Chapter 423: Temporary Separation

Chapter 423: Temporary Separation

It had taken Sein nearly half a month to finally ascertain the normal breathing rate of Tourmaline, as well as its muscle vibration frequency when it entered a light sleep state.

Sein dared not let Tourmaline fall into a “deep sleep”. Once it was fully asleep, waking it up would be challenging.

And even if he managed to wake it, Tourmaline might be in a foul mood afterward—what happened to the Rank Two black mage was a stark reminder of such consequences.

After collecting all the necessary data, Sein, guided by his keen intuition as both a mage and a truth seeker, discovered that Tourmaline's sleep respiratory rate and muscle vibration frequency conformed to some sort of esoteric law.

This discovery was exceptionally gratifying for him.

Only a truth seeker like himself would be so captivated by every mystery he unraveled, especially after enduring tedious and complex experiments.

Achieving tangible results that confirmed his theories brought him a sense of fulfillment and joy that ordinary beings could scarcely comprehend.

It was an exhilarating pleasure on a spiritual level.

It was no wonder that many older mages gradually lost interest in simpler physical pleasures and romantic entanglements.

As a young man, Sein still had his basic urges. However, this did not deter him from seeking higher, more exhilarating levels of pleasure.

Fueled by this blend of satisfaction and excitement, Sein once again holed himself up in the laboratory. He also requested Yuri to assist him with various experiments and theoretical work.

***

For some, the pursuit of truth was tedious and time-consuming.

Yet for Sein, it was a source of immense joy that always seemed to make time fly by.

Two months later, having traversed half of the Marmett Union Alliance’s territory by water, Sein emerged from the laboratory feeling both satisfied and slightly regretful.

His satisfaction came from developing a relatively simple method for controlled breathing and muscle restraint during his research.

This new technique was far superior to the Auro Restraint spell Sein had previously mastered.

They were two fundamentally different abilities, yet Sein managed to combine them to achieve nearly “perfect” concealment.

A month and a half later, they reached Gaust City in the northern part of the Marmett Union Alliance.

This city marked the boundary of power between the Marmett Union Alliance and Steel City to the north and Sage’s Forest to the northeast.

A large, turbulent river named the Saxon flowed through it from east to west, and to the south, an equally large tributary known as the Sicilian River.

Sein and Tourmaline reached this boundary via the Sicilian River, where they would part ways temporarily.

Sein and Yuri would continue their journey northward to Steel City. Tourmaline, meanwhile, would follow the waterway east toward Sage’s Forest.

Sage’s Forest, the largest magic beast forest in the Magus World, boasted a rich variety of species, making it the most important genetic treasure trove in this world.

The strength of the magic beasts there surpassed any other.

In the magic beast forest within Viridescent Land, the strongest beast was only a Rank Three.

Sein had never heard of any forest near the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring being home to creatures of Rank Four or higher.

However, Sage’s Forest was home not only teeming with Rank Four and Five magic beasts but also harbored even more formidable creatures...

As Sein and Tourmaline prepared to part ways, a subtle sadness tinged their expressions, even though this was only a temporary separation.

They had agreed to reunite in as little as six months or as long as two years at the mouth of the Saxon River west of Steel City, and then travel together to the Western Archipelago.

Having Tourmaline, the massive dragon turtle, as his transport made crossing the Magus World’s ocean far easier and faster for Sein than attempting it alone.

This arrangement also allowed Sein to spend part of his time exploring Steel City, without needing to rush his journey. Otherwise, he would not have planned to spend up to two years there.

Though reluctant to leave, Sein was decisive.

Tourmaline glanced up at Sein a few times, hesitating before suggesting, “Why don’t you let Sevvie accompany me? Otherwise, it’ll be too lonely.”

“Sevvie” was the affectionate nickname Tourmaline had given to Seven, reflecting the deep friendship they had formed, much like how Sein simply called the owl “Sev”.

Without any reluctance, Sein nodded and said, “No problem.”