Arnold had given Edmond a total of four Spells.
They were Mage Hand, Ghost Fireball, Skeleton Resurrection, and Bone Spear.
By now, Edmond had already mastered the first three Spells, leaving only Bone Spear unlearned.
Therefore, he prepared to master the remaining Bone Spear next.
The effect of Bone Spear was to condense a spear made of bone and launch it.
Compared to Ghost Fireball, this Spell was clearly more difficult; after all, it required using magic to condense bone out of thin air.
However, in terms of difficulty, it certainly still did not compare to Skeleton Resurrection.
Furthermore, with the learning experience from the previous few Spells, Edmond estimated that he would only need to spend a few days this time to completely master this Spell.
However, in the following days, Edmond did not have enough time to learn this Spell at all.
Because Arnold’s condition had deteriorated once again, he had to divide his attention to take care of him.
Moreover, with the further deterioration of his body, Arnold’s attitude toward Edmond had actually changed.
Previously, his attitude toward Edmond had always been very generous, even bordering on affectionate.
Although his skeletal face looked terrifying and his voice was hoarse and grating, his concern and care for Edmond were genuine.
Edmond also held him in high regard.
The two of them were the picture of a devoted master and apprentice.
But ever since his condition deteriorated, Arnold had begun to grow increasingly cold toward Edmond, and there was even a hint of wariness in his eyes.
This was something that would never have happened before.
“Master, come, let me…”
Inside the room, Edmond sat by the bed, speaking as he reached out his hands to help Arnold change his clothes.
But just at that moment, a withered hand suddenly swung over and heavily slapped away Edmond’s outstretched hands.
“Slap!”
The sound was exceptionally crisp in the quiet room.
Edmond’s body stiffened, and after looking up, he met Arnold’s icy gaze.
“Get out!”
Arnold shouted, his eyes locked onto Edmond, completely different from his previous generous demeanor.
Having been yelled at, Edmond froze, seemingly shocked by the shout just now.
After a while, he stood up and bowed respectfully to Arnold on the bed.
“Yes, Master.”
Afterward, he walked straight out of the room and carefully closed the door.
Until the footsteps had completely faded away, Arnold kept staring fixedly at the closed door with icy eyes, as if he could see Edmond outside through the door.
“Heh heh~”
A low, beast-like growl emanated from his throat, echoing in the quiet room.
After leaving the room, Edmond’s originally calm expression instantly turned puzzled.
“What is going on with Master?
Why has his temperament changed so suddenly?”
His footsteps were hurried as he went straight back to his own bedroom.
In the bedroom, his four skeletons were staying quietly in the corner, and a pair of blue Soul Fire was flickering incessantly in their eye sockets.
“Clatter~”
Edmond pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down, then pulled out the book, “Introduction to Mages and Magic.”
He seemed to have seen the reason for this kind of sudden change in a mage’s temperament in a book before.
“Rustle~”
Edmond scanned the pages quickly, flipping through the book.
“Found it!”
He cried out, his gaze locked onto a section of content on the page.
[Although mages can manipulate magic using Mental Power, they are also influenced by magic.]
[During resonance with magic, Mental Power will be affected by the corresponding magic, and the personality will become more inclined toward the characteristics of that magic.]
[In ordinary times, the extent of magic’s influence on the mind is very small, almost negligible.]
[However, if a mage is seriously injured and near death, or when their lifespan is nearing its end, this influence will be significantly strengthened.]
[So much so that many mages often undergo a drastic change in temperament before death.]
[According to my research, this is because a mage’s mind and body are interdependent, serving as each other’s foundation.]
[The body is the container of the mind; if the body is about to decay, the mind’s defensive capabilities will also decrease significantly.]
[Just like a city wall beginning to collapse, the city inside will naturally be exposed.]
[Therefore, when near death, a mage’s mind is extremely susceptible to the influence of magic.]
[Fire mages usually become more irritable and short-tempered…]
[Water mages usually become very indifferent, unmoved by everything…]
Following this was a series of personality changes for different mages.
Soon, Edmond found the Necromancer.
[Necromancers usually become extremely selfish and cautious, full of suspicion and wariness toward everything around them.]
[They no longer trust anyone, including those closest to them.]
[They will view everyone around them as a potential threat and have an extreme desire to survive.]
Looking at this line of text, Edmond finally understood why Master’s temperament had changed so drastically these past few days.
Master’s body had already reached its limit, and after Necrotic Magic entered his body once more, he finally could not hold on, and his life reached its countdown.
It was precisely because of this that his mind was eroded by magic, and his personality changed.
“Is there no way to solve this?”
Edmond thought, but after flipping through the entire book, there was absolutely no solution.
After closing the book, he took a deep breath, then remained motionless.
He tilted his head slightly to look at the wall in front of him, his thoughts beginning to wander.
The first time he met Master, the first Meditation, the first…
Various memories churned in Edmond’s mind.
A long time later, he finally rose from the chair and pushed the door open to leave the room.
“Bang!”
The door was slammed shut with such force that the entire door frame shook, emitting a dull echo.
The four skeletons in the corner of the room stood there quietly, motionless, with only the flames in their eye sockets flickering incessantly.
In the following days, Arnold’s attitude toward Edmond became colder and colder, and it became more and more obvious.
Several times when Edmond entered the room, he was scolded out by the other party.
Faced with all this, although Edmond appeared very calm, his heart became increasingly heavy.
He desperately wanted to change this situation, but there was absolutely no way to do so.
Helpless, he could only pour all his focus into learning Bone Spear.
Edmond stood in the open space in front of the small building, his Mental Power drawing on the surrounding magic.
Subsequently, one small piece of bone after another appeared out of thin air, eventually condensing into a one-meter-long Bone Spear.
“Whoosh~”
Accompanied by a piercing sound, the Bone Spear shot out; its powerful force completely shattered the wooden target opposite.
Bone fragments splattered everywhere, embedding themselves deeply into the ground.
Having successfully mastered this final Spell, Edmond felt no great joy in his heart.
He looked at the shattered target, standing quietly in place, not knowing what he was thinking.
At the same time, behind the window on the second floor of the small building, a skeletal figure was standing there, silently staring at Edmond below.
Seeing the other party successfully cast Bone Spear, his eyes no longer held the previous expression of excitement and pride; in its place was disgust and wariness.
He stared at Edmond’s back, as if looking at an intruder who had trespassed into his territory.