Chapter 82 – Development Route

(In this chapter, Punk will adjust his development path. The author lists the drawbacks and benefits of two routes as a key decision point. This segment contains many foreshadowings and implications crucial to subsequent plot development!)

Punk felt immensely grateful that the golem’s issues had emerged in time, allowing him ample opportunity for adjustments and modifications!

Just imagine if this clumsy brute suddenly froze mid-battle, abandoning claw attacks to cast spells instead – the outcome would have been utterly disastrous.

Punk sighed softly. A fragmented and foolish soul could never become a qualified warrior. For safety’s sake, it was better to add some fixed auxiliary programs sooner rather than later!

Currently, the massive amount of acid sprayed by Golem One had already melted the three unfortunate slaves along with large patches of ground into a giant crater. Billowing white smoke rose from the pit, demonstrating the formidable power of a Formal-Level spell with perfect clarity.

By this point, the entire escape farce had essentially reached its conclusion. Only Bilan and one remaining slave were left in the house. Theoretically, Golem Number One just needed to charge at the building and crush both the “rat” and the traitor Bilan into pulp to resolve this minor incident.

However, Punk was a mage who prioritized benefits above all else. While he could afford to act recklessly according to his whims in trivial matters, many situations required serious consideration and careful choice.

The current issue demanding “serious consideration and careful choice” was how to “handle” Bilan.

According to Punk’s temperament, such a foolhardy traitor deserved to be squashed like a bug!

But the timing of Bilan’s “betrayal” was somewhat delicate, and Punk’s current identity happened to be equally delicate!

Though Bilan had caused trouble immediately upon arriving in Nielan Town, precisely because she had just arrived, Punk couldn’t move against her too soon!

Currently, in the records of various factions in Doleiz City, Punk’s identity was already marked as “highly likely evil alignment.” If Punk were to “cruelly” kill his “kind and righteous” apprentice on the very first day, this marking would immediately become “evil alignment”!

Living with an evil alignment in Faerûn’s survival-of-the-fittest environment wasn’t particularly difficult, but danger and instability were inevitable!

While most factions wouldn’t provoke any being that could be called powerful without reason, this didn’t mean life with an evil alignment could be “open and blatant.” At the very least, necessary concealment was essential.

Firstly, no country that still maintained a superficially good and lawful alignment would permit evil-aligned professionals to openly establish research bases within its territory – much like how certain capitalist countries on Earth might tolerate gang existence but would never allow gangs to “openly massacre” civilians.

Therefore, if Punk’s evil alignment were confirmed, the Formal-Level dwarf warrior in Doleiz City would have to take action to expel him, even if only for appearance’s sake, as long as he wished to maintain his standing within good-aligned circles!On the other hand, the Mage Guild—those hypocrites who always shamelessly claim to be part of the Lawful and Benevolent faction—could no longer openly trade magical materials with Punk. When that happened, Punk would be forced to spend over three times the price to procure materials on the black market!

Lastly, the fanatics of the Benevolent God Church weren’t just paying lip service to their mantra of “purifying everything.” When they detected “evil and chaos,” unless you were powerful enough to give even the gods pause, they would absolutely make you experience firsthand what “fearless sacrifice” and “relentless pursuit” truly meant!

At the same time, those adventuring parties who often styled themselves as “partners of justice,” while somewhat foolish, were not to be underestimated in terms of strength. The tales of such righteous teams vanquishing demons weren’t entirely fabricated!

“As long as you exist in this Multiverse, no matter your alignment, you can never truly escape the troubles and absurdities that come knocking at your door!”

With a faint, internal grumble, Punk now realized his development path had gone awry.

His original plan had been to adopt the label of a “neutral recluse” and follow a farming route—after all, the farming route was safe and stable, at the very least ensuring that the Church’s fanatics wouldn’t endlessly hound him.

But now it seemed the drawbacks of the “farming route” far exceeded his initial expectations. Due to excessive knowledge blockade, purely farming-based development progressed far too slowly. From the perspective of long-term advancement goals, it only further eroded his chances of success.

What about the hidden plunder flow of those evil bosses, then?

Though there were risks—prying eyes from evil colleagues, the wrath of the Benevolent God Church, and threats from multiple adventuring parties—the efficiency of plundering ready-made wealth was undeniably higher than accumulating it bit by bit. Moreover, most dangers were only prominent in the early stages. Once one became a Legendary… no, a Master-Level powerhouse, he believed that as long as he didn’t cause too much of a stir, few would dare to provoke him even if he appeared openly. From a long-term development standpoint, the plundering path was far more suitable for a mage like Punk, who prioritized profit above all.

“But now isn’t the right time to change routes yet…”

Although Punk had already made up his mind—the choice was clear both in terms of his personality and long-term prospects—he remained clearly aware that he was only a ten-level Formal-Level mage who had advanced just half a year ago. While he was immeasurably stronger than those Apprentice-Level “little ones,” he still lacked the depth compared to veteran Formal-Level experts. Besides… aside from a clunky golem, he didn’t even have a decent trump card up his sleeve. Attempting to emulate “seasoned experts” in pioneering adventures at this stage would be nothing short of suicidal!

“At the very least, reaching level twelve would be relatively safe. For now, I’ll have to endure a little longer.”

Punk gently stroked his smooth chin, moving his fingers away from his temples and observing them closely. Within his pale fingers, magical energy faintly surged and danced…

“Fortunately, level eleven is within reach, and the completion of the Activation Potion is foreseeable. It won’t be long now… As for Bilan… I’ll let you off for now, you lucky little girl.”Having figured out his development path, Punk was in a rather pleasant mood. He took a gentle sip of tea and pondered—having a beauty like Bilan as a maid to clean the White Tower was somewhat pleasing to the eye. He might as well keep this “naive and sweet” little girl until he abandoned his current identity. As long as he didn’t act as carelessly as he had this time, what could a mere Apprentice Rank mage possibly stir up?

Moreover, a vague idea began to form in Punk’s mind. It suddenly occurred to him—would a mage’s soul, having undergone transformation, retain more intelligence than an ordinary person’s soul? Hadn’t Walkerway’s notes also mentioned that a highly intelligent soul paired with a superior physical vessel was the most suitable match?

A cold glint flashed in Punk’s pupils. He suddenly felt that his idea was… well worth testing.

Once he had “fully developed,” and once this little girl advanced further to become a novice… perhaps Bilan could truly bring him some surprises!

Of course, whether Punk’s plans would count as a “surprise” for Bilan—who was already slated to be experimental material—was another matter entirely!

(End of Chapter)