Chapter 308 - 301: One’s Own Path
Chapter 308: Chapter 301: One’s Own Path
Allen’s breath hitched, but he quickly regained his composure.
He met Mercer’s crystalline, deep blue eyes, which seemed to pierce right through to the soul. He bowed slightly and kept his words brief and to the point.
"I have come for two reasons: first, to ask about the first Core Witchcraft for a Second-level Wizard, and second, to seek guidance on the path of a Second-level Wizard."
Mercer showed no surprise, as if he had already anticipated the purpose of Allen’s visit.
"The first Core Witchcraft is called ’Fortress Workshop Deployment.’"
He stated the name of the Witchcraft directly, just as Victor had said.
"Victor probably mentioned a few things to you."
"But what he knows is merely superficial."
Allen stood silently, listening intently.
"Most people think a half-plane is just a huge space where you can move your workshop. They believe you can then summon the Golems from inside by opening a Space Gate. But if it were just about storing things, you could simply buy a large enough Spatial Artifact. Why go to all the trouble of finding a half-plane fragment?
"The essence of ’Fortress Workshop Deployment’ is, in fact, ’Conceptual Fusion’ and ’Material Displacement.’"
An irregularly shaped, translucent, glass-like simulation of space slowly descended in front of them, superimposing itself over a model of the workshop.
"You assimilate the half-plane’s spatial barrier with the workshop’s outer armor and replace the plane’s earth vein network with the Magic Furnace’s Energy Circuits. Your workshop walls become the plane’s boundary; your Golem production line becomes the operational Law of this space."
"Once the fusion is complete, it will no longer be a building attached to the Material Realm. Instead, it becomes an independent ’mechanical dimension,’ with you as its anchor."
As Mercer explained, the virtual workshop before them transformed dramatically. The metal walls rippled with spatial energy, and the entire structure seemed to turn into a mechanical Rubik’s Cube, suspended in the void and tumbling freely.
"The size, shape, and internal space of this mechanical dimension can all be altered."
Mercer’s explanation grew more detailed. "Therefore, you must completely forge it together with your workshop and your soul’s imprint into a trinity. Once you do, your very existence will become the workshop’s ’projection’ in another dimension."
Mercer looked at Allen. "Wherever you go, so too goes your armory. When your physical body is attacked, the damage will be redirected first to the workshop’s shields and physical armor."
Allen’s pupils contracted.
This was on a whole other level than the "movable asset" Victor had described.
’It sounds like I’ll have my very own portable, mechanical Divine Kingdom!’
"This Witchcraft, along with all the knowledge of space, dimensions, and soul-forging that it entails..." Mercer lowered his hand and calmly stated a price.
"Price: fifty thousand Mid-Level Magic Stones."
’Fifty thousand... that doesn’t sound too expensive...’
’Wait a minute, that’s not right!’
’Fifty thousand Mid-Level Magic Stones... that’s five million Low-Level Magic Stones.’
’Back when I was a First-level Wizard, learning a Core Witchcraft like the Cluster Link Technique only cost me eight thousand Low-Level Magic Stones.’
Allen’s eye twitched.
"Mentor, if I recall correctly, a Level 1 Core Witchcraft only costs eight thousand Magic Stones."
"The value of knowledge increases exponentially with its power level."
Mercer remained expressionless. "If you think it’s too expensive, you’re free to deduce it yourself. It might take you three hundred years."
Allen shut his mouth.
’Five million Magic Stones... it sounds like daylight robbery.’
’But on second thought, this Witchcraft contains top-tier knowledge touching upon the Laws of space and planes.’
’Compared to the blueprints for the Earth Vein Magic Furnace, which cost two million Magic Stones, this was practically a fire sale.’
"I’ll take it," Allen said, paying on the spot without a second thought.
"DING. Deduction successful."
Allen’s heart bled as he watched the balance in his account instantly plummet.
A crystal chip shimmering with silver and deep blue light materialized at Mercer’s fingertip. He tossed it to Allen.
Allen caught it and carefully stored it in his spatial ring. He looked up and asked tentatively, "Mentor, about that half-plane fragment... since I’ve already bought the Witchcraft, could I get a discount on the fragment?"
"A twenty-percent discount is the absolute limit," Mercer said, mercilessly shattering his hopes. "Knowledge has its price. I’ve already set aside the two largest fragments for you students, and that’s the best I can do. If you don’t have the money, go back to mining."
"Understood," Allen nodded dejectedly.
Mercer watched Allen store the chip, remaining silent for a moment.
"Allen," Mercer said suddenly.
"Yes."
"This is the last Witchcraft I will teach you."
Allen’s head snapped up, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. He thought he must have misheard. "Mentor? What do you mean...?"
"Exactly what I said."
Mercer turned back to the window, his gaze falling upon the Giant Divine Soldier outside. "’Fortress Workshop Deployment’ is the cornerstone of the Golem Wizard discipline. Master it, and you will have passed the test. In other words, you will have completed your apprenticeship."
"But what about the subsequent Core Witchcraft...?"
"Research them yourself. Deduce them yourself. Inscribe them yourself," Mercer cut him off, his tone firm and decisive. "This is what a Second-level Wizard must do. This is the path I took, and the path every other Wizard has taken."
Allen stood frozen in place.
Ever since he was an apprentice, he had grown accustomed to a simple process: as long as his Spiritual Power met the requirements and he had enough Magic Stones, he could buy perfected, ready-to-use Witchcraft from his mentor.
He had been like a sponge, frantically absorbing the accumulated wisdom of those who came before him.
Now, that supply line had been abruptly cut off.
"Why?" Allen asked.
"Because from Level 2 onward, there are no standard answers."
Mercer turned, his deep blue eyes locking onto Allen’s. "The apprentice stage is for laying a foundation. A First-level Wizard learns how to use tools. A Second-level Wizard, however, must create their own."
Mercer extended a hand, pointing to the Giant Divine Soldier outside.
"Look at it. Ten thousand meters tall, weighing hundreds of millions of tons. That is my path. I specialize in creating colossal War Golems."
Mercer’s voice was tinged with an overbearing confidence. "My philosophy is simple: bigger is better, and more is good. As long as the mass is immense and the firepower is dense enough, I can crush any flashy, convoluted rules."
He stared at Allen. "Therefore, every Core Witchcraft I’ve developed since reaching Level 2 has been in service of ’gigantification’ and ’overloaded firepower.’ Do you think my philosophy is correct?"
The question came out of nowhere.
Allen followed Mercer’s gesture, his gaze resting on the mountain-like metal behemoth.
’It was awe-inspiring. Invincible.’
But he couldn’t stop other images from surfacing in his mind: the Giant Divine Soldier being struck by the Abyssal Calamity Beast’s pillar of black light, its armor corroding and twisting; the horrifying data showing that repairing it would consume a century’s worth of an entire warzone’s production.
"Speak your mind," Mercer said, seeing through his hesitation.
Allen took a deep breath, lifted his head, and answered earnestly, "Mentor, I believe your philosophy has its merits. In the face of absolute power, any technique seems feeble. But..."
He paused, gathering his thoughts.
"I believe... it is not entirely correct."
The air in the grand hall seemed to freeze solid in an instant.
If any other apprentice had dared to speak to Mercer that way, they would likely have been tossed into a volcano as fuel by now.
But Mercer didn’t erupt.
On his perpetually stoic, ice-like face, the corner of his mouth twitched—an incredibly rare sight.
It was a stiff, yet undeniably genuine, smile.
"See?" Mercer retracted his hand. "This is a difference in philosophy. It’s also why I can teach you no more."
He walked up to Allen, his presence radiating an immense pressure.
"If I kept stuffing my Witchcraft into you, you’d only end up as a lesser version of ’Mercer Iron Star.’ Since your perspective differs from mine, why should you continue to walk my path?"
"A Wizard’s evolution is exclusionary."
Mercer’s voice echoed in the vast hall. "Another’s truth can be your poison."
Allen’s heart began to pound violently.
He suddenly understood his mentor’s difficult but well-meaning intentions.
All this time, he had been racing down the track Mercer had laid out for him.
With DSeek’s help, he ran faster than anyone, but he had overlooked a fatal problem: the end of the track was Mercer’s destination, not his own.
"There’s no need to follow the path of your predecessors any longer, Allen."
Mercer turned, leaving Allen with only the sight of his back. "You have reached the end of the road. What lies ahead is your own wilderness to tame."
’No one walks before me now.’
Those five words suddenly appeared in Allen’s mind.
’There would be no more ready-made Witchcraft.’
’No more optimized matrices, no more pre-packaged knowledge.’
’The second, the third, and all subsequent Core Witchcraft would have to be defined and created by him alone.’
An unprecedented feeling of loneliness washed over him, but it was immediately followed by a thrill and excitement that erupted like a volcano.
’All this time, he had just been a follower, an imitator.’
’But now, he was finally going to become a true trailblazer.’