Level Up in Martial World

Chapter 122: Deal

"That's a deal, then," Lu Zhen sneered. In one year, countless variables could occur. Even if there weren't, he was confident he could finish all the books since his cognitive ability had increased significantly.

Elv produced a book seemingly out of thin air and handed it to him. This time, Lu Zhen watched closely, trying to comprehend how she could summon items seemingly from nowhere, using all his five senses.

Lu Zhen's eyes narrowed to a sliver as he observed the book materialise in Elv's hand.

Elv chuckled upon seeing Lu Zhen's narrowed eyes.

"You'll gain this ability as long as you reach the Origin level, which is equivalent to a fourth-circle mage, or as you call it, a first-stage martial artist."

"Can second-stage martial artists also have that ability?" Lu Zhen inquired, a puzzled expression on his face.

"No, that's impossible unless the second-stage martial artist is very close to reaching the Origin level, with only a single step left, and has comprehended some of the Origin language. Only then might they be able to use this ability. At least, that's how it works for mages. I don't know much about the martial artist realm, but it should be similar."

Lu Zhen nodded his head with a peculiar light in his eyes as he heard this. After all, he had already seen his mother use this so-called ability twice. So either his mother was a first-stage martial artist, which was unlikely, or she must be at the cusp of the second-stage martial realm.

"Alright, let's go now," Lu Zhen said as he looked to his side where Xiao Yu was standing obediently. The young boy had become silent, his clothes stained with sweat. Xiao Yu had woken up from his half-sleep and immediately realized his mistake in interrupting them. He remained silent the entire time, feeling a rising tension in the presence of Lu Zhen and Elv.

"How was your sleep, kid?" Lu Zhen asked with a mischievous smile.

"Yo... mas… I…." Xiao Yu stuttered, struggling to utter a word.

"I know that when you first entered this place, this guy must have intentionally given you those items. After all, you were just a mortal, and he used you to lure in a bigger prey," Lu Zhen remarked, finding it hard to believe that the mage hadn't manipulated Xiao Yu to bring him to this hidden cave. It seemed too coincidental to be true for mortal to find these place.

Lu Zhen sighed deeply and shook his head in disappointment, his voice tinged with frustration as he spoke, "There is no inheritance cave here. It's just a trap set by the mage."

Impatience colored Elv's features as she looked from Lu Zhen to Xiao Yu and declared, "Are you done now? Let's go."

In response, Lu Zhen's eyes narrowed, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He stared at the books and the vials with a bitter expression.

Lu Zhen proceeded to pack all the books into a sack and carried it in his left hand. In his right hand, he held all the vials given to him by Elv. Elv, seemingly unimpressed by his display, merely scoffed. She waved her hand, and like a mirage, all the equipment vanished into thin air, as if they had never existed in the first place.

Frowning, Lu Zhen mumbled to himself, "I need to get a storage bag or something real quick." He turned and began to walk out of the room, with Xiao Yu following closely behind and Elv at his side.

As Elv was about to leave the room, an unusual event occurred, a flicker of something otherworldly. Her dark shadow, which had clung to her like an extension of herself, seemed to come alive for a fleeting moment. It writhed and quivered, much like the undulating waves of the ocean. This eerie display created an uncanny and unsettling effect as if her shadow had a life of its own.

What transpired next was nothing short of miraculous and bewildering. In a gesture that defied mortal comprehension, a small, round shadow separated from Elv's main shadow. In the blink of an eye, it darted back into the room they were just leaving.

For a brief moment, Elv halted in her tracks, her expression still devoid of any emotion. Her pace remained consistent as she continued to walk away, seemingly unfazed by the peculiar incident.

Lu Zhen walked beside her, maintaining his usual calm demeanour. Yet, hidden behind his inscrutable exterior, a sly smirk crept onto his face. Thoughts swirled in his mind.

"Did you think you could hide from me, the old monster? Especially a mage, they're truly terrifying. If I don't remain vigilant, she could probably sell me without me even realising it. Fortunately, she hadn't yet plotted against me. But if she had…" Lu Zhen felt a shiver running down his spine.

If Lu Zhen's brain power increased so significantly simply by entering the realm of mages, one could only imagine the cognitive abilities possessed by Elv, who had likely reached a higher circle.

Even though Lu Zhen's brain had undergone a fundamental transformation, which might have been a one-time event, the innate brainpower of mages continued to increase with each higher circle they attained.

Although Lu Zhen didn't know which circle she was in, she should still be at a higher level than a first-stage martial artist, which was equivalent to a fourth-circle mage. After all, first-stage martial artists could only live around 300 years, based on what the ancestor had told Lu Zhen, and the mage system should be similar.

So mages who were alive now must have reached a terrifying realm that Lu Zhen couldn't even imagine, living through an era even if they were in isolation.

Despite their current weakness, which made them vulnerable enough for even Lu Zhen to kill, that didn't mean they couldn't scheme and have hidden tricks up their sleeves.

Lu Zhen sighed inwardly, contemplating these thoughts.

"Let's speed up," he urged, catching Xiao Yu's wrist before abruptly increasing his pace.

Swoosh!

The sound of air being torn resonated as Lu Zhen moved. His speed was so extraordinary that he seemed to create afterimages, almost like teleportation. He would appear in one spot, then vanish, reappearing half a kilometre (500 metres) ahead in the blink of an eye.

To his surprise, Elv effortlessly maintained the same pace as Lu Zhen, almost appearing to teleport alongside him.