After the hot shower, my skin still tingled slightly from the warm water removing the ingrained dirt.
The mud, the blood, the scent of death... it had all finally gone away.
My armor was now safely stored within the laboratory, waiting for to repair it.
Wearing clean clothes, I threw myself onto the bed, feeling the soft mattress absorb my weight.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
The Tower is under attack.
The acolytes from Dark Lake Tower had started an offensive against us, and no one knew about it except those at the top.
So talented Acolytes were already dead, and the mages forced to sign a confidentiality contract.
This could only an one thing.
They did not intend to disclose this news.
—Biochip, project the map."
At that mont, thin blue lines began to form before my eyes.
The complete outline of the Sol Mountain Tower and its surroundings took shape, drawn with precision.
This map was a combination of my own exploration, what I had seen with my own eyes, and the information extracted from the books and maps I had recorded in the biochip.
My eyes scanned the details.
The dense forest around the Tower appeared clear and organized.
The neighborhood where I t Bleia and Brenda was marked in red, signaling extre danger.
This map is more detailed than anything an average acolyte would have.
If I wanted to, I could sell it for at least two magic crystals on the market.
But that wasn’t what concerned now.
In the center of the map, green letters highlighted the location of the Sol Mountain Tower.
I squinted and began to analyze the situation calmly.
From this map, it’s clear that our Tower occupies only a tiny area on the southern coast. We’re practically isolated.
I continued observing.
To the south, the vast Lucario Sea, unexplored and full of dangers.
To the north, the Despair Mountains and plains.
To the west, two other factions of mages: Eclidel Tower and Dark Lake Tower, the bastards attacking us.
And to the east...
The Kingdom of Utab.
I fixed my gaze on that part of the map.
The regions to the north and south are practically suicidal. Contaminated creatures, evil spirits, and magical aberrations roam there.
The Eclidel Tower? Another faction of Mages... It was obvious there were conflicts between them and Sol Mountain Tower. I can’t go there either.
This ant that the only viable direction for exploration and escape would be the Kingdom of Utab.
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath.
The society of Mages was structured like dieval feudalism.
The Mages were the feudal lords, controlling vast stretches of land and entire kingdoms. The Knights, in turn, were their warriors and soldiers, serving as the backbone of their military forces.
But unlike the centralized empires that existed in Earth’s past, there was no single ruler governing all the Mages.
Each faction, each kingdom, each magical family acted solely in their own interest.
The result?
A fragnted world, where hundreds of small kingdoms constantly fought against each other, seeking to expand their domains and crush their rivals.
It was a chaotic age.
My gaze fixed on the Kingdom of Utab, highlighted on the map.
I knew that so Mage families supported it behind the scenes.
The kingdom was vast, divided into 19 provinces, and housed a multitude of small magical families, wandering Mages, and independent travelers.
This ant that...
If the Mages of the Kingdom of Utab don’t co to Sol Mountain Tower to trade, they must have their own small markets.
That was perfect for .
If I hid my identity, I could sell my devices and start accumulating resources.
It’s decided, I’ll go to the Kingdom of Utab and sell my devices!
My engineering skills weren’t anything special compared to the true Masters.
But with the support of the biochip, my success rate had already surpassed that of so experienced Mages, comparable even to my ntor, Miguel.
Of course, I could never let anyone know about this.
If the Mages found out I had such refined engineering skills, I could end up being forced to work for them, or worse.
That’s why I never sold many healing potions inside the tower.
But now...
If I wanted to advance to Level 3 Acolyte, I would need a lot of resources.
If I didn’t have a way to acquire them, my only alternative would be to wait years to progress.
—Biochip, simulate the requirents needed to advance to Level 3 Acolyte!
["Prerequisites for Level 3 Acolyte"]
["Spiritual Strength: 8 points."]
["Mastery of at least 3 magic models."]
["Magical codes written on all bones of the body."]
["Recomndation: Ultra Refined Spiritual Energy Tonics may help with advancent."]
I clenched my fists.
Learning three magic models wouldn’t be a problem.
But the Ultra Refined Spiritual Energy Tonics...
These things are rare and expensive. I’ll need at least 3000 magic crystals just to get one!
My expression darkened.
Unlike elental potions, like strength or healing potions, these tonics were extrely valuable because they directly affected an Acolyte’s spiritual strength.
With the right recipe, they could strengthen the soul, accelerate learning, and even reinforce the magical codes etched into the body.
The demand for these tonics had always been greater than the supply.
I knew this because my ntor, Miguel, had already told the basics about them.
3000 magic crystals is a lot... But what if I manufacture the tonics myself?
My eyes glead.
If I bought the ingredients and made my own tonics, could I reduce the costs? Of course... But I didn’t have the recipe for such tonics.
But, in the end...
The most important thing was still to increase my spiritual strength to 8!
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath.
If I wanted to survive in this world, I would need to beco stronger.
Biochip, Based on my current status, how long will it take to et these prerequisites through ditation?
I was anxious, but I tried to remain calm.
I knew that ditation was the most direct thod to improve my spiritual strength, and I had already reached Level 2 Acolyte in just about a year.
That was a good sign, right?
["Using the Host’s spiritual strength as a base..."]
["Simulation in progress!"]
["Simulation in progress!"]
["Beep!"]
["The simulation is complete."]
["Estimated ti required: 8 Years 6 Months and 15 Days!"]
The ti suggested by the Biochip to reach the requirents paralyzed .
What?
A wave of dread washed over , a cold rush of frustration and despair. I knew the ditation process wasn’t quick, but eight and a half years... that was more ti than I could endure.
All of that?
I couldn’t believe it.
The emotionless response from the Biochip made even more uncomfortable.
How could this be true? ditation had seed so simple when I started, and the increase in my spiritual strength had been relatively quick until now. What was wrong?
I felt my face pale; whatever this ant, it seed like an eternity. That wasn’t ti I had. I felt trapped, and this only made my anxiety worse.
—What’s the problem? It only took a little over a year to increase my spiritual strength from 0 to 4 points, with the stats of a normal human...
["The ’host’ has gained resistance for ditation."]
["Switching to a higher-level ditation technique is recomnded."]
["Another option is to find ingredients that are compatible to enhance the effects of ditation!"]
Then, the Biochip projected a screen in front of , with various data and detailed results on ditation.
According to the simulations and statistics from the Biochip, the elental ditation technique is most useful when used to build heart and mind codes.
However, after a Level 2 acolyte has completed building their heart and mind codes, they can only progress slowly over ti, carving the rest into their bones...
No wonder even 5-star acolytes get stuck at the bottleneck when advancing to Level 3 Acolyte!
I’ve been at the tower for so long, but I haven’t heard of acolytes who possess an advanced ditation technique.
Also, the apprentices of other teachers stop progressing for at least a few years after reaching Level 2 acolyte standards.
It seems that even the teachers can’t do anything about this ditation technique issue, so I can give up on that for now!
However, my success rate will definitely be higher than other engineering masters because I have the laboratory.
Therefore, increasing my spiritual strength using this thod is highly feasible!"
However, it seems a little dangerous outside the academy now, so how am I going to find those black markets or small trading groups?
...
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