Chapter 410 - 407: The Sage in Character

Chapter 410: Chapter 407: The Sage in Character

His current Thought Body was only partially manifested by borrowing his high authority within the Secret Realm. The mental projection was still very unstable, requiring his full, undivided attention to maintain at all times.

Forget about multitasking; he worried it would dissipate immediately if he even tried to take a sip of water.

So now, in the Sage’s office at the top of the tower, Qin Xiaoxia sat perfectly still, his body bolt upright. His gaze was placid and vacant as he sensed the distant, ephemeral illusion on the plane of Soul Interference.

"Big Bro, I need more Magic Energy Crystals! The Gold Coin workshop is all out, and Mumu isn’t here. You’re the only one who can give me some!"

Doudou simply tapped the door from the outside and easily opened the previously locked door. Even the Secret Realm’s isolating power that had been imbued on the Door was rendered useless.

Qin Xiaoxia had almost forgotten that the Mischievous Elf could ignore "Doors." But at this moment, with the Thought Body barely stable, he wasn’t about to pay Doudou any mind.

Seeing that her big bro didn’t move or say a word, Doudou’s curiosity was suddenly piqued.

’I don’t feel any Magic Power fluctuations, and his aura is so calm. Did Big Bro fall asleep with his eyes open?’

Soon, a small face appeared just a few centimeters from Qin Xiaoxia’s, its eyes crossed.

After making funny faces for a moment, Doudou noticed that while her big bro’s gaze hadn’t changed and he still hadn’t moved, a vein on his forehead had twitched.

She finally realized she might be playing with fire.

"Ah, I left something stewing in the kitchen! I’m leaving now, Big Bro!"

Without another word, she immediately fled, slamming the door with a BANG behind her.

Doudou’s little disturbance had nearly caused the Thought Body to collapse. Strangely enough, however, after she left and Qin Xiaoxia refocused, he found that the Thought Body had actually become a little more stable.

...

At this point, the Thought Body was just a crudely formed humanoid figure. Mimicking the Holy Spirit, Qin Xiaoxia used his thoughts to imagine and coalesce a simple robe to cover the Thought Body’s exterior, concealing the blurriness within.

’After all, there’s no guarantee a Magic Controller won’t happen to show up. If they saw this blurry, unclothed Thought Body, they would definitely recall this scene when I unveil a new Technique in the future. Where would the Master Sage’s reputation be then?’

Being a projection of thought and will, after all, meant that aside from the effort needed to maintain its stability, all other actions were incredibly convenient. It moved in whatever way Qin Xiaoxia’s mind conceived.

Like an invisible guest, it slowly walked over to Hilbert and Frank and sat down in an empty seat at the long desk.

The conversation between the two, who were seated diagonally across from him, had just moved past their mutual introductions.

Frank was feeling a little nervous.

’They both have backgrounds with the ancient Dawn. This is the perfect person to ask for advice.’

"Um, Mr. Chakus."

"Please, call me Hilbert."

Hilbert smiled and gave a polite nod. His every move was filled with the grace of a high noble, yet he didn’t put on any airs whatsoever.

Influenced by his demeanor, Frank relaxed and responded with a smile of his own.

"Alright then, you can call me Frank. Hilbert, if you don’t mind me taking a moment of your reading time, I’d like to ask you a question!"

Glancing at the materials Frank was reading and hearing the slightly excited tone return to his voice, Hilbert could easily imagine what he was about to ask.

"If you’re asking how to awaken your Magic Power, I’m afraid I can’t help you, Frank. I myself wish very much to awaken my Magic Power, but I still haven’t managed to."

"Ah?"

Frank felt a small pang of disappointment.

"If I may be so bold... are there any Magic Awakeners in the Chakus Clan? Did they give you any advice? Uh, I mean, if you’re comfortable sharing... Actually, our Noeman’s house also..."

Hilbert looked at Frank’s nervous, cautious, and extremely embarrassed expression, as if he were asking about something shameful.

’Perhaps in Frank’s eyes, the Chakus Family’s experience with awakening Magic Power is a clan secret, and he sees himself as shamelessly trying to get it for free.’

When Frank started to properly introduce the Noeman’s house, Hilbert held up a hand to stop him.

"I know of the Noeman Clan. Even the Association’s Archives Management Office is your ancestral home. It’s possible our ancestors met over a hundred years ago!"

Hilbert explained what he knew with a smile.

"Perhaps my family once had a better way to awaken Magic Power, but I honestly don’t know. During the years when Dawn was hidden, the Chakus Clan was also very... low-key."

He recalled the past, how he had lived for more than twenty years without even knowing his family’s true origins. His expression then turned bleak.

Perhaps because they were both from families with ancient legacies, the two quickly grew familiar with each other and came to understand each other’s circumstances.

Due to the influence of the Secret Realm Power, each desk had an independent Magic Pattern Technique that allowed people at the same table to discuss things without disturbing others. So, while they were looking up new information, they were also able to corroborate their findings with each other.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye. The two, who were now quite familiar with each other, felt a sense of regret that they hadn’t met sooner.

Compared to other Association members, they both shouldered the added pressure of their family names and thus had more in common.

"Because of some rebellious behavior in my youth, my father became utterly disappointed in me. I only came to my senses after he passed away, but by then, it was too late..."

Hilbert sighed. Unconsciously, he had started telling Frank about the Chakus Clan’s journey to return to Dawn.

However, when Frank heard Hilbert mention the hidden power in his bloodline erupting and defeating a Soul-Devouring Monster, he suddenly grew excited.

Although the Noeman Clan might also have a special bloodline, Frank, who knew the limits of his own ancestors, didn’t have high hopes for it. Instead, he had noticed a major issue that Hilbert might have overlooked and wanted to remind him as a friend.

"Wait, Hilbert!! You’ve been trying to awaken your Magic Power this whole time, but have you ever considered that you might have already awakened it? Think about that power in your bloodline—isn’t it possible that it’s..."

Hilbert put down the open Magic Pattern Scroll and shook his head with a wry smile.

"I’ve thought about that too. But you have to understand, the birth of Magic Power requires both physical strength and Soul Power to be strong. At that time, I was as weak as a teenage girl with menstrual cramps. How could I possibly have awakened my Magic Power?"

"However, the Chakus Clan certainly had many Awakened in the past. It’s a given that the bloodline power passed down through generations contains something miraculous. I’m sure it should be easier for me to awaken my Magic Power than for an ordinary person..."

He looked at Frank and offered a word of comfort.

"I believe the same is true for the Noeman’s house. The very fact that you didn’t forget Dawn says a lot."

"I hope so!"

Frank replied with a sigh.

Afterward, the two went back to silently reading their materials, only speaking up occasionally when they had questions about what they were reading.

Qin Xiaoxia discovered that the more he focused on listening to their conversation, the easier it was to maintain the Thought Body.

But as he listened, he began to realize something. It wasn’t an issue with the Thought Body; rather, the Master Sage, who was now fully "in character," felt that the mindsets of these two were not quite right.

As they talked, both Frank and Hilbert had grown somewhat despondent.

’The Noeman’s house’s return to the fold of Dawn was rather fortuitous, so I’ll set Frank’s case aside for now. But what is Hilbert’s deal?’

’I went through so much trouble to help the Chakus Clan regain its glory, and now you’re getting all gloomy?’

’If a natural Magic Power awakening were that easy, it wouldn’t just be me and Monkey right now.’

’The fastest and most successful ways to awaken Magic Power are Dawn’s awakening ritual and High Sequence Magic Potions.’

Still, Qin Xiaoxia had long since marked Hilbert as a target for observation. Though he complained internally, he knew he himself was the one who had put so much pressure on him. Who else was to blame for making the title of Baron Lion Heart so burdensome and even writing it into the *Association Secret History*?

The Thought Body reached out and lightly touched the Magic Pattern Scroll in front of Hilbert.

A new line of text was seen slowly appearing below the last line on the scroll.

"If you define the pursuit of Magic Power as the pursuit of strength, you will gain nothing! —To a lost seeker."

The sudden appearance of the text naturally caught Hilbert’s attention. He looked all around, but besides himself, there was only Frank.

He stared at this special Sheepskin Scroll. ’Can Magic Pattern Scrolls have hidden text?’

"What’s wrong, Hilbert?"

"This Magic Pattern Scroll... a new line of Magic Patterns just appeared on it."

"That can happen? Is that common?"

"Uh, it’s the first time I’ve seen it."

...

At the top of the tower, Qin Xiaoxia let out a soft breath. The effort of inscribing that line of Magic Patterns had made it impossible to maintain the Thought Body any longer.

’Still, being able to perform the action of inscribing Magic Patterns is a huge step forward in itself.’

Then, he propped his cheek on his right hand, which rested on the desk, and imagined the scene of Hilbert and Frank seeing that sentence.

’Will they not understand it? Or only partially grasp its meaning? It seems profound, but in reality, it offers no substantial content?’

’That’s exactly it!’

It was precisely this kind of seemingly profound yet ambiguous hint that would best spark their imagination and build up a desire for exploration in their hearts. Of course, it also made it convenient for Qin Xiaoxia to help catalyze the seed that had long been suppressed in Hilbert’s mind.

It was just like the suspense he had created when he first planted the hint of the Chakus Clan’s "bloodline power" in Hilbert’s mind.

’Will it be self-doubt, or will he "See Through the Heart"?’

Since self-doubt hadn’t appeared by now, it was time for him to "See Through the Heart."

’Perhaps the despondency Hilbert showed earlier isn’t entirely a bad thing. Let me just confirm how much potential can be stimulated from human Spiritual Power!’

And Qin Xiaoxia himself would need to seize the feeling of that exact moment.

PS: I’m pulling an all-nighter to work on a bid proposal. There may or may not be a second Chapter tonight, it depends on my work progress. There’s no way I’m going home.

So, my dear readers, don’t wait up. You’ll know when you refresh tomorrow morning.