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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“How’s the tower? And the oasis?”
-There was an attack, but it wasn’t a significant threat. I could have handled it alone.
She had apparently managed to explain his absence to Untinia and Annelise.
He was relieved.
He was glad his other companions weren’t here.
They would have panicked.
Kayla, for instance, would have barged into his room the moment she sensed something was amiss.
‘Athena wouldn’t have stayed put either.’
Especially since he had been asleep for two days…
-Congratulations, Master.
Orie’s words brought him back to his senses.
And he finally realized he had broken through.
Closing his eyes, he examined his inner self. His body felt purified, his core stronger.
His entire body had become a vessel, capable of channeling the demonic energy flowing from his seal without any refinement.
His circuits had increased to seven, and as he focused on them, fragments of the magic he had glimpsed in his semi-lucid state began to resurface.
Unfortunately, despite his close observation, he couldn’t clearly recall most of it.
He could only use a few spells, and even those were incomplete.
‘I see. That’s why it’s Archmage, not just mage.’
Up until 6th circle, he had adapted himself to existing magic.
He had learned established spells, either improved by previous generations or passed down through the ages, using the same arrangements of mana or demonic energy, hand seals, runes, incantations, and trigger words.
But 7th circle was different.
It was the realm of forging one’s own path, adapting magic to oneself.
‘No wonder Temporary Base Construction was so difficult.’
Ironically, it had been a hint towards 7th circle.
It was about adapting existing magic, which was why it was so challenging and time-consuming.
It wasn’t about slightly modifying or adjusting existing spells, but about reconstructing them entirely.
It was like buying ready-made clothes or slightly altering them to fit up until 6th circle, but from 7th circle onwards, it was about tailoring clothes from scratch.
Enlightenment offered glimpses into the methods and processes, but he now had to consciously research and develop his own magic, his own unique style.
The framework of magic and the ingredients were the same, but now, individuality emerged.
It would be a difficult and arduous process.
But it also offered limitless possibilities.
‘That’s why I barely learned any 7th circle magic.’
He had to create his own.
He had the foundation.
And he had the hints from his unconscious mind.
That was enough.
He could still use existing magic, so he wasn’t concerned.
Moreover, he possessed something other Archmages didn’t.
‘Unlimited demonic energy.’
Even if they became Archmages, their bodies wouldn’t become vessels like his.
There were limits to mana, and using ambient mana to supplement magic also had its limitations.
But he had no such limitations.
He could conduct countless experiments, accelerating his growth.
His combat endurance would also be unmatched.
While there was a limit to how much demonic energy he could hold at once, his recovery rate was incredibly fast.
He simply had to draw demonic energy from his seal…
In terms of endurance, he was practically invincible among his peers.
He chuckled.
He had expected the dragon’s gift to be an opportunity, but he hadn’t anticipated this level of transformation.
He had finally surpassed his past self.
Considering his artifacts and companions, he had surpassed his past self long ago in terms of overall power, but this was different. This was about his own magical prowess.
He finally reached a level he hadn’t achieved in his previous life.
He thanked Orie for her congratulations and looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.
‘I’ve been approaching Ashen Construction… incorrectly.’
Above him was the Tower of Ghosts he had built.
He recalled the numerous other constructions he had created.
‘I need to rebuild them all.’
The designs were flawed.
And the methods weren’t suited to him.
He felt a strange sense of embarrassment, something he hadn’t felt before.
It was like looking back at his childhood drawings.
And he had only recently completed these constructions.
He was realizing the true meaning of seeing things with new eyes.
“Orie.”
-Yes, Master.
“I need to go to the dimensional fragment.”
-Understood.
There had been an attack while he was asleep, so he assumed they would be safe for a while.
It also meant his companions were doing a good job.
And he wouldn’t be long.
As he was about to enter the dimensional fragment, a thought struck him.
“Why am I here? My room…”
-It was a mess after you reached 7th circle. You were exuding a strange black liquid, your clothes were torn… I cleaned everything up, of course.
That meant she had cleaned him, his room, and even changed his clothes while he was unconscious.
“……”
He knew it couldn’t be helped.
And he was grateful.
But he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, and he quickly entered the dimensional fragment.
Sensing his embarrassment, Orie chuckled softly.
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-What the…
The dragon seemed to have sensed his transformation the moment he arrived.
-This is… even for a human, whose growth is rapid, this is…
It couldn’t hide its astonishment.
Or rather, it was speechless.
-You reached 7th circle just from consuming my blood and heart fragment?
“That’s essentially what happened. Though I almost died.”
-Almost died?
He calmly explained what had happened after he consumed the blood and heart fragment.
-Are you even human?
The dragon sounded skeptical, and he calmly retorted.
“Are you saying I’m not human?”
-If everything you said is true, and it must be… you’re closer to a dragon than a human. Even dragons don’t grow this quickly.
Even without seeing its face, he could imagine its expression.
-Well, there’s no point dwelling on what’s already happened.
He was right.
It had been dangerous, but the reward was worth the risk.
As the dragon had said, he wouldn’t feel limited by his physical body anymore.
His body was now capable of handling the power of an 8th or even 9th circle mage.
His innate affinity had been comparable to a dragon’s, and the blood and heart fragment had filled the missing pieces.
Even without the dragon’s help, he would have eventually reached 7th circle, thanks to his affinity, but it would have taken time.
The dragon had shortened that time and strengthened his foundation, so despite the near-death experience, he believed it was worth it.
He didn’t harbor any resentment towards the dragon.
He had no intention of exploiting this situation.
‘It would be ridiculous to try and take advantage of someone who’s agreed to become my Legion Commander.’
-I didn’t anticipate this, but you’ve at least met the minimum requirements. No, you’ve surpassed them. Such a vessel… it’s a pleasant miscalculation. I thought I hadn’t underestimated you, but I was wrong.
The dragon seemed pleased, becoming more talkative.
-I would begin your resurrection immediately, but the situation isn’t ideal, unfortunately.
Aware of the situation outside, the dragon didn’t pressure him.
-You should be able to handle those summoned to the Barren Lands with your current power. Resolve the situation quickly and return to me. I await that day.
He felt the same.
-But I assume you didn’t come here just to give me an update.
“That was one of the reasons.”
He had three reasons.
He felt obligated to inform the dragon of the situation after receiving its help, and he had also harbored a slight suspicion.
However, after seeing the dragon’s reaction, he had dismissed his suspicions.
While he might have been overly cautious, it was better to be safe than sorry.
His life was on the line. One wrong move could have unpredictable consequences.
The dragon seemed genuinely willing to cooperate and harbored no ill will towards him.
It had only shown genuine surprise and admiration.
And his third reason was the most pressing.
“I have some questions about Ashen Construction.”
-Ashen Construction?
“You seem quite knowledgeable about it.”
-A mage of your caliber should be using magic in your own unique way. You should know that, having reached this level.
“But I can still learn the fundamentals.”
Upon reaching the Archmage level, he had realized he had been using magic incorrectly.
He intended to rectify that and sought the dragon’s guidance.
‘I need to fortify our base.’
-Hmm, Ashen Construction.
After a moment of silence, the dragon spoke again.
-I’ve been giving it some thought. This is convenient.
“Thought?”
-You’re unusual, but you’re still a 7th circle mage. Even if I become your Legion Commander, I won’t be able to exert my full power.
“That’s true.”
-You’ve exceeded my expectations, so I’ll be stronger than I initially anticipated, but there are still limits. I was considering creating a Necropolis to supplement my power.
“A Necropolis? Me?”
A Necropolis was a feat typically achieved by 8th circle mages.
And even that was just theoretical knowledge. Now, as an Archmage, he understood the true scale of such an undertaking.
Recreating magic in his own way was already difficult enough, let alone building a Necropolis…
He doubted he could complete it even after reaching 8th circle.
And the dragon was suggesting he build one to supplement its power…
-Naturally, you can’t do it alone. That’s why we need to cooperate. It’s a shortcut, but if I become your Legion Commander, it becomes a legitimate method.
“…I suppose cooperation means providing you with demonic energy.”
-Precisely. But the result will be yours.
“That’s true. I understand why you call it a shortcut.”
If the dragon created a Necropolis to supplement its power, it wouldn’t be entirely his.
Only the dragon, its creator, would be able to fully utilize its power.
However, if the dragon became his Legion Commander, it would effectively be his.
Undead were an extension of a necromancer’s power. If the dragon created a Necropolis, it would be as if he had created it himself.
There was no rule stating that an undead couldn’t surpass its master in certain areas.
Entin was a better swordsman than him, so it was possible for one of his undead to be a more powerful mage.
The problem was control.
He needed to be at least comparable in power to his undead, but since the dragon shared his goals, that wasn’t an issue.
-I’ll share the design and the method I intend to use to create the Necropolis.
Learn from it and adapt it to your own methods, it seemed to be saying.
The timing was perfect.
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