Leo scrutinized the Codex Arcanum in his hands, his excitement from the meeting dampened by the gravity of the news. He couldn't shake off the unease. This information was on a god-level scale and its potential for corruption was terrifying.
He glanced at the mark on the back of his hand, a constant unsettling reminder of the mystery surrounding its origin. Over the past year, he'd formulated countless theories, but only one seemed plausible. The previous Mr. Clone, desperate to conceal the existence of the meeting, had likely transferred the mark. Even if it vanished upon death, it might leave an imperceptible trace. And Leo couldn't be certain it would truly disappear without a trace.
If he died or was captured, the Paladins would almost certainly discover the mark and uncover the secret meeting. Therefore, the previous Mr. Clone, in a desperate act, had transferred it to the first living being he encountered – Leo himself.
Questions lingered. Why the desperate need for secrecy? He was already dead or captured – what difference did it make? 'I'm still not entirely convinced,' Leo admitted to himself, 'but it's the most logical explanation I can currently conceive.'
Another thing Leo couldn't stop wondering about was whether Mr. Sage knew about Mr. Clone's identity change. As the leader of the secret gathering, Mr. Sage commanded immense authority. Leo didn't know much about the true extent of the higher powers in this world, but even with his limited knowledge, it was clear that Mr. Sage was strong—he might even be an S rank.
If that was the case, did someone so powerful know about Leo taking Mr. Clone's position? And if he did, why hadn't he done anything about it?
Thinking about these questions made Leo's head ache. He decided to push them aside for now.
'Even if he knows, he hasn't acted on it for almost a year. I should be safe… for now. Besides, the truth will reveal itself eventually, one way or another.'
With a deep breath, Leo pushed the troubling thoughts to the back of his mind and turned his attention to the book in his hands.
The Codex Arcanum—a B rank magic book. Leo knew he had to handle it with extreme care. Carefully, he opened the book. The first page displayed its rank, B, etched in bold letters.
But as he turned to the second page, his brows furrowed. It was blank. Stranger still, he couldn't flip further; the pages felt fused together, as if the book itself resisted him.
'Did Mr. Crow trick me?'
The thought lingered briefly before he dismissed it. No, Mr. Crow wasn't foolish enough to risk his standing in the meeting—or his life—for fifty gold coins and a book.
Then Samuel's words echoed in his mind: "You can ask it."
Leo hesitated, then pulled out his pen and carefully wrote on the blank page: 'Light Ball.'
The ink shimmered briefly before vanishing. Then, with an audible shff, the book flipped itself open to a new page. Lines of text began forming in smooth, flowing script:
Name: Light Ball
Belongs to: Pure Magic Path
Rank: F
Usage: It can light the surroundings.
Other Usage: Unknown
Leo's lips curved into a grin. 'This book is alive… or at least enchanted beyond my understanding.'
His excitement swelled as he refined his search. 'Light Ball Rank.'
The text shifted:
Name: Light Ball
Rank: F
Leo tapped the pen against his chin thoughtfully. What if he made the request even more specific?
'Light Ball, show only Rank.'
The book responded immediately:
Rank: F
His grin widened as he pushed further: 'Light Ball, Existence.'
Exist: Yes
The simplicity of the response struck him as both eerie and impressive.
Growing more confident, Leo wrote: 'Spells that contain the word 'Light Ball,' only ranks.'
here were eight spells listed, showing only their ranks. Leo hesitated, knowing that seeing the name of a spell above B rank could have dangerous consequences.
His suspicion was confirmed—one of the spells containing the words Light Ball was ranked B.
Leo exhaled, a mix of relief and excitement coursing through him.
Now, he turned his attention to something more specific. A spell he had been curious about.
'Spells that contain 'Heat Vision,' only ranks.'
He waited, but nothing happened.
'maybe I'm asking wrong.'
'Spells that contain 'Eye,' only ranks.'
The page came alive again, revealing ten spells ranked from F to A—all just on the first page. Leo's eyes scanned the list carefully, his curiosity battling with caution
Curious, Leo filtered further: 'Spells that contain 'Enhanced Eye,' only ranks.'
Only one spell appeared on the list, and Leo knew what it was.
'At least that worked,' he thought, leaning closer to the book.
But his curiosity hadn't been sated. He tried a more direct approach: 'Is there any spell that can show heat?'
The book remained still.
Frustrated but determined, he adjusted once more: 'Spells description: showing heat. Only ranks.'
Still nothing.
Leo leaned back, his pen tapping against his chin as he stared at the stubbornly blank page.
'So… there really aren't any spells like that?'
The stillness of the book seemed to confirm his suspicion.
But he needed to be sure. Leo spent the entire night searching for a spell related to heat vision. He tried every variation he could think of, even using the term 'infrared radiation'—a detail he remembered from a documentary in his previous world explaining how heat vision worked. However, that was the extent of his knowledge. query after query, the book remained silent on the subject. By the time the first light of dawn crept through his window, he still hadn't found anything.
Leo closed the book and set it carefully beside him on the bed.
'Now I'm almost certain there's no spell like heat vision in this world. Which raises another question—how can I create one?'
To create a spell, Leo knew he'd need to deeply understand the intricate circles of magic, something far beyond his current knowledge. But with his daily responsibilities calling, this would have to wait.
Maybe I should rent another place just for this sort of thing,' he mused, stretching his arms overhead as he prepared for his morning exercises.
…
In another branch of the Paladin Association, Cirnath Tahroman sat at his desk, deep in thought, when a knock echoed through the room.
"Come in,".
The door opened, and Lavi Han entered. He placed a fist over his chest in salute. "Captain Tahroman."
"Come in and sit," Cirnath gestured to the chair across from him.
Lavi took a seat, his posture straight and respectful.
"So, how did it go with the bandits?" Cirnath asked, his sharp eyes fixed on Lavi.
Lavi exhaled heavily before replying. "From what we learned from the bandit Rik, we've already identified the bases of their operations in the underbellies of Flesa and Niver. However, most of the bandits were killed during the ambush, and a lot of them took their own lives before we could interrogate them. When we launched the second raid, the survivors had already warned the third group. By the time we reached them, they were prepared. Using some sort of spell, they all died before we could capture anyone."
"So, we hit a dead end?" Cirnath muttered, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hand.
Lavi nodded grimly. "Unfortunately, yes."
Cirnath let out a long sigh. "We still don't know who hired them." After a moment's pause, he added, "Thank you, Lavi. You may go. Head to your class."
Lavi stood, saluted once more by placing a fist over his chest, and exited the room.
Since completing Leo's class, Lavi had taken on the role of teaching enchanting to two new recruits at Cirnath's HQ. After leaving the captain's office, he headed straight for the designated class room to begin his lesson.
…
Leo had finished his patrol and was now in the library, engrossed in a book on magic circles. It was a D- rank book, with explanations that weren't too complex. The library was quiet as most of the staff had already left for the day. Sitting at one of the tables, Leo turned the pages and absorbed the information.
'From what I'm reading here, the main circle in all the symbols is for compressing power, keeping it concentrated in one place. Then, we shape that power using symbols and words of power. Each symbol draws energy from a specific field, while the words of power mold it into a spell. I hadn't realized this before, but the order of the power words seems crucial. It varies depending on the symbol. For instance, in the Illusion field, the words of power start from the one at the top.'
Curious, Leo decided to test the theory on the Enhanced Eyes spell. Its magic circle was composed of three words of power: Power at the top of the central triangle, Truth on the left, and Light on the right. He injected his mana into the spell, attempting to discern the correct order. However, after numerous tries he couldn't figure it out. Frustrated but determined, he resolved to experiment later using the Ring of Clarity.
…
When Leo arrived home, the house was quiet. A note was pinned to the cabinet:
"Sweetie, we're upstairs with Ms. Belgilia. You can join us if you want. I made something for you to eat if you're staying downstairs."
A smile spread across his face as he read his mother's familiar handwriting. After enjoying the meal she had prepared, he retreated to his room to focus on his work.
He slipped on the Ring of Clarity and began casting Enhanced Eyes again. This time, with the ring's assistance, he discovered the correct order: the spell started at the top and moved counterclockwise—Power, Truth, and Light.
One of the most annoying parts of casting spells for Leo was the need to physically draw out most of the magic circles, even for self-casting. For example, spells like Telekinesis didn't require diagrams, but Enhanced Eyes did. With the number of spells he was learning, carrying around stacks of paper had become a necessity but thankfully, his enchanted bag made it manageable. During combat, he could easily retrieve any specific diagram just by focusing on it. Still, the inconvenience nagged at him, especially during moments like this.
Leo had an idea. 'What happens if I draw this in the Codex Arcanum?'
Taking out the Codex, he carefully sketched the spell's diagram. The book shivered in his hands before flipping to a new page, where the Enhanced Eyes spell was inscribed in the center.
'So, it works like this too?' he thought, intrigued.
Encouraged, Leo drew the spell again, this time moving the words of power to the top of the circle, encapsulating the triangle. He also added a linking rune to indicate rank. The Codex quivered once more, flipping to yet another page. Two words were etched into the parchment:
Rank: C
'What is this? Enhanced Eyes—Version Two?' he wondered. 'I can't study this yet; it might corrupt me.'
He stared at the original diagram again, a question forming in his mind.
'Now, how can I adapt this into heat vision?'
With excitement bubbling inside him, Leo prepared to experiment further, knowing he was on the brink of something remarkable.
Leo sat at his desk, deep in thought, as he began to carefully sketch the words of power he knew onto a blank sheet of paper: 'Mind,' 'Control,' 'Power,' 'False,' 'Truth,' 'Whole,' 'Light,' 'Fear,' and 'Courage.'
'None of these words seem to relate to heat,' he mused, frustration building.
Determined, he decided to experiment. He erased the word 'Light' from his diagram and replaced it with 'Control.' Carefully, he first drew the revised spell in the Codex Arcanum. When no reaction came from the book, indicating the combination wasn't recognized as an existing spell, he decided to test it.
Taking out a fresh piece of parchment, he replicated the diagram and injected a small amount of mana into it. At first, nothing happened. Then, to his shock, the paper began to glow.
"What—?" he barely had time to react before it exploded with a loud pop. The burst left a small but noticeable scorch mark on the ground, filling the air with the acrid smell of burnt paper.
Leo froze, staring at the singed spot on the floor. His pulse raced as the implications sank in. 'That could have been much worse. If I'd put more mana into it...'
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, tinged with concern.
'Leo, what was that? I heard something explode.'
It was Rorin, speaking to him through telepathy. Leo glanced at his hand and realized that his Ring of Telepathy was still active.
'Oh, nothing,' Leo quickly replied, his tone casual despite the lingering tension in his body. 'Just a spell going out of control. It's alright, really. Can you let my mom know everything's fine?'
Rorin hesitated. 'Okay...? But be careful.'
'I will,' Leo reassured him before cutting the connection.
Shaking off the shock, Leo muttered to himself, 'I really need another place to do this kind of work—and some protection spells.'
With a sigh, he slumped onto his bed, replaying the incident in his mind.
As he stared at the ceiling, Leo mentally outlined what he needed.
'I don't think the words of power I know can create this spell. Even if I find something like "Heat" or "Flame," there's still the risk of burning my eyes. I need four things: first, a book that explains more about words of power; second, a way to safely test spells without using them on myself; third, a proper place to work; and fourth, protective measures in case something goes wrong again.'
His thoughts began to blur as exhaustion from the previous sleepless night took over. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it, he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.