Chapter 23: The Replaced Visualization Diagram
Chapter 23: The Replaced Visualization Diagram
All of Saul’s scholarly curiosity instantly vanished. He took Keli’s meditation manual and flipped through it from start to finish, ignoring the dizziness.
The sequence and content were the same—except on page seventeen, where his Human-Monster Walking Diagram had replaced Keli’s Serpent Swarm Diagram.
Keli leaned in to look as well.
“Why is this page different between our copies? Hm…” She barely glanced at Saul’s version before shutting her eyes tightly and turning away. “Ugh, so dizzy… I think I’m going to throw up.”
It took her quite a while before she could open her eyes again. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if tears might overflow at any second.
“This diagram… I think only people with spiritual strength like yours could even use it. Just looking at it for a second made me feel like I was dying.”
Saul withdrew his own book and stared at the creature on that page.
If only people with strong spiritual power could choose this diagram… then maybe, in reverse, only this diagram wouldn’t cause dizziness to someone with higher spiritual strength?
Saul glanced again at the Serpent Swarm Diagram in Keli’s book.
If he hadn’t gotten the Human-Monster Walking Diagram, he probably would’ve chosen that one instead.
A flood of questions poured into Saul’s mind:
Was this page switched on purpose?
Who did it? Could it have been that guy—Syd?
Did he already know Saul would pick this diagram? Did he do something to it?
Would continuing to use this visualization put Saul’s life in danger?
He glanced at his left shoulder.
The hardback book sat quietly, not moving.
Alright—at least it wasn’t life-threatening yet.
All meditation books and study materials had been delivered to Saul’s door by a maid. Could Sid have made the swap during that delivery?
Even though the Human-Monster Walking Diagram had already saved his life twice, Saul didn’t dare use it for meditation anymore—not until he was sure.
“Hey, kid—your name’s Saul, right?” A Level 1 apprentice sitting on Saul’s other side suddenly leaned over.
He looked around seventeen or eighteen, towering over Saul by two whole heads.
“That diagram of yours—where’d you get it?” He’d overheard Saul’s conversation with Keli.
“You’ve seen it before, senior?”
“‘Senior’? Heh, I like that.” The guy grinned. “I saw it once in a book. Level 1 and Level 2 apprentices get different versions of the meditation manual. If I remember correctly, that one’s a Level 2 visualization diagram.”
He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with hunger.
“I’ll give you one credit if you let me make a rubbing of it.”
He actually wanted a copy of this unknown, potentially dangerous diagram?
Saul’s hand instinctively rested on the book’s spine.
He thought about how the diagram had saved him in the lab… and about the maid who had ended up in the corpse-processing chamber.
“I mean, I could. But senior, aren’t you afraid there’s something dangerous in it? After all, it’s meant for Level 2s.”
The apprentice licked his lips again. “That’s none of your concern. Are you selling or not?”
Sell? Of course he would.
After class, the three of them went to the ninth floor of the East Tower, near the library. The senior apprentice got someone to help them make a full rubbing of the diagram.
Saul had him go to the registry office and transfer the one credit to Keli’s account.
The Level 1 apprentice didn’t know about the deal between Saul and Keli—he just gave the two of them a suggestive look.
“Ah, to be young… already spending money on women, huh?”
Keli looked like she was about to explode. She lifted her leg, clearly ready to kick the guy in the jewels, but Saul quickly held her back.
“Has he lost his mind? I’m only twelve!”
“Yeah,” Saul said with a dry smile. “Definitely something wrong with his brain.”
After calming Keli down, Saul headed back to the library to renew Grimm’s Understanding of Sorcerous Body Modification for another day.
He hadn’t managed to finish copying it yesterday due to the unexpected time spent in the corpse chamber. But now that he had income, he didn’t mind paying for an extra day.
After that, Saul returned to his dorm to eat lunch.
This time, the maid delivering his meal wasn’t the same as before—understandable, considering the previous one was now lying in a bloodied box under the workstation.
The new maid looked a bit older. Her hands trembled as she handed him the tray, nearly spilling it.
Her face was pale as paper, and she kept bowing repeatedly as if Saul would kill her on the spot.
Saul kept a cold face and waved her away.
She might’ve been traumatized by the previous maid’s death… or maybe she knew something.
Saul decided to take his meditation manual to see Katz.
Surely Katz didn’t want the assistant he just recruited dying on the job the very next day, right?
Thinking that, Saul glanced at his food tray.
If his books could be tampered with, then what about his food?
True, if they were going to poison him, they would’ve done it already…
But once that seed of doubt was planted, everything felt dangerous.
Staring at the tray, Saul found he had no appetite at all.
“I’m still too weak. I need to buy myself more time. At the very least, I can’t let Sid keep doing whatever he wants.”
Stomach growling, Saul rushed to the corpse chamber on the second floor of the East Tower.
There were no “clients” today—the candle at the conveyor belt glowed dimly, as if ready to go out at any moment.
He walked near the transfer station and listened carefully. He could hear faint rustling from the other side.
In a low voice, he asked, “Senior, no work today?”
There was a thump from the other side. After a pause, the voice came back.
“Don’t you know how to read a lamp? And don’t just talk in a place like this—damn near scared me to death!”
“Uh… sorry.”
Saul realized that if he suddenly heard someone speak in a creepy place like this, he’d probably jump too.
“So… if there’s no work, do we just sit here?”
“What else do you want to do? If you dare wander off and mess up Katz’s schedule, don’t blame me if you’re the next one lying on that belt tomorrow.”
Saul glanced at the dark, stained conveyor belt… and obediently sat back at the table.
The place smelled awful and the mood was even worse—but at least there was a desk and writing tools.
He figured he might as well keep copying Grimm’s Understanding of Sorcerous Body Modification.
When you focus, time passes quickly.
Before he knew it, it was almost seven—and Katz still hadn’t shown up.
“…What now?”
He rubbed his stomach. At twelve, a kid could eat from morning till night. Especially after two days of decent meals, Saul now found himself nearly faint from hunger.
Was he supposed to starve again tomorrow if Katz didn’t show?
Or go beg Kongsha?
No. Saul shook his head.
He didn’t want to be completely under Kongsha’s thumb. If he couldn’t prove his value to her again, she’d definitely force that potential-draining potion on him.
“Still no bodies today?” Katz’s voice suddenly rang from the door.
Saul turned around in surprise and joy.
Katz didn’t look upset by the lack of deliveries.
“Mentor!” Saul hurried over with the meditation manual he’d kept in his lap the whole time.
“Spit it out. I’m in a rush.”
“Mentor,” Saul flipped to the Human-Monster Walking Diagram page. “This is from my meditation book.”
Katz glanced at the visualization and looked intrigued. “An Erosion Diagram? You’re just a Level 1 apprentice, and you’re already daring to use this for meditation?”
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