Chapter 45
Tier-1 Witchcraft and Pavane Dance
The day before the morgue's settlement day.
As usual, Lucy completed her dissection tasks right on schedule.
She dissected the six piled-up corpses one by one, ultimately submitting 19 low-grade enchanted organs of limited value, while secretly keeping 3 pieces for anatomical research.
Thanks to the existence of the Bone Brooch, she could now leave the West Tower carrying specimens without even spraying Odor Concealment Potion, and the flesh puppet stationed at the entrance would not question her.
[NO·7 Fluorescent Cecum of the Nocturnal Demon Rabbit] [An ordinary dissection experiment] [Application: Digestion and Absorption] [Academic Points +3]
[NO·8 Dragonfly Compound Eye Lens] [An ordinary dissection experiment] [Application: Eye Techniques] [Academic Points +3]
The last item surprised Lucy a little; it was the remains of the Star Dew Grass that she had personally destroyed.
Unfortunately, all parts suitable for medicinal use had been burned, and she could only extract some fragments of the digestive cavity from the charred tissues.
[NO·9 Immature Digestive Cavity] [An ordinary dissection experiment] [Application: Flesh Constructs] [Academic Points +5]
[Academic Points: 118]
But these gains were nothing more than appetizers and fruit before and after a proper meal for Lucy.
What truly thrilled her was the breakthrough in hybrid witchcraft.
The brand-new witchcraft model, constructed around "Advanced Magical Energy Storage" and "Advanced Screech of Agony," had finally taken shape. The intricate magical rune floated in her sea of consciousness, radiating a dangerous glow.
[Witchcraft: Basic Ultrasonic Shockwave (Tier-1)] Releases a high-frequency soundwave, dealing multiple types of damage within a fan-shaped area: magical energy vibration, sonic tearing, and mental shock.
If the enemy was directly in front, the magical energy grading of this witchcraft even exceeded 18°.
What was even more astonishing was that, thanks to the continuous nature unique to soundwaves, as long as Lucy’s mental strength had not been depleted, she could extend the attack duration to five seconds.
This meant a continuous attack lasting five seconds with an intensity as high as 18°, enough to make any wizard apprentice flee in panic.
After completing "Ultrasonic Shockwave," her first Tier-1 witchcraft, Lucy almost immediately began constructing her second Tier-1 witchcraft.
What she placed on her desk at this moment was the apprenticeship gift from Mentor Fernando a slice of the first atrium of a degenerated dragonkin heart.
At first, she thought it was merely an ordinary layer of keratin.
However, when she aimed the objective lens of the high-magnification microscope from Mentor Fernando’s laboratory at the sample, what appeared on the iris were countless precisely arranged arc-shaped crystals.
Within these microcrystals was sealed a dark red liquid substance, which, upon testing, matched perfectly with the blood components of the degenerated dragonkin atrium.
Even more astonishing, the crystalline layer exhibited remarkable defensive properties and self-healing abilities, and when stacked, could even generate a magical energy magnetic field.
Lucy named this substance "Fractured Crystal."
With this discovery, Lucy threw herself into the experiments, almost to the point of forsaking sleep and food.
She even missed one morgue settlement day, resulting in a deduction of three magic stones for corpse fees.
Again and again, she attempted to deconstruct and recombine the magical veins on that dragon heart specimen, striving to create a more perfect arrangement.
After locking herself in the laboratory for six days, her total time spent on meditation and rest added up to less than fifteen sandglasses.
During this time, Fernando grew concerned about Lucy’s condition and personally came to check on her.
Yet after standing quietly at her side for a full half a sandglass without being noticed, Fernando chose to leave quietly.
The sight of Lucy in such focused concentration reminded him of his own days as an apprentice, when he would stay up through the night analyzing any organ specimen worthy of study.
Though exhausting, those days were memorable for a lifetime.
In contrast, after becoming a formal wizard, due to his long lifespan and the decreasing number of specimens that matched his abilities, that intense enthusiasm for research had not been felt for many years.
Completely unaware that her mentor had visited, Lucy remained immersed at her experimental table.
After completing one thousand permutations of the "Fractured Crystal" arrangement, she finally selected one structure that most perfectly balanced defense, self-healing, and magnetic field properties.
Because its microscopic form resembled the reverse growth pattern of dragon scales, Lucy named it "Reverse Scale Arrangement."
After recording the new arrangement diagram into the Anatomical Notes, the utterly exhausted Lucy collapsed into sleep.
This time, she slept for a full twelve sandglasses in the corner of the laboratory.
Upon waking, she ate a simple meal in the apprentice cafeteria and immediately returned to her experiments.
This time, she intended to use the "Reverse Scale Structure" to construct her second Tier-1 witchcraft model.
After thirty sandglasses of continuous fine-tuning, as she drew the final stroke of the magical energy circuit, the egg-shaped elliptical witchcraft model suddenly took form.
In the blink of an eye.
A pale red crystalline shield appeared half a meter away, and the stacked crystals thickened to palm-width at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Lucy tried moving her position, and the shield followed her as if anchored to her body.
"The magical energy reaction reached 20°, and this is without considering magical energy storage or the Gear Staff."
"Moreover, due to the addition of the dragon blood magical vein, the crystal layer possesses extremely high healing capability. As long as combat pauses briefly, it can rapidly recondense the crystals."
Judging from these two data points, this defensive witchcraft could be considered top-tier even among Tier-1 witchcraft.
"Fractured crystals formed by the Reverse Scale Structure... then it shall be called 'Fractured Crystal Reverse Scale Shield.'"
The next day.
Lucy successfully completed her registration as an Official Apprentice at the tower registry.
Her gray probationary apprentice robe was replaced with the black robe of an official apprentice.
As she returned to her fifth-floor dormitory wearing the brand-new black robe, the gray-robed probationary apprentices along the way all stepped aside and bowed in greeting.
Lucy could now apply for a sixth-floor official apprentice dormitory, but she had no time to concern herself with that at the moment, as only two days remained before her enfeoffment ceremony at the capital of the Principality of Kolo.
And Miss Lucy was currently deeply troubled by a traditional segment of the ceremony.
The reason was simple: according to the traditions of the Principality of Kolo, and to emphasize the close ties between wizards and the nobility, every enfeoffment ceremony would have a royal family member accompany each newly promoted wizard apprentice for the "First Dance."
As the final candidate confirmed to participate in the enfeoffment ceremony, Lucy had only one day to learn the Pavane Dance.
The person training her was Lady Leticia, from one of the pillar noble families of the principality.
When Leticia wrapped her arms around Lucy’s slender and supple waist, hidden beneath the wizard robe, Lucy instantly stiffened like a puppet.
The sensation from the fine silk gloves sent shivers up her spine, as though thousands of ants were crawling under her wizard robe.
"Miss Lucy, your waist seems a bit too sensitive."
Leticia released the completely tense Lucy, her velvety voice carrying a hint of helplessness. "Though being physically sensitive may be of some help for your married life in the future, keeping up with the rhythm of the Pavane Dance would be..."
Lucy stuck out her tongue in disgust.
A man wrapping his arm around her waist?
Only if he could withstand a blast of Ultrasonic Shockwave.
"Forget it, I won’t learn this dance."
Lucy decisively chose to give up.
"That won’t do." Leticia spun gracefully on tiptoe and said, "The enfeoffment ceremony isn’t attended only by apprentices from the Tower of the Four Sages. Apprentices from Eternal Silence Blackthorn and the Witch’s Cottage will also be present."
"And having apprentices from the Tower of the Four Sages lead the opening dance has been a tradition since the Principality of Kolo was founded. There has never been an exception."
Lucy rubbed her forehead in frustration. Wasn’t this just forcing her onto the stage?
As she watched Leticia dance elegantly alone, an idea suddenly came to Lucy.
"In that case, Leti, why don’t you just teach me the male steps instead!"
Leticia nearly slipped and fell.
She sized Lucy up and down. One meter sixty-five tall, a delicate figure, exquisite features, and waist-length silver hair none of it fit the physique of a "lead partner."
However, there were quite a few nobles at court who enjoyed cross-dressing roles.
Before Leticia could react, Lucy had already seized her waist from behind, and under Leticia’s astonished gaze, led her back into the dance.
The figures of the silver-haired girl and the blonde noblewoman flowed between the mirrored walls, black robe and splendid gown intertwining into a strange yet harmonious scene.