CH137 - CH138

CH137

Moonlight Forest, Green Cottage, and other wizard organizations were once powerful and didn't originally reside in their current locations.

Information on this is scarce, but according to rumors Helag heard, these organizations were driven here by even more powerful wizard groups.

These stronger organizations occupied resource-rich areas more conducive to cultivation.

Despite the wizard world's strength and numerous conquests of other planes, some planes, like the Abyss Plane, were too formidable even for them.

To summarize, the Abyss Plane symbolizes power and terror.

In the wizard world, many seek quick power by praying to evil gods, offering their souls and flesh in exchange for strength.

These evil gods are powerful beings from the Abyss Plane, each capable of destroying an entire plane.

Helag now understood why his mana flow was sluggish. It's because his power belonged to the wizard world.

Different planes suppress powers not native to them.

Helag wiped the sweat from his forehead. "No wonder even a random stone here is dangerous, and that black creature could chase me down."

The toad looked at him and said, "I don't know why you're here, but you have a familiar aura. That's why I come looking for you each time you appear. Last time, the space was unstable, and I couldn't talk to you."

"Familiar aura?" Helag was puzzled.

"I've only recently awakened and forgotten many things. But your aura feels familiar, like home," the toad explained.

Helag noticed the toad mentioned recently awakening. "Have you been asleep for a long time?"

In his understanding, only powerful beings like evil gods fall into long slumbers, sometimes lasting thousands of years.

The toad reminisced and shook its head. "I don't remember, but it must have been a very long time."

"What's your power level? Are you an evil god?" Helag asked.

"Evil god? You mean those lords? I should be stronger than them. But my power has waned. In your wizard world's terms, I'm about fourth to fifth ring level now," the toad replied.

"Fourth to fifth ring…" Helag was speechless. Describing the power of a fourth to fifth-level formal wizard as "just" and "only" was humbling.

He showed the faint mark on his palm. "Do you know what this is?"

Thinking he couldn't escape anyway, Helag decided to ask the powerful being before him.

The toad glanced at the mark and understood. "Ah, it's a plane coordinate."

"Plane coordinate?" Helag had never heard of such a thing.

The toad explained, "This coordinate is made from a fragment of the wizard world. It accumulates plane energy and, when full, allows travel to the Abyss Plane."

Helag was alarmed. "So, whenever it fills up, I'll automatically come here?"

The toad shook its head. "No, the coordinate belongs to you now. When it's full, you decide whether to activate it. If you want to come here, just use your mind to communicate with it."

Relieved, Helag felt better knowing he had control.

Otherwise, randomly being transported to the Abyss Plane would be too dangerous.

"If I want to return, do I also use my mind to communicate with the coordinate?" Helag asked.

"Yes. The time you can stay here depends on your power. The stronger you are, the longer you can stay," the toad said.

"So, I left quickly last time because I was just a first-level apprentice…" Helag understood.

He then asked, "What was that black creature? It was so powerful."

"Just an ordinary monster with a trace of the Thunder God's ancestor's bloodline, giving it some strength," the toad explained.

"Thunder God's ancestor?"

The toad continued, "An ancestor is the origin of all things. You're not ready to understand them yet."

Helag thought and asked, "Is the black creature you ate still intact? I'd like to study its bloodline."

The toad opened its mouth and spat out a black leg. "This should be useful."

Helag carefully preserved the leg, thinking it could be valuable for his future advancements.

Suddenly, the surrounding space began to ripple with waves.

The toad said, "It's ending. You're about to return."

"Thank you for saving me. What's your name?" Helag asked.

The toad looked troubled, touching its head. "Name… I forgot. Luckily, you've appeared close by both times, so I could reach you. Next time, I might not be so quick. Be careful."

Helag nodded, about to speak when the scene changed, and he was back in his bedroom.

He looked at his palm, the plane coordinate mark still faint.

The black leg was still in his space ring. Helag prepared a simple potion to preserve it, preventing it from rotting.

This experience gave Helag new ideas.

With the ability to reach the Abyss Plane, he needed to maximize this advantage.

The powerful bloodlines in the Abyss Plane could be his greatest asset.

Using Great Dark Heaven, he could absorb these bloodlines to strengthen himself.

Though he couldn't face evil gods or ancestors, he could handle lower-level monsters with their bloodlines.

But this was a future plan. Even after becoming a formal wizard, he wouldn't rush into the Abyss Plane.

It held opportunities but also great dangers.

As a first-level wizard, he might only handle creatures like the black one, not even Shivara.

The toad warned it might not always be there to save him. Helag needed to grow stronger before venturing into the Abyss Plane again.

CH138

Fred's snoring resumed next door; he was sound asleep.

Hearing Fred's snores, Helag pondered another issue.

Luen and his companions had also entered the Abyss Plane, and in a way, Helag felt responsible for Luen's death.

But now, Fred was right next door, and there were other third-level apprentices upstairs, yet they weren't taken to the Abyss Plane.

"Aside from my increased strength, nothing else has changed since last time. Could it be due to the space's stability?"

Helag speculated that his weaker power back then made the space unstable, dragging Luen and his companions in.

He remembered the space having boundaries, a small area where they couldn't leave Moonlight Forest.

This time, he had run far from the black creature without hitting any boundaries, indicating a more stable space that didn't pull others in.

These were just Helag's guesses; he'd have to ask the toad next time for clarity.

No one else seemed to notice anything unusual, and everything was normal.

After that night, life settled into a routine of guarding the station.

Moonlight Forest was very safe with the protective barrier, and Helag and the others were often bored.

Helag spent most of his time studying the Great Dark Heaven spell model, understanding its principles and structures.

***

Six months later.

[Helag Merlin: 

Strength 9.7,

Agility 9.3,

Constitution 12.1,

Spirit 24.3,

Mana 100%.]

[Reached genetic limit, cannot improve further.]

In Helag's mind, fifteen stars shone brightly. The second array had five points lit, with ten remaining.

After completing the meditation for the final star, Helag's spirit reached 24.3, far exceeding the minimum requirement for advancing to a formal wizard.

His physical stats had also maxed out.

Since finishing the Moonlight Forest guard mission, Helag hadn't been assigned any other tasks.

The conflict between Moonlight Forest and Green Cottage had completely ceased, with no large-scale battles.

There were no more formal wizard-level conflicts, though apprentice skirmishes still occurred.

Helag took a few days to get into peak condition, then brought the Ancient Potion and Amanda Potion to Larry's house.

He wanted to advance there, with Larry overseeing to prevent any mishaps.

The northern forest cabin didn't feel safe enough.

"You're here?" Larry greeted him and led him to the eighth floor.

The eighth floor was spacious and tidy, not a bit cluttered.

Larry pulled out a set of golden keys and opened a heavy door, using some effort to push it open.

"This is my meditation room. The walls and door are made of special materials. You can safely advance here," Larry said.

"Thank you, teacher!" Helag took a deep breath, feeling a bit nervous now that the moment had arrived.

Larry patted his shoulder. "You'll be fine. You're only seventeen, and your spirit is strong. Just follow my instructions, stay calm, and believe in yourself."

Helag nodded, took the Ancient Potion and Amanda Potion, and entered the meditation room.

The door closed slowly behind him, shutting out all external noise.

The room was empty, with no furniture, just a bare space.

Helag took out the Ancient Potion and instructed Deep Blue, "Deep Blue, monitor my body status constantly."

[Task registered and executing.]

A 3D model of Helag's body appeared in his vision, with various parameters showing his status clearly.

To advance to a formal wizard, one must first drink the Ancient Potion, and then push past their limits. After breaking through, they must quickly construct a first-level spell model and solidify it as their innate spell, stabilizing their spirit to complete the advancement.

If they can't break through, they need the Amanda Potion, which burns lifespan to stimulate potential and help surpass limits.

This is why advancing before eighteen is crucial; older wizards might not have enough lifespan to burn, risking death without breaking through.

At seventeen, Helag could only safely take three Amanda Potions. Any more, and he'd die from lifespan depletion.

Helag uncorked the Ancient Potion, smelling a faint fragrance, and drank it in one gulp.

The potion tasted much better than expected, sweet and not harsh, the best he'd ever had.

The lack of harshness indicated the potion's stability, a result of countless generations of wizard refinement.

The potion quickly spread through his body, penetrating every cell.

[Warning! 20% of cells entering a state of degeneration.]

[Warning! 30% of cells entering a state of degeneration.]

[Warning! 40% of cells entering a state of degeneration.]

As the potion took effect, Deep Blue issued constant warnings.

Helag monitored his status, noting that half his cells were degenerating without signs of breaking through.

He didn't hesitate and drank an Amanda Potion.

[Cells are accelerating division, and division count is decreasing,] Deep Blue reported.

Helag knew this meant his lifespan was shortening as cells divided faster.

[Warning! 20% of cells entering an unknown state. Use mana to stop forcibly?]

"No, don't stop," Helag instructed.

[Warning! 40% of cells entering an unknown state.]

[Warning! 40% of cells' genetic structure changing, outcome unknown.]

"Not enough, still not enough."

Helag shook his head; the advancement process stalled at 40%. Failure now would make future advancement nearly impossible.

He took another Amanda Potion and drank it down.