The Last Witchblood

Chapter 9: Apprentices' Hand

As Kai kept inspecting the mechanical arm, he realized that Selene probably still had more to say.

Unable to ignore it any longer, He frowned and asked

"Did something happen?"

Selene hesitated for a moment, but eventually recounted everything that had happened a day earlier at the market, in full detail...

As her words fell, the room fell silent.

She lowered her head, her small hands nervously rubbing the corner of her clothes, seemingly worried that he would scold her.

However, Kai did not do so.

He instead asked a question that she had never expected:

"So, why do you think... this guy named Bran would publicly clash with you at this point?"

She was stunned, momentarily unsure how to answer.

'Why publicly clash? Wasn't it simply because the other party was an arrogant and overbearing young noble?' She wondered but quickly dismissed such simple thoughts.

Although she didn't know what he meant by the sudden question, after being asked in this manner, clever Selene realized that the small interlude that had occurred at the Academy Market was probably not as simple as she had initially thought...

Kai on the other hand didn't keep her in suspense for too long and spoke up directly "In the Wizarding World, no matter which school you belong to, White or dark wizards, you encounter an extremely cruel competitive environment.

Everyone yearns to advance further, but resources are limited."

"Especially for us Wizard Apprentices, the resources we can obtain are even scarcer. Often, if you take more, others will have to take less.

And this is precisely the root of many misfortunes."

"It won't be long until the official Tower sorting for new apprentices, and if talented enough, selection of mentors, and you, in this batch of newly arrived prospective Apprentices, naturally have a competitive relationship with more people than you can imagine. Whether it's choosing a famous Professor or competing for a core student position later, it's always good to have one less competitor."

"But in this Bran's case, he is probably trying to knock you out of the race one way or the other, because he believes that only then, can he possess you as he wishes. But he miscalculated on one thing..."

Upon hearing all this, Selene immediately understood her situation. "So he deliberately provoked me, wanting me to violate the prohibition and act privately?"

He looked at his sister and sighed softly "You are still young, and you've been well-protected since childhood, so it's normal not to understand these things. However, you must always remember from now on that this is the Essacasta Academy of 'Dark' wizards, not our family castle...

In the school, the hierarchy is strict, and strength comes first. There is deceit everywhere, and a slight misstep can lead to eternal damnation.

Therefore, Apprentices like us must be careful everywhere."

"I... I understand..." Selene could only nod, while thinking to herself, 'You're not that old either.'

Curious, she asked her other question, "But what did you mean when you said he miscalculated?"

"Don't worry about it" He responded with a small smile.

Seeing her pale appearance, Kai did not continue on this matter and changed the subject, "I will keep an eye on that guy Bran... By the way, I'll look into the Mechanical arm"

This was his most pressing concern at the moment.

Because this not only concerned whether he could comprehend higher-level knowledge of Alchemy Construct Studies that would allow him to complete his mentor's commissioni.

It would also determine whether Selene could join under Master Zachary's tutorship.

And the latter would also directly affect whether he could complete the second initial task issued by the 【System】 and receive the corresponding rewards.

It could be said that this matter was one of the major cornerstones of all Kai's subsequent plans, and he could not afford the slightest mistake...

Hearing his words, Selene immediately followed his figure with some hesitation "Can, can it be salvaged..."

Ivan did not give any answers

He knew that Alchemy Construct Studies was an extremely profound discipline to begin with.

Although Selene's character panel included Alchemy Construct Studies as one of her main talents, she had only recently arrived at the Academy, and many basic knowledge had not yet been solidified, so encountering setbacks was very normal.

What he needed to do at this moment was to quickly identify the problem and then help her solve it.

Selene took out a cylindrical mechanical arm radiating metallic beauty and a crisscross of wires.

From its appearance, this mechanical arm was already close to a finished product, with intricate and ornate magic circuits drawn on its surface with special ink, and several delicate components and low-level runes embedded on the inside to ensure the mechanical arm could operate smoothly.

So Kai recognized at a glance that it was a Precision Control Mechanical Arm, and an external one at that, which could be installed on an Alchemy Construct or directly worn on the user's arm, without the need for flesh and blood transplantation, making it extremely convenient.

In fact, the completion of this mechanical arm was already quite high, almost over 90%...

The only problem was...

It could not be operated.

However, even facing such a serious problem, Kai did not feel any disappointment.

On the contrary, a deep sense of pleasant surprise rose in his heart.

"Did you... Modify the blueprint yourself?"

Selene's head drooped even lower "Mm..."

"Then you should also know that the reason this mechanical arm cannot be driven is because you privately modified the magic circuit, right?"

"I know..." She replied softly.

Then, she looked up at him, her eyes a little red "I'm sorry, I was too conceited and wasted your time and money, Brother..."

Kai looked at her expression and remained silent for a long time.

After a while, he shook his head helplessly and said with a smile, "Conceited? No, no, no...You didn't do anything wrong. On the contrary, your modification was quite successful, something even I hadn't anticipated."

"The modification was quite successful?" Selene was stunned, momentarily at a loss "But... it won't even start."

He suppressed his excitement and gently tapped her on the head, "Seriously, how long have you been at the Academy? If you could really make a non-standard, improved mechanical arm, then we wouldn't need to bother, we could just find a way to smuggle you back to our family territories before the sorting and put you to work."

With that, he gently stroked the mechanical arm, finding it more astonishing the more he looked at it, "Your idea is very good. By modifying the runes and magic circuits, you've extended the 'Precision Control' characteristic of the mechanical arm into an upgraded 'Mana Sensing' domain.

This way, this mechanical arm will not only be able to perform the delicate work required in daily life, but also handle some mana-related tasks, such as cutting enchanted materials, dissecting the corpses of extraordinary species, and even drawing magic circles and runes...

Unfortunately, your approach was wrong."

He pulled her closer to sit at the table, then placed the mechanical arm in front of her. "Look, your method was to modify the mana circuits and runes of the entire mechanical arm, which means you had to make large-scale changes based on the original design.

Such a project is simply too massive and prone to errors.

I told you before, even the most basic Construct is extremely precise; even a tiny error can cause the entire Construct to malfunction.

And on the mechanical arm you made, there were several errors in the mana nodes, which led to the final failure."

Listening to his words, she suddenly had a moment of realization.

She was after all, an extremely intelligent young individual with outstanding talent in Alchemy Construct, so she quickly grasped the key point in his words, "So I should improve it by 'patching' rather than a complete overhaul."

"Exactly!" Kai said admiringly.

He couldn't help but lament again in his heart about his old talent level before saying, "Since you considered extending the effect of the Precision Control Mechanical Arm to 'Mana Sensing,' why don't we simply install a miniature 'Mana Sensor' on the mechanical arm?

This way, your modification to the original design would drop from 80% to less than 10%."

The room fell silent again.

As Kai's words echoed in her ears, Selene felt incredibly excited...

This was precisely the most important reason she wanted to embark on the path of a Wizard—to explore endless, mysterious, and wonderful knowledge in a limited, mundane life!

What power, politics, wealth... these were merely boring games for nobles.

She never wanted to be a casualty in this game since childhood.

Now, she finally saw hope in the mechanical arm before her.

And Kai was the guide leading her towards that hope...

"I understand!" She took a deep breath, turned to look at Ivan, and the fatigue that had accumulated on her face instantly vanished.

"I'll go modify it right now!"

Although he wanted her to rest, he knew it wouldn't be long until her official sorting day.

So, the words were on the tip of his tongue but he changed them while rummaging through the drawer of his desk, "Take these three vials of basic supplements; you'll need them."

Selene did not decline, instead, she obediently hummed in agreement and left with all the items...

Watching her departing back, Kai forcibly suppressed the worries in his heart, sat down again, and closed his eyes to meditate.

He knew that at this point, worrying was useless; he could only fully trust Selene and hold enough power to protect himself and 'his people'.

And the subsequent progress of the matter indeed did not disappoint him.

After a full day and night, a mysterious knowledge appeared within Kai's mind.

[Congratulations, your family member Selene Meolyn has successfully learned to create a Tier 1 Construct, the Precision Control Mechanical Arm!

You have received a reward: Tier 2 Construct Blueprint and knowledge, the Apprentice's Hand!]

...

Meanwhile, outside the East Gate of Drenma, the Capital City of the Vetian Empire, where the first rays of the sun rose.

A spatial rift, wider than the City's gate, slowly unfolded, as if space had been forcibly torn open by something.

When the spatial rift unfolded, people from the royal and noble Families, who had been waiting for a long time, rushed towards the spatial gate to await.

Their actions did not seem to be guarding against enemies from beyond the spatial rift, but rather welcoming the arrival of a significant figure.

After a while, the torn spatial rift stabilized and became a regular spatial gate.

However, inside the spatial gate was a desolate darkness, accompanied by turbulent winds; looking in from the outside, nothing could be observed.

In the Royal Family's team, Empress Narissa Mel Vetia looked up at the spatial rift through her golden mask and muttered with some dissatisfaction,

"Such a grand display. And we all have to come here to welcome them every time."

Crendul, a member of the empress's maternal family, House Belfrost, and now her first male consort.

He stood beside the empress and glanced at his grandfather, Soncrin, who was also the Belfrost Family's only 'Sword Saint', floating in mid-air, before responding to the empress's words.

"Unfortunately, your majesty, it has long been tradition." The Southern winds blew across his dark blue hair without a care in the world but he acted unfazed.

"Tradition? This is nothing but a naked insult to the royal family and this empress." Narissa scoffed under her breath when she heard his words, her voice wasn't loud, but it still made those nearby to look at her strangely with some fear, some were already wondering if the empress had gone mad.

Upon realizing that she had been a bit out of it, she cleared her throat and adjusted her clothes. Behind the golden mask, no one could tell what expression she had on but it didn't matter.

She lowered her voice, "Do you think he would be here? This situation shouldn't be enough to invite him, should it?" Hearing her doubt, Crendul also shook his head, saying with some uncertainty, "Perhaps, but I doubt it, he may not show up, his preparation for his Ascent to the rank of Grand Magister should be underway."

He knew the one whom the empress spoke of, the most powerful of those accursed wizards today, and head master of the Essacasta Academy.

The one who sealed the 'Cursed Lord'...

"You're right," an old voice echoed in their ears. "Narissa, you should learn more from your consort in regards to using your brain more."

Crendul looked at his grandfather who had spoken, Duke Soncrin Belfrost had landed at some point and bowed slightly in deference to the empress but his words were anything but respectful, as the only one at the rank of sword saint in the empire, he had the privilege to be free with the empress, but he always pushed this privilege to its limits, and even more so, as her maternal grandfather.

'Powerful as he was, he was only equivalent in strength with a new Gold-ranked wizard...' Crendul sighed inwardly at this thought, but his outward appearance remained neutral.

"Yes," Narrisa was usually arrogant and mischievous in front of others, but in front of Soncrin, she was very well-behaved. Upon hearing his words, she quickly fixed her demeanor.

At this moment, something was finally about to emerge from the now stable spatial gate.

"Woooong!!"

First, a high-pitched groan of wood and iron came out.

This simple cry alone spread throughout a hundred-mile radius from the spatial gate

A gigantic bird-shaped wooden head emerged from the spatial gate. Adorned with a red and black crest, so red it looked as if blood could drip from it, and so dark, it looked like living shadows.

Then came the rest of the airship.

Its enormous body of about 80 meters, a mixture of clear silver and ironwood, it's sails were spread out, giving a feeling of covering the sky and obscuring the sun.

Upon seeing the full appearance of this massive beast of a ship, some people from the Noble families recognized it and called out its name,

"Timeless."

"So cool."

The Beast, called Timeless, floated silently in mid-air. The Academy's most prized alchemical War weapon...

At this moment, a grand voice came from the bow of Timeless.

"Is everyone here?"

Everyone bowed slightly and replied respectfully, "Yes. Great wizard."

Suddenly, some light projected from the top of the ship and appeared in front of these nobles.

A vast amount of mental power covered the entire crowd. Immediately these light projections twisted into humanoid figures.

The lead figure stepped forward, his eyes seemingly piering through their mind, "Interesting, there really is a strange fellow causing trouble as you reported."

"Very well, I am Pedrov Arcanthus... I will be taking charge for now. To think I have to take over this mess, just as I am returning from the Imaginary Realm"

These words came from the black haired man, like he were someone who owned the world.

________

Previously, for countless times, Kai had wondered what his future would be like if he had somehow survive his third year in the tower, but the conclusions he reached were always unsatisfactory.

But today, more than a month later, he realized that his fate might truly have permanently changed...

"Boom!!!"

Inside the a simulation training ground, a fan shaped orange-red flame containing terrifying power flew from Kai's black bone wand, accurately sweeping a wave raging wild board, then exploding with a roar and knocking the enemies into the air.

The scorching flames instantly engulfed these massive raging wild boars, even though they were large enough to knock down a fully armored knight.

As flesh and bone were continuously eroded by the intense fire, these creatures let out a series of miserable screams.

However, this process did not last too long, as the wild boars scattered like illusory dust.

"Whew—"

Kai, drenched in sweat, let out a long breath, then looked down at the external mechanical arm fitted on his right arm, moving freely and exuding a metallic aesthetic.

This was precisely one of the Tier 2 Mana Mechanical Arms he had just created—the Apprentice's Hand!

Before this, he had never encountered this kind of mechanical arm called the 'Apprentice's Hand,' nor had he seen anything similar in the school's library or academic papers.

Because this was a brand new, higher-tier mechanical arm, an extension based on Selene's improved Precision Control Mechanical Arm.

It not only further enhanced the original "Precision Control" and "Mana Sensing" but also added an effect of "Elemental Control."

After experimentation, he found that when wearing this mechanical arm, his control over various mana elements had significantly improved compared to before.

Take the zero-order spell, Ignition, after taking it to the max level, its power and effects were similar to the mid grade 1st order Cantrip spell, the Great Fireball Spell.

Aside from the wand's effects, due to the improved Elemental Control, its power actually increased by a full 35%, which allowed him to kill a wave of raging wild boars with a single blow!

However, the function of the Apprentice's Hand is far from limited to this.

As an advanced version of the Precision Control Mechanical Arm, its "Elemental Control" can also be used in some delicate tasks.

Such as drawing runes, concocting potions, cultivating enchanted plants, creating Alchemy Constructs...

Because many enchanted materials, inherently possess elemental properties, and some elemental properties can be extremely unstable.

Having more advanced elemental control capabilities allows for maximizing utilization without damaging the material.

This is crucial for any Wizard specializing in any form of Alchemy.

It can be said that with the Apprentice's Hand, Ivan can not only elevate the power of his spells by a notch.

He can also gain a huge advantage in profound disciplines such as Circlecraft, Glyphbinding, Anatomy, Alchemic Concoctions and constructs, Sympathetic Arts, Species Research Studies, and Relicforging!

And recently, he plans on combining spells with his daily life. He believes that magic should be a habit and is a great direction of using witchcraft.

As a wizard, if you don't use witchcraft daily, and wait until the time for battle.

Would you then be practicing witchcraft on the spot?

That's too abstract!

Daily use will allow the traces of witchcraft to penetrate one's bones.

This is what a wizard should look like.

"Ser... Ser. Malachi, Permit me to have a word with you..." Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from behind at this time.