A Dying Light I

The Shield Spell is one of the basics that a mage learns after mastering their shaping skills. Although it is a systematic spell in concept and application, unlike systematic spells, it relies heavily on the body's ability to apply it and less on the mind's ability to understand and comprehend it. Therefore, it is widely considered a primitive - primal spell. However, it wasn't always like this. The basic Shield Spell is merely a reapplication of ancient magic without the significant complexities of modern Mana Shaping (though it is not entirely free of them).

Ancient magic did not hold much importance in the Alliance of Islands, the Continent of Light, or anywhere else in the world. It is preserved and displayed only out of respect for ancestors and founders. Although most ancient magic is lost in the era of modern mages, a significant portion of it can be found in any Mage Library.

The basic Shield Spell is one of the hundreds of ancient spells that have been adapted to fit the standards of modern Mana Shaping and the recognized shaping skills used by acknowledged magical institutions worldwide.

According to researchers and scholars, ancient magic is not weak enough to be ignored in the current era. In fact, it is very useful for non-combat mages. Although it requires a respectable amount of mana to cast, it is easy to use and does not burden the mage's cognitive abilities with excessive information and complexities. As long as you have a respectable mana reserve and can think effectively, it is easy to cast an ancient magic spell (ancient magic spells that have been adapted to fit modern shaping skills).

However, despite all its advantages, it has a set of significant drawbacks. First, it is easy to dispel. Why? Simply because the spell's form is simple and easy to dispel as it is to cast. Secondly, the mana used in forming an ancient spell does not contain the concealment element. Every modern systematic spell contains a concealment element shaped into its pattern during casting, one of the things that make it extremely complex and burdensome on the mind, unlike ancient spells that do not contain these complexities.

Another difference between ancient and modern spells is that most modern spells are highly focused on one field or thing, which increases the complexity of their formation. For example, Shield Spells in modern magic exist in thousands, such as Spirit Shield Spell, Mind Shield Spell, Heart Shield Spell, Light Shield Spell, Serenity Shield Spell, Calmness Shield Spell, Mental Strength Shield Spell, Inner Peace Shield Spell, Reflection Shield Spell, Balance Shield Spell.... Each of these spells specializes in one thing to perfection, making them extremely difficult to dispel even for the greatest mages. As for the Shield Spells in ancient magic, you could say it contains a bit of everything but masters nothing. For example, the basic Shield Spell protects the caster from physical, mental, and spiritual attacks, etc., but if it is dispelled, the spell will disappear along with any form of protection it provided. Although it does not offer the same protection as modern systematic spells, it is highly effective in unexpected situations that a mage might find themselves in.

Like the situation Silora is facing now, except she is on the oppressed side. 'How will I get out without being noticed?' She was now inspecting the massive barrier shield that enveloped the silent ship. The deck was extremely dark, but the massive barrier shield cast a faint white light that dimly illuminated the deck. Silora tried to think of any possible way to get out of the barrier without being noticed by the assassin below. 'If I dispel the spell, he will sense it, and my chances of escaping will decrease. Even destroying it won't help; although I might harm him with the violent reaction, by the time he arrives, I won't have any mana reserves left.'

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It wasn't difficult for Silora to dispel or even destroy the spell, but doing so would consume all her mana reserves. Why? Because the caster didn't just cast one barrier shield spell around the ship; he cast many, one on top of another. Once the first one is dispelled, she wouldn't have time to dispel the rest before the assassin is upon her. The same applies to destruction or bypassing. So, it was wise to look for other solutions now. 'Even a bypass spell can only pass through one shield, but this many? ... How large is his mana reserve? This is just ridiculous.'

Silora moved lightly on the upper deck of the ship, keeping her head low to avoid any incidents. Her destination was both the bridge and the main cabin. Since escaping to the deck a few minutes ago, she hadn't heard any sound except for the currents outside and her own breath. 'The ship isn't supposed to be this quiet... but the man in black was here?' She pushed the thought out of her mind and continued her way cautiously.

Silora opened the door to the main cabin below the bridge, avoiding going up there to avoid any eyes. For now, she was content with searching for the ship's captain, 'If he is still...'

Inside the ship's main cabin, the captain sat in his chair behind the large desk, his old body leaning slightly forward as if in unnatural relaxation. His face was as pale as marble, and his eyes were open, but the whites occupied their entire space without any spark of life. His shoulders were slack, and his hands rested roughly on the desk's surface, as if life had slowly seeped out of him.

Silora felt a sense of helplessness and confusion, not knowing what to do in the face of this horrific, brutal death. The scene planted a deep fear inside her, not just of death, but of the mysterious power capable of destroying the soul in such a terrifying and quiet way. 'Forbidden soul magic? ... Damn it.'

The cabin was engulfed in a suffocating silence, as if the air had frozen. Silora suppressed the cold shiver that crept along her spine and approached the corpse nervously. 'I have to examine him, otherwise how will I defend against a spell I don't know... if it comes to that?'

Silora didn't dare get closer than five steps and examined him from a distance. Despite his calm appearance, what happened to him was not the calm of ordinary death. The spell used against him was destructive to his soul, stripping him of all life energy and causing him to slowly fade into a state of empty existence. The stress marks around his eyes indicated that he had resisted, but to no avail. 'What is this?' A transparent white light emerged from the dead captain's eyes, the same light that left Silora's eyes when the sleep spell shattered, or what she thought was a sleep spell. 'So it wasn't a sleep spell, but? ... I don't know anything about soul magic to identify the spell. Would this have been my fate if the mysterious voice hadn't woken me from my sleep? So why did the assassin in black need to go down to the sleeping quarters? ... The violent reaction to the spell's shattering.'

Silora thought and thought about what she should do, but found herself helpless. One thing didn't add up. In all the stories she had heard in the River's Mouth Town, the assassin was described as bloodthirsty, leaving behind only corpses and limbs, and she certainly believed that when she saw his bloody black clothes before. But the assassin she was facing now, his work was terrifyingly clean. 'Maybe... maybe his target is on this ship? If he finishes that mission... I might survive?' She quickly pushed the silly thought out of her mind. 'It's impossible for him to leave someone capable of destroying his soul magic, even though I didn't, but he thinks I did... For him, someone familiar with soul magic might pose a threat... maybe?'

Silora took steps back away from the captain's dead body, a faint plan forming in her mind. She didn't know if it would work, but she decided to try. 'I can't escape, and I can't fight head to head. But I can make chaos.' Part of her plan was to wake up everyone who hadn't died yet in hopes of finding a chance to escape unnoticed. She wasn't sure if her method would work, but she would try.