Chapter 960: The Prohibition (15)
Time.
Among all concepts symbolizing change, it was the most relative power, independent of any standard. A power Lennok had strived to grasp ever since he opened his eyes in this world, yet whose essence still eluded him.
The Innate Ability of the Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams, symbolizing all changes in creation.
Lennok had received one of the Eight Trigrams Formation’s abilities from Anathema, and through it, he was indirectly learning how to manipulate time.
Though it wasn’t magic that fully comprehended and wielded the concept of time, it was undoubtedly an ability that grasped a fragment of it.
Whirrrrrrrr…!!!
The rapidly rotating formation flared into a glowing halo, erupting with sharp radiance. Within the scene where time around him began to slow, Lennok thought:
‘Manipulating time through the Innate Ability is closer to a practical manipulation of perceived time.’
The spider’s forelegs, descending from above his head, curved sluggishly, and even droplets of water grazing his cheek froze in mid-air.
In the slow-moving flow of time, Lennok’s body was merely slowing down at the same pace as everything else.
Only Lennok’s consciousness, activated by the Innate Ability, flowed normally within that extremely brief span of time.
‘So, when the ability is activated, only the speed of my consciousness remains unaffected?’
Had his consciousness accelerated beyond time? Or had everything but Lennok’s consciousness slowed down?
The difficulty and complexity of manipulating time lay in the fact that even the wielder themselves couldn’t properly perceive the changes.
As the individual themselves stood upon the changing timeline, they couldn’t objectively perceive the shifts in time.
That’s why Ascendants must have manipulated perceived time by infinitely fragmenting their consciousness.
The Innate Ability of the Eight Trigrams Formation was no different in its essence.
This ability, which manipulated the wielder’s perceived time to expand their perception to its limits, was in some ways a degraded version of the feats used by Ascendants.
Perhaps it was because this ability, passed down through Anathema’s name, was an artificial imitation of an Ascendant’s feats.
Thinking thus, Lennok moved his will-thought towards the cobwebs passing before his eyes.
Creak…!!
He wasn’t manipulating his physical body to benefit from the ability.
For in real time, Lennok’s body was moving very slowly.
What was important was will.
Awakening the ability to interfere with the material world through will-thought, he manipulated causality even within the infinitely slowed time.
If one understood that only will served as the standard and unit within changing time, one could maintain their center no matter how time shifted.
The hundreds of strands of cobweb spread by the giant spider slowly shifted direction in the slowed time.
Lennok’s time, as he meticulously shifted the direction and position of each cobweb strand with his will-thought, soon came to an end.
The moment the Innate Ability’s power ran out and time returned to its original speed.
The cobwebs spread beneath the spider’s feet all went awry, precisely piercing the spider’s body from all directions.
Fwapp-fwapp-fwapp!!
[Screeeech!!!]
An surreal outcome: its own body pierced by the very webs it had spun. In an instant, the spider, legs and torso impaled in mid-air, flipped its body, screaming monstrously and thrashing wildly.
Shhk, shhk!!
Every time it thrashed its body, impaled by the webs, the spider’s body began to tear apart as if being sliced to pieces.
Limbs and torso fragmented and fell, spilling bodily fluids and fragments of internal organs on the spot.
Felix, witnessing the spider’s body being torn to pieces in the blink of an eye, made a disgusted expression.
“Van, what in the…?”
“What this spider spins isn’t ordinary cobweb, but something closer to a Magic Scribe.”
Lennok said, stretching the cobweb that clung to his hand.
“It’s not hard to imbue my will-thought or mana into it and seize control.”
“……”
Lennok’s eyes gleamed coldly as he stared at the spider’s head, still twitching after its body was torn to pieces.
“Once it slips on its own web, even a spider can’t escape it.”
[Squieeeek!!!]
At that moment, the spider’s head, all that remained, leaped up convulsively and lunged towards Lennok.
A chilling movement, as if trying to devour Lennok one last time, spewing bodily fluids and fragments of cobweb.
[Chanting Thunder]
Sizzle-zzzt!!!
The moment lightning erupted from his fingertips and struck down upon the head of the spider lunging towards Lennok.
Hundreds of fragments of lightning exploded within the spider’s body, tearing its colossal form to shreds.
Boommm!!!
The spider’s body burst open like a balloon, scattering bodily fluids, legs, antennae, and internal organs.
“Ughh…”
“Damn it, kill it cleanly!!!”
Felix clapped his beak shut at the nauseating sight, and Peshia roared, but…
Lennok calmly reached his hand into the falling spider remnants and snatched something.
“Found it.”
“This bastard, so that talk about having a weak stomach was pure bullshit.”
“I’ve blocked my senses, so I can’t hear you clearly. Look at this.”
Lennok, turning his back to avoid the rain of falling bodily fluids, extended something he held in his hand to the two of them.
A five-colored orb, glowing radiantly even in the middle of the dark power room. It was a clean and beautiful gem, too pristine to have been hidden inside the grotesque spider’s body.
Felix and Peshia’s expressions changed subtly upon seeing it.
“This is…”
“Is that the treasure that damn spider bastard was hiding?”
“An Inner Core [내단].”
Lennok tapped the orb and said.
“It’s an object materialized by a long-lived Spiritual Beast, condensing a specific energy within itself.”
“……”
“It’s typically a very powerful mana-condensed mass, used as an elixir or catalyst, and often traded for high prices.”
Lennok was a VIP member who frequently bought large quantities of all sorts of catalysts and elixirs from auctions whenever he had the chance.
As someone well-versed in the ingredients for medicines and elixirs, Lennok knew the moment he saw the spider that an Inner Core was hidden within its body.
He also immediately sensed that this item would be highly effective in the creation of new elixirs or medicines.
However, Lennok didn’t show the Inner Core to the two of them to boast about its uses.
“A Spiritual Beast… that’s strange.”
Felix tilted his head.
“Even setting aside whether a Spiritual Beast could be born in this environment, it didn’t seem to possess the intellect expected of one harboring an Inner Core.”
A Spiritual Beast is a creature or magical beast that has gained power and intellect by being exposed to a specific energy for a long time.
It’s normally capable of speaking human language without difficulty.
But the spider that Lennok just defeated didn’t seem to possess any intelligence.
“If it could talk, it would have already thrown a fit about us destroying its nest.”
Peshia retorted with a nonchalant air.
“Its guts are spilling out, and it’s dying without a single curse? What kind of patience does an insect have for that?”
“I don’t know about that, but it’s true that the spider wasn’t a Spiritual Beast. However, it’s also true that it harbored an Inner Core despite not being one.”
Lennok nodded.
“That was possible because this spider built its nest in the power room.”
“Because it built its nest in the power room?”
“Because a very powerful energy was surging up through the power room, enough for a non-spiritual spider to create an Inner Core.”
“……”
“If such energy is pooling specifically in the underground sewers, there can only be one reason, can’t there?”
Only then did Felix, understanding Lennok’s words, mutter.
“Right. The place we were looking for was…”
“Anathema’s residence is hidden beneath here.”
Lennok nodded.
“From now on, we’ll dig down beneath the power room floor. Get ready.”
The pile of earth collapsed, and soil poured down with a rush.
Amidst the sliding dust and dirt, the three shadows plummeted rapidly.
Whooom!!
Felix, instantly regaining his balance and landing on two feet, looked around with a curious expression.
“To think such a space was hidden beneath the underground sewers…”
It was the sight of an underground cavern located beneath the sewers the three had passed through so far.
But what was even more surprising was that there was no trace of foul odor or contamination within this underground cavern.
They had only dug about ten meters below the power room floor, yet there was a sense of strangeness, as if the environment itself had completely changed.
On one wall of this cavern, a magnificent gate was partially buried, leaning at an angle.
“……”
A bizarre sight, as if the grand gate of a massive mansion had been torn off and buried in the dirt.
But the powerful mana emanating from beyond the gate proved that they hadn’t come to the wrong address.
Above all, a name was conspicuously carved on the gate in an antique script.
“Armas von Anathema…”
Felix, reading the name aloud, nodded.
“To think Anathema’s residence was buried like this in the remote outskirts, underground.”
“When this mansion was built, Vulcan’s districts likely weren’t as clearly defined as they are now.”
Lennok, approaching from behind Felix, explained.
Lennok’s gaze, fixed on the gate, turned cold.
“It’s coincidental that the facility created when the mansion was buried turned out to be a sewer… but in a way, it suits his death quite well.”
“…I don’t know much about Forbidden Armaments, but I do know they are forbidden weapons made from human material.”
Felix, who had been silent, asked.
“I wonder what kind of human was used as material for Anathema to cherish it so meticulously.”
“I don’t know much about Forbidden Armaments either.”
Lennok replied, reaching out his hand towards the gate.
“However, I’ve heard rumors that the higher the level of superhuman used as material, the more completely their abilities from life can be utilized.”
“……”
The human body is weak, precarious, and prone to quick decay.
Even if processed as material, it’s difficult for it to become an excellent armament.
However, a Forbidden Armament, forged by overcoming the blasphemy of violating taboos and the complexities of various conditions…
It’s known to literally allow the complete use of the abilities or powers the superhuman possessed in life.
If so, what kind of superhuman’s abilities must be used as material to acquire a power befitting the name Forbidden Armament?
“The abilities or origins of the armament aren’t something we can confirm immediately.”
Lennok’s eyes, gripping the doorknob, shone calmly.
“First, we need to prevent the Forbidden Armament from falling into the hands of the City Government or the Elder Council.”
From the start, Lennok didn’t rely heavily on specific artifacts in combat.
He still doubted whether the Forbidden Armament sealed by Anathema was truly an indispensable armament for him.
He simply intended to retrieve it as a precaution, should it fall into the hands of the City Government or the Elder Council.
That’s why Lennok hadn’t dealt with the Forbidden Armament urgently but had instead moved to retrieve it only a few days after the summit ended.
“I knew it. Always coming up with such boring reasons.”
Peshia chuckled and said.
“If you’re just going to leave such an item lying around as a burden after getting it, give it to me. It might suit me better than a wizard as blessed as you, wouldn’t it?”
Lennok cleanly ignored Peshia’s words and immediately pulled the doorknob.
The moment he lifted the doorknob and lightly struck it against the door, a heavy reverberation spread through the underground cavern.
Thud!!
“……”
Silence followed.
Felix was about to say something, seeing the door with no reaction, when suddenly.
A face emerged from beyond the door, as if rising.
The grotesque face of a man, his eyes closed, weeping tears of blood.
The man, screaming as if in agony, gaped his mouth and spewed out words.
=The Great Exiled. The Proud Rebel. The Blooming of Ars Nova. The Golden Center.
“……”
=The House of Six Heavenly Tribulations, Armas von Anathema.
“Why are there so many idiotic modifiers?”
While Peshia grumbled, the door, in a cracking voice, asked.
=Are you a guest who has received an invitation from a proud noble and visited this residence?
“No.”
Lennok, arms crossed, watching the door, replied.
“Neither.”
=Then you must pass a proper interrogation to visit his house.
The door slowly cleared its voice and asked.
=When was the time Anathema became a fallen star from Ars Nova?
“I don’t know.”
=……
At Lennok’s nonchalant reply, the door fell silent, and Felix asked with an astonished expression.
“Van? Is it really okay to answer like that?”
=Then I shall proceed to another question.
The door asked, as if singing.
=When Anathema’s military feats were made into song, who was the rival praised as his greatest achievement?
“I wouldn’t know.”
=Among the many lives Anathema saved, who was the one who most loudly proclaimed their gratitude?
“I don’t know.”
=During Anathema’s six incarnations, how many statues were erected to honor him?
“Hmm.”
=……
The door closed its mouth and fell into firm silence.
“Such a Q&A, so full of self-love it’s about to explode.”
Peshia, who had been snickering behind him, listening to Lennok’s answers, sneered.
“I thought it was some kind of ridiculous test, but it’s just about his own achievements and praises. How disgusting.”
“……”
“So what are we going to do now—”
The moment Peshia irritably grumbled towards the silent Lennok, the closed-eyed door asked.
=Is Anathema… dead?
“……”
=At the point where you failed to answer, the self-loathing curse phrase, regardless of life or death, should have broken your will.
The curse spell that should have been originally laid upon the residence wasn’t working.
Wouldn’t that be because the wielder who was supposed to cast the curse no longer existed in this world?
“Yes.”
Lennok said.
“I killed him.”
=I see, then…
The stammering door slowly said.
=So, no one else will come to take over this role, will they?
“……”
=Enter….
Screeeak!!
At that moment, the door swung wide open, revealing the interior of the residence to the group.
A wooden corridor, stacked with old documents and ornaments.
As soon as the door opened, a thick scent of perfume wafted out.
“……”
Lennok slowly stepped through the doorway, followed by Felix and Peshia.
“Hey, wizard.”
Peshia called Lennok, pointing at the stairs.
“I’ll go upstairs and search first, so tell me if you find anything on the first floor.”
“You’re unusually proactive.”
Lennok asked with a smile.
“Are you finally coveting Anathema’s armament now?”
“Haha, no way.”
Peshia retorted with a crooked smile.
“Even with a weapon like that, I wouldn’t be able to stand against you.”
“……”
“This house must have been buried for decades, yet the perfume smells incredibly strong.”
Peshia whispered, glancing away.
“It’s clearly been sprayed to hide something. Just looking at that talking door earlier, it’s obvious there’s something fishy going on.”
“Hmm…”
Leaving Lennok in thought, Peshia immediately turned around.
“I’m curious what that hypocritical bastard Anathema hid. I’ll be looking around upstairs first, just so you know.”
Without waiting for a reply, Peshia instantly disappeared to the second floor.
Felix, watching her retreating figure with a pensive expression, muttered.
“In horror movies, people always disappear one by one like this.”
“…Did you really have to start with that analogy?”
“Ahem, I wasn’t saying I wished for Peshia to end up like that.”
As Peshia said, the scent of perfume lingered throughout the mansion, but there were no other noticeable peculiarities.
For a mansion buried tens of meters underground, it was an ordinary sight.
“I don’t sense anything particularly unusual.”
Felix said, looking around with a perplexed expression.
“The only thing that stands out is… there are many quite intricately assembled objects among the decorative items in the residence.”
“Not just the ornaments.”
Lennok said, stroking the reception room door with one hand.
“The door hinges. The screw components of the window frames. All of them are made with extremely delicate craftsmanship.”
“Are you suggesting that’s Armas von Anathema’s hobby?”
“Well…”
Lennok murmured, gazing around the mansion.
“Rather, I’m thinking that even these characteristics might be an influence of the Forbidden Armament sealed within the mansion.”
“Influence…?”
“It seems I’ve looked through the first floor. Let’s go upstairs to talk.”
Lennok said, shaking his head.
“I think I roughly know what we need to look for.”
“……”
The moment Felix, who didn’t understand Lennok’s words, tilted his head.
Crash!!
The loud sound of glass shattering echoed from above their heads.
Simultaneously, Lennok and Felix met each other’s gaze and immediately moved to the second floor.
“Grisbern?”
“Wizard, over here.”
Unlike the first floor, which looked like an ordinary mansion, the second floor displayed elaborate ornaments in showcases.
There was Peshia, in the middle of a showcase, breaking the glass and holding something in her hand.
The moment Lennok saw her, he shook his head.
“Theft from the start? Unbelievable.”
“Damn it, what theft?!”
Peshia yelled, spinning around.
Kicking the showcase and smashing it, she pointed at the spilling ornaments and said.
“Why is ransacking a dead man’s house theft? These are spoils of war!”
“Because all of Anathema’s remaining assets have been transferred into my name.”
Lennok replied, arms crossed.
“It seems you’ve already forgotten why we came to retrieve the Forbidden Armament.”
“……”
“You’re currently stealing possessions right in front of the owner.”
“…Anyway!! Just look at this!!”
Peshia changed the subject and swiftly pulled something out of the showcase.
It wasn’t an ornament, but a thin, delicate thread hanging among them. A thread used to connect and display ornaments within the showcase.
Peshia pulled the unbreakable thread, letting it dangle in a bundle before Lennok’s eyes, and said.
“This isn’t an ordinary thread. It’s a Magic Scribe.”
“……”
“Indeed.”
Felix, realizing the truth belatedly, let out a low murmur.
“Unbelievable. The mansion has been buried for decades, how could a Magic Scribe still remain…?”
A Magic Scribe is literally a thin thread made of mana.
Naturally, because it’s composed of mana, it disperses and vanishes on the spot once all the mana is depleted.
Despite this, the fact that Magic Scribes remained conspicuously in this neglected mansion for over decades.
Whether it was a person or an item, wouldn’t it only be possible because a source maintaining the Magic Scribes still remained within the mansion?
“The tensile strength is ordinary. And the Magic Scribe’s components aren’t particularly exceptional either.”
Lennok, taking the Magic Scribe from Peshia, pulled on it with both hands and said.
Lennok, staring intently at the Magic Scribe, nodded.
“However, this mana isn’t someone else’s; it’s Anathema’s own.”
“…Anathema’s Magic Scribe?”
Felix’s expression became strange upon hearing that.
“I knew Anathema was an 8-level Dragon Sorcerer, but…”
“That hypocritical bastard took immense pride in his own spellcraft, which had been lost in the Central region.”
Peshia spat and laughed.
“If a narcissist idiot had a talent for Manipulation Spellcraft, he would never have been able to hide it.”
“It’s not just manipulation spellcasters who can handle Magic Scribes. Other spellcasters can also manifest them, specifically when limited to the Magic Scribe as a medium.”
While it’s famous for being used as a medium for Manipulation Spellcraft due to its fast mana conductivity and movement in thread form.
That doesn’t mean other spellcasters, who aren’t manipulation spellcasters, can’t use Magic Scribes.
It’s simply because if you draw out and grasp mana in a long, thin thread-like form, it’s virtually a Magic Scribe.
It’s just that delicately manipulating a Magic Scribe is difficult without the aid of Manipulation Spellcraft, so other spellcasters don’t bother using it.
“Though it takes the form of a thread woven from particles, the entanglement of mana is clumsy. As I said, the thread’s composition isn’t exceptional either.”
Lennok said, tightening his grip on the Magic Scribe.
Snap…!!
With just a little force, the Magic Scribe snapped and crumbled with effortless ease.
Lennok lightly brushed off the remaining thread fragments from his hand and said.
“It’s strange that the Magic Scribe remained perfectly intact for decades despite its low refinement.”
“What are you getting at?”
“A power exists within this mansion that preserves even the Magic Scribe of a deceased spellcaster as if it were brand new.”
“……”
“That’s also why the spider that nested above the mansion used Magic Scribes and harbored an Inner Core, despite not being a Spiritual Beast.”
Lennok said, lifting his gaze.
“It’s only possible because something with a very powerful force is supporting Magic Scribes and other systematic spellcraft.”
“Hey, wizard.
Peshia’s complexion completely changed as she belatedly understood Lennok’s words.
“Don’t tell me, the Forbidden Armament’s ability is….”
“The Idiosyncratic Spellcraft that received the most special treatment in Ars Nova.”
Nodding, Lennok gripped the Magic Scribe and drew up his mana.
Whoosh!!
As he projected the Eight Trigrams Formation, he simultaneously held Kaiser’s pocket watch and infused the Magic Scribe with Mana of Reversing Heaven.
He simultaneously projected the Innate Ability that manipulated time and the Mana of Reversing Heaven that defied time.
Using Anathema’s Magic Scribe as a medium, the moment he located the most intensely lingering impression in this residence.
Chirrrrring…!!
The Magic Scribe twisted in Lennok’s hand, beginning to take on a specific form.
A bizarre sight, as if imitating the form of some equipment that had existed in this very place long ago.
Felix gasped, realizing it was in the shape of a glove worn on one hand.
Lennok slowly clenched his hand and said.
“The Forbidden Armament Anathema hid is an artifact that wields Manipulation Spellcraft.”