Penny was so startled by the Dream Bell’s voice that she immediately shrank back into the diary and didn’t dare come out.

Saul instantly recalled that he also had a Dream Bell—the one he’d gotten from Claude, the apprentice of the Dreammaker.

But he had never figured out what it was for. Later, between being imprisoned by the Old Witch and rushing along his journey, he’d never had time to study it and thus had never taken it out.

Looking back on the past two months, he realized Penny had never once left the diary.

So he had never noticed that she hated the Dream Bell this much.

Was it because both of their names had “Dream” in them, and thus they repelled each other?

“What is this… thing?” Saul asked calmly.

“Dream Bell,” replied Wizard Dodge. Since seeing the Veiled Crystal Essence, his attitude had subtly shifted. “It’s the payment from the Dreammaker. It makes my dreams safer. You know, you have to be careful when sleeping in the Borderland. Especially wary of the sound of running water.”

“But although it’s very rare, if you want it, I could trade you this Dream Bell for your Veiled Crystal Essence.”

Saul smiled politely. “Sorry. This Dream Bell is amazing, but it’s not what I came to trade for.”

“Oh? Then what is it you’re after?” Dodge put on a patient front. “Though the lake’s been a bit restless lately, if you’re interested in the wraiths beneath it, I can help open the path.”

“Wraiths… Actually, I want all of the wraiths under the lake.”

The smile on Dodge’s face slowly faded. “That’s not something a single Veiled Crystal Essence can buy.”

“For a wizard focused on other elements, or even one who majors in dark elements but studies fleshcraft, the Veiled Crystal Essence may not be that valuable. But for you and me—both soul-focused wizards—it’s worth an entire lake of wraiths.”

The Veiled Crystal Essence existed somewhere between the mental realm and the material world. For soul-aligned or light-element wizards, its research value was immense.

But for Saul, who already possessed a mental realm, the Essence was a bit redundant. At best, it could speed up Penny’s growth.

But Penny’s growth was only secondary in importance to Saul’s true goal.

That’s right.

The reason Saul wanted a place filled with wraiths wasn’t to strengthen himself, or even to help the Old Witch perfect her body modification or purge her corruption.

His real goal… was to find a place suitable for building a Wizard Tower!

His Wizard Tower!

The moment Saul stood on the shore of Rhine Lake, his instincts told him: “This is the place.”

That was why he had led with the heavy bargaining chip—the Veiled Crystal Essence.

Dodge’s face twitched. He clearly wanted to tell Saul to get lost, but he couldn’t bring himself to part with the Essence.

This thing was rare even in the Borderland. And for someone like Dodge, who had been stuck at First Rank for ages, such a magical material was incredibly tempting.

His eyes flickered, and he had the white feather ferry back to shore. “Come aboard. I can’t just let a guest who’s come all this way stand outside. Let’s return to my room and talk properly. I can’t give you the entire lake’s wraiths, but in light of your sincerity, I can offer you a few dozen.”

Saul looked at the white feather—bone dry despite floating on water—and shook his head.

“No need. Let’s conduct the trade right here. If I step into the rules of Rhine Lake, I might end up giving you the Essence for free.”

Dodge’s smile stiffened. “Trust is the foundation of cooperation in any trade. You can ask around. I’ve been here for over twenty years. I’ve always honored my deals.”

Saul still refused. “Actually, what I want isn’t just all the wraiths in the lake.”

The smile on Dodge’s face disappeared completely. He now felt that Saul was playing him.

“You really overestimate the value of that Veiled Crystal Essence… What else do you want?”

“Just a tiny bit more.” Saul raised his left index finger to the sky, indicating “one.”

“I want ownership of the entire Rhine Lake.”

He slowly twisted his wrist and finally pointed behind Dodge—at the lake’s central island, obscured in thick gray mist.

Wizard Dodge was furious. He struck at Saul with one palm.

Five black ghostly faces shot from his fingertips.

They howled and spun as they shot toward Saul’s right hand.

Saul didn’t move.

But someone did.

The Old Witch took a step sideways at the last moment, standing in front of Saul.

The five ghost faces slammed against a transparent wall of air—thump, thump, thump—and bounced back.

The fury on Dodge’s face turned into shock.

“Second Rank wizard…” he said, staring at Saul with growing unease. “Who are you? How can you have a Second Rank wizard protecting you?”

Cautiously, the white feather beneath Dodge drifted five meters backward, away from the shore.

His expression shifted through several shades before he said, “Even if you bring a Second Rank wizard, it’s useless. As long as I remain within this lake, you can’t force me to give up Rhine Lake.”

As Dodge prepared to retreat into the mist, Saul stepped forward, now side by side with the Old Witch.

“Wizard Dodge, if I heard you correctly just now, you’ve been here for over twenty years?”

Back on the lake and in familiar territory, Dodge appeared more composed.

He raised his chin and looked at Saul out of the corner of his eye. “Yes. No one knows this place’s rules better than I do. I am the rules here.”

Saul held back a laugh and lowered his gaze to the lake’s surface.

Though the light was dim, he could still faintly see Dodge’s reflection.

“You mean, because you are the rules here, you don’t need to worry about the pollution on your body?”

In the reflection, Dodge’s shadow extended into the lake’s depths.

And the face that had just been glaring at Saul was now surrounded by shadowy forms.

Their mouths hung wide open, exhaling heavily—

Like dogs who had just smelled a juicy bone.

Dodge noticed Saul’s line of sight, but did not look down at the lake.

An absurd thought floated to the surface of his mind—one he himself found hard to believe.

“This guy Saul… how does he seem to know everything?”

Saul lifted his eyes and looked at Dodge again. “If you feel that the Veiled Crystal Essence isn’t enough to trade for Rhine Lake, then I’ll add one more condition: I’ll ensure your survival and remove most of your pollution. How’s that?”

“I don’t need the pollution removed! I know my own body best! I am the ruler of Rhine Lake! The wraiths here can’t pollute me!”

“Oh? Is that so?” Saul nodded toward the water at Dodge’s feet. “Then why not look into your mirror? It might help you see your true state. Whether you’re the rule… or the rule’s slave.”

But Dodge seemed determined not to lower his head. He retreated another meter, clearly about to leave.

“I don’t need to—”

“Oh? So one of the rules here must be: when standing above the lake, you can’t look down.”

Seeing Dodge’s expression suddenly twist, Saul knew he’d guessed right.

A pleased smile crept onto his face as he added, “You can’t look? That’s fine. I’ll describe it for you.”

“Enough!” Dodge barked sharply, then softened his tone. “In your eyes… Am I really that far gone?”

“It’s not ‘almost’—you already are,” Saul tilted his head. “You’ve been stuck at First Rank for too long, Wizard Dodge. Haven’t you heard the saying: ‘When you can no longer keep up with knowledge, knowledge will bite you in return’?”

Dodge paled, suddenly lowering his stance. “I’ve never heard that before… but I understand what you mean. But can you really fix my pollution? If you really can… I’ll agree to the trade.”

Clearly, he did know how bad his body was.

An: “Wow! Master, that was amazing!”

Agu: “I haven’t heard that line before either, but I’ve heard something similar.”

“You wouldn’t have heard it,” Saul replied, waiting for Dodge’s decision while chatting idly with his inner mind. “I just made it up.”

An: …

Agu: …

Morden: …

Herman: “Brilliant!”

Penny: “Waaah! Brother Saul, you’re the worst!”

(End of Chapter)

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