Chapter 110: Chapter 107: Know Thyself
"You flatter , sir. It was rely an immature attempt."
Allen maintained a humble posture, his mind racing.
The man’s identity, purpose, and power—all of it was a mystery.
"No, it’s not flattery," the Wizard said, shaking his head, his tone even.
"In the face of absolute power, skill is indeed insignificant. But when everyone possesses power, skill becos the key that determines life and death. Your ’little eye’ is more useful than the Reconnaissance Magic of many Official Wizards. It has no obvious Magic Power fluctuations and can evade conventional detection. An excellent approach."
He took two steps forward, and Allen felt an invisible pressure wash over him, making it almost impossible for him to remain standing.
"You’re quite bold, though," the Wizard said with a small smile.
"Spying on a High-tier Wizard on the move in a place like this... if you had run into soone with a worse temper, you’d be a corpse by now."
Allen’s heart gave a heavy thud.
"I was reckless. Please forgive , sir."
"No harm done. I’m just kidding," the Wizard said, waving his hand dismissively.
"I’m just passing through on my way to the Third Ring Belt. It’s a testant to your skill that you were able to spot . A pity I never took on an apprentice as clever as you."
As he finished speaking, his body began to change again.
His golden, vertical pupils grew even more brilliant. His form twisted and stretched as a black carapace erged from his back, covering his skin.
With a powerful leap, he shot toward the sky. A fierce gust of wind kicked up the fallen leaves, and in an instant, he vanished over the horizon.
Only after the suffocating pressure completely dissipated did Allen’s tense body go limp.
No longer able to support himself, he slid down the rough tree trunk to the ground, gasping for breath.
Cold sweat had soaked through his undershirt, which clung to his skin and sent a chill through him.
He had survived.
That brief, minutes-long encounter had been more perilous than any battle he had ever fought.
Back at the academy, he regularly interacted with Official Wizards like Lecia. His own ntor, rcer Iron Star, was even a Morning Star-level Wizard in his true form.
He respected them, seeing them as imparters of knowledge and guides on his path.
But that respect was rooted more in an acknowledgnt of their authority and knowledge than anything else.
This was the first ti he had ever felt a true, visceral fear for the entity known as a "Wizard."
Allen leaned against the tree, closing his eyes and breathing raggedly.
In his previous world, there might have been differences in status and wealth, but on a biological level, everyone was Homo sapiens—the sa species.
A single bullet could end the life of any so-called "big shot."
The idea that all beings are created equal was carved deep into his soul.
This subconscious belief had severely clouded his judgnt of this new world.
He had always viewed High-tier Wizards as he would "professors" or "ntors."
He had subconsciously assud that as long as he followed the rules and remained polite, he would be safe.
He was wrong.
Dead wrong.
In this world, a High-tier Wizard and an apprentice were not even the sa species.
If that Bloodline Wizard had truly wanted to kill him, a single thought would have been enough to reduce him to a pulp.
The only reason he was unhard—and had even received a word of "encouragent"—wasn’t because of anything he had done. It was simply because this was the territory of the Seven Towers Alliance, the orderly domain of the "White Wizards."
More importantly, that Wizard had been in a good mood.
If this had been another place, a chaotic, lawless land, he likely wouldn’t have even had the right to look the man in the eye.
The mont of detection would have been the mont of death.
Allen slowly opened his eyes. The relief of having survived was gone from his deep blue irises, replaced by profound introspection.
His long-held composure and calm were a joke in the face of absolute power.
His DSeek, the precision calculations and tactical planning he prided himself on, would have been aningless in that situation. They would have served no purpose other than to let him understand exactly how he was about to die.
He opened the "Observer’s" log. Rows of red warnings were still glowing.
He didn’t delete them. Instead, he compiled all the data from the encounter and created a new, highest-permission folder within DSeek.
He nad the folder "Know Yourself."
Allen stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes.
He glanced up in the direction the Wizard had vanished and said softly, "Thank you for the ’lesson’."
In the empty woods, only the soft rustling of leaves remained.
Allen turned and walked toward the station, his steps much heavier than before.
The unexpected encounter was a bucket of cold water, a rude awakening that shocked him to his core.
Until he earned the right to speak to those "natural disasters" as an equal, any form of arrogance or conceit was a path to ruin.
Lay low, build up power, and accumulate resources—this was no longer just a developnt strategy. It was now the sole principle by which he would survive.
By the ti he returned to his dorm, the sun had set. Allen didn’t turn on the light. Instead, he walked to the window and silently gazed at the magnificent silhouette of the distant tower.
The oppressive feeling from the Bloodline Wizard’s presence still weighed on his mind, refusing to dissipate.
"Sir, your behavioral patterns are showing an anomaly. Shall I prepare a sedative or initiate a deep ditation session for you?" Ah Fu asked.
"No."
"Just get
a cup of hot water."
He walked to his workbench, sat down, and took out the black "Demon Eye."
It had been a success. So successful, in fact, that it had nearly cost him his life.
This outstanding creation now seed like a Pandora’s box. He had opened it and glimpsed another side of the world—a side far more dangerous than he had ever imagined.
A warm cup was placed in his hand. Allen held it, feeling its faint warmth as he pulled up the Demon Eye’s build cost and began to carefully calculate.
Silent Iron Spherical Shell Cost: 70 Low-Level Magic Stones
Rune Matrix Etching Cost: 56 Low-Level Magic Stones
Multi-Layered Composite Crystal Lens Cost: 60 Low-Level Magic Stones. Machining Fee: 13 Low-Level Magic Stones. Total: 73 Low-Level Magic Stones.
Simple Logic Core Procurent Cost: 50 Low-Level Magic Stones
Energy Core: Standard Middle-Tier Magic Stone: 100 Low-Level Magic Stones
Total: 349 Low-Level Magic Stones
The construction cost of a single "Demon Eye" was comparable to that of a Factory Servant. In truth, the device’s real power wasn’t the eye itself, but DSeek’s analytical algorithms. The combination of the two was what had created a device praised by an Official Wizard.
After the "Nova Cup" was over, he would build two more "Demon Eyes." Since its effectiveness had been proven, he would double down and form a reconnaissance network with a much wider range.
The "Observer" glasses were even cheaper, costing only 121 Low-Level Magic Stones. One pair was more than enough.
’Alright, before bed, I’ll recalibrate the Demon Eye’s Control Core.’
’Demon Eye’ Safe Operation Procedures, Version 1
1. Threat Level Classification: Detected targets will be classified into three levels: ’Green’ (Known Safe), ’Yellow’ (Unknown, Low Energy Signature), and ’Red’ (High Energy Signature, or located in a high-clearance area).
2. Operational Restrictions: All forms of active scanning and tracking are prohibited for ’Red’ level targets. Upon detecting a ’Red’ target, the ’Demon Eye’ will imdiately enter a low-power ’Silent Stealth’ mode or execute a preset ’Safe Return’ route.
3. Geofencing Protocol: Establish a digital map of areas frequented by the academy’s High-tier Wizards. The ’Demon Eye’ is forbidden from entering these zones without an explicit command.
4. Redundancy and Networking: Proceed with the plan to manufacture two additional ’Demon Eyes.’ During deploynt, the three ’Demon Eyes’ will operate in a triangulation formation. By cross-referencing passive signals received by all three devices, it will be possible to generate a rough battlefield overview without emitting any active probes, thus minimizing the risk of exposure.
’Fuck! I really almost pissed myself today.’
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