Chapter 10: Mixed Magic Array
The halo of the hexagonal star tower gradually expanded, with a pale yellow light spreading outward before merging at the center of the array to form a blurred orb of light. Meanwhile, the undulating mounds on the ground resembled a giant monster roaring beneath the surface—rising and falling intermittently. The ground within a hundred meters looked like a turbulent sea, its violent tremors making those standing on the periphery feel unsteady.
Clarence’s forehead was covered in sweat, yet his pale cheeks held eyes that seemed even brighter as he stared intently at the light rings projected by the six star towers. The merged orb of light then seeped back downward into the ground.
Clarence could no longer control his own power. The immense consumption of magical energy left him feeling as if his strength had vanished. He felt so weak he could barely stand. The intense backlash surging from within him threatened to overwhelm his consciousness outright. He had to bite his tongue to use the sharp pain as a stimulus to resist the danger posed by excessive magical depletion. It seemed as though all the blood in his body was about to boil. Clarence could feel himself drenched in sweat. The backlash grew stronger with each wave, crashing against the crumbling dam of his will. If that dam failed, he would either become a helpless fool or die from ruptured blood vessels on the spot.
Realizing he could hold on no longer, Clarence found he still couldn’t withstand the assault of absolute power on his mental defenses, despite the severe pain in his mouth. This seemingly vast earth magic array wasn’t composed solely of earth magic. If it had been, even two more earth mages of similar strength wouldn’t have been able to activate such a massive array. He had originally shown little interest in this kind of earth magic array. But Lord Komer, who was behind this, was very interested in large-scale earth magic arrays, forcing him to reluctantly cater to his curiosity.
It was obvious to anyone that this was a mixed magic array. The six star towers floating in the air arranged in a hexagram clearly formed a star magic array. By using the power of the stars through this star magic array and channeling it into the earth magic array, such a crazy idea could only come from Lord Komer. Yet, someone had to carry out his plan. That damned star mage, without realizing the risks, had dragged him into this mess.
The power drawn from star magic was poured into the slowly activating earth magic array without reservation. It was Clarence’s responsibility to control such immense power and keep the array functioning, a task that nearly broke his meridians. Luo Mei’s delicate fingers generated a white mist, which slowly flowed into Clarence’s back. Powerful magical energy penetrated his body like a stream of cold ice, instantly cooling his blood, which had been boiling to its limit. The clash and eventual blending of these opposing forces—cold and heat—created an indescribable sense of comfort in Clarence, as if his meridians had been thoroughly cleansed, allowing magical energy to flow much more smoothly. At this point, Clarence could finally breathe easy. He knew that each time he faced such life-threatening trials, his understanding of magic deepened and his magical foundation grew stronger. Yet, the agony of hovering on the brink of obsession was unbearable. He wondered whether he should seek such opportunities more often or give up altogether. As Clarence changed the gestures in his hands, the ground seemed to be struck by violent underground currents, with soil and trees tumbling around. Huge trenches and pits appeared everywhere in just a few seconds. The area within 100 meters was transformed into a mess, with two-meter-deep craters, irregular holes, and suddenly rising mounds—complete upheaval of the terrain. This was the effect of the large earth magic array, “Earthquake.” Such hybrid magic arrays were of little use in duels between magicians or between magicians and knights, but their power in large-scale wars was unimaginable. Whether in trench warfare or siege battles, if such arrays—originally requiring archmages or entire groups of magicians to activate—could be brought into action, their strength could rival that of an entire army. Clarence understood this was why Komer was so eager to study such magic arrays.
When Clarence collapsed to the ground, gasping like a bull, Newman beside him was already on the verge of exhaustion. His pale cheeks resembled those of a dead man, and his lifeless eyes lacked the strength even to move. Aside from his windbag-like breathing and heaving chest, he looked exactly like a zombie that had died not long ago. Even with the full support of Eve’s magic, Newman could barely hold on— the gap in his own magical power couldn’t be fully made up by external forces, and Newman himself knew this well.
“Good job, Clarence. It seems your magical power has improved significantly. In the future, even without Lome’s support, having a few powerful magic scrolls will still help you cast this spell.” Komer nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Newman. “Newman, you’re still far from enough. Eve has done her best to help you, but you still haven’t met my standards. If it weren’t for my intervention at the last moment, your Star Magic might have sucked you into another dimension as a wandering spirit in an instant. You need to work harder.”
“Lord Komer, I’ve done my best. As you know, I had little exposure to Star Magic before, and it was only with your guidance that I gradually became familiar with it. I’m surprised myself to have reached this level. My strength lies in magical mechanisms. Asking me to advance further in Star Magic is quite demanding.” Still gasping for breath, Newman signaled to Eve to give him another spell of white magic to help him recover. Though his face was pale, there was now a hint of vitality in his eyes.
“Hmph. I’m not dissatisfied with your skills in Star Magic, but rather with your weak foundational magical power. I hope you can improve in cultivating your magic. Relying entirely on Eve’s support makes things very difficult for you. Without Eve, could you have achieved what you have today just with magic scrolls?”
Komer also realized he was being too hasty. Newman wasn’t a qualified Star Magic user. Although he was skilled in magical mechanisms and had a broad knowledge of various spells, his magical power was his weakest area. The fact that he had managed to reach such a level in such a short time already satisfied Komer. But since he no longer had any mages skilled in this field, to cast such large-scale earth magic, he could only rely on this kind of hybrid magic.
“Lord Komer, improving magical power isn’t something that can be achieved in just a day or two. I’m sorry, but there’s little I can do about that. I consider myself quite successful already at this level. Magic arrays aren’t my strength—usually, they require more powerful or numerous magi to operate, rather than just one or two priests or support spells to solve the problem.”
Newman firmly rejected this request. He had little interest in improving his magical power. For him, having enough magic to create and study various magical devices was sufficient. What interested him more were the magical devices resulting from the combination of mechanics and magic—those were his true goals. In terms of mastering magic, he preferred breadth over depth. He wasn’t willing to let anyone restrict his interests. If it was something that could be done easily, he might consider it, but giving up his hobbies was absolutely out of the question.
Komer was somewhat disappointed. Everyone has their own aspirations, and they can’t be forced. He understood that Newman’s interest no longer lay solely in magic itself but in a derivative of it—magical devices. He had hoped that guiding him in star magic might spark his interest, but it seemed unsuccessful. Moreover, this earth-based hybrid magic array still needed refinement and relied on auxiliary forces or even his own control. On the battlefield, even a slight disturbance might render the array ineffective. Komer didn’t want to take such risks recklessly.
“It seems we can’t reach an agreement on this. It’s truly unfortunate.” Komer didn’t say much more. These magi all had peculiar personalities, and he didn’t want to strain their relationship over this matter. Besides, he would rely heavily on Newman in the future. He now had new ideas: since Newman was so obsessed with designing and creating magical devices, why not utilize his strengths to develop such devices? Especially since his army might soon face orc armies, they could prove useful in both siege warfare and positional combat.