Chapter 29: Blueprint

Deep meditation brought Neo’s mind entirely into the world of consciousness. During this time, his body was in a state similar to sleep—unable to move, with senses similar to those in a deep sleep.
“Neo, Neo!” Valentina, aware of the characteristics of deep meditation, called out gently several times. Seeing no response from Neo, she smiled slyly. “Now, I can study this big dog in detail.” …
This was the first time Neo had entered the world of consciousness in his werewolf form, and there were many differences. Most noticeably, the consciousness world in his werewolf form was much blurrier and rougher than when he was in human form. Everything was shrouded in mist, with only the Peak of Elements and the mountain where Thorny Vines grew being relatively clear. In particular, the Tree of Creation emitted an eternal glow that not even the mist could obscure.
“Huh?” Arriving at the Peak of Elements, Neo unexpectedly spotted a strange creature.
The creature was about the size of a 5-month-old baby, with a plump human-like body. Its skin appeared thick and milky white. Its hands and feet were pig-like, split into toes, and flesh-colored. There was also a short, curly tail at the back of its buttocks. Its head was disproportionately large and round, with a short, thick, flesh-pink snout. Its eyelids were half-closed, giving it a dazed appearance, and its eyelashes were long. Its pupils were pure ice blue. Its ears resembled those of a village dog—half upright, half drooping. When Neo saw it, the creature was spinning around in front of the light of the Tree of Creation, humming as it did so.
“A Snow Pig?” The creature in front of him resembled a certain magical beast described in books. Wealthy families would capture Snow Pigs, put them on magic-restraining collars, and let ladies play with them as expensive pets. But this one seemed even cuter—without fur, with cute movements and expressions, making one want to pick it up and tease it.
When the little pig saw Neo arrive, it stopped, tilted its head, glanced at Neo for a moment, then went back to spinning around the light of the Tree of Creation, seemingly unaware of why it was doing so.
“Who is this?” Neo asked, pointing at the little pig after seeing a beautiful woman approaching.
“It’s an Ice Spirit,” the beautiful woman replied. “You can call me Nancy from now on.”
“Nancy!…” In the common language, Nancy meant elegant, gentle, and nurturing. Neo wasn’t sure whether the beautiful woman had given him this name to treat him like a child or to take care of the little pig.
“By the way, can you name yourself now?”
“Yes. The energy from a certain creature you absorbed over ten hours ago contained the vital energy I needed. My intelligence has increased by about 0.7%.”
Neo guessed Nancy was referring to that Red Ghost Centurion. Indeed, she was a being with combat skills—very valuable.
Nancy told Neo that although this improvement didn’t increase the daily conversion rate of his “Restoration Power” (another type of power used in life-related spells aside from life force), it still raised her intelligence recovery rate by over 10%. This was a significant step forward—Nancy now had basic learning and analysis abilities, making her an excellent assistant.

“It’s truly amazing. Even the most powerful artifacts probably don’t possess wisdom like yours,” Neo exclaimed sincerely after hearing Nancy’s explanation. With Nancy around, he wouldn’t have to fear or struggle when trying to learn magic. He felt that Nancy’s presence surpassed any treasure imaginable.
“Actually, as far as I know, the primary artifact of the gods is the Wisdom Brain, which is 73.1 million times more powerful than me.”
“…” Neo’s poor imagination couldn’t even conceive of something that was 70 million times smarter and more powerful than Nancy. He changed the subject and pointed at the pig, “How did this thing get in?”
“So far, your energy protection and mental defense are still virtually non-existent.”
“Do you have any methods for using energy?”
“No. My original purpose was solely for healing.”
“Then can you learn the knowledge from my memories?”
“I need your authorization.”
“How?”
“I’m willing to share the knowledge in my memories. All you need to do is say it sincerely.”
Neo did as she asked. One second later, Nancy said, “Alright. Your memory stores very little knowledge.”
“You’ve gone through all of it in just one second?”
“To be precise, I’ve mastered it all—including knowledge connections and simple logical deductions. You can ask me anything you need.”
Neo didn’t believe it. It was too fast, and it made him feel inferior. So he came up with a difficult question, “You still have analytical skills, right? Then tell me how I can improve steadily and quickly in the shaman profession.”
“That depends on your own goals. Elemental power, natural healing, and wild combat—are these the major paths. Do you want to specialize or maintain a balance?”
Hearing Nancy speak so seriously, Neo believed about seven or eight out of ten of her words. He asked, “What are the advantages of specializing? What are the disadvantages of balancing?”
Nancy began analyzing it for him, from skill characteristics to the prospects of each path, from his physical traits to various combinations of strengths and weaknesses. This left Neo, who usually made his own decisions, at a loss—each path seemed promising, yet the journey ahead was extremely long.
“I need to think this through carefully.” Neo rubbed his forehead. Before him was a huge list of talent bonuses specific to the shaman profession. By analyzing Neo’s warrior profession, Nancy had presented, in numerical form, the requirements for each level from beginner to level 20, along with the various stats needed and the abilities that could be acquired.

“With each level upgrade, aside from normal bonuses like strength and agility, there are also talent bonuses. You might not have noticed this, but it’s actually achieved through your targeted training in daily life,” Nancy explained with an example. “Your sensitivity is high, and both of your hands are agile, making it easier to improve physical sensitivity—these are all influenced by talent bonuses. Roughly speaking, I set the talent points gained per level upgrade at 3–5: 3 represents rapid progression with all focus on normal abilities, while 5 means steady progress where everything develops naturally, from normal abilities to talents and then to skill proficiency, all reaching the corresponding level before an obvious level-up occurs.”

Nancy continued, “I divided them this way to illustrate that levels themselves represent limitations. Since we’re using this system to organize and visualize abilities in a data-driven and graphical manner, it’s best to fully understand this method and make it as precise as possible…”

Nio hadn’t thought about these things before. The level classification system for professionals was used by all intelligent races in the Aemera world and had become as common as farming in spring and harvesting in autumn—few people questioned ‘why?’ But today, after discussing this issue in detail with Nancy, Nio realized that this classification system had so much to it.

“There used to be 50-level, 100-level, and 5-tier classification systems,” Nancy introduced these various systems, which surprised Nio greatly. “The 20-level system is most widespread in the worlds of swords and magic. The details vary, but the overall framework remains consistent. This knowledge is closely related to healing techniques, so I know it quite well.”

Nancy analyzed further, “Through long-term experience and observation, people have found that there are patterns and specific signs in the process of improving strength. For example, from what I learned from you about the 20-level warrior classification: at level 5, one gains combat energy; at level 10, they can truly release combat energy and change their form; at level 15, their control over combat energy matures, merging with their soul to create a psychic body… Why do these levels exactly coincide with such significant breakthroughs? This is actually a system derived from biological laws, based on accumulated experience, and it inherently has scientific qualities. So mastering and understanding it is like drawing a blueprint for one’s future.”

“What about sudden changes? Take me for example—the acquisition of Jianmu power and the darkening of my core strength were both sudden, completely deviating from the established pattern. These significant factors have a structural impact—doesn’t that make drawing a blueprint meaningless?”

“A superior grading system is highly inclusive and flexible; its formulas are far more complex than you might think. The tests and assessments involved are also much more varied. Every world has its fundamental elements and corresponding operating principles, and any substance within it falls under the scope of these elements and principles, without exception. This is essentially the essence of your faith. There’s a term for it—‘maternal faith.’”

Neo understood. “So, the grading system I’m following now is actually imperfect. Otherwise, any change in my body would be within the framework of the blueprint.”

“You can’t say that entirely,” Nancy explained. “For example, the power of the Sacred Tree comes from a non-native plane system, so the changes it brings are beyond the scope of ordinary predictions and assessments. But the grading system isn’t rigid—it has flexibility and room for adjustment. When external elements like the Sacred Tree are introduced, they cause various effects, but they’re not enough to shake the entire framework. After all, your core roots are in this world. Unless there’s a deliberate, planned attempt to make comprehensive changes, external forces can’t suppress the characteristics of your core roots. Excessive influence usually leads to the death of the recipient.”

Neo glanced again at the pig running around in the light of the Sacred Tree and said to Nancy, “I used to think that the grading system was meant to help professionals accurately understand their own conditions. The concept was vague and general. But after hearing your explanation, I realize that the system I’ve been following isn’t entirely suitable for me.”

“That’s true,” Nancy nodded firmly. “What you’re using is a kind of one-size-fits-all grading system, and it’s mainly designed for humans.”

She added, “In fact, among different professions, the grading system for spellcasters is more rigorous than that for combat professionals, especially mages. Since this is a profession that requires precise control of energy, everything about it is relatively strict. This can be seen from the talent assessments for this profession.”

“Is there any way to fix this?” After all, this was the real issue—practicality, not just theory.

“That’s exactly what I can offer,” Nancy said confidently. “Compared to the common healing methods in this world, what I practice is more targeted, like a combination of medicine and divine magic. Since it involves medicine, understanding the recipient’s physical condition is naturally an important aspect. I have the ability to do that.”

“That’s wonderful!” Neo was overjoyed. Nancy hadn’t disappointed him—she was truly a rare and invaluable mentor.

“Are you willing to accept my guidance and adjust your physiological functions with my help?”

Neo knew that asking this meant addressing the issue of authority. “Yes,” he replied without hesitation, even with evident excitement. In the world of consciousness, emotions can’t be hidden. No matter how mature he seemed, Neo was still only 19.

Nancy told Neo that no matter how grand the blueprint, it had to be implemented step by step in a strong and correct manner to achieve its goals. To that end, restoring the function of the sacred artifact was particularly important. Once 30% of its restoration was achieved, Nancy could monitor it constantly, providing Neo with auxiliary benefits on his path to advancing to the first level of strength. On the other hand, a wealth of knowledge and information about this world would greatly help Nancy’s transformation and the authority of her abilities, and Neo would also benefit greatly from it.

Before proceeding with reclassifying levels, choosing a profession, and adjusting physical abilities, Neo decided to deal with the Ice Spirit first. “How should I deal with it?”
“You should already have figured out why it came here.”
“Hmm, Jianmu. But I don’t know why.”
“The power system of Jianmu is called the Five Elements, Yin and Yang. Among them, water generates wood.”
“Joy?”
“More or less. The uniqueness of Jianmu lies in its strong attraction to all water-related forces. The Ice Spirit’s mind is pure and simple; integrating into the natural cycle is one of its instincts. It naturally likes it extremely much—that’s instinct.”
“Then, with Jianmu around, the powerful force I can truly rely on is the water element?”
“You can choose that, but gaining it often means losing something else. Becoming too closely tied to the water element disrupts balance, which means distancing oneself from, or even hating and opposing, the fire element. Are you ready to give up your skills in smelting and forging? And you might face problems like being unable to start a fire or suffering double damage when burned.”
“Uh… isn’t there any way to solve this?” Neo thought of walking up to the furnace, only for the flames to either burn him fiercely or go out completely—quite frustrating.
“There is—gradually and through elemental balance. The extensive plan we’re about to formulate can fully incorporate the Ice Spirit. Controlling a being like the Ice Spirit is actually easy; just cater to its preferences. Since it chose to merge into your body instead of killing you, it’s already half-successful.”
“Is that so? Then let’s start. I can’t wait anymore.” Neo rubbed his hands excitedly.
Thinking that from now on he would go from being an unskilled, unprofessional outsider to a true professional, Neo felt hopeful and cheerful. “Geniuses of Aemera, watch this! I’ll surpass you with my own methods!”…
——Divider——
Neo returned from the world of consciousness and found it was already daylight.
Compared to last night, the severity of the cold had diminished significantly. Although Neo really wanted to keep hugging the warm and cozy Valentina and sleep further, reason told him it was time to move on.
Valentina was sleeping soundly. Neo had to admire her resilient nerves.
As he reverted to his human form, Neo woke Valentina up. “You really have faith in me. If we had transformed into humans earlier, we might have frozen to death by now.”
“If you had transformed earlier, did you have a better way to stay warm?” Valentina retorted.
Neo thought for a moment and shook his head.

“I don’t either,” said Valentina. “So what’s the point of staying up until dawn?”
“Hmm… You’re right. It’s my jealousy at work,” Nio said, using the ‘embarrassment blade’ to cut through the tension, thus bringing the conversation to an end.
“Giggle!” Nio admitted defeat, feeling pleased, though her face turned slightly red as she suddenly thought of those words: What can’t be won standing up can be won lying down…
Nio also felt awkward, while Valentina laughed so hard she trembled. The friction between them… And now, without their fur, their skin was in direct contact, making things very different from before.
“What’s hard down there?” Valentina asked, reaching out to touch it before glancing at Nio angrily and punching her on the chest. “Why does it swell so I can touch it?”
Nio was somewhat frustrated, thinking, “Is this also my fault?” But Valentina’s next question left him even more stunned: “Is it true that Liz in the migration group can eat your thick cucumbers?”
“How could such a rumor arise? I treat Liz like my own sister.”
“Tch! Who would believe that? I don’t care. We’ve shared life and death together, even spent the night in the same bed—we’re best friends. You have to tell the truth.”
Nio was in a dilemma. “I really didn’t lie to you. Let’s get up! If this continues, you’ll end up breaking the cucumber!”
“Alright, I’ll believe you this time.” Valentina packed up her clothes triumphantly, thinking, “It’s fun to tease Nio like this from time to time…”
The night was bitterly cold; the snow walls had turned into solid ice barriers, and even the fences could be kicked aside with ease.
Once the fences were open, the cold wind carrying snowflakes hit them hard. Nio and Valentina quickly covered their faces with their hands. For their eyes and noses exposed to nothing, the sudden cold was extremely harsh.
“I couldn’t have imagined it could be this cold before!”
“Hmm, such conditions are probably rare even among the North Kalidians who have lived in the ice fields for generations. I suspect that while the overall climate is a factor, there might be some problem in this area as well.”
Actually, Nio was repeating Nancy’s analysis. Ice spirits only appear in the main material plane under specific conditions. Nancy suspected that the destruction by the West Pentagram had caused a dimensional rift or some terrible event, leading to this extreme cold. Ji also agreed with Nancy’s view, but since Nio could easily please the ice spirits, it encouraged him to find more of them. Jingliumian mutated in cold, icy weather and loved the cold. With ice spirits around, there would be no shortage of low-temperature environments in the future.
Nancy’s suspicion was correct. Dantestine directly destroyed the sealing core, causing the five-element forces that originally kept things sealed to lose their function. They were then attacked by reversed dark forces, leading to various problems. Among them, the seals of the Sacred Tree and Weak Water changed the most due to external influences.
The unstable spatial passages formed by the altered Weak Water were the cause of the extreme cold in the region. Over time, their influence expanded, mixing with the already cold climate and turning extreme cold and strong winds into a defining feature over tens of thousands of square kilometers.

Returning to the Gale Camp covered in frost, most of the team members were in the main tent, crafting rubber armor while listening to Mah talk about the battle with the Red Ghosts the previous night. It turned out that this morning, Tony had wrapped himself tightly and gone out on a reconnaissance mission, bringing back the astonishing news that at least 500 Red Ghosts had died from the cold. Naturally, everyone was very curious about how the three of them had managed to inflict such a heavy blow on the Red Ghosts. Unable to refuse, Mah told them the story, with the team members interjecting questions from time to time, resulting in this lively scene.

When Neo and Valentina returned, the team members stood up to greet them, saluting them in honor of their heroism. Those strong were admired, and being around them brought pride and honor; at that moment, their feelings were sincere and pure.

Valentina accepted it calmly. She had always been outstanding, and she had seen similar scenes many times, so it didn’t seem special to her.

Neo, on the other hand, was humble and warm, skilled at bridging hierarchical differences in such moments. He laughed and said, “Mah must be too embarrassed to admit it, but this guy, being shy as he is, shot the Red Ghost leader in the groin with one arrow.”

“Huh? There’s that too? Is it true?”

“Tell us more.” …

Everyone’s attention was instantly drawn to this gimmick. Mah scratched his head awkwardly, “It’s a lie, really a lie.” …

After changing into dry clothes in a side tent and drinking ginger syrup cooked by Hagen, Neo asked Barritt about the status of the squad, then called Boglem to inquire about the situation with the Migration Group.

Boglem had returned to the camp an hour earlier than Neo. He brought back the gratitude of the entire Migration Group toward Neo and the Gale Squad. It was thanks to Boglem’s warning and the supplies provided that the Migration Group was able to take precautions in that bitterly cold night when many trees turned to ice, avoiding any casualties—only a few people suffered frostbite, which was properly treated. For this, all the people of the Migration Group, along with their leader, pooled 300 dinars as a token of their appreciation and also gave a handcrafted banner reading, “Salute to the Warriors of the People!”

Neo knew this was not only an expression of gratitude for the Gale Squad’s actions but also a sign that Boglem’s attempt to spread rumors about the Gale Squad’s instability had succeeded.

“Now, the Dark Claws should have loosened their grip a bit, right?”

The method Neo had devised was indeed effective. Rooted, after learning about the rumors and realizing they had pushed too hard—faced with the Red Ghosts and the extreme cold—thought that if they pressed further and Neo really tried to flee with the Gale Squad, it would be a huge loss.

“Let’s fight. After so many consecutive battles, the Gale Squad must have suffered losses. When the time is right, I’ll ask to provide combat support. Then, once we know the Gale Squad’s situation, we can capture them all at once.” Rooted briefly explained these matters in a secret letter to Black Knight Fard. Unbeknownst to him, Fard was eager for such advice—he had long coveted the Seed of Divine Power. With such a rare opportunity, how could Fard afford to give it up?

Meanwhile, Valentina was discussing the next steps with Neo and the others.

“The Red Ghosts have been badly beaten this time. With the weather so cold, it’s the perfect time for our Migration Group to move eastward.”

Boglem’s analysis was agreed upon by many.

Neo said, “On this issue, we need to focus on two key points. First, we must not underestimate their savage nature and tendency for revenge. Second, they are quite intelligent, having human messengers as advisors.”
“So we can launch another ambush,” Valentina said, clenching her fist. “And this time, it will be a large-scale confrontation.”
“I agree with this proposal,” Neo nodded. “Let’s start making plans now—set up a large camp right next to the forest. If the Red Demons really lose courage and become more aggressive, that will be their campsite. If they try any tricks, we’ll hit them hard again!”