Chapter 66 - Has No One Yet Discovered?

Cylin stood in the corridor, her delicate features contorted as she pinched her nose, a pristine shield of purity seemingly encasing her."Could you not cleanse it before having them deliver it over?" she chided, clearly disapproving of Adam's conduct.To Cylin, Antony was everything; her disdain for anything adverse to him extended even to the Reflection Tower. Though merely a structure, she abhorred every stain that might sully its sanctity, devoting nearly all her time to its immaculate upkeep."Alas, I have no choice—the provider of this shipment is in haste." Adam conceded, convinced that under normal circumstances Dorg would have, in line with his usual habits, tidied these animals. Yet, given Dorg's current predicament, his urgency was unmistakable.This was fortuitous, for it signaled augmented support from him; yet it was also dire, for the tightening of time would no doubt compel Dorg to scrutinize the matter even more closely.Adam quietly recalibrated his plan regarding Dorg, and under Cylin's guidance, ascended to the fifth level—a former breeding ground. This area provided numerous ingredients for spellcraft: from blood, bones, and hides to even excrement.Within this space resided not only animals but a myriad of plants as well; in one secluded corner, Adam beheld a cluster of nocturnal blossoms."Though your master has granted you access to the fifth level, I advise you not to frequent this place alone. Many of the flora and fauna here harbor hidden perils," Cylin cautioned as she led the way.Despite its function as a breeding ground, the odors here were surprisingly subdued, a testament to Cylin's diligent ministrations."Clean it on your own," she instructed upon reaching a secluded nook, gesturing toward a cluster of animals. "The water bucket and source lie yonder."With that, she promptly departed, occasionally brushing herself off as if to ward away any residual stench.Frowning at the congregation of creatures, Adam unfurled his grimoire. Channeling his mental might, he activated the embedded spell models, and a dustless shield enveloped him—a shield not provided by Antony but one he had personally augmented.Although both shields served the same purpose, their potency varied with the caster. Antony's version, though operating on a different mental frequency from Adam's and thus halved in potency, would still likely surpass what Adam could conjure unaided.At present, the pages of his grimoire overflowed with diverse incantations; his reservoirs of spirit and elemental models abounded, and with abundant materials at the Reflection Tower, Adam's fundamentals grew ever more robust.Clutching the water bucket within his dustless shield, Adam set about cleansing the animals. Many bore fresh wounds—likely the result of snare-like traps.Among the varied beasts, he even espied several wolves. With diligent labor—wiping stains, inspecting their conditions, bandaging wounds, categorizing, and feeding—by midday his toils were nearly complete.Adam mused that henceforth he must innovate a formidable purification spell emerging from the dustless shield.After closing his grimoire, he surveyed the amassed grime and extracted a small pouch, deftly sprinkling a pinch of powder. Enveloped by his mental force, it coalesced into a spell model, and with the impact of a fireball, the damp filth was instantaneously vaporized and thoroughly incinerated."I estimate it took about six seconds," Adam observed, not accounting for the material retrieval but solely the period from channeling his spirit to the fireball's formation."I have indeed no particular aptitude for elemental arts," he murmured, for the standard casting time for a fireball was three seconds.His meditation had attuned his spirit toward the realms of life and soul, thereby imparting a delay when channeling elemental forces; coupled with his own unfamiliarity with the spell, the casting time was thus protracted to six seconds."If further practice might reduce that time to standard, it seems of little consequence," he reflected.His innate talent in elemental spellcraft was, at best, ordinary. Functionality in dire moments sufficed; there was little merit in striving to surpass naturally adept casters.Though Adam possessed exceptional promise in both arcanist and knightly vocations—thanks to his intrinsic aptitude—such talents were subdivided. Balancing dual professions already left him thoroughly occupied, with no need to master every subsidiary branch therein.Having purified the experimental animals, Adam selected a goat. While his current procedure for life modification remained nascent, experiential accumulation had now become imperative.Yesterday, he had inquired of Antony about relocating the experimental fauna to the Reflection Tower and establishing a dedicated testing area. Antony, not one to refuse, promptly granted him access to both the fifth and seventh levels, while also promising auxiliary support.In recent days, Adam's studies had progressed steadily, with remaining knowledge to be self-acquired through literature. Among certain arcanists, achieving a knowledge level akin to his would suffice for formal apprenticeship.Certainly, the discipline of the arcanist did not rest solely on such basics; other doctrines were either too obscure or excessively esoteric, learnable only through personal exploration. Moreover, as for the more abstruse knowledge, even Antony's elucidations might surpass Adam's current comprehension—his cultivation not yet having matured sufficiently to glean benefit therefrom.With the goat now transported to the seventh level, within one of Antony's spellcraft laboratories, a familiar scene unfolded."Shall we commence?" Antony inquired after Adam secured the goat.Encouraging innovation in Adam's spellcraft, Antony recalled well how numerous calamities had arisen from the reckless experiments of fellow arcanists. A former cultivator himself, Antony was acutely aware of the potential havoc wrought by such 'innovations.' Yet, rather than intervene, he chose to foster creativity—albeit with stern admonitions."Every experiment must treat its subject with due respect; no pursuit of research objectives should ever justify cruelty or torment," he cautioned."Every experiment must incorporate safety measures, ensuring that, before and after, it inflicts no irrevocable harm upon its surroundings.""Every experimental outcome must be rigorously tested, its consequences and side effects fully elucidated before its formal application is considered."Antony, having learned from past mistakes—most notably, the tragic debacle of Alva's elixir of immortality, which, under the oppressive scrutiny of the Church, was conducted in an unregulated manner—was determined to forestall such disasters by guiding Adam's innovations towards sound protocols.Adam nodded in silent agreement, well aware of the basic standards from his previous life amid experimental institutions; some measures were self-evident.Thus, as was customary, he initiated with three spells: the dustless shield to sanitize the surgical area, a paralyzing curse to numb the goat's corporeal sensations, and an invisible blade to incise a minor incision. He then channeled his spirit to survey the goat's internal life-force patterns.Subsequently, he commenced the preliminary procedure—severing the conduits responsible for reproductive vitality.Unlike the doe, the buck engaged in reproduction year-round without any marked seasonal variance, suggesting that significant life-force was continually expended in maintaining its fertility.By excising these conduits, the buck might thereby conserve an abundance of life-force."Next, we observe whether this intervention fortifies certain organ functions, bolsters its innate sturdiness, or perhaps merely escalates its life-force consumption," Adam noted.Though the surgery could only excise at this juncture, varied responses to the removal of distinct life-force channels were invaluable data for refining life-modification procedures.Adam was convinced that once further procedures were devised—and with the experience thus gathered—his life-modification technique would swiftly reach fruition.