Chapter 298 – Inequality

The runes Punk had drawn functioned as expected. Though the influence of negative emotions still made Anya frown deeply in her comatose state, she ultimately endured this wave of negative emotional energy eruption.

The gray-black mist surged violently at first, coiling like swirling dragons around Anya’s body and even Punk’s vicinity, searching for weaknesses to exploit.

To ensure the success of this “Host Project,” Punk had invested heavily, setting up several powerful Netheril-era spells consecutively at the laboratory level. These gray mists of negative emotional energy, having lost their source, were ultimately too feeble.

In the end, they failed to breach the magical defenses, only managing to collide repeatedly and fruitlessly against the golden, gleaming runic chains.

Observing these gray “mist serpents” that, with their remaining minimal power, could still deplete half the energy of the Magic Tower’s Elemental Pool in just a few collisions, Punk couldn’t help but sigh in awe once more:

“The power of Legendary beings is truly unimaginable. The qualitative leap achieved through laws can no longer be compensated for by quantity alone. Even Master-Level spells specifically designed for energy containment in the Netheril era could barely withstand the chaotic breakthrough of a mere wisp of Legendary-tier energy.”

Despite his amazement, Punk didn’t pause his work.

The storage of negative emotional energy in the Eerie Eyeball was, after all, quite limited. The amount released during its eruption wasn’t excessive. However… Punk had no effective means to handle this negative emotional energy. Neither sealing nor restraining it was feasible with Master-Level spells. In the end, he could only guide the gray mist directly into the souls of the Iron-Toothed Ravens, allowing the negative emotional energy to transform into its most fundamental, ordinary emotional state based on its inherent trait of “influencing other beings.”

The cost?—Those five Iron-Toothed Ravens went mad. Yes, the irreparable kind; their very soul natures were directly altered.

“Ah, if only this energy could erupt all at once. Transferring it to other creatures would save so much trouble,” Punk mused sincerely, observing the Iron-Toothed Ravens that had either turned dull-witted or frenzied.

Of course, such convenience was not to be.

This eruption of negative emotional energy had consumed a significant portion of the Eerie Eyeball’s stored power. Yet, Punk also noticed that roughly ten units of negative emotional energy persistently encircled the fragment of law deep within the eyeball, refusing to dissipate. These nearly “solidified” energies clinging to the law fragment couldn’t be directly stripped away by Punk. Faced with them, he felt nothing but profound helplessness.

After all, Punk’s current strength was still insufficient. With his Master-Level capabilities, aside from relying on hosts like Anya—or even more such hosts—to gradually wear down the energy through painstaking effort, he truly had no other options.

Resigned, Punk could only subtly inscribe a monitoring array on the Eerie Eyeball and carefully “deposit” it into Anya’s eye socket:

“Little girl, you must live on happily and strong. Strive to Annihilate as much negative emotional energy as you can before you lose your mind.”After casting a gaze at the still-sleeping Anya as if observing sprouting barley, Punk murmured to himself in a low voice.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the alchemy tools in his hand had already sealed the wound on Anya’s head. With the subsequent release of a Master-Level evocation spell—”Greater Healing”—not a single scar would remain on Anya’s face.

The inherent power level of the Eerie Eyeball itself could evade detection by the majority of Master-Level divination spells, and Punk’s Haitzita Magic Box further ensured that he, the “mastermind,” remained thoroughly concealed.

Thus, unless someone captured Anya and dissected her, no one in this world—including Anya herself—would ever know that her seemingly ordinary right eyeball was no longer “ordinary.”

——————————————

In what felt like a blink, the morning had passed, with the twin suns Mila and Chikasa already hanging high in the sky.

As time wore on, the effects of the potion Anya had taken gradually faded. After Punk used an alchemical spell to extract the last traces of the potion from her system, Anya finally groggily opened her eyes.

“Where… am I? Ah! So cold!”

Due to the lingering effects of the “Whirlwind of Smoke” potion, Anya’s consciousness remained hazy, and for a moment, she failed to recall that she was in Punk’s laboratory.

“Awake? If you are, put your clothes on. Next, we need to discuss your future path in magic.”

Just as Anya was about to exclaim upon realizing her naked state, Punk’s emotionless, icy tone acted like a bucket of cold water poured over her head, jolting her back to full awareness.

Since the Eerie Eyeball had just expended a wave of negative emotional energy and was now in a dormant state, Anya didn’t perceive anything unusual. Hearing Punk’s command, she instinctively sat up and replied:

“Understood, Master.”

However… Anya had clearly forgotten her lack of clothing. Her sudden leap to a sitting position resulted in what could only be described as a “spring scene inadvertently revealed”…

Of course, Punk showed no interest in Anya’s beauty, figure, or the “tedious” accidental exposure. Only after a thoroughly flushed Anya had dressed herself did Punk leisurely address her:

“Among mages, there exist eight schools: Evocation, Conjuration, Enchantment, Alchemy, Divination, Psionics, Summoning, and Manifestation. Generally, mages with average talent choose to specialize in one school while supplementing with another. Although your talent is exceptional, I advise against overconfidence. Selecting two schools and progressing steadily is the wisest course.”

Punk’s words were measured, and his advice sounded reasonable, but… his tone was unequivocally that of a command. At the very least, Anya didn’t feel that Punk was seeking her opinion in the slightest.

Meeting Punk’s gaze that clearly conveyed “no room for doubt,” the sensible Anya could only lower her head and reply with utmost deference:

“Understood, Master.””Very well, I’ve also noticed you possess considerable talent in Evocation. I believe Evocation is an excellent choice, so I recommend you select it as your major.”

“Understood, Mentor.”

“As for your minor… an outstanding secondary school can provide significant support. However, your aptitude for Divination is truly lacking, and the resources required for Alchemy would be too burdensome for you. Therefore, I suggest choosing Conjuration as your minor!”

“Understood, Mentor.”

“The spell resources in the Thought of Truth are generally quite expensive, and… evocation spells prioritize refinement over quantity. I believe you’d do best to specialize in one elemental type. Considering your rather poor constitution… hmm! The life element would be an excellent choice.”

“…Understood, Mentor!”

Just like that, Punk calmly attributed all his “sabotage” of Anya to her inherent shortcomings, while using a perfectly serious tone to guide the young girl onto a path utterly unsuited for her – yet most convenient for Punk to monitor and control through the “Eerie Eyeball.”

Being merely an apprentice, Anya naturally couldn’t refute Punk’s “suggestions” (commands). To these “recommendations” from her assigned mentor, she could only bow her head in silent agreement.

Thus, Anya’s future path was determined through this unequal exchange of questions and answers.

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(End of Chapter)