Chapter 382: Shadow of the Dragon

What would Academy City be like after he left? Li Mo didn't bother considering that question.

He had already left, so why overthink it? Before his departure, he had made meticulous arrangements. While it couldn't be called foolproof, he had covered most of the bases.

Li Mo had more important things to focus on.

He didn't even glance at the system's settlement panel. Instead, he turned his attention to something else.

—Just before Li Mo was teleported away, **Aleister Crowley** had briefly intercepted him and slipped him something.

Now, he was examining that very thing.

It was tangible knowledge, akin to grimoires. Hidden within were two magical formulas:

**「Spiritual Tripping」** and **「Blasting Rod」**.

Blinking, Li Mo took a deep breath. He knew these two spells were among Aleister Crowley's trump cards. And who was Aleister Crowley? Even if Li Mo didn't possess the same level of power, acquiring such lethal techniques would undoubtedly boost his own strength.

What he lacked were decisive offensive methods. Techniques like **Sun Breathing** and others had become outdated. Magic spells like **Magic Cannon** were merely conventional tools—he lacked a true finishing move.

The knowledge Aleister had given him filled that gap perfectly.

But then, the question arose…

Why had Aleister given him these spells?

"I don't get it."

Li Mo chose to let it go. Right now, he couldn't use a mirror to communicate face-to-face with that scheming old man. As for returning to the **Toaru** world, that was a problem for later. Who knows? By the time he went back, he might be strong enough to ensure Aleister couldn't kill him.

Setting aside his thoughts, Li Mo turned his attention to the system's settlement panel.

Scenario: A Certain Magical Index: Avignon 

Clear Condition: Complete Angel Fall. 

Clear Rating: A 

Calculating Rewards…

The interface had been there for a while, but Li Mo had ignored it until now.

The system's rewards were hit or miss. Techniques like **Tsubame Gaeshi** had become obsolete and were rarely used. The only thing that had been indispensable in his growth was **「Authority of the Beast」**, the cornerstone of all his achievements.

Now, though… what could be more valuable than the **Index Librorum Prohibitorum** and these two magical formulas?

Rewards:

- Massive EXP gain. 

- One Golden Treasure Chest Key.

Seeing this, Li Mo opened his inventory. "I've never had much luck with blind boxes."

Li Mo didn't consider himself blessed by the goddess of fortune. While he wasn't as unlucky as **Kamijou Touma**, he was just an ordinary guy.

Casually using the Golden Treasure Chest Key, Li Mo watched as the chest opened.

「Shadow of the Dragon」 

Type: Skill Book 

Rarity: Legendary 

Effect: Only pure-blooded dragons possess shadows, which are highly malleable and powerful. They can be shaped into the most suitable weapons or even an army. 

Note: However, the characters who wield this ability are a vampire and a **Final Trial of Humanity**. Neither of them is a dragon!

Li Mo pondered the origin of this ability, then found the answer in the note. After a quick search using online tools, he identified its source. But his attention was drawn to one of the ability's users:

Azi Dahaka.

One of the **Final Trials of Humanity**, a monster that only humans could defeat. Among these trials, Azi Dahaka represented **"Absolute Evil."**

Furthermore, Azi Dahaka's mythological prototype was **Azi Dahak**, the evil deity in Zoroastrianism.

"Absolute Evil corresponds to **All the World's Evils**."

"Azi Dahaka corresponds to **Angra Mainyu**."

"Final Trial of Humanity corresponds to **Beast of Humanity**."

Li Mo muttered the similarities under his breath. Following the essence of magic—**"approximate equivalence"**—**「Shadow of the Dragon」** was the final piece of the puzzle. Whether the template for this ability came from Azi Dahaka wasn't important. What mattered was that Azi Dahaka possessed **「Shadow of the Dragon」**.

The only challenge was…

The current world didn't have the **"Box"** ideology. For magic to work, it at least needed a tangible foundation. For example, **「Authority of the Beast」** reversed cause and effect because the **Type-Moon** world inherently had **"Beasts."**

"I'll have to use a substitute."

Long ago, Li Mo had realized that worlds were different. The **Type-Moon** world had a magical foundation left by **Solomon**, but other worlds didn't! In the **Toaru** world, magic existed, but its foundation was the sparks of phase collisions. This was manageable with some adjustments.

Based on his studies in the **Toaru** world, Li Mo understood what magic there entailed.

At its core, it was based on human thoughts, desires, and willpower. These could take the form of any religion, belief, myth, or even folklore and fairy tales.

Thinking about it, these ideologies were somewhat similar to the **Type-Moon** world's magical foundation. They were the "medium" through which magicians altered the world.

In the **Demon Slayer** world, using magic was easy because the elements in the air were highly active. Even breathing techniques could manipulate elements. Additionally, that world had similar foundations.

But in **Teyvat**, it wouldn't work.

So, what if he carried a piece of these ideologies with him?

"Why didn't I get **「Simulated Universe」** instead?"

Li Mo slumped on the couch, thinking. That thing was essentially "another cosmology," a blueprint for gods to create universes. In other words, it could carry worldviews, and embedding a magical foundation within it wouldn't be a problem.

—According to the logic of magic in the **Toaru** world, it wasn't strictly necessary to have ideologies, but it would mean starting from scratch. If using ideologies to cast magic was like writing software on a computer, then casting magic without them would be like handcrafting a microchip before programming.

And in the **Type-Moon** world, based on his understanding, the materials for creating such chips (mystery) were insufficient.

"In the end, I don't have **「Simulated Universe」**. Wait… maybe I can create something similar." Li Mo sat up straight.

What was the essence of a magician?

It was **"approximate equivalence."** While magic wasn't limited to **"Idol Theory,"** for Li Mo, magic based on **Idol Theory** was the simplest.

But he had grimoires in his mind—103,000 of them. And within his body, he carried thousands of tons of spiritual foundations.

While he couldn't create **「Simulated Universe」**, crafting a lower-tier substitute wasn't impossible.

"**Ars Magna**?"

The pinnacle of alchemy, the **Great Work of Gold**. It was an absolute grand spell that, once completed, allowed the caster to distort reality according to their will. **Aureolus Izzard** had once achieved this. If not for his personal flaws, he would have been nearly invincible.

—Of course, against a monster like Aleister, he'd still be defeated in one move.

But then Li Mo thought of something else.

He didn't have the incantation for it. It would take centuries to chant.

Li Mo felt like he was about to pass out. Had he even lived for thirty years?

Probably not…