Chapter 147

“Nadia. Display this section from here to here.”

-Yay~

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<Forbidden Art of Lichification>

As is well known, when a mage of 5th Circle or higher dies, the body must be cremated and the bones ground to powder. Otherwise, they might resurrect as a lich.

Particular caution is required if the mage suffered from magical power addiction in their later years, as this increases the likelihood of resurrection as a lich.

The ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification’ aims for a living mage to deliberately induce magical power addiction to become a lich while still alive. According to legend, a ‘living lich’ maintains the same appearance and judgment as a human but can freely wield magic that humans cannot use.

This forbidden art originally came from Ragnarok. It became known throughout the Tower when a Magic Tower mage smuggled out documents and began researching it.

However, no one succeeded, and it only resulted in increasing the number of ‘Night Calamity-Liches.’ Eventually, the five mage organizations agreed on sanctions prohibiting the use of the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification.’

But since the research records themselves should not be destroyed, the research records from various schools have been collected and compiled.

(Omitted)

Regardless of the school, the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification’ is always performed in a space where ‘Mana Catastrophe’ is maintained.

Within the field where ‘Mana Catastrophe’ is maintained, the subject’s Circle must continue the bellows movement of Lo-jang.

Like breathing continues and heartbeats don’t stop, there must not be a moment’s rest throughout the duration of the forbidden art, be it one year or two. (Rest omitted)

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A portion of the book appeared floating in the air in glowing letters.

‘Forbidden Art of Lichification.’

What caught my attention was that this forbidden art originated from Ragnarok.

And as Beatrice testified, Truth Tower was a faction that split from Ragnarok.

It’s natural to assume that Truth Tower would know about the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification.’

But most importantly, it was the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification’ itself.

‘I don’t think anyone knows more about liches than I do.’

Though I hadn’t progressed my research due to lack of time, I nevertheless had a lich specimen and had analyzed it to some extent.

A lich is a calamity created by the fusion of the will left behind by a dying mage and a magical power singularity.

Magical power responds to will.

That’s because the essence of gods was ‘pure will.’

Of course, human will is nothing compared to that of gods, but if there’s a moment when humans express their most intense will, wouldn’t it be when they’re dying? The death throes of a high-ranking mage who has trained their entire life. The magical powers respond to that. Red and black magical powers—which respond most sensitively to negative emotions like pain, despair, and attachment—are the magical powers of gods who were hostile to humans. That’s how a Night Calamity-Lich obsessed with slaughter is born.

I had to run [Simulation] multiple times just to make this simple explanation.

So,

A ‘living lich’ is ultimately impossible. The moment one completely merges with a magical power singularity, both the body and mind would collapse.

‘But couldn’t the process be delayed?’

If, through some method, the process of being corroded by magical power could be suppressed and delayed, one could use special magic without dying. Additionally,

‘What if one could attract a different type of magical power than red and black?’

‘What if one could merge not only with magical power, the remains of gods, but also with ancient spirits that have fossilized?’

I had a hunch that Hwi Someong’s secret was a variation of the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification.’

The ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification’ pursued fusion with the remains of dead gods (magical power) while alive.

Truth Tower’s forbidden art pursued fusion with the remains of dead demigods (spirit stones) while alive.

Drawing it out like this makes it plausible, doesn’t it? A state of being fused with spirits, yet not completely fused. That’s why when she used spirit power, Ari couldn’t find the spirit, and why when she used grand magic like <Milky Way Eruption>, her body would simultaneously collapse.

I had the idea.

“Now it’s time to wrestle with complex formulas.”

Flipping-

I quickly flipped through book after book, pointing out content related to the ‘Forbidden Art of Lichification.’ As I indicated, Nadia displayed the relevant sentences in the air.

Numerous formulas. Records of failed attempts.

Messy, crude, and inaccurate, but I won’t complain anymore. If I interpret and organize them in my own way, they’ll be useful, right? I’ll deduce the premises, habits, thought patterns, and experimental methodologies of the mages of that time through this vast data. Ultimately, I’ll simulate what forbidden art Truth Tower might have developed, and what its weaknesses might be. This time, with this brain alone, not with my Gift!

* * *

“Don’t you think the Divine Mage’s explanations have been really sinking in lately?”

“Right. He used to use a lot of metaphors, but now he gives precise formulas, which is great.”

“And he modifies the formulas on the spot! Isn’t that absolutely spine-tingling?”

“Hey, remember? Last time he said, ‘Hwion’s wind line and Matilda’s wedge line don’t actually need to be distinguished. They’re just different ways of observing the same mana pattern.’ Wow, I got goosebumps all the way to my toes then.”

“Truly… it feels like we’re living in a remarkable era. Soon, when the visualization of mana patterns is complete, runic language itself will become unnecessary, right? Because all the scattered runic languages can be explained at once through the geometric form of multi-dimensional mana.”

“Kids these days have it easy.”

“I know, right? I thought I was going to die memorizing runic languages. Each character has at least 10 pages of explanations, right?”

“Sometimes it’s an entire book.”

“Exactly. I think I memorized about 100 with their explanations, and I nearly died. But the total number of discovered runic languages exceeds 2,000, doesn’t it?”

“Unofficially, it’s said to be over 5,000.”

“Hah… these younger folks. They should have to struggle a bit too.”

These days, Pathfinder was buzzing with energy wherever you went. Though the world was still collapsing, the mages here were thriving with belief in the future and progress. Why wouldn’t they be? Everything was going smoothly. Philosopher’s Stone was being refined non-stop and food was being produced abundantly. Revolutionary magical advances were continuous.

Yuria, who had been sent on an expedition to Alpine City, had left news of easily conquering Alpine City before departing for the Tower. In today’s regular message, she expressed her determination to scout the situation inside the Tower, defeat the forces behind it, and return.

Confidence. Optimism. That was everyone’s mood.

Mine too.

‘Ah, this is rewarding.’

Of course. Because I’ve succeeded.

Hwi Someong. This vicious person. Today is the day.

“Cube. To my laboratory.”

-Understood.

I had succeeded in reconstructing Hwi Someong’s forbidden art four days ago. To verify if my calculations were correct, I had compared them several times with Hwi Someong’s state through [Simulation].

And finally today! I’ve succeeded in finding a way to break what I tentatively call the <Forbidden Art of Host Transformation>. When I got stuck, I gave lectures to Pathfinder mages for entertainment, and even those received nothing but praise, so one way or another, I’m feeling good. Very good.

Entering the laboratory with a little dance in my step, I see the lich contained in the capsule.

“Thank you, lich!”

Of course, it can’t receive my greeting in its current state. But how could I not greet it when it helped me discover a completely new method of spirit magic?

I sit down. I welcome the moment I’ve been waiting and waiting for.

[Simulation!!]

* * *

Everything went according to plan.

Ding.

“Ughh…”

Ding. Ding.

“Urgghhh…”

With each ring of the bell, Hwi Someong retched with a pale face.

“You… what did you do to me? Urgh…! Urgghhh! Guh-guhhh…”

White water endlessly gushed from her mouth. Inevitable. Right now, the light spirit and water spirit inside Hwi Someong would be thrashing about, devouring the seals. It’s fortunate her body hasn’t swollen and burst.

I named the spirit power Hwi Someong uses the <Forbidden Art of Host Transformation>. As I expected, this forbidden art was the successor and variant of the <Forbidden Art of Lichification>. It was a developed form of the technique that delays fusion time with the magical power singularity to extend survival time, applied to spirits.

Of course, this explanation is entirely my own organization. Modern mages usually don’t even know the principles of the forbidden arts they create. They just arrange spells and magical materials according to calculated numbers, finding that the forbidden art becomes more successful. They create effective results but don’t know their meaning. It’s not unusual. Earth scientists were the same. Even Newton, who calculated gravity, didn’t actually know what gravity was.

“That… bell! What is that? Why… urgh! St…op! Urgghhh…”

Hwi Someong screamed.

She doesn’t seem to understand the current situation at all.

See, what did I tell you? This is what happens when you use forbidden arts without even knowing what they are.

“Listen carefully. You probably built a magic circle in your body and implanted the Stone of Light and the Stone of Water at its center. Then you performed a special ritual to deliberately induce magical power addiction.”

“Wh-what…”

Was it because I mentioned Truth Tower’s forbidden art? Or was it because continuous vomiting had drained her will? For the first time, I saw a flustered expression on Hwi Someong’s face. Ah, how refreshing.

“But in fact, that magic circle is a kind of sealing magic circle, and that ritual that induces magical power addiction is actually offering your body to the Stone of Light and the Stone of Water. In other words… you were a host. A host providing nutrition to the fossilized light spirit and water spirit to awaken them again. That’s exactly what you are.”

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

“What nonsense? I’m just explaining since you’re curious. Anyway, what’s certain is that when the light spirit and water spirit awaken, you die. You’ve built the sealing magic circle to prevent that. But what would happen if a gap formed in that sealing magic circle?”

“What?”

My eyes are now glowing with a bluish light.

Yuria’s [Magic Eye-<Interference>].

This time, the target of interference was not Hwi Someong’s movements but the sealing magic circle hidden in Hwi Someong’s body.

I can’t break the seal with this, but I can shake it a little.

Even the slightest gap is enough.

“What if the spirits sealed tightly inside you awaken and start to rampage? You would be devoured instantly and decomposed into light and water, wouldn’t you?”

Yes. Just like <Milky Way Eruption>.

Ding-

The clear, pure sound of the ‘Bell of Water and Light.’ The surface, cast in blue silver, is densely covered with celebratory inscriptions.

This was tough to make.

For the ‘prayer’ to be infused in the bell sound itself, my verbal command had to seep in and be recorded in the Akashic Record. I recited it tens of thousands of times. Poured in magical power and depleted magical materials. I even called Erina and made [Wish] several times.

And finally, the ‘prayer’ engraved in the bell sound:

‘I remember! The primordial light that ran across the sky. I also remember! The moment the sky congealed and became clear water. Even if curses gnawed at our will and my body and memories were scattered, they cannot erase even our beginning engraved in our souls… Call it a dream if you like, or a lingering attachment if you prefer. I once again become starlight, become a water shadow, and sink into the Milky Way.’

Yes. This is the incantation of <Milky Way Eruption>. A prayer for water and light that have turned to fossils.

Ding!

Each time the Bell of Water and Light rings, the sealed spirits respond to it.

“Huk… arghhhh…”

The awakened spirits pry at the gaps in the seal. They try to devour Hwi Someong from within. It can’t help but be painful.

Hwi Someong could do nothing but crawl on the floor.

‘Should I stop now?’

I had made up my mind to beat her thoroughly… but winning like this without lifting a finger actually relieves my mind more quickly.

I slowly walked to stand in front of Hwi Someong.

“Well, I’ve explained everything to you… now, shall I hear your story?”

With fighting no longer an option, Hwi Someong didn’t avoid conversation with me. She probably thinks she needs to return alive to report my information to Truth Tower.

Not realizing this is [Simulation].

* * *

After finishing the pleasant information-sharing session, I walked out whistling.

Though my legs were trembling from having poured all my magical power into the [Simulation], my shoulders were as light as feathers.

Refinement was urgently looking for me.

“Jun-woo! Baek Jun-woo!”

Such a commotion, even calling my full name that he rarely uses.

“What’s wrong? Calm down, calm down.”

Drowsy with the feeling of a victor, I tried to soothe Refinement.

But Refinement spoke with a hardened face.

“The regular messages from the Mage of Penetration have stopped.”

Thud!

Huh?

Why am I sprawled on the ground?

Without realizing it, I tried to rush out, but my exhausted legs couldn’t support my body, and I fell.