Chapter 212: The Advancing Vampire (4k)
“Is this the treasure left behind by Alvaraite?”
Dark stared intently at the fantastical and magnificent diagram of the light array, a sense of achievement welling up within him.
Although he knew that such treasures could be easily obtained with just a stretch of his hand after returning home for the summer vacation, the feeling of achieving something through his own efforts was always different from simply asking for it.
After calming down, he immediately picked up pen and paper to start recording.
The moonlight beam condensed by Eevee couldn’t last long; he had to record it quickly!
But the complexity of the array diagram exceeded his expectations.
It wasn’t flat but a three-dimensional one, increasing the difficulty of recording.
By the time the light faded, Dark had only completed a small portion of the drawing.
He wasn’t in a rush; he walked into the cave, using the mirror’s angle to make precise measurements while waiting for the “Moon Power” cooldown.
Since the mirror wouldn’t disappear suddenly, he had plenty of time to continue recording.
But what exactly was this array diagram left by Alvaraite?
Was it a magic circle or a formation?
…
Dark was more inclined towards it being a formation.
And it was very likely a self-created formation by Alvaraite!
Alvaraite, as one of the many heroes who graduated from St. Maryan, had already stood out both in strength and academic achievements during her time in the academy.
Her proficiency in armored series mana cards was unparalleled!
This treasure might very well be related to such a formation.
Armored series mana cards were a branch of item cards. Unlike ordinary equipment cards, the most prominent feature of armored series mana cards was the need for “wearing.”
For example, a changing card was a simplified type of armored card.
An armored card typically combined a full set of equipment into one card, transforming through the act of “wearing.”
Famous series like the Masked Rider and the Twelve Golden Holy Armor all fell under the category of armored cards.
Another famous series was the Magical Girl series…
Magi initially applied armored cards to golems. Later, they found that armored cards had strict requirements on the size of golems, and few golems could properly utilize the true power of armored cards.
Moreover, similar to golems, armored cards required a continuous consumption of mana to sustain their effects. The higher the usage frequency, the more mana consumed.
Golems themselves didn’t have enough mana, and adding an armored card would drain them almost instantly.
Thus, magi mostly used armored cards on themselves.
A sufficiently powerful armored card could transform a weak magus into a terrifying warrior!
…
Dark had a strong interest in armored cards.
Not just because he wanted to recreate sacred garments.
When he had free time, he would occasionally ponder:
Is Gundam an armored suit?
What about Ultraman?
Iron Man?
Hmm…
This was a question.
…
Magi were actually a highly creative profession.
As their skills improved, they could accomplish things beyond imagination.
…
Time passed slowly.
After two more attempts at imaging, Dark finally sketched out the general shape.
For the precise measurements and detailed drawings, he planned to do them in the morning when his mind was clearer.
…
On the other side, Wit and the others, who had found nothing, decided to sleep first.
They brought inflatable sleeping bags, which could expand to two meters long when inflated.
These preparations were necessary for winter camping outside.
…
The next morning.
Research continued.
While Dark was nearing the end of his work, Wit hadn’t found a solution yet.
This difference could be attributed to their different levels of basic education.
Betty focused more on magical points, thus overlooking the fact that this was a simple optical design.
Wit and the others hadn’t put much thought into solving the puzzle.
By noon,
Dark had fully recorded the array diagram. He even began experimenting by shining the beam at different angles onto the mirrors or using different mirrors to see if anything new appeared.
And indeed, he discovered something!
With Eevee’s moonlight beam hitting one of the mirrors, a new light array appeared inside the chamber!
This discovery excited Dark.
He realized that the numerous mirrors in the cave were not just for decoration; each one seemed to have its purpose.
In the evening,
Dark found a third array diagram!
After recording the third diagram, he carefully observed and suddenly had an epiphany. When he mentally overlaid the three diagrams, he noticed they formed a complete sphere!
“Trinity?”
Dark gradually had some ideas.
There were three hidden array diagrams in the mirror room, and no further discoveries were made afterward.
There was no “instruction manual” as he had hoped.
But this wasn’t a major problem.
Now that he had the diagrams, he could investigate Alvaraite’s creative achievements during her student years and deduce the use of these arrays.
Surely, the Valkyrie wouldn’t use something already covered in textbooks as treasure?
…
Night had fallen…
After eating and drinking, Dark prepared to have a comfortable sleep before returning to the dormitory in the morning.
Satiated by his findings, he slept soundly.
The imp beast curled up in a scarf and fell asleep next to its cheek.
Over the past two days, they had confirmed that the dragon’s den was safe.
Indeed, with the ancient dragon defeated, the entire ancient forest became quiet, and many mechanisms ceased operations.
It hadn’t collapsed because there were still people inside.
…
When Dark went to sleep early, the others, who had found nothing, lit a campfire out of boredom.
Though the campfire was a toy from Traveler’s Street and essentially a mana stove, it did create an atmosphere.
However, the firelight cast a gloomy shadow on their faces.
Wit felt dejected, Robert was agitated, and Scott felt ashamed due to his earlier confidence.
They had lost their composure from the previous day, except for Betty, who continued to struggle inside the chamber.
But after some time, Betty had to leave the chamber filled with mirrors.
She rubbed her temples, feeling dizzy.
“Scott, any hot coffee?”
Betty dragged herself toward the campfire, wanting to add sugar to her coffee.
“Later,” Scott replied, taking out a small can of coffee and putting it in the water that hadn’t boiled yet.
Betty sat beside him, hugging her knees and gazing ahead, her attention drawn to the campfire.
Wit couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, any discoveries?”
Betty continued staring at the campfire, ignoring him.
Wit repeated, “Senior?”
Betty suddenly stood up, “Got it!”
“What got it?” Wit asked.
“We need a high-intensity light source!” Betty declared.
…
With a flash of inspiration, Betty’s quest finally came to an end.
Using on-site formation techniques, she created a simple device that emitted a bright beam of light and immediately entered the chamber, shining the beam on the mirrors.
Half a minute later, she emerged with a joyful expression.
Wit, who had been anxiously waiting at the entrance, rushed over, “How did it go? Was it successful?”
Betty raised her eyes slightly, proudly, “Of course! Don’t you know who I am?”
Wit excitedly said, “Let me see.”
Betty handed him the light-emitting device, “Just inject mana.”
Wit rushed into the chamber, impatient.
Once he injected mana into the device and followed Betty’s instructions to shine the beam directly across from the mirror, a light array diagram appeared before him.
“Is this a simple design?”
Wit’s face turned red, his hands trembling with excitement.
“Is this the treasure left by my father?”
“What kind of array diagram is it?”
“An ancient magic array?”
“A specialized formation?”
“Or a unique spell represented in图文 form?”
He couldn’t help but imagine.
…
Outside the chamber,
Scott curiously asked, “Did you find anything?”
Betty glanced at him, feeling somewhat pleased, “It should be a spell.”
Scott exclaimed, “A spell left by the hero? I want to see it!”
Betty shook her head, “That’s not a good idea. Since it was left by the hero, it should be received by the hero’s child. And not everyone can use it.”
Scott accepted her reasoning, “Things left by heroes are always special. It’s fate that Wit has inherited his legacy!”
Betty massaged her temples, “I need some rest. The subsequent documentation isn’t my responsibility anymore.”
Scott shrugged, “Of course, it’s Wit’s job.”
Then, Betty approached the campfire, wearing heat-resistant gloves, and poured the heated coffee into a teacup, adding sugar.
In the dark, she took a sip, feeling a slight regret.
Although she recognized the spell, she knew it was a universal spell that not everyone could use.
It had a detection function that changed based on the owner’s qualifications, manifesting as different forms.
Only when it transformed into a weapon could it perform its basic functions.
Depending on the weapon, the spell’s power varied, with swords being the strongest!
Its name was “Illusion Soldier Curse,” belonging to both magic cards and item cards.
Because it was often used by heroes to summon holy swords, it was also called the “Holy Sword Curse!”
…
Betty knew this so clearly because the “Holy Sword Curse” was a content taught in the second semester of the fourth year—she had pre-studied it!
Within half a minute of recognizing the spell,
She decided to keep this secret permanently.
Destroying a child’s beautiful fantasies about their parents was not her wish.
She didn’t want to hide it either.
But who knew that the treasure left by the hero would be something already covered in textbooks?
By the time Wit reached the fourth year, she would have graduated…
“How terrible!”
…
Three of the four-person group were immersed in joy, even Robert was secretly happy for Wit.
Finally, Wit thought of Robert, asking him to enter the chamber to hold the light-emitting device while he started recording.
The “Holy Sword Curse” was not short, but it was at least a two-dimensional spell, making it easier to draw.
Wit spent half an hour successfully recording it.
Then he invited Robert out of the chamber, feeling refreshed!
The treasure left by his father was finally in his hands!
…
Amidst the excitement, they gathered around the campfire and chatted for a long time before retrieving their sleeping bags and going to sleep.
…
At the same time,
The bat in the corner opened its eyes.
A hundred meters away.
Driven by instinct, the vampire finally crossed the labyrinth-like secret passage and found its surroundings.
The complexity of the passage had left it wandering all night.
The already chaotic state of its brain was further muddled by rage and hunger.
Its arms hung down, saliva dripped from its mouth, and its eyes glowed with ferocity, as if it had crawled out from hell!
As the prey’s scent drew closer, the hunting instinct made it stop breathing, its footsteps silent.
The torches on both sides of the passage no longer lit.
It listened in the darkness.
It slithered in the shadows.
Minutes later.
The vampire’s eyes reflected the glow of the campfire.
Vit and the others, still asleep, remained oblivious.
The vampire extended its long, sharp tongue, circling its lips.
It could feel the little remaining blood in its body boiling.
Among the four people in the sleeping bags, one person’s blood scent was deeply etched into its soul.
That was the most delicious prey.
The finest blood bag!
The dark shadow lunged at the four.
Silently, the vampire approached the hero’s child, slowly, slowly, restraining its urge to bite, lowering its fangs toward the hero’s child’s neck.
Though the wineglass contained delicious blood,
The blood flowing in the veins was the vampire’s favorite.
A strong stench pierced Vit’s nostrils, causing him to instinctively wrinkle his brow before groggily opening his eyes.
Blood-red light illuminated his vision.
The vampire bit down!
“Ah——”
…
