Chapter 64 – Grave Robbery and Theft (7)

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I looked at the pieces of scrolls in my hand.

'Can this really solve the problem…?'

There were forced contract scrolls, spirit binding scrolls, and various other scrolls containing curses or lightning rod veils. While there were a few intact scrolls, most were charred and shredded by the lightning.

I had managed to wrap the remaining fragments with the largest scroll.

Watching the destruction caused by the Silver Thread Worm and the Lightning Titan, reminiscent of a scene from a monster movie, I imagined the original excavation process in the story, if I hadn't intervened.

'At least the excavation succeeded.'

The protagonist was the Mage King, and although Astraphe didn't play a major role due to the presence of numerous allies, she did have a heroine moment entangled with the Torres Tower for several chapters.

The Torres Tower, being a powerful mid-tier magic tower, posed a significant threat as Astraphe's adversary. Had they faced such a catastrophic failure during the excavation, they wouldn't have had the capacity to do so.

'It's 2074 now. Even with three years until the Mage King's resurrection in 2077, it's too short a time to clean up this mess.'

In the original storyline, the Silver Thread Worm might not have existed, but without it, the Torres Tower's excavation team wouldn't have been able to contain the rampaging Lightning Titan.

Thus, it meant they had successfully excavated the Titan.

'If I hadn't been here, the excavation progress would have slowed down by at least a few weeks, if not months. They could have entered the depths without waking the Titan by proceeding more safely…'

Using the scrolls to force a contract?

That alone was not enough. I turned my gaze towards the Titan.

The writhing Silver Thread Worm spread over the Titan's body, transforming it into a skeletal structure.

Comparatively, it was like a shining silver skeleton with flesh made of storm clouds and veins filled with lightning—closer to a mythical monstrosity.

'From a combat perspective, it would be stronger if separated from the Silver Thread Worm, but its appearance is much more intimidating now… huh?'

The Silver Thread Worm was continuously absorbing mana from the Titan, made of lightning-attributed mana, which should have caused the Titan to gradually disintegrate.

However, the Titan's body remained unchanged in size. Although the Silver Thread Worm was growing larger, its growth rate was slowing.

'The Titan is reabsorbing the mana stored within the Silver Thread Worm?'

As the worm's volume increased, the contact area with the Titan grew, causing more mana to be drained. Eventually, the absorbed amount would balance out, halting the worm's growth.

While it was somewhat understandable that the Silver Thread Worm stored mana without any loss, it was puzzling that the Titan could reabsorb mana into its magical energy without any loss.

'Eliminating loss during absorption is a characteristic of the Talisman of Thunder.'

I hadn't sensed any artifacts in the deep chamber.

I looked at the Titan again. Soon, the Silver Thread would root itself in the Titan's limbs, balancing their absorption rates and momentarily halting their movement.

It was like two forces of equal strength pushing against each other, rendering movement impossible.

Once one side gained the upper hand, this delicate equilibrium would collapse, and the victor would devour the vanquished.

Subduing such an evolved monstrosity would be beyond the Torres Tower's capabilities and would likely require intervention from multiple significant magic towers or one of the Ten Magical Commandments.

I dismissed the option of releasing the monster to burden the Ten Magical Commandments. If they concluded that Argyrion intentionally created such a monstrosity, they would obliterate Argyrion, considering it a serious threat rather than just a large, capable group of Eroders.

Preventing catastrophe required one solution: understanding the Lightning Titan's true nature and resolving this mess.

'Life!'

I needed to wake up.

***

Crete Island had become akin to the eye of a storm. The blackened sky poured down torrential rain, unleashing a barrage of lightning.

As the Silver Thread Worm burrowed beneath the storm cloud flesh, the Titan's movements ceased. However, the ongoing storm and ominous silence indicated that neither side had been neutralized.

The wizards feared the powerful form the victor would take after the conflict. It was fortunate that the brief pause allowed them to tend to wounds and recast defensive spells.

Argyrion's wizard, Lugret, did not share that relief.

A silhouette emerged from beyond the cloud-covered ridge. The indistinct figure did not approach the wizards.

It was not Karuto who had departed.

Suddenly, two distinct blue lights emanated from where a person's eyes would be.

At that moment, the Titan's movement halted.

Lugret recalled the smiling man who controlled the Silver Thread Worm and attacked them. Strangely, beyond the smile, no detailed features came to mind.

Yet, he was certain that the figure, now preparing some sinister spell with glowing blue eyes, was that man.

'Is he trying to absorb the Titan with the Silver Thread Worm?'

His appearance at this location aimed to strengthen the control spell by proximity. Karuto, who tried to stop him, was likely dead.

Lugret anticipated the scenario if the man succeeded in having the Silver Thread Worm absorb the Titan. Could they control the worm that had absorbed the Titan's power?

'Even if they succeeded in mimicking the control spell from Blasphemia, they wouldn't have fully mastered it yet. Thus, the worm was given simple destructive commands instead of detailed instructions.'

There was still hope. The man wouldn't easily control an overly powerful worm, providing an opportunity to…

However, the silhouette acted contrary to Lugret's expectations. The blue light soon extinguished. Then came a rapid acceleration that Lugret's eyes could not follow.

The light reappeared in the middle of the clearing.

Inside the Titan's body. Amidst the clouds where silver threads and lightning devoured each other, two blue lights flared.

***

'Life!'

I once again lamented as I charged toward the hybrid of Lightning Titan and Silver Thread.

I recalled his information.

Keranos, the Thunderbolt Lord. The last master of the Manubia Tower.

The Manubia Tower was a powerful faction that had overthrown the first Yellow Thunder Tower to become the second Yellow Thunder Tower.

However, they weren't strong enough to face the Ten Magical Commandments alone. To conduct the succession battle, Manubia Tower promised to share the wisdom of the Ten Commandments with several towers, eventually succeeding in dethroning the first Yellow Thunder Tower.

They succeeded.

But the Manubia Tower's master died within ten days, betrayed by an ally.

The ensuing internal conflict among the alliance left the title of the third Yellow Thunder Tower vacant for a long time, until the original Yellow Thunder Tower returned to quell its competitors and reclaim its name.

The source of this absurd mana absorption ability was the Ten Commandments. One of the Mage King's wisdom granted to the Manubia Tower during the Ten-Day Rule.

It was an uncanny coincidence that the wisdom of the Ten Commandments and the effects of the extra-dimensional artifact had similar results.

Manubia Tower had long harbored a grudge against the traitors. Keranos, the last master of Manubia Tower, believed it impossible to use the secret art as a human and turned into a spirit to exact revenge, but….

He failed.

Utterly.

I didn't know why. My brain was already overloaded, preventing further analysis of Keranos. It was challenging enough to keep my mind from overloading with information from the Silver Thread and other wizards.

'The side effect of the failed spirit transformation gradually diluted Keranos's consciousness. The excavation speed increased drastically after my arrival, but given more time, his consciousness would have completely evaporated, leaving only the mana absorption function.'

The rest was easy to deduce. Originally, the Torres Tower would have used the scrolls to bind Keranos's body, utilizing it as a magic conversion device.

That was the true nature of the Talisman of Thunder. A talisman made from the compressed body of a grand wizard transformed into a spirit.

Similar to funeral services that turn bones into jewels. Torres Tower's purpose was exploitation rather than commemoration.

'Damn it. I thought the artifact described in the original work was a fully-formed relic from ancient Mage King times.'

In other words, the current Thunderbolt Lord was raw material. A man-eating raw material!

I must not take the original descriptions at face value, especially when it wasn't detailed enough. The priest's remnants in Phoibos's relic also had many parts downplayed.

'If Torres Tower compressed a spirit's body into a tool in the original story, I could do something similar now.'

I took a deep breath. I had to link the fragmented scroll spells to Keranos.

The Silver Thread Worm was a bonus. Since it was a summon from an extra dimension, the forced contract spell should work on it too…

It was fortunate that both entities had nearly evaporated intelligences. Time to start.

***

I opened my eyes. Orthes's eyes could perceive intangible information and the essence engraved on subjects.

Inside Keranos, the residual magic swirled due to the mutual absorption of mana and magic. Amid the intertwined currents, a piece of the scroll landed.

Activated by the magic, the fragment would typically absorb some magic and dissipate. However, Orthes persistently pieced the scroll fragments together.

It was like a mosaic, using the Titan's magic and the worm's mana as adhesive. Stitching together the residual spells on the scrolls to form another flow.

A ragtag structure, but a spell nonetheless. Positioned between Keranos's thunder veins and the Silver Thread Worm's bones, it began to bind both entities.

Ker

anos's right arm folded, followed by the silver bone.

Next, a leg, then another limb. As if scrunching paper together.

Keranos, transformed into a spirit by a secret art, had become akin to a spell.

Overlaying the forced contract and binding spells on Keranos resulted in the contract spell amplifying with the power of his presence.

The binding was so overwhelming that even the Silver Thread Worm couldn't escape.

The storm and the dark clouds conjured by Keranos's magic converged into one spot. Into Orthes's grasp.

In the eye of the storm. Orthes stood, clutching a golden orb inlaid with silver threads.

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