Lord of the Myriad Worlds

Chapter 280: First-Order Casting Witch

"Master Zhao, it's so good to have you back! The lord has given us over a dozen new orders, and without you to keep things running, we've been like headless chickens."

In the northeast corner of the camp, pressed against the Level 3 wall, stood the blacksmith shop that had been newly built the previous month. Beside it rose a smelting furnace several meters tall.

When Zhao Xuanxuan came back carrying her Four-Star Enchanted Iron Hammer, five blacksmith apprentices were already waiting — three men and two women. The oldest was forty-five, the youngest fifteen, with three others at twenty-three, eighteen, and eighteen.

Called apprentices, they were all already Two-Star Blacksmiths. Reaching Two-Star was straightforward enough — learn how the furnace worked, understand the basic blacksmithing process, swing a hammer for a month, and the experience would take you there.

That was enough to be a passable blacksmith — someone who could knock together crude farming tools for simple folk. In an ancient feudal era, it would have been a living.

But in this age, it was nowhere near enough.

Because the uncontrolled magical essence had altered most matter at the particle level. The old standards of forging were one thing; the new reality was something else entirely.

Enchantment was the only measure that mattered now.

On this subject, Zhao Xuanxuan had more authority than most — she was carrying an enchanted hammer on her back, after all.

If you couldn't capture and consolidate the chaotic magical particles during the forging process, then no matter how skilled your ironwork was — even if you somehow pushed it to Four-Star — it would still be a plain, unenchanted piece of equipment.Times had changed.

"No need to rush. Take it one step at a time. We have plenty of time."

Zhao Xuanxuan smiled and pulled down the order list from the shop entrance to look it over. These were task orders issued by Li Wei through the Prestige Card system — it felt a bit like an old village chief posting quests in a game. The apprentices had then hand-copied them onto paper slips.

"Sam — how much steel ingot do we have in reserve? Go to Warehouse No. 4 and put in an order with Javier. Tell him we'll need another furnace run in three days."

Zhao Xuanxuan picked up a marker and wrote out a materials requisition in standard format on a blank sheet of paper, signing and stamping it at the bottom.

The camp's operations had settled into a proper rhythm now. Everything had to follow procedures and rules.

It had to be said — having the freemen join had been enormously helpful. Li Wei only needed to point a direction, and the freemen would figure out reasonable rules on their own.

Javier, for instance, was a genuine talent in warehouse logistics management.

"Alright — fire up the furnace. Anthony, Alrod — your task today is five hundred hammer swings each. Diana — two hundred for you. Lucas, you and Sam assist me."

"Master Zhao, why do we still have to practice swinging hammers? We're blacksmiths, not warriors."

Eighteen-year-old Anthony grumbled.

"Exactly, Master Zhao — back at Base 379 we used electric forging hammers. One strike was a thousand kilograms of force. I think we should petition the lord to install electric hammers here." Eighteen-year-old Alrod chimed in. They felt like everything they had learned before had been thrown out the window.

They had expected to learn some secret technique from this supposedly remarkable blacksmith. Instead, for the past month and a half, they had done nothing but tend the fire and swing hammers.

People should use their brains, not their muscles. We're freemen — what do you know?

"Anthony. Alrod. Shut up."

Twenty-three-year-old Lucas snapped at them. Two idiots — complaining in private was one thing, but doing it to her face was asking for trouble.

Zhao Xuanxuan glanced at the two young ones without any irritation. Getting angry would be pointless. Their thinking wasn't wrong — they just didn't know the world had changed. They'd understand eventually.

Her task — her purpose — was to contribute to Li Wei's territory, to cultivate a few skilled blacksmiths for it. Even one would be enough.

She was responsible to Li Wei, not to the future of these two young apprentices.

"Well said. So Anthony, Alrod — your tasks today remain unchanged. As for why — that's the question I'm leaving you to think about. People should use their brains. So think: why?"

"In a few days, about ten more blacksmith apprentices will be coming for training. I'm giving everyone one month. After one month, anyone who fails the assessment leaves. Anyone who passes stays. Same rules for everyone. And in the end, no more than three qualified blacksmiths should remain in this shop."

Zhao Xuanxuan said it calmly and seriously. Today, thirty-two of the Ability Users had chosen Blacksmith as their primary Profession Card — all of them were potential apprentices.

Those who had Blacksmith as their second Profession wouldn't even get a look-in.

But even having Blacksmith as your first Profession didn't guarantee you'd end up as one.

Competition in this world was that fierce. Cherish the time you have.

She was saying that to herself as well. She wanted to become an enchantment blacksmith. When Li Wei had given her a Universal Gold Card and she had used it to upgrade the hammer, something had clicked — she had found her path forward.

Yes — forging enchanted weapons didn't necessarily require a Universal Gold Card. It could be done through the forging process itself.

And that might be her road.

In that moment, Zhao Xuanxuan's Destiny Matrix trembled faintly. The Destiny Title "Sword Caster" blazed with light, merging with the afternoon sun until something almost sacred seemed to radiate from her.

That was exactly what the four young apprentices felt in that moment — an invisible mark, as though branded into the depths of their souls.

Perhaps someday in the future, on some September afternoon, in warm and golden sunlight, with the first cool breeze of early autumn, they would finally understand: that feeling had a name — Destiny Resonance.

At the same moment, that same afternoon, in the small city beyond the northern mountains, inside a library thick with dust and cobwebs, thin shafts of light slanted through high windows, cutting amber columns through the hazy air and falling across rows of shelves long forgotten by the world.

Wind drifted in from outside, carrying the chill of early autumn, lifting a few pages with a soft rustle — as though arranged by fate, or the magic of time, or the curse of knowledge.

Sitting behind the reading desk, Liang Yuzhi smiled with a kind of quiet release. Her entire bearing had transformed.

If before she had merely been a sharp-tongued, cold, reclusive, and eccentric widow, then now she was a sharp-tongued, cold, reclusive, eccentric, and dangerous widow — one who was also deeply learned, widely experienced, and capable of sensing the chaotic rules of magic.

Yes — she had done it.

She had finally obtained the Rare Scholar Card.

Activate. Bind. She let out a long, satisfied breath. Then, as she rose and moved, it was as though she were casting some kind of spell — Adai, who had been peeking in from outside the library, was instantly reduced to a point of light.

The next instant, Adai appeared in her hand.

If Li Wei had seen this, he would have been stunned. It was essentially Liang Yuzhi cracking his hunting pet's defenses — she could even use the Capture and Lock skill on it.

Adai was so frightened he didn't dare move his eyeballs.

"You little wretch — can't stop peeking, can you? Let this be a lesson."

Liang Yuzhi scolded him and flicked Adai away with one finger. He flapped his wings and fled without looking back. That woman was terrifying.

Liang Yuzhi sighed and cast a fond look around the remarkably well-preserved library. What a treasure this place was.

So —

"Whoosh."

A fireball the size of a human head materialized in her palm. She tossed it casually. In the next instant, with a tremendous explosion, the entire library was swallowed by flames.

Yes — that was just the Widow's everyday routine.

At dusk, a knock came at Li Wei's door. The visitor was Liang Yuzhi. He looked up in mild surprise — he hadn't sensed her approach at all.

And he was currently at Perception +2.

Something was wrong.

Li Wei slowly stood, looking at Liang Yuzhi standing in the doorway. She looked the same as always. Adai was curled miserably in her arms, blinking frantically with the most pitiful expression imaginable.

But from Li Wei's perspective — from the perspective that Perception +2 gave him — Liang Yuzhi's aura and presence had changed completely. The feeling was no longer that of a sharp-tongued, cold, reclusive, and eccentric widow. Now it was a sharp-tongued, cold, reclusive, eccentric, and profoundly dangerous master.

It was deeply unsettling.

"Second Aunt — congratulations." A bolt of understanding struck Li Wei. He knew what had happened.

"You're at Perception +2 now?"

Liang Yuzhi said it as she stepped inside, and the moment she crossed the threshold, Li Wei felt as though he had entered some strange field of force.

"I obtained the Rare Scholar Card. So I'm now a First-Order Casting Witch. I can already use a few flashy little spells — like this spiritual force field I'm projecting right now, which is roughly equivalent to a Five-Star Conspiracy Card."

"Congratulations. I don't entirely follow." Li Wei said, genuinely surprised, his mind racing.

"That's fine. Let me ask you this — do you know about Warrior Cards?"

"Yes. There's no corresponding card for the Warrior profession, but once you advance to Master-level Warrior — meaning all attributes at Level 3 Awakening — you can forge a Warrior Card unique to your own style. Even without a physical card, you can still be called a Warrior. All attributes at Level 1 Awakening is Veteran-level; all attributes at Level 2 Awakening is Expert-level." Li Wei answered quickly. He himself had only just reached all-attribute Level 1 Awakening — Level 3 was a long way off.

"Exactly. If there are Warrior Cards, then of course there are Witch Cards. The process is similar. You, Li Yue, Thomas, Leon — you're all walking the Warrior path. I'm walking the Witch path. Night Owl is the same — she's already forged a One-Star Witch Card. Her trusted subordinate Hathaway is on the same road."

"So, Li Wei — do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

"I... couldn't possibly guess it's because you care about me, Second Aunt."

Liang Yuzhi smiled slightly. "You're not bad. At the very least, you're trustworthy and principled. I personally despise people who are trustworthy and principled — but this experience has taught me something. So I'd like to propose a long-term arrangement with you. Not the kind you're imagining — what I want is your promise: if I ever fall into trouble again in the future, you will extend a hand to help."

"In return, after you win this Pioneering Mission, I'll craft a new Baron Noble Crest for you — and you'll have my friendship. I promise that in the future, as long as it doesn't touch my core interests, I will never oppose you. At the very least, I'll maintain permanent neutrality."

"Why? What I mean is —"

"You don't need to say it. I understand. Li Wei — you need to understand something. The moment I obtained the Rare Scholar Card, I was destined to return to the top tier in Weir City. Any cooperation between us would be gilding the lily for me. My future will be smooth sailing — as long as I don't have another run of bad luck. And because of that, I must draw a clear line between us. This is for your benefit. Otherwise, your direct superior will almost certainly come to see you as a thorn in her side."

"But I admire you. So I'm willing to buy insurance for my future. Do you understand what I mean?"

Li Wei paused, then nodded firmly. He understood.

Still, he couldn't help asking: "Out of curiosity — do I have any chance of becoming a mage?"

"You do. Discard your Rare Scout Card, Three-Star Woodcutter Card, and Four-Star Hunter Card. Then activate and bind a Mountaineer Card. Farmer and Mountaineer are a paired set — great for cultivating magical herbs and gathering rare plants. Third profession: Pharmacist Card. That gives you a natural hand for brewing all kinds of potions. Fourth profession: Scholar Card. That gives you deep knowledge and the ability to discern the nature of things."

"Grind the Destiny Grid on all four. The first two will give you extra Spiritual Power; the latter two will unlock the hidden attribute Inspiration. So — want to try?"

Liang Yuzhi was completely serious. Li Wei could only smile awkwardly. Trying that would be the death of him.

"Can I ask one more question? What's the difference between a Warrior's Perception and a Witch's Inspiration?"

Liang Yuzhi let out a cold snort.

"So you're looking for weaknesses against Witches and other casters. You know, in the old days, that one question alone would have given me a hundred reasons to kill you. But now — well, who else is going to indulge you if not your Second Aunt?"

"Of course there's a difference. I won't get into the complex theory — let me give you an example. The life cores of magic zombies, as we both know. You can detect and lock onto them with Perception; I can do the same with Inspiration. The result looks the same, but the method is completely different. Yours is based on detecting the life force field — more like a CT scan or ultrasound. It's a physical-level supersense, grounded and precise, built from capturing and extrapolating minute details into a sensory map."

"Your outstanding performance in the radiation fog yesterday — that was the imprint your Perception left at the physical level. Precise, accurate, like the turning of perfectly calibrated gears."

"But do you know how my Inspiration detected and locked onto the life core? What I saw were the traces left by magical force — the reaction chain that uncontrolled magical radiation had created inside his body."

"If you put me in that radiation fog today, I wouldn't navigate it the way you did. I would find the chaotic magical particles within the fog, trace them back to their source, and dissolve the fog from within. That is the difference between a Warrior and a Caster."

"That's all I'll say. Don't forget our agreement — and please keep this confidential for now. I'll pretend I haven't obtained the Rare Scholar Card for the time being. Understood?"

"Also — this conversation has essentially used up the equivalent of a Five-Star card. So I can't stay any longer. Neither can Li Yue. This is for your own good..."

"Oh — and one last thing. Next month, players from other departments may come to recruit you or try to win you over. Refuse them cleanly and decisively. Night Owl — that woman — doesn't have a bigger heart than the rest of us."