Chapter 53: Opening a New World

This is?

Seeing this system notification, Li De was astonished. It turned out that not only could he gain experience by researching new magic, but his apprentice becoming a Formal Mage also granted him experience.

In that moment, it felt like he had unlocked a new world.

There were now three known sources of experience. The first was the innate ability of the Vampire Progenitor, where each vampire under him provided a fixed amount of experience every month.

However, this would only be tallied at the end of each month, so he hadn't received it yet.

The second source was from researching new magic models; improving Mage Hand had given him 500 points of experience.

The third source was when an apprentice of the Crimson Mage Tower became a Formal Mage.

Glory wasn't a game where you leveled up by killing monsters—this had been emphasized multiple times on the official website. A few days ago, he had spent dozens of Gold Pucks to have Laurent purchase two Level 7 Magical Beasts.

After killing them, aside from the apprentices being happy about the extra meal those two days, there wasn't even a single drop of loot, let alone any equipment.

Of course, it was possible that the level of the Magical Beasts he bought was too low, but it also showed that Glory's focus was different.

Fortunately, he had now explored several ways to gain experience, and the inability to level up by killing monsters had an infinitely reduced impact on him.

"Vina, from today onward, you are a Formal Mage of the Crimson Mage Tower. Every month, you can claim 2 Gold Pucks, and in my absence, you will be responsible for teaching the apprentices.

All Tier 1 Spells in the third-floor library are now open to you, and you may study spells within."

Two Gold Pucks! Goddess above, how much wealth was that? The group of Mage Apprentices almost drooled. They could only receive a subsidy of 10 Silver Pucks per month from the Mage Tower, which was already considered a huge fortune to them.

And most importantly, they could choose any Tier 1 Spell. Did that mean that when they became Formal Mages, they could do the same?

Generous Lord Li De truly was a gift sent by the Creator. Praise the gods.

Among mages, the principle of equivalent exchange was always upheld. If outsiders wanted to learn magic, they had to pay a certain price.

But these Mage Apprentices were all Li De's private property from the moment they entered the Crimson Mage Tower, so naturally, they didn't need to follow this rule.

"Yes, Lord Li De. Vina will do her best to teach them."

The radiant smile on Vina's face brightened the entire space.

Lord Li De, Vina hasn't disappointed you.

Her sapphire-like eyes sparkled with indescribable joy. She was overjoyed to become a Formal Mage, and even more satisfied knowing she had met Li De's expectations.

"Cast a spell for me. What spell did you solidify?"

"Yes, Lord Li De~"

Vina paused for a moment, channeling mana into the magic model in her mind.

Snap~

With the sound of a finger snap, a translucent hand appeared before everyone.

"What is this? Mage Hand?"

"Vina, did you not solidify a Tier 1 Spell?"

"No, the magical fluctuations of Mage Hand aren't this strong."

Mage Hand was so simple that even Mage Apprentices didn't consider it worthy of being called a Tier 1 Spell. So, everyone was surprised when Vina conjured Mage Hand.

But then, right before their eyes, Mage Hand began to change.

Whoosh~

A long blade~

Whoosh~

A shield~

Whoosh~

A long hammer~

The first spell Vina had solidified was none other than the improved version of Mage Hand created by Li De.

This Tier 1 Spell, with 90 magic nodes, was a nightmare for all Mage Apprentices. Its magic nodes were overly complex and unconventional, and even after Li De's detailed explanations, no one could fully understand it.

No one expected that Vina would be the first to master it.

Li De was also pleasantly surprised. He had deep feelings for the first spell he had improved.

"Excellent. The improved Mage Hand is a spell with great potential. You should explore its possibilities further."

"Yes, Lord Li De. I will ensure all apprentices of the Crimson Mage Tower learn this spell—it is your masterpiece."

Vina's eyes shone with unwavering determination.

Li De smiled faintly and reached out to ruffle the golden curls of this little maid.

"How do you feel inside after drinking the Mana-Infused Blood?"

Vina thought carefully and replied earnestly, "I feel as though a vast amount of mana has appeared within me. This mana is very calm and easy for me to control, unlike external mana, which feels more rigid.

While solidifying the magic nodes, the mana I consumed quickly replenished.

Lord Li De, you are truly remarkable to have developed such a magnificent potion."

Looking at the girl's admiring gaze, Li De shook his head and fell into deep thought.

He had originally thought that the effect of Mana-Infused Blood was merely to restore mana, but now it seemed he had underestimated the effects of blood infused with Divine Remains.

For Mage Apprentices to officially become Mages, they needed to solidify a true Tier 1 Spell, which required more than 50 magic nodes.

The process of solidifying spells consumed a massive amount of mana, so this process often took months or even years.

Due to their innate talent, many Mage Apprentices often failed while solidifying magic nodes, and some even caused the collapse of magic nodes due to insufficient mana. This was why many Mage Apprentices could never become Formal Mages in their lifetime.

They simply couldn't mobilize enough mana.

Even after solidifying the magic nodes, it wasn't absolutely stable. If the magic nodes didn't receive mana nourishment for a period of time, they would collapse.

With the meager mana of Mage Apprentices, nourishing dozens of magic nodes daily during the later stages of solidifying a magic model left them utterly exhausted, let alone newly solidified magic nodes. Each additional magic node increased their burden.

But Mana-Infused Blood was entirely different. This miraculous potion provided an inexhaustible source of mana in the short term—at least for Mage Apprentices.

Li De possessed hundreds of mana points, and while the mana restored by Mana-Infused Blood was substantial for him, it was far from being something he could squander freely. Thus, his earlier judgment had deviated somewhat.

His mana was like a lake, whereas the mana of Mage Apprentices was akin to a small puddle. Pouring the water of Mana-Infused Blood into that puddle made it seem abundant to them, even if it wasn't actually that much.

What Li De didn't know was that this Mana-Infused Blood had been poured into the Blood Pool when it was established. The Mana-Infused Blood within the entire pool had been soaked by the Holy Spirit for over a hundred years, which was why it had such potent effects.

Even as a High-level Mage, he found it incredibly useful. For these apprentices who weren't yet Mages, the effects were stronger than drinking dragon's blood.

With a source of mana, solidifying magic nodes became a very simple task.

Just repeat, and repeat again.

Li De raised his head and looked at the Mage Apprentices around him, their eyes filled with longing and admiration.

"You don't need to envy her. This is a magic potion I recently developed. The effect on Vina was quite good.

However, because the cost is too high, I can't provide much of it in the short term.

I will distribute it to those who perform the best among you. Work hard, and give me hope."

Li De turned and spoke indifferently to the envious apprentices. The Mana-Infused Blood he had just given Vina was only about 100 milliliters. To be honest, the amount of Mana-Infused Blood in the Blood Pool was enough for the entire Green City Mage Guild to use.

But at this stage, vampires still relied on Mana-Infused Blood. The more precious something was, the less it should be used carelessly, otherwise, it wouldn't seem valuable.

After assessing the effects of the Mana-Infused Blood, Li De quietly made a decision in his heart. He would use the Mana-Infused Blood to cultivate a group of mages completely loyal to him.

Humans were not vampires. Their loyalty to him was based solely on the fact that he was the owner of the Crimson Mage Tower. But if his identity as a vampire were ever exposed, would these apprentices remain loyal to him?

No one could say for sure, and Li De wouldn't gamble with his fate or that of the vampires. He wanted mages who would remain loyal to him, whether he was a devil or an angel.

Moreover, performing the Embrace on these apprentices was a foolish idea. He himself feared being discovered, and these novices would surely be exposed sooner or later.

"But if any of you are willing to swear a soul contract to serve me forever, you will be given priority to receive a bottle of this magic potion."

Soul contract.

The faces of all the apprentices changed dramatically.