Chapter 78: Purple Talent—Multiple Magic Springs!

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Purple Talent—Multiple Magic Springs!

"I understand!" Chen Shang nodded in agreement.

"You are very skilled with Biological Runes. I look forward to your report," Hathaway encouraged. She granted Chen Shang access to the Ecological Garden, then turned and left.

Chen Shang’s gaze lingered in the direction Hathaway had left before he immediately opened his interface.

[Extractable entry detected: Natural Affinity (Blue) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 63%. Extract?]

[Extractable entry detected: Life Perception (Blue) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 58%. Extract?]

[Extractable entry detected: Energy Cycle·Fragment (Blue) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 42%. Extract?]

[Extractable entry detected: Plant Communication (Blue) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 51%. Extract?]

[Extractable entry detected: Magic Spring (Blue) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 66%. Extract?]

...

[Extractable entry detected: Multiple Magic Springs (Purple) — Source: Hathaway. Completeness: 34%. Extract?]

A series of blue entries rolled across the interface, followed by a purple one. Chen Shang’s fingers trembled slightly. Taking a deep breath, he silently commanded the system to extract them.

Extraction failed. Extraction failed... Extraction successful. Extraction successful. Extraction successful...

A total of three blue entries were successfully extracted: [Natural Affinity], [Life Perception], and [Magic Spring].

Having extracted so many entries by now, Chen Shang had gained some understanding of his Golden Finger.

First, the smaller the gap in life levels, the easier the extraction. Second, if someone actively demonstrated the ability, a more complete process led to easier extraction. Finally, the more knowledgeable he was about the concepts related to the entry, the easier the extraction became.

For example, with Senior Sister Leia’s Elemental Multiplication, he completely lacked an understanding of the Phase Angle concept, and Leia had never directly demonstrated it to him, so he couldn’t extract it.

On the other hand, Evelyn not only demonstrated and explained Flame Compression to him, but he was also no stranger to Elemental Manipulation. Thus, it was successfully extracted right away.

Similarly, the successfully extracted entries from Wizard Hathaway were all ones he possessed some knowledge of.

[Natural Affinity (Blue): Deep resonance with the natural environment. When in a place with lush vegetation, physical recovery speed is significantly increased. Can influence the attitudes of low-intelligence creatures; effects on high-intelligence creatures are weakened.]

[Life Perception (Blue): Presents the biological energy of living creatures as a clear spectrum, distinguishing minute differences between individuals of the same species. Unaffected by light, physical obstacles, and conventional Illusion Techniques, but its effects are drastically weakened against the Undead, Mechanical Bodies, and any entity that does not meet the definition of a "living creature."]

[Magic Spring (Blue): Condenses a second "Magic Spring" deep within the Sea of Consciousness. When the primary Magic Power is depleted, the spring will automatically release reserve Magic Power to replenish it.]

Chen Shang was astonished after reading the descriptions. The final entry... should be Wizard Hathaway’s Specialization ability.

To advance to a Third Level Apprentice, one had to undergo Spiritual Power Specialization. Once this Specialization was complete, Wizard Apprentices would develop unique abilities. These could range across various fields, such as Elemental Control, Double Casting, and Mental Barriers. The resulting ability depended entirely on the direction of one’s Specialization.

The [Magic Spring] ability was neither exceptional nor poor. It meant that one’s Magic Power would be double that of a typical wizard, greatly increasing their endurance in casting.

However, Hathaway also possessed an advanced version: [Multiple Magic Springs].

For a Third Level Apprentice to become a Wizard, they had to use their specialized Spiritual Power as a catalyst to instantly collapse the core of the Energy Array in their body, forming an "Origin Rune." This Origin Rune would further strengthen their Specialization abilities.

Obviously, [Multiple Magic Springs] was Hathaway’s advanced ability. She could construct even more magic springs within her body—triple, quadruple, or perhaps even more. There was no telling where the upper limit lay.

Consequently, her total Magic Power capacity would be several times that of her peers. Her spellcasting endurance and burst limit would be directly elevated by this talent.

She would eventually become a veritable witchcraft machine gun or cannon, capable of unleashing overwhelming witchcraft attacks all by herself.

(Note: Other Tier One Creatures in the Endless Star Sea only corresponded to the Constitution strength of Elemental Mages. They possessed their own racial talents and life characteristics, but lacked the unique abilities of the Wizard System.)

Chen Shang closed the interface. He suddenly understood the significance behind Hathaway’s research into biological energy cycles.

She was researching the generation, storage, and conversion of Magic Power itself... What were the differences in energy cycles among various creatures? Which aspects could be learned from? Which could be replicated?

The volunteers and death row inmates in the breeding farm were all her test subjects.

A sudden thought struck Chen Shang. Working here, he could also gain access to the relevant knowledge and experience. Did that mean he might eventually have the chance to snatch that [Multiple Magic Springs] entry?

The mere thought filled him with motivation. Unable to wait for tomorrow, he immediately headed to the front area to familiarize himself with the volunteer creatures.

The first area was the home of the Silver-Scaled Deer.

A silvery-white creature stood beneath a tree, its silver fur emitting a soft, fluorescent glow. Its antlers were translucent, looking as if they had been carved from ice crystals.

Seeing Chen Shang approach, it raised its head and quietly observed him.

"Hello, I’m the new administrator," Chen Shang took the initiative to greet it.

The Silver-Scaled Deer snorted, and a voice rang out in Chen Shang’s Sea of Consciousness. "Hello, my name is Silver Branch. I understand the work that needs to be done. I will cooperate."

Chen Shang’s interface vibrated.

[Extractable entry detected: Water Element Mimicry (Blue) — Source: Silver-Scaled Deer · Silver Branch. Completeness: 58%. Extract?]

After extracting it, Chen Shang didn’t leave immediately but chatted with Silver Branch for a while.

Silver Branch explained that it came from an ice and snow Plane, and its tribe had been conscripted by the Wizard Alliance. It had actively volunteered for the experiment in exchange for settlement rights and protection for its tribe.

It had originally assumed this trip would be fraught with danger, but now it found itself enjoying good food and drinks in the Ecological Garden, effectively living in comfort.

Chen Shang laughed after hearing this. Wizard Hathaway needed to observe energy cycles, so food and water supplies would certainly be well-met. If they were starved, how could she observe anything?

Following this, he proceeded to the next zone to make initial acquaintance with the other creatures, such as the Ironclad Lizard, Twin-Tailed Snake, Phantom Mist Butterfly, and Rock-Armored Turtle.

Like Silver Branch, they were all volunteers who understood the procedures and were willing to cooperate. The time saved would allow Chen Shang to focus on his own experiments.

He used the same method to snatch a few more entries. If nothing else, finishing the report would certainly be a breeze.

Next up was the death row inmates’ area.

Chen Shang opened the alloy doors and stepped inside. A row of cells imprisoned a wide variety of creatures. Some were silent, while others glared fiercely at Chen Shang upon his entry.

"Heh! They swapped in another tender-skinned pretty boy!"