LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 161
The magic that binds the demons beyond the Magic Book didn’t take a long time to complete the magic circle containing such power.
However, just because the magic circle was completed didn’t mean I could use it recklessly. Perfect theories don’t guarantee successful experiments.
To increase the success rate of the magic circle, I initiated various experiments. I sealed living animals inside the magic circle or tried sealing my own mana.
As time went on, the number of experiments increased. As the number of experiments increased, the number of times I interfered with the magic circle also increased. Various magical symbols were repeatedly added or erased, and day and night became a blur.
I was deep in thought, standing alone before the giant magic circle when the floor in the corner of the workshop suddenly opened up, and Regan appeared.
I raised my head slightly and asked Regan.
“Is the airship production going well?”
“No problem.”
“How long do you think it will take?”
“It shouldn’t take long. It’s just an airship for a little over ten people, after all. I’m minimizing unnecessary space, so it should be completed in about a week.”
Nodding at Regan’s response, I stood up. After a whole day of fiddling with mana stone powder and quills, my clothes and hands were a mess.
Currently, I had left the inn and was staying in Regan’s workshop. Due to the increasingly strict security in Trevel, I hardly had a chance to go outside.
I sat on a nearby chair and asked Regan.
“What about the other wizards?”
The wizards I was referring to were not the ones from the Lower Realm, but those from the Celestial Realm—wizards belonging to the same Mage Tower as us.
Regan ran his hand through his hair as he answered my question.
“They’re all helping out a bit. Without them, the production of the airship wouldn’t have been possible.”
“You haven’t mentioned anything about the Magic Book, have you?”
“Of course not… They take great pride in being wizards. If it’s discovered that we’re using the power of the Magic Book, they’ll cut off support. They might even come to invade.”
“You did well. But are you okay, Regan? Deciding to use the power of the Magic Book…”
“I’ve been living in the Lower Realm for thirty years now. That’s plenty of time for values to change. If I can return to the Celestial Realm, what can’t I do?”
Saying this, Regan began gathering mana stones piled in one corner of the workshop and headed downstairs.
It had already been a week since I visited the center of Trevel. Our plans were progressing a bit by bit.
*
Three more days passed. I went down to admire the airship that Regan was creating.
The seat for the core of mana and the passage to supply mana to the entire airship from that core were perfectly completed. The only thing left unfinished was the body of the airship.
This problem would be resolved with time. Once the body was completed and the magic circle I created successfully captured a demon, this airship would leave Trevel and soar into the blue sky.
I silently turned my gaze to a small boat covered in dust in a corner. The tiny boat, just big enough for one person, seemed to convey the countless trial and error Regan had experienced.
In addition, there were many blueprints resembling prototypes of the airship in the basement, covered in dust and aging rapidly. As I reached out to wipe away the dust, I noticed some scribblings on top.
They were written in the language of the Celestial Realm, not the Lower Realm.
Returning.
*
Time passed smoothly. There were no setbacks in the plans, and the airship that Regan was making was completed. I was also in a situation where everything was ready.
“Then I’ll begin.”
“Are you sure…?”
“Yes. I’ve summoned them before…”
“What…?”
Regan looked surprised at my answer. Ignoring him, I untied the chains wrapping around the Magic Book.
Clink—
The moment the chains fell to the ground, ominous mana began to seep out of the Magic Book. Its ominous purple hue seemed ready to leap at the surroundings at any moment.
However, in its current state, the Magic Book couldn’t affect the area around it. I had to open the book and call out the name of the demon connected to the book to truly draw its power.
I took a slow deep breath and held the two Magic Books in my hands. The Magic Book sensed my mana, began to rise on its own, and naturally flipped the pages to show the place where the demon’s name was written.
“Regan, when I summon the demons, please inject mana into the mana stone.”
“Ah, understood… In my life, I’ve seen a scene where dark magic is used…”
“It’s not dark magic.”
As I responded to Regan’s words, I slowly opened my mouth to name the demons beyond the Magic Book.
“Skasha, Elder.”
The moment I called the name of the giant presence, that being recognized me. It looked at the one who called its name and conveyed its presence through the passage of the Magic Book.
Fwoosh-!
Ominous mana burst forth violently from the shaking Magic Book. I clenched my teeth, feeling the ominous mana flowing into me.
[To open two Magic Books at once is madness.]
[This place… No, before that, you are…!]
The first words from the two demons that appeared through the Magic Book. Skasha, familiar to me, reacted hotly upon seeing me. As if reflecting his emotions, Skasha’s Magic Book shook violently.
It didn’t take long for the two demons to recognize each other. In a fleeting moment when their gazes met, Skasha and Elder bared their teeth at each other without hesitation.
[Human, if you borrow Skasha’s power, you’ll become a puppet that can neither die nor live. Close that book right now.]
[… So you’re the one I want to talk about. Don’t listen, human. You’re dealing with someone who can’t even recognize your worth. If you send back Elder, I promise to lend you my power without any cost.]
[Power without cost? Ha!]
I quietly stepped back, letting the two books that started to bicker go. Since Regan had already begun supplying mana to the mana stone right after the demons appeared, the preparations to activate the magic circle were ready.
I dipped my finger in ink and finished the last stroke on the magical symbols inscribed in the airship’s magic circle. The moment the symbol was completed through my small finger, the mana flowing around began to converge toward one point.
Zing-!
I amplified the magic circle I discovered in Trevel with mana. The mana that began to intertwine as the magic circle activated swirled together to form a circle.
[What is this…?]
[What nonsense is this!?]
The demons, who had been engaged in a mental battle, seemed to sense something unusual and began to exude rough mana. The pitch-black space beyond the Magic Book trembled as if it were about to tear, and parts of the demons’ bodies began to emerge.
However, that was it. The demons couldn’t escape the Magic Book. I looked down at the unstable magic circle, dripping with cold sweat. Blue and purple lightning occasionally shot up, blackening the surroundings.
[Kraaaagh!]
Crackling-!
[This is unbelievable… Did a human possess such knowledge…?]
Unlike the wildly thrashing Elder, Skasha soon calmed down. Instead of being trapped, he showed a deep interest in the magic circle that bound them.
[Part of my soul has been bound… It doesn’t mean the connection with the main body is severed… An unfair contract, you want to use my power unilaterally?]
As Skasha calmly elaborated on the effects of the magic circle, Elder, who had been thrashing beside him, suddenly became hazy, and his Magic Book, floating around, was engulfed in purple flames.
Fwoosh-!
“Huh…”
Just when I was flustered by the unexpected situation, Skasha, trapped in the magic circle, continued speaking calmly.
[They forcibly cut the connection. Your soul must have been ripped apart…]
“Cut the connection…?”
[It means he’s escaped.]
Elder’s Magic Book burned without leaving even ash, but the ominous mana that made up Elder’s body was still floating inside the magic circle.
It lay there limply, almost like a person devoid of consciousness, resembling the core of mana I had seen in the center of Trevel.
[More importantly, where is this? It feels strangely different…]
“Seris… Did I succeed?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
I nodded, ignoring Skasha’s words. It seemed we had succeeded despite the magic circle’s unstable shaking.
I grabbed a small staff leaning against the nearby wall. At the end of the staff was a highly pure mana stone, engraved with a complex magic circle, linked to the core of mana created for the airship.
The moment I gripped the staff, I felt a sensation very similar to putting on a ring. It felt a bit more uncomfortable and sticky, and a giant presence began to envelop me.
[Hooh… What a strange feeling.]
“It’s been a long time since I used a staff…”
Regan also picked up his staff. The core of mana was completed. Now it was time to check if the magic would activate properly.
“I’ll go first.”
“Got it.”
[Are you not afraid of the cost? Using the power of demons…]
Ignoring Skasha’s words, I began to prepare the magic. The mana that flowed out of me began to gather in the air.
The condensed mana didn’t disperse. The mana clusters that remained connected to me started to sprinkle out shining stars, rising around me.
“That magic is from the Battle Mages…?”
“Something like that.”
Regan seemed to recognize this magic too. About twenty magic missiles floated in the air, and I manipulated the stars that rose to spin around me.
Of course, even with the staff made, the level of magic I could use wasn’t that high. If I tried to draw out more mana, the mana stone would break.
The only thing I could borrow was the presence of the demons. The mana used to cast magic was mine, so I wouldn’t be swamped by the ominous mana.
The wicked mana emitted by the demons would only be used to operate the airship.
Regan also successfully used magic. Several fiery fireballs rose around him, illuminating the inside of the airship.
“Impressive…”
[This is insane…!]
Regan, looking with an excited expression at the magic he had used, put down his staff and spoke to me.
“I’ll be back shortly. I should tell them this joyful news too.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll check on the airship.”
“Got it. I’ll be right back.”
After Regan left the basement, I began inspecting the state of the magic circle and the airship. Upon checking, there was no issue with the mana passages connected to the core. It seemed like we could draw out the mana from the power source and soar into the sky at any moment.
[I wish you’d answer my questions already…]
Now, it was the final check. I opened the mana passage connected to the power source, allowing mana to spread throughout the airship.
Whooosh-!
The ominous mana raced quickly, activating the airship. Since there was no problem inside, it was time to check the outside.
I inspected the exterior of the airship diligently, accompanied by the tiny Nightmare, which had shrunk in size.
That was the moment. The ominous mana that spread throughout the airship began to cover its exterior, and it started to create pure white bones on top of it.
Crash-! Crash-!
Just as I was surprised by the unexpected sight, the airship, now covered in white bones, began to move on its own. The airship soared into the air, rapidly advancing and demolishing everything in its path.
Bang! Crush-! Crackle-!
“This is insane…!”