The events that occurred in the mountains couldn't escape the insight of the reconnaissance spell set by Lance.
The miners once again captured the children of Hero Village. They still didn’t know what to do with these half-grown kids.
The silence spell on Mira had not yet taken effect. She couldn’t speak, and as a result, she appeared listless.
In fact, even during their time at the magical nexus, Mira rarely spoke. “Speak less, do more” was the survival rule for apprentices. The long-suppressed desire to express herself surged within her. It was only now that she had finally encountered someone like Lance, who was willing to listen to her.
The situation was so bizarre this time, and just earlier, she had learned the cause of how the town ended up like this.
She really had so much she wanted to say to Lance.
Sigh.
Mira silently sighed in her heart.
Lance knew about Mira’s troubles.
He thought for a moment, and indeed, none of the spells he knew could break the silence enchantment.
This magic had an element of punishment to it, so it was perfectly normal that it couldn’t be undone.
However, the blue dragon had another idea.
Knock knock knock.
Mira heard a strange knocking sound. They were walking along a small path in the mine—where could there be a door?
Knock knock knock.
It came again.
“Mira, it’s a magic permit,” Lance stopped in his tracks. “You can try letting me in.”
Mira blinked.
Knocking. She tried to make a gesture of opening a door in her mind, and then, as if by magic, a door seemed to open quietly in front of her.
What was this? Mira felt confused.
“It’s a form of consciousness magic,” Lance explained. “Now, I can sense your thoughts. When the silence spell ends, you just need to make a closing gesture, and the mind communication will end.”
Such a magical ability? She had never heard of it before.
“It’s a little trick created by my mother’s lover to please her,” Lance explained.
Mira was surprised by this revelation.
So that’s how it is. Mira recalled that Lance had once mentioned the tower was a gift from his mother’s lover. It was later taken by the magic dragons.
Lance’s mother must have been a great beauty, Mira thought. To create magic and give such an expensive gift—how precious was his affection!
Lance listened to the thoughts in her mind.
“My mother wasn’t the beauty everyone thinks,” Lance said quietly.
Mira looked at him. His voice was soft, yet it carried a trace of sadness.
“She was a powerful spellcaster,” Lance continued in a hushed voice. “That man gave her the tower, but it was only to acquire a stronger medium.”
A stronger medium? But since she had already become a tower mage, didn’t that mean she already possessed a powerful medium…?
Lance did not answer Mira’s question.
The blue dragon itself was the most powerful medium in the world. That man hadn’t gifted his mother these precious items out of true affection.
He simply wanted to please her, so that she could become a one-of-a-kind medium.
The thoughts that appeared in Mira’s mind came to a brief halt due to Lance’s words. This was not the romantic story she had imagined.
She opened her mouth, but the effect of the silence spell had not yet ended. She couldn’t make a sound.
So that’s how it is. Then he truly was a bad person.
“Yes,” Lance said, “To my mother, he was a villain beyond redemption.” He didn’t continue, even though, for humans, tower mages were seen as heroes who protected them.
“However, the magic he created is quite interesting,” Lance said with a smile, looking at Mira. “At least now, it’s very useful, don’t you think?”
Mira nodded.
Her thoughts were accurately conveyed to Lance’s mind through this magic, which indeed solved the problem of her being unable to speak.
“We’re about to enter the mine,” Lance stopped in front of an abandoned mine entrance.
He had already scouted the area. Due to over-mining, the underground labyrinths of the mines had connected to each other. Entering any abandoned mine would lead them to their destination.
Lance said to Mira, “This time, the enemy is quite strong. Stay close to me.”
Mira nodded and patted her pocket.
Inside were her medium and the scroll Lance had given her. Even if they encountered magic, she might be able to protect herself with these items.
Descending into the depths didn’t feel good. The mine tunnels were narrow, and the air was stifling. There were no light sources in the abandoned shafts, so Lance had to release a light spell every so often, which followed the two of them.
Magic-Nullifying stones would absorb the energy fluctuations from spells, so even Lance had to constantly replenish his magical energy to ensure the light remained.
“How do we deal with the shadows?” Mira asked Lance.
“We’re not dealing with the shadows themselves,” Lance explained. “Shadows are a naturally occurring phenomenon and can’t be destroyed. What we need to deal with is the person who wants to feed the shadows with the miners' greed and use the blood of the heroes to extinguish the shadows.”
Mira was confused. They were strengthening the shadows' power and controlling it at the same time.
What exactly did this person behind the scenes want to achieve?
Lance’s next words answered all of Mira’s questions.
“Shadows can also be made into a medium.”
Yes. Spellcasters created magic for mediums, for stronger mediums, didn’t they?
Mira’s thoughts became slow as she felt the cruelty that followed after acquiring a medium.
Just like the artificial medium crystal in her pocket. The medium crystal in her pocket also came from here.
At the deepest part of the mine, far beneath the surface.
Following the narrow, winding path to the end, the stone walls suddenly rose, forming a natural cavern.
A huge crystal, under the influence of magic, floated high in the air, illuminating the entire cave.
Though this was deep underground, it didn’t feel dark at all.
In the center of the cavern was a mass of dark substance. This thing was eerily still, silent, like ink in a glass bottle. If no one deliberately shook the bottle, the surface of the ink remained calm, just as the pitch-black substance before them did not change.
This was the shadow that Mira and Lance had been searching for.
Not far from the shadow, a figure was busy. He flipped through a book with a demonic symbol on its cover, reading one of the pages over and over.
After confirming the ritual’s procedure once more, he stood up and walked toward the other side of the cavern.
On the ground lay more than a dozen men, the ones taken from Hero Town.
The mage had drugged them with a special substance.
These men all had the blood of heroes, and as a weak mage, he stood no chance against them unless he used some special means.
Fortunately, they were all unconscious now. Lying on the ground in a disoriented manner, they were still ripe for the slaughter.
The mage paced around the area a few times, carefully selecting his first subject, just like a savvy merchant picking fruit at the market.
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A particularly muscular figure caught his eye.
The mage didn’t have Lance’s Dragon’s Eye, so he couldn’t determine through sight whether the man had the soul of a hero. But strong heroes were often muscular, so with this basic criterion, he chose the one who seemed the most important among the group.
The mage chanted a few words, and suddenly a surge of inexhaustible strength flowed through his body.
With the enhancement of the giant strength spell, he lifted the chosen man and dragged him to stand before the shadow.
Looking at the still, black mass, the mage’s face revealed a fervent expression.
This was the final opportunity. He had searched for so long, prepared for so long, and now it was finally time to reap the rewards.
No one could suppress the joy of finally grasping the desired object.
The mage gazed at the calm shadow in front of him, fully aware that its stillness was just a facade.
When this pitch-black mass awakened and consumed the foolish miners, the explosive power it would release was beyond the capacity of any mage alive.
Even the most powerful mage today, Archmage Karl, would be unable to control such formidable strength.
And now, he was about to possess that power.
The mage didn’t notice how greedy his smile looked.
The magic transformed into a knife, and he dragged the selected sacrifice toward it. With the magical boost, the long knife mercilessly slit the man’s abdomen.
The man didn’t even scream; his entrails spilled out onto the floor.
The pungent smell of blood immediately filled the space.
But the malicious mage seemed oblivious to the bloodshed, tossing the still-warm body into the underground shadow.
The once-calm surface of the shadow rippled suddenly, as though boiling water, bubbling up in a gurgling motion.
The black mass churned, consuming the man’s remains, devouring his body without leaving a trace.
The mage continued to observe this series of changes with an expectant expression. His face grew more focused, and the anticipation peaked. The shadow’s response resembled a struggling, fleeing prey desperately trying to escape.
Its breath was weakening.
The demonic book’s record was indeed true. As long as he offered enough heroes, it would soon enter a weakened state.
At that time, he could extract the Heart of the Shadow, and he would possess the most powerful medium in the world.
The mage’s excitement grew as he walked to the corner and selected his second sacrifice.
Lance and Mira, who were exploring the mine, had descended deeper underground.
The sound of mining echoed faintly. The two carefully avoided areas where people were gathered, continuing their descent into the depths.
Due to the influence of the Magic-Nullifying Stones, magic was becoming less effective the deeper they went.
Lance cast his scouting spell several times, but the information he gathered remained limited.
Nevertheless, they were heading in the right direction. It wasn’t until the Blue Dragon caught a faint scent of blood in the air that his expression grew serious. He turned to Mira and said:
“This way.”
They continued down the mine tunnel, where the slope was becoming more pronounced.
The tunnel grew narrower the deeper they went. It was so far underground that even the most greedy miners would find it difficult to work in such an environment.
And this was exactly what provided the mage with the perfect location.
Lance felt the fluctuation of magic.
He squinted his eyes, and the power of his Dragon's Eye was activated.
He saw a natural cavern.
Lance turned to Mira, extending his hand. His face was grave, and even without speaking, Mira understood his meaning.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his.
In the next moment, magic enveloped them both.
Even though the Magic-Nullifying Stones were desperately absorbing magical energy, the Blue Dragon King still succeeded in casting the teleportation spell.
The mage had known all along that intruders had arrived.
But he wasn’t worried that these outsiders would disrupt his plans. As one of the world’s top mages, the only one capable of stopping him was likely Karl from the Magic Energy Hub.
However, Karl had recently encountered trouble. He was being impeached by a group of over a dozen archmages.
Karl had lost the most powerful medium created by the Magic Energy Hub. That medium didn’t belong to him alone.
Eighteen years ago, when they created “her,” they had agreed to share this medium.
“She” was meant to remain in the Magic Energy Hub, and Karl had been chosen to take care of “her.”
But Karl had lost “her.”
Only a fool would share a medium. It was clear that Karl had intentionally lost “her.”
But this wasn’t his problem.
Artificial mediums were never as powerful as natural ones. And he was about to possess the most powerful natural medium in the world.
The Heart of the Shadow.
With each sacrificial offering made, a fist-sized black stone emerged in and out of the dim light.
The mage turned to look at a young man bound on the side. He was the sacrifice chosen by the shadow itself. As long as he was thrown into it, everything would fall into place.
It was at this moment that the intruders appeared.
A flash of disbelief crossed the mage’s mind. Their appearance was completely unexpected.
He looked up and immediately saw a tall man with blue hair.
Standing beside him was a petite girl.
The mage furrowed his brow. This girl looked incredibly familiar.
Mira was also deeply shocked.
Because she recognized the mastermind behind this operation. He was the head of the Materials Department at the Magic Energy Hub—Mage Willowp!
“Willowp!”
Lance heard her thoughts and her voice.
An hour had passed, and the effect of the silence spell had worn off.
He waved his hand, and magic surged through his fingers. With a swift motion, he forcefully pulled Ellin, who was about to be killed, from Willowp’s grasp and threw her aside.
Lance stepped forward, no more words were needed.
Magic condensed in his hands. The bloodshed in the room had already told him what had happened here, and Lance had no interest in hearing the mage’s reasons, nor would he give him the time to explain.
This killing intent was palpable.
Magic flowed from his fingertips, and with a few quick exchanges, he had already forced Willowp back, gritting his teeth.
Impossible! Impossible! Willowp thought in disbelief, but Lance’s continuous casting told him all he needed to know: the mysterious blue-haired man in front of him was a powerful 8th-circle mage.
Willowp was not like Karl, who honed his skills through battle. He was the head of the Materials Department at the Magic Energy Hub.
It was precisely because of this position that he had access to information about Ghillian Town and had discovered the method to refine the Heart of the Shadow.
Yes! He also had the Heart of the Shadow!
A flash of realization crossed Willowp’s mind. He quickly cast an acceleration spell on himself, disregarding the fact that this wasn’t the most vulnerable moment for the Heart of the Shadow. He rushed forward and grabbed the black stone emerging from the shadow.
When the delicate and cold stone was gripped in his palm, Willowp knew he had finally obtained the world’s most powerful medium. With this object, it wouldn’t be long before he became the strongest mage in the world.
What was Karl compared to him? He would eventually become a defeated pawn, a stepping stone for the tower he would build.
There was a mage in front of him who was no weaker than Karl. Let’s try him first.
Willowp laughed manically, his gaze fixed on Lance.
But the Blue Dragon had already retreated back to Mira’s side.
His goal had never been to directly kill the mage in front of him with magic. Instead, he continually pressed him with spell after spell, forcing him to refrain from adding more heroes into the Shadow Pool.
He forced Willowp to grasp the Heart of the Shadow, filled with power.
“Ahhhhhhhhh—” Willowp’s manic laughter was consumed by pain, and his screams grew louder and louder.
As he tried to pour his energy into the Heart of the Shadow to cast a powerful spell against the Blue Dragon, the Heart of the Shadow, like a hunter lying in wait for so long, struck its prey with unerring precision.
Greed was the food of the shadow, and cruelty was just as satisfying.
A powerful wave of energy exploded in an instant.
Everyone lost their vision.
Mira, ever vigilant, sensed something was wrong in an instant. She pulled out the scroll Lance had given her and cast the spell meant for escape.
The spell enveloped the unconscious men from Ghillian Town, transporting them to safety outside. Meanwhile, she and Lance were protected by another protective spell from a separate scroll.
The chaotic light wave lasted for a while, and the shadow devoured its prey.
Lance extended his hand, breaking through the chaos created by the magic, and the scenery slowly cleared up.
“You’re Mira.” Willowp’s murky eyes fixed on the girl beside the Blue Dragon. He wasn’t dead yet, but he was already close to being consumed by the shadow.
“I remember now. No wonder you looked so familiar. You’re the artificial medium. Karl named you Mira.”
Mira’s eyes widened, and the contents of the letter once again surfaced in her mind.
She had almost matured.
She had grown up.
It was time to be used.
It was time to be offered.
In that letter, Mira had seen many “shes,” so many that she couldn’t count them all.
There was no clue suggesting that “she” referred to Mira. To the writer of the letter, “she” was just a tool, the most powerful artificial medium ever created by the Magic Energy Hub.
Mira knew she could no longer expect anything from her parents. She had already suspected this fact.
But when the suspicion was confirmed, she felt a deep sorrow she couldn’t alleviate.
Because she hadn’t shut the door in time, her emotions, the contents of the letter, were clearly conveyed to Lance’s heart.
“They said she ran away.” Willowp’s gaze moved between Lance and Mira. “You got the Magic Energy Hub’s most satisfactory creation, and I only have an incomplete medium…”
“I didn’t lose to you. I lost to your medium.” He didn’t recognize Lance, nor did he care to.
He was going to die, filled with resentment and unwillingness. Therefore, he would pass this anger on, ensuring that those who had wronged him would never find peace!
The blue-haired man in front of him was his target for revenge. She was too.
“The Magic Energy Hub will not let you go. They’ve carefully cultivated this medium for twenty years. They’ll never just hand it over to you. Wait, the revenge of the Magic Energy Hub won’t stop.”
The revenge of the Magic Energy Hub…
Mira turned to Lance. He would be implicated.
Because of her.
“It won’t happen.” Lance sensed her thoughts, his response firm.
“It won’t.”
Mira blinked and quickly signaled to close the door.
Lance ran his fingers through his hair and didn’t even glance at the mage being consumed by the shadow.
Until the Heart of the Shadow fell to the ground with a crisp sound.
The Blue Dragon King slowly walked over and picked it up.
It was full now. But it had been badly disturbed by humans and needed some time to recover.
Lance tossed it back into the abyss.
The shadow was naturally occurring. As long as no one deliberately provoked or released it, it would never cross the line.
With its slumber, the Magic-Nullifying Stones here would revert to being ordinary stones, for they had always been just that.
The mastermind was dead, and the adventure in Ghillian Town had come to an end.
Lance used teleportation magic to take Mira away from the town.
The descendants of the heroes lay sprawled on the ground, looking as though they would not wake up for a while.
Lance dispelled the Illusory Mirror magic, exposing the town in its most ordinary form.
The horror and decay were now visible.
The moving corpses were also gone. Everything returned to the state it had been in after the earthquake.
“So, is this town just going to disappear?” Mira looked at the decayed town before her, feeling deeply regretful.
“Probably…” Lance answered cautiously.
Just as the ancestors had warned, one must not be overly greedy.
The residents of the town had been cautious about over-mining the ores, but when faced with the hefty rewards offered by the Magic Energy Hub, no one could resist such temptation.
They hadn’t mined deep underground, but they never stopped digging new shafts. Greed is insatiable, and nature will always provide retribution.
Lance understood this pattern well. Magic, after all, was a product of natural law.
“It’s better this way that the artificial medium is gone,” Lance murmured, “Casting magic relies on one’s understanding of nature. The existence of a medium caused human mages to lose their reverence for nature.”
He remembered Willowp’s words before he died. He had placed the gap between them in terms of the medium.
But the medium had never been the key; it was excessive greed that had destroyed him.
Humans should understand that endless greed will only bring destruction. The power taken from nature will eventually return to nature. Only by doing so can magic be used continuously.
However… Mira, he thought of the letter that had made its way into his memory and couldn’t help but sigh.
Their pursuit of artificial mediums had long surpassed that of crystals.
Mira possessed immense magical power. No matter where this power came from, if it existed within Mira’s body, it belonged to Mira. How to use it was her right.
The girl still felt sad.
Lance comforted her, “A land without magic is not suitable for human life, but if we give nature some time, it will eventually restore its prosperity. Perhaps, all it needs is a rain full of magic, and new life will sprout here.”
And that rain, he had already given it to this land long ago.
It had, in turn, fulfilled its mission and nurtured many new fungi.