The transformed Ace rode the mechanical magic lift, slowly ascending to the surface.

He walked through the streets and alleys of the fortress, searching for suitable candidates.

He had a few criteria:

First, the age should be moderate, preferably between 12 and 16 years old. They should have a certain awareness and understanding but possess strong malleability and intense curiosity.

Second, they must have an advantage in mental power. It would be excellent if he could find a naturally Overdriven individual. If not, their mental power must still be significantly higher than an ordinary person’s.

Third, the body must be healthy. He regretted that the weak and the disabled, though he felt pity for them, were too difficult to survive in the early stages.

The first and third criteria were easy to satisfy. The key was the second one.

Ace wandered through the streets and alleys, sensing the mental power of every healthy teenager. Since the mental power of ordinary people was extremely low, even for Ace, this observation was highly prone to error. He could only make rough estimates.

“Bang!” The Hammer of Oblivion spell activated. The boy, leaning against a hidden corner, looked vacant. He touched his fiercely aching head, seemingly having forgotten something.

“Another unsuitable one. My apologies.” Ace muttered softly without any sincerity, walking past the boy.

He had to cast Hammer of Oblivion on everyone he checked, regardless of whether they were suitable or not. The difference was that suitable candidates would be marked by Ace. With the network of signal base stations already in place, as long as they didn’t leave the fortress perimeter, they could not escape his observation.

After wandering for almost a month in this manner, Ace forged covenants with dozens of teenagers, helping them become Wizard Apprentices. According to the rules Ace established, after reaching Mental Overdrive, they had to study Logic Book (Volume One) and the Elementary Mathematics series from the Magic Diary on the fifth page of the Grimoire.

The most fundamental knowledge was given to them through the Grimoire, but understanding and memorizing still depended on them.

As for the illiterate teenagers, it was no problem at all. A quick Knowledge Infusion spell would fill their minds with the knowledge. The rest would be slow comprehension. The forced learning and examination functions Ace had developed for the Grimoire’s sixth page were sufficient to put them through their paces.

These teenagers were the future research talent Ace hoped for. After a certain period of growth, Ace would take them away, establish a Wizard Academy, and continue their advanced studies.

“How pitiful!”

“Those dark worshipers are despicable.”

“What will happen to these orphans now?”

A bustling commotion, accompanied by pushing and shoving. The onlookers in the fortress were talking amongst themselves, cursing the culprits.

Ace quietly walked into the crowd. He saw squads of soldiers at the city gate, covered in mud and blood, their eyes resolute but exhausted. They led over 10 terrified teenagers back into the fortress.

“What happened here?” Ace asked a plump woman nearby.

“Ah, it’s those dark worshipers again. They attacked a nearby village, killed the adults, and abducted the teenagers. I heard they wanted to perform an evil sacrifice. The legion rescued them. It’s sad that they are orphans at such a young age. What will their future hold…”

Ace looked at the teenagers, his eyes shining as if he had discovered a treasure.

That night, the orphans were temporarily housed in the relief center near the public office, recovering from their shock.

“Arno, I’m scared. I miss Daddy. I miss Mommy. I miss my sister. I miss Big Black…”

The girl, about 11 or 12 years old, with agate-green eyes and dry black hair, clung tightly to the torn clothing of the boy before her, like a startled rabbit.

“Ollie, don’t be afraid. I am a Hero. I will protect you. I will protect everyone.”

The boy was tall and sturdy, about 12 or 13 years old. He smiled back at the girl, his teeth, showing through the firelight, were bright white.

“Stop bragging! You are just an ordinary person. Only Nobles can become Heroes. But will the Nobles truly protect us? Our families were killed. We were desperate. No one saved us. This is the fate of mortals!”

Another boy, seemingly full of repressed pain, suddenly shouted at Arno.

“My father said a Hero is a quality, not a status. Even a mortal, as long as they possess fearless courage, can still become a Great Hero. I have the courage to protect Ollie!” Arno declared resolutely.

“That was a beautiful lie invented by your father. He himself couldn’t even touch the edge of a dark worshiper’s clothes. The ‘First Hunter,’ ‘fearless’! He was left hanging high on a tree branch, torn apart by crows until he died. How pathetic!” The boy opposite him shouted, painfully exposing Arno’s deepest wound.

“What did you say? My father was the bravest man in the village. He is my Hero! Don’t you dare talk nonsense!”

Arno roared and rushed forward, pinning the opposite boy beneath him and starting to wrestle.

“Please, please stop fighting! Wooo…” Ollie started crying frantically.

Boom! Thunder rolled, seemingly portending their tragic destiny.