Chapter 27: The Power to Change the World

Spring had come again.

Besides the fact that he was approaching the age of thirteen, Gray had no idea of the special significance of this spring.

As a war constructor, whether a constructor knew how to kill with his own hands seemed to be of little importance, at least not crucial at Gray's current stage.

However, every time after traveling between Deep Blue and the tavern late at night, when Gray picked up the magic array, planar geometry, or other assignments again, he surprisingly found that he had gained new understanding of those originally static things. They were no longer just a bunch of precise numbers but were interconnected and influenced each other, and the scope of their influence was not limited to a specific moment or place.

To give a simple example, deploying the same large-scale fire magic array in a desert terrain and a forest terrain would generate the same instant attack energy level. But in the next three to five years, due to the increased concentration of local fire elements in the desert area, the path of groundwater would change, causing nearby oases to shift several kilometers or even disappear. In the forest terrain, when the large-scale fire magic array was activated, it would burn a large area of trees, causing changes in local plant density and species. However, before plant seeds spread by the trade winds took root and reproduced in large areas, the ash entering the soil provided the land with time to recuperate, thereby increasing its fertility.

The above impacts and inferences were useless for a one-time battle but would be significant for a long-term war lasting over a hundred years or even for the development of the entire racial society behind it.

Gray seemed to have truly realized his initial excuse and gained a new understanding of the profession of a constructor. However, he couldn't believe this feeling himself. Maybe it was just a coincidence or an illusion caused by recent exhaustion. From a purely rational perspective, the latter was more likely.

One late night, Gray couldn't sleep for a long time. All the experiences from childhood to the present moment flooded into his mind at this instant, and the vast knowledge he had learned at Deep Blue merged and interconnected, suddenly providing answers to many previously vague questions. Inspiration flowed like a spring, and his heart was like a galloping steed!

Gray suddenly sat up, rushed to the magic laboratory, and lined up over a hundred materials one after another. Then he spread out a superior-grade demon beast skin, took out a magic pen with a specially made secret silver needle tip, and began to etch the magic array on the square skin.

The night quietly passed, and the glow of the magic lamp remained constant, making people forget about time. After successively changing twenty-two different types of magic pens and discarding six of them, using no less than two hundred combinations of magic materials, a complex magic array was finally completed on the square skin. The skin had become very hard, and the magic array on it was shimmering with light. As long as Gray input magic power, the magic array would automatically start to accelerate its operation and grant Gray a lightweight and swift magic enhancement effect.

Looking at this beast skin, Gray could hardly believe his eyes!

It was a dreamlike night, and the entire outcome was this beast skin. If the material and other minor flaws were not considered, this beast skin would have another name in the outside world: Magic Pattern Construction!

Although it was only the most basic Magic Pattern Construction: Basic Agility, even the simplest Magic Pattern Construction was still a Magic Pattern Construction!

Although Gray had systematically studied various theoretical foundation disciplines of Magic Pattern Construction, he had not yet officially started learning the practical production of Magic Pattern Construction. Therefore, there were still too many areas for improvement in this Basic Agility in front of him, making it almost unusable. But this was indeed a milestone progress! Just like a mage, as long as their magic power reached a certain standard, learning any magic would just be a minor detail.

Holding this crude Magic Pattern Construction, the hardships, thoughts, perseverance, and pains of the past year flooded into Gray's mind, making his mood extremely complex at the moment. Every minute of effort that he didn't want to waste, bit by bit, finally converged into a river! The madness hidden deep in his bloodline and the heartache that couldn't be hidden also turned into the driving force that urged him to keep moving forward.

If we traced back to the root cause, there might be only two sentences: accumulate extensively before using, and success will come naturally when conditions are ripe.

Feeling a mixture of emotions, Grey allowed himself only three minutes to indulge. He understood deeply that everything in the Deep Blue was built upon the illusion of beauty, and that his dreams could be shattered at any moment. The exorbitant tuition fees, the vast consumption of materials, the magic recovery potions he drank like water every day, and this enormous, unsettling living area were all founded on the delight of Princess Liana Dawn.

To put it bluntly, Grey still had to live according to the whims of the legendary mage. Talent, before it was transformed into strength, was merely a painting on the wall, good only for appreciation.

There was a famous saying in history: there is no such thing as a free lunch. The lunch at the legendary mage's house would be ridiculously expensive, how could it be free? From Naya's reaction, Grey also knew that his deeply hated father, Gavin Warsong· Archimonde, was definitely a prominent figure, and people feared him more than they liked him. With such a background, it was reasonable to infer that Liana Dawn's delight was partly built on Grey's own efforts and partly on the looming shadow of Gavin Warsong.

Grey knew deeply that everything he had now, including the money he was preparing to help Aileen through her difficulties, actually came from his father, the man who once made him curious but now he never wanted to think about. But he couldn't refuse. To pursue the path of magic without the support of substantial wealth was impossible. With his stubbornness, he would definitely repay all the money he took from Gavin Warsong in the future, only then could he fulfill his mother's wish and never see his father again. No, perhaps someday in the future, the two of them would meet on the battlefield of some plane. The world was always full of wonders.

However, what tormented Grey was that the rigorous logic cultivated by his Magic Philosophy class constantly reminded him: just because he was determined to repay it doubly in the future, could he now justly and freely use the gold coins from Gavin Warsong? Maybe most people would have an easy answer to this, but Grey couldn't do it. Deep in his heart, the blood of both his parents had given him instinctive pride, which prevented him from deceiving himself and being so shameless.

Now, a turning point had emerged, and that was Elementary Agility.

The thin beast skin meant that Grey could soon manufacture magic pattern constructs that met usable standards, and it was not difficult to expand from Elementary Agility to other elementary magic pattern constructs. The price of each standard magic pattern construct, even the elementary ones, was so high that it surprised Grey, who had already become accustomed to the prices in the Deep Blue. So in the future, Grey could earn money by manufacturing magic pattern constructs and selling them to the Deep Blue. This sum of money was considerable, although it was still not comparable to the recent delight of Princess Liana Dawn. Of course, Grey wouldn't be foolish to reject Liana Dawn's delight when he had the ability to earn money, but the extra gold coins meant more materials, faster training speed, and greater freedom.

The phrase "if..." had just surfaced in his mind, but Grey quickly suppressed it. But he already knew what he wanted to say deep inside. If he could manufacture magic pattern constructs earlier, could he save Aileen?

A young and naive question. Grey's instinct had already provided a realistic and cruel answer. Nothing would be different, because the facts had already happened, and time would not flow backward.

As Grey observed the Deep Blue world more closely, understood its operating principles more deeply, and became clearer about the second expressions behind various faces, he also vaguely saw some things behind the overlapping mysteries.

Lost time was simple, but this world was complex.

It was dawn.

At the end of the Floating Ice Bay, the sun rose from behind the towering ice mountains and ascended into the sky. The sudden bright sunlight shot through the window, overshadowing the magical glow of "Elementary Agility" and causing some discomfort to Grey's exhausted eyes.

Grey rubbed his sore eyes, carefully stored the magic pattern construct, and then hurriedly left the living area to find the Grand Mage Fier, who taught him magic array knowledge, to determine the next step of his learning plan.

Fier was worthy of the title of master, not only because of his nineteenth-level magic power, but more because of his extensive knowledge, many groundbreaking discussions in magic philosophy, and his fair and gentle personality. Now Fier was Aiden Grey's instructor for magic array courses, and in the future, he would also be Aiden Grey's instructor in magic pattern constructs.

The Magic Pattern Construct involves a vast array of disciplines and requires extensive knowledge, yet it lacks a fixed path. Over thousands of years of research, it has only been preliminarily divided into seven ascending levels, with the first four levels each having a different number of standard Magic Pattern Constructs. Those who can draw初级 Magic Pattern Constructs are not yet considered formal Constructors; only those who produce second-level constructs are recognized as true Constructors. The title of Grand Constructor is a respectful term for those who can draw third and fourth-level constructs. Lastly, any constructor who has produced, even if only once, a fifth-level Magic Pattern Construct, is accorded the title of Holy Constructor.

The sixth and seventh-level Magic Pattern Constructs exist more in people's speculations and imaginations.

It's still early, and there aren't many people walking around in Deep Blue. Grey, restraining his excited heart, hastily exited the teleportation array and stood at the entrance to the exclusive upper-level area of Liana Morninglight.

The entrance was guarded by two copper giant doors that never closed, day or night, with a magic puppet standing on each side. One of the puppets aimed its ruby-embedded monocle at Grey and emitted a dark red light. Under the light, the badge on the corner of Grey's magic robe immediately lit up. The puppet then returned to its original position, and the light in its monocle extinguished.

The entire upper level of Deep Blue is the exclusive area of legendary mages, but the lowest few layers of the exclusive area are allocated to the most senior Grand Magisters as their living quarters, reflecting Princess Liana Morninglight's generosity, trust, and favor. Their daily living spaces and magic laboratories are all located here, so this vast area of five floors is occupied by only seventeen Grand Magisters. Master Fier is one of them.

When Grey was granted access to Master Fier's private area, the master had just concluded his morning meditation.

Wearing a casual magic robe,Fier emanated a rich elemental aura with every move. Such strong elemental affinity made the magical concentration around Fier far exceed that of ordinary spaces. As Fier's student, even just standing nearby and listening would bring slow but lasting benefits to the accumulation of magical power. However, it was only after meditation or in front of his most important students that MasterFier would release his elemental aura.

Seeing Grey, a hint of imperceptible appreciation flickered in Fier's eyes. He pointed to a chair beside him, gesturing Grey to sit down, while he himself picked up a bottle of magic power recovery reagent and took a few sips. Grey did not sit but instead retrieved the animal skin bearing the Elementary Agility enchantment and handed it over, saying, "Teacher, this is a work inspired by a sudden idea I had last night. I would like you to provide some guidance."

Just by looking at the dense and exquisite patterns, it was evident that this magic array was of exceptional quality. To Fier's rare smile, he took the animal skin, intending to praise Grey, but his expression suddenly changed! After a few more glances, Fier's body couldn't help but tremble. He stood up abruptly but, due to the sudden movement, his sleeve swept across the bottle of potent magic power recovery reagent he had only half-consumed. The exquisite crystal bottle, along with the half-bottle of reagent worth over 2000 gold coins, slid off the table and crashed to the ground, breaking into pieces with a clack.

Normally frugal,Fier couldn't care about the reagent now. When he looked at Grey again, his eyes emitted dazzling magical light, and the turbulent elements violently surged, nearly stirring up an elemental storm indoors!

He asked seriously, "You said you made this last night? Do you know what it is?"

The frenzied elemental storm made it almost impossible for Grey to breathe. He stood firmly in place, answering calmly, "An elementary attribute enhancement Magic Pattern Construct: Elementary Agility. It's barely completed."

It was only then that Fier realized his loss of composure. He gradually restrained the overflowing elemental power, sat back down, and carefully examined the animal skin in his hand for a long time before slowly saying, "'Barely completed'? Heh! Indeed, as a Magic Pattern Construct, it can only be considered barely adequate. But someone under thirteen who can create a 'barely adequate' Magic Pattern Construct is rare in the history of the entire continent! Aiden Grey, I believe you wouldn't lie, but this doesn't make sense. Your coursework hasn't reached the stage of mastery yet. However, beyond the unreasonable, there must be other factors that allowed you to suddenly understand and autonomously integrate all the segmented magical systems together. If you don't mind, would you like to share your special experiences from this period with me? I think it will be helpful for your future growth."

Master Fier is a respectable person. Grey couldn't sense any negative emotions from him. Moreover, the world of magic is so complex and full of unknown dangers that having a wise guide is more important than anything else.

So, Gray summarized everything that had happened to him over the past year, excluding anything related to Aileen. In his understanding, the intimate moments between the sexes at that time were just a catalyst for his accelerated maturity and definitely unrelated to magic. Besides, he didn't even conceal the fact that he had been learning from Naya.

Upon hearing this, Fier's eyebrows twitched, and he instinctively wanted to stand up but restrained himself and leaned back against the chair. He raised his hand to signal Gray to stop and then looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful.

After a moment, Master Fier said, "So it's him. I didn't expect Disaster Blade to come to Deep Blue. His name is Naya now, isn't it? That's his original name, which he rarely uses. What he's teaching you must be one of the reasons that have helped you break down the barriers between different disciplines. Both killing and creation encompass knowledge from all fields."

Gray hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then, can I continue learning from him?"

Master Fier pondered for a while and said, "It should be fine for now. Disaster Blade, no, Naya now, was a figure of status in the entire dark world. His proficiency in killing is close to an art form, and he should be able to teach you for at least a few years. But I want to know, why did you suddenly have the urge to learn the art of killing?"

"Because to create more powerful Construct Knights, I must know how to kill more effectively."

Gray's answer made Fier look at him deeply, and then the old mage shook his head and said, "That's not your real reason. I can see the answer in your eyes. Never mind, it's not something I should interfere with. I just want to tell you that this is Deep Blue, the domain of the Princess. If you encounter any unpleasant things, you can always come to me or appeal directly to the Princess. Deep Blue is a world of magicians, where the hand of secular power cannot reach. If the disputes you encounter involve too much of the outside world, then my advice is to inform your father. The power of the Archimonde family will make many people wary, and Marquis Gavin·War Song has recently begun to prepare for his entry into the legendary city of Faust. Being able to establish a foothold in Faust itself represents sufficient comprehensive strength and power at the peak of the mundane world."

Gray's gaze shifted to the side, and after a while, he said, "I don't want to rely on the power of Marquis Gavin·War Song."

Years of wisdom allowed Fier to discern the little secret revealed by Gray's choice of words, but he was not surprised. People associated with the name Archimonde all had strong "personalities." Of course, if we look at the continent, there are quite a few similar families, such as Saint Peter, Vismal, Agares, Solomon, Julius, and so on.

Fier nodded and pondered, saying, "Actually, I have one last doubt, which is wisdom. The art of killing transcends the limitations of fields, leading you to see the possibility of cross-disciplinary integration. However, to fully integrate and master the forty-six basic disciplines involved in magical construct armor is not just about being a genius; it requires long-term diligence and true wisdom, wisdom, not just intelligence. And you, Aiden Gray, are not among the most prominent in wisdom in Deep Blue. I originally thought you would only be able to construct your own magical construct armor system when you were fifteen, but you did it when you were just over twelve. This is still very unreasonable..."

However, Fier also knew that this was a question without an answer. The reality now is that Gray has indeed taken the crucial first step for all construct armorers. This is reality; it exists, thus qualifying, regardless of whether the reasons are sufficient.

Fier, who had delved deeply into the philosophy of magic, understood very well that there must be a reason behind every phenomenon. If it cannot be found, it does not mean it does not exist; it just means that one cannot see it. There are too many secrets in Norland, and the universe composed of countless dimensions will never be fully explored. Therefore, it is not absurd to say that even a bored god suddenly imparted the entire knowledge of construct armorers to Aiden Gray.

In fact, Saint Peter, who created the Heavenly Armament in history, revealed before his death that most of his inspiration actually came from divine revelation.

Fier stood up, carefully put away the Elementary Agility, and then said to Gray, "Well, don't waste time on minor issues. Regardless of the reason, your breakthrough this time is largely attributed to luck. And luck has always been a very important part of strength, especially in the later stages."

After a pause, Master Fier said meaningfully, "Aiden Gray, maybe you don't know how lucky you are. But this is a semi-public secret that doesn't require special confidentiality, and it's time to tell you. Princess Liana·Dawn has a habit of only keeping one student in each field of magic to formally continue her inheritance. As the most dazzling pearl on the crown of magic, being a construct armorer is even more so."

"So?" Grey suddenly understood somewhat why he felt hostility from Stevenson and Minnie. And it was even more surprising that Randolf, who had no prior connection, would plot against him with lethal intentions.

"From what I know, at least Stevenson is determined to pursue a career as a constructor. However, you have now taken a decisive step ahead of him. That's why I just told you how to handle any irresolvable disputes in the future. Also, watch your own safety," said Master Fier.

Grey detected the implication in Master Fier's words but still found it hard to believe. "But this is Deep Blue."

Master Fier smiled and said, "The strongest rules are only used to restrain rational beings."

Grey pondered for a moment, then nodded, half-understanding.

At this time, the old mage had finished packing up and the summoned students had arrived. He said to Grey, "Follow me now, lucky Aiden Grey. I will show you the miraculous abilities of a constructor. After seeing this, I believe you will have a deeper understanding of the world of constructors, not just those half-true, half-false anecdotes and autobiographies."

An hour later, Grey and Fier were sitting in a magic experimentation field outside Deep Blue. This was an open-air experimentation field capable of testing the power of ultra-large magic and even legendary spells. It could also be used as a beast arena to test newly discovered magical beasts or newly created summoned creatures.

Under Grey's gaze, a fierce iron-clad horse was released into the experimentation field. The iron-clad horse was a special type of magical beast near Deep Blue, much larger than ordinary warhorses, with a back covered in scales as hard as steel. Its temper was extremely fierce, making it impossible to tame. Its powerful iron hooves could crush the skull of a polar ice bear, and its speed and jumping height were comparable to a Marls deer, so it had few natural predators. The most valuable aspect of the iron-clad horse was its scales, which were tougher than any known metal but as light as feathers, and could be easily enchanted without too much processing.

To prevent captured ferocious magical beasts from suddenly rioting, entry into the field required passing through a long, narrow, dark tunnel. Upon entering the experimentation field, the sudden openness of the space caused the iron-clad horse to pause. This was a vast area of a thousand meters in circumference, filled with various terrains. After numerous experiments, the lingering rich magical aura and the old bloodstains of numerous magical beasts immediately put the iron-clad horse in its most alert state.

As the iron-clad horse paused, Grey immediately noticed that a large piece of chest scale had been removed, and a "Basic Agility" rune was neatly embedded there. This was not a simple embedding. The hide had undergone special cutting and processing, and implanting it into the corresponding position on the magical beast also required precise operation. As the iron-clad horse's breathing gradually became heavier, the magical pattern embedded on its chest also gradually shone, indicating that the magical pattern had absorbed the horse's magic power and begun to function.

Stimulated by the thick blood aura, the iron-clad horse suddenly became extremely agitated! It reared up, let out a long neigh, then its four hooves touched the ground, and it began to run like thunder! Judging from its route, it intended to leap over two obstacles made of stacked logs continuously and forcibly break through the fence of the experimentation field to regain its freedom.

Just as the iron-clad horse took off into the air, the magical pattern suddenly emitted dazzling light! The iron-clad horse unleashed astonishing potential, jumping exceptionally high and far, not only surpassing the first obstacle by a large margin but also directly colliding with the second obstacle! This single jump was nearly half the distance of an ordinary iron-clad horse!

Wood chips flew everywhere, and the heavy log pile was scattered by the collision of the iron-clad horse. A log with a diameter of half a meter bore the heaviest impact and was nearly snapped in half! The iron-clad horse was also clearly hit hard, feeling dizzy and disoriented, and began to run around wildly.

The "Basic Agility" rune continued to flash, and the speed of the iron-clad horse increased rapidly, obviously exceeding its own control ability. It either overran, misjudged the jumping distance and collided directly with the fence, or jumped too high and too far, losing balance in mid-air and crashing to the ground.

Heavy crashing sounds continued to come from the experimentation field, with broken wood, mud, ice, and debris flying everywhere. The huge body of the iron-clad horse was almost stretched into a black phantom, rushing back and forth at an incredible speed, and the artificially set obstacles in the field were continuously destroyed by its body. Its sturdy body, heavy weight, and excessive speed made the iron-clad horse itself a terrifying weapon. Just its impact had astonishing power.

Looking at the iron-clad horse rushing back and forth like lightning in the experimentation field, Grey was also stunned. He was familiar with common magical beasts like the iron-clad horse, but he had never imagined it would reach such speed, and he had seen its terrifying combat effectiveness after the speed increase. It was like a whole new species!

Is this the power of a constructor?

Grey suddenly felt dry in his mouth. He felt like an infant who had grabbed an iron sword that he thought was a toy, only to discover after wielding it that this sword had the power to destroy the world he saw!