Chapter 2759 Flame’s Will <TOC> Chapter 2761 Changes in Mammoth
Translator: SumTLMan
In legendary novels there is a classic trope, the protagonist uses a very simple stratagem and can play an evil witch in the palm of his hand.
If the 「evil witch」 in the novel were replaced by a real wizard, then as for the brave hero, don’t speak of toying with the wizard, whether he could even walk up to the wizard would be another matter entirely.
The labels of a wizard are not rashness and stupidity, but knowledge and wisdom.
Almost all wizards, in elevating themselves, never forget the sedimentation of knowledge and focused research. Even combat-oriented wizards have their own fields of study at which they excel.
Among these, it is not only alchemists or rune wizards who can craft unique items; nearly every school of wizardry has its signature creations.
For example, earth wizards can condense elemental gems; nature wizards can draw in life particles; pure blood wizards can refine bloodlines; space wizards can construct extradimensional spaces…… and so on.
And among them, the wizards of the modification school are best at crafting masterless organs.
「Masterless organs」 can be understood literally.
They are masterless extraordinary organs that can be sealed for long periods. When used, one directly integrates the extraordinary organ into oneself. After integration, one immediately gains the innate amplification and ability bonuses the extraordinary organ provides.
Judging from usage and effect, they are very convenient. However, they are not flawless.
Their shortcomings are in fact not few; the two principal defects are: first, they cannot, like organs personally modified by modification wizards, remain long-term and continuously at a peak state. From the instant the seal is opened, they begin to enter a period of decline until the effect disappears.
Second, long-term integration of a masterless organ will subtly influence the host’s personality.
These two are the most criticized blemishes of masterless organs, and they are difficult to remedy. Unless you are exceptionally lucky and the masterless organ you purchase happens to fit you very well, in that case, you can treat the masterless organ as a transplant organ and graft it directly into your body, thereby avoiding these two flaws.
Aside from this method that requires heaven-defying luck, the modification school has in fact been continuously optimizing masterless organs.
Among them there is a school that holds that, since the flaws cannot be skirted, simply eliminate them at the root. As for how to eliminate them? Their method is exceedingly simple and brutal: directly manufacture masterless organs as single-use; once used, they are scrapped, would that not perfectly eliminate all flaws.
Although this school’s theory sounded like a joke at first, such single-use, consumable masterless organs have indeed become mainstream now.
Single-use consumption means you need not worry about any later consequences and can crank every last ounce of amplification the masterless organ affords to the maximum, to the extreme, thus unleashing the strongest damage in a short time.
This is just like a planar passage, both are last-resort measures for wizards. Only, the planar passage preserves oneself by fleeing, whereas the masterless organ is a fight with one’s back to the river, preserving oneself through battle.
Precisely for this reason, when Mammoth produced a masterless organ, Daus’ expression changed at once.
Mammoth is, after all, only an apprentice. If he used a conventional masterless organ, the ensuing side effects would not be limited to a personality shift; it could very likely drag down his potential altogether. Therefore, there is an extremely high probability Mammoth is using a single-use masterless organ.
Masterless organs can only be crafted by modification wizards to begin with, meaning masterless organs are basically wizard-level implements. And single-use masterless organs, eliminating the possibility of subsequent uses and boosting explosive damage, can even burst out at a level comparable to true-knowledge wizards.
Of course, limited by his own strength, Mammoth cannot fully bring out a masterless organ’s effects; at most, he has a single strike whose damage can reach wizard-level attack.
Yet even so, such damage is absolutely not something Vai, an apprentice, can withstand.
Daus looked over at Shrew in the distance, his expression dark.
No need to think about it: Mammoth absolutely could not possess a masterless organ; someone must have given it to him. And that 「someone,」 without a doubt, is Shrew who can herself craft masterless organs.
「What a vicious heart.」 Daus gnashed his teeth.
To deal with an apprentice, she actually lent out a masterless organ!
On their side, although Angel had also provided some out-of-bound means, they were all defense oriented, at most ensuring one remains undefeated, with no way to directly injure others! Of course, Speedling can injure people, but in the last battle, Speedling never made a move, so Daus directly ignored Speedling.
Shrew opposite, however, provided a masterless organ clearly built to amplify damage and endowed with explosive capability. Is this a plan to kill Vai?
Daus swiftly turned his head to look at the Black Count. The situation was urgent; if Vai was unaware of how terrifying a masterless organ is and charged straight in, he would absolutely suffer a grievous blow, and whether he could survive would depend on whether the Black Count had prepared a trump card for Vai.
If there is no trump card…… Daus was already prepared to erupt with full force, shatter the dome, and rush in to save him.
The Black Count’s slab was very calm, as though he had not even seen the masterless organ.
Daus truly could not judge the Black Count’s thoughts through his slab. With no other option, Daus simply asked aloud over the mental connection.
Angel was also watching Vai’s battle; he saw very clearly what was happening on the field. If Vai had no fallback, he really might be in dire peril. So he, too, was curious whether the Black Count had in fact prepared a trump card for Vai.
The Black Count: 「No.」
Daus’ brows knit; he said nothing more, but in his mental space he had already begun to silently construct a mental model.
However, just as the mental model began to form, Daus felt a pressure sweep in from beside him and directly envelop him.
He turned his head in puzzlement. The source of the pressure was precisely the Black Count.
The Black Count: 「If he lacks the courage to face death head-on, then he also lacks the chance to be reborn from the flames.」
Daus wore a face full of confusion: 「What do you mean.」
The Black Count: 「Keep watching and wait for the result.」
The Black Count’s words ended there, but his oppressive force did not lift. Clearly, he had seen through Daus’ intent and did not want Daus interfering with this duel.
Daus could only throw hard stares at Angel; he was pinned by the oppressive force and could not move. The only one who could go save Vai was Angel.
Angel received Daus’ look, but in truth he, too, hesitated a little. The Black Count should not be deliberately sending Vai to his death; after all, the situation in the ruin site is unknown, and there may yet be a time when they need Vai. Had he foreseen something? Or is it just as he said, he wants to see Vai, when facing death head-on, seek that chance at rebirth?
Perhaps noticing Angel’s unsettled expression, the Black Count suddenly added: 「Do you two think Vai doesn’t recognize a masterless organ?」
Angel and Daus both froze for a moment; they were not stupid and immediately understood what the Black Count meant.
Naturally, they would not think Vai was so shallow and ignorant that he couldn’t even recognize a masterless organ. Since Vai recognizes masterless organs, he can naturally analyze that it is nearly impossible to deal with Mammoth, who possesses one.
Under such circumstances, voluntarily conceding is clearly the most rational outcome.
Yet Vai did not choose to concede. Judging from his expression, he even intended to continue fighting. Why? Does he have a way to counter a masterless organ?
Angel did not know the specifics, but the Black Count’s words made Angel decide to put faith in the Black Count, and in Vai’s judgment.
Since Vai is willing to keep fighting, he surely has his own reasons.
Angel began silently waiting for developments on the field.
……
On the arena platform, Mammoth now found himself riding a tiger. Because of a certain psychological burden earlier, he had been seized upon by this Noah descendant, and he had nearly fallen in defeat.
With no alternative, Mammoth activated this single-use, consumable masterless organ.
Mammoth’s original intent was not to use it now, but to force Vai into choosing voluntary surrender. In that case, the masterless organ would not count as 「used」 and could be saved for the next opponent, Kael.
But to Mammoth’s surprise, after seeing him activate a masterless organ, Vai not only did not avoid him, he even became more aggressive than before.
Does he not recognize masterless organs? Clearly that is wrong. Vai’s movements were even more cautious and careful than before, and his eyes stayed fixed on Mammoth’s forehead, evidently he knew about masterless organs.
Then why, knowing, does he still not concede?
Could it be that Vai also has a trump card similar to Seamus’ hide?
Thinking of Vai’s background, it indeed seems possible he possesses a powerful trump card. So what should he do now? Mammoth panicked a little. If he used the masterless organ on Vai, he would have no chance of victory when facing Kael’s Seamus’ hide later.
But if he didn’t use it, Mammoth himself would likely be unable to step down.
While Mammoth was struggling, Vai’s actions did not stall because of the appearance of the masterless organ; instead, his speed grew faster and faster. The arena floor seemed to turn into an ice rink; every one of his movements carried the acceleration of a charge.
Seeing Vai draw ever nearer, Mammoth also had to make a choice now.
He took a deep breath and, in the end, decided to use the masterless organ.
With lightning speed he activated the blood-colored pupil on his forehead; there was not the slightest sloppiness in the whole process. After activation, Mammoth could clearly feel the energy around him whirl like a vortex, madly pouring into the eye upon his brow.
His own faculties of sense were also rapidly climbing. The things he could perceive and observe, in this instant, nearly reached the level of a formal wizard.
This was the bonus granted by the eye upon his brow.
Thus, Mammoth could clearly sense that behind him there was a gaze locked tightly onto him.
His back was not to Vai, Vai was in front of him; the source of the gaze was precisely the resting place of the Gray Merchant’s group. Then there was no need to guess, the source of the gaze behind him was assuredly Shrew.
Mammoth’s heart gave a thump; he did not dare turn his head to look directly at Shrew.
Everything had come too suddenly and too coincidentally. The only thing Mammoth could do was comfort himself.
At this time, Vai’s figure had already appeared before Mammoth’s eyes. Seeing this, Mammoth, without hesitation, pulled the eye upon his brow straight to its fullest state.
Blood-red streams of light flashed, wrapping Mammoth up tightly. Vai crashed directly into the flowing light.
After a scream, Vai flew backward, landed a dozen meters away, and upon hitting the ground still skidded a long furrow across it. It could be seen how terrifying the rebound force Vai suffered this time was.
And this was not even the masterless organ’s attack, merely the defensive energy shield automatically generated when Mammoth activated the masterless organ.
When Vai, with difficulty, climbed up from the ground, he finally saw the full form after Mammoth activated the masterless organ.
Mammoth now no longer looked the simple, honest sort he had before. It was not that his features had changed, but that everything above his nose was covered with dense fleshy nodules. In the center of the nodules, there was a gigantic eye.
Previously this blood-red eye had been upon his forehead, but now Mammoth’s original eyes were covered; only this single eye remained exposed.
Beyond the change to his face, Mammoth’s physique had also altered slightly, he had grown larger, like a child giant.
But these were merely outward manifestations. What truly shocked Vai was the energy field around Mammoth.
Ancient and terrifying, like bottomless energy, ceaselessly surging out of Mammoth.
This was no longer power an ordinary apprentice could command. The energy piled higher and higher; even to the naked eye one could see the rippling energy waves constantly rising around Mammoth.
Confronted with such power acquired all of a sudden, Mammoth actually did not know the best way to handle it. Fortunately, the masterless organ seemed to possess a will of its own. At a turn of Mammoth’s thoughts, he felt he had gained control over all the energy.
He tried drawing this energy together; where the mind led, the surrounding blood-red energy began to gather.
And as Mammoth obtained control over the energy, a great mass of information surged into his mind.
All of this information concerned this masterless organ.
It did not need reading; it was branded straight into his mind, as though rooted there from the start.
Looking at the description within, Mammoth finally had an intuitive grasp of the masterless organ already integrated into his body.
This masterless organ’s name was: Eye of Arcana.
It was made from the eye of a 「Arcane Tome」 demon.
「Arcane Tome」 sounds like a book title; in fact…… it actually is a book title.
The Arcane Tome is a book-shaped demon-beast, and this demon-beast that can disguise itself as a book will, upon its cover, write in the demonic tongue: 《Arcane Tome》.
Whether there truly exists a book titled 《Arcane Tome》 no one knows. But that there certainly exists a demon-beast known as 「Arcane Tome」 is beyond doubt.
Arcane Tomes are commonly found in certain relics of the Abyss. They disguise themselves as books to lure outsiders near. When people come, they open their pages, revealing the blood-mawed mouth within, and chew and swallow people alive.
According to accounts from some half-blood demons of the Abyss, demon-beasts like the Arcane Tome are all followers of the Cruel Scholar; it is very likely that the Cruel Scholar created them.
Arcane Tomes possess extremely powerful energy-control abilities. They can instantly mobilize all energy around them and within their bodies, turn it into mimetic constructs, and pour it out in a moment.
For example, Arcane Tomes often convert all energy in one go into a beam and store it within their eye; when the eye opens, the beam is released, and of those swept by the beam, few survive.
Therefore, the Eye of Arcana is often also called the 「Death Light Eye」 or 「Death Eye」.
Given the Arcane Tome’s energy-control characteristics, they can inflict terrifyingly extreme damage in a brief instant, which also makes them very suitable for refinement into single-use masterless organs.
Modification wizards who venture into the Abyss almost always make seeking Arcane Tomes one of their goals.
An Eye of Arcana crafted from an Arcane Tome can fully rival mid-to-high rank rune scrolls!
Unfortunately, Arcane Tomes are not common.
For this reason, Eyes of Arcana are often possessed only by modification wizards and are treated by them as bottom-of-the-chest treasures.
This time, Shrew handing an Eye of Arcana to Mammoth can be said to have truly paid in blood.
Chapter 2759 Flame’s Will <TOC> Chapter 2761 Changes in Mammoth