Chapter 36: Driving the Golden Finger Crazy
Hearing Saul’s words, Keli rested her chin on both hands and muttered, “There’s nothing interesting outside anyway. Wars are breaking out everywhere—if it’s not a conflict between nations, it’s a war between races. Golsa’s Wizard Tower may be dangerous and terrifying, but at least it’s a place where we can focus on learning.”
Saul was still curious about this world—after all, he was a passive shut-in. “Is it still that chaotic out there?”
“Of course! Secular power shifts according to the rise and fall of wizarding forces. Before I came here, I heard that one wizarding faction was completely wiped out by another. The nation they controlled was immediately divided among the surrounding countries and tribes.”
The wizarding world…
Saul wondered whether the world outside the Wizard Tower was just as eerie and terrifying.
“Keli, do you know how people outside view Golsa’s Wizard Tower?” Saul wanted to gauge the tower’s influence.
“The master of this tower is a 2nd Realm Wizard. Generally, 2nd Realm Wizards have influence over several surrounding territories and cities,” Collie explained.
“To ordinary people, this place is full of man-eating demons. But to the nobles in power, it’s a birthplace of rulers. They fear the Wizard Tower yet rely on it at the same time.”
“My father is the Duke of Meadow Heights. He was able to claim the title because my grandfather was a Level Two Wizard Apprentice. That’s why Meadow Heights was passed down to my father instead of my uncle.”
So, Keli was the daughter of a duke—no wonder she had so many magic crystals and treasures when she first entered the tower.
“My father started having children like crazy as soon as he took over as duke. Each child was tested for wizarding talent. If they didn’t have it, he sent them off somewhere to be raised. If they did, like me, he raised them carefully until they were twelve, then sent them to a Wizard Tower.”
So, he was cashing in on the old man’s legacy while trying to ensure future generations would continue to bring him benefits?
Wasn’t he worried that one day, one of his children would turn on him?
“Are there others in your family with wizarding talent?” Saul asked.
Keli nodded and said matter-of-factly, “The children of wizards are more likely to inherit wizarding talent. I have two older brothers who were also sent to different wizarding factions, but their talent isn’t as good as mine. That’s why I was sent so far away. Golsa’s Wizard Tower has quite a reputation, and its entry requirements are stricter than most places.”
She didn’t look particularly proud of her talent. Instead, she pouted and clenched her fists.
“Anyway, I have to become a Level Three Apprentice before I turn thirty! There’s no way I’m going back to be a crutch for those useless nobles!”
Level Three Apprentice…
Saul thought about how even the powerful and eerie Kongsha needed him to steal the brains of Level One and Level Two Apprentices—was she also trying to break through to Level Three?
Even Byron, who seemed incredibly strong, couldn’t reach Level Three before thirty.
“I’ve never even seen a Level Three Apprentice in the tower,” Saul mused.
“Me neither. I heard they’re always traveling or conducting research.”
After marveling at how Level Three Apprentices were even more mysterious than true wizards, the two finally stopped chatting and dove into their studies.
But Saul couldn’t focus.
Sometimes, he felt that with how unlucky he was, he shouldn’t even be worrying about reaching Level Three before thirty—he should just focus on staying alive.
Other times, he reminded himself that as a transmigrator, he had to uphold the legacy of those who came before him. Even if he had to rely on the Hardcover Book, he had to push through.
Then, his mind would wander to his afternoon experiment, constantly reminding himself where he needed to be extra careful.
In the end, he sleepwalked through the morning’s public class.
Leaving the noisy public classroom, Saul followed the spiral downward path.
The number of people around him dwindled.
Keli bid him farewell on the sixth floor.
He kept going.
The candlelight seemed to dim.
He kept going.
A faint stench of decay filled the air.
Saul pushed open the first crimson door and locked himself inside.
“Phew—”
Saul let out a deep breath.
At some point, stepping into the corpse room on the second floor of the East Tower had started to make him feel at ease.
Not because it was safe, but because this was where he was building his foundation for survival.
“I’m not a genius,” he told himself. “If I just follow the regular study schedule like Keli, I’ll never pass the test in two months.”
He glanced at his cabinet, which was filled with experimental tools.
Saul knew that once he started modifying his body, there would be no turning back.
Who knew what he would become?
A horrifying monster like Kongsha? A grotesque figure like Gudo? A suffering experiment like Monica?
But if he didn’t move forward, he would eventually be dragged into the abyss by more powerful enemies.
Saul looked down at his scrawny body and murmured, “Sorry, but I’m about to do something awful to you. Hope you’ve already found a nice place to reincarnate.”
He walked over to his cabinet and pulled out the various materials he had spent the past month preparing in secret. Then, he began his experiment.
The cauldron was lit, and the base liquid poured in.
All sorts of flasks and beakers were meticulously cleaned and arranged within reach.
Saul embarked on his path of self-destruction.
Originally, he wanted to follow Mark’s example and modify his hands.
Especially after obtaining the Phantom Sound Eye, he had seriously considered implanting it into his own eye socket.
But in the end, he decided against it.
Eyes were too fragile and sensitive. Losing his vision would be too great a risk.
Since this was his first experiment, it was better to start with something safer—something he could afford to lose.
Last night, the potion from Kongsha had given him a new idea.
If merely smelling the potion could enhance his meditation, then the nasal cavity must be capable of absorbing its effects.
Expanding on that thought, the skin had pores too.
In his past life, there were medicines applied through the skin—and cases where poison was absorbed that way.
Both methods were worth testing.
In the end, Saul chose the more dangerous option: the nasal cavity.
Not because he liked taking risks.
Okay, maybe he did enjoy it a little.
But mostly, he didn’t have time for multiple experiments.
It made sense to choose the method with the highest success rate and efficiency.
“…Hope this doesn’t turn my nose into a pig snout.”
Saul pulled out his notebook, which contained his summarized process and precautions based on Green’s Sorcerer of Wizard Body Modification.
After reviewing his plan one last time, he officially began mixing his materials.
If the Hardcover Book had thoughts, it would probably be questioning its existence.
It had never issued so many death warnings in such a short time.
Every thirty minutes, sometimes every five seconds, its host would come up with a new way to die.
The boy would pull out bizarre materials and eagerly prepare to toss them into his overburdened cauldron. And even when the book stopped him in time, he would immediately switch to another equally reckless method.
【…You died.】
【…You died!】
【…You died!!!】
【…You died with no corpse left!!!】
Saul: My bad.
Saul: Haha, not changing though~
If the Hardcover Book had known that one day it would be used as a “sensitivity test,” it would have begged its former master to install a restriction—like only issuing three warnings per day.
Not getting ruthlessly exploited by this reckless little brat!
(╯#－皿－)╯～～╧═╧
This is NOT what a golden finger is meant to do!
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