Chapter 223: Chapter 217: I Have a Rainbow Helmet, Want to Buy It?

A somber atmosphere filled the Floating Ship on its way back to the workshop.

Victor stared blankly out the porthole at the desolate land rushing past below. His ice-blue eyes still held a trace of a daze, the look of someone who had just survived a disaster.

He suddenly turned and stared intently at Allen, who sat beside him with his eyes closed, lost in thought.

"That... what in the world was that Witchcraft just now?"

He couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer.

’Domain-type Witchcraft... that’s not something you see every day!’

Allen opened his eyes. His deep blue irises were as calm as a placid lake, as if he had expected the question.

"Magic Turbulence."

He answered succinctly. "It’s a defensive Witchcraft that our mentor, Mercer, taught me not long ago."

"Defensive?" Victor’s lips twitched.

’It can stop a Second-level Wizard from using Witchcraft, and you call that defensive? Do you even know what defense means?’

"Its essence is to instantly draw a massive amount of Magic Power and violently infuse it into a given space, churning the ambient magic particles into a chaotic mess."

Allen explained, "Within this area, any spell model that requires the precise manipulation of Magic Power to construct will fail due to the intense environmental interference."

Victor understood instantly. A flash of horror crossed his eyes. "So, the Witchcraft doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe?"

"Correct," Allen nodded. "Once it’s cast, no one within its range can use magic, including me. And it doesn’t last long."

’So that’s how it works.’

Understanding dawned on Victor, followed by a wave of lingering fear.

The conditions for using this Witchcraft were incredibly harsh; it was practically a trump card for mutual destruction.

But then, he realized the crucial point.

"But it’s as if it were tailor-made for us Alchemy Wizards,"

Victor muttered. "We can’t use magic, but our Golem Legion... can still function!"

When all Wizards were brought to the same level, unable to use Witchcraft, the "external forces" one could command became the deciding factor!

"Magic Turbulence..."

Victor mulled over the name. "With that kind of power, would it be considered advanced Witchcraft?"

"No, it’s just a standard Intermediate Witchcraft."

Allen finally stopped what he was doing and turned to face him, his expression calm. "However, to achieve the effect we just saw, there’s a prerequisite."

"A massive amount of Magic Power, far beyond the limits of a typical First-level Wizard."

Allen explained calmly, "It must be used in conjunction with the Core Witchcraft, Energy Dominion, to instantly drain the power from all my Golems—and even the workshop’s magic furnace—to create a temporary ’magic-free zone’."

"As for Energy Dominion, you’ll be able to learn it from our mentor soon enough."

Victor nodded. After a moment’s thought, he added, "I feel like we were very lucky to win this time."

Allen agreed. "You’re right. It was far too risky."

Their recent, easy victory over the chieftain-level Magical Beast had gone to their heads, making them subconsciously underestimate the danger a Second-level Wizard posed.

The two couldn’t be compared. A chieftain-level Magical Beast might have the destructive power of a Second-level Wizard, but it lacked a Wizard’s diverse and uncanny abilities.

Victor said, a note of lingering fear in his voice, "This Grock was from a traditional branch of the Contract School. His personal strength was relatively weak, and he was heavily reliant on his contracted Magical Beasts. And his Ability Sharing happened to be perfectly countered by Magic Turbulence."

He paused, his tone growing solemn. "If a Second-level Wizard from the Bloodline School had shown up today, he could have dismantled your Golem with his bare hands. If it had been someone from the Witchcraft School, they probably would have detected us setting our trap with all sorts of bizarre Knowledge Magic. And as for the Mind School..."

Victor trailed off, but his meaning was clear.

The attacks of the Mind School weren’t even on the physical plane.

Victor added, "Even within the Contract School, there are branches that specialize in ’channeling,’ temporarily borrowing the power of greater beings. If Grock had been that type, we wouldn’t have stood a chance either."

"A fluke, for sure."

Allen concluded, "’Where there’s life, there’s hope.’ We shouldn’t attempt to fight opponents so far above our level again unless we’re absolutely certain of victory."

This narrow victory served as a wake-up call for both geniuses.

They exchanged a look, each seeing both relief and caution in the other’s eyes.

Winning once doesn’t mean we’ll win every time.

This world is far more dangerous than we ever imagined.

When the Odyssey arrived at the workshop, Allen told Victor to go get some rest while he began to calculate their spoils.

When Allen handed a list to Victor, the heir to the Tieyan Clan was leaning against a sofa in the lounge, tending to his wounds.

"What’s this...?" Victor asked, taking the list.

"A plan for dividing the spoils," Allen said succinctly. "Total profit is 684,000 Magic Stones. You used your Realm-Splitting Defense and risked your life fighting beside me. I couldn’t have captured him without you. Based on your contribution, you get thirty percent: 205,200 Magic Stones."

Victor stared at the number, his fingers tightening slightly.

His workshop was gone, his Golem Legion had been annihilated, and he had already paid Allen 280,000 in compensation. At this point, even his family’s coffers were running low.

"I’d like to keep the Shadow-Flash Ring for myself. Any objections?"

"None."

Victor shook his head. He needed the cash flow more than an artifact that couldn’t be immediately liquidated.

Allen added, "I’ll value it at its market price of 200,000 Magic Stones. I’ll sell the remaining Magical Beast materials and that Spatial Pet Bracelet as soon as possible and give you the Magic Stones then."

"Alright." Victor didn’t refuse. He really needed the money.

After putting the list away, Allen seemed to recall something and pulled an item from his Storage Ring.

It was that gaudy, shimmering, rainbow-colored "Immersive Spiritual Power Conduction Helmet."

"Victor," Allen’s tone suddenly became like that of a professor patiently guiding a student. "I’m guessing you’ve also integrated the Mechanical Mind, haven’t you?"

Victor froze, then watched him warily. "What are you getting at?"

"Nothing, just a friendly reminder between allies." Allen’s expression was the picture of sincerity. "You must be well aware of the side effects of the Mechanical Mind. The emotional apathy, the logical fallacies... over time, you’ll slowly turn into a cold, unfeeling machine."

Victor fell silent.

This was indeed the Sword of Damocles that all Wizards who chose this path had to face.

"As it happens, I have a solution right here." The corner of Allen’s mouth lifted in a mysterious smile, making him look exactly like one of those snake oil salesmen from his past life.

Victor: "..."

He looked at Allen’s earnest face, then at the helmet that looked anything but like a serious alchemical product, and suddenly had the urge to punch him.

’This guy... we just finished splitting the loot, and now he’s trying to make more money off me?’

"The Emotional Baseline Correction Protocol, high-end tech from the Mind School."

Allen began his performance. "It can effectively counteract the negative effects of the Mechanical Mind, providing an ’anchor’ for your humanity. Seeing as we’re allies now, I’ll give you a special price—eighty thousand Magic Stones, with free future content updates included."

He had thought that for Victor, a fellow disciple of their mentor, this would be an offer he couldn’t refuse.

However, Victor merely glanced at the helmet for two seconds before shaking his head.

"There’s no need."

His reply was crisp and decisive, catching Allen by surprise.

"Oh?" Allen raised an eyebrow. He put the helmet away and looked at Victor with renewed interest. "You’re not worried about the side effects?"

"Of course I am." Victor straightened his back, the pride of the Tieyan Clan’s heir returning to his face.

His ice-blue eyes met Allen’s as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly.

"But the Tieyan Clan, of course, has its own methods."

"Fair enough!" His sales pitch having failed, Allen shrugged and turned to leave.