After numerous attempts, Billy finally got the hang of the power to give skills and effects to items the way he wanted and with extreme success rate and precision. The trick was basically to use the mana with that effect in mind while creating the item. Before, Billy could only get those effects once every ten attempts, and now he could obtain them five out of ten times… It was a bit hard because sometimes he couldn't control himself and actually used the skill he wanted to pass.
In any case, with that success, Billy managed to create a relic that could mimic the effects of Mana Shield. The relic was basically a statue of a hooded figure since Billy didn't want to carve the details of the face and body. As to why he used a statue as a relic, it was because he wanted to mimic the effect of the temple's relic and because the size increased the range of the relic… The only problem was that Billy needed fuel to keep the barrier around his home, and he used the juice of the Edish fruits.
"Fortunately, the relic can recognize what an enemy is and what isn't, so it can block all strangers with ill intentions," Billy thought. "Ah, come to think of it, I probably failed before because I can't control Telekinesis completely. Only the total understanding of the skill would let me think of using the skill without activating it."
It was a bit complicated to understand, but it was the same as trying to do something and planning to do something. Sometimes, people can do things consciously, but they can't plan them step by step. It was the same thing with innate skills, they had it and could use it completely, but the understanding was another matter altogether. It was weird given that Billy had been studying magic for decades, but those were very different from all the magic he developed and mastered by himself, so it couldn't be helped. Still, perhaps if he manages to leave for hundreds of years, he will reach a level where he can understand conceptual magic. He could only hope for that...
"I suppose doing the same with Mind Control is… Then how Jeannette made those whips have that effect again?" Billy thought.
Once Billy got the skills, he didn't care about how the items were produced… He felt like had had truly lost a golden opportunity, but in the end, it wasn't like he would benefit by giving others the same chance to use his powers. Still, it would be nice if Billy could give his powers to his family in case something happens to him… With the necromancer working so much behind the curtains, Billy felt like he needed to consider all possibilities… However, giving them such items might also put them in danger. While Billy was thinking about that, Icarus and Lucyna showed up at his office.
"Hey, it has been a while," Icarus said.1
"Let's cut to the chase. You look awfully calm considering that you might be the next target of the necromancer," Lucyna said.
"I have been making preparations to deal with them in case a confrontation is unavoidable, but as of late… I am thinking that it won't come down to this," Billy explained. "This guy has been moving behind the curtains and avoiding causing trouble on a large scale, even agaisnt ordinary people. They either don't want to fight right now, or they aren't ready for it."
Icarus knew that Billy cared about his family a great deal, so the worst way for the enemy to start the fight would be by putting his family in danger… Billy was already pretty strong, but while he showed his ruthless side many times, he never showed his angry side. Someone with his magic power could become a problem if he comes angry and decides to go all out. Perhaps that was what the necromancer was trying to avoid. Not to mention, he already had fought the Mind Controller and the Summoner, so he knew how to fight them. Moreover, he got a lot stronger since the time he defeated them.
"I am sure you guys will want to join the next battle… if it actually happens since it would be hard for you guys if I were to become stronger by getting more of those powers," Billy said. "Still, I am not sure if anything will happen any time soon. While I can't give you an order, I think it would be better if one of you were to explore the ocean."
"The ocean?" Icarus asked while frowning.
"The necromancer hasn't been living traces around, right?" Billy asked. "So, he must be using some flying skill or mount to move around, but even so, they would need some time to rest between their missions. That would leave some traces behind. Necromancy is a special type of skill, after all. Despite that, there are no traces whatsoever of the enemy around… Not a single piece of information either. I can only guess that they didn't live around here."
"There is also the fact that you mentioned that Galatea and Angus vanished… Angus himself vanished close to the ocean," Lucyna added. "Perhaps they went to other parts of this world."
"I see… I guess this is a job for me, then," Icarus said. "Lucyna people are probably missing her, and it would be faster if I were to go on a search mission on my own."
"I suppose," Lucyna asked. "If you truly wanted, you could cross the entire world in a single moment."
"Don't try to make me look like some kind of monster. Even in this world, follow some laws, so I can't do such a thing under normal circumstances," Icarus said.
That was the same as admitting that he could… Billy almost let out a sigh since such a dumb guy was one of the few people that knew his secret.
