Chapter 0009: The Three Mighty Ones

The news of the new apprentice leader’s arrival was announced to all wizard apprentices during dinner.

The apprentices, quietly eating in the hall, showed little reaction to the changing of the old and new leaders; not a single person even asked about Anksor’s whereabouts. Compared with the triumphant air of Allen, the new apprentice leader, Grimm felt nothing but undisguised contempt.

The previous leader, though far from being admirable, at least wielded three or four spells, making him a secondary powerhouse. He might not rival the likes of Hawkeye, Worm, or the Madwoman, but he was still stronger than most junior apprentices; otherwise, the others would never have endured his extortion in silence.

Allen’s abilities, however, were well known—he was merely a novice with mastery over “Wind Blade” and “Whirlwind Shield.” He had spent years hiding inside the wizard’s tower, never stepping outside, which left his combat skills woefully lacking. In a real confrontation, probably half of the apprentices present could easily defeat him.

Yet, seeing the four “apprentice dogs” clustered around him, it was clear Allen understood his own limitations. He must have quickly recruited some helpers.

Just as Allen was energetically delivering his speech about taking office, the wooden door of the dining hall was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang, crashing against the stone wall. A young man with a cold, grim face and a pirate-like black eyepatch over his left eye strode into the hall.

Allen’s speech came to an abrupt halt, and soft murmurs of “Hawkeye” rose in surprise from every corner of the hall.

The young man with the pirate eyepatch was none other than Hawkeye, one of the three strongest wizard apprentices.

As members of the trio, each of them had their own followers. They never dined in the hall; their meals were delivered directly to their rooms, allowing them to live in leisure. Thus, the apprentices were stunned by Hawkeye’s sudden appearance in the dining hall.

Hawkeye wasn’t here for food—he was looking for someone.

His gaze, brimming with powerful mental force, swept across the hall. Every apprentice who made eye contact with him instinctively lowered their heads; his gaze was simply too intense to endure.

As Hawkeye strode toward Grimm, the latter’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly lowered his head even further.

Unfortunately, Hawkeye stopped right in front of him.

“You’re Grimm? Come with me,” Hawkeye said, his words few but forceful, brooking no argument. Without waiting for a reaction, he turned and walked out, paying no heed to the others present.

Grimm gave a wry smile, pushed aside his plate, and stood to follow Hawkeye briskly out of the dining hall. Even without turning back, Grimm could sense Allen’s cold, venomous glare fixed upon him.

Grimm could guess Hawkeye’s intentions. As he followed Hawkeye’s lean figure through several twists and turns, down narrow, dim corridors, and finally arrived at a wooden door, Grimm became even more certain of his suspicions.

This was the Madwoman’s room, and waiting inside were the other two famed members of the trio: Worm and the Madwoman herself.

The room was as simple as Grimm’s own, with few furnishings—just a broad, sturdy wooden bed, a writing desk, and a chair, nothing more.

Ah, but in the corner stood a humanoid target made entirely of metal. Judging by the crisscrossing scratches and sword marks, it was likely the most frequently used item in the room.

The Madwoman’s signature steel greatsword hung on one wall.

Hawkeye, Worm, and the Madwoman did not get along well in daily life, but when matters concerned their interests, they clearly formed a united front.

This was the Madwoman’s room, and only she had the authority to speak here.

When Grimm stood awkwardly in the center of the room, his attention was drawn to the Madwoman herself—arms crossed, figure rugged and powerful like a barbarian. Unlike ordinary apprentices, she wore not lightweight robes but a simple, sturdy leather armor over her linen chestpiece.

The leather armor strained against her muscular frame, her bulky muscles like iron blocks making Grimm envious. To be honest, Grimm had never seen such a formidable, explosive muscular woman—even searching his memories.

“I heard you witnessed everything that happened this afternoon. Tell us what you know. If your information proves valuable, we’ll reward you accordingly,” the Madwoman declared, her voice as forceful as her presence.

Worm, cloaked entirely in a thick mantle, merely moved his hood as if nodding, while Hawkeye, who had brought Grimm, had no objections.

…

Half an hour later, Grimm safely returned to his quarters.

After he shut the door, he leaned against the cold, iron-plated wood, silently thinking:

“Did the scan yield any results? Quickly, show me the data!”

“Beep. Biological scan complete. Detailed results as follows…”

As streams of information flowed through his mind, details about the three strongest apprentices slowly took shape.

Since his biochip had been activated, the lack of firsthand, tangible data had stalled his understanding of the wizardry system. Grimm’s mind overflowed with spell names and conceptual descriptions, but without witnessing actual spell phenomena, he could not deduce further developments from existing knowledge.

This was undeniably regretful.

Today, though, through close observation of the trio, Grimm had finally obtained precious firsthand data, invaluable for his future path.

Of course, if he could experience a formal wizard’s abilities firsthand, the results would be even better. Yet, fearing his rudimentary scanning would be noticed, Grimm had used only the most conservative passive sensing when facing Anderson, the wizard, the day before.

Today, however, the three strongest apprentices stood before him, and they lacked such advanced mental manipulation. Grimm could freely sense their external information, gaining new insights into the essence of wizardry.

Name: Krusa (Hawkeye)
Identity: Wizard Apprentice
Race: Human (?)
Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 7, Constitution 11, Mental Force 18

These numbers were astounding. If Grimm hadn’t expected it, he would have cried out in surprise. Truly worthy of being one of the trio, Hawkeye’s basic physical attributes far outclassed Grimm’s own.

If they fought, Grimm would be outmatched in strength, speed, and constitution. Even if both wielded only a single spell, Hawkeye had countless ways to kill him. Not to mention, Hawkeye’s spellcraft was much superior.

But what stunned Grimm most was Hawkeye’s mental force. Eighteen points—he could sense even the faintest heartbeat within fifty meters! With such powerful perception, anyone attempting to ambush him would face several times the difficulty.

The chip had put a question mark by Hawkeye’s race, suggesting some non-human traits detected in his aura. Likely related to his eye transplant.

Name: Entik (Worm)

Identity: Wizard Apprentice
Race: Human (??)
Attributes: Strength ?, Agility ?, Constitution ?, Mental Force 19

Compared to Hawkeye, Worm was even better at concealing himself; the chip could not directly obtain his physical data. Yet, his formidable nineteen points of mental force clearly marked him as the closest among the three to becoming a formal wizard.

It seemed his bodily modifications were so extensive the chip couldn’t accurately assess his constitution. His physical attributes weren’t exceptional, yet he remained among the trio, which spoke volumes about his mastery of wizardry and his terrifying worm modifications.

Name: Madwoman
Identity: Wizard Apprentice
Race: Human (Barbarian)
Attributes: Strength 15, Agility 8, Constitution 16, Mental Force 17

Seeing the Madwoman’s stats, Grimm felt a wave of helplessness rise within him. Fifteen points of strength and sixteen of constitution—was she even human? Her physical data was comparable to jungle monsters.

In basic strength, a difference of five points meant a frightening knock-back effect; a ten-point gap, a crushing effect. Grimm’s strength lagged behind the Madwoman’s by eleven points.

This meant that even in bare-handed combat, Grimm would be as fragile as glass before her. A single blow—not even a direct hit, just the force of her iron fist—could leave him spitting blood and unable to stand.

His mind conjured endless battle scenarios, each ending with himself beaten to a pulp.

Sixteen points of constitution highlighted the vast gulf between them. Even if Grimm attacked her with Burning Hand, she could stand still and withstand it for several minutes without dying.

Comparing these basic stats, Grimm recognized his own insignificance. Relying purely on personal effort, under the magnifying effect of innate talents, the gap between himself and these gifted individuals would only widen, impossible to bridge.

Thus, his only hope of survival in this strange world lay in the biochip fused with his genes.

Having understood all this, Grimm could finally examine today’s gains.

With a flick of his hand, a thick, hefty book appeared—suitable for bludgeoning someone.

Thanks to his eloquence and firsthand observations, Grimm had faithfully described every detail of Mary in red’s actions, winning the trio’s favor and earning this peculiar spell book.

According to wizard tower rules, internal knowledge was strictly forbidden to be traded. Apprentices could copy spells, but not exchange them, or face harsh punishment from the tower’s master. This book, then, must have come from outside, for the Madwoman would never dare give it away so casually otherwise.

Grimm held his breath and opened the first page.

“Manual for Constructing Puppet Creatures”!