Chapter 121: Five Years
Meanwhile, Raven made a strict schedule for his everyday work.
He woke up around 4. A.M. and trained his spearmanship until 6. After that, he spent around two hours on Alchemy and went to have breakfast.
After breakfast, he focused on putting his theoretical rune knowledge to practice in the study room.
Raven first recalled the fundamental knowledge about Magic Array Circles in detail.
"Magic Array Circle Creation – Wizards utilize various materials to inscribe a magic array circle. The most commonly used material is Bloodstone Ink, favored for its high conductivity to mana. However, some prefer simple chalk for temporary inscriptions…"
"When inscribing magic arrays onto scrolls, Wizards use a quill pen to carefully draw rune letters and array circles, ensuring precision in their formations."
'What exactly is a Magic Array Circle?' he wondered. Almost instantly, another set of information surfaced in his mind.
"Magic Array Circles function as conduits, enabling spell models to cast spells…"
'So, it's similar to Mind Space?' Raven mused.
"A Wizard can create these array circles anywhere—on scrolls, tower walls, or objects like rings, amulets, and weapons. Once completed, they act as vessels for spell models, utilizing Elemental Crystals or Magic Stones as an energy medium. Wizards then additionally engrave simple rune words with profound meanings, which could sharpen the weapon, or give it high durability, or give it resistance to certain elements. When the spell model and the additional rune words are engraved perfectly and bound with the array circle, the magic array circle transforms into a Magic Rune Circle…"
He continued reading the memories.
"There are no restrictions on where one can create magic array circles. If the necessary materials are available, even an ordinary floor can serve as a foundation for a rune circle."
Raven frowned. 'The real challenge is mana consumption. Once activated, a magic array circle consumes enormous mana to sustain the spell model. If mana depletes, both the array and spell model collapse.'
That was why Wizards relied on Elemental Crystals as a stable energy source.
"Elemental Crystals can be replaced before depletion, preventing the collapse of the spell model…"
Realizing the significance of mastering Magic Array Circles, Raven put theory into practice.
"Let's test it out."
He retrieved an empty scroll from the table.
'I also have some magic stones in my inventory.' Unlike Elemental Crystals, magic stones were extracted from monsters like goblins and orcs, making them cheaper and easier to acquire.
He placed the scroll on a wooden sheet and arranged his tools: a quill, an ink bottle, and several low-tier magic stones.
"Let's see if I can apply my rune knowledge properly."
He steadied his breathing, set the wooden sheet, and carefully inscribed the Primary Creation Array Circle using the quill. When the base structure was completed, he took a low-tier magic stone, placed it at the center, and meticulously drew a small binding array around it.
As the mana seeped from the magic stone, the rune characters and array circle started to glow with a faint golden hue. Pleased, Raven dipped his quill into the ink bottle and continued for another thirty minutes.
But then—
A single mistake.
A misplaced rune.
A faint spark flickered—then flames erupted!
Without hesitation, Raven flung the scroll onto the floor and the wooden sheet. The flames devoured the failed array, reducing it to ash in seconds.
'Even a minor error can lead to complete failure…' he thought grimly.
He tried again.
But he failed.
Again.
And again.
He tried seven times in a row, but each attempt failed. At most, he completed half of the Primary Creation Array Circle before it destabilized.
Still, he refused to give up.
After all, Raven knew how long Runeth took to complete his first array circle.
'If I'm not wrong, he took over six months to create his first spell scroll.'
Once more, he placed a new scroll on the wooden sheet and resumed drawing the array. This time, he added Mana Control Runes and inscribed Mana Manipulation Runes to regulate the energy flow. He also introduced a stabilization circuit to connect the magic stone and the array circle.
A dim yellow light shimmered.
Success!
His lips curled upward in satisfaction. He was about to revel in his victory—until he noticed something was wrong.
The mana flow became erratic. The elemental balance within the scroll fluctuated.
If he proceeded, it would explode!
A sudden sense of danger flared in his mind. It wasn't just instinct—it was Runeth's memories guiding him.
'The environment is unstable. Unlike a Magic Tower, this room lacks a controlled mana field.'
He swiftly adjusted the array, adding runes to regulate temperature and an additional circle to balance elemental fluctuations.
The array stabilized.
The glow steadied.
It was complete.
Now came the hardest part—
"I need to construct a spell model at the center of the array circle…"
Raven's eyes gleamed with focus as he dipped his quill into the ink, preparing for the most crucial step—the inscription of the spell model. Unlike the simple rune formations of the array circle, a spell model was far more intricate, forming a hexagonal structure with rune characters woven into unique elemental lines.
He had chosen Rank-1 Aqua Shield, a defensive spell model, as his first attempt.
'First, the Core Runes…'
His quill moved deftly, drawing six primary rune words at each corner of the hexagonal structure.
As the six runes connected, they formed the Hexagonal Frame, the fundamental shape of the spell model.
'Now comes the hard part.'
Raven narrowed his eyes and began inscribing the elemental lines. These lines weren't just drawn—they were woven, forming intricate pathways between the runes.
Each stroke had to be perfect.
One mistake, one misplaced line, and the entire spell model would collapse.
Minutes stretched into an hour.
Sweat dripped from his brow as he added the final touch—Rune Words of Activation, a series of compact rune characters placed at the model's core. These served as the trigger mechanism, allowing the spell to be cast once supplied with mana.
When the last rune was inscribed, the hexagonal spell model pulsed.
The runes gave off a deep blue glow, illuminating the scroll with a soft aquatic radiance. The mana within the magic stone resonated with the spell model, flowing smoothly across the elemental lines like streams of water.
'I managed to create a magic spell scroll!' Although it could only be used once, it was still a significant achievement for him.
'Shall I try engraving the magic array circle on weapons and create an artifact?' He badly wanted to try it out.
'First, I want to create an artifact that could hide one's power level. Zera, are there any spells available to conceal one's power?'
[Hiding one's presence is hiding one's spirit power. All conceal spells work that way. But if you want a spell that could allow you to adjust your spirit power, there are quite a few spells in the Memory Library. For example, Soul Mirage, Specter's Clock, Silent Embers, and Veil of the Ordinary are good spells for concealment. Among the spells, I suggest the 'Silent Embers' spell. Although it's only a Rank-2 Spell, it can make even an Expert Wizard hide their spirit power and make them look like ordinary mortals.]
'A Rank-2 spell? It seems I need a long way to go, then. For now, I will try to create an artifact with a rank-1 spell.' Raven muttered.
But before he could proceed, a knocking sound came from outside.
"Who is it?" Raven asked with a frown.
"It's Selene, My Lord." A familiar voice came from outside.
"Come in," Raven ordered, soon seeing the wooden door creaking open.
Before long, a young woman in her late twenties walked in while holding a book. But what surprised him was the strange, powerful aura around her.
"You Ranked Up?" A surprised look appeared on his face.
'I thought she would take another year to rank up, though.'
"Yes, My Lord. I had a fortuitous opportunity when I entered the dream world with the Team Leader a few days ago and obtained something related to dreams. Thanks to that, my comprehension of dream spells increased multiple fold." Selene said solemnly.
'Oh? A fortuitous opportunity, huh?' Raven nodded and soon spoke.
"I also wanted to give you the spell books before I enter seclusion for training." As he spoke, he took a few spell books from the inventory and gave them to her.
"Dream Rewrite, Dream Portal, Dream Vault, Specter Body,…"
"Thank you, My Lord." Selene bowed her head.
Raven waved his hand and spoke.
"It's better for you to enter the dream world with all your companions. Also, try to look for any goblin, like the one we hunted. If you find one, hunt it and bring it to me."
"Yes, My Lord." Selene nodded solemnly.
"You can go back now," Raven added.
Selene was about to turn around, but suddenly thought of something and spoke.
"I forgot to tell you the important thing, My Lord. Stephanie has arranged a dance and music tutor for you and asked me to inform you. It seems Emanuel told her how the noble youngsters from knight families treat you during the last banquet."
"Ha, I agree with her. Those guys keep boasting about stupid music, almost ruining my mood at the banquet." Raven heaved a deep sigh and added.
"Tell her I'll allocate one hour for these social classes daily."
"Yes, My Lord."
After sending Selene away, Raven fell into deep thought.
'What should I do next?'
[Focus on improving your spirit power. Now that you have allocated one hour for learning dance and music, I'll reduce your sleeping hours to 3 hours.]
Raven's face stiffened.
[Don't worry. If you follow my words, you might reach 199 points in less than 5 years.] Zera said in his mind.
'I hope so.' Raven showed a forced smile and thought of his next step.
First, he took the quill and wrote something on an empty sheet.
After that, he used the 'Memory Lock' skill and hid the original plan.
A clueless look appeared on his face the next second.
'I don't remember many things about the Holmes Family… What is happening?'
Suddenly, he saw something written on the paper and read it out.
"We are going to reclaim the ruined Azmar Town tomorrow. Use Solis's foresight to look into the future."
'Oh?'
"Shall I look into the future?" Raven calmly touched the amulet on his neck and ordered Solis to activate the 'Foresight' skill.
He felt a strange pulling sensation a moment later and soon found himself standing before a three-meter-tall stone wall.
Cries and shouts echoed through the surroundings as more than fifty bandits overwhelmed the young knights from every direction.
Even Sepoy Mercenaries faced many Radiant Walkers from the other side and were trying their best to protect him.
Suddenly, a dark, cloaked human descended from the top of the town wall and landed only twenty meters away from him.
After that, the cloaked human raised his hand and pointed his finger at Raven.
A moment later, Raven felt a sharp pain in his head, followed by a complete blackout.
"Ugh!" Raven experienced a similar pain as the 'Foresight' skill broke, returning him to reality.
"W-What the heck? I couldn't even perceive the enemy's movement!" He muttered and soon released the locked memories.
"Ha, I need to make some adjustments to the plan. And more importantly, we needed more time." Saying so, he entered the astral realm and increased his spirit power.
...
And just like that, time moved slowly.
Five years passed.
During the five years, many major incidents occurred within the Empire.
First was the introduction of new laws.
Poor Law Amendment Act: Introduced workhouses for the poor, creating harsh conditions to discourage dependency on welfare.
Next was a law to improve Public Health—the Empire attempted to improve sanitation and combat disease outbreaks in rapidly growing cities.
The final law was the Factory Acts, which introduced laws to limit child labor, reduce working hours, and improve factory conditions.
The other major incidents were related to science and inventions.
First, the Germ Theory & Disease Prevention publication proved that the diseases weren't caused by magic spells or curses but by microorganisms called bacteria. Although this theory was heavily criticized by Alchemists, Wizards, and Nobles, the Warfield Family Head decided to follow the ideas mentioned in the books and implement them in one of his towns as a test.
The result stunned the whole Empire. No, the whole Ivory Island continent was shocked to find out that better sanitation and disinfection could reduce the spread of disease by a large margin.
Next was introducing phenol as a disinfectant in surgeries, resulting in a good response.
Then, Morse's Aether Telegraph and First Transatlantic Cable allowed instant long-distance communication.
Vaccine Developments: Edward's Pus Plague vaccine became widespread, significantly reducing mortality among commoners. Soon after, vaccines for Soul Rot, Crimson Fever, and Flesh Decay were developed, preventing outbreaks that once ravaged the northern part of the continent. These advancements significantly improved public health, reducing the spread of diseases among the population.
Many breakthroughs occurred in the medical field, which gave the public a big relief.
Judith's Elemental Table also became popular among the public. It allowed even a commoner to predict the accuracy of one's elemental affinity through a series of tests for each element.
Finally, Ead Bridge's motion studies led to the first moving pictures, giving birth to a new way of entertainment for nobles and Wizards.
August 19th, Year 1428, Rune Era.
Raven woke up early in the morning and looked at the mirror on the wall.
Unlike five years ago, he looked much more mature and even had a small mustache, giving him a manly look.
"Time flies faster." Other than attending the Spade Council meeting once a year and a few noble banquets, he always remained in the Holmes Mansion and focused his full attention on improving himself.
The first improvement was his spirit power.
Thanks to his constant meditation using the Rare Rank spirit technique, his spirit power finally reached 199 points!
Not only that, but his progression in Alchemy had increased considerably thanks to concocting potions regularly.
'The succession rate of beginner rank potion has increased to 100%. And the succession rate of Adept rank potion also increased to 15%!' Due to the increase in alchemy rank, he also managed to concoct all intermediate-rank affinity, strength, agility, and vitality potions, increasing his affinities and physical attributes to some extent.
'Only disappointed is that my spearmanship met a bottleneck and hasn't progressed much.' Even so, his constant training improved his physical attributes even further.
'Currently, I have 28 points in strength, 29 in agility, and 30 in vitality. As for the luck stats attribute, it remains zero. My physical stats are currently similar to an intermediate Radiant Walker's. If I use the 'Limit Break' method, I can even face a Peak Rank Radiant Walker head-on.'
Next was his etiquette and other skills.
After being criticized by a few knight family members at banquets for his poor noble etiquette skills, Raven voluntarily learned piano and dancing.
At that moment, he was good in both fields, especially dancing. He learned mazurka, gavotte, minuet, Schottische, and the very popular two-step dance.
The final improvement was his rune mastery.
Thanks to Runeth's 300 years of memories, his practical knowledge became equal to an Adept Rank Rune Wizard, while his theoretical knowledge was on par with an Expert Rune Wizard.
'I also created over a dozen Uncommon Artifacts during the past five years.' Among them were three rings engraved with the 'Silent Embers' spell given to Jacob, Marcellus, and Selene.
'It's finally time for me to use the bloodline devouring system.' In truth, he could've used the bloodline devouring system to absorb the bloodline essences and increase his overall abilities a long time ago.
But Zera firmly warned him to only use it after increasing his spirit power to 199 points!
'Ha, it's worth waiting.' Raven dismissed the status screen and entered the bathroom to take a bath.
A few minutes later, he left the bathroom bare-naked, changed his clothes into a formal black suit, and put a monocle on his left eye.
Then, he put a bowler's hat on his head and walked towards the wooden door.
He exited his bedroom, strolled down the long corridor, and went downstairs through the split staircase.
As soon as he reached the main hall, he saw Emanuel standing near the staircase and greeting him.
"Good morning, My Lord. The breakfast is ready. Would you like to have it?"
"No. I plan to stay in the warehouse for the next few weeks and do a closed-door training. Tell the young knights and Sepoy Mercenaries not to approach it." Raven said solemnly.
"What about your food, My Lord?" Emanuel asked in concern.
"I have a bag of dry bread and two barrels of water in my spatial ring. You don't need to worry about it." Raven waved his hand and started walking towards the left side corridor.
Then, he went to the mansion's backyard and moved to the training building for the knights.
Although a few were trained in the training rooms, Raven didn't mind them and moved towards the large empty warehouse built three years ago, as he requested.
After entering, he locked the tall metallic door and touched the silver spatial bracelet.
"Along with the Night goblin corpse Selene brought from the Dream World and Rank-2 Poison Serpent from the Bloodstone City auction house, I now have seven Rank-2 Corpses."
Raven first took a four-meter-tall War Troll from the bracelet and put it on the concrete floor.
The corpses were sealed in ice and remained as fresh as ever within the spatial bracelet.
Raven first broke the ice cube that covered the body by punching it.
Then, he moved closer to its chest and touched it with his palm.
"Zera, activate it."
As he spoke, a mysterious force emerged from his hand, pulling all the blood essences hidden in the corpse.
Soon, dense blood-like droplets emerged from the War Troll and started condensing into fist-sized blood essence.
A moment later, the blood-like essence directly moved towards his palm and entered his body.
But Raven's consciousness was preoccupied entirely in the mind space.
At that moment, a strange life energy came from outside, entered the mind space, and started constructing a gigantic hexagonal structure in the dark sky.
Raven stood in the middle of the Arcanum Circlets of Destiny and looked at the dark sky in shock.
Even though it only started forming in the sky, Raven felt that the new Rank-2 spell model was ten times bigger than the Rank-1 spell models!
As he was observing and receiving the new information about the new spell model entering his mind, notifications started to appear before his eyes.
…
[Bloodline Devourer System is activated!}
[Rank-2 War Troll's Bloodline has been found!]
[Analyzing the purity of the bloodline....]
[Calculating...]
[The corpse has 100% purity of Rank-2 War Troll's Bloodline Essence!]
[It is possible to absorb some of the War Troll's Bloodline Essence and its abilities.]
[Would you like to use 'Bloodline Devouring Ability'? Yes/No.]
...
"Yes!"
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is on commence!]
[Host already possesses Orc Warrior's 'Iron Resilience' Bloodline Spell!]
[System has decided to extract the corresponding Bloodline Spell from the 'War Troll.']
[War Troll's 'Rapid Regeneration' Bloodline Spell has been selected!]
...
[Host also absorbed part of the War Troll's blood Essence!]
[Host's spirit has been increased by 0.9]
[Host's vitality has been increased by 5.0]
[Host's strength has been increased by 4.0]
[Host's agility has been increased by 4.0]
[Host's Body is going through a mutation!]
[1 day, 2 hours, and 50 minutes until the mutation is complete!]
...
Stabbing pain coursed through his body, causing him to breathe heavily. Raven instantly fell to his knees as his breath grew ragged.
As minutes passed, he slowly sat on the ground and endured the painful mutation process. But as time progressed, his muscles bulged, and even the outer skin layer shed.
Raven soon started to feel an itchy sensation all over his body, and he became pale.
For a whole day, he tried his best to endure the pain and even endured the itchy sensation that appeared from time to time.
After a long time, he finally returned to his original state and noticed a significant change all over his body.
"My skin becomes tighter and stronger... It feels like I have endless vitality!" Muttering, he opened the interface again and checked the notifications.
...
[Mutation Completed!]
[Host has obtained 'Rapid Regeneration' Bloodline Spell!]
[Host's body status has been updated successfully!]
…
'The Rapid Regeneration can heal severe injuries in a blink and return me to my original state. Although it can't reattach a severed limb, its effect could be as good as legendary healing potions.' But it had a cooldown of 2 hours.
Of course, he could reduce the cooldown once he comprehended the spell model and made it passive.
But Raven knew it would take a long time to comprehend.
Shaking his head, he looked at his body and felt a significant increase in strength.
'But the mutation process is painful.' He sighed deeply, stored the corpse in the bracelet, and decided to rest.
He quietly took a quilt from his inventory, spread it in the corner of the room, and started sleeping.
After 12 hours of rest, he woke up and took the next corpse from the silver bracelet.
This time, he placed the gigantic Three-Eyed Giant on the floor and activated the 'Bloodline Devouring Ability' after breaking the ice.
…
[Bloodline Devourer System is activated!}
[Rank-2 Three-Eyed Giant's Bloodline has been found!]
[Analyzing the purity of the bloodline....]
[Calculating...]
[The corpse has 100% purity of Rank-2 Three-Eyed Giant's Bloodline Essence!]
[It is possible to absorb some of the Three-Eyed Giant's Bloodline Essence and its abilities.]
[Would you like to use 'Bloodline Devouring Ability'? Yes/No.]
...
"Yes!"
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is on commence!]
[Host has already possessed Rank-1 Three-Eyed Cyclop's 'Eye of Destruction' Bloodline Spell!]
[System has decided to extract the corresponding Bloodline Spell from the 'Three-Eyed Giant.']
[Three Eyed-Giant's 'Eye of Annihilation' Bloodline Spell has been selected!]
...
[Host also absorbed part of the Three-Eyed Giant's blood Essence!]
[Host's vitality has been increased by 7.0]
[Host's strength has been increased by 6.0]
[Host's agility has been increased by 5.0]
[Host's Body is going through a mutation!]
[1 day, 12 hours, and 10 minutes until the mutation is complete!]
...
Raven felt a similar pain as the mutation started taking place. At the same time, the 'Eye of Annihilation' spell model began to construct in the mind space.
Raven went through similar pain for the next 36 hours and endured.
During this time, his appearance also returned to Raven's original look.
Simultaneously, the third eyelid started to twitch and slowly opened.
Raven's third eye formed a strange link with the spell model, causing lightning sparks to appear.
'Ugh, my head feels like it is going to explode!' Groaning, he checked the notifications.
...
[Mutation Completed!]
[Host has obtained 'Eye of Annihilation' Bloodline Spell!]
[Host's body status has been updated successfully!]
…
'An upgraded version of the Eye of Destruction spell, huh? Moreover, the lightning ray can even break most of the Rank-3 shield-type spells. But unlike the other spells, this one has a one-day cooldown!' As Raven skimmed through the information, he couldn't help but feel this spell could be his trump card.
'I want to continue, but I must keep my body clean.' He could feel impurities being excreted from the pores, causing his body to smell badly.
After storing the corpse, Raven returned to Thomas's appearance, left the warehouse, and moved to the mansion to bathe. Afterward, he rested in his bedroom for a day and returned to the warehouse.
Then, he took the Rank-2 Snow Wyvern from the spatial bracelet and put it on the floor.
"Let's continue." He muttered and then activated the 'Bloodline Devouring Ability.'
…
[Bloodline Devourer System is activated!}
[Rank-2 Snow Wyvern's Bloodline has been found!]
[Analyzing the purity of the bloodline....]
[Calculating...]
[The corpse has 91% purity of Rank-2 Snow Wyvern's Bloodline Essence!]
[It is possible to absorb some of the Snow Wyvern's Bloodline Essence and its abilities.]
[Would you like to use 'Bloodline Devouring Ability'? Yes/No.]
...
"Yes!"
[Bloodline Devouring Ability is on commence!]
[Host already possesses Snow Wyrm's 'Cold Breath' Bloodline Spell!]
[System has decided to extract the corresponding Bloodline Spell from the 'Snow Wyvern.']
[Snow Wyvern's 'Ice Breath' Bloodline Spell has been selected!]
...
[Host also absorbed part of the Snow Wyvern's blood Essence!]
[Host's vitality has been increased by 6.0]
[Host's strength has been increased by 5.0]
[Host's agility has been increased by 4.0]
[Host's Body is going through a mutation!]
[1 day and 50 minutes until the mutation is complete!]
...
Raven has undergone another painful process as his body starts strengthening.
...
[Mutation Completed!]
[Host has obtained 'Ice Breath' Bloodline Spell!]
[Host's body status has been updated successfully!]
…
Information about the spell appeared in Raven's mind.
'A stream of icy mist and frost surges forward, rapidly freezing everything in its path. The breath carries thousands of tiny, razor-sharp ice shards capable of tearing through the flesh of a Rank-2 Walker. Mortals will die in seconds, while Rank-1 Walkers will end up getting severely injured. Although it won't affect Expert Rank Walkers much, it could freeze their movements for up to 12 seconds. And the breath spread up to 10 meters ahead and can be considered an area attack spell.' Raven nodded in understanding and decided to take some rest.