Lennok, his coat now free of bodily fluids, wore an expression of indifference as he nodded in satisfaction.
"No problem."
Observing the successful functioning of new spells like Aqua Buster and Lightning Vortex, a proud smile slowly formed on his face.
This must be how an engineer feels when their painstakingly created product works flawlessly.
But it wasn't just that. Lennok's research into Eden's logbook had yielded even more remarkable results.
In particular, the power of his lightning spells had increased significantly.
Over the past month, Lennok had gone beyond merely copying spells from Eden's research log. He had delved deep into the roots of the Thorben School's unique magic, comprehending its principles and striving to incorporate them into his own magic system.
As a result, Lennok successfully integrated the distinctive images and techniques of the unique magic into his own, although he had not fully mastered it.
The recently used spell, "Group Thunder," was a testament to this achievement.
Admittedly, the names of the spells had become somewhat mixed with the original ones. However, as long as he could find intuitive images from the names, it wouldn't pose a major problem.
Having pushed the corpses aside, Lennok finally raised his gaze to the towering structure before him.
A grotesque sculpture resembling a human arm.
The snow-white tower lacked any windows and extended its five fingers toward the sky. The only entrance on the ground was stained with blood.
Lennok couldn't discern what had transpired, but it certainly didn't bode well for him.
He attempted to generate a mana detection to examine the interior, but to his surprise, the tower's walls completely blocked his mana, preventing any observation.
If it could repel Lennok's rapidly advancing magical control, it meant that considerable effort had been put into constructing the laboratory.
Ultimately, he had no choice but to venture inside and investigate for himself.
As soon as he stepped into the laboratory tower, a strong stench of blood assailed his nostrils.
Wincing at the repulsive odor accumulated in the poorly ventilated area, Lennok found himself confronted by a toothless corpse that sprang up and lunged at him.
"Kaahh!!"
Koong!!
The monster, unable to penetrate Lennok's shield, crashed to the ground as continuous shock magic drove its head into the floor.
Leaving the fallen creature behind, Lennok swiftly scanned the lab's interior.
Bodies, both human and monstrous, were strewn about. The heat emanating from their remains scorched his skin.
A chilling silence permeated the air, painfully assaulting his eardrums.
For a fleeting moment, he was certain.
No one remained alive here.
Lennok's expression twitched slightly as he gazed down at the blood flowing at his feet.
‘The blood hasn't even coagulated yet. Does that mean they haven't been dead for long?'
The realization struck him that the perpetrator responsible for this massacre might still be within the vicinity.
With that thought in mind, Lennok immediately summoned his mana, enveloped the entire tower, and swiftly assembled a spell.
[Half Spacer]
Fwoooong!!
An opaque, hemispherical barrier instantaneously encased the entire tower, commencing a slow rotation.
While it possessed no special security capabilities or the ability to ward off external attacks, its high-density magic construction allowed it to detect the presence of life crossing the barrier.
If the culprit attempted to escape, Lennok would be alerted immediately.
This should suffice. Lennok wasted no time and began ascending the winding stairs of the laboratory.
Mana detection, which had failed outside the tower, now functioned smoothly within.
With each floor he ascended, he scanned for signs of life and pressed onward.
Scattered bodies littered the path, their faces contorted in agonizing pain, surrounded by unfamiliar machinery.
There were remnants of a laboratory scattered throughout the tower, indicating its purpose, but none of the lab's occupants had survived.
As Lennok explored the tower, filled with an atmosphere of death, he eventually reached the top floor and fell silent.
"Hmm…"
Only the brutally slain bodies of dark wizards met his gaze.
The culprit responsible for this carnage remained elusive.
The dark wizards on the top floor stood out due to their relatively older age and more extravagant attire.
Lost in thought, Lennok stood among the cold, lifeless bodies.
If the culprit hadn't left yet, where could they be hiding?
A place where they could avoid detection by Lennok's mana within the tower but remain undetected by the barrier outside.
While it was possible that the culprit possessed a high enough level to bypass these measures, disregarding that possibility seemed fruitless…
There was only one place left.
Lennok, with mana pulsating in his left hand, swiftly traced a massive magic circle in the air.
[Flame Buster]
A towering column of bright red fire erupted, piercing through the ceiling of the top floor, revealing the foggy sky beyond.
Using levitation magic to elevate his body, Lennok sensed a disturbance in his mana detection. He nodded in confirmation.
A laboratory fashioned in the shape of a human hand.
At the tip of the colossal finger stood a figure, facing away from Lennok, awaiting something.
"Huh?"
Unkempt, dull gray hair. Eyes seemingly absent-mindedly fixated on a distant point.
An ash-colored cloak draped over his form. And vibrant bloodstains staining his face.
It was unmistakable.
This disheveled man, appearing somewhat intoxicated, was the culprit responsible for the massacre of the dark wizards in the lab.
As the man caught sight of Lennok, he scratched his head and descended from the finger he had perched upon.
"Wow… I was curious who set up such a sky barrier. Turns out it was you?"
Without responding, Lennok retrieved a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a drag.
The sight of Lennok leisurely exhaling smoke caused the man's lips to curl into a wide grin.
"Ah, right, right. Nothing like a smoke break on the way. Why bother coming all the way here to commit suicide? If you had stayed hidden, I might have spared you."
As if it were natural to eliminate a witness, the man began to approach Lennok.
Observing the man's unsteady gait intently, Lennok spat out his words.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Why did you kill your fellow dark wizards?"
Even upon reevaluating the mana emanating from the man's body, it was evident that he was a dark wizard.
Considering that this man was responsible for the lab's gruesome deaths, it seemed as though dark wizards were engaged in fratricide.
Upon hearing Lennok's question, the man chuckled, finding it absurd.
"Friend, just because we are dark wizards doesn't mean we are on the same side. Or are you so naive about the workings of the world that you wouldn't understand that?"
"……"
"Well, I'm in a delicate position, so I can't elaborate too much. But to show a bit of kindness to someone about to die…"
"It must be because of the City Department's inspection."
Lennok's nonchalant remark made the man blink.
"…You're right. How did you know?"
"Have there been recent changes among the dark wizards?"
Lennok responded casually as he took a step forward.
"It doesn't matter."
He murmured, releasing a trail of smoke from his mouth.
Before I ask any questions, I'll start by severing all your limbs," Lennok calmly stated.
"Hey," the man sneered at Lennok's matter-of-fact words. "I have no idea where your confidence is coming from…?"
Guluk…! Guluk…!
As the man spoke, a black liquid seeped out from beneath his cloak, staining the floor. Drawn by an unseen force, the rippling liquid gathered in midair, taking the shape of a gigantic mouth.
"I hope you thoroughly inspected the floors below for survivors," the man chuckled. "I made sure of it. There's no one here to come to your aid."
Kaahhhhhhh!!!
As soon as he finished speaking, the liquid mouth lunged towards Lennok, swallowing him whole.
But Lennok had a response.
"I'm aware."
Kwaahhh!!
A surge of blue lightning and an intense burst of heat erupted from Lennok, popping the liquid mouth like a balloon.
Through the dissipating remnants of the liquid, the man's shocked face became visible.
[Electric Field]
Fzzzzzzt!!!
A massive surge of lightning radiated from Lennok, engulfing his surroundings and instantly vaporizing any traces of the black liquid.
Now displaying signs of panic, the man hastily began forming hand signs, conjuring a pitch-black magic circle behind him.
Kagagagagak!!
From a tear in the fabric of space, three eyes emerged, as if devouring the void. Constantly shifting in form, the three pairs of eyes remained fixed on Lennok, never losing sight of their target.
Aware that "sight" held significant meaning in the realm of magic, Lennok cautiously sidestepped, remaining vigilant for any special spells or unique magic.
The man, regaining some composure, chuckled.
"There's nowhere to run."
"……"
"I'll leave your blood smeared on the walls of your barrier. I've finished what I came to do, so I might as well savor this."
"I don't know much about dark wizards," Lennok retorted, brushing off his coat. "Are all members of your faction as tasteless as you?"
"What? Um… I don't know, maybe?"
"Not a very helpful answer," Lennok quipped.
Fzzzzzzt!!
With a brilliant blue light emanating from his left hand, Lennok took a step forward.
Standing amidst the hot gusts of wind that dispersed the fog, he spoke.
"Seems like it'll be quicker to beat you first and then ask."
"Try it if you can," the man challenged, as the three-eyed monster sprang up from beneath his feet.
Squeeeeeeak!!
The liquid body split into three parts, each taking one eye and changing direction.
From above and both sides, they all attacked simultaneously, once again revealing massive mouths from within the liquid.
At the same time, the man brought his hands together, channeling his mana into the floor beneath him.
Paaaaang!!
Lennok took in the flow of mana with a quick glance, sorting out priorities based on his senses.
Kwaaaang!!
First and foremost, he deflected the onslaught of black liquid with a shield. The movements of the sharp-toothed attackers from three directions, intent on eroding his magical defense, were menacing. However, Lennok's shield interwove tightly, effectively absorbing the incoming impact.
Rather than solely focusing on the intense attack, Lennok directs his attention to the mana flow the man had unleashed beneath his feet.
A subtle, shadow-like blade sneaks in behind the overwhelming assault.
A surge of lightning rises violently, swirling and dividing into four. As Lennok forcefully stomped his foot, it penetrated deep into the ground.
[Step Thunder]
Pazzzzzing!!
Simultaneously, the newly collapsed monster beneath Lennok's foot is struck by lightning, eliciting a scream of agony.
Skreeeeeeek!!
"Hup!"
Lennok stomps on the emerging mouth of the monster from below, propelling himself upward. He reaches out to grasp the unscathed floor.
Having nullified all of the man's attacks and defenses with a single spell, Lennok nods.
‘I have a rough idea.'
After directly dismantling it two or three times, Lennok had a suspicion.
While it could be destroyed by physical force, inflicting a major blow on the magical composition proved difficult.
However, it operated independently of the wizard's will, and multiple monsters could coexist. It was a creature—a summoned monster.
Though somewhat crude for a summoned entity, it displayed a remarkable efficiency that exceeded the norms of dark magic alone.
Especially when the man spewed black liquid, an alien energy was absorbed from the surroundings.
Considering that the point at which the liquid gained volition and manifested eyes or mouths was pivotal, Lennok reached a conclusion.
‘He blended necromancy with dark magic. That's likely the reason for its independent movement and combat capabilities.'
The man used mana to create the black liquid, employing some form of ritual to utilize it in battle.
Given that the spell known as necromancy was a highly intricate technique with strong restrictions on its users, it was probable that the black liquid itself served as a specialized catalyst for such necromantic practices.
While it would be tempting to wait until the man depleted all the liquid he possessed before dealing a final blow, Lennok considered otherwise.
‘I have a rough grasp of the principles of necromancy.'
Having uncovered the secret behind the spell, it would be more advantageous to gather the necessary knowledge before the catalyst ran dry.
There was no need to continue the cycle of attack and defense any further.
Uuuuung!!
As soon as he made his decision, power surged from deep within Lennok's being, extending outward.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
