Chapter 7: The Sage's Diary
No man can resist the temptation of gold.
Clearly, Shane was a real man.
"Extract!"
The moment he saw the affix information, Shane focused with everything he had and charged straight in.
Facts proved it—hesitation meant defeat.
The difference between Frieren's movement and his command to extract the affix was only 0.01 seconds.
"Hm? It all crumbled…"
By the table, Frieren reached out to pick up the diary, but the moment her fingers touched it, the long-sealed pages decayed and disintegrated into dust.
That was normal. No paper could last a thousand years—lasting one or two hundred years was already the limit.
But at the same time, the instant her hand touched the diary, three golden points of light suddenly lit up behind her—right in front of Shane.
Extraction succeeded!
With her "mana detection," Frieren naturally sensed the faint fluctuation of energy behind her.
She turned back in confusion—just in time to see Shane collapse without warning.
"Shane?"
————
"Failed again! Why did it fail again?!"
A hoarse voice roared irritably beside his ears, accompanied by the sound of something smashing onto the ground.
Shane felt like his head was about to explode.
He forced his eyes open, only to see the same cramped, shabby room.
But unlike before, the room was now piled high with books and parchment—so much that there was barely any place to step.
"It must be the mana input for activating the spell! Increase it or decrease it? Let me calculate, let me calculate…"
In front of him, a hunched figure in a cloak and hood leaned over the desk, constantly scribbling and calculating while muttering to himself.
Shane didn't know who he was, but a faint instinct told him this person might be the owner of the room—Sharl, the hooded sage.
He tried to ask what was going on, but when he opened his mouth, no sound came out.
He tried to tap the man's shoulder, but his hand passed through the body like mist. The man didn't notice anything.
Shane froze.
"￥%@!"
He roared in anger, but no sound came.
Fear crept in. He tried to leave the room, but found it impossible.
Like a wandering spirit, he was bound behind the owner of the room—unable to speak, unable to act, unable to leave.
"￥%@!"
The hooded figure remained completely unaffected, continuing to write and calculate with total focus.
After countless futile attempts, Shane finally gave up.
Then everything in his vision darkened, and the scene shifted.
…
The hooded figure was deciphering a grimoire.
From Shane's perspective, the title was clearly visible—Diary of Sage Ewig.
Deciphering the book seemed extremely difficult. The hooded figure would frequently sweep pages of draft paper aside, quickly piling the floor with discarded sheets.
…
The hooded figure attempted to activate a magical formation. It failed. He became extremely irritable.
He cursed for a long time.
…
The hooded figure stood in the center of a palace hall. Beneath his feet was an extremely complex magical formation, soaked with thick, sticky blood—gruesome and eerie.
Shane could almost smell the metallic scent of it.
Frowning deeply, he watched as the hooded figure stood within the formation and activated the spell.
The pool he had seen earlier with Frieren suddenly began to boil. Countless black droplets rose from its surface, slowly gathering in the air into a single mass.
It was hard to describe. The mass churned and twisted like living black tar.
Then, the hooded figure casually summoned a cup, hunched as he approached the floating black liquid.
"For humanity to completely eradicate the demons and achieve final victory, any sacrifice is worth it."
"Teacher… when we meet again in the future, will you praise me… or despise me?"
…
The hooded figure attempted to activate the failed formation again. It failed.
…
He began even more calculations. Draft papers were torn and scattered everywhere.
…
Another attempt. Still a failure.
…
This time, the hooded figure added that "churning black tar" into the failed formation.
The magic spiraled out of control.
A vague human silhouette appeared within the formation. The hooded figure tried to stabilize it, but in the end, the figure melted into a pool of blood.
This time, he didn't curse.
He simply sat there beside the formation for a long, long time.
…
He continued testing the formation relentlessly, adjusting the amount of black substance used each time.
The palace floor was stained red again and again.
…
Bones and flesh began to appear within the formation.
…
Fully formed human limbs began to take shape.
…
Shane felt like he was going insane.
He didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like an entire lifetime.
Floating behind the hooded figure, he watched day after day as the man descended into extremity.
From confusion at the beginning to eventual understanding…
This madman was trying to create a human.
'This has to be wrong… I must have entered the dungeon the wrong way.'
'This is all just an illusion.'
"My teacher's method must be correct."
The hoarse muttering sounded again beside his ear.
"This is the final attempt."
"I must destroy all research materials… to prevent interference from those who can foresee the future."
With those words, the hooded figure snapped his fingers.
All the books and draft papers in the room flew up, gathering into the palace hall under his control.
Then, with a flick, a flame shot out.
Everything ignited.
At the instant the flames surged upward, he activated the formation beneath his feet.
After countless failures, success finally came.
A complete human appeared within the formation.
"￥%@!"
Shane roared.
But in the vast hall, no sound emerged.
Through the rising heat of the flames, he clearly saw the person standing at the center of the formation—
It was himself, from his previous life, anxiously rushing across the street to save time…
Beep—
Like an electric current surging through his brain, crashing against his eardrums.
Shane clutched his head in agony. He wanted to curse—wanted to ask this lunatic if he had any idea how painful it was to be sent flying two hundred meters by a truck!
At that moment, the hooded figure—who had always had his back turned—suddenly turned around.
A pair of crimson eyes filled with madness met Shane's gaze.
Tilting his head, the figure slowly curled his lips into a murky, sinister smile.
"Hehe… Teacher… we succeeded."