Chapter 299 – Theory

Dealing with a suspicious young girl like Anya required both carrot and stick. Considering how Anya looked at him with ghost-like fear in her eyes, Punk felt the “stick” had been sufficient. It would be counterproductive if excessive control over Anya reduced her positive emotional output.

Moreover, according to Punk’s divination spell investigations, many foolish youngsters among this batch of apprentices would approach the “disciple of a Master-Level powerhouse”—namely Anya—with various ulterior motives. After all, her identity was quite sensitive within the low-level apprentice circles.

To help this dazed-looking girl recover quickly and provide her with some self-protection capability during the most dangerous “newcomer” period, Punk simply gifted her that novice mage robe solidified with a “Minor Deflection Field.”

Yes, it was the very light-blue robe Punk wore when he first embarked on his spellcaster journey.

This robe held significant sentimental value—Punk had worn it throughout his path from apprentice to Formal-Level.

Speaking of which, the last person Punk gifted this robe to was Bilan, who had died over five hundred years ago. After personally killing Bilan, he retrieved this novice robe purely for practical reuse. Now, after casually repairing the energy short circuits caused by time, it happened to be perfect as a gift for Anya.

Of course, intuitively, Punk felt this robe would serve as a gift many more times.

Anya was ultimately just a little girl who would naturally delight in receiving a beautiful present. Even though she hadn’t yet crossed the threshold of becoming a professional, her interactions with other apprentices along the way had made her aware of the preciousness of magic equipment.

It was worth noting that many wealthy Nobles with actual power couldn’t produce a single piece of magic equipment in their households. In the ordinary world, Apprentice-Level magical items could be considered family heirlooms. Now that Punk had generously gifted her a robe that could be called top-tier for apprentices, how could Anya not be happy?

Deep down, she increasingly felt her earlier intuition must have been mistaken. Would a Master-Level powerhouse meticulously plot against a girl who wasn’t even an apprentice mage yet? This seemed utterly impossible—at least Anya believed such a scenario couldn’t exist.

On another note, Anya—completely unaware of her own former talents—had never placed much trust in intuition anyway. After all, such gut feelings of danger were notoriously imprecise, and throughout her previous life experiences, she’d never encountered any sense of imminent peril (mainly because she’d never faced lethal crises).

Most importantly… Anya now felt absolutely certain that the suffocating sense of foreboding that had haunted her from the beginning had completely vanished. For Anya, losing that spine-chilling feeling that made even eating difficult was undoubtedly a relief.

“Anya, oh Anya, stop these wild fantasies. The mentor just appears somewhat cold—isn’t that how powerful mages in stories always act? The mentor’s experiments must be meant to help you, they absolutely must be!”Anya wisely refrained from asking anything about the experiment. She tried her best to convince herself to be happy before carefully taking the Mage Robe from Punk’s hands.

“Well, go on. Remember, the path of a mage is one of constant progress or regression. Effort will always be more important than talent. Don’t waste your time on frivolities like those foolish apprentices. Attend every public class, whether useful or not, without fail… I will check your progress next week. Don’t disappoint me.”

Punk spoke to Anya with utmost seriousness, hoping the young girl would remain strictly within the safe zones of public classrooms and residential areas. As for the so-called “progress check”… only Punk himself knew what kind of “progress” he was actually monitoring.

Anyone would have to admit that the human heart is easily deceived. Moreover, compared to being deceived by others, it’s far more susceptible to self-deception—because when you deceive yourself, your heart remains completely unguarded.

This was precisely Anya’s current situation.

Understanding this perfectly, Punk couldn’t care less about the “first impression” he had initially made on Anya. Faced with a Master-Level powerhouse like himself, Anya had only one path: obedience. She had no choice but to believe in her “esteemed mentor.”

Given this premise, it was hardly surprising that Punk repeatedly hinted to Anya—internally—not to overthink things. On this point, Punk felt Anya’s self-suggestions were even more effective than being hit with a “Suggestion” spell. After all, when you deceive yourself, repeating a lie a hundred times can turn it into “truth.”

Anya was, in fact, already beginning to deceive herself, and Punk was certain she would succeed remarkably at it.

——————————————

The fragment of law held an indisputably paramount position among Punk’s many plans after joining the Thought of Truth, though it wasn’t the “only” priority.

The “Host Plan” implemented on Anya was destined to be a long and drawn-out battle, even for a Master-Level powerhouse. During this period, Punk couldn’t afford to sit idly in his Mage Tower. The lifespan of a Master-Level powerhouse was truly limited—a mere five thousand years left no room for waste. Having inherited vast knowledge from the Netheril era, Punk still had much to accomplish.

The first task Punk set for himself was to modify a Master-Level spell!

Don’t misunderstand—the purpose of modifying a spell wasn’t because Punk lacked practical spells, nor was it due to some heaven-defying inspiration.

Punk’s goal in modifying a Master-Level spell was to deepen his understanding of spell models, grasp the essence of magic, and integrate his comprehension through practical application.

It had to be admitted that Punk’s current approach to spell learning remained at a stage of imitation. The spell models he studied were all pre-established by predecessors. Even though Punk possessed complete memories of several Legendary Spells invented by Vedrasha, those were Vedrasha’s own practices and inspirations—not Punk’s.Merely understanding magic and forging one’s own path cannot be accomplished through theoretical study alone, such as “observing the memories of a powerful individual.” While theory serves as a crucial foundation for practice, research devoid of practical application is like empty talk—nothing more than an illusion.

Now, Punk’s “theoretical” knowledge had reached its absolute peak. It was time for him to step into the phase of practical application.

Meow meow! Adorable little kittens are waiting for everyone in the group! The group owner is sharing frequent updates on the two-month growth journey of the kittens. Won’t you come take a look? (???????) Sob sob~ Join group 548859662.

(End of Chapter)