After calming the situation with Nina’s outburst, the issue concerning Nidhogg at the Bloodsail Alliance gathering was essentially settled.

Rather than wasting time on other matters, Nidhogg preferred to delve into more advanced sorcery knowledge to enrich himself. So, after a brief farewell to Nina at the end of the Bloodsail Alliance gathering, he headed straight for Blacksaw Tower. There were still a few days before his mentor, Peranos, would begin officially teaching him sorcery, and Nidhogg intended to conduct some experiments in the meantime.

Just as he was about to leave alone, Yorkris appeared with a female sorcerer apprentice, calling out to Nidhogg.

"Hm?"

Upon seeing Iraltiwen beside Yorkris, Nidhogg immediately understood their purpose and allowed a smile to show beneath his pale mask. During the trials, when Nidhogg "competed" for the first secret realm’s rewards, he had inadvertently saved this female apprentice once. It seemed she was here to express her gratitude.

Iraltiwen did not possess remarkable beauty; her flat chest and coarse skin were evident, but somehow Yorkris had developed a special connection with her. While Nidhogg's mind wandered, Iraltiwen stood beside Yorkris, equally uneasy, unable to forget the scene from the trial. Each time she recalled the event, the man with the pale mask would haunt her dreams like a persistent nightmare.

This seemingly unremarkable man in the alliance wielded terrifying power, slaughtering other apprentices in the secret realm.

He had even just refused the nomination for an elder position in the alliance, perhaps explaining why the poisonous queen was so determined to have him.

Yorkris laughed, "Nidhogg, this is Iraltiwen. You must have met a few times. I brought her to express her gratitude for saving her during the trial."

Iraltiwen took a deep breath, settling her thoughts. Without the trial’s mark suppression, the intimidation between apprentices no longer lingered.

"Thank you, Nidhogg."

Iraltiwen was older than Nidhogg, so she didn’t address him as "brother."

With Yorkris present, Nidhogg displayed the appropriate courtesy and demeanor: "No need for thanks. Whether as a member of the alliance or from Yorkris's perspective, I had no reason not to help at that time."

Nidhogg didn’t mention his gratitude for Iraltiwen's inadvertent "distraction" at that moment.

After a brief and pleasant exchange, during which they exchanged crystal ball imprints, Nidhogg resumed his path toward Blacksaw Tower.

On the first floor, the portly man’s face changed upon seeing Nidhogg. He said, "Nidhogg! You have no idea how worried I was. That interrogation room isn’t a joke; it could be deadly. Even official sorcerers rarely come out of there, let alone me. That place has a reputation as a death trap."

The interrogation left a significant mental scar on the portly man.

Nidhogg gave a wry smile as well. How could he have known he would get into such trouble? However, the ordeal turned out to be a blessing in disguise, earning the recognition of Sorcerer Peranos, an incredible opportunity.

"Hmph," the portly man snorted twice, then asked, "So, what materials do you need this time? By the way, news about that microscope should come within two months. I'll inquire with that sorcerer."

"Alright," Nidhogg nodded and said blandly, "I need a potion to enhance the soul connection between a sorcerer and their parasitic creature, a material to temporarily heighten bodily awareness, two life leaves, and a live monkey."

The portly man handed over two life leaves without much explanation. This material was in high demand at the academy, clearly priced at 500 magic stones each, considered an essential life-saving tool for top sorcerer apprentices.

"For enhancing your connection with the parasitic creature... does this work?" The portly man rummaged through a cabinet and produced a seemingly ordinary herb, grinning mischievously. "This is sync grass, usually a playful stimulant for sorcerer couples, but it works for parasitic creatures too. It’s only 100 magic stones."

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Nidhogg nodded indifferently and accepted the sync grass.

Then, the portly man retrieved a black crystal ball from under the counter and a crown-like sorcerer's device from the store room.

"This is a crystal ball for underground sorcerers. Unlike our sorcerers, most sorcerers from the sorcerer continent are elemental sorcerers, while those underground are dragon sorcerers. Our sorcerers focus on mental development, whereas underground sorcerers emphasize physicality and the attributes of their companion dragons. They are two different developmental paths. For them, companion dragons are akin to our parasitic creatures. This black crystal ball is a tool from those sorcerers and is higher-grade than ours, able to detect sorcerer physique besides mental power."

Nidhogg was intrigued.

He knew that beyond the largest sorcerer continent, other regions existed with different sorcerer civilizations, with underground sorcerers being one of them.

Nidhogg had read about them in books but never heard details discussed. Seeing this tool specific to underground sorcerers piqued his curiosity. He examined it and used his mental focus to sense his condition.

Mental Power: 24, Magic Power: 238247

Physique: 4, Stamina: 3455, Strength: 1560, Vitality: 2224

Nidhogg's mood darkened, confirming his low physique—an inevitable outcome of not practicing physical enhancement sorceries. Yorkris, by comparison, would probably have a physique of at least 15. Stamina, strength, and vitality appeared as external attributes dependent on physique, similar to magic power and mental power. While stamina and strength were self-explanatory, vitality likely indicated resistance to physical damage.

Considering these factors, his physical attack power was around 16 degrees, with defense between 23. If stamina was high...

The only thought Nidhogg had was that climbing to the seventieth floor of Blacksaw Tower might not leave him feeling like a dead dog.

Seeing Nidhogg's interest in the black crystal ball, the portly man said, "This crystal ball's cost isn't high; it's the long procurement journey that adds up. I'm asking 1,000 magic stones. But for someone like you, that's probably nothing."

Nidhogg's wealth was indeed impressive, partly due to the increasing income from perfume sales as it gained popularity and also from earning over twenty thousand magic stones when erasing trial mark values.

Accepting the black crystal ball without a word, Nidhogg turned his attention to the crown-like sorcerer device.

"This device is a high-end tool occasionally used by official sorcerers, similar to a microscope for experimental assistance. However, the Transfusion Crown’s true function is to use the caster’s soul power to observe their body's interior in detail, so users must strictly limit its use. As apprentices, you should use it no more than once a month and for no longer than thirty seconds per session to avoid soul damage. Handle it with great caution!"

The portly man continued, "The Transfusion Crown is primarily used for detecting abnormalities post-curse solidification using the Moon Branch, known as the affected point. It’s also used for physique evolution research and potion quality assessment."

Nidhogg's eyes lit up. The Transfusion Crown was an ideal tool for him despite its limitations.

Without overtly showing his thoughts, Nidhogg accepted the Transfusion Crown, not asking its price.

Regarding the living monkey Nidhogg needed, it was provided for free. Shortly, the portly man brought over a cage containing a curious monkey holding a bunch of bananas.

...

Back at his small laboratory, Nidhogg first checked his cultivated explosive mushrooms. Confirming the successful transplant, he carefully extracted some powdery particles as experimental material. These particles were what gave explosive mushrooms their olfactory illusion ability.

Later, Nidhogg retrieved a cautiously preserved bottle from the lab bench, containing a half-bottle of yellowish cloudy liquid, filtered three months ago from the stomachs of wild cranes. His study indicated this liquid was key to the cranes' ability to resist transformation triggered by the Parasitic Wasp Larva.

Excitedly, Nidhogg threw himself into his experiments once more.

Three days later, with dark circles and an exhausted but elated spirit, Nidhogg exclaimed, "The Parasitic Wasp Larva, once a companion creature, can merge with the host's life to adapt naturally, aiding in significant passive evolution? And the cost is depleting the energy provided by food needed for bodily evolution?"

Previous studies had shown the Parasitic Wasp Larva had the capability to influence the host's genetic code willingly, but this research revealed a new capacity for aiding sorcerers in adapting naturally through passive evolution!

Passive evolution, a slow adaptation of living organisms to better survive their natural surroundings, was an inherent trait in all life forms—walking would gradually form calluses, and thigh muscles would develop.

The Parasitic Wasp Larva accelerated this adaptation process, significantly enhancing its function.

Of course, passive evolution couldn’t compete with active evolution, like an apprentice becoming an official sorcerer—a form of human active evolution.

Nidhogg discovered his resilience to hallucinogenic powders and fire elements had improved after two passive evolutions from the larva, one during the explosive mushroom illusion and another from Sun's Child’s fire magic burns!

In his excitement, Nidhogg's immediate thought was to purchase magic wands from the portly man to self-test! Even a slight increase in resistance, accumulated over decades, would grant immunity to low-degree energy elemental sorceries.

Yes, and there’s a need for buying a large quantity of specific food to supplement bodily absorption. As they say, you are what you eat.

With a thud, an overworked Nidhogg collapsed on the lab floor, fast asleep.