After two days and nights of intense focus on crafting his perfumes, Nidhogg did not neglect his library cleaning duties. With dark circles under his eyes, he finally emerged carrying thirty bottles of his concoction to the trading plaza on the first floor of Blacksword Tower.

"Could you help me consign these thirty bottles of perfume? Price them at one magic stone each," Nidhogg asked a wizard apprentice deeply absorbed in a magic book.

The apprentice, a chubby fellow whose robes couldn't quite hide his bulk, looked up at Nidhogg with surprise. "Perfume? What’s that? I have plenty of floral essences."

"Uh... it’s an elixir that can alter one's natural scent, subtly attracting the opposite sex. It’s a little invention of mine," Nidhogg explained succinctly.

"Oh? Something to attract the opposite sex?" The apprentice seemed intrigued and reached to open a bottle, but Nidhogg quickly stopped him. "There are two kinds of perfume: one for men and one for women. Using the wrong one might cause undesirable effects."

Following Nidhogg's guidance, the apprentice closed his eyes and gently opened a bottle to take a sniff. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he suddenly opened his eyes, looking at Nidhogg with delight.

"What’s this called? It’s amazing! I felt a rush akin to the flutter of a first crush during adolescence—such an enchanting experience!"

"Uh... a name? Let's call it Venus's Charm," Nidhogg said, slightly taken aback by the apprentice's flamboyant description. While he found the scent appealing, it seemed exaggerated.

Perhaps it was because he had never truly been in love?

Nidhogg pondered with a wizard's curiosity.

"Venus's Charm? Haha, great name, great name! But I have a suggestion—why not sell this for two magic stones a bottle?"

The apprentice clearly relished the idea of fetching a higher price for such a rare elixir, which meant greater rewards for him.

"Two magic stones per bottle? Isn’t that too expensive?"

Nidhogg skeptically eyed the apprentice, thinking that spending two magic stones on a non-combat-enhancing perfume seemed excessive.

The apprentice shook his head dismissively. "Those who can buy this wouldn’t mind an extra magic stone. You think the entire academy is filled with newcomers struggling for these stones? Besides, who said I’d sell this to the apprentices?"

"You mean... sell it to the great wizards!"

Nidhogg’s mouth fell open in surprise.

The apprentice saw Nidhogg's wide-eyed reaction and couldn’t help but reflect—how odd that such an unworldly fellow had invented something so extraordinary!

After all, wizards are people too, and those with long lifespans appreciate such fascinating "luxuries."

Using scents to entrap the senses instead of mere illusions—this guy had true talent.

The apprentice looked at Nidhogg with newfound admiration.

Later, Nidhogg, utterly exhausted, returned to his room and collapsed into a deep sleep.

When he woke a full day later, he nibbled on some preserved food and recalled that he had an important class today. A well-regarded wizard would be teaching the basics of soul magic, laying the groundwork for creating soul slaves and symbiotic insects—topics crucial for any wizard’s future endeavors.

Previously, his obsessive research on "Hunter’s Nose Modification and the Scent Spectrum" led him to skip many such opportunities, but with the trial exams looming, Nidhogg knew he had to prepare urgently.

However, attending such lectures required magic stones, and he had used up his last one and a half stones on materials for his perfumes.

Fretting, he tugged at his hair, then decided to check on the sales at Blacksword Tower, hoping the enthusiastic apprentice had sold enough bottles. He desperately needed more stones.

“Oh… my dear inventor of Venus’s Charm, you’ve finally come!” The chubby apprentice whisked towards Nidhogg like a breeze, startling him with his zeal. "What’s the matter? Did the perfumes sell well?"

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"Not just well! I recommended Venus’s Charm to one wizard, and after a single whiff, he was so delighted he bought all thirty bottles!"

The apprentice laughed heartily. "He didn’t even haggle over the price!"

Nidhogg was stunned. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths? It was just a fragrance he had accidentally invented.

"Hehe, so I raised the price a bit, saying it was three magic stones per bottle. The wizard didn’t mind—just tossed me a mid-grade magic stone and didn’t even ask for change!"

The apprentice grinned smugly, eagerly asking, "So, do you have more perfumes? I guarantee a smooth sale! Bring as many as you can, and I’ll sell them all!"

Accepting ninety magic stones from the apprentice, ten as his consignment fee, Nidhogg was both thrilled and hesitant. "I can make more perfumes, but it takes time and effort. And with the nearing trial exam, I plan to focus on improving my skills. I’ll make more when I’m short on stones."

Though disappointed, the apprentice understood the severe demands of the exams and didn’t press further. "Alright… then leave your crystal ball info with me. We’ll keep in touch! I’m Digen, but you can call me Fatty."

“Sure.”

Shortly after, Nidhogg discreetly left Blacksword Tower.

As a wizard now holding a small fortune of ninety magic stones, he felt uneasy, fearing the envy of others might lead to his being cursed. Previously, with nothing to his name, he wasn’t a target, but now…

“Sorting out the symbiotic insect issue needs to be a priority! Luckily, I’ve prepared some decent samples.”

Nidhogg jogged to the lecture hall and paid for the class with his magic stones, finally able to attend the session.

The instructor, a wizard with a voice resonating like machinery, wore a large robe, from under which two black misty eyes drifted, adding an eerie, mysterious element that blurred the lines of the wizard's gender.

This wizard seemed particularly obsessed with soul magic.

"Kehehehe, soul magic is the most exalted and elegant art of wizards, the core essence of life. Do you know how otherworldly beings regard us wizards? They call us world overlords for our control over soul slaves, illustrating their fear of our magnificent artistry..."

The lesson spanned two hourglasses, half of which the eccentric wizard spent extolling soul magic’s grandeur through history. Only in the latter half did they delve into practical applications.

Yet, it must be said that this wizard possessed unique, nuanced insights into soul magic, presenting theories that opened Nidhogg’s eyes and enlightened him further, demonstrating genuine expertise.

At the lecture’s end, Nidhogg headed directly back to Blacksword Tower’s seventh floor, seeking out the apprentice named Valo.

Valo, whose job was notably lax with few daily visitors, remembered Nidhogg and grinned. "Oh, you gathered the magic stones?"

“Yes.”

Without further discussion, Nidhogg handed over twenty magic stones to Valo, who accepted them with a chuckle.

“Alright, leave your crystal ball imprint with me. I’ll call you when my mentor’s out. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t cheat you out of twenty mere stones.”

Despite his hesitation, Nidhogg trusted that anyone who secured a plush job on the seventh floor must have considerable influence, unlikely to scam him for such a paltry sum.

After exchanging crystal imprints, Nidhogg returned to his small dwelling, reflecting on the insects he had collected.

Nidhogg was contemplating choices for his symbiotic insect.

Theoretically, nearly any insect could serve as a wizard’s symbiotic partner due to their unique soul traits enhancing resistance to curses and illusions. Yet, for such an intimate lifelong companion, every wizard desired one with special traits.

Among the seven insects Nidhogg had collected, three were easily eliminated, leaving him wavering over four options.

The first was the Corpse-eating Bug.

These bugs were collected from a cursed-to-death apprentice, devouring the body in moments—exhibiting extreme ferocity.

Nidhogg had cautiously gathered a few given their vicious nature.

The second was the Moth Beetle, a parasitic insect.

In spring, these bugs were eaten by coprophagous organisms from crane droppings, parasitizing their hosts.

Disturbingly, they caused hosts to mutate unnaturally—sprouting extra limbs.

These mutated creatures, hampered in mobility, were easily preyed upon by cranes, completing the parasite life cycle.

Few noticed these insects; Nidhogg had only discovered them while investigating bloodline magic, later collecting a batch.

The third was the Grain Moth.

Beloved among apprentice wizards, this symbiote lacked aggression but drastically extended lifespan, from two to three hundred years!

The fourth was unknown to Nidhogg, discovered in an old test tube during a trash disposal, absent from library records. It resembled a slime mold.

Nidhogg speculated it might be a botched experiment by another apprentice.

Its sole observed trait was robust vitality, akin to a worm, capable of surviving bifurcation and regenerating into two entities.

Considering the four test tube-borne candidates, Nidhogg pondered his choice.

Eventually, he set aside the first and fourth options.

Despite the Corpse-eating Bug’s aggression, a symbiotic insect wasn’t typically a combat tool unless reared specifically for that purpose. Thus, its attack prowess was a non-factor.

As for the fourth insect, as a presumed byproduct of failed wizardry, it implied the existence of more successful counterparts, typically superior.

Moreover, its unstable reproductive capacity—unable to breed naturally—was a liability, suggesting continuous artificial splitting for propagation.

Sighing, Nidhogg turned to the Grain Moth.

Indeed, this popular choice among apprentices had undeniable merits.

Yet, Nidhogg hesitated to discard the Moth Beetle completely. He’d observed its capacity to induce biological mutations, a form of evolutionary power!

Granted, this “evolution” often culminated in grotesque deformities.

Nevertheless, lacking reliance on bloodline magic, Nidhogg couldn’t help but wonder if there was a peculiar connection to "Hunter’s Nose Modification."

Finally, Nidhogg decided to cultivate the Moth Beetle in a live frog, intending to examine the results using the high-powered microscope once it became available.

With this plan in mind, Nidhogg left briefly and returned with a frog. After excising a hind leg as a control specimen and applying hemostasis, he began to cultivate the Moth Beetle within the unfortunate amphibian.