Supreme Magus

Chapter 2539  No I in Funeral (Part 1)

ʼEven if the members of the senate were to listen to us and believe our words, it would still mean that all of their pain and sacrifices they just endured was for nothing.ʼ Solus said.

ʼWeʼll worry about that later.ʼ Lith replied. ʼNow we need to study the defensive formations of Zelex. No matter if we choose to parlay, raid the city, or ask for the Councilʼs help, we need to know how to safely get in.ʼ

Solus had no trouble recollecting Eryonʼs path and she guided Lith to a cave on the south side of the city. From there, departed a vertical tunnel that led outside whose access points were sealed with earth magic and protected by several defensive arrays.

Lith and Solus used the Eye of Menadion to study Zelexʼs arrays as they moved. The city had mostly magical formations meant to keep it warm and freshen its air. The rest were about collecting and focusing the energy of the mana geyser.

The protective arrays were arranged in an outer layer, meant to protect Zelex from external threats, not from an inside attack. Aside from a self-destruct mechanism that would make the underground complex collapse if threatened, the city had no means of offense once an enemy broke past its entrance.

ʼIt makes sense.ʼ Solus pondered. ʼBased on what the Demons found out, right below the city there is the crystal mine and below that, thereʼs the magic metal mine. Too many arrays would destabilize the crystals.

ʼGlemos couldnʼt insulate them without also cutting the flow of world energy they need to grow.ʼ

ʼAlso, both orc shamans and Fomors can freely manipulate the world energy.ʼ Lith pointed out. ʼThey can use the crystals to fuel their powers whereas an invader canʼt use powerful spells without the risk of blowing themselves up.ʼ

The cave at the south entrance, however, was another story entirely.

Every centimeter of the rock was enchanted with spells that would sound the alarm and rain tier five spells on anyone who didnʼt know their deactivation sequence.

ʼDamn, thereʼs enough firepower to kill even a Divine Beast.ʼ Lith thought. ʼAlso, even if they survived, the spells are aimed so that they would compromise the tunnelʼs structural integrity and make it implode.ʼ

ʼYeah, between the spells from below and the rocks falling from above, thereʼs no way to avoid ending up dead or buried alive.ʼ Solus replied. ʼUnless one knows the passcodes, of course.

ʼI memorized them when the Fomor who carried me got inside.ʼ

ʼQuestion, are you sure that we have just to use the entry sequence in reverse? What if the exit password is different?ʼ Lith asked.

ʼOnly one way to find out.ʼ Solus replied.

A deep scan with the Eyes and a massive headache later, they had their answer. To enter Zelex safely, the array had to be unraveled in a precise order and the last rune that Eryon had used was meant to reset the protections.

ʼFuck me sideways, I have no idea how to open the array sequence from the bottom nor how to reset them once we get out from the other side.ʼ Solus said after studying the collected data.

ʼOn the bright side, once we bring this information to Ajatar, Iʼm sure that heʼll find a way to crack the offensive arrays safely and give us a clear retreat path in case things go south.ʼ

Once they were done studying the arrays in the cave, Lith and Solus explored Zelex, finding one more cave leading outside at each cardinal point. The problem was that they all had different passcodes and arrays.

With their brains already burning and the clock ticking they had no time to scan them all.

ʼDammit, the underground complex is too big. Even with the help of my Demons, it would take days for a proper recon of the various floors.ʼ Lith said.

ʼAgreed. Letʼs not waste any more time and get out of here.ʼ Solus replied.

They moved to the extraction point where Nalrond was waiting for them. Not even by combining their powers could Lith and Solus escape but luckily there was no need for it.

A tendril of Spirit Magic slipped through the empty spaces of the arrays and reached Nalrond who was still waiting for them on the other side. At that point, the Rezar just used the dimensional stone to signal Friya to conjure Ubiquity again.

Ajatar took care of the external arrays while the others combined their Domination to bend the final layer just enough for Lith to come out.

”How did it go?” Morok asked.

”Better and worse than I thought.” Lith was still recovering from the mental exertion due to the prolonged use of the Eyes of Menadion. ”Iʼll show you everything in a minute. Let me catch my breath first.”

A tonic, a few minutes, a mind link, and several holograms later, the group was up to speed and completely horrified.

”Good gods, we canʼt allow the Undead Courts to get their hands on Glemosʼ legacy. Thereʼs no telling how powerful they would become if they find a way to fuel the Harmonizers away from a geyser and get rid of the blood coreʼs flaws.” Faluel said.

”Speaking of my legacy, did you find anything of value aside from the Harmonizers?” Morok asked.

”Thereʼs a metal and a crystal mine, but I think that the best stuff is sealed inside the senate palace.” Lith replied. ”Itʼs built in the middle of the city and all the arrays depart and focus from it.

”Itʼs the perfect place for conducting Forgemastering and magical experiments.”

”Wait a second.” Nalrond said. ”If the Tyrantʼs legacy is really there how come the monsters havenʼt used it to Forgemaster new Harmonizers instead of conducting something so barbaric as the rites of passage?

”As you already said, Fomors, Hati, and orc shamans can freely use all elements. Whatever protection Glemos has left, thereʼs nothing stopping them from combining their powers and breaking through the arrays.”

”Thatʼs where you are wrong.” Morok replied. ”There is something stopping them and thatʼs the fear that Glemos instilled inside of them their whole lives. To them, heʼs a god and they are afraid of his anger were he to return and find his quarters violated.

”On top of that, to keep his ʼgodʼ façade, I bet that Glemos claimed Forgemastery to be a divine miracle and never taught them even the basics of it. Even if they found the courage and break the taboo, they wouldnʼt know where to start.

”And thatʼs if Glemos wrote his grimoires without a code which Iʼm certain he did. Without a mentor or a textbook, learning any advanced branch of magic is impossible.”

”I agree with Morok.” Lith nodded. ”The monsters have no idea that Glemos is dead and even after witnessing the memories of the past shamans, most of them have a hard time accepting that he was just an Awakened who lied and manipulated them.

”Thatʼs why I think that our best chance is to send Morok alone. Heʼs a Tyrant and his scent proves that he carries Glemosʼ blood. If he manages to convince them to be the son of their god, theyʼll listen to everything he says.”

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