Chapter 81 – Sorry, I Already Learned It
“This… will the Gorsa Wizard even allow you to enter the Wizard Tower?” the butler asked with some concern.
“The Bloodthorn family has lost its only descendant, and I’m not even allowed to visit?” Ralph’s expression darkened at the mention of Gorsa. “Sid’s father could have sold the book to anyone, yet he had to sell it to the Wizard Tower. Gorsa has been a Rank 2 wizard for a long time; his foundation is far beyond mine.”
But blaming a dead man now was pointless.
“No matter what, I need to confirm who has the diary. Anyway, someone who doesn’t know the method won’t be able to read its contents, even if they temporarily have it.” Ralph narrowed his eyes. “Now that I have nothing left to hold me back, and my own grandson was killed by the diary’s owner, my connection to the diary’s death aura has grown deep enough. Once I get it back, I’ll definitely be able to read what’s inside!”
Ralph’s expression twisted between a smile and a grimace. “If I can decipher the diary’s contents, I can become like my ancestors—a Rank 4… a Grand Wizard!”
The butler lowered his head in silence.
His master’s original plan was to let young Sid retrieve the diary first. Since Sid wouldn’t have been able to use it, he would return to the estate to consult the ancient texts, at which point the butler would step in.
But now the plan had changed—Sid was dead, the diary had fallen into someone else’s hands, and his master… would have to act personally.
The butler didn’t understand the true value of the diary, but he knew that his master had spent most of his life pursuing it, even slaughtering his own blood relatives.
It was his master’s lifelong obsession. The butler had no choice but to support him unconditionally.
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Today’s Cognition of All Things class was once again packed with students, including those who had skipped for a long time, either to slack off or to study other subjects on their own.
When Saul appeared in the public lecture again, many people, including senior first-rank apprentices, were secretly observing him.
Previously, when a second-rank senior apprentice had openly threatened Saul, almost no one believed in his future prospects. But now, after ranking first in the recent test and personally receiving an invitation from Luo Kai, the president of the Mutual Aid Society, no one could afford to underestimate him.
Ignoring the intense gazes, Saul kept a neutral expression as he scanned the classroom.
He quickly spotted Keli sitting in the back row and walked toward her with his backpack.
Keli, sitting in the second-to-last row by the aisle, saw Saul approaching and shifted a seat inward.
“How many Zero-Rank spells do you know now?” she whispered before he even sat down.
“More than you,” Saul replied bluntly as he took his seat.
Keli took a critical hit of ten thousand psychological damage, but she couldn’t deny it.
After all, she had only managed to learn three Zero-Rank spells thanks to the coordinate method Saul had taught her.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how powerful that method was. Had she paid too little for it?
But she wasn’t planning to pay extra.
The first Cognition of All Things class passed quickly, with Saul absorbing basic knowledge.
The second period was Meditation Class.
Surprisingly, Monica, the instructor who had only shown up for the very first lesson and never again, appeared in the classroom once more.
She still had the small lizard she used to peel off her charred dead skin, wore a silk dress that accentuated her figure, and walked to the center of the room.
Many students immediately moved from the back to the front.
Opportunities to receive direct instruction from Monica were rare.
Everyone hoped to be lucky enough to receive her personal guidance.
Monica let go of the leash, allowing her little lizard to roam freely, and stood in the center, one hand casually resting on her waist, making her silhouette even more striking.
“It’s been three months. I assume that anyone who’s put even a little effort into meditation has already increased their magic power significantly?”
She scanned the room, where all the students sat on cushions, looking up at her.
“So, has anyone reached 20 joules of magic power?”
Only Keli, expressionless, raised her hand.
“Oh, not bad,” Monica nodded at her. “What about 15 joules?”
A few more students raised their hands.
Saul remained seated quietly. His magic power had only increased by one joule since the last test, now reaching a total of 14.
Monica waited a moment longer, confirming that only a handful had met her standard, then sighed.
“After experiencing the first test, you should have a clearer understanding of the life that awaits you. The Wizard Tower will never push you to study, but if you fall behind, you will face the consequences.”
Saul noticed that all the students’ expressions had grown more serious—even Keli bit her lip slightly.
Had something else happened after Kaz took him away yesterday?
“Although Mentor Anze tested you by the number of spells you’ve mastered, which is a bit strict, only apprentices who grasp a certain number of spells can be useful to the Wizard Tower.”
Monica stepped forward, walking slowly among the students.
Each time she passed by someone, they felt immense pressure.
Like the calm before a storm.
“I want you to understand one thing: the Wizard Tower is not a wizard academy. Gaining knowledge requires an equivalent price. If you cannot perform any work within the tower, if you cannot contribute to it, then in the end—your only value will be as nourishment to repay the tower’s investment in you.”
Hearing this, Saul had a realization.
“The Gorsa Wizard Tower isn’t a school; it’s a company. Our periodic tests aren’t like school exams; they’re more like… performance evaluations?”
At that moment, Monica happened to stop beside Saul and Keli.
She suddenly pointed at Keli. “Since you have the highest magic power here, let me see how you meditate.”
Keli followed her instructions, opened her meditation book, placed the crystal ball in front of her, closed her eyes, and calmed her mind.
Even with Monica watching, she quickly entered a meditative state.
Monica observed for a moment, then nodded and told her to stop.
“What’s your name?”
“Keli, Instructor Monica.”
“Keli's meditation technique is very standard. She can quickly eliminate external distractions and enter deep meditation.”
Monica offered a few words of praise before naturally turning to Saul.
“Now, Saul, try meditating for me as well.” She called his name without hesitation.
“Yes.”
Saul had a good impression of Monica since she had once hinted at his true elemental affinity.
He skillfully began meditating, entering the state as quickly as Keli had.
However, in the next second, Monica suddenly took away his meditation book.
Saul snapped out of his meditation, looking up at her in confusion.
Monica pinched his book between her fingers and waved it playfully in the air, a mischievous smile on her lips.
“Using a crystal ball and meditation book is the most basic form of deep meditation. But often, we need to meditate in urgent situations, where we don’t have the luxury of setting up tools. In those cases, we must rely on our own mental strength to enter a semi-meditative state.”
Monica smiled at Saul. “Saul, try meditating without your book and crystal ball.”
Saul: “Uh…”
Under Monica’s clearly teasing gaze, Saul performed a flawless “one-second semi-meditation.”
His speed and efficiency were so shocking that Monica, who had been expecting him to struggle, twitched slightly.
When Saul returned to normal, Monica no longer smiled—her expression was now complicated.
“Instructor Monica?”
She said nothing and walked back to the center of the classroom. Two arcs of lightning burst out, charring her arm and left cheek.
Yet, her clothes remained intact—clearly enchanted.
“Alright,” she finally spoke, regaining her composure. “Just do it like Saul did. Now, everyone, try meditating.”
The students: “…”
Keli leaned over and whispered quickly, “She’s mad.”
Saul also felt like Instructor Monica seemed a bit upset.
But why?
Was it because he figured it out on his own?
She is jealouss haha
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