Chapter 142: The Mutated Ability

Not all noble offspring are capable of undergoing training as professionals, nor does everyone possess the talent to become one. Consequently, it was not long before several noble "young ladies" fell ill from the cold. Born was not a fool; he could easily see what this group was aiming for. However, while the falling blossoms may have had intentions, the flowing water remained indifferent. Born simply ignored them, transforming into an emotionless concrete "robot."

Spellcasting materials are a curious thing. Even if the raw material was merely muddy water formed from filth, Born managed to create something akin to the cement from his past life’s memories. By adding small amounts of limestone, clay, and iron ore powder to the lime, then subjecting it to high-temperature calcination before casting his spell, the result was surprisingly effective. While it might not have reached the industrial-grade standards of his previous life in terms of hardness and quality, it was perfectly adequate for constructing "small" buildings of five or six stories.

Born recalled his time in the lizardfolk tribe, where he had added a bit of paralytic agent to rotten eggs; after the spell succeeded, the result carried a paralyzing effect. Suddenly, a great shock rippled through Born's heart, and the research value of these two infrastructure-building "divine spells" soared in his estimation.

Although those around him were already accustomed to Born’s penchant for stirring up trouble, they still gasped in collective shock as one five-to-six-story building after another rose from the ground. Since this was Born’s first time attempting this, the personnel of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce and Born developed an increasingly tacit understanding after an initial adjustment period.

Liquefying mud, assembling wooden boards, pouring slurry, turning it into cement, and dismantling the boards—without any complex layout, everything followed a square, boxy format, and the efficiency was staggering. A small building could be erected in roughly a dozen minutes. In this medieval era, most houses were constructed of bluestone and rarely exceeded four stories. Born, however, went straight to five or six, reaching heights nearly level with the city walls, where one could stand on the roof and observe the guards patrolling the ramparts.

Moreover, the buildings were exceptionally sturdy. Some people deliberately struck them with swords, only to leave faint white marks on the surface. "This spell is far too miraculous!" a high-tier combatant remarked. "I couldn't even carve a hole in the wall with thirty percent of my strength. If the walls were any thicker, those below the high-tier would find them nearly impenetrable!"

The news was so staggering that almost everyone who heard it rushed over to see. By the time Charles arrived in person to inspect, the ruins destroyed by the gorgon had vanished, replaced by rows of five-to-six-story "commoner" dormitories. The perpetrator, Born, had long since vanished, leaving only the employees of the Lehman Chamber of Commerce to install wooden doors and windows.

In front of the buildings, staff had set up signs offering properties for sale or rent, complete with detailed pricing and loan information. Due to the overwhelming number of inquiries, the staff even erected a small stage to explain the details. The Lehman Chamber of Commerce provided a comprehensive one-stop service for mortgage loans. Naturally, interest and other fees were included, but everything was clearly marked, and contracts were signed on a "willing buyer, willing seller" basis.

It was initially assumed that no one would buy such commoner-style housing, but the response was unexpectedly fervent. The loan methods introduced by the Lehman Chamber of Commerce were particularly popular. Although a payment had to be made to the chamber periodically, this was the "rich district" of the East Ward, and those yearning to "climb the social ladder" or those with ulterior motives would not let such an opportunity slip by.

In particular, the chamber’s loan system provided a home for many mercenaries who lived life on the edge. Most adventurers were mercenaries; they were the "gold mines" of the taverns. No one knew if they would return safely from their next mission, and every old man who managed to truly retire was their idol. Thus, every time they returned from a mission, more than half of their gold coins would end up in the pockets of tavern owners.

Born’s "installment payment" benefit allowed these "poor" mercenaries to afford a home. Although they had to pay a certain amount every so often, this sum was less than one-tenth of their income from each mission, placing no pressure on them at all. Having a house meant that, at the very least, when they were drunk and kicked out by the tavern owner, they had a place to sleep instead of the street, where they might never wake up.

Most people did not understand why Born would engage in such an apparently "loss-making" business, allowing a group of "rabble" to live in such homes for so little money. Even Leonard felt something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Charles, however, saw through Born’s scheme at a glance. Truthfully, had he not already signed a contract with Born, he would have regretted it. In the details that others failed to grasp, there lay a business opportunity with profits no less than those of an alchemy workshop.

"No wonder rumors say this fellow is favored by the Goddess of Wealth. If she truly exists, he is certainly her chosen one!" Charles sighed, looking toward the direction of the Iolum Manor.

"My lord, can this really make money?" Leonard asked, confused.

Charles smiled. "In the future, we must be extra cautious when dealing with this little guy. I felt I had gotten a great bargain, yet I never expected he would earn even more!" He had already witnessed Born’s arcane talent, which was even more outstanding than his grandfather's; Count Iolum had not been half as skilled at that age. Now, he possessed such an extraordinary talent for making money as well.

If nothing went awry, Born would advance to a High Arcanist within a year or two. How terrifying could an Arcanist with unlimited funds be? In the past, Archmage Concinnio, Dean of the Giles Academy, had faced bankruptcy several times and had to "borrow money" from nearly every Netherese noble just to establish the academy.

Back at the Chamber of Commerce, Born rubbed his head, feeling a slight headache. He suddenly realized that this "passive association" was quite taxing. He had merely intended to clear the ruins and build a few houses, yet he had inadvertently transplanted the real estate tactics from his past life. It was then that Born discovered he had gained two new special abilities:

Supernatural Ability: Secret Vault. He could create a small dimensional space that only he could use.
Special Ability: Dragon’s Eye. It could identify the value of items. If he studied a magical item for a certain amount of time, he could even determine its origin. The effect was identical to the "Identify" spell, and using this ability cost nothing!

Born knew his identity had been confirmed.

Space and the Identify spell—one was his innate talent, the other his signature spell—perfectly complemented these two new abilities. There was an extra characteristic ability on his attribute panel, and the word "Mutated" had appeared before the runes in the "Identify" spell.

1st-Circle Arcane Spell: Identify. While the specific capabilities were unclear, Born could now perceive the materials of almost anything he held. If he added "Qi" to the perception, he could deduce the manufacturing process with near-perfect accuracy; he was effectively a human analyzer.

The "Secret Vault" was even more exaggerated. Born had initially thought this was just a unique supernatural power, but he had not expected it to be an entirely different power system. At this moment, Born thought of the power system of the "Astral Plane." It was the innate ability of a certain octopus-faced entity—famously known as "Cthulhu"!

All magic in the Toril world was recorded on the Weave. Many casters worshipped the Goddess of Magic, and some even became her clerics, yet it seemed that not a single spell was actually created by the Goddess of Magic herself. "Could it be that the original magic actually came from... that?" Born felt he might have stumbled upon a staggering secret.

Could this miraculous "supernatural ability" be used to develop yet another power system?

Secret Vault: Originally intended to create a small dimensional space, after Born grafted it with a 3rd-Circle arcane spell, it formed a stable dimensional space about a hundred meters in size. This space was attached to the "spatial bubbles" of the Toril world, and Born could feel the space automatically absorbing free-floating spatial energy from the surroundings.

If there were a Goddess of Luck, Born would have prayed to her on the spot. The crucial part was that this space would not be rejected by the "world." The massive surprise nearly stunned him. He was certainly happy to have gained two powerful skills for nothing, but it was not without a price. A side effect was that Born had become increasingly sensitive to "money" matters; if he stopped moving, various ideas for making money would immediately flood his mind.