Chapter 1256: Post-War Processing (9)
“[Master, hurry, hurry!!]”
“Yes, yes.”
After meeting the Vulcan Mayor and finishing the work in District 19.
Lennok, guided by Mila, toured the outskirts of District 49 and then returned to his mansion, feigning a need for rest.
The moment Lennok realized that Deepweb access had normalized, Davi, who had been barely holding back, began to rampage.
Returning to the mansion, he organized the medicines and gifts he had received from the mercenaries, then opened a hologram screen and connected to the Deepweb.
Davi, who had eagerly thrown herself into Lennok’s arms, was panting heavily.
“[Pant, pant.]”
“Calm down. Breathe, breathe.”
Lennok, with a bewildered expression, lifted Davi and alternately shook her spirit paws.
Only after soaring a few times in the air, mimicking the plane Lennok had flown, did Davi take a deep breath.
“[Haaah, haaah.]”
“……I don’t understand why you’re reacting like this. How excited are you?”
“[I, I can’t stand it.]”
Davi’s front paws trembled faintly, like someone experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
“[I can’t wait to look down on the organisms that worship Master!]”
“……”
Given Davi’s abilities, she must have known that the Deepweb had normalized long ago.
Yet, he might even have to praise her patience for suppressing her urge not to interfere with Lennok’s work.
“Alright, alright, so……”
Lennok brought up the screen, leaving behind the rare sight of him calming Davi, who was huffing loudly.
Holding the Cybernetic Spirit in his arms, who had instantly entered observation mode, Lennok navigated to the post address he had accessed earlier.
Lennok himself had been eyeing the title of the post where Dylan had been engaged in a flame war.
“[Title: An analysis of Adamant Thunder’s behavioral patterns through the subjugation campaign and the possibility of capture (discussion welcome)] + 437634”
“……Hmm.”
Behavioral patterns. Possibility of capture.
A peculiar title that seemed to analyze something non-human rather than a high-tier wizard.
It was a strikingly unusual topic choice, but Lennok knew why such a post had appeared.
No, he had even thought that a post discussing such an analysis might actually appear on the Deepweb.
The Adamant Thunder subjugation campaign.
That was the strategy Lennok had chosen using his Incarnation Body in the war against The Legion.
He deployed the Incarnation Body, which had consumed Jinwa’s Fruit, as Adamant Thunder on the battlefield, repeatedly slaughtering the main forces of The Legion.
While adjusting the Incarnation Body to wield 9-level lightning, he simultaneously lured The Legion into his Domain.
The power of Ban-gung. The blood of Ethan. Jinwa’s Fruit.
To control the rampaging Incarnation Body after obtaining these three transcendent factors, a clear code of conduct was necessary.
Therefore, Lennok had designed the battle such that the Incarnation Body’s movements were meticulously divided into stages for the war.
Conversely, it was only natural for those observing the subjugation campaign to try and analyze that process by distinguishing its stages.
“=There were many impressions and analyses after the subjugation campaign, but surprisingly few columns analyzed Adamant Thunder himself as a Transcendent, so I’m leaving this post.”
The main text began with a brief mention of Lennok and this subjugation campaign.
“=Like everyone else who watched the war, I was very deeply impressed while watching this subjugation campaign.”
“=Beyond merely discussing Adamant Thunder’s known talents, I believe that all the magic he uses completely transcends the existing framework of spellcraft.”
“=Experts in various fields and academia have already begun serious research, and derivative papers on Adamant Thunder will surely emerge within a quarter, but the time lag is unavoidable.”
“=So, before that, I intend to organize Adamant Thunder’s behavioral patterns used in the subjugation campaign by stage and analyze why he took these actions from the perspective of an opponent.”
“=The content below is purely the author’s 100% speculation, so if you have any objections, please provide appropriate evidence in the comments, and I will refer to them.”
“1. Summary of the 5 behavioral patterns shown by Adamant Thunder in the subjugation campaign.”
“2. Deduction of results and intentions caused by each behavioral pattern.”
“3. Summary of the ultimate achievements Adamant Thunder sought to gain.”
“……That’s serious. They even organized a table of contents separately?”
While Lennok shook his head in amusement, Davi quickly scrolled down the post.
The post’s author had calmly described the table of contents.
“=The Adamant Thunder strategy consists of 5 stages, characterized by vastly different behavioral patterns in each stage.”
“=The tasks and precautions for the participants in the strategy differ for each stage, so you must accurately know your role to minimize casualties and proceed to the next phase.”
“=Now, I will summarize and analyze the sequentially observed behavioral patterns and phases for the Adamant Thunder strategy.”
Along with that text, a blurry video was attached directly below it.
The image of a Water God Phoenix soaring in a furiously glitching screen.
The Phantom Beast species was captured in the moment it entered District 49, being instantly obliterated by dark blue lightning.
“=Strategy Phase 1: Immediate Death Declaration.”
“=Concentrates a dark blue nebula and unleashes lightning upon an opponent entering the Domain. Designates and annihilates spirit and body regardless of hierarchy.”
“=Restored combat records confirm that Legion Commander Townsend’s life signal completely vanished within approximately 0.15 seconds. Death判定 at the start of engagement.”
“=Subjugation Campaign Commander Deimus estimated this spellcraft to be a power mixed with the Property Transformation of ‘death’.”
“=Response 1) Minimize premature entry into the Domain and maintain formation, widening the area of impact.”
“=Response 2) Compress and use all core combat forces as a shield to prevent instant death of participating key personnel.”
Brief summaries were followed by the author’s analysis and opinions.
“=This was the shortest pattern among all Adamant Thunder strategy phases, and the most unresearchable pattern.”
“=Only 4 types of instant death spellcraft or abilities are known to have existed in continental history, and even those were mostly transmitted through literature or folk beliefs.”
“=Despite relatively many video records remaining from the very early stages of the subjugation campaign, no researcher has yet grasped its essence.”
“=However, based on the fact that Adamant Thunder did not use this spellcraft very often, it is presumed that there are some restrictions.”
“=The author infers that this is a type of Spell-Word only possible when Adamant Thunder is completely fused with his Domain.”
“……”
Lennok, who had been reading through the post, stopped his hand with a chilling expression.
Davi, sensing the sudden change in atmosphere, looked up.
“[Master?]”
“Spell-Word, huh…”
Lennok let out a bitter laugh and lowered his gaze.
“As expected, there are more observant people on the Deepweb than I thought.”
“[…Should I just crash it right away?]”
Davi’s eyes burned brightly, then she belatedly cleared her throat.
“[Ahem. Before that, fir, first let’s just look at all the posts here…]”
“No. Let’s keep watching. I did think someone might figure it out, given the nature of the subjugation campaign.”
Lennok said, scrolling down.
“Now that I know the person who wrote this analysis has good insight, I should at least check the content.”
To deduce the existence of Spell-Word just from the instant death spellcraft that killed Townsend is not something a non-specialist would conceive.
It was evidence that the author of the analysis was vaguely pinpointing the experiment Lennok had attempted during the subjugation campaign using Jinwa’s Fruit.
Just by reading the analysis and opinion on the first phase, he felt a growing interest in this post.
Below the second heading, a golden sphere scattering a shroud of death was depicted.
“=Strategy Phase 2: Parallel Deployment of Area Saturation Spellcraft.”
“……”
Among the attached videos, the one with the clearest quality and overwhelming scale captured the scene where tens of thousands of soldiers of The Legion’s main force evaporated.
Tanks and war machines, pouring fire into District 49, were swept away, buried in a tsunami of dark blue lightning, unleashing deafening roars.
Below the tumultuous video, a concise description, unsuited to the video’s atmosphere, was written.
“=Continuously unleashes extreme-tier spell bombardment over a wide area. Half of The Legion’s main force annihilated immediately upon entering Phase 2.”
“=Detection range confirmed to be over Level 28. Most of the undeveloped zone appears to be within range.”
“=Verified through video records that some nearby satellite cities were significantly affected.”
“=Response 1) Abandon existing formations and deployments, and disperse forces as widely as possible.”
“=Response 2) Unlike Phase 1, the spellcraft’s power is equivalent to normal bombardment. Use war machines or mobile fortresses as shields to induce damage dispersion.”
A description concisely summarizing the scale, power, and countermeasures of Phase 2 using video records.
Below it, the author’s personal opinions and analysis were additionally posted.
“=A peculiar feature is that the spellcraft has no speed. It was confirmed that it could not be measured by observation equipment of other factions.”
“=It is presumed that upon incantation, range and targets are detected, and upon completion of incantation, an unavoidable property is granted.”
“=Each bombardment appears to have power equivalent to extreme-tier magic. A Strategic-grade spellcaster must accompany the strategy if participating.”
“=This is the most vast amount of energy used in each phase of the subjugation campaign, and derivative research on the power conversion process of this spellcraft is actively underway.”
“=The most probable possibility is Magic Fusion Engine based on Professor Evan Vylun’s paper on mana and power conversion…”
“The author of this post is highly likely to know a great deal about me and my Magic Tower.”
Lennok stopped scrolling, lost in thought.
“At this point, they’re even considering Evan Vylun’s paper as a basis for their inference. Reaching that conclusion is impossible for anyone who doesn’t know about my Magic Tower.”
“[That’s not wrong, but… there are so many of Master’s stalkers on the Deepweb that it might be difficult to pinpoint a specific individual?]”
“……Stalkers?”
“[There are over twenty people who just compile Master’s actions and timelines. They’re all regulars on the Diamond-tier forum’s popular posts, too.]”
“……”
He hadn’t specifically checked with Davi, but were there really so many people tracking Lennok on the Deepweb?
He knew that mentions of Lennok had increased exponentially after the decisive battle between Adamant Thunder and Cheonbeon, but over time, the network’s reaction seemed to be growing more intense rather than fading.
If he didn’t pay more attention to his identity and disguises, unexpected variables might arise from unforeseen places.
Pondering whether he should pay more attention to the network’s reactions in the future, Lennok tapped the screen.
“Let’s move on to the next. I can guess what’s coming, but……”
After seeing this much, he could anticipate the next analysis even before scrolling down.
Kwoooosh-
A video file containing only the image of a golden fighter jet speeding through Vulcan’s Outer Zone airspace.
Unlike the clear video of Phase 2, it was covered in fierce noise, with only a bizarre resonance echoing.
Dark blue lightning and golden resonance intertwined, creating an uncanny harmony, with only a blurred scene of the battlefield being crushed.
The description below the video was also somewhat distinct from the previous two phases.
“=Strategy Phase 3: Shape Transformation.”
“=Manipulates the mass of the golden sphere Adamant Thunder is riding, transforming it into the shape of a flying craft. Direct combat begins.”
“=War machines hundreds of meters long are reassembled and re-operated in real-time in mid-air. Immediately after, Primo Alert of the 3rd Command is half-destroyed.”
“=Judging from the circumstances of entering Shape Transformation simultaneously with the approach of the 3rd Command, it is presumed that the recognition of a super-large mass object equivalent to the sphere acts as a trigger.”
“=Upon entering Phase 3, patterns from Phase 1 and Phase 2 are used alternately, at approximately 30% of their usual output, and indiscriminately fired across the battlefield.”
“=At the point this pattern is entered, normal superhuman forces cannot respond.”
“……What is this?”
“[Pfft, pfft.]”
A concise phrase that momentarily broke Lennok’s concentration as he read the post.
Holding Davi, who was rolling around as if amused, Lennok checked the paragraph containing the author’s analysis.
“=If you’ve seen the analysis so far, you’ll understand that the responses required in Phase 1 and Phase 2 are completely different.”
“=In the preceding two phases, all forces participating in the strategy must repeatedly assemble and disperse at precise moments, focusing on maximizing damage dispersion.”
“=Even with perfect execution of these countermeasures, casualties are unavoidable, and the instant death of key personnel participating in the strategy must always be kept in mind.”
“=However, upon entering Phase 3, Adamant Thunder begins to fly around the battlefield, using patterns from Phase 1 and Phase 2 alternately.”
“=Although the power is much weaker than the original patterns, avoiding or defending against them is virtually impossible.”
“(To read this opinion, go to the next page)”
“……Next page?”
There was no such thing as page divisions when reading a post on the Deepweb.
While Lennok, with a puzzled expression, focused on the strange phrase, Davi quickly scrolled down.
Despite the inexplicable phrase, the explanation continued below.
“=Subjugation Campaign Commander Deimus, realizing the aforementioned problem, chose the extreme solution of deploying The Legion’s core forces into District 49.”
“=Despite Townsend, who had entered District 49 first, being instantly killed, the judgment was made that the safest place on the battlefield was inside Adamant Thunder’s Domain.”
“=As a result, that judgment allowed the subjugation campaign to continue until Phase 5, but from the perspective of reviewing the engagement, this cannot be considered a normal countermeasure.”
“=This is because those who try to oppose Adamant Thunder using the combat records of the subjugation campaign as a textbook are highly unlikely to be given the same opportunity to make such a judgment as Deimus.”
“……”
Sentences that continued without interruption, adding specific evidence and detailed explanations for the Phase 3 analysis.
Up until the point where he ultimately drew conclusions about Lennok’s magic through a series of inferences.
Only then did Lennok realize what the author wanted to say through this column.
“=If you’ve seen the analysis so far, you’ll understand that the magic Adamant Thunder used in the subjugation campaign is completely different from what modern spellcasters use.”
“=It is alien, unstandardized, and in some ways, surprisingly primitive and brimming with powerful creativity.”
“=This is also evidence that Adamant Thunder is incorporating not just existing spellcraft systems, but also Spell-Word, mana theory, ancient lost spellcraft, and even academic papers into his own magic system.”
“=This means that the magic and power he used in the subjugation campaign. Even the transcendent spellcraft constituting each pattern might merely be improvisational results.”
“=In the future, even if a war similar to the subjugation campaign occurs, it is unlikely that Adamant Thunder will use the same spellcraft or power.”
Before he knew it, Lennok was reading the analysis and inferences written after Phase 3 without blinking.
What was more interesting than the summary of the subjugation campaign were the analyses the post author had written for each phase and the perspectives they took.
This must be because the author’s insight and perspective on spellcraft were exceptionally brilliant and sharp, more than Lennok had anticipated.
“=Therefore, rather than analyzing the subjugation campaign to create guidelines for fighting Adamant Thunder, we should prioritize understanding what he desired and why he accepted this war.”
“=Reviewing the results of Phase 4 and Phase 5, it is possible that opening District 49 itself was Adamant Thunder’s ploy to lure The Legion…”
“=In particular, the ‘Ascension’ observed at the end of Phase 4 strongly supports the cautious speculations of experts from various fields, making it a highly reliable analysis.”
“(To read this opinion, go to the next page)”
“[Oh?]”
“The explanations are suddenly getting longer.”
As Davi tilted her head in confusion, Lennok’s gaze lowered.
“Just the previous paragraph, it got straight to the point, but now the explanation has become much more detailed. There must be a reason.”
The behavioral patterns shown by the Incarnation Body in the subjugation campaign were perfectly summarized, and the subsequent analysis was elaborately detailed, almost to the point of being verbose.
Instead of immediately explaining the patterns and strategies for Phase 4 and Phase 5, it seemed to be warning how dangerous and difficult the later patterns were.
It was as if the phrases were artificially building interest in these two subsequent topics before explaining Phase 4 and Phase 5.
Only after scrolling down did Lennok understand the true nature of the incongruity he had just felt.
“=The creativity and improvisational ideas Adamant Thunder displayed in the subjugation campaign are closely related to the Ascension he attempted.”
“=This is not a concept that can be summarized with a concise explanation, as in the previous analysis, but rather absolutely requires more precise analysis and research.”
“=Based on this conclusion, the analyses for Phase 4 and Phase 5 will be written for the [Pen Arcadia] magazine, which will be newly published next month.”
“……”
“[…Eh?]”
Davi and Lennok were momentarily speechless, staring blankly at each other.
Despite the strange silence in the room, the scroll slowly moved down, revealing the next sentences.
“=Pen Arcadia magazine, officially planned for a series launch with publication permission from the City Council’s Central Council…”
“=Offering diverse information on Transcendents and spellcraft across the continent for just 299,990 cells…”
“=At the back of the magazine, a special quiz supplement prepared by the author for subscribers will be included…”
“[Recommended: 45234] [Not Recommended: 868934]”
Phrases concisely introducing the Pen Arcadia magazine and its benefits for subscribers.
Below the post, there were countless insults along with a deluge of dislikes.
└Ah, seriously, do you want to die fishing?
└This is beyond ridiculous.
└Ugh… I was reading with such concentration, and this is what it is;
└Why is such a messed-up viral post trending?
└Indeed, the first way to make someone angry is to stop talking mid-sentence, and the second is….
Affectionate comments from users who shared Lennok’s sentiments and were enraged.
Even at this moment, the comments rapidly increased below the post, and the digit count changed quickly.
└Magazine price LOLOLOL 290,000 cells LOLOLOLOL
└I’ll just give it 299,990 dislikes, okay?
└Already over 800,000 lol. Why are there so many people?
└The subjugation campaign is over, but instead of going out to work, everyone’s just on the community; Vulcan’s future looks bleak.
└Yep~ mercenaries like me are just starting our holidays~
└What can I do if just browsing the Deepweb all day is so much fun? If reality was more fun than the Deepweb, I’d go out and work, seriously.
└Oh, how proud you are, lol.
└Don’t worry, even without all you criminals gathered here, Vulcan is doing just fine.
└Immigration applications are flooding from all over the continent LOLOL. I work at the immigration office and I’ve been working all night for three days LOLOL.
└ㅠㅠㅠ You idiot, you should have written that LOLOL.
“[Wow.]”
Davi, who had been looking down at the utterly chaotic comments, let out an exclamation.
Only then did the spirit, realizing the situation, perk up her ears with a bewildered expression.
“[It seems we got scammed?]”
“I thought it was written with quite professional analysis, but it was a post with a specific intention from the start.”
Lennok let out a bitter laugh and averted his gaze.
Only then did he understand why there was a phrase telling him to go to the next page every time he scrolled past a post.
“There have always been attempts to use the Deepweb, but to compile the information of the subjugation campaign into a book? This is a fresh idea in itself.”
“[Hmph, trying to compile and sell Master’s information in a book.]”
Davi huffed loudly.
“[It’s utterly outrageous, but can I go crash that magazine website with a virus first?]”
“Do that later, for now, let’s examine the reactions here further.”
Lennok said, scrolling all the way down.
“The author of this post did talk about a magazine and such at the end, but their insight and perspective in analyzing my spellcraft are exceptional. Knowing that is why the comments below are so angry.”
“[That’s true, but…]”
“Above all, I’ve seen this tactic before: writing the main content well but cutting off the important parts for the next installment. I bet there are others who thought the same.”
“[Ah, no way?]”
The existence of the black wizard who once swept through the Deepweb with stories about Adamant Thunder.
Was the incongruity felt in the post also the result of intentionally mimicking that tone?
As Lennok scrolled down, sure enough, the predicted reactions and comments began to appear.
└But come to think of it, this post’s writing style is exactly like that self-proclaimed black wizard bastard. No way it’s him, right?
└Probably not. That guy’s an attention seeker who isn’t satisfied unless he reveals he’s a black wizard in every post he writes.
└The tone is somewhat similar, but there’s not much of that frivolous, unsettling feeling.
└It’s all because that guy Ermont ruined the Deepweb atmosphere. Because he got attention by being an obnoxious troll, all sorts of trash started copying him.
└Seriously, the old Deepweb was a forum for dignified intellectuals, I miss those days.
└Excuse me, but this place has been a sewer treatment plant since it was created?
└Alright, everyone, get out of the comments. I’m trying to report it and get it taken down, but you keep commenting so it won’t go down.
└Are you an idiot? We should be discussing the subjugation campaign in the comments here so people won’t buy that viral bastard’s magazine.
└Yeah~ We’re gonna finish analyzing the subjugation campaign right here in the comments~ It’s never going down~
└Thumbs up if you’re the post author and your magazine sales got ruined by these comments lol.
└I’ll write the analysis for Phase 4 and Phase 5 that this guy virally hinted at below, so give it a recommendation.
“The Deepweb administrators I met last time weren’t irrational or stupid.”
Lennok said, touching the scroll.
“The reason this post remained popular was because of the comments.”
The reason this viral post remained on the Deepweb’s Diamond-tier forum.
It must be because the administrators judged the “analyses” in the comment section of this post to be of sufficient value.
Thinking that far, Lennok scrolled down, then stopped his hand before the comment section, which was furiously fighting in real-time.