Chapter 22 Disabling School_1

Me?

Annan sneered.

What a joke.

You might not believe it if I told you, but I don't even know who I am.

However, Annan knew how to answer this question, "I am Tan Juan Geraint, and that's all."

"That's it?"

Salvatore looked at him doubtfully.

"I am nothing other than myself—since my father's abilities couldn't save my life, I naturally have no obligation to continue down the path he arranged for me."

Annan glanced in the direction the militia had left and calmly and steadily replied, "So, aren't you going to invite me in for some breakfast?"

This was the information he had obtained the first time he entered the instance.

The words he told Salvatore were naturally all true as well.

But who says... that the truth can't be misleading?

Upon hearing Annan's words, Salvatore looked at him with some surprise once more.

His faint hostility towards Annan had finally dissipated considerably.

"It seems you have indeed grown up."

He murmured softly and turned to walk towards the manor.

Annan followed closely behind.

The young Mayor's manor was not large—it was only the size of a medium-small villa, and the floor area of one story was probably just over a hundred square meters.

But the interior decorations were quite tasteful. Upon entering the inner room, Annan immediately noticed the glass bottles filled with colorful liquids sitting in a half-open wooden cabinet.

What surprised Annan the most was that white, misty cold air was even emanating from this wooden cabinet.

It was just like wine stored in the cold storage of a wine cabinet.

"Are you interested in this?"

Noticing Annan's gaze, Salvatore hummed proudly with a curve at the corner of his mouth, "This is a pre-transmutation agent I prepared for my teacher. You won't be able to use it."

"Pre-transmutation agent?"

"Yes, you're not a Formal Wizard of the Heath Tower of Black, so my teacher probably didn't teach you about the alchemy school. I don't know if the teacher mentioned to you the reason why... and the reason is the pre-transmutation agent."

Salvatore explained, "The basic technique of our alchemical school is to change the form of curses, to overcome the limit of the 'quantity' that our bodies can accommodate. We use the curses flowing from ourselves as a primer to control more curses in the natural world.

"But the downside is, the alchemical school always needs a process of transformation to continuously borrow from the lesser to support the greater, forming leverage. Once the Cycle is broken, we have to start all over again."

I see, the Cycle is broken.

Annan nodded, indicating understanding.

The alchemical school, it seems, is that kind of profession where once the skill cycle is broken, you would lose a ton in damage output...

Annan didn't quite like this.

"On my own without assistance, I can complete a full Cycle from any starting point within three hours. The teacher's shortest time is thirty-five minutes. If the spell supported by the last curse needs to be used, then it would require a long transformation time, and the consumption of mana would be incredibly large... The significance of the pre-transmutation agent is to allow us to start the Cycle from any node."

The young Mayor sighed, "The teacher didn't bring a pre-transmutation agent with him, so he can't use practical spells with a later curse position, it's very inconvenient. For instance, 'Wide-Area Hostility Detection', 'Group Void Restraint', 'Wide-area Disintegration of Energy', and so on..."

... In fact, if your teacher really could use "Wide-Area Hostility Detection," he might not have died.

Annan remained silent for a while, but still said nothing.

Curious, Salvatore asked, "Speaking of which, what school of spells did the teacher teach you? I might have books here that could teach you a few."

At these words, Annan extended his right hand, which turned blackish-blue within an instant, then returned to its normal color just as quickly.

"Cold Touch... Disabling School. You seem quite adept at it," Salvatore remarked with a sigh, "It seems the teacher can't teach you much. He's not very good with spells of the Disabling School, the most he could teach you is up to the bronze rank."

"...Senior Salvatore, what schools of spells can the teacher use?" Annan asked with a sincere and humble tone, "He has yet to give me a straight answer to this question."

This was still a vaguely true statement.

However, Salvatore also failed to realize anything was amiss.

Seeing Annan's good attitude, he felt much better: "That's normal, you've asked the right person. Other students of the teacher might not know as much as I do."

"Teacher is most adept at the transformation branch of spells. Since he took a forbidden oath when he advanced to the rank of silver, he can't use the spells from the Cripple, Decree, Ruin, and Prophet branches, leaving him only with 'Soul Reaping', 'Transformation', 'Shaping', and 'Idol' branches. Among these, he only has near-gold-level competence in Transformation and Shaping."

"So, he definitely can't teach you much... If you have any questions, you can only learn by reading books."

Having said this, Salvatore sighed, "It's not that the teacher is cold to you, but that he truly can't teach you. After all, what School of magic you have a talent for isn't something that one's personal desires can twist. For an apprentice like you who hasn't been initiated, it's better to learn whatever you can."

Upon hearing this, Annan was taken aback.

Salvatore's words revealed some deeper truths.

It was certain he had heard some rumors about "Tan Juan," which is why he was so cold towards him at the start. He also knew Tan Juan was learning spells under Benjamin, yet he didn't know Tan Juan's School of magic.

But now it seems... as Benjamin's student, he didn't even know if Tan Juan had been initiated?

Could it be that Tan Juan's identity as a Wizard was actually a secret?

Then why would Tan Juan put on his ring before attending the banquet?

If Annan hadn't misunderstood, these Transcendents couldn't exert their extraordinary powers without their cursed carriers.

That is to say, since Tan Juan Geraint chose to wear the ring, it meant he intended to use his Transcendent powers...

If nothing had happened, against whom was he planning to use them?

"Can you tell I haven't been initiated?"

As thoughts raced through his mind, Annan's face revealed no reaction; instead, he smiled warmly: "Didn't you see the silver ring on my hand?"

"I must admit I was startled at first glance. Such a dense curse... you are indeed fortunate your body can bear it."

Looking at Annan, Salvatore spoke bluntly, "But if your intention is to ward off assassins, then I suggest you buy another cursed object to wear - this ring is clearly a woman's design. Do you think I am blind? Or perhaps, did you steal your mother's ring to wear it?"

"You're correct. It is indeed an heirloom."

Annan's smile faded slightly.

At his words, Salvatore paused for a moment.

"...Sorry."

"It's fine, you're being polite."

Annan sincerely replied.

After all, it's not my mother.

The atmosphere turned somewhat stiff, and to break the silence, Salvatore, after a brief pause, suddenly raised his voice: "How long have you been studying spells? How about I oversee your initiation?"

"...You sure you have no problem with that?"

Though Annan didn't know what the ceremony entailed, to maintain his guise as a cold outside but warm inside young deity, he kept a cool demeanor and subtly avoided the first half of the question which could easily give him away.

"As long as you're capable enough, I definitely have no problem! I've initiated juniors before! It's certainly no issue!"

Annoyed and embarrassed, Salvatore hurriedly went into the inner room: "Don't leave just yet, wait here—"

...Damn, now that you've mentioned it, I'm suddenly feeling anxious.

Annan felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

And he realized that while he could deceive the militiamen, as soon as he interacted with someone of an equal status, he immediately found himself unable to agree to anything they said.

Having too little information is indeed a problem... I'll need to find a book to read soon.

At least to catch up on common knowledge.

The reason he took on Tan Juan's identity in the first place was to access more information - as an ordinary person, it would be very difficult to investigate the families and political issues of neighboring or even enemy nations. And with Tan Juan's identity, reading books would be much easier.

If his cover was blown, no big deal, he could just make a run for it.

After all, the identity of Tan Juan Geraint was just a temporary mask Annan was wearing. If the conditions were right, he could become someone else at any time.

Even becoming Annan... was just part of Annan's role-playing.

This was a role-playing segment from a role-playing game—

"Actually, you really don't have to worry, Tan Juan."

Luckily, Salvatore didn't bring out any mysterious devices.

He simply came over with a pot of brewed black tea and two cups, pouring one for Annan: "You've met Priest Louis, haven't you?

"Do you know why such a powerful priest would come to a remote place like Frostwater Harbor, where birds wouldn't even bother to defecate?"

"Why?"

With a stirring curiosity, Annan supported the tea cup and asked in a low voice.