Silent Magus

After three months of training, Ruin stopped his hands.

“You’ve mastered mana domination. Now each time your level rises, you just need to master methods of freely handling it while adapting to increased mana.”

“Is training over now?”

Ruin took out a book.

It was a maintenance manual recording all the castle’s areas and their features.

“You’ll need this most for physical enhancement magic. Since you’ll be fully capable alone, I’ll entrust you with the castle briefly.”

Ruin had often left the castle to procure Lionic materials.

“How long this time?”

“Hard to promise. It’s about bringing the core.”

Pernok’s eyes flashed.

“You found the core?”

“I’ve known about it for long. But I couldn’t muster courage readily.”

“…?”

“I’ll contact if I need help. Until then, please inspect the castle’s functions.”

Seeming to have unspoken circumstances, he didn’t ask further and just nodded.

The next day, Ruin left the castle after creating communication means at the twin rocks point.

Pernok immediately entered castle function inspection.

First, he confirmed accumulated materials and supplemented complex or broken parts.

When exterior flaws disappeared, Pernok headed to places handling the castle’s core functions.

The very first was the eastern forge.

“He said I should light extinguished flames.”

Pernok opened Ruin’s manual.

[Eastern Forge.]

Must create flame stone through alchemy and connect to mana conduits.

Rising flames will change temperature according to mana, but basically start at level 4 fire.

If physical enhancement types wrongly touch, flesh might melt right away.

To prevent accidents, no choice but to penetrate mana into skin to gain attribute resistance, called mana infusion.

Mana infusion must occur naturally like breathing and reflexively activate in sudden situations.

The forge had methods written for training mana utilizing the location.

Each of the other three directional areas was designed to control mana handling in depth.

Outwardly merely a manual, to Pernok who mastered mana domination it looked like considerably difficult training.

‘As expected, work was an excuse—he’s thinking to train my mana from various angles.’

At the manual’s end was Ruin’s footnote.

[…Finally, I judge you have ability to perform alone.

Mana lessons reached a certain level, so now it’s time to train magic.

I fear my guidance might lead you who already mastered physical enhancement magic in wrong directions, Pernok.

Therefore, I left functions needed for physical enhancement magic growth in each area.

Please try freely and find fitting clothes.

Then I entrust the castle to you.]

However good theories exist, practice differs, and work requires delicate and various mana manipulation.

He left this training method hoping Pernok would try this and judge what weaknesses physical enhancement magic had and how to overcome them.

Though it might feel daunting without a delicate instructor, Pernok entered active magic strengthening work as Ruin expected.

‘What I need most now is attribute resistance. Even fighting Avala forces, I couldn’t easily shake off nature element magic.’

Pernok surveyed the forge.

Besides flame stones, alchemy books had stones with various attributes, and here were sufficient materials to make more than needed.

‘Make various attribute stones, put them in the furnace, and adapt my body to mana emitted by colorful forms. And interfere while analyzing to devise means for Mana Reinforcement to resist various nature element magic.’

After connecting mana conduits to the furnace, he first put in flame stone.

He threw himself into flames blazing in an instant while raising Mana Reinforcement to the maximum.

‘Mana accelerating flames far surpasses speed of flames touching the body. I naturally penetrate this accelerated mana into skin.’

Heat seemingly scorching his body conveyed pain.

But mana began protecting so heat didn’t damage skin.

This moment, Pernok used the mana penetration operation method learned from Ruin.

The Magus’s enlightenment taught methods to resist heat very efficiently.

Though Ruin’s mana manipulation method unobtainable even offering fortunes, Pernok felt insufficiency.

Recalling countless memories of the dead ruled in the Netherworld, he supplemented this method’s lacking parts.

Not problems of form and size but density.

Pernok grinned at the ecstasy new enlightenment brought.

Beyond surging flames, attribute stones lined up sparkled enticingly like a feast.

‘Magus enlightenment is certainly different from mages’ crude methods. I see why I struggled at Ruin’s barrier.’

Ruin’s single mistake.

Not knowing Pernok acquired knowledge of strongmen comparable to Ruin from the Netherworld.

When unfamiliar magic became familiar as his own flesh, Pernok’s mana manipulation advanced greatly.

‘Must I necessarily absorb mana through spiritual power. Magic’s driving force is mana. Ultimately, just extract only mana from activated magic. Right, mana conduits. Just as conduits stole my mana, I also absorb only mana from opponents’ magic.’

When Pernok placed his hand on the heat, flames disappeared with a whoosh.

‘Extracting only mana without resistance like this from activated magic won’t be easy. So, I gnaw away just enough that Mana Reinforcement doesn’t extinguish. Steal the opponent’s strength to plant sustainable power in my body.’

Like fireworks bursting in his head.

As Ruin’s knowledge added, unbearable information’s pleasure filled his whole body with ecstasy.

“Next is the western cultivation area?”

Seventh day of forge work.

Pernok awakened various attribute resistances.

* * *

Pernok acquired Ruin’s arrangements in order.

Before a month passed, he finished inspecting all areas’ functions.

Magic developed gaining desired attribute resistance, and mana reached level 5 before he knew it.

And mana reached a state of continuously circulating even without spiritual power’s absorption.

Pernok was simplifying training to merely loosening his body each morning and absorbed in Lionic creation when one day.

A strange signal came from the twin rocks point.

When Pernok looked outside from within the barrier, a shabby-dressed man was anxiously looking around.

He tapped the signal board Ruin prepared at regular intervals.

Definitely the signal Ruin used when summoning.

“Someone sent him?”

When Pernok revealed himself, the man approached with a bright smile.

“Oh, greetings! I’m mercenary Mason! A client called Ruin told me to bring Pernok!”

“Where is Ruin now?”

“It’s quite far, but I prepared a horse. He said to bring you as quickly as possible and we lack time—may I explain while going?”

“Wait a moment.”

Pernok returned to the castle to simply gather equipment and came outside the twin rocks point.

“Let’s go.”

He descended the mountain with Mason, mounted horses and rode the northern road.

* * *

A forest unmarked on maps.

“If you follow this cut-grass path straight ahead, the client awaits.”

Mason who bowed his head led the horse back the way they came.

Pernok walked following the cleared path.

No need to even find footprints.

He felt mana calling him from afar.

Walking the forest path for a while, he entered a wide place where sunlight shone.

Ruin stood before a rock hole large enough to fit one person.

“You’ve matured in the time I haven’t seen you.”

“Barely a month passed.”

“Hehe, mana hidden in that belly won’t be easily noticed unless Magus-level. You’ve fully matured, Pernok.”

Pernok laughed and approached near the rock hole.

“You didn’t call to praise me, so what’s here?”

“Tears of the Sky, Lionic’s core, is inside here. However…”

Following Ruin’s gaze, a unique device was attached.

Pernok seemed to know why Ruin waited for him.

“It’s alchemy. Mainly locked forms like sealing locks here. This form is…”

“Yes. It’s Baudelaire.”

Ruin wore a faint smile while stroking the alchemy.

“In my youth I lived as a mercenary. Baudelaire and my companions discovered this ruin and confirmed the giant mana core called Tears of the Sky. But we didn’t bring out the core. At the time there was no case that could handle that power.”

“Is there one now?”

“Yes. While Baudelaire created Lionic, she made this storage box that could handle the core.”

Ruin took out a small box from his pocket.

“Just put Tears of the Sky in here. However, I didn’t expect the ruin to be locked again.”

“Wasn’t it you who locked it?”

“Hehe, no way. I’d already placed my Magus Arts here. With Baudelaire dead and even alchemy theory disappearing, why would I lock the ruin with secured safety devices again.”

“Someone else discovered it?”

“I can guess the friend. I also know why they played nasty tricks.”

Pernok nodded.

“Then I just need to open this.”

“Please.”

When Ruin withdrew, Pernok examined the lock.

It adopted the extreme method of collapsing the entire ruin if forcibly broken by sending mana.

Click.

Pernok unraveled the lock while recalling Baudelaire’s memories.

After simplifying complexly twisted lines then releasing them, the lock sank into the rock.

“The lock won’t activate again.”

“Fortunate. Then shall we enter together?”

“Is the ruin dangerous?”

“The altar storing Tears of the Sky requires two people simultaneously activating devices to open. I could forcibly open it, but I don’t want to damage a place with youthful memories.”

A place containing memories with his wife.

[Hey! Ruin! What are you doing! Turn it sideways!]

[Hahaha! Look at that guy moving alone again because he’s impatient!]

[Baudelaire! Why work with such a guy! I’ll do better!]

Voices of someone unfamiliar in Baudelaire’s memories.

Definitely companions who were with Ruin.

The boisterous atmosphere was bright, mismatched with the gloomy cave inside, so Pernok shook his head.

“Let’s retrieve it quickly.”

“Thank you.”

Ruin who smiled faintly entered the cave with Pernok.

Passages too cramped for even one to walk widened as they went inside.

“The traces are quite fierce.”

“Hehehe, we were young then. We didn’t have strength like me now and had to band together to overcome hardships.”

Walls and floors were full of damaged traces.

Parts guessed as trap launchers also showed traces of blocking with alchemy tools.

When walking with Ruin for a while.

Something pitch black was rippling before the door leading to the altar.

“A demon beast regenerated.”

At Ruin’s muttering, Baudelaire’s memories surged.

Demon beast.

When impurities mix into mana, corrupted energy is called demonic energy.

Demon beasts refer to the phenomenon of monsters going berserk and losing reason after being covered in demonic energy.

Once born, demon beasts regenerate at that spot at regular intervals until all demonic energy washes away.

“I should have removed all points here, did the ruin’s possessed negativity accumulate demonic energy again.”

Demon beasts exert special powers like mages through demonic energy.

Low-grade demon beasts merely have enhanced bodies, but mid and high-grade demon beasts handle attributes.

Like now.

Whoooosh!

Simultaneously with the demon beast spewing pitch-black fire from its mouth, Pernok raised Mana Reinforcement.

Making the artifact into glove form, he charged forward.

Fire flowed on Pernok’s Mana Reinforcement, and the demon beast’s head burst from the glove.

Simultaneously when Ruin struck down his staff, overwhelming mana swept away the demon beast’s remains.

When demonic energy disappeared cleanly, Ruin smiled faintly.

“You didn’t even need to step forward yourself, Pernok.”

“I just wanted to confirm if attribute resistance activated properly. However…”

Pernok who looked at where the demon beast disappeared faced something strange.

‘Black soul?’

Souls eroded by lingering attachment like Yuliver maintain soul substance until entering grudge state. But the demon beast’s soul now had different grain.

From substance to contents all filled with pitch-black liquid, dirty enough to cause nausea.

At the ominous disgust, Pernok unknowingly released spiritual power.

When the pitch-black edge washed away, the demon beast’s soul purified even in contents filled with brilliant light.

Synchronization Rate – 17.1%

The synchronization rate that rose sluggishly even eating level 4 mages showed noticeable change.

Pernok’s eyes widened.

“By chance, was this your first demon beast?”

When Ruin who interpreted surprise differently asked, Pernok nodded.

“Do demon beasts only appear in ruins?”

“In old places, contaminated lands, places where demonic energy dwells, demon beasts exist. Can’t particularly specify but…”

Ruin smiled as if recalling something and said.

“Here in Rezhen there’s a special region managing demon beasts as industry. Even high-level mages gathering there can’t easily handle high-grade demon beasts parasitizing there.”

A place where demon beasts that could be killed at will lay scattered everywhere.

A deep smile hung on Pernok’s lips as he engraved in his mind the soaring Synchronization Rate and those words.