Wizard Alchemist

Chapter 632 Shadow Magic (4-in-1)

Over the next few months, Roy continued to monitor the members of the Morn Hermitage.

He not only observed their temperaments, but also the content of their discussions and learning.

Gradually, I gained a certain understanding of these people.

Regardless of the world's level, the members of the association can be considered the elite of humanity.

Each and every one of them possessed pure ideals and a thirst for knowledge, and were obsessed with breaking through and getting promoted.

This quality can actually be considered a part of the human soul that leans towards the divine.

The higher the proportion of a person's soul to their divinity, the more they are inclined towards the golden rank.

In a sense, these are genuine, high-quality human beings...

However, the gap in global standing is there, and this gap is difficult for an individual to bridge.

As Roy secretly observed, he seemed to see generations of pioneers following one after another, paying a huge price to do certain things.

The vast majority of pioneers were destined to fail.

To remain unknown and become a stepping stone for others.

But they still pursued it without hesitation, instead of just caring about personal enjoyment.

"In a high-magic world, even a petty thug could have more knowledge and experience more amazing things than they do."

If you can acquire better materials in the future, you'll have a greater chance of getting a promotion.

These elites of the world spend their days researching, but they're only scratching the surface of their experiences, failing to delve into the essence of things!

If someone filled with racism and arrogance were to see this, they might think these people are mentally challenged, and then label the entire world of Araghi as ignorant and backward, believing that the people here are inherently inferior and have no future.

Even Roy, who knew the correct answer, couldn't help but feel sorry for them.

However, it's not their fault.

The history of magic in this world is still in its infancy.

After learning all this, Melius asked, "I remember we talked before about how the advancement path in Achinila is actually quite similar to that of wizards?"

"Yes, but the 'Wizard Maxims' have been replaced by spell models constructed from arcane knowledge."

They call that essential thing "the heart of arcane magic," which is actually the flexible application of various rune arrays and also includes the cognitive framework of arcane thinking.

As for the "source of magic power," it is determined by both meditation skills and mana reserves.

There are also factors such as mana affinity.

Perhaps we could teach them the meditation techniques wizards use to construct sources of magic, and then let them become wizards!

In response to Melius's question, Roy also offered a solution.

"This would probably be completely different from the use of spells and models, wouldn't it?"

"Merius reminded me."

"The Order of Morn has been studying arcane arts for the past hundred years. They've suddenly turned to witchcraft. I'm afraid they'll find it very difficult to adapt."

Roy said, "These are indeed two different spell routes that will only converge again at key points or the final destination."

But, after all, I am a wizard.

From any perspective, this is the choice.

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"If they are willing to serve me, it would be best if they became my vassal wizards."

If you really don't want to...

I will not hesitate to eliminate them.

I will not allow any element that threatens my rule to be born into this world!

Melius remained silent.

What she truly cared about was the World Tree itself.

But if that day really comes, the natives will probably choose to destroy the World Tree.

When the time comes, we'll have no choice but to advance or retreat together.

……

After that, Roy secretly used mental suggestion to try to cast a spell from a distance.

He is now able to use "projection," and it is even engraved in his soul as a skill seed.

This also gives his spirit a quality of being transmitted across distances.

Using the gem's long-range communication channels, a surge of magical energy quickly reached the other party's secluded abode.

Roy began to intentionally or unintentionally present them with some "correct answers," subtly influencing their thinking like an invisible ghost.

Theories on the source of wizarding power, the role of wizarding maxims, methods of magical energy and bloodline modification, the essence of acquired sorcerers...

This made them realize that the path they had explored in the past might have been wrong.

Since we know it's wrong, we should correct it and find a new direction.

Moreover, it is the "only correct" direction.

……

A few months later, the year came to an end.

Mogos stared at a small stack of documents for a long time, then suddenly seemed to have an epiphany.

In his eyes, the symbols on the paper seemed to come alive and move on their own.

The formula was also distorted, taking on a snake-like shape.

They took on various poses on the paper, stimulating his inspiration.

Some even bite their own tails, like the infinity symbol "∞".

Suddenly, Mogos clapped his hands.

Got it!

He suddenly grasped a certain internal magical cycle, the secret to creating the source of magic.

"I see, so rune arrays can be transformed in this way!"
This formula plus this formula...

Finally, a transformation is performed...

This is the configuration of a Level One Source of Magic!

The moment the words left my mouth, the image in my mind was instantly activated.

The mysterious mana flowed into his brain along with his spirit, and symbols interwoven with light and shadow seemed to appear above his head.

The crowd in the distance was startled and gathered around, staring in astonishment at the scene.

What happened to Mogos?

Shh, keep your voice down!
He seems to be contemplating something important!

As everyone watched him become delirious, absorbed in his own world, muttering to himself from time to time, and even gesticulating wildly, they held their breath and waited by his side.

It wasn't until Mogos's soul was sublimated, and the magical aura emanating from his entire body was transformed, that everyone showed joy on their faces.

"So powerful!"

"Is this a breakthrough?"

In an instant, Mogos's mental strength surged from 5 to 10.

The texture has also become increasingly clear and specific.

"Everyone, I think I have truly broken through!"
The topic of constructing the source of magic that we discussed before!

We did it!

"Great!"

One hundred and twenty years!

"A full one hundred and twenty years!"

"We made it!"

Everyone present applauded.

They joined this organization to share wisdom and achieve a breakthrough in promotion.

Although Mogos is currently the only one who has achieved success, once he shares the key to his success, will he be far behind?
In their excitement, they all looked at each other with the fervor and enthusiasm of eager students.

"The specific construction method is as follows: you need to build your own 'Source of Magic' model in your mind..."

Mogos naturally knew what these like-minded people craved, and without saying a word, he began to explain on the spot.

******
"It really worked!"

Having secretly observed this scene, Roy nodded approvingly.

Mogos's talent and aptitude were indeed outstanding.

If placed in a high-magic world, he might be a top student comparable to Edwin and others of the past.

"In that case, it's time to make contact with them."

After silently watching the scene of everyone's excited discussion for a while, Roy covered the crystal ball with his palm.

The spirit was projected remotely, secretly releasing a magical energy of "activation".

The conversation in the living room was interrupted.

They all turned their heads, looking in shock at the projection avatar that appeared, its entire body composed of shadow energy.

The body had a translucent texture, like a ghost or phantom, but its appearance was that of a young man.

"who are you?"

Mogos looked astonished.

Although this projected avatar was significantly weakened compared to the original body, the aura emanating from a superior being remained, still causing everyone present to feel a substantial pressure.

“You can call me Roy, who is now known to the outside world as… the God of Wishes.”

Roy smiled.

"what!"

"God of Wishes!"

Everyone was shocked.

They were very familiar with this name and had discussed it privately many times before.

Roy continued, "I've been observing you all for a long time and I've found that you're all intelligent people. There's no need to be too roundabout with intelligent people."

Let's be open and honest, and have a proper talk.

Everyone was shocked again, and quickly gleaned a lot of information from Roy's words, "I have been watching you in secret for a long time."

Mogos also snapped out of his elation at being promoted to a formal rank, and his joy turned into horror.

Being able to observe might also have an impact.

He might even be the reason I get promoted.

But how could such a thing be possible? Is this person really a god?
But according to the records left by Master Moen, deities shouldn't look like this...

Roy ignored his thoughts and went straight to the point: "The faction to which the mage Morn and others belong is called Atenila..."

"And I am the lord here appointed by the Seven Towers Alliance..."

Although it was a long story, it still took more than half an hour to explain the general situation of the outside world to these natives.

Even Mogos, who had already been promoted to a formal wizard, had to listen carefully and undergo a cognitive transformation that reshaped his worldview.

Thanks to the foundation laid by Moen, they also had some knowledge of planes and worlds, and were also somewhat aware of the existence of Achinira.

In a sense, they were already prepared for the arrival of the Achinila expeditionary force and their conquest of the world.

Unexpectedly, instead of the sorcerers of Achinila, they were greeted by the wizards of Vizel.

However, just as Roy had predicted.

These elite humans instantly grasped the concepts of Level 0, Level 1, and Level 2, and understood the changes that a Level 2 wizard like Roy could bring to the world.

"Your Excellency Roy, are you truly willing to give this world the opportunity to develop, rather than enslave us?"

Mogos's attitude changed 180 degrees in an instant.

Because he had realized that the person in front of him was not someone to be trifled with.

"As I said before, I am willing to give intelligent people enough respect."

But the prerequisite is that you also need to have some understanding of the situation.

"So, how will we get along from now on...?"

"I will continue to play the role of my god of wishes, controlling the mortal world. You will continue to be your hermits, studying magic. Nothing needs to be changed..."

But in private, I will recruit you as my followers, using knowledge and wealth to gain your loyalty.

In the future, if the Seven Towers Alliance ever summons you, I will find a way to secure an opportunity for you to step out of this world.

In the developments that followed, everyone was responsible for their own actions.

After listening to the conversation, Mogos and the others exchanged messages privately and finally made a decision.

"We'll do as you say!"

The process of subduing this group went much more smoothly than expected.

This is why these people are truly wise, understanding that the terms Roy offered were quite generous.

However, when discussing the magical path and the arrangements made by the Morn Order, Mogos and the others still had some doubts.

Emotionally, they are grateful to Master Moen for the blessings they have received.

If not handled properly, it may create hidden dangers.

Roy had already planned ahead: "Let's leave it as it is for now and preserve the Morn Hermitage."

However, this group is only for learning and discussion and has no right to participate in any decisions made in this world, nor will it recruit new members from outside!

"I will establish a secret monastic order outside of this, allowing you to live in a better place, recruit members, and grow stronger..."

This is actually a euphemism for completely erasing the Moan Hermitage and eliminating the influence of the mage system.

Roy knew these people's feelings for Morn and the mage system, and he also knew that some things are hard to erase.

However, it cleverly mitigates the conflict and stretches the timeline to thousands of years.

Mogos and the others were also intelligent, and they quickly figured out the key point. They sincerely flattered him, saying, "Your magnanimity and breadth of mind..."

That's truly admirable!

Roy smiled slightly.

Having a broad mind and magnanimity is not enough.

He then announced the various rules and benefits of his secret monastic order.

He had been secretly observing these people for a long time, and naturally he could come up with reasons to satisfy them and gain their obedience.

This includes, but is not limited to, clauses on rescinding surveillance and respecting privacy, all protected by the "sacred law" established by the wizard's contract.

Although Roy still holds the "final say," this has undoubtedly begun to build trust between them and dispel unfounded suspicions.

Finally, there's the knowledge that Mogos and the others crave most.

By signing a contract guaranteeing to serve him for over a hundred years, they will have the opportunity to be promoted to a formal rank.

A century later, when the Alliance was recruiting soldiers, they were sent out to make their way in the world.

For Roy, this was "labor export," but for these natives, it was a real opportunity to make their way in the world and get promoted.

In addition, if a peerless genius were to unexpectedly advance to the second level, he would be responsible for contacting the Seven Towers Alliance to provide them with better development opportunities.

To be able to advance to level two in such a small place, one is definitely worthy of being cultivated as a core elite.

Roy was also very happy to gain the friendship of a future high-ranking wizard.

After discussing these matters, Roy also stated his needs. "I need data on all research projects your organization has undertaken over the past century."

Furthermore, you should have some knowledge of the world's higher-ups and secrets, and even of alien species beyond humankind.

I have some tasks to assign you to complete..."

******
More than a month passed after that.

The new year is here.

As agreed, Mogos and the others delivered all the information Roy needed to Mlakent and also paid homage to the statue standing there.

With Roy's permission, they each made a wish and received corresponding knowledge and research projects.

Because of the organization's mission, all members valued this opportunity highly and carefully selected some basic witchcraft techniques.

However, Roy did not let them go inside to see the truth about the World Tree sapling. Instead, he sent them to White Deer Town to settle down there.

From then on, the secret base of the Mystic Order was established there.

As for Roy himself, he devoured the things they had brought.

Although he had a general understanding that these people's research had not been very effective.

It's even possible that the direction is wrong.

But after all, it is the culmination of the efforts of the world's elites, the crystallization of wisdom that the entire organization has painstakingly accumulated over a hundred years.

There might be some good stuff among them.

Moreover, the ideas of the indigenous people may be limited by various conditions.

Possessing a wealth of practical talents and abilities, including [a catalog of various skills], [unexpected joys], [favorable luck], [inspirational insights], and more...

There is certainly a way to realize some unrealistic ideas.

And sure enough, upon closer inspection, we found something!

"What Moen brought over..."

The basic model of plasticity systems...

Information on the spells "Shadow Shaping" and "Shadow Guard"!

Moen himself was just a minor apprentice mage, so of course he couldn't possibly master these two level 2 spells of the 5th ring.

However, the underlying principles are universal.

The spell models derived from this will naturally have similarities.

Among them, "Shadow Shaping" mimics Shaping spells below the 5th level, with only 20% accuracy.

The "Shadow Guardians" are a group of shadow warriors created with magic, which also only possess a certain degree of realism.

However, they can all draw upon the Shadow Elements and use this energy to simulate physical and elemental damage.

If you delve deeper into this subject, you can truly find it to be incredibly fascinating.

Even the "projection technique" I had previously mastered contained this knowledge.

……

After some time.

Mtraken, in the woods.

Several fleshy mushroom demons, controlled by Celine, attacked from all directions.

A red light flashed in Roy's eyes, and a surge of shadowy energy erupted.

In an instant, tentacled black shadows appeared out of thin air and launched a counterattack from all directions.

This is a projection of the ghostly sorcerer's body.

By absorbing the energy of the Shadow Realm, it quickly manifests in the material world, thus becoming a Shadow Tentacle with a certain physical form.

In the blink of an eye, the fleshy mushroom demons were bound, hung up, and suspended face up among the tree branches.

"Good! You've mastered it!"

Seeing this, Roy said with genuine joy.

This is a type of witchcraft called "Activating Shadows" within the witchcraft system.

It is a fusion of "Animation" and "Shadow" magic, with boundless potential.

In some worlds, there are even so-called "Shadow Wizards" who specialize in these things and have formed their own school of thought.

After that, Roy's figure flashed, and the shadow beneath his feet broke free from his body and stepped out.

This is a "Shadow Clone" with a 20% realism level and over 200 degrees of energy.

Unlike the shadow created by the Demonic Witch's Body, it possesses an ability based on the bloodline of the Feathered Serpent God.

"suddenly!"

With a flash, a tree in front of them exploded with a bang.

He was actually smashed to pieces by this "shadow man" with his bare fists!
A moment later, the shadow returned to Roy's side, its body melting like clay, and once again transformed into the shape of a black shadow.

If you don't look closely, it's really not easy to notice anything unusual inside.

Roy, who had been standing there motionless, smiled and looked at her with satisfaction.

"Now, if I were to play the role of the 'Black Blade Sword Saint,' it would be an even more perfect fit!"
Multitasking, with multiple "shadow clones," all of whom are sword masters...

It's terrifying to even think about!

The next moment, the black armor wrapped around the platinum armor, and it transformed back into the "Shadow Armor" form.

Although its defensive capabilities are not strong, it is more than capable of negating some attacks due to its own characteristics.

For some level zero creatures, or even level one creatures, this can be described as an "invincible skin" that is completely immune to damage!

He already possessed the "layering armor" technique, which petrified his skin, and now he can add several more layers on top of it.

Once the strategy was set, everything else was just minor details, and he was confident that he could master it within a few years.

"congratulations."

Not far away, Melius, watching this scene, couldn't help but admire and congratulate.

"You seem to have a real talent for this; you mastered it very quickly..."

This is, of course, because he had once mastered "Projection" using the skill seed, laying a solid foundation at the level of soul talent!

Roy smiled to himself.

Then I realized that it was also related to having a broad mind and being able to draw inferences from one instance to another.

"Actually, what I value more is not these things, but that if one has enough knowledge, one can start from the root of this branch and deduce many other things."

"Oh?" Meurius seemed slightly surprised. "Besides your own hair and body, you actually have other things to rely on?"

"Of course there are, for example, 'Shadow Creatures' formed by mobilizing Shadow Energy."

The "Shadow Potion" is also created using this energy.

There's even a whole series of spells derived from this, and the origins of "creation science"!

Roy gave her a brief explanation.

In alchemy, there is a secret that can be called the ultimate mystery, which is called "creation art"—the means of creating objects out of thin air!

Part of its foundation is also associated with "Shadow Creatures".

By mastering this knowledge, one can build the corresponding model in their mind.

Then, with the fourth-level source of magic, the basic ability of "spiritual materialization" will naturally lead to mastery of the "creation technique" that allows one to shape mental thoughts into physical objects.

This is part of a whole series of items, which were originally meant to be redeemed at the Witch Tower once you reached the corresponding level.

But now, it's exempt.

Roy chatted with Melius for a while before returning to the mage's mansion to record his insights from the spellcasting and practice.

Then, something else came to mind.

"After actual testing, it seems that different parts of my witch body exhibit different behaviors..."

This appears to be due to the different levels of 'realism' in the projection of matter into the Shadow Realm.

This could be interpreted as a kind of density, or mass!

******
In the scientific world, there is a cutting-edge theory that mass is trapped energy.

This is actually another way of saying "spiritual embodiment".

The essence of the soul is the only fundamental thing in the world, constituting heaven, earth, nature, and all things in the universe.

This also means that in a magical universe, real objects, spirits, and shadows can be transformed into each other.

The "realism" of matter projected into the Shadow Realm determines the efficiency of the projection.

In simpler terms...

The shadow possesses xx% of the original's realism!
This realism multiplier is determined by the density of spiritual energy.

Of course, the properties of the entity itself are also related.

At this point, Roy noticed a strange phenomenon.

"The shadow of the Ghostly Witch's body seems to have an unusually high degree of 'realism'!"

He recalled the process of casting the spell and the origin of his ghostly body, feeling that it might be related to some kind of law residue in the "ghostly and strange source material".

"Perhaps we can explore and make good use of this point."

Ordinary shadows only have about 10% to 20% realism.

But just now, the Ghostly Witch Body might have reached over 50%.

It's even possible that we haven't fully understood or explored this...

With further exploration, it can be improved to an even higher level!

After that, Roy took more notes, exploring the relationship between this shadow energy and "sanctification".

On the surface, this is the basis of "projection technique".

However, the specific effects of the spell are completely opposite to "sanctification".

If we consider the material world as low-dimensional, then the outer plane composed of energy such as spirit and shadow is high-dimensional.

Projection means "to bring down".

Sanctification is "ascending to the heavens".

There is a profound connection between these things.

However, just as Roy was exploring the mysteries of witchcraft, the skull of a young girl floated over, bringing him bad news.

“Master, I have just analyzed a lot of intelligence and discovered that Captain Cordeif, whom Moen mentioned before, may have contacted Achinella!”

"Oh?"

Roy turned to look at it, a look of surprise on his face.

"Tell me in detail what exactly happened."

“A hundred years ago, a mysterious explosion occurred in a small town called Red Fox Town.”

The girl's skull spoke up to explain.

"After that, various countries on the mainland observed some unusual celestial phenomena."

This is very likely due to his attempt to contact the local area.

Roy immediately sat up straight, his expression turning serious.

“Unusual celestial phenomena are very important in the occult!”

The skull of the maiden refers to an old case from a hundred years ago, where a large-scale sacrificial ritual occurred, disturbing the changes in the stars.

This is mentioned not only in the records of the Order of Moen, but also in official records of various countries on the continent, including the present-day Megan Empire and the Iris Federation.

However, they did not pay attention to this, nor did they connect the earthly rituals with the celestial phenomena.

It wasn't until Celine unearthed it that the relationship between the two was established in the form of big data.

This naturally includes eyewitness reports about "strange people," "outsiders," and "mysterious masters," as well as various files related to the "mysterious bombing case."

It's really hard for ordinary people to read these things. It took Roy a whole day to figure out the cause and effect by following the index provided by Celine.

The final assessment was that Cordiff survived his serious injuries, but lost the ability to create a world beacon and return home.

He could only use methods known only to the captain to create strange signals in this world and temporarily interfere with the changes in celestial phenomena.

Then, to evade Moen's pursuit, he went into hiding under an assumed name.

The essence of this matter is somewhat like a person stranded on a desert island making a campfire on the beach.

As for the distant homeland, the means of observation are certainly not with the naked eye, but with various knowledge of "astrology" and "divination"!
"So, it's very likely that Achinila knew about this world's existence a hundred years ago?"

After thinking for a moment, Roy asked.

"That's right."

The Path of a Maiden's Skull.

Roy immediately felt terrible, all the joy and excitement he had felt earlier about mastering Shadow Magic was overshadowed.

"This is really not good news!"
But why haven't they come yet?

The girl's skull said, "It's possible that because there are too many new worlds and the level here is too low, they haven't paid much attention to it."

"That's about it."

Roy nodded in agreement.

100 years is not a long time in the context of interdimensional warfare.

If Yachinila cannot spare any manpower for the time being, it is possible that it can be postponed.

After much deliberation, Roy was still somewhat uneasy, so he simply found the World Beacon and used it to send a cross-dimensional message to the Wizard Tower.

He wanted to know if there was any unusual activity on Achinila's side.

However, since the interdimensional teleportation array has not yet been established, this message may take several years to be transmitted.

For now, we can only wait patiently.

However, he did not remain idle during this waiting period and immediately put the plan to build an interdimensional teleportation array on the agenda.

This in itself is not a difficult task, because he has already mastered things like "dimensional beacon" teleportation anchors.

But in practice, it requires working overtime and sacrificing a lot of the time and energy that would otherwise be used for learning and improvement.

Because of this, projecting an avatar is not easy to do independently; it is unavoidable that one must invest a certain amount of time and effort.

And wealth...

It is also a huge expense.

The reserves I have are not enough to complete the entire construction. I need to find a way to accumulate enough to exchange for at the Witch Tower!
"It's settled then. We'll try our best to accumulate this wealth within a few years..."

Where does wealth come from?

Roy set his sights on the Empire and the Alliance, which he was gradually gaining control of in secret.

The humans of this world live in the hilly area in the east of the continent. Their conditions are far from ideal, and they don't have much "wealth" that would catch the eye of a wizard.

True "wealth" lies in many deep mountains and forests, where the earth's veins converge, and also in the vast plains and fertile soil.

But they were either impassable obstacles, or occupied by powerful inhuman races.

Even Moen and his group had suffered greatly at the hands of the kobold tribe deep in the mountains.

What Roy is seeking now is to eliminate a small number of monsters and establish resource points to provide a continuous supply of resources.

So, using the communication crystal, they contacted Mogos and the others and gave them a general outline of the mission.

Of course, he didn't say directly that he wanted to make money, but used a legitimate reason that was more favorable to the indigenous people.

"I plan to establish a training system for wizard apprentices, and those resource points will also be opportunities for their development!"

(End of this chapter)