The next morning, Qin Muye rubbed his temples with a slight headache. Today was his third day in "Lord Era," which also meant that half of the seven-day newbie protection period had already passed.
Last night, he had performed a Magic Transformation on that Spirit Monster, which cost him 41 points of Magic Value.
His own 11 points of Magic Value, plus 1 point of Knowledge from the Azure Headband and 10 points of Magic Value, combined with the 10 points of Magic Value restored at dawn each day, made the transformation barely possible.
Only when the sounds of bone growth and flesh regeneration ceased in that temporary surgery room did everything finally come to an end.
He didn't know whether the transformation was successful or not, as it wasn't something within his control. The insufficiency of Magic Power, first surgery, and various other factors meant a fifty percent chance of success was on him; the other half relied on the Spirit Monster itself.
Thankfully, before the surgery last night, he had fed it a large amount of food to ensure it was well-nourished.
[One of your Spirit Monsters has evolved into Champion Level.]
The sudden notification jolted Qin Muye to attention, his headache forgotten. Had it succeeded?
From that message, Qin Muye gleaned more derivative information; there were differences even within the same Troop Type.
For instance, the Troop Type he had previously possesssed was a common one. If it went through many battles without dying or was taken to a training ground, it would become a veteran of the first Rank, an experienced soldier. As for Champion, this not only required a large amount of combat and training but also enough Resources and growth among many other internal and external factors to have a chance of becoming such.
It meant excelling above all troops.
A tall figure walked out of the temporary surgery room.
"Master, I have survived."
[Troop Type: Spirit Monster]
[Troop Rank: 1st Rank Champion Level]
[Life Value: 15/15]
[Magic Value: 20/20]
[Attack Power: 15]
[Defensive Power: 10]
[Skill]
[Lucky Garden: Luck +1]
[Magic Power Physique: Attack Power +10, Defensive Power +5, Life Value +5]
[Magic Wisdom: Magic Value +20]
[Loyal Taming: Morale will never drop]
[Bath of Blood: For every 1 point of Life Value lost, Attack Power increases by 1 point]
[Magic Rebound: Life Value Limit decreases by 5 points every day]
[Introduction: A powerful spirit monster reborn from death, having gained the ability to grow stronger in battle through magic power. If it weren't for its three-day lifespan, it would not be a Rank 1 Champion Level troop but rather a Rank 2 Champion Level troop.]
Qin Muye looked at the tall spirit monster, nearly the size of a Beastman, and was also shocked by the earth-shattering changes in its attributes and skills.
"It's a pity, I succeeded, yet I failed," Qin Muye sighed.
This spirit monster could become Champion Level; half of the credit went to his own effort, namely the magic transformation, while the other half was due to the spirit monster's own merit, with willpower, luck, and the like all being essential.
Unfortunately, it was still a case of success within reach yet unattainable. Qin Muye had guessed the reason: it was highly likely due to the heavy injuries the spirit monster had suffered before, which was also what had given it the will to survive, turning it into a Champion Level and granting it the Bath of Blood skill. The more its blood drained, the higher its attack power would become.
But with this came the inevitable rebound, a backlash from its own body's inability to withstand the magic transformation, causing the spirit monster's life force to fade away. At best, it could only live for three days, and the drop in its life value limit wouldn't trigger the Bath of Blood skill.
The reason was simple: there is a difference between the life value limit and life value; the former, once reduced, does not recover, while the latter can be restored.
"No, my master, you have succeeded. Perhaps I only have three days left, but within these three days, I will eliminate all your enemies for you, starting with those three wolves," said the spirit monster joyfully, seemingly unfazed by the life that was slipping away from it.
Spirit monsters are born to serve their mage masters loyally.
Qin Muye reined in his helplessness and said, "Fine, take food for one day with you. We need a slaughter to revitalize the spirits."
Wallowing in melancholy is pointless. With this time, it is better to develop quickly. He had already wasted two days.
As for what would happen after three days, that would be dealt with then. If one day of studying and research could yield such results, then perhaps three more days might be enough to find a cure for the magic rebound.
"Yes, my great master!"
The Champion Level spirit monster was burly, not at all like a common spirit monster; it was at least two meters tall with thick limbs and a husky frame.
However, Qin Muye surmised that this might not necessarily relate to its rank; what truly caused such a change in its body was likely the magic transformation rather than the evolution of its troop type.
Descending from the tower with the Champion Level spirit monster to the first floor of the Mage Tower, all of the spirit monsters there gawked at the sight; they certainly knew who it was, but the transformation that had occurred overnight was beyond comprehension.
"Three spirit monsters will join us for the hunt outside. The remaining six will stay and work the land. I'll build ten more plots of farmland. Plant all the seeds, and once done, you may rest," Qin Muye arranged things simply.
Management and command were not his strengths, so for now, he had them work the land. Indeed, aside from their inability to fight, one could call the spirit monsters capable hands for domestic life.
What Qin Muye needed now, however, were those capable of battle. As for taking three spirit monsters with him, it was for his own safety; even without attack power, they had a defensive power of 1, which was definitely better than his own scholarly status, which only possessed a knowledge attribute.
He left the standard armor for the spirit monsters to use as water carriers; he couldn't wear it himself. It was very heavy, something probably only the Champion Level spirit monster could manage.
The Champion Level spirit monster didn't need it either, with a defense power as high as 10, making it invulnerable to any Rank 1 troop type. The three wolves stood no chance against it, and they could be taken down in one hit; it made more sense to let it farm for food instead.
"Yes, master." The six spirit monsters naturally had no objections.
The remaining three joined Qin Muye and the Champion Level spirit monster in leaving the domain.
In truth, Qin Muye didn't want to go. He was more interested in studying the Magic Scroll·Magic Eye in the Mage Tower to see if he could learn this magic. But he had to go; firstly, he needed to leech experience to level up, and secondly, to follow and pick up resources and open treasure boxes. Otherwise, the troops couldn't carry them back, and it would be a waste of time going back and forth.
So Qin Muye decided to go along, studying en route. Though it might be a bit slower, there was no helping it.
He wasn't afraid of falling. He was guarded by spirit monsters on all sides, so there was no danger there. Besides, this time the spirit monsters would lead the way, to make the most of their slight amount of luck.