“Finally, my third sigil!”
This time, Victor formed his third sigil at his solar plexus, and its energy coursed through his body like a surging river. His entire body felt renewed, and his cells thrummed with vitality and strength from the Cosmo element etched into the sigil.
“Still, to think I’d become a third-sigil Elemental Adept so soon,” Victor murmured. This advancement placed him solidly in the mid-tier of Elemental Adept Magi. But for someone who mastered esoteric Cosmo-elemental spells, his combat prowess wouldn’t pale in comparison to even peak Elemental Adept Magi.
Thanks to the reward from the recent main mission, his meditation technique comprehension was propelled to the very limit of the second sub-level, leaving him teetering on the verge of a breakthrough. Still, that alone wouldn’t have been enough. The High-Grade Mana Aptitude Enhancement Elixir was the reason he was able to pull through.
Victor flexed his hands, feeling the power surging within him. Every aspect of his being had been enhanced, and his comprehension of the Cosmo element felt sharper and more attuned than ever before.
Without hesitation, he activated his Master Shadowlink Mark to see his improved stats.
Victor Asteriscus
HP: 100%
MP: 1044/1044
Power Rank: Third-sigil Elemental Adept Magus | Ki Initial
Elemental Affinity: Cosmo (96% → 97%) | Anemo (82%) | Pyro (57%)
Mana Aptitude: Advanced bright grade
Meditation Technique: Omni-Elemental Fusion Method (third sub-level, 0%)
Breathing Technique: No name (first level)
Status: Healthy
Strength: (36 → 38)
Agility: (37 → 38)
Vitality: (36 → 38)
Magical Power: (48 → 50)
Infused Mana (total): (868 → 1044)
Spell Repertoire:
- Aleph: {Blink Step}, {Spatial Mirage}, {Slicing Wind}, {Zephyr Dash}, {Tempest Burst}, {Wind Guard}, {Flame Whip}, {Flame Dart}, {Flame Prison}, {Ember Shield}, {Heat Wave}, {Demonic Eye}, {Mind Programming}
- Bet: {Warpblade}, {Blink}, {Gap Hole}, {Ethereal State}, {Volcanic Spear}, {Tempest Gale}, {Blazing Burst}, {Curse of Nightmare}, {Indomitable Will}
“Ninety-seven percent! Holy shit!” Victor exclaimed, his voice echoing in the basement. With so many improvements, his chances of resolving the undead invasion and defeating the mastermind had risen significantly.
But as much as his power had increased, he knew deep down that even this wasn’t enough. The scale of the invasion was colossal, and the Death Knight leading the charge was a foe beyond ordinary means. So, what kind of being could command such a force? They would definitely be beyond imagination even with many advantages on Victor’s side.
Victor then stood, brushing dust from his robes. Some residual mana still lingered in the air from the mana crystals, but he paid it no mind. He had work to do.
Ascending from the basement, he made his way toward his office. Suddenly, Lizbeth’s small figure appeared, fluttering toward him with her usual exuberance.
“Master! You’re back!” she chimed. “How did it go? Did you manage to advance?”
“Of course! Who do you think I am?” Victor replied, a proud smile crossing his face.
“Mm, I never expected anything less.” Lizbeth nodded and quickly continued in an urgent tone, “Oh right, I need to tell you that the Death Knight and the undead army have breached the western wall. But reinforcements have arrived, and Roland, too, has already been sent out to hold back the Death Knight.”
“Good, good, good. Everything is going according to plan,” Victor said, steepling his fingers as he contemplated the situation.
However, this situation couldn’t be left unchecked for long. He needed to act quickly. “In any case, I need to go meet Eleanor.”
“Eleanor?” Lizbeth tilted her head. “Ah, I see! Well, you should hurry. She’s been working on something big and hasn’t left her workshop in days—even though there’s practically a fire raging in her own backyard!”
Victor nodded, already turning to leave. “I’ll check in with her. Stay here and keep monitoring the situation. Let me know if anything critical happens.”
“You can count on me, Master!” Lizbeth saluted him before breaking into a playful giggle. “Good luck. I believe in you!”
***
Victor arrived at the door to Eleanor’s workshop. The industrial zone was quite far from the western wall, but even at this distance, he could feel the tremors and see the chaos of battle. The players had mechanical golems and the arachnid horde now, all clashing against the undead army. Fortunately, the players had managed to regain some control, setting up makeshift defensive lines to hold back the stray undead breaking through.
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As for the Death Knight, Victor detected strong mana fluctuations in the distance, likely one or two kilometers away. Roland had clearly lured the Death Knight far from the academy, sparing the players from being caught in the devastating crossfire between two Elemental Adept beings that could easily kill acolytes.
But this can’t go on for long, Victor thought grimly. The players are resourceful, but they’re stretched thin.
Earlier, he had checked the Academy Inhabitant List and found that more than a third of the total player base had perished in this war, and that number was climbing with each passing minute. It wouldn’t be long before the entirety of the player base was wiped out. Worse still, it might take a couple of months for the incubation pods to bring the dead players back to life.
Putting that concerning thought aside, he inhaled deeply, steadying his mind before pushing open the workshop door. Immediately, a wave of hot, metallic air wafted at his face. The room was cluttered with tools and equipment, every surface occupied by unfinished projects or complex blueprints—seemingly the work of players or Eleanor herself.
Not a single player was present; everyone was likely at the frontlines, contributing to the defenses.
At the center of the workshop, Eleanor stood hunched over a massive contraption, her welding torch sparking as she worked with precise movements.
Victor stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him. “I see you’re busy working on something.”
Eleanor glanced over her shoulder, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “Ha! ‘Busy’ isn’t even close to the right word for it. You’ve got great timing, though, Patron. I’ve just finished what you asked for, and I was about to test something that might just save your precious academy.”
Intrigued, Victor walked closer, his attention drawn to the large construct she was working on. To his surprise, it was a mechanical golem painted dull brown with metallic accents. Its design was striking—a knight-like frame with a bulky, armored torso, a helmet-shaped head adorned with a star-shaped marking, and small, segmented, ring-like limbs. The design seemed to prioritize mobility and agility over raw strength. Two exhaust pipes protruded from its back, giving it a distinctly steampunk aesthetic.
“A mechanical golem?” Victor raised an eyebrow. Eleanor creating a mechanical golem was certainly impressive, but what could a single mechanical golem accomplish in a battle of this scale?
“Oh, this is no ordinary golem!” Eleanor declared proudly, puffing out her chest. “Y’see, this baby can actually be piloted. You control it from the inside. It’s an idea suggested by some of your acolytes, and I found it fascinating. Unfortunately, time’s too tight, so its practicality—and, uh, safety—haven’t exactly been tested yet.”
Victor blinked, momentarily taken aback. Seriously? Are you trying to make a mech? He swallowed hard as surprise flickered across his face.
Controlling a golem from the inside wasn’t a novel thing in this world. Take Rolan, for example; he could create a towering earthen golem that he could control from within. But this was different. It was a wholly mechanical construct, powered by engineering and magic rather than pure elemental force.
It was obvious Eleanor had drawn heavy inspiration from the mechanical golems Victor had previously lent her. However, the players’ influence was clear in its design, as it was strangely familiar and was heavily inspired by the mechs found in Earth’s fiction. But the same question remained: What could a single, pilotable mechanical golem do to change the course of the war?
Victor traced the runes etched along the golem’s surface with his finger, studying its intricate craftsmanship. “Since you claim this can turn the tide of battle, I assume you have a reason for such confidence?”
“Of course! Don’t underestimate me.” Eleanor huffed. But her bravado quickly softened as she scratched the back of her head sheepishly. “Well… it’s partly one of my apprentice’s ideas.” She fidgeted slightly before continuing, “So, this golem will carry a payload of powerful explosives. One of the players will pilot it into the enemy ranks and— boom! Massive destruction!”
“I see…” So, it’s basically a suicide bombing…
“One of your acolytes called Aphrodite called it ‘dy-na-mit.’ Apparently, it’s incredibly explosive, even more than black powder. If we amplify it with runes and mana crystals, the detonation should be strong enough to level a large area.”
Sure, the plan could indeed be viable as a last resort, but Victor would prefer not blowing up a portion of the academy grounds. Besides, it would only wipe out their first wave, leaving the subsequent waves intact. Not to mention that his all-out spell, powered up by his sigil, could likely achieve the same effect with less collateral damage.
“Well, let’s hope we never have to use that,” Victor said, waving his hand dismissively. “For now, the plan should be put on the back burner—”
“I know, right? Sacrificing this beauty for something as crude as that plan is outrageous!” Eleanor exclaimed, thrusting her fist into the air with righteous indignation.
Uh… that’s not really what I meant, but whatever.
“I don’t quite get it, though,” Eleanor added. “Most people would shy away from sacrificing themselves, but why are these acolytes so eager to volunteer for it?” She held her chin thoughtfully, closing her eyes as if pondering a profound mystery. “I mean, I’ve seen some of them die then mysteriously reappear a few days later… How is that even possible?! Wait, if I die, can I be resurrected as well?” She turned to Victor, her eyes wide and brimming with hope.
Victor almost blurted out, “Stupid. Of course not! If you die, you die,” but he stopped himself just in time. Clearing his throat, he straightened his posture. “Well, no… Ahem. Anyway, do you have what I asked you to make?”
“Ah, right.” Eleanor snapped back to attention, opened a wooden box beside her, and pulled out a finely crafted, ornate blue Magus robe. The fabric shimmered faintly, with runes woven seamlessly into its design. “Here it is. Max specs, just as you asked.”
“Great, thank you very much.” Victor took the Magus robe and then slipped it on after stowing his old acolyte robe into his interspatial ring. The new robe fit him perfectly, and he could immediately feel the difference—the enchantments woven into it empowering him far beyond the modest protection of his old robe.
“Hear me out, Patron. This robe has three layers of defensive enchantments—anti-magic warding, elemental resistance, and kinetic impact absorption. Compared to your old acolyte robe, this one has five times the durability and twice the charm.”
She pointed at the runes etched into the fabric, tracing them with her finger. “See these? They’re reinforced with mana-amplification circuits, which means you’ll get a boost when casting low-rank spells. Furthermore, its self-repairing ability is three times faster than typical acolyte robes.”
“Sounds like you didn’t cut any corners.”
“Obviously!” Eleanor smugly puffed out her chest. “I’d never let my patron walk around in second-rate gear. Besides, that old robe of yours was long overdue—practically an insult to your status. You’re welcome.”
Victor chuckled softly. “Fair enough. I’ll admit, this is a huge upgrade. You’ve done well. But I must go now.”
“Don’t mention it,” Eleanor replied with a toothy smile. “All right, I know what you’re going to do. Hopefully, we can get through this.”
“Mm. Everything’s going to be okay; I’ll work something out.”