The first lesson was cut short because I had entered a semi-spiritual state using an artifact. Now, I couldn't slip back into that state. I could sense the world through the spiritual realm, but only within a radius of one meter; beyond that, I felt nothing.
"SVEN!" my father shouted.
"What?" I blurted out, jumping in fright.
"You're ignoring me." His expression was one of deep dissatisfaction.
"No, I'm not."
He sighed. "As I was saying—how did the first lesson go?"
"Good. I saw the general particles in the air."
"Fine. We'll leave it at that then."
I couldn't quite grasp his last words. Was she on some kind of "probationary period"? I quickly finished my chicken and rice and hurried away from the table. Aurion left even faster than I did.
Sitting down at my desk, I began reading the book The Red Prince.
[You are my blood and my flesh, you must obey me, you are my magi...]
This was one of the favorite novels of Karl, Edward, Sun, and Darius. They had even become friends because of it. Good god, only now did I realize they were probably just too lazy to invent new novels within another visual novel. But I have to give them credit—it really is interesting.
Sigh. What was it Bayan said? I need to buy an artifact with a sensory bonus from the shop.
Shop: Search | Filter:
Fatal Egg
Stone Ring
Concubine's Hairpin ...
I selected the "Sensory Bonus" filter.
Total: 2,903 items
Sea King's Diadem
Teacher's Ring
Eye of Alyasi
Hand of Tasha ...
I claimed 20k Bao from the Battle Pass. I have 60k Bao right now. I set the price filter between 5k and 10k Bao.
Total: 11 items
Teacher's Ring
Vine Grown from Virgin Tears
Widow's Rose
OrkiCrow Chain ...
I checked all thirteen items from A to Z. Total garbage. I'm only level one by the game's standards, but these are trash even for me. The Widow's Rose has a "Time Stop" perk, but the catch is that time stops for the owner too!
God, if I spend too much now, I won't be able to afford the ritual dagger. My inner cheapskate is screaming. But fine—I won't be using that dagger until Level 3 anyway, whereas I can use an artifact right now.
After I bumped the price range up to 40k, I found it:
Humanist Executioner's Ring (Rare) The ring of a pacifist who had to kill for his bread.
+20% Sensory
+20% Resistance to Psychic Attacks
Trait: Cold-blooded (Python's Calm)
-10% Strength Price: 39,990 Bao
It's the perfect artifact for the money. I can buy a sensory bonus, but I can't buy a concentration bonus—that would be too much interference with my mind. An artifact for memory, however, wouldn't be as intrusive.
How many phone passcodes have I tried so far? 900? Yeah. I pulled Sven's phone from my pocket and started cycling through codes again. 0901, 0902, 0903, 0904, 0905, 0906, 0907, 0908. The screen flickered on.
Thank god. I quickly went into the contact list. She had to be here. Danrilia, the Elven Count's daughter. God, I'd take off her stockings and lick her feet myself... wait, what? Only 9 contacts? Mom, Dad, Older Brother, Younger Brother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, Female Cousin, Grandpa... and that's it? Does Sven really have no friends?
Hold on. Maybe there are friends on other social media apps.
None. I don't have a single friend. God, now I understand why Sven has only 8 points in Charisma. But I have to hand it to him, he's a true hikikomori. He has premium versions of Romance DID and Lan Zhan Sure. 3,194 read novels, 1,955 read manhwas, and 193 titles currently on his "reading" list.
What does make me happy is the internet access. Now I can watch lectures, listen to podcasts, and play music. And I'll need to read the novels and comics Sven hasn't finished yet.
After browsing for a bit, I started wondering: why are there so many cat-people in Mortdeyn? The game mentioned that most people have a cat-girl fetish, but this is ridiculous. I've only been online for an hour, and my head is already spinning.
I opened the "DID Video" service. It looks like they have a monopoly on all video platforms. I typed "Magic Training" into the search bar. Bayan didn't ask why I don't know the basics like Sensory and Concentration.
But at the Academy, they'll ask why I don't know the basics. He was supposed to have been taught at the boarding school during summer break. What month is it now? The Month of the Lizard... in three weeks, it'll be the Month of the Cow. If I remember correctly, summer break ends in the Month of the Cow.
Regular students, over nine years of school or boarding, train their Sensory skills to about 100 meters—or "330 feet," as they say in academic circles. Some gifted ones can see more than just general particles (which can be absorbed to create spells); they can see into the body and observe how muscles move. But many stay at that level because universities don't teach these basics.
Well, it seems I haven't forgotten anything I know from the game.
I quickly found a video on DID Video titled "Fast-Track Basics: Sensory and Concentration Lessons." I started the playlist:
[Good day to you, dear subscribers. I have read 250 books on magic training. Today, as someone who dropped out after the second year of Artifact Engineering...]