manynovel Page 2
Page 2
After a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications, you learn from Mrs. Red Dragon that the reason she accidentally crushed your house was because she smelled the scent of her own blood while flying between planes. She lost her balance and fell from the sky, becoming separated from her human companion, the one she called her husband.
You maliciously tell her that the lord of Dragonhorn Territory is raising a young red dragon. Upon hearing this, Lady Red Dragon immediately flies to the lord's castle without a word, while you take advantage of the chaos to escape the dungeon, determined to flee this dangerous place before the female demon who has killed you several times arrives.
On the way, you see the guard fleeing in disarray amidst a group of soldiers abandoning their armor and weapons. Seeing you escape the dungeon, he curses and charges at you.
You made a gesture of international goodwill, then fled the scene at breakneck speed—you didn't bother with him, because you knew that soon the young red dragon raised by the lord would go berserk and devour them all.
Not long after, you escaped to a farm near the northern outskirts. In your new plan, you would blend in with a group of magic apprentices under the cover of night and travel by carriage to Lundia, the magical capital of the Kingdom of Norard, to try to find a way to remove the blasphemous mark on your body in this huge metropolis that rivals the capital.
"Ah, a new map has been released. Are we fleeing north this time?" Regaining his composure, Latis looked at the text and nodded. "As expected of me, my main focus is on initiative."
He then looked down.
However, even though you changed your escape route again, Mrs. Red Dragon still came knocking on your door. Your heart skipped a beat, and you greeted her with a pale face.
"Oh, a young man with such a small staff." Mrs. Red Dragon landed on the ground happily, grinning widely. "My bloodline is indeed here! That wretched lord used a enslavement spell to conceal its aura, and it took me a great deal of effort to find it. And look, the child is overjoyed now, flying freely around the castle!"
"That's wonderful," you said insincerely. The repeated experiences of being caught by the red dragon finally reminded you to ask her, so you humbly inquired how she had found her way.
The red dragon told you she remembered the scent of your staff and was able to find you using a location spell based on the magic network. "Isn't that amazing? Magic."
[Though you yearn for magic, you could only helplessly accept this fact. The next second, an inexplicable force seemed to collapse as the sky crumbled, but you skillfully rolled backward, as if you had foreseen it, dodging a magical ray that descended from the heavens.]
"Eh, the magic net?" The red dragon, caught completely off guard, had barely uttered those words when its massive head fell to the ground. A woman dressed in priestess then appeared beside the dragon, glanced at you in surprise, and with a wave of her hand, plunged you into darkness.
"Senior, no, Madam..." Latis sighed sadly as she looked at this familiar scene, "How could you be killed so easily?"
Yes, although the progress of each simulation is slightly different, every time he gets to this point, he is caught up by the red dragon and then kidnapped by the priestess who came to slay the dragon.
He also tried not to make contact with the red dragon at first, but that would either result in him being indiscriminately killed by the berserk red dragon that couldn't find its child, or being swallowed whole when he first met the red dragon.
"Does this woman have a grudge against me?" Latis grumbled angrily, her eyes glued to the simulator. "Why does she keep arresting me? Is she some kind of demon?"
[After an unknown amount of time, you awoke, finding yourself once again in the castle of Dragonhorn Territory. Just as you began to consider choosing a comfortable way to die, a woman's voice came from the high seat: "Why do you bear the mark of a blasphemer?"]
A mature woman dressed in priestly attire sits on a wide chair, legs crossed, looking at you. What do you choose?
[A. Generously demonstrate to her how blasphemous you are; B. Rationally promote atheistic materialism; C. Kneel down and beg her to spare you or you'll hang yourself at her door; D. Take out the necklace the hooded man gave you and shout "Gaia!"]
“It’s too abstract…”
Latis's gaze subtly swept over the first three options, finally settling on the fourth.
"Huh, this is the first time I've seen this kind of option. I'll choose D!"
You pull out your eye-shaped necklace and shout "Gaia!" but to your disappointment, you don't transform. Undeterred, you continue shouting, "Tiga! Seven! Zero! Black Rhino Armor! Emperor Armor! Balala Transformation! Super Lollipop! Link Start!"
Unfortunately, none of this transformed you. You sighed, then gracefully folded your collar, hoping the priestess wouldn't damage your clothes when she beheaded you, so the poor people in the countryside could at least wear them to keep warm after picking them up.
[Elegant, so elegant! Yet death did not arrive as expected. You opened your eyes, surprised to find the priestess staring blankly at the necklace in your hand, slowly approaching. At the same time, the resilient souls of your two lifetimes flowed into the necklace, completing a synchronization in an instant, and the information about the hooded man's heirloom appeared in your mind.]
[Herold's Eye (Already Synchronized): Allows the user to cast a random sixth-circle spell once per day (Today's spell: Charm). Activates and upgrades (lv.1) after absorbing the souls of nearby high-ranking monsters that have died.]
[You now know the necklace's function, and you also understand that it was the deadly red dragon that activated and upgraded it. You just activated the sixth ring's charm on humans, which is why the unsuspecting priestess suddenly lost her aggression and became dazed.]
["A sixth-ringed charmer can keep her under control for at least an hour. I should take this opportunity to escape..." This thought had barely crossed your mind when you were suddenly horrified to find the priestess grabbing your shoulder. Your eyes widened, and before you could even cry for help, you were subjected to a series of negative effects.]
[It's disarmament! The priestess actually initiated disarmament! That cunning woman!]
Caught off guard, your precious staff falls into her hands. You want to escape, but as a man aspiring to become a high-level, even legendary, mage, how can you let your prized staff be abandoned like this! You resolutely risk your dignity and engage in a tug-of-war with the priestess using the staff!
?
Latis was dumbfounded.
Chapter 3 A Sudden Appearance... My Ex-Husband?
[Good evening, viewers. This is a live broadcast of the staff tug-of-war competition from Magic University. The man in the center of the screen, wearing a straw robe, is our protagonist, Mr. Latis.]
Opposite him, dressed in heavy priestly robes and black stockings, her hands gripping her staff tightly, was his opponent in this competition—Miss Mitu, the acting priestess and magic apprentice guide of the Dragonhorn Territory of the Kingdom of Norard.
The match quickly became intense, with the highly aggressive Miss Mitu dominating almost all the available space. Mr. Latis, his face flushed, seemed completely unable to resist Miss Mitu's onslaught—or rather, he loosened his grip; the staff was now entirely under Miss Mitu's control. Was he going to give up? Mr. Latis, are you going to be a coward for life or a true man for a second?
[Oh? Mr. Latis has launched his attack! He broke free from Miss Mitu's control with a sudden, unexpected staff thrust followed by a waist pull—a brilliant feint, perhaps! Mr. Latis gripped his staff, turned, and began to move. How will Miss Mitu respond?]
The answer is unwavering determination! Such a brilliant pursuit is truly ingenious! Oh no, Mr. Latis is under heavy control! Mr. Latis can't move! Latis unleashed a powerful skull-cracking attack!
Please refrain from personal attacks, Mr. Latis. A next time would result in a red card!
[Mr. Latis, help! Unfortunately, Mr. Latis didn't put on his aura belt beforehand. We can see the pure white magic dissipating into thin magical essence, seeping from the hard staff, thus quickly announcing the result of this brief match...]
[Oh no, wait, Latis isn't down! Latis is still dealing damage! Dear viewers, look! Latis is back up... Latis is instantly killed!]
[Let's celebrate Miss Mitu's victory! Failure is the mother of success; hopefully, Mr. Latis will learn from this experience and strive for even greater achievements in the future!]
[This concludes the broadcast of the Magic University competition. We will now be inserting a short segment. Sports enthusiasts, please remember to tune in to the Magic University segment for more exciting content!]
Latis stared blankly at the rapidly appearing abstract text, the terror in his eyes gradually turning into a faint resignation to death. He subconsciously peeked left and right, then murmured with relief:
"This is way too much for a nearly thirty-year-old innocent office worker. If people knew, I'd rather be dead. Thank goodness..."
He shook his head, putting the intense live broadcast of the match out of his mind, and suddenly said excitedly:
"But this time I didn't get stuck! I should be able to save myself now!"
Latis continued looking down.
[Shortly after, you woke up. Your first experience with a tug-of-war left you with aches all over, except for your back; as for your kidneys, you couldn't even feel them anymore!]
Just as you were stumbling and putting on your robes, intending to escape as soon as possible, a burly figure enveloped in an AT field... no, a magical aura emerged from the void. He held a staff resembling a long spear and asked in a gruff voice, "Apprentice, have you seen a female red dragon with low intelligence?"
[Could this be Mrs. Red Dragon's husband? You instantly guessed the burly man's identity, so you immediately complained to him that someone had killed his wife, pointing to the priestess you had wrapped in a carpet on the ground.]
"This is truly heartbreaking!" The burly man's face beamed with barely suppressed joy, then he immediately adopted a sorrowful expression, angrily slamming his long staff into the ground. He looked at the still-slumbering priestess, and with a flash of his AT field, a massive magic circle silently unfolded within the palace.
Although you, who are not even an apprentice, cannot understand what kind of spell this is, it does not prevent it from instantly turning the priestess and the space dozens of meters below the palace into dust.
"I have this feeling that seeing the word 'staff' is starting to make some inexplicable associations..." Latis muttered to himself. "Simulator, be serious for once!"
Startled, you collapsed to the ground, praying that the capricious mage wouldn't casually finish you off. Fortunately, the burly man didn't seem to be a bloodthirsty person; he warmly helped you up and inquired in detail about the events leading up to Mrs. Red Dragon's death.
Upon learning that she was searching for her bloodline, the burly man's expression changed, and he angrily cursed, "How many more little junior high students are there?" For some reason, you felt that the burly man's bald forehead had a slightly greenish tinge.
The burly man sighed, and under your curious gaze, he earnestly advised you not to reveal your "true name" to others after advancing to the level of a legendary mage. Feeling utterly ignorant, you honestly asked a question, only to receive a cold laugh from the bald, burly man. He told you that if you could become a legend within thirty years, he would lead you on the path to finding your true name.
"Thirty years?" The familiar number almost triggered your inner demons, but thankfully you stopped yourself from making that fatal mistake. Having been used to being promised a life-changing promise since childhood, you didn't take his words seriously, casually saying "Okay, okay" and deciding to continue with your original plan.
[The burly man was about to leave when he suddenly noticed something. He tapped the ground with his staff, and the next second, a jet-black key floated up from the deep pit where the priestess had disappeared, landing in his hand. The burly man examined it for a moment, then suddenly laughed and said, "Interesting," before tossing the key to you.]
[The Strange Key: A mysterious relic of the High Priestess Mitu, seemingly possessing a strange resonance with the magic network.]
As if anticipating your question, when you looked up, only a slowly disappearing magic circle remained. "Farewell!" the burly man's voice echoed in the air before vanishing along with the dazzling magical light.
[With your unwavering resolve, this minor doubt did not hinder your progress. You put away the key, casually mourned your untimely deaths as a fellow inmate and the priestess, and hurried back to the farm in the northern suburbs.]
The dozen or so magic apprentices who had already gathered didn't notice your infiltration. They were anxiously peering out the door, completely unaware that you had climbed in through the window and started eating their rations.
"Sometimes the extradition officer won't come, and there's no guarantee of danger along the way," you hear an aged voice say. "This is like a preliminary test for law school; if you successfully travel independently, you can be admitted without taking the entrance exam."
[You were somewhat bewildered as you were swept out the door by the throng of apprentices. You received a manual from the elderly gatekeeper, and then boarded a carriage with the eager apprentices. Everyone seemed rather reserved, which comforted you. You then slept soundly, and the night passed uneventfully.]
[The Fundamentals of Magical Networks: A small booklet of less than ten pages, detailing the basic steps from sensing magical elements to registering an account within the network.]
"Finally, I've come into contact with magic! Haha, I'm going to succeed!" Latis shouted excitedly. "My great cause begins here. The time to conquer the world has come!"
"Let's pop the champagne!"
He happily shook the unfinished breadstick and looked down with great ambition.
The next morning, as soon as you opened your eyes, you saw your fellow apprentices scattered about, not even bothering to tidy up. Then you noticed what seemed to be a row of buttocks hanging from a tree not far away. You paused, stunned, and realized that one of the buttocks looked remarkably like your own.
[Suddenly, a four-legged beast with an eagle's head and wings descended from the sky, grabbed the familiar-looking buttocks, and you felt a sharp pain in your lower body. You died.]
Chapter 4 Unable to Break Through the Magic Network
[This simulation has ended. Proceeding to the settlement screen...]
[Comment: You're flying! Although your death was rather abstract, the fact that your butt can fly is truly amazing! If flight is the domain of legendary mages, then you're practically a half-legend! You've had a close encounter with magic; this is a small step for Latis, but a giant leap for the abstract world of Atlantis! You, a mortal, infiltrated the body of a high-ranking mage and achieved remarkable results. We look forward to the day you become a god!]
You have obtained 20 drops of Goddess's Water, current balance: 20
You can redeem your currency from the following options:
1. Items obtained in this simulation (value: 10).
2. Skills learned in this simulation (none yet).
3. All memories from this simulation (Value: 10).
Latis, clutching his icy bottom, howled and rolled around. After a while, he finally managed to grimace and mutter to himself, "I'm so tired!"
"You really can't open the champagne halfway through... Anyway, there's still progress!"
He quickly skimmed over the nonsensical reviews and looked at the reward options.
"I definitely need to choose the items, but the priestess's key is secondary. That magic manual is the most important thing. With it, I can learn magic, and then use the simulator to snowball my magic again and again. In the end, I will definitely be able to leave here alive!"
Then he looked at the memory worth 10 drops of Goddess Water and hesitated for a moment.
"That adds up to exactly 20 points. Something feels off. Is this memory really something I absolutely have to buy...? This simulation didn't seem to accomplish anything important at all!"
"Women will only hinder my progress in learning magic!" He stopped hesitating, readily selected the item, and then clicked to complete the transaction.
You have obtained a strange key and "The Fundamentals of Magical Networks".
As the simulated text pulsed, Latis keenly sensed something being launched into his mind. The tingling, swollen feeling made him involuntarily close his eyes, and in a milky white light, he saw the jet-black key and the booklet.
"It's quite humane. I thought it would appear directly in reality, otherwise the guards would definitely snatch it away."
Latis enthusiastically tried flipping through books in his mind, whether it was flipping forward or backward or using quantum speed reading, the whole process was as smooth as if it had been lubricated.
After playing for a while, he yawned and lay back down on the haystack, glancing at the half-elf who was still coughing occasionally in his sleep.
“But this time, thanks to this brother’s necklace, we were able to break out of this predicament…” He stroked the necklace, which had returned to its inactive state, and thought to himself, “He’s going to be beheaded first thing Sunday morning. Sigh, I’ll try to see if I can hold out until the Red Dragon descends. Saving his life will settle things once and for all.”
Latis closed his eyes and opened the magic manual in his mind.
……
The first step to becoming a mage is to sense magic energy.
Everyone has different talents. Some people are born with a magical affinity or a certain bloodline, while others gain magical power by taking elixirs or eating magical creatures.
However, anyone who wants to become a spellcaster must first pass the test of perceiving magic elements. Only by perceiving the basic elements that make up the magic network can one connect to it.