fantasy novels Chapter 19 Scoring Rules
Chapter 19 Scoring Rules
Peron lowered his head, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his heart filled with a mixture of confusion and fear.
He knew Hick better than Clara, and was more aware of the other's ruthlessness and greed.
In the past, Hick would silently coil around any valuable prey like a venomous snake and reap the rewards alone.
This time, instead of making a move, he deliberately pushed the "fat sheep" into the center of everyone's attention...
This completely overturned Veron's understanding!
"I...I don't know either, Lady Klar!"
Perón's voice was filled with bitterness and panic.
"Hick... after he advanced to the third-level apprentice, he became... completely unpredictable! He wasn't like this before! He should have kept it a secret, and then..."
"Should we? Lock down?"
Clara abruptly interrupted him, her voice shrill.
"Now the entire tower knows I possess an evil artifact capable of controlling third-level apprentices! How many greedy eyes will this attract? How many qualified wizards will it alarm?!"
Peron was also inwardly groaning. He knew the situation was serious, but what could he do? He looked at Klar, his eyes filled with confusion.
Clara seemed to have thought of something; her eyes flickered, and her tone carried a hint of probing and calculation.
"Beron, tell me... if I voluntarily hand over the Curse of Frost as a pledge of allegiance, could I gain the favor of a formal mentor and be accepted as their disciple?"
Peron was startled by what he heard, but then an uncontrollable surge of joy welled up inside him!
If the Curse of Frost is offered up, will the control over me be lifted?
As for being manipulated by the mentor?
Why would such a being need to be controlled by props for a level three apprentice like myself?
However, Clara seemed to see right through him, her chilling voice slithering into his ears like a venomous snake:
"The rumors outside... aren't entirely wrong. I do indeed possess magical artifacts that can control others."
Perón's heart sank. His newly glimmering hope was instantly replaced by chilling fear. His body tensed involuntarily, and he hastily pledged his loyalty:
"My lord, you are wise and discerning! My loyalty to you is heartfelt and unwavering!"
Klar scoffed dismissively, ignoring Belon's panic, and began to quickly sift through the mentors in the Wizard Tower in his mind, weighing who would be the most advantageous to play the "Curse of Frost" card on.
Meanwhile, Hick was in his mentor Pelosi's laboratory.
This place was originally where the predecessor helped his mentor with dissections, but now he has temporarily requisitioned it to conduct some basic "verification experiments" that consume gold coins rather than magic crystals.
Scattered on the table were various bottles and jars containing cheap materials bought from the ordinary Warcraft market: the slime of some kind of underground worm, mushroom spores with a weak toxin, and some processed animal nerve endings.
Hick was carefully using his mental power to guide a few drops of mucus to mix with the spore powder, recording the weak energy fluctuations and corrosiveness produced after their fusion.
His movements were precise and steady; the mental strength of a third-level apprentice allowed him to handle microscopic operations with ease.
Dila stood respectfully to the side and reported in a low voice:
"Eldest brother, your family has replied. Your father is overjoyed to hear of your promotion to third-level apprentice, believing it to be a major opportunity for the family to regain its former glory!"
"There are no problems with the gold coins. The first batch of 5,000 gold coins will arrive soon, and your family will provide them to your needs as much as possible!"
"Your father also inquired whether it was necessary to send a few clever young men to serve you, or... to be at your beck and call?"
Hick stopped what he was doing, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
The family's reaction was exactly what he expected.
He picked up a cloth, wiped his hands, and said calmly:
"Take the gold coins. Send someone over... no need for service for now. However, tell them that eligible individuals with wizarding talent, as well as death row inmates from the family territory with conclusive evidence, can be sent over."
Dila was taken aback for a moment, then understood Hick's intention:
"Boss is brilliant! This way we can appease the family and also... obtain some 'basic materials' for the experiments?"
He asked cautiously.
Hick remained noncommittal, simply stating:
"Basic experiments require subjects to observe. Remember, make sure my father doesn't have to specifically 'create' death row inmates."
"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"
Dila understood immediately, a hint of awe flashing in her eyes.
Hick's gaze returned to the experimental materials on the table, especially the murky liquid mixed with worm slime and poisonous mushroom spores.
He picked up a thin needle, dipped it in a tiny bit of the mixture, and carefully dripped it onto a piece of treated animal nerve tissue.
Sizzle...
A very faint corrosive sound rang out, and the nerve tissue instantly turned gray, atrophied, lost its activity, and emitted an extremely weak, imperceptible mental fluctuation with a chaotic aura.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Hick's eyes.
"Experimental Project: Effects of a mixture of worm mucus and poisonous mushroom spores on normal nerves."
Experimental objective: To cause damage and influence on biological nerves.
Experiment proceeded smoothly!
Experiment result: Success.
Participation rate in the experiment: 100%.
Experiment difficulty: 0.
Experiment score: 10.
Currently have: 223.
Results: ……
Having conducted several experiments before, and now with this first one, Hick has a general understanding of the system's scoring rules:
1. Level Difference: When you complete an experiment that is higher than your current level (currently an apprentice level 3, the next level up is a level 1 wizard), the points you get are equal to the percentage of participation in the experiment (e.g., 80% participation, 80 points).
2. Experiments of the same level: When you complete an experiment of the same level as yourself, the points you get are only one-tenth of the points you would have earned (e.g., if you have 100% participation, you will only get 10 points).
3. Repetition Penalty (Same Level): For the same experiment (meaning the core objectives, materials, and methods are identical), only the first completion will earn full points for that level (calculated according to rule 1 or 2). Subsequent repetitions will result in a sharp decrease in points.
4. Level Change: If the same experiment is conducted at a higher level (such as repeating the experiment after becoming a full wizard), it is considered a new experiment, and the score is recalculated according to rule 1 or 2, regardless of the previous number of repetitions.
"Tsk..." Hick stroked his chin, his brows furrowing slightly.
"This system is clearly forcing me to take on more difficult experiments, it doesn't want me to rack up points on low-level experiments."
A sense of urgency arose spontaneously. Without the guidance of a mentor and higher-level experimental resources, how could he access projects "above his own level"?
"Master, oh Master... you'd better come out of seclusion soon."
Hick gazed at the tightly closed door deep inside the laboratory and sighed inwardly.
"This booster for takeoff depends on you!"
In a dimly lit room within the Wizard's Tower, a man almost forgotten by Hick is struggling to find his path to redemption.
"If I just kill that apprentice and take the stuff to Hick, he might let me go. No, he definitely will!"
Pale-faced, Lor muttered to himself as he spent the last few days in fear.