episode_0120

Horsepower, etc.

The principle itself is simple.

All you need is three things.

There is only a catalyst to engrave the luminescent magic, a wizard to engrave the magic, and magical power to continuously supply it.

However, it has only been 200 years since this technology was actually commercialized.

Even so, it was only used in a few major cities, including the islands.

There were enough wizards who could use luminous magic.

However, it has been 150 years since the development of enchantment, a technology that imprints magic into materials.

It took two hundred years to develop a catalyst to maintain it semi-permanently.

This was because it was difficult to find a material that could withstand long-term horsepower load.

The scroll was destroyed after just one use. It wasn’t even worth discussing.

Steel or black iron can withstand momentary magical loads.

This was the case with enchanted weapons.

Things like a bow that shoots fireballs or a sword that emits magical slashes.

However, these metals were also unsuitable as catalysts for magical power.

In order to be used as lighting, the magic had to be maintained for at least ten hours a day.

No metal except true silver could withstand such a long load.

However, using true silver was impossible because it was an absurdly rare metal.

It was the Magic Tower that found the answer.

After hundreds of years of research, Magic Tower succeeded in developing a semi-permanent catalyst in the form of a crystal called a magic stone.

The core manufacturing technology was still a secret only for the Imperial Tower.

One remaining problem was how to continue supplying magical power.

In the early days, magic lanterns were defective products that wizards had to visit several times a day to pour magic into each item one by one.

Therefore, the empire searched for a long time for a way to activate magic even without the management of a wizard.

This time, Magic Tower found the answer.

The conclusion they reached was to give up. It was a regrettable conclusion for the Empire.

It was impossible for an object without will to gather magical power on its own.

The Magic Tower completely changed its thinking.

In the end, all that was needed was to be able to supply magical power throughout the island.

They laid long metal pipes throughout the island.

A pipe connected to all magical power.

The other end of the pipe was connected to the magic tower.

So that the magicians belonging to the Magic Tower can supply magical power in turns.

As they expected, the magical power that flowed through the pipe was distributed to all magical powers in the system.

It was a consequentialist idea, but with this, the Empire obtained a semi-permanent light that did not disappear even in the middle of the night.

—-

The gist of this long story is simple.

The light of magical power cannot be maintained for a long time unless people continuously manage it.

The hallway in front of me denied that common sense.

To put it at least, the ruins are more than a thousand years old.

There’s no way there’s anyone alive here.

In other words, those engravings on the ceiling are accumulating magical power and activating magic.

It was a technology that all wizards in the empire dreamed of, but had practically given up on.

“…Wouldn’t it be a tremendous achievement if we let the empire know about this?”

“It will be a discovery that will change not only the empire, but the whole world…”

Friede broke into a cold sweat. It was the same for me too.

It is an overly dangerous technique.

This was no different from the realization of permanent power based on horsepower.

Is it right to release this technology?

Looking at the way the world has looked so far, it looks like the world will just be destroyed after being used up for war.

The world will be covered with demonic energy.

Magi is an energy that permeates through a vacuum of magical power.

“First……let’s keep going.”

He urged his companions, who couldn’t take their eyes off the ceiling, as if they were amazed.

It would be better to hide it too.

I’ll have to destroy everything on the way back.

I continued down the dimly lit hallway.

After walking for about three minutes, the appearance of the wall changed completely.

“Could this be an ancient temple or something like that?”

“I think so…”

Damian and Friede, who were looking at the wall, muttered.

There were reliefs carved into the wall that stretched from a height of about 1 meter above the ground to near the ceiling.

The engraved picture was truly hideous.

Tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of millions. A countless number of monsters.

It was a scene from a war where people wearing armor were fighting against monsters.

At the front of the crowd stands the man whose name was engraved on the door we passed earlier.

A young man wearing colorful armor and holding a great sword.

Surprisingly, the shape of the great sword resembled a holy sword.

Although the details were a little different.

…What does it have to do with the Holy Sword?

I don’t know.

“Monster…? Those are monsters, right?”

“Okay. That’s a huge number. Even if you add up the number of monsters the empire has subdued, it won’t even reach your toes.”

Carved paintings were lined up along the hallway.

We walked down the hallway without taking our eyes off the painting.

The images of different races were also engraved.

Including fairies, demigods, beastmen, etc., even races that are now extinct or have been reduced to monsters.

Instead of participating in the battle, they watched from afar as humans and monsters killed and killed each other.

As if they were going to make a toast right now.

People who are pushed back by the monster’s army are losing their lives one by one.

Although the man with the great sword was struggling to the end…he looked clearly defeated.

…It feels similar to a heroic story in mythology.

Stories that end in tragedy.

Sure enough, a monster holding a spear appeared in front of the man.

The monster’s blow broke the greatsword and pierced the man’s chest.

A man stabs the monster in the shoulder with a broken sword and falls.

The picture ended with the few remaining people retreating into a temple-like building.

“This is terrible content. What was the purpose of ancient people engraving pictures like this?”

“Well…I don’t know either.”

“Well, it’s probably one of the three. Prophecies, records, myths. I don’t know which one it is.”

They may have predicted what would happen in the future and engraved it as a warning, or they may have recorded the history of their downfall.

Or maybe the mythology of that time was just drawn on the temple.

Just as today’s cathedrals have things like the biography of Carolus painted on their walls.

It was impossible to know which one would be the correct answer.

—-

After passing through the hallway, a circular staircase leading down appeared.

The stairs were quite long, and the demonic energy became darker as I went down.

After going down for a while, we came to a flat area.

A huge rectangular vacant lot. The walls were broken here and there as if they were being torn apart.

The floor was littered with weathered bone fragments that had turned into powder and crushed weapons and armor.

It was clearly a sign that a battle had taken place.

The demonic energy in the air had now become so thick that it was no different from the middle of a contaminated area.

To the point where it was slightly uncomfortable even for me. The companions took out holy water and drank it again.

“Everyone, don’t relax. If this happens, monsters will definitely be nearby. Hashal, do you feel anything?”

“I don’t know. I don’t feel anything in particular.”

There was no sound of breathing, movement, or hostility at all.

It’s just a cloud of magic.

Everyone entered the clearing with their weapons drawn just in case.

I looked around, but as expected, there was only broken debris and nothing of note.

“I don’t think there’s anything special here. Let’s go to the next room.”

“If it’s the next room, which of the three starts first?”

Friede asked back. There were three doors in the vacant lot, one on each wall.

The doors on the left and right were rough, but the middle door was rich in strange engravings and was ornate in many ways.

It’s a design that looks like a dungeon boss would pop out.

Maybe it will really stick out. Because this feeling was good.

So what should we do…

After all, it would be better to fight a strong enemy when everyone’s condition is at least a little better, right?

“Branches starting from the center. Just by looking at it, it looks like the most important thing, right?”

“That’s right. Damien, Millia! Stop looking and come this way!”

I put my hand on the door with Friede.

That moment.

– Ugh!

Along with an unusual vibration sound, a beam of light burst out from the door.

The engraved engraving pulsates violently and emits deep magical power.

Clearly, it looked like an unknown magic was about to be activated.

“Huh? What is this?!”

“Magic?! Was it a trap…! Hands off, Hashal!”

Friede urgently withdrew his hand and shouted.

I also tried to pull my hand away.

It was impossible.

My hand, I thought it would fall off…!

“What are you doing! Quick-”

“Don’t let go!”

It was as if it had become one with the door, and no matter how hard I pulled, my hand wouldn’t come off.

Considering my strength, it was ridiculous.

Now that it’s like this…!

Pull the other hand behind your shoulder.

I was thinking of breaking the whole door down.

Although it was a strange trick, it was fundamentally just a marble door. There was no way it could not be broken down.

If only just before my fist stretched out, a beam of light had not erupted once again.

The light was bright enough to fill the entire room.

So much so that I closed my eyes for a moment without realizing it.

The moment I opened my eyes, I found myself in a completely different place than before.

leaving three others behind.

I hurriedly looked back, but there was only a rock wall blocking my path, and I couldn’t see the door that was supposed to be there.

I immediately understood what the situation was.

Space movement.

This was a phenomenon that could only be experienced in a few dungeons, as the game was not put into practical use until it reached its ending.

It was understandable that my companions could not come together.

Dungeons that implemented spatial movement had a restriction that entry was not possible until a certain level was reached.

In short, this means that this is a place where the entry level is at least master level.

…It might be a little dangerous.

I immediately pulled out Durandal.