“You've already gathered all the materials?”
Seeing the four types of fungi neatly arranged before her, Aurora couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise, her glossy pink lips drawing attention under the shop lights.
“Where did you find the moon dust fungus?” Aurora asked curiously. “I only recalled last night that it's been decades since the Baron used moon dust fungus to entertain guests. It seems the barony doesn't even produce moon dust fungus anymore.”
“Right in the barony,” Lynn replied succinctly. He didn't mention that the reason no moon dust fungus could be found in the barony was simply because a fledgling vampire thief had secretly harvested them all.
“Then you really have incredible luck. A fungus that hasn't been produced in decades, and you find it on your first try.” Aurora covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly disbelieving Lynn's response and assuming he had some little secret he was reluctant to reveal.
Well... in a way, trading with a vampire was indeed a secret.
Lynn heard the implication in Aurora's words, but he merely shrugged. If the elf didn't believe him, there was nothing he could do.
Rubbing his hands together with excitement, he asked, “Aurora, when will you have time to make the Moon Fungus Cake?”
Aurora rolled her eyes at Lynn. “Right now.”
With that, the elven landlady stood up and hung the “Closed for Today” sign on the front door.
“No need for you two to wait around here. Head back to your rooms first. The preparation process for the fungus cake is rather tedious, so it won't be ready until evening. I'll go upstairs and call you when it's done.”
Lynn nodded and rose to return to his room.
Aside from the Moon Fungus Cake, there was something else he had been anticipating for a long time—the bloodline of the 【Psionic Corpse】.
Going upstairs, Lynn bathed and changed according to his routine, washing away the fatigue accumulated from the quest.
Lying in bed, Lynn flipped open the 《Monster Identification Manual》.
The manual had gained another page.
Now, there were over ten pages in the monster encyclopedia section, making it truly resemble a small booklet.
He wondered if it would turn into a thick tome in the future.
When that time came, Lynn could use magical transcription to make copies and sell them to novice adventurers.
The newest page depicted a scrawny, blue-skinned humanoid monster—the long-anticipated 【Psionic Corpse】.
Like the 【specter】, the 【Psionic Corpse】 was a standalone monster race with no sub-branches.
[Activate "Psionic Corpse" bloodline? Cost: 20 Bloodline Points (Psionic Corpse). Currently held Bloodline Points: 20]
With a thought, the number after his held Bloodline Points rapidly plummeted.
20... 10... 5...
Exactly twenty points of light plunged into the bloodline of the 【Psionic Corpse】.
The black-and-white portrait was pressed down by his mind, and when it rose again, it was as if it had been dipped in a dye vat, filled with vivid colors.
In particular, three psionic flames hovered around the monster, burning so lifelike that warmth seemed to radiate directly from the page.
And Lynn, as the bloodline lit up, felt a subtle shift take place within him.
The various connections he forged with this world seemed to grow much closer.
This closeness manifested in every aspect.
For instance, his affinity with the mana in the air had increased.
Or perhaps—
Lynn twitched his finger, and a water pitcher filled to the brim on the table wobbled and floated into the air.
A few drops spilled over the side due to a momentary slip in control.
After activating the bloodline, his will could actually interfere with reality!
This power was different from a cantrip like Mage Hand.
Lynn wasn't condensing mana into a tangible entity to physically interact with and lift the pitcher.
Instead, he was using his own will to alter reality, changing the pitcher's physical properties to make it rise!
In other words, the pitcher didn't float because something beneath it was holding it up; under the interference of Lynn's will, floating was simply what it was supposed to do!
Within this small space, it was the promise of a deity.
Lynn looked down at his hands.
The power system he had just used was completely distinct from spellcasting.
This was psionic energy!
This sensation of interfering with reality like a creator felt indescribably wondrous.
For now, the scale at which he could interfere with reality was still weak.
However, as his Charisma attribute grew, his ability to affect reality would further develop, eventually reaching a state akin to godhood!
For the time being, though, this reality-altering power would only prove useful in specific situations.
Yet aside from warping reality, psionic energy possessed other functions—
Such as raw, brute force mental attacks on an enemy's mind like the Psionic Corpse did,
Or telepathic communication with teammates to enhance coordinated combat,
And, through his close link with the world, Lynn could predict impending changes in his surroundings to a certain extent—commonly known as divination.
Of course, this predictive ability wasn't exaggerated yet; it was currently equivalent to a keen sixth sense.
Nevertheless, it could assist Lynn in learning and using spells from the School of Transmutation.
For example, the Weather Prediction cantrip in 《Sixteen Cantrips》.
After awakening psionic energy, Lynn's Weather Prediction might turn out quite different from that of ordinary mages.
He continued playing around with his psionic energy in the room for a while longer until the tenant next door knocked on the wall to remind him to keep it down. Only then did he reign in his playfulness.
Reopening the 《Monster Identification Manual》, he checked the specific attributes of the 【Psionic Corpse】—
[Psionic Corpse: Charisma +4, Agility +2, Perception +1, Psionic Awakening, Magic Resistance Lv.1 (Passive)]
The Tier 2 monster granted Lynn a total of seven attribute points, even more than his first activation of a ranked monster bloodline.
It lived up to his expectations.
As for the effect of Magic Resistance...
Relying on passives like Hardening and Enhanced Self-Healing as a safety net, Lynn decided to test it on the spot.
Using the fine control granted by Evocation Control, Lynn lowered the mana output of his cantrip and fired an Eldritch Blast at himself at roughly thirty percent power.
The pure mana blasted against his body, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier.
The concentrated beam of energy was diffused across his entire body, reducing the spell's damage.
A thirty percent power Eldritch Blast had almost no effect on Lynn, leaving him with nothing more than a faint trace of warmth.
Lynn tried gradually increasing the mana output:
40%, 50%, 55%...
When the power reached seventy percent of standard output, a mark finally appeared on Lynn—a minor scratch, which promptly vanished under Enhanced Self-Healing.
Lynn wasn't a masochist, so he didn't try pushing the power any higher.
The experiment proved that Magic Resistance Lv.1 wasn't enough for Lynn to take Magic Missile to the face like the Psionic Corpse could.
However, tanking an Eldritch Blast with his face should be doable.
Rate on N.U.
