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Chapter 497: The "Gift" of Fate
The pale golden Nether Scroll felt like fine leather to the touch, light and weightless, far less heavy than its significance in the minds of spellcasters.
The central area of the scroll bore no inscriptions, but as soon as it "noticed" Matthew's gaze, it gradually began to glow and brighten.
Dense patterns of spells and arcane structures emerged before Matthew's eyes.
From a faint outline at first to a clear depiction later, the scroll fully revealed its content to Matthew.
It was the very spell Matthew had been searching for:
Construct Enlightenment Spell!
This was an exceedingly complex and high-difficulty spell.
It was an eighth-tier spell!
Moreover, its casting difficulty was considerable; it required several hours of continuous effort to succeed.
However, precisely because of these stringent conditions, its effect was extraordinary.
Construct Enlightenment Spell LV1 grants permanent enhancements of Intelligence +2 and Charisma +2 to the targeted construct.
The ability to directly enhance the attributes of constructs and golems undoubtedly made this spell exceptionally useful and precious.
Without hesitation, Matthew committed the spell to memory. While he couldn't analyze or cast it yet, it was undoubtedly a crucial piece for his future plans.
With the Construct Enlightenment Spell, Matthew's long-dormant Vitality Bestowal could once again shine brightly.
Yet, despite his preparation for this "surprise," Matthew hadn't anticipated it unfolding in this way.
Shortly after benefiting Matthew, the Nether Scroll dimmed again and floated back upward.
What appeared mysterious to others revealed a wealth of information in Matthew's eyes.
[Nether Scroll, Fragmented Edition (Transcendent).]
Those few brief words conveyed a great deal.
"The Nether Scroll is indeed a fragmented edition..."
"The highest insights it offers likely reach only the transcendent level..."
"No wonder it doesn't interest legendary spellcasters."
"..."
Having gained some insight, Matthew didn't dwell on it further and turned to leave.
He had noticed some clues and now needed to verify them.
As Matthew emerged, Cronorman and Rafa exchanged surprised glances in his direction.
To them, Matthew's quick departure suggested he had gained nothing.
After all, obtaining the "gift" of the Nether Scroll should result in at least one spell.
Memorizing or copying it wouldn't be something that could be done in just two or three minutes.
Cronorman, unfazed, nodded at Rafa and led Matthew away.
Watching their silhouettes vanish through teleportation, Rafa's earlier smile turned ice-cold.
He turned toward the secret chamber housing the Nether Scroll. Noticing its dimmed state, a trace of indifference flashed in his eyes.
As he turned, his long, slightly pointed ears became prominently visible.
When Matthew opened his eyes again, he was back in the floating tower. Cronorman's reassuring voice rang in his ears:
"Don't worry about that thing. For an Arcanist, knowledge painstakingly researched is grasped more firmly."
"On the contrary, those seeking shortcuts often fail to take the critical step."
Hearing Cronorman's tone, Matthew, already deep in thought, didn't elaborate on his situation and instead nodded thoughtfully.
Cronorman, seeing Matthew neither frustrated nor immature, felt satisfied.
After all, he appreciated Matthew's talents and, due to certain connections, was willing to offer him some guidance.
But that didn't mean the great Arcanist was willing to play "babysitter."
With his disdain for tedious affairs and willingness to abandon even floating cities, he naturally lacked patience in such matters.
Fortunately, Matthew didn't disappoint him. Cronorman reminded him:
"The meeting will begin the day after tomorrow."
"Until then, feel free to explore Sevinton. Once the meeting is over, your freedom will be more limited."
Understanding Cronorman's subtext, Matthew smiled and replied:
"Thank you for the reminder, teacher. I'll handle everything before the meeting."
"After it's over, we'll return directly to Bay Territory. There's still a mountain of work waiting there..."
Hearing Matthew's plan, the great Arcanist nodded appreciatively. He summoned the tower spirit, granted Matthew access, and headed toward the laboratory.
His time was precious, too!
Matthew didn't immediately leave the floating tower with the people from Bay Territory. Instead, he returned to his room alone and gazed at his status panel:
[Luck -3!]
Before arriving, Matthew's Luck had been a stable +2. Now, it had plummeted by 5 points in an instant.
This suggested either a formidable opponent was targeting him, or the recent interaction with the Nether Scroll was to blame.
The former seemed unlikely; both his avatar and main body were in safe conditions.
If it was the latter, then things just got very interesting.
Receiving "revelation" from the Nether Scroll seemed to incur a drop in Luck. Matthew didn't believe he was the only one affected.
Verifying this was straightforward—he just needed to analyze the experiences of others who had interacted with the Nether Scroll.
Matthew had a hunch that the scroll's situation was far more complex than it appeared.
For now, Matthew set this issue aside because his time in Sevinton was running out.
"Alright, each of you gets 5,000 gold coins for purchases. Form teams of at least three and return by dawn."
"Sera and Elio, come with me. We'll take care of something first."
"Once it's done, I'll buy each of you a magic item."
Matthew instructed the people from Bay Territory and, along with Sera and Elio, boarded the floating carriage arranged by the tower spirit. They headed toward Sevinton below.
As the carriages descended, over ten nimble Professionals emerged.
They didn't approach too closely but stopped three meters away from the carriage and said:
"Do you need a guide, my lords? We know every corner of Sevinton. Just 2 gold coins per day per guide!"
Seeing their smiling faces, Matthew felt a strange sense of familiarity. His momentary daze quickly passed, and he responded with a smile:
"Bring one person up and take us to the construct street, as quickly as possible."
Delighted by his words, one agile and relatively young Rogue quickly stepped forward.
He skillfully took the reins, guiding the floating carriage toward their destination.
Noticing Elio's curious gaze, Matthew smiled and explained:
"Watch closely and think carefully."