Wizard: Adventures in Two Worlds
Chapter 33 - 033 Dharma Seal Seed

Chapter 33: 033 Dharma Seal Seed

"Dharma Seal?"

Before Carl could ask, Eve Donne at his side had already turned pale, hurriedly saying, "Lev, don’t forget your promise to me!"

"Of course." Old Lev nodded, his voice desolate, and gestured for the others to leave, leaving only Ayala and Nan behind.

He then continued, "The matter I promised you, I will not forget. The Dharma Seal on my body originally belongs to the Don family and will be returned to the Don family."

"Hmph!" Eve Donne snorted. "You better remember. If it were not for the Dharma Seal on you, do you think I would have come to help?"

Carl raised an eyebrow.

It seemed Old Lev was no ordinary man. With the Breath Method, Martial Arts, and a Dharma Seal, it’s a wonder how he ended up in his current destitute state.

"I’m sorry."

Turning around, Old Lev gave Carl an apologetic smile. "I cannot transfer the Dharma Seal to you, but when it comes to knowledge about the Dharma Seal, I do know quite a bit."

"That’s okay," Carl shook his head. "Knowledge is also a form of wealth."

"Knowledge is also a form of wealth?" Old Lev murmured to himself, his eyes unfocused. "That’s a phrase everyone should remember. Even an old fellow like me is not without value."

"So..." Carl asked curiously, "Where did the tradition of the Dharma Seal originate from?"

"The lineage of the Dharma Seal is so ancient it is beyond verification, perhaps from before the fall of the Moon Goddess," Old Lev shook his head. "The Dharma Seal I carry traces back to the Griffin Duke. The Dharma Seals of others largely come from some Duke as well."

Dharma Seals come from Dukes?

As far as Carl knew, this world did not have a true kingdom, thus no Kings, only many Dukes occupying various lands. The most famous among them were the nine great Dukes. Duke Tidar, to whom Black City belonged, was one of the nine great Dukes, notorious for his brutality and madness. In this world, a Duke’s title was not just a noble rank but also a symbol of strength, authority, and power. Each Duke possessed extremely powerful martial prowess. This was completely different from the Gando Kingdom.

Carl continued to inquire, "How can one master the power of the Dharma Seal?"

"If the person possessing the Dharma Seal is still alive, he can transfer his Dharma Seal to another," Old Lev replied. "If he is dead, then one needs a Dharma Seal Seed to activate it. However, the process cannot be delayed for too long. Without the nourishment of vitality, the Dharma Seal will completely disperse."

"Dharma Seal Seed?" Carl’s eyes flickered slightly. "Do you have one?"

"Well..." Old Lev looked at him in surprise but did not ask if Carl possessed a Dharma Seal, instead saying, "Not everyone can withstand a Dharma Seal. In fact, the vast majority of people are unable to wield the power of a Dharma Seal, even at the cost of their lives."

Carl’s expression grew solemn. "Why?"

"I’m not sure either," Old Lev shook his head. "To possess a Dharma Seal requires passing a trial, and success naturally means acquiring the power of the Dharma Seal."

"If not successful..."

"There is a high probability of death."

Carl furrowed his brow. He only had one life, and he wasn’t willing to gamble on this chance. Did that mean he had to continue analyzing it? But he feared there wasn’t enough time; the Dharma Seal patterns in the coagulant were becoming blurry.

"Of course," Old Lev continued, "If you are a Knight Attendant, I do have a way to preserve your life, though you will need to recuperate for a while if it doesn’t succeed."

This method was not unique to him; otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many Knight Attendants willing to attempt accepting a Dharma Seal. People always cherish their lives.

"Oh!" Carl relaxed and asked with a smile, "If that’s the case, wouldn’t one be guaranteed to possess a Dharma Seal?"

"How could that be?" Old Lev shook his head. "If it doesn’t work the first time, it means it will never work. Without this talent, even a Knight cannot succeed."

Hmm? Is that how it works? This seems similar to the Wizard Talent, without which one cannot learn witchcraft. It’s unclear if the talent for Dharma Seals overlaps with the Wizard Talent. If it does, then Carl could indeed give it a try.

"There’s one more thing," Old Lev said. "Dharma Seals possess magical powers, and some powerful Dharma Seals are even more profound. However, once a Knight accepts a Dharma Seal, it becomes difficult to continue on the Knight Path. Even with Exotic Beast Meat, it is the same, unless one transfers the Dharma Seal to someone else."

"Wait a minute!" Carl raised his hand, his expression grave, "You just said... Exotic Beast Meat?"

"Yes," Old Lev nodded, "Exotic Beast Meat, imbued with life force and able to help Knights cultivate. Haven’t you heard of it?"

Heard of it. Of course, Carl had heard of it! However, in the Gando Kingdom, Exotic Beasts had nearly gone extinct a long time ago, and their meat was extremely rare; only a select few were qualified to consume it. The Life Potion, which assists Knight Attendants in their promotion to full-fledged Knights, was said to be extracted from the meat of these Exotic Beasts. Such things, he had not even dared to dream of before.

He immediately asked, "Is there a way to obtain Exotic Beast Meat in Black City?"

"This..." Old Lev hesitated, "Several Exotic Beast lairs underground are controlled by the major forces within the city, and it’s difficult for outsiders to get their hands on it, though it’s possible to exchange for it with black stones from the city guard. However, no matter the source, the amount that flows out is always limited."

Carl was relieved. Having some is enough! A small quantity, difficult to obtain, is always better than none at all.

"Uncle," Ayala interjected in a timely manner, "I’ve recently gathered some more soul powder. May I know when you’ll be needing it?"

Carl’s face showed thought. If he agreed now, it would mean not only the continuation of their cooperation but also a closer relationship than before. If he didn’t agree, the loss wouldn’t be too great, but whether it was Exotic Beast Meat or something else, he’d probably need to look for another source.

"This is a Dharma Seal Seed." Seeing his indecision, Old Lev actually took something out of his pocket and said, "Consider it a gift for our first meeting."

"Hmm..." Carl looked at him with surprise, then smiled faintly. "Thank you!"

He then turned to Ayala, "Let’s do the trade in two days. If you have anything you urgently need, you can make a list and I’ll try to bring it over."

"Great!" Ayala exclaimed with joy. "That’s wonderful!"

A smile also appeared on Old Lev’s face.

「* * *」

Since I have to delve deeper into this otherworld anyway, I might as well start with Ayala and her group. They’re familiar and more convenient, also relatively safe. I’ll see it as cultivating an agent.

Back in his Divine Domain Fragment, Carl put down what was in his hands and simultaneously waved to summon his data panel.

Name: Carl (Master of the Divine Domain Fragment)

Constitution: 0.78

Spiritual Power: 1.25

Source Material: 0

Occupation: Knight Attendant, Basic-level Wizard Apprentice

With a continuous supply of Wisdom Light Potion, Carl’s spiritual power had climbed to 1.25 in a short time. However, taking the same Potion for an extended period could lead to tolerance in the body, and the Wisdom Light Potion was no exception. Now, its effects were only half as strong as at the beginning. But for Carl, this was already enough. At least until he became an Intermediate apprentice, he needn’t worry about Potions for increasing spiritual power.

Additionally, with his current spiritual power, he was already qualified to learn a second Zero-Circle Magic. Only, Adolf wasn’t home, and showing his talent prematurely might attract unwanted attention, so he hadn’t looked for anyone yet.

Since there’s no way to learn Zero-Circle Magic at the moment, why not give the Dharma Seal a try? After all, a Dharma Seal can always be removed from the body anytime. At worst, I’ll just waste a few days of rest.

Holding the Dharma Seal Seed, Carl pondered.