Strength
Leylin had found information regarding the arcanist ruins in the Dambrath Kingdom, using a book he’d found from decoding a map. Leylin now found something else from the information the A.I. Chip had copied.
The information that the A.I. Chip had recorded was complete, with the information on the spell models that arcanists had used among others. This included even personal diaries of some arcanists and the like.
There was some short poetry in the disordered data, something that most people would probably overlook.
No! In the short span of time it took for the pocket dimension to collapse, most adventurers would find it difficult to even find information on the arcanists, having to turn their heads. Only someone like Leylin who possessed the A.I. Chip could copy this information.
Along with these few poems were some recipes that caused Leylin to look disconcerted. Even if adventurers unknowingly found the resources that had this information, they would quickly ignore it, but he was different. With his previous experience breaking code, he immediately saw that there was something different about these poems. They were encrypted the same way, and likely came from the same arcanist.
‘Such high-level encryption and difficulty in getting the resources... The secrets hidden must be astounding...’ Leylin transferred the information into his mind with interest.
With his previous experience breaking code, he made much quicker progress. It took just a few hours for the information hidden within the incomplete phrases to be laid bare before him.
“The coordinates of a location and a specific time?” Leylin scratched his head.
“If I calculate it... year 37670 of the Calendar of the Gods. That’s three years from now. When the black crows cry out to the blood moon... It’s in the Frostfall Valleys, slanting to the east of Cygnus.”
“This again... A specific time and location. What appears will be...” This method of stacking space caused Leylin to frown slightly, he associated it with Distorted Shadow. Only he could warp space and hide his items as he wished, waiting for people to unearth them.
“But... Distorted Shadow has already passed down his path. It might be possible for a legendary arcanist who was his disciple...” Leylin pondered over this as even more information was decrypted.
“What will appear is a floating city?” Leylin stroked his chin, seemingly in disbelief. A floating city didn’t seem like much to his eyes. The Magi of Sky City had already developed such a technique.
The city floated eternally using the powers of the Adept Scepter, something that could even boost one’s vitality a single time. Leylin had made use of that feature, and even toured the core control room of Sky City to personally touch the scepter. He hadn’t found it all that amazing.
“No, that’s not it. It mentions a floating city, it might be due to an arcane spell that the legendary arcanists came up with by themselves! It’s a fort used by arcanists to fight gods, and one of the major accomplishments of arcane spells. How could it be that weak?” Leylin’s expression changed, and he then looked through the descriptions of the arcane spells.
Soon enough, he learnt that the arcanists’ floating city and Sky City’s floating vessel were two entirely different things.
“I see... a true floating city is powered by a Mise energy core, and needs the strength of a pocket dimension. At its final stage, it’s a dimensional fort! In such a floating city, legendary arcanists would be comparable to gods! So terrifying, even divine kingdoms aren’t much in front of this... Sky City’s floating can at most be considered a weakened version that lacks this amount of power,” Leylin muttered.
It now seemed like the arcanists’ floating city had truly inherited the design concepts and core of the ancient Magi. Sky City was probably a copy from incomplete information and not authentic. It was like a clumsy version of a toy made by a child.
‘Interesting! When my main body awakens, I should get the Monarch of the Skies to do research on my behalf for a few days...’ Leylin quickly made up his mind. Given his strength near rank 7, the Monarch of the Skies had no power to resist whatsoever.
“As for this...” Leylin eyed the resources in his hand, sighing a little.
The information hidden in the short poems said that an arcanist who was performing experiments during the fall of the Netheril Empire had made a mistake. Due to it, he’d jumped the floating city to a lost plane.
The legendary arcanist, his students, and all other life forms had died in the floating city, but that plane might still exist. Due to this incident, the floating city evaded the gods’ investigations and luckily got away. That was probably the only one in the World of Gods.
The arcanist who had left this trail behind had spent his life pursuing the peak of arcane arts, and had found this treasure in a ruin. He had successfully deduced the time and location that the floating city could return.
However, He had been born far too early. There were over ten thousand years till the floating city leapt back. Evidently, unless he successfully become a god or turned into an undead lich, he would not be able to wait that long. Hence, he chose to leave the information and related clues behind for others to discover.
“From the inheritance left behind, the arcanist that discovered the clues must have died long ago...” Leylin sighed.
After the destruction of the Netheril Empire, the churches went all out in persecuting the arcanists. To be able to find this, the arcanist must have reached the legendary realm himself. That led to more fear from the gods, and chances of him still surviving were far too low. However, that made things easier for Leylin.
“A floating city that can rival the gods’ realms?” Leylin stroked his chin, eyes full of wonder. Ancient floating cities were very powerful. There had even been records of legendary arcanists piloting them to attack divine kingdoms
Even if it wasn’t for defensive purposes and just research, Leylin was very interested in the design, Mise energy core, and magic cannons.
“A floating city without a master that can independently operate for tens of thousands of years and even automatically leap back to the World of Gods... The intellectual core and Mise energy core must be incomparably perfect...
“Treasures from the peak of arcane culture? Interesting. Interesting! I’ll have to give it a go if I get the time.” Leylin made up his mind.
......
Tens of days passed by. The weather was exceptional that day, and Leylin had left the hold of the ship and arrived at the deck.
The sea breeze had a clean, salty smell, and the warm sunlight felt very comfortable.
“I’ve already made records of the arcane spell models. Information on the floating city has all been deduced...” With these two parts done, Leylin was in a good mood, “The calculations say I should reach Port Venus today.”
He’d left home for many years, and was finally returning. In that moment, Baron Jonas, his wife, Ernest, Jacob, and many other faces appeared in Leylin’s mind, causing him to feel emotional.
“I was only around rank 10 when I left, but now I’m a high-ranked wizard. Master Ernest will be shocked.” Leylin took a look at his stats.
[Leylin Faulen. Race: Human, Rank 15 Arcanist. Strength: 13. Agility: 11. Vitality: 12. Spirit: 15. Arcane Energy: 150. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Specialties: Arcane Energy Detection, Arcane Amplification]
Becoming an arcanist had changed his stats greatly, and the window had grown more concise. He could still use spell slots like before, and he also had the spell slots for a rank 15 wizard, but after becoming an arcanist Leylin now had another card up his sleeve beside the analysis of the Weave.
‘After somewhat breaking away from the Weave, the A.I. Chip’s analysis of the Weave has increased in speed... Seems like the Weave has a very tight hold on wizards...’ Leylin took a look at the A.I. Chip’s analysis report of the Weave, lowering his head in thought.
At this moment, the A.I. Chip’s prompt rang out, and Leylin’s stats changed once more.
[Beep! Analysis of level 4 Weave: 100%. Obtained all rank 4 spell models. Spell slot limitations removed. Host is now immune to forgetting rank 4 spells, no materials will be required to cast them.]
[Analysis of Weave: Level 0 Weave 100%. Level 1 Weave 100%. Level 2 Weave 100%. Level 3 Weave 100%. Level 4 Weave 100%. Level 5 Weave 55.21%. Level 6 Weave 33.89%. Level 7 Weave 17.22%.]
[Spell Slots: Rank 7(1), Rank 6(4), Rank 5(6), Rank 4(???), Rank 3(???), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
Rank 7 spells were considered high-ranked spells. The Ring of Wizardry had now lost all its effect, increasing only a single spell slot for spells below rank 6 originally.
“I’m advancing too quickly! My equipment isn’t keeping up with my needs.” Leylin muttered to himself, “Thankfully, I still have many ingredients from the legendary red dragon that I can use to make a new batch of items...”