"Carter Bill shrugged. "I suppose that's fine, but first we need to shave Yuri's fur off."
Before Alice could even respond, Yuri cut in eagerly. "Don't worry about me—ladies first. I'll go hunt for my dagger in the meantime."
Alice beamed sweetly. "You're such a sweetheart, Brother Yuri."
Seeing this, Carter Bill had nothing more to say and handed the dagger over to Alice.
Alice twirled the dagger in her hands, infusing it with bits of her spiritual power every now and then to shift its shape into all sorts of forms. She looked utterly enchanted.
"It's such an amazing wizard tool," she gushed, turning it over and over in her palms. "It can change shapes just like that!"
Pausing for a moment, she flashed Carter Bill an admiring smile. "You're so incredible, Carter Bill! Winning first place in that assessment and earning such a fantastic magical item as a reward—you're a genius!"
Then she tugged at a strand of her hair, feigning a dejected look as she sighed softly, her voice dripping with helplessness. "Ugh, why can't I be more like you? I'm so useless. Just scraping by to pass the assessment already took all my luck. I wonder if I'll ever get my hands on a magical item as cool as this."
Carter Bill saw right through her little act—she wanted the wand, and she wanted him to give it to her for free.
This tactic of hers had worked like a charm before. Time and again, she'd milked potions, scrolls, and free homework help out of the other male apprentices.
A lesser man might have caved right then, driven by pride to play the generous hero.
Unfortunately for Alice, she was dealing with Carter Bill.
He simply stared at her blankly, pretending not to grasp the subtext of her dramatic lament. After all, he had a reputation around the tower as a blunt, country bumpkin—a fool through and through. It was only natural that he'd fail to pick up on such subtle manipulation.
So he said earnestly, "Keep working hard, and you'll get one someday. I promise."
Alice's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. She hadn't expected such a straightforward, sincere response—it had completely thrown her off her game.
But she wasn't ready to give up just yet. She heaved another sigh, her eyes glistening with false vulnerability as she added, "It's no use. I'm not a prodigy like you, Carter Bill. No matter how hard I try, I'll never measure up."
Carter Bill nodded, still wearing that same earnest expression. "If you stick with it, you definitely will."
Alice fell silent, her jaw tightening.
Who on earth was this blockhead? Even backwater farmers weren't this dense!
Yuri, who'd been watching the whole exchange, finally couldn't stand it anymore. He shot Carter Bill an annoyed look. "Carter Bill, letting a lady down is the height of bad manners. Hand over that wand to Alice. Wouldn't you like to be praised for your generosity?"
Carter Bill rolled his eyes inwardly. Spending someone else's wealth to curry favor, and then demanding others to do the same—what a spineless sycophant. The nerve of this guy!
Alice's heart skipped a beat with delight, but she quickly put on a bashful front, waving her hands as if flustered. "Oh no, that's far too much! I couldn't possibly accept something so precious!"
Like hell she couldn't. As if.
Carter Bill shook his head firmly. "I can't do that. It's a reward from the tower—there's a rule against giving it away to someone else."
Technically, the rule existed, but it was more of a formality. No one would have cared if he'd given the wand away. He was just using it as an excuse.
Yuri frowned, growing irritated. "Why are you being so stubborn? Rules are meant to be broken—learn to be flexible, will you? Alice and I would be forever grateful to you. Isn't trading a measly magical item for our friendship a steal?"
Carter Bill stood his ground. "The rule is the rule."
Yuri and Alice were left speechless. They'd never met anyone this stubborn. A peasant through and through—letting someone like him into the wizarding world had been a huge mistake.
He'd never amount to anything.
...
Carter Bill traveled with Yuri and Alice for two more days. On the noon of the third day, the group split ways at a fork in the road.
They could have kept going together for a bit longer, but Carter Bill suspected their falling-out over the wand had soured the mood. It was no surprise that Yuri had been quick to suggest parting ways at the first opportunity.
I bet Alice said a few choice words about me behind my back, Carter Bill thought.
He'd definitely noticed the shift in Yuri's attitude over the past two days—his glances had been sharp with disapproval.
Fine, then. So be it.
There was no point in sticking around if they couldn't stand each other. Carter Bill didn't argue. He simply bid them farewell politely and continued on his journey alone.
Two days later, he reached the Festering Marsh.
Located east of the Shadow Tower, the Festering Marsh was a murky, desolate stretch of land hidden deep within the Dark Forest.
The air hung thick and humid, heavy with corrosive elements that leached the life out of every tree in sight. The once-lush woodland had turned into a graveyard of gnarled, decaying trunks.
Carter Bill stepped into the marsh, his eyes scanning the eerie landscape.
Towering trees loomed overhead, their canopies no longer a vibrant green but a sickly, pale gray. Black cracks spiderwebbed across their bark, and their branches were bare save for a few withered leaves that dangled precariously, ready to fall at the slightest breeze.
The ground was carpeted with a thick layer of rotting leaves and slimy moss, squelching underfoot like a damp sponge. Strange, bulbous mushrooms sprouted everywhere, oozing a viscous, multicolored slime. The air reeked of putrid rot—a sickening stench that clung to Carter Bill's clothes and hair.
Even the sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense, decaying canopy. At the marsh's edge, faint rays still managed to filter through, casting dappled shadows on the ground. But as Carter Bill ventured deeper, the light vanished entirely. Day turned to night, and the world was swallowed by an impenetrable darkness.
Carter Bill reached into his spatial pouch and pulled out several metal spheres, each no bigger than his thumb. He tapped the runes etched into their surfaces, and with a series of soft clicks and whirs of turning gears, the spheres unfolded—sprouting tiny wings and spindly legs, transforming into a flock of plump, beetle-like creatures.
These were Alchemical Fireflies, basic alchemical tools designed for one purpose: illumination.
Carter Bill had done his homework before embarking on this mission. He'd studied the marsh's harsh environment thoroughly and come prepared.
The little fireflies buzzed to life, their round, bulbous abdomens glowing with a warm, soft white light. They fluttered around Carter Bill's head like floating lanterns, chasing away the darkness and lighting up the path ahead.
Just then, a small, triangular head popped out from the inner pocket of Carter Bill's cloak, its tiny eyes wide with curiosity as it peered at the strange new surroundings.
Carter Bill chuckled, gently scratching the creature's scaly head. "Sleep well, little guy?"
After months of painstaking care and training, Parker was finally approaching his evolution stage. To conserve energy for the transformation, he'd spent most of his days asleep lately.
The fire drake wyrmling let out a big, sleepy yawn, then nuzzled Carter Bill's hand affectionately. He stretched his neck and opened his mouth wide, letting out a series of high-pitched cheeps—sounding just like a hungry baby begging for food.
Carter Bill reached into his pouch again and pulled out a handful of dried lizard legs, tossing them to Parker. The wyrmling snapped them up greedily, gobbling them down in seconds flat.
Parker burped loudly, and as he did, his belly glowed faintly red, and a tiny puff of sparks escaped his mouth.
Any apprentice familiar with fire drake wyrmlings would recognize that sign instantly—it was the first hint of their innate magical ability: Fire Breath.
Thanks to Carter Bill's relentless training over the past six months, Parker had already unlocked three physical talents after his initial Steel Claws: Burst Speed, which let him dash at speeds rivaling a hunting falcon; and Ironhide, which gave him skin as tough as solid iron.
And now, his first magical talent was beginning to awaken.
For a newborn fire drake wyrmling, it usually took a full decade to manifest Fire Breath naturally. Even with intensive wizard intervention, the process typically took at least three years. But Carter Bill had managed to get Parker this far in just six months—a feat that bordered on miraculous.
He'd poured his heart and soul into raising the little wyrmling: sourcing rare ingredients for his meals, building a custom nest infused with energy-rich crystals, and tending to him day and night without rest.
One look at his Basic Transcendent Breeding skill level told the whole story—he'd skyrocketed from Level 0 to nearly Max in just six months. That massive surge in proficiency wasn't luck; it was the result of countless hours of grinding, day in and day out.
Parker let out a contented hiss, nuzzling Carter Bill's hand again and licking his fingers with a rough, sandpaper-like tongue—acting just like a loyal puppy. He'd completely accepted Carter Bill as family, showing none of the fear and skittishness he'd felt just six months ago.
Carter Bill smiled, remembering how Parker had cowered from him in terror after their first few experiments together.
"It looks like those old scars are finally gone," he murmured, watching the wyrmling's playful antics.
He gently picked Parker up and placed him on his shoulder. "Alright, little buddy. Let's go see what secrets this marsh is hiding."
With Parker perched on his shoulder, Carter Bill marched forward, his boots squelching through the muck as he ventured deeper into the Festering Marsh.