Rhine Lake wasn’t considered particularly dangerous within the Borderland.

It might have several rules, but at the same time, those rules weren’t that perilous.

Not even comparable to that small village where Claude resided.

Even so, the Old Witch, despite being a Second Rank, couldn’t break through the lake’s most basic rule.

To get on and off the island in the center of the lake, one had to take a boat.

Though her talent and strength ensured she wouldn’t die, getting lost in the mist for two hours was still plenty embarrassing.

After being brought back by Little Algae at nightfall, the Old Witch finally quieted down.

She locked herself inside the second floor of the tower—the room Saul had left for her—and showed no intention of coming out anytime soon.

Saul had designated the third floor as the laboratory, the fourth as his personal quarters, and the fifth as the storeroom.

Above the fifth floor was the circular platform resembling his mental realm.

As far as Saul understood, this tower was only temporarily complete. It would continue to evolve according to his vision.

Saul stayed on the fourth floor. It was still entirely bare, with no furniture.

He hadn’t brought any bulky daily items in his storage vessel either. Once they settled down, they could craft or purchase those things slowly.

At the moment, he sat on the bare stone floor, communicating with several consciousnesses.

Herman: “Ha, so this will be Master’s Wizard Tower from now on.”

Anne: “Let’s give the new tower a name, Master!”

Herman: “A Wizard Tower is a Wizard Tower—why does it need a name? Wasn’t the old one just called Wizard Tower too?”

An: “It used to be called Gorsa Wizard Tower… so how about Saul Wizard Tower this time?”

Morden: “It was called Gorsa Wizard Tower only because he never gave it a name. Later, to distinguish it from other wizard organizations, we added his name in front.”

Penny got excited. “Why not call it Death Wizard Tower? Sounds grand!”

The consciousnesses and Penny suddenly became fixated on naming.

Originally, Saul also wanted to follow his mentor’s lead and not name it at all. But then he thought—sometimes a name could shape the first impression others had of the tower.

In that case, he might as well guide it slightly.

“‘Death’ is actually quite fitting, but since we’re in the Borderland, I want to leave people with a different impression.”

“A different impression?” Penny thought aloud. “Don’t tell me you want to be a good guy, Brother Saul?”

“When did I ever say I wanted to be a good guy—wait, are you saying I’m a bad guy?” Saul replied irritably. “The Borderland is a very dangerous place. Today we managed to exchange for Rhine Lake from Dodge, but tomorrow someone else might come trying to take it.”

Morden: “Indeed. Dodge was able to control Rhine Lake for so long, but we, as outsiders, have no background, no connections, nothing that inspires fear.”

An: “Then we’ll just kill whoever comes!”

Ever since leaving Caugust City, An had grown irritable and bloodthirsty. It was likely an aftereffect of devouring her enemy’s soul.

Saul still hadn’t figured out how to divide a soul. That research would have to wait.

“If this were Kema, killing people might scare others off. But here in the Borderland, murder alone might not deter the truly ruthless,” Saul said, voicing his thoughts.

“I think one reason Dodge was able to gain a foothold here, aside from knowing the rules and having backing, is that he created value. That’s something we can learn from.”

Upon hearing this, Morden immediately proposed:

Morden: “Master can also sell the wraiths from the lake like Dodge did.”

“While we do have ways to capture wraiths, I’d prefer to use them for our own research and the expansion of the Wizard Tower.”

Saul had an enormous need for spirit entities.

Whether for his magic or his tower, both required a constant stream of spiritual bodies to grow stronger.

That was the reason he’d chosen Rhine Lake and endured three months of arduous travel to get there.

He certainly didn’t want to split up those resources just to secure a foothold.

“So I plan to give myself a new identity.”

The consciousnesses and the Nightmare Butterfly said nothing.

But Saul could sense their surprise and anticipation.

He cleared his throat. “I intend to become a healer—specializing in the treatment of various types of pollution and afflictions. So I want to name the tower Purity Wizard Tower.”

“Not catchy, not grand, not memorable. Death Wizard Tower is still better!” Penny objected boldly—but no one echoed her.

After a moment, Herman hesitantly reminded him:

Herman: “Master, last time you absorbed Claude’s pollution, you were unconscious for three days, and the mental realm was invaded by that black tide. If you keep doing this, might it happen again?”

“I know. That’s why when I extracted the pollution from Dodge, I made a modification.”

Saul extended his right hand. His pinky began to shift, the first knuckle swelling until it ballooned into a round lump.

“This is the pollutant extracted from Dodge.”

Without flinching, he tore off the bulbous joint and sealed it inside a corked bottle.

An: “Ah! I thought you’d already passed Dodge’s pollution into the diary.”

Saul looked down at the bottle. “I deliberately avoided channeling the pollution into the diary. Instead, I stored it in my extremities. That way it won’t enter my mental realm.”

He raised his right hand again. This time, a droplet of black liquid oozed slowly from his index fingertip.

Saul took a new test tube and sealed the drop inside.

This drop was from Claude. It had once invaded his mental realm, only to retreat—whether due to the diary or the starlit sky within that realm—and had since become a pollution source under Saul’s control.

Without it, Saul wouldn’t have had a way to restrain the Old Witch just yet.

Unless he risked dragging her into a mental realm showdown.

But that would’ve been a gamble with their lives.

If she had a trump card involving souls, he might’ve ended up dying alongside her.

“There’s still a portion of the black tide left in the Old Witch’s body. I’ll check on it in a couple of days,” Saul said as he stored away both the test tube and the bottle. “I’ll observe whether the black tide behaves differently once inside a human body. Since I’ve chosen to pose as a healer, I should be well prepared.”

An: “Fine. If Master builds a reputation as someone who can purify pollution, plenty of people will come seeking your help in the future.”

Morden: “But be careful. If your fame grows too much, someone might imprison you to exploit it.”

Saul nodded in agreement. “Yes, so I have to control the exposure carefully.”

He’d already had the idea after helping Claude absorb pollution. But he hadn’t had time to realize it until now.

Now, with the Old Witch’s Second Rank power at his side and the amplifying power of the Purity Wizard Tower, he felt the timing was finally right.

The tower’s name was settled.

Whether it sounded cool or not—it was like a trademark—it had already declared its purpose.

“Now, let’s talk about this.” He pulled out a milky-white shell bell from his storage.

“Penny, can you come out now?”

“I can, Master… but I don’t really want to,” Penny replied pitifully.

After Dodge’s dream bell had rung last time, she’d hidden herself back inside the diary in fear.

It seemed that it hadn’t been a coincidence.

For even a Nightmare Butterfly to feel fear toward the dream bell—just what kind of secret did it conceal?

“Owning a dream bell lets you sleep peacefully.”

Did this mean that other Nightmare Butterflies also existed in the Borderland, and that the dream bell was a common defense tool used by local wizards?

(End of Chapter)

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