Nidhogg received only one answer from the plump man: “Who said I’m only selling in Black Tower?” And that was the end of it. Confronted with the direct temptation of five thousand magic stones, Nidhogg no longer hesitated and signed the seven-ring contract, even if he couldn't fully grasp the underlying intricacies.

As far as Nidhogg knew, a contract created by the power of the Seven-Ring Sacred Tower was unbreakable without the might of a Level Four wizard. And the existence of a Level Four wizard was something far beyond Nidhogg’s current reality.

With the advance of five thousand magic stones, and seeing the pained expression on the plump man’s face, Nidhogg unceremoniously took one after another of the precious items, then "politely" thanked the man before returning to his quarters, exhilarated at the sight of materials he had once never dared to dream of possessing.

He wore the Eternal Earring on his right ear, a top-tier magical artifact worth six hundred magic stones. Its gold curls subtly complemented Nidhogg’s wild aura, adding a touch of mystique. This artifact not only offered excellent resistance against curses and illusions but also absorbed ambient energy to maintain a comfortable body temperature for the wearer.

Nidhogg also carried a piece of the Screaming Branch on him. Should he encounter an overpowering curse, the branch would emit a piercing sound, temporarily solidifying the curse and providing time to respond.

The Red Ear Mushroom was highly valued among wizard apprentices as a potion ingredient. When brewed into a broth with minimal additional ingredients, it could enhance the mental power of a wizard apprentice. The effect varied per individual, but generally, it could boost mental power by one to three points, saving years of meditation.

The “Notes on the Reconfiguration of Fire Magic Arrays” was a wizard’s journal. It contained insights into the transformation of fire magic forms. The entire journal would have fetched a fortune.

A Gemstone Pearl allowed the user to breathe underwater if held in the mouth.

Finally, Nidhogg acquired two mid-grade magic stones.

Three days later, Nidhogg appeared at the library, exhausted and sporting panda eyes. The wild, enigmatic aura he possessed three days prior had vanished, replaced by a simple, endearing expression.

If asked about his greatest wish at that moment, Nidhogg would answer: to have a good sleep.

Wizard Elion sat in the library's VIP section, quietly enjoying a rich coffee amidst elegant pastries, which seemed more for display than consumption.

Dragging his weary body, Nidhogg performed the proper wizard’s greeting and placed the box containing thirty vials of fragrance on the table.

"Ah, from those dark circles, I can see that creating these little items isn't easy, and I wonder how you ever thought of making them. Nonetheless, these are indeed remarkable, evoking long-lost pleasant memories for those of us who've lived through centuries," Elion mused joyfully.

Memories? So that’s it...

In an instant, Nidhogg realized something. Possibly, wizards favored these fragrances because, in their long lifespans, they had grown accustomed to monotonous routines, which to outsiders seemed perfect and enjoyable.

For instance, while Nidhogg saw the witch enjoying the fine pastries and coffee, to her, these were mundane pleasures long forgotten, their original tastes lost in the sands of time. Perhaps the fragrances offered a bridge to those nostalgic, unforgotten memories, awakening joy in their meticulous lives.

Seeing Nidhogg’s nervousness, Elion chuckled, understanding the anxiety young apprentices felt in the presence of a full-fledged wizard.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Alright, here’s your reward. These are just some trivial items I don’t need, but they'll be useful for your trial. After all, I wouldn’t want the creator of something as wonderful as your Aphrodite Essence to just perish," Elion said, presenting three items.

"This necklace, which I call the Fountain of Joy, increases the wearer’s mental power by two points. Of course, if you reach your mental power threshold, this necklace becomes useless, but clearly, you’re not there yet."

Nidhogg was well aware that the threshold referred to was forty points of mental power, a benchmark for apprentices to advance to full wizards.

Next, Elion introduced the other items. One was a small crystal vial containing a tiny insect, known as a Phantasmal Wasp. With enough corpses, this insect could transform into a beast equivalent to a legendary knight, providing Nidhogg with protection for a day.

The last item was a seed called Ground Bulb. With simple cultivation, it grew into a large flower that would sink underground when someone lay inside, offering a relatively secure resting space.

Delighted with his compensation, Nidhogg watched as Elion placed the fragrances into a mirror—using a sealing spell.

"A Sealing Spell!" Nidhogg exclaimed in astonishment.

Elion looked at him with surprise. "You’re more knowledgeable than I thought," she remarked, before leaving Nidhogg to his thoughts.

Nidhogg understood the Sealing Spell just enough to know that, without extremely rare space-storage artifacts, only wizards with mastery of sealing spells could transport physical items into pocket dimensions or imaginary spaces for convenience.

Reflecting on his initial assessment during his aptitude test in Bithar City, Nidhogg wondered if his ability to perceive eerie, unsettling phenomena was a sign of latent sealing abilities—abilities that revealed things existing between reality and illusion.

Some wizard texts speculated that these “things,” residing between the real and the imaginary, were indeed life forms, dwelling in dimensional pockets either beneath or beyond conventional perception.

Nidhogg was filled with anticipation. As a wizard apprentice who had naturally developed his mental power to twelve points without meditation, he knew he had potential.

Though this talent did not manifest as clearly as others like Yunli or Bibilian in their apprentice days, it would naturally become apparent once he reached the level of a full wizard.

However, for most wizard apprentices, advancing to become a full wizard was incredibly difficult. Many remained apprentices until the end of their lives.

Half a month later, due to his innate talent in elemental magic, Nidhogg had developed a profound understanding of the "Notes on the Reconfiguration of Fire Magic Arrays."

Nidhogg estimated that, in two months or maybe six, he could refine the mental-anchored magic array on his soul. Once improved, the same amount of magic would allow him to leverage the rules of the world with much stronger attacks.

Since he had only seen Wizard Elion once perform the firebird form of magic, Nidhogg naturally pursued development in that direction.

However, the most pressing matter now was the creatures in the wild crane’s gizzard. Nidhogg had meticulously planned out their processing, awaiting their full maturity.

That day, as the crane wailed, Nidhogg drained its blood with a fine scalpel and dissected out the essential gizzard.

The stench from the gizzard was magnified dozens of times by Nidhogg’s keen senses, forcing him to temporarily deactivate his nasal enhancement. He carefully placed everything from the gizzard into a prepared container, where the liquid quickly separated the indigestible remnants and rice-sized white parasites.

“Come on, my precious ones…” Nidhogg grinned as he gathered the white parasites into another dish. To a normal observer, his affectionate fascination with parasites would seem utterly depraved.

It's worth noting that after only two years in the wizard academy, Nidhogg no longer realized how bizarre his actions were.

Moments later, Nidhogg placed a matured wasp snail onto the experimental platform. After creating a suitable environment for the parasites, he placed a tiny wasp snail on the crystal ball.

With an incantation, and a brief soul-shifting experience, the wasp snail atop the crystal ball emitted an almost imperceptible sound.

Breaking into a sweat, Nidhogg felt the familiar and welcoming aura from the crystal ball, relieved to have successfully cultivated his first companion parasite!

Then, Nidhogg casually picked up the tiny wasp snail and swallowed it whole—or rather, stored it in his stomach sac.

From then on, the wasp snail became Nidhogg’s companion parasite, akin to an organ within his body. This defines the symbiotic relationship between a wizard and their parasite.

“Phew, soul decomposition is indeed exhausting. I’m maxed out purifying five wasp snails a day, and with nearly three hundred to go, it’ll take me two full months to complete. It’s quite the time-consuming task…”

With a sigh, Nidhogg continued purifying the wasp snails. He dared not consume any unpurified ones, fearing parasitic infestation.

Nidhogg had long forgotten his initial repulsion at Elion ingesting a centipede. Now, he eagerly consumed these parasites, which seemed foul, disgusting, and terrifying to ordinary people.

He even recalled making a vow against such acts...

Such is the path of growth for wizards!