Ever since Saul revealed his identity, it seed Gorsa had elevated his status yet again.
During a routine warehouse inventory check, Saul discovered that the rules on the very first page of the warehouse manual had changed!
The first rule remained the sa: the number of burning candles must stay above eighty-eight.
But the second rule, which used to state "do not tamper with numbered items at will," had been changed to: "do not remove numbered items from the warehouse without permission."
In other words, Gorsa had granted Saul full access to the entire warehouse.
That included the corpse cluster that had once been the vessel for Lady Yura.
It was also on this day that the soul infusion test subject Saul had requested for so long finally arrived!
After discovering the change in the warehouse manual, Saul didn’t rush to make use of it.
These items had been prohibited not just because of their rarity, but also due to their inherent danger.
Saul now went through all the materials in the second warehouse again, reevaluating them. He wanted to pick out the ones that could be used in upcoming experints.
The experint he wanted to complete wasn’t limited to the resurrection project assigned by his master—Saul also had no intention of giving up on enhancing his own abilities.
What could currently provide him with the greatest offensive strength was combining the Second Rank spell Touch of Tornt with the tentacles ford through his soul-body transformation, creating a soul-targeting attack spell—Soul Fishing.
Aside from that, developnt of the ntal realm also needed to continue, though it wasn’t quite as urgent.
Walking along the warehouse shelves, Saul looked up and saw the “Elven Whispers” he had once used for Kongsha.
The original two leaves of this item had already fallen off, leaving only a bare twig. Gorsa had thus given “Elven Whispers” to Saul directly.
However, Saul hadn’t used the odd item—capable of affecting one’s perception of ti—since then.
“This thing can influence consciousness… could it also serve as a kind of soul anesthetic?” Saul jotted the idea down. “Though it might already be dead.”
He had just finished recording one item when he suddenly felt a magical fluctuation behind him.
Quickly turning around, he spotted a giant quill floating in the air through a gap between the shelves.
Swish swish swish—
It was the communication quill that had been silent for several days.
Saul swiftly closed his notebook and hurried toward it.
By the ti he reached the desk, the quill had already finished writing and flown away on its own.
The parchnt contained only one line: The assistant has been delivered to the bronze gate. Please retrieve accordingly.
Saul let out a sigh. “Finally here.”
He set aside his current work and briskly made his way down two corridors, arriving at the bronze gate.
As he pushed open the left door, a beautiful and cold face appeared before him.
Blonde hair and blue eyes, with a curvaceous figure wrapped in a black apprentice’s robe—which, on her, looked like a dress fit for the red carpet.
All of ntor Rum’s soul infusion test subjects seed to co from the sa mold.
Several seconds after Saul opened the door, the blond Second Rank female apprentice finally turned her head stiffly to look at him, her expression blank.
“Hello, I’m No. 147, here to assist with your experint.”
Saul stepped aside to let her in, observing her slightly rigid movents.
“I’ve always been curious,” he said, “there aren’t many blondes in the tower, so why are all of ntor Rum’s test subjects blonde and blue-eyed?”
Following half a step behind him, 147 replied in a flat tone, “Our bodies were modified by ntor Rum into a unified appearance for easier identification, and to avoid complications should we encounter relatives of our original bodies.”
Saul nodded at that. “Makes sense.”
He looked at the woman walking beside him—she appeared to be in her early twenties. With the costic powers of magic, eye and hair color were easy to alter. If soone told him this body used to belong to an elderly woman, Saul would believe it.
Though 147 was undeniably beautiful, Saul felt nothing for her. After spending so long in the corpse room and warehouse, everyone just looked like materials.
Not to ntion the fact that a man’s soul was sealed inside this beautiful body.
With that in mind, all traces of romantic thought vanished.
Back in the second warehouse, the sight of an entire row of corpses startled 147.
But because her soul and body were out of sync, even if she could barely move, she couldn’t perform subtle actions.
Like widening her eyes or raising her eyebrows.
So her “shock” was expressed by opening her mouth completely blankly—so wide it could almost fit a fist.
“These are all corpses?” Though surprised, 147’s voice still carried no emotion.
“Yes. Anyone you recognize?”
During her surprise, 147 had been staring at one particular corpse. Seed she did recognize soone.
That corpse had been here since before Saul entered the Wizard Tower.
For 147 to recognize soone that old—a Third Rank apprentice—ant she was likely one of those First Rank apprentices who had been stuck in the tower for over a decade without advancing.
Most willing to undergo soul infusion experints were exactly such people—long unable to advance, hopeless, but unwilling to give up.
“Your soul and body aren’t in sync. Right now, your soul is forcibly sealed into your body using a magic array. So when you’re here, stay away from these corpses.”
“Understood.”
The two walked past the corpse cluster and rows of shelves. 147 didn’t dare look around much and just kept her head down, following Saul closely.
Eventually, they reached the experint table at the end of the warehouse. This space had been specially cleared, with a test bed specially requested just for 147.
“From now on, co here at 3 p.m. every day. Experints will usually go until 7. I’ll try not to delay your return to the dorms. Oh, and what elent do you specialize in?”
Officially, Saul had requested an assistant. If her specialty was also dark elent, she could help out in so of the experints.
“Dark elent.” After a few seconds, 147 replied slowly, a beat too late.
Saul raised one eyebrow. Not just my imagination—this 147 really is slow to react. I’ve worked with other soul-infused test subjects before. Though they were dull and expressionless, they weren’t this sluggish. Did I get a defective one? Should I ask ntor Rum for a replacent?
With soone this slow, dangerous experints could be compromised due to untily feedback.
Like, say, 147’s life.
Saul glanced up at the woman in front of him, who was once again zoning out, maybe. He decided to just speak plainly:
“My experints differ from other soul infusion tests. Others may just test various soul reactions and changes under different conditions. I focus more on the body’s physical data during soul-body interaction. If you can’t provide accurate cooperation and tily feedback, it’s best you withdraw from this dangerous project.”
But the mont Saul finished speaking, 147 suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
This ti, her movent was much smoother.
She placed her hands on the ground before her, bowed low, and pressed her forehead against the back of her hand.
“Sir,” her voice carried a desperate determination, “I’ve co to follow you.”
Saul blinked in surprise, then sucked in a sharp breath. “Who are you?”
“I… I’m Hayden.” After a mont’s hesitation, 147 admitted it like soone breaking a plate, resigned to their fate.
Saul: Pfft!!!
(End of Chapter)
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