Diary of a Dead Wizard
Chapter 437: Elf Skin and the Black Iron Coffin (2)

If it weren’t for the fact that Keli had just cleared the radiation contamination and was still quite weak, Saul would have loved to tease her, asking her where she wanted the holes to be made.

However, he still honestly extended his hand toward Keli’s mask. “Let me take off the metal on your face for you.”

“No! No! No!” To his surprise, Keli repeatedly protested, “I still feel some residual radiation in my body.”

“Indeed, after all, it’s radiation against radiation. Even blood transfusions can’t fully replace the whole body. You’ll probably need to lie down for a while longer.”

“This is actually a great opportunity to merge the remaining radiation into my body. I’m trying to advance to Third Rank. Don’t touch me, okay?”

Saul quickly agreed, but still found it strange. “Why do you want to merge the radioactive toxins into your body? Doing so could likely cause the radiation damage to be absorbed into your body as well.”

It was like how Monica, with her strong lightning-based attacks, still had her body’s surface charred because she couldn’t control the excess electricity.

“There’s not much radioactive toxin left now, and it’s actually a great opportunity. I was thinking about this plan in my dream... It’s feasible!”

Saul grimaced. Plans thought up in dreams were generally illogical. However, Keli’s idea did have some basis. It was similar to how a vaccine was used to introduce a mild version of a virus into the body, allowing it to adapt and build immunity.

If Keli was going to continue studying Alpha toxins in the future, having some resistance to toxins would be essential.

“I understand now. How can I assist you?”

Next, Saul set up a metal refining magic formation for Keli and gave her a few Heart’s Guardians to protect her life.

He didn’t forget to make a few ventilation holes in her mask, allowing her to breathe.

Another busy session later, when Saul left the underground laboratory, the day had gone from light to dark again.

As soon as he stepped out, he saw Byron sitting alone above the underground laboratory, flipping through a book.

It seemed like he was standing guard for Saul, making sure no one else entered the laboratory.

Saul walked over and sat on the ground, noticing a small pile of Companion Flower seeds next to Byron.

Byron looked up from his book and noticed Saul’s gaze. “Companion Flower seeds. I exchanged them for some of my remaining credits with Mentor Kaz.”

“Are credits still usable at a time like this?”

Byron nodded. “Mentor Kaz plans to carry over the credits to his Necromantic Garden. If someone doesn’t want to follow him, they can redeem their credits at a discount. I exchanged some for books and materials. These seeds might be useful to you, so I’ll give you some.”

“Sounds good. Just deduct the corresponding amount from your notes.” Saul didn’t hesitate and immediately grabbed a handful.

After all, no one could tell what kind of attribute the fruit of the Companion Flowers would have until they bloomed.

Once he stored the seeds, he saw Byron pull out the familiar little accounting book from his chest.

However, instead of recording the credits, Byron suddenly ignited a small fireball and burned the book to ashes.

Watching the dark-gray ashes drift into the chaotic soil of the small garden, Byron turned his head and said to Saul, “We don’t need to keep accounts between us.”

Byron then lowered his head and continued reading, thinking to himself: After all, it can’t be repaid anyway.

Saul shook his head and smiled, his gaze falling on the book Byron was reading. To his surprise, it was one of the rare books about elves.

If this book was also exchanged with Kaz, it must have cost quite a lot of credits.

“This book was given to me by Mentor Kaz. He seems to have recognized the attributes of my new skin. Books about elves are forbidden for ordinary people, but now I don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Only then did Saul have a chance to ask, “I still don’t understand... Byron, how did you recover?”

Because Keli’s situation was urgent, Saul had never had the chance to properly ask Byron.

How did he go from having just a head to returning to being the normal, expressionless senior?

Now, Byron was wearing the head of the Elf King!

When Kongsha wore this head, she appeared as an incredibly beautiful woman, one that matched everyone’s aesthetic preferences.

Byron shifted his gaze from the book to the pitch-black walls of the underground laboratory. “You know, that layer of skin is actually my locator device. Though it gave me a chance to survive, losing the locator device also caused my rank to drop from Third Rank to Second Rank.”

Byron had fled into the interlayers, avoiding the watchful eyes and lurking dangers.

At that time, he was confused, unsure of what to do even if he survived.

Just at that moment, Saul appeared, not only rescuing him from the perilous interlayers but also giving him a new path forward.

The most important thing was that Saul had also given him a very rare magical material.

At first, Byron didn’t even know where he was, only that it felt extremely cramped.

Yura had bad intentions, and both Mentor Rum and Mentor Kaz were probably involved as well. Byron just wanted to recover as quickly as possible so that he could help Saul in this treacherous situation.

But when he began attempting to meditate, recharging his own magical power, he was suddenly struck by the realization that this body was particularly compatible with his advancement plan!

As he began experimenting with converting this outer layer of skin into his locator device, he encountered no resistance whatsoever.

In fact, he managed to adapt this new skin to his mental power and magical energy in just a few days, making it a preliminary locator device.

This was dozens of times faster than his previous skin!

Moreover, he found that this new skin was incredibly easy to control.

Once the new locator device was initially formed, Byron returned to his original appearance.

However, at that time, Saul wasn’t in the second storage room.

While Byron stood there somewhat confused, looking around the storage room, he ran into Agu, who had come to fetch some materials.

“So that’s how it is. So, senior, you went through the original advancement plan again,” Saul said, realization dawning on him. He hadn’t expected that Byron’s new skin would be more compatible with his research direction than his previous skin.

But it made sense. After all, aren’t elves a race with overwhelming mental power, so much so that it can literally obliterate them? Even though most of the special properties of the Elf King’s head were removed by the half-elf, it wasn’t an ordinary magical material. Its high elemental fusion compatibility was quite normal.

Also, the material grade of the Elf King’s head was definitely higher than Byron’s original skin, meaning it might be easier to integrate into his mental body.

It was a blessing in disguise.

The two of them continued to analyze the head of the Elf King, calculating the various properties of the new skin.

Before long, someone else came to find Saul.

It was Agu, standing outside the small garden, looking somewhat uneasy.

Saul excused himself to Byron and walked out.

After Saul left, Byron took out the book related to elves and started reading.

Since learning that this new skin was from an elf who had lost its mental corruption ability, he had been studying everything related to elves. Saul would likely think that he was only trying to transform the Elf King’s head into his locator device.

But there was something that Byron hadn’t told Saul.

In the Wizard Tower’s 20th-floor laboratory, before the Tower Master Gorsa left, he not only dealt a lethal blow to Jero but also left him with one final piece of advice.

It was probably the only thing the Tower Master had ever said to Byron in all these years.

“If you take something from the elves, be prepared for the elves to come after you.”

The implication behind these words sent chills down Byron’s spine. It even made him consider whether he should give up on fully converting the Elf King’s head into his locator device.

But in the end, Byron decided to continue with the transformation. After all, without such a perfectly suited locator device, he might never have another chance to advance and become a true wizard.

As for the risks involved, he would bear them himself, without burdening Saul.

After all, the path of a wizard was one that he would ultimately have to walk alone.

However, if one day Saul needed him, Byron would spare no effort and cost to repay him.

This was the kind of exchange that Byron believed in.

(End of chapter)