Wizard: Building a Golem Legion From Zero-Chapter 44 - 42: Promotion

Lecia walked to the center of the room and held out her right hand.

The light in the office began to converge and distort, coalescing above her palm into a constantly shifting illusion.

First, a roiling, blood-colored mist appeared.

Within the mist, the phantoms of countless creatures roared, merged, and devoured one another.

Dragon scales, demonic claws, feathered wings, compound eyes... various features of powerful creatures flashed and then collapsed, finally gathering into a vague, violent humanoid form.

"The Bloodline School."

Lecia’s voice was cold. "They believe that ’power comes from the flesh, and evolution begins with plunder.’ Their primary method is to optimize their own life sequence by transplanting, devouring, and fusing the bloodlines of powerful creatures from other planes."

"This is the fastest-growing school with the strongest early-game combat prowess. The risk is that they can be corrupted at any moment by the violent will lingering in the bloodlines, turning into a monster that knows only slaughter. Or, due to rejection reactions between different bloodlines, their bodies could collapse into an unrecognizable puddle of flesh and blood."

As soon as she finished speaking, the blood-colored mist dissipated.

The illusion shifted. A profound darkness appeared, one that seemed to swallow all light. Within it, star-like points of consciousness flickered, forming a boundless sea of the subconscious.

"The Mind School. They believe, ’I think, therefore I am,’ and focus on honing their own spirit."

"A powerful Mind Mage can infiltrate the consciousness of any sentient being to alter memories and implant beliefs. They can drive an entire army to suicide in terror or cause a dragon to die silently in a pleasant dream."

"They can even warp reality with illusions. But this path has the most madmen, as they often lose the ability to distinguish between reality and illusion, ultimately becoming lost in the abyss of their own or others’ consciousness."

The third illusion appeared.

It had no concrete form, only a field of pure, ever-changing geometric Runes.

At times they became dancing flames, then solidified into still ice. They would twist space, then slow time.

"The Witchcraft School, the oldest and most orthodox path. They are explorers of truth who directly study and manipulate the fundamental laws that make up the universe—elements, gravity, spacetime, fate..."

"Their power is pure and immense. A high-level Wizard from the Witchcraft School is a walking natural disaster. But the price is ’assimilation.’ Study fire, and you may eventually become a wisp of eternal flame. Peer into time, and you may be washed away by its river, losing the concept of ’now.’ The closer they get to the truth, the farther they stray from being ’human.’"

The fourth illusion was the most magnificent.

Countless gears, levers, pistons, and energy conduits intertwined, forming an efficiently operating Alchemy Factory. It continuously churned out all sorts of products, whether producing a Steel Legion, constructing colossal ships, or mass-producing potions.

"The Alchemy School."

Lecia’s tone gained a hint of complexity. "They believe ’divinity can be achieved through external means.’ They are builders, engineers, and commanders of legions. They can create Golems, build Floating Cities, and forge powerful Magic Items."

"This is the only school that requires building a ’Wizard Workshop.’ Their power has no upper limit; with enough resources and knowledge, they can create miracles rivaling those of gods. But they are extremely dependent on resources. A poor Alchemy Wizard is utterly useless."

Finally, the fifth illusion took shape. It was a giant web woven from countless strands of light. Connected to this web were all sorts of beings—powerful Magical Beasts, mysterious spirits, and even unknown entities from other planes.

"The Contract School. They are weavers of relationships and order. They don’t believe in individual strength, but rather build their own network of power by signing all kinds of contracts, equal or unequal, to borrow the strength of their contracted partners in battle."

"When you face a Contract Wizard, you are never facing them alone. This path excels in flexibility and has extremely high survivability. But their power ceiling is forever limited by the strongest being they can contract with. The betrayal of a partner, the oracle of a Sect Leader, or the backlash from a contract are all swords hanging over their heads."

The grand illusions slowly faded, and Lecia’s office returned to normal.

"Bloodline, Mind, Witchcraft, Alchemy, and Contract. These are the five major schools of the Wizarding World. Your grades have earned you the right to choose any of these paths. Among the seven towers, every one will open its gates to you."

Lecia’s gaze locked onto Allen.

"Go back and think it over carefully. You have three days to choose your tower, your school, and your mentor. Remember, this choice will determine how far you can walk down this path in the future."

"You have completed your studies as a junior apprentice. Once you are promoted to Advanced Apprentice, you will have one foot on the path of a Wizard. That path is incredibly difficult, starting from an Official Wizard, advancing to a Morning Star Wizard, a Moonlight Mage, and all the way to the strongest known rank, the Sunshine Wizard."

"Official Wizards are further divided into First-level Wizards and Second-level Wizards. But the sights along that path are beyond compare, waiting for you to seek them out."

When she finished speaking, the office door slid open silently once more, signaling that the conversation was over.

Allen, holding the potion that swirled like a nebula, gave Lecia a standard Wizard’s salute and turned to leave the office.

The door closed behind him, cutting off the Second-level Wizard’s scrutinizing gaze.

The hallway was still quiet. Allen gripped the cold Crystal Bottle, feeling the immense energy contained within.

His steps were firm, but inside, his heart surged like a tide.

Inside his mind, DSeek had already generated path analysis plans, with titles now clearly listed: [Bloodline Ascension Project], [Mental God-Kingdom Concept], [Path of Law Compilation], [Blueprint of the Omni-Mechanical God], and [Nexus of the All-Beings Network].

Beneath each file, countless branching paths and simulated data began to generate at an astonishing speed.

Allen was lost in thought the entire way back, only snapping out of it when he reached his dorm room.

He placed the bottle of "Sea of Consciousness Expansion Potion" on his desk. The silver nebula within swirled slowly, reflecting in his deep blue eyes.

Although he was dying to become a powerful Wizard capable of reshaping the world overnight, his usual rationality forced him to suppress the chaotic thoughts.

He needed more, and more specific, information.

’What are the development prospects for each school?’

’Why would an advanced Meditation Method affect my future path?’

’How much does the choice of a mentor affect the future of an Advanced Apprentice?’

’I can’t make a choice right now.’

’First, I’ll upgrade my "hardware." After I take the potion and gather enough information, then I’ll make a decision.’

Allen picked up the Crystal Bottle and examined it for a moment.

He uncorked the stopper, and a crisp, strange aroma filled the air, like the smell of a clear sky after rain mixed with the scent of rusted metal.

Without hesitation, he brought the bottle to his lips, tilted his head back, and drank down the flowing silver nebula in one gulp.

The liquid was cool as it entered his mouth and slid down his throat, but it felt like he had swallowed a burning star.

The energy didn’t burn his esophagus. Instead, the moment it touched his body, it "permeated" directly into him, transforming into a torrent of the purest information and energy that rushed straight to his brain.

The next moment, his consciousness was pulled from his body by an irresistible force and plunged into the boundless Sea of Consciousness.

His consciousness had originally been a calm, dark space with blurry boundaries, dotted with thirty-six basic Runes that moved slowly in a specific pattern, like constellations. The first "anchor" Rune he had constructed was the core of the entire system.

But now, that peace was completely shattered.

The silver energy from the potion exploded in the center of his Sea of Spirit, like a starburst at the dawn of creation.

A violent storm of energy swept through every corner.

The thirty-six Runes vibrated violently in the storm, the links between them forcibly torn apart.

Allen felt an indescribable tearing sensation, as if his very soul were being ripped into thirty-six pieces.

Each Rune was something he had painstakingly inscribed, a part of his own spirit.

The silver energy of the potion didn’t destroy them, but instead played the role of a "furnace" and a "craftsman."

It reassembled these thirty-six scattered "parts" and began to reforge them according to a blueprint far more complex and exquisite than before.

The streams of information that were the thirty-six Runes were guided, woven, and embedded in an orderly fashion.

The process was long and agonizing. Allen felt his mind being repeatedly crushed and reformed.

After an unknown amount of time, his entire Sea of Spirit suddenly shuddered.

The violent energy of the silver nebula had been completely consumed. In its place, a brand-new, complex Rune Matrix structure now levitated in the very center of his Sea of Spirit.

This Will Rune Matrix floated stably, emitting a constant, faint glow that illuminated the entire Sea of Consciousness.

And the "boundaries" of the Sea of Consciousness, under the impact of this power, had been expanded outwards several times over.

Allen opened his eyes.

The dorm room was the same, but the sky outside the window had turned from afternoon to dusk.

He was just sitting in his chair, but the Sea of Consciousness in his perception was completely different.

Before drinking the potion, the 36 inscribed Runes had already reached the limit of what his spirit could bear. It was like being stuffed to bursting, with no extra capacity at all.

Now that the "boundaries" of his Sea of Consciousness had expanded, he felt a long-absent sense of ease and "hunger." He could now inscribe more Will Runes.

His thinking speed had also quickened slightly.

He didn’t have time to carefully appreciate the changes from his expanded Sea of Consciousness.

Allen planned to go to the library immediately to gather information.

He couldn’t wait to choose his path.