Versatile Mage: Starting with the White Tiger Pendant

Lu Mei was cutting materials, and as she worked, a soft laugh escaped her lips, as sweet and pleasant as the tinkling of silver bells.

Is this what it feels like to nurture someone? she thought. It's actually pretty great. The solid satisfaction of planting a seed in spring and harvesting in autumn was deeply alluring.

She silently added to herself, But it has to be a younger brother like this—obedient, hardworking, and worthy of a five-star character card. Only then can one truly experience this kind of joy.

Resting nearby, Lu Jun was confused. He glanced at her and asked, "What's so funny, sis? Did you hit the jackpot?"

"Nothing." Lu Mei bent down to organize the materials, her graceful back outlined in the light. After a moment's pause, she turned back with a charming smile and said, "Do you think we'll ever become Mages?"

Hearing this, Lu Jun froze for a moment before replying with firm determination, "Of course we will. We'll become Forbidden Spell Mages, and our names will shine brightly in the river of history."

Lu Mei chuckled, "You're dreaming too big. If we siblings can reach the super tier, that'll already be a great success!"

"Small thinking," Lu Jun muttered, standing up again after a brief rest. They had just killed at least fifty demon wolves in the battle, and now he noticed countless faint, blue, flame-like specks of light gathering toward the White Tiger Pendant he wore.

A total of fifty residual souls were being automatically collected without him needing to do anything.

Lu Jun focused his spiritual energy on the White Tiger Pendant. Inside, he found a vast, blood-red lake of murderous energy, with close to a hundred tiny soul fragments floating on its surface.

These were the fragments he had accumulated over time.

The artifact contained interdimensional space, and at its peak, it could rival Soul Tools in power. Even now, though its grade had fallen, it still provided effects comparable to nebula-level magical equipment and soul containers.

As Lu Jun gazed at the golden-red lake, the fragments floating within suddenly began to move, rapidly merging together. Before his eyes, they coalesced into a thumb-sized, ghostly blue flame that radiated a distinct energy.

It was a complete Servant-Class Spirit!

Residual soul fusion! Just like Mo Fan's Little Loach, the White Tiger Pendant can do this too, Lu Jun thought, delighted.

Though the fused spirit couldn't leave the pendant, it still had countless uses. For example, it could nourish stars and raise the upper limit of star dust.

Normally, a mage's magic at the elementary, intermediate, or advanced levels could only reach Level 3 at most.

But by using demon spirits to nourish the stars, one could break through this limit and reach the unprecedented Level 4 or even Level 5.

However, achieving a Level 4 elementary spell required nourishing all seven stars with Servant-Class Spirits—a total of seven Servant-Class Spirits.

Each Servant-Class Spirit cost five million yuan, meaning that upgrading a single spell would require an astronomical 35 million yuan, an amount that could purchase two soul seeds. For reference, soul seeds for dual-element intermediate mages were considered standard for geniuses from prestigious families.

Thus, few were willing to upgrade their stars unless, like Lu Jun or Mo Fan, they possessed a magical artifact capable of collecting residual souls and fusing them into spirits. Only then could they afford such extravagance.

A Level 4 elementary spell was comparable to half an intermediate spell. It could instantly kill demons of the same tier and even allow one to easily defeat advanced-stage servant-class demons.

The real advantage lay in conserving magic energy. Intermediate spells consumed seven to eight times more energy than elementary spells, so increasing the power of elementary spells significantly enhanced combat efficiency.

It was said that certain innate talents could achieve a similar effect—raising the level of all spells in a particular magic system by +1. While others were limited to Level 3 for elementary, intermediate, and advanced spells, they could reach Level 4.

And that was just Level 4. Achieving Level 5 for elementary magic would require seven warrior-class spirits, totaling 140 million yuan!

And for Level 4 intermediate magic? Forty-nine stars would need to be nourished by forty-nine Servant-Class Spirits. The sheer cost was mind-boggling.

Lu Jun recalled that even Mo Fan, in the future, barely managed to reach Level 4 with his high-tier magic. His elementary and intermediate spells, however, did reach Level 5.

Let's take it one step at a time, Lu Jun thought.

Given the unique nature of the gold element, any enhancements to his stars would likely manifest in his life-bound artifact, the Golden Greatsword, making its power limitless.

Just as Lu Jun was about to withdraw his spiritual energy, another surprise came his way.

From the corpse of the advanced-stage demon wolf, a complete Servant-Class Spirit rose, the ghostly blue flame quickly flying into the White Tiger Pendant.

Inside the blood-colored lake, two Servant-Class Spirits now floated.

"Hahaha! We've hit the jackpot!" Lu Jun burst out laughing. Turning to his sister, he exclaimed, "Sis, we got a spirit drop—five million yuan!"

Hearing this, Lu Mei was initially stunned but soon overjoyed. Given their efforts and the advanced-stage demon wolf's strong soul, this outcome was well within reason.

She hurried over but paused to ask, "Wait, where did you get a necromancer's soul container?"

Lu Jun glanced at her and replied, "It's a secret. Don't ask too much. We'll trade it at the Silver Trade Tower for five million yuan. You can use the money to rent a top-tier nebula magical tool for six months and push your earth element to the intermediate level."

"Tsk, tsk. If I can reach dual-element intermediate at age 22, I might just qualify as a genius."

Lu Mei pouted and mockingly retorted, "Hmph! Who are you calling a late bloomer?"

The siblings quickly worked together to clean up the battlefield, collecting valuable materials from the demon corpses and delivering the finishing blows where necessary.

Worried that the scent of blood might attract other demons, they only took key parts before hurrying away.

Demon wolves were territorial, and if the smell of blood lingered too long, neighboring wolf packs might come to investigate.

Each carrying a load half their height, the siblings moved swiftly using wind tracks.

"Three million. The materials alone are worth three million yuan!" Lu Mei's eyes gleamed as she counted their haul, a hint of financial greed in her expression.

Lu Jun chuckled. This single outing had earned them eight million yuan. After deducting three million for renting the nebula magical tool, they'd still have five million left.

At this rate, by the end of their second year in high school, they might save up twenty million yuan—enough to buy a soul seed.

Of course, their situation was unique. Most hunter teams didn't have necromancer's soul Vessel's, reducing their income by five million yuan. Moreover, even with good luck, they couldn't expect a spirit drop every time.

As they stepped back onto the wind tracks, they returned to the Snow Peak Mountain outpost. The veteran soldiers stationed there were familiar with the siblings and greeted them with nods and smiles.

Only Captain Zhan Kong, stepping out to see them, was visibly stunned. His gaze shifted from Lu Jun, covered in blood and radiating killing intent, to the massive bags they carried. Finally, he sucked in a sharp breath and asked, "You two didn't just go deep into the wilderness and wipe out a whole pack of demon wolves, did you?"

Lu Jun muttered under his breath, "Why does a military officer have so much free time to hang around here?"

It was true—Zhan Kong, having been demoted, was essentially here for "rural experience."

Lu Mei laughed and, like a proud parent, replied, "It wasn't that big of a deal. My little brother handled it—a whole pack of demons."

Zhan Kong stared at Lu Jun, his disbelief growing. Is this a high school kid? He had just wiped out an entire wolf pack!

And even if the Black Vatican had such capable individuals, why would they be out hunting demons for money?

Suddenly, Zhan Kong's expression shifted. Whatever he had imagined, he seemed to make peace with it, nodding solemnly. "On behalf of Bo City's military, I thank you both."

He continued, "The one-eyed demon wolves near Bo City form a massive clan with at least fifty packs. Their leader is a winged azure wolf at the commander level. Eliminating one pack reduces our burden by one-fiftieth."

Hearing this, Lu Jun waved dismissively and said, "Forget the thanks. How about some tangible rewards? Don't tell me it's just another little banner."

"You brat." Zhan Kong chuckled, then after some thought said, "We can't offer money, but how about this—during the wild training in the second semester of your second year, I'll exempt you from participation and give you an outstanding evaluation directly."

"In my opinion, you don't need that kind of kiddie stuff. It's overkill for someone like you. Besides, I'll keep this information confidential."

[For additional chapters up to chapter 64 you can visit Patreon.com/ALLISWELL123]