Chapter 96: The Mask of Truth
Translator: John_Cui Editor: H2dH2mr
On the 79th floor of the Black Tower was where Norris’s laboratory resided.
On the test table in front of Glenn were specimens of a foam frog and a phosphorus snake which belonged to Norris. They were actually kept in a magical ward where low temperature was ensured by consuming magical stones, and a mist of water filled the air. Beside the specimens laid a huge scroll.
A giant pair of human eyes were on the center of the scroll. The eyes were elaborately depicted with neural paths, vital sign reaction structures, element storage reactions, nerve electrolysis structures, lens, retinas, papillary refraction and so on.
Next to the human eyes were the drawings of a pair of foam frog eyes and a pair of phosphorus snake eyes. The pupils of the frog each contained a horizontal black line. Although the frog eyes had much more complicated neurons than human eyes had, the element variety seemed to be less; to be specific, they only had two main elements—thunder and light elements. It meant that foam frogs were born to be color blind and their visual sense toward the world was weak.
The pupils of the phosphorus snake, on the contrary, were two vertical lines, giving off a creepy image. The nerve electrolysis structure of the snake was quite primitive, with much less neural pathways than humans had. However, the snake’s lens contained only ice elements while the retinas stored a thick layer of fire elements, which was strange.
Pointing to the two creatures, Norris said in a low and mysterious tone: “The secrets of the Endless Eye lie in them.”
“Them?” Glenn became confused. “I suppose the biggest difference in perceiving the world between us and them is about colors. It’s my understanding that they are both color blind.”
Glenn knew that creatures perceived the world in different ways. Although some had eyes, they might be of no use.
Such as the Shade Butterfly Glenn caught in the Black Tower mirror, they perceived the world by recognizing the various smells in the air. The Three-Headed Dog had a highly-evolved nose that could sense the shape of a smell which human would have regarded as odorless. And Glenn’s own Ashen Mask “viewed” the world via ultrasound.
As for the live, black creature in the tank of Varo’s laboratory, God knows how they felt the world.
To talk about the visual perception of eyes, Robin’s Green-Eyed Macaque definitely saw a different world from the other creatures. Lafite’s Eagle Eye could observe things from a great long distance. The Dark Lord from a foreign world, as the creature called itself, which was once deceived by Glenn, saw the spiritual world, a discovery made by Glenn after his observation on his Greed Fire Giant; And the green-eyed student who Glenn ran into during his sneak into Section 19 could also see the world differently…
Thus, what made these two creatures special?
Norris smiled but didn’t care to comment. He pointed to the eyes of the foam frog and said: “Their eyes! My tutor found out their secret and took advantage of that property himself. And he named his enhanced eye as the Limitless Eye.”
“What is the enhancement?” Glenn was still confused.
“Dynamic vision!” Norris stopped smiling.
He motioned Glenn to have a look at the complex neurons and elements in the frog’s eyes and said seriously: “Dynamic vision is an enhanced vision by which moving objects would slow down their motion and more detailed information would be thus caught visually. When trying to catch prey moving in high speed, the dynamic vision would be used to capture more of the target’s movements in the split of a second. My tutor’s Limitless Eye simulates slow-motion and magnifies his vision to observe things. It’s a powerful weapon against the sneaking predators. A very rare and precious visual ability.”
Glenn opened his mouth in astonishment.
“The foam frogs? Such small creatures which were reduced into the bottom of the food chain, which he had dissected so many of, should have such a wondrous ability?”
Soon, he remembered an application of this vision—if he could use the dynamic vision to study the radium veins in the twig twice a day, he might learn a lot in a very short time.
With this in mind, he smiled in secret. “It’s indeed a good idea, but perhaps I can’t work out the vein thing before the Holy Tower Tryout.”
Catching Glenn’s reaction, Norris’ sewed-up face showed a trace of pride. “My mentor is a great wizard, but your mentor is great, too! I found the secret in the phosphorus snake’s eyes!”
Glenn felt a little amused by Norris complacent look, but he put on a face of admiration, eager to know the answer. “What is it?”
Seeing Glenn’s flattering expression on his face, Norris raised his head and showed a vivid satisfaction, saying out loud. “Heat Radiation Vision! I enhanced the other eye and named it the Boundless Eye. That, plus my mentor’s Limitless Eye now comprise the Endless Eye”
Glenn murmured with great surprise. “That’s the origin of the Endless Eye now!”
Norris waved to the description of the snake’s eyes on the scroll and said with pride and excitement. “See? These eyes are special in their lens, retinas and usual electrolysis structures. They’re as delicate as art. With these natural structures, the snakes view the world by mapping the creatures giving off heat. Thus, my Boundless Eye would capture everything with body temperatures!”
Glenn studied the special structures of the frog and the snake for a moment. Suddenly he asked. “Master, which parts of our body would adapt if one wants the Endless Eye?”
Norris’ cat Garfield once said that the Endless Eye and the Repulsion and Attraction forces would transform a sorcerer’s appearance and physical structure.
Norris smiled. “Relax. The side effects of having Endless Eye have been minimalized. It’s nearly perfect. Except for the slight change in pupils, one more thing might change.”
Glenn looked up and found about Norris’ tongue which parted ways like a snake. He became shocked for some time. “Your tongue…”
“Exactly, the tongue. After my mentor and I had studied the neurons, the electrolytic structural reaction and the element allocation for a very long time, we eventually decided to have the tongue as the carrier of the Endless Eye,” said Norris. He then flicked his tongue like a frog and rolled up a red fruit far away from him. He then chewed the fruit loudly. “Sometimes this tongue can work out magic. Many of the sorcerers want a tongue like mine, but nobody knew it had anything to do with the Endless Eye.”
Glenn made a face.
Norris’s manner of eating reminded him of Sorcerer Apollo’s red-eyed frog. It ate the hateful butler in Zi Jue Residence back in Bi Seer City in the same way.
Having finished eating up the fruit, Norris spoke with pride. “Glenn, you are talented in some aspects, but human beings have only one pair of eyes. My mentor and I both agreed on the perfection of the Endless Eye transformation to human eyes. A supreme work. Even in the future when you have the chance to become a Stigmata sorcerer or even a Necromancer, I don’t think you can conduct more improvement easily in this regard. However, as your mentor, I still hope you can surpass me in some way. Here’s a suggestion, try to work more on Hematology, grow more eyes. It might work. Haha…”
Norris was so proud that he became very excited. He finally had someone to show off his own accomplishment to besides his mentor.
As for the suggestion he made, Glenn could tell from his confident look that it would be a difficult road to embark on. Maybe one wouldn’t be able to realize it in a lifetime.
Glenn hesitated for a moment and made up his mind to speak with an awkward look on his face. “Hmm…Master, the last time I was practicing the Repulsion and Attraction forces, I figured out a perfect solution to the possible side effects of body transformations.”
Glenn put the Ashen Mask on the table.
Norris was confused for a few second and then he said with astonishment. “You’re saying to use magical tools as carriers for the Endless Eye? It…sounds…far-fetched.”
Glenn considered it for a while. He then shook his head and said firmly: “Since the ultrasonic function can be embedded in the Ashen Mask, why not the Endless Eye? If it do fail, there are only two possible reasons. One is poor handle of alchemy, the other poor understanding of the Endless Eye.”
He then continued proudly. “I obtained the Heteromorphic Marrow, and I’ve decided my alchemy road should start from making a new legendary mask. I’d like to add all of the exploring enchantments into it!”
His ambitions surprised Norris, a level-three sorcerer.
“Put all of the exploring enchantments into a mask? A legendary…?”
If over five of the exploring enchantments were contained in the mask, it would be indeed a legendary mask.
But still Norris thought Glenn became a little too conceited.
On one hand, Norris, as a sorcerer, was dissatisfied for his “low-class” student being so conceited. On the other hand, Norris thought Glenn was certainly far sighted than any other students. The majority of the students must be forging ahead by merely following the magic books step by step.
Norris made no comments but asked calmly. “So, this…legendary mask, how will you name it?”
Upon hearing his words, Glenn calmed himself down. He looked Norris in the eyes, catching sight of the dissatisfaction and expectation in them, saying. “Let’s call it the Mask of Truth.”