Chapter 78 - 77 “Absent-Minded ll and I l l Want to Try” (Seeking to Continue Reading)
“What’s the matter with you? You seem distracted.”
Morton frowned at his disciple standing behind him and spoke with a tone of displeasure.
“I’m sorry, Mentor.”
Milton Cheney quickly apologized.
Seeing this, Morton paused whatever he was doing.
Today was Milton’s first time assisting him with some minor experiments, but he noticed Milton seemed somewhat distracted.
“Is it because of the Mystic Realm?”
Morton stopped his work and inquired, his gaze squarely on Milton.
“Ah, Mentor, how did you know?”
Milton looked startled — as if his secret had been revealed.
Of course, he was merely pretending. His true objective was simple.
As expected, the very next moment, Morton spoke again. “I learned from Theodore that you have been inquiring about the Mystic Realm lately. Do you wish to visit it this year?”
Milton had intentionally asked Theodore to help him inquire about the Mystic Realm. His apparent distraction was, in truth, a ploy – a means to discern Morton’s thoughts on the matter.
After all, Milton already knew the specifics about the Mystic Realm through simulation, so there was no need for him to enlist Theodore’s help.
The purpose of his actions was to prompt Morton to speak about the Mystic Realm.
Bringing up the subject himself would be too conspicuous.
“Can you explain why you want to go to the Mystic Realm? Frankly speaking, I don’t think it will be of much use to you. Furthermore, the Mystic Realm isn’t quite as extraordinary as you might think.”
Morton spoke bluntly, not wanting his disciple to be led astray by rumors and hearsay.
As a scholar of their school, he knew better than anyone what the Mystic Realm really was.
Certainly, it wasn’t as exceptional as others claimed it to be.
So for him, there were only two words to describe his attitude towards the Mystic Realm: disdain.
“I’m sorry, Mentor, I was distracted earlier.”
“Mentor, I refuse to remain just a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice. I heard that the Mystic Realm can speed up the cultivation process of meditation, and I want to give it a try!”
Milton voiced his desire firmly, his words echoing with the desire and dissatisfaction within him.
He was, of course, pretending – even those words were false.
He wanted to enter the Mystic Realm not for the slightly better meditation speed it offered.
At this point, Milton wasn’t speaking a word of truth.
However, seeing the resolve in Milton, Morton was persuaded to believe his disciple’s words.
Everybody harbors a desire to become stronger.
No one, upon becoming a Wizard Apprentice, would pass on the chance to journey further on the path of the Wizard.
Everybody wants to become more powerful.
This desire to grow stronger is endless.
As you grow stronger, you want to become even more powerful, and when you become more powerful, the desire to strengthen yourself further still never leaves you.
Morton believed his disciple was no exception.
Although his disciple was elevated to a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice by another wizard, his desire to progress further was natural.
Clearly, he now pinned his hopes on the school’s Mystic Realm.
However, a Level 5 qualification is simply too low. If Milton possessed a Level 4 qualification, Morton wouldn’t have him abandon his exploration of the Wizard Path.
But with a Level 5 qualification, the possibility of progressing beyond a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice is incredibly slim.
Unless he has the assistance of a wizard – and not just a mundane Level 1 Wizard. He would need the help of a Level 2 Wizard.
A task that only a Level 2 Wizard was capable of – what good would a common Mystic Realm do?
But Morton realized that his disciple appeared to be trapped in some kind of fixation.
If he didn’t allow his disciple to try it out for himself, he might remain distracted indefinitely.
Milton’s obstinate attitude left Morton feeling helpless.
Of course, what Morton didn’t realize was that all his worries were unnecessary. Even Milton’s vigorous ‘I want to try’ was nothing more than a lie.
“Your aspiration to grow stronger is commendable, but I must tell you, the effects of the Mystic Realm will not be as great as you imagine.”
Morton spoke.
As he relayed his concerns, Morton gazed at Milton. His tone was serious, devoid of any trace of humor.
Upon hearing these words, Milton sighed inwardly, believing that his chance had gone.
Just as he was preparing to nod in agreement, Morton began to speak again: “I will allow you to try this once. But I hope you dedicate yourself wholly to our experiments after your journey to the Mystic Realm.” Milton was taken aback, a spark of joy igniting in his heart.
Did he actually succeed?
Milton had initially planned for another attempt. He, however, had not expected Morton to actually allow him a ‘try’ in such a short time span.
In truth, Morton’s decision came after considerable deliberation.
Milton seemed to be utterly brainwashed about the Mystic Realm. His heart was consumed with the thought of significant progress through visiting the Mystic Realm.
But he was not considering the logical fact that if the Mystic Realm was truly as miraculous as it was claimed, there would certainly be more than just ten Level 3 Wizard Apprentices in the school, even after hundreds of years.
Morton decided to let his disciple ‘bump into the southern wall’ with this trip.
He was well aware that Milton would not make any progress during this Mystic Journey.
“Thank you, Mentor. I will not fail your expectations. But what about Senior Brother?”
Milton reciprocated immediately, not being able to contain his excitement.
This genuine looking emotional response was, at least, perceived as such by Morton.
“Forget it. Don’t be too disappointed this time. I will talk to your Senior Brother. He’s actually not very interested in the Mystic Realm. He’s focused on the school’s missions. Actually, he would be quite happy if he doesn’t need to go to the Mystic Realm.”
Seeing the sudden revival of Milton’s enthusiasm, Morton waved his hand in resignation.
Hopefully, you can still be so spirited when you return from the Mystic Realm.
Morton was uncertain whether his decision to allow his disciple to visit the Mystic Realm was right or wrong.
If Milton realized that the effects of the Mystic Realm were not as significant as he imagined and then couldn’t bear the disappointment, it would be detrimental to him.
The next moment, Morton turned his attention back to the experiment table.
Since Milton had regained his spirit, the experiment could continue.
With an uninterrupted flow of actions, Morton continued the experiment of superimposing magic symbols while Milton was responsible for the recording on the side.
Morton imprinted magic symbols onto a piece of fluorite with a fine engraving pen. Upon finishing one imprint, he continued by superimposing another one. However, upon engraving the third symbol, the fluorite shattered into powder.
“Record it!”
“Yes, mentor, I’ve recorded it.”
He picked up another piece of fluorite, but it exploded during the engraving of the third symbol, just like before.
“Record it!”
“Mentor, I’ve recorded it.”
Time passed. It felt as if time in the laboratory passed somewhat faster than outside.
Morton picked up the forty-second piece of fluorite, his movements showing no signs of stopping.
Yet, this time he successfully imprinted a third magic symbol on the fluorite.
The three magic symbols were superimposed on the fluorite, shining brightly.
“Record it!”
“Yes, mentor, I’ve recorded it!”