Chapter 48: This Kind of Resolve Is Hard to Make

As a new piece of plastic bone formed in the large container, Saul finally had enough of them.

This accidentally discovered plastic bone was highly resistant to heat, water, and acid. After undergoing secondary processing by Saul, it also became more flexible—ordinary sharp tools could no longer cut through it.

Moreover, when continuously electrocuted, the material softened like clay, making it convenient for further shaping.

After sending off his first visitor, Saul returned to his lab bench. The solution in the crucible had mostly evaporated, leaving only a small puddle of thick liquid at the bottom.

It resembled the concentrated sauce left behind after reducing a stew over high heat.

Carefully, Saul used his bone left hand to lift the still-hot crucible and poured the contents into another bottle, sealing it tightly.

With that, his preparations were nearly complete.

Tonight, or perhaps tomorrow, he would begin the final step—the Wizard Body Modification!

Saul leaned back lazily in his chair, staring at the jars and bottles on his desk in a daze.

He had a strange feeling that after the modification, he would no longer be himself.

But if he didn’t modify his body, he would never be able to take control of his fate.

Glancing at the hourglass clock on the wall, it was only four in the afternoon.

Three more hours to go...

Saul turned his gaze to the candle on the teleportation platform.

The flame flickered dimly.

Today’s work was done.

"Should I deliver that second-level apprentice’s brain to Kongsha?"

The second-level apprentice corpse from Peggy’s incident was still in Saul’s possession, but he had yet to hand it over to Kongsha.

Despite studying it for a long time, he couldn’t figure out how Kongsha intended to use it.

With Saul’s current knowledge, a brain wasn’t considered a particularly valuable material for wizardry—it was too easy for hidden dangers to lurk inside.

"Forget it. That second-level apprentice already gave me plenty of surprises. His head can go to Kongsha in exchange for something more useful."

Saul walked over to the cabinet, took out a box, and carefully wrapped it in the yellowish leather Kongsha had given him.

That piece of leather had been used against an evil spirit last time—fortunately, it wasn’t damaged. However, it still carried a lingering stench. Despite Saul’s best efforts, he could only reduce it to a tolerable level.

As for that mask… Saul had set it aside for now.

After wrapping the box securely, he walked to the door.

Just as his hand touched the crimson door handle, he suddenly stopped.

Raising his hand—

"Smack!"

He slapped himself hard across the face.

"Damn it, you’ve come this far, and you’re still hesitating?"

Saul didn’t hold back—his right cheek immediately swelled up.

But the pain snapped him back to reality.

He placed the yellow leather-wrapped box back in the cabinet and returned to the experiment table.

"The sooner I complete the modification, the sooner I break free from my predicament. Hesitation and failure both mean death! No more waiting. The experiment starts now!"

The fact that Saul had been so distracted all day proved how anxious he was.

Even Keli had noticed how tense he was.

His subconscious fear of failure had made him instinctively avoid starting the experiment.

It wasn’t until he reached the door that he slapped himself, using pain to force himself to remember how many times he had come close to death.

"Sid is still watching me like a hawk. Kongsha is no kind soul. The mentor’s test isn’t far off either. Do I have time to waste?"

Taking a deep breath, Saul decisively opened a bottle and removed all the plastic bones, placing them in a large tray for electrocution.

The device he used was a repurposed zero-tier weapon inscribed with a "Vibrating Shock" rune. After purchasing it, Saul dismantled the unnecessary parts and modified it into an experimental tool.

As the electricity surged through the pile of plastic bones, they began to soften and collapse.

It would still take some time before they were fully usable.

Saul then opened other bottles and started preparing a fusion liquid.

This fusion liquid evaporated quickly, losing its effectiveness over time, so he had to prepare it on the spot.

Fortunately, he had practiced this process many times before, and there were no mistakes this time.

Everything else was ready.

Keeping an eye on the softening plastic bones, Saul removed his shirt and casually tossed it over the back of the chair.

Then, he raised his left arm, which had already become skeletal up to the wrist.

The plastic bones had fully softened, so Saul quickly poured them into the fusion liquid.

He watched as the mixture further softened and shrank the bones, turning them into something resembling cement.

Next, he picked up several bottles from the table and downed their contents, even consuming a small drop of the potion Kongsha had given him to accelerate the absorption of elemental particles.

Finally, Saul reached into the fusion liquid and scooped up a handful of softened plastic bones, smearing them onto his skeletal left hand.

The fusion liquid burned away part of his skin, and blood mixed into the once-clear substance, turning it a dark red.

Saul gritted his teeth against the pain.

But his own flesh and blood were essential for the modification, so he had no choice but to endure.

As more and more plastic bone was applied to his left hand, the once-numb limb began to feel pain again.

Pain was better than numbness.

Saul kept an eye on the Hardcover Book.

The fact that it remained silent was the best reassurance.

At last, all the plastic bones had been applied. His right hand was now covered in wounds and dripping with blood.

But he didn’t stop. Using his injured right hand, he began shaping the softened plastic bones.

This process was like molding clay or sculpting pottery—except the material was far more unusual.

With the internal bone as support, a hand slowly took shape.

To make it look better, Saul had practiced playing with clay in his spare time.

The new hand was slightly larger than his right hand, but it would look more natural once he grew older.

Once the connection between the new hand and his arm was secured, Saul plunged the entire forearm into a large jar filled with solution.

"Sizzle!"

White smoke rose as the solution reacted violently.

The scent of roasting meat filled the air, but it didn’t trigger any appetite—

Because the pain was unbearable.

Just resisting the urge to pull his hand out took all of Saul’s willpower.

To distract himself, he started thinking about random things.

"If modifying just one hand hurts this much, what kind of horrors did Kongsha go through? And Senior Monica—does she truly feel nothing from the constant electricity coursing through her body?"

"And that Big Pink I only saw once… does he even have skin? Or is he just wrapped in bandages like some horror story character?"

The hourglass chimed.

Saul yanked his arm out—too forcefully, causing himself to fall backward onto the ground.

His back slammed against the floor as he curled up, clutching his left arm, rolling in pain.

Only after a long time did the pain begin to subside.

Drenched in sweat, Saul slowly sat up, leaving a trail of water stains on the floor.

Supporting himself with his right hand, he grabbed the edge of the experiment table and pulled himself up bit by bit.

His head pounded from the extreme pain.

It felt as if the agony from his left hand was spreading throughout his body. Every inch of him felt uncomfortable.

He even had the illusion that he was on the verge of death.

But the Hardcover Book remained quiet, reminding him that he was still alive.

With shaking hands, Saul reached for the final potion.

A heart—extracted from the second-level apprentice once possessed by an evil spirit.

A heart that, despite being inside a dead body, still pulsed with life.

Saul examined the heart and found it to be non-toxic; in fact, it still contained remnants of a magical potion, which was what kept the heart alive.

Saul deduced that the second-level apprentice, after being severely injured, had taken some kind of life-saving magical potion and managed to return to the wizard's tower. However, he was unaware that he had been possessed by an evil spirit, and in the end, he still died, bringing the evil spirit back to the wizard's tower with him.

Of course, there was an even more sinister thought.

The second-level apprentice returned alive, but was then taken out by Peggy, who was looking to scavenge materials.

Now, everything had fallen into Saul's lap.

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