Chapter 190: i have covid

Memnon opens his brown eyes. He is in a large sparcely lit cave. The walls are lined engravings and murals. Every few meters are torches that come alight as he moves toward the massive doors.

Memnon has never seen a door that appears to be liquid but also solid. The mana and magic array and patterns all move about the liquid. Its is mercury in colour and cold to the touch. The little bit that gets on his hand freezes into a hard skin. Once it is devoid of mana this material becomes super hard. Lucky for him it doesn't stick and the sliver flakes floor to the ground.

The doors radiating with mana, Memnon can clearly see the spell diagrams, arrays and patterns all overlapping one another. It is most the complex formation he has ever seen. It pulls from many different schools of magic. He sees arrays used in advanced magic scrolls .

The first time around Tinashe had arrived after all three remaining floors had been unlocked and he only managed to secure the final treasure because the place had been abandoned by others. He spent almost three months real months here looking for the last treasure.

He moves closer to the door The magic patterns seems an arrangement of some sort. He recognizes the the nine divine symbols found in all magic arrays. Each of the symbols also represents a number from one to nine.

Memnon touches the door, a three by three grid glows red. The divine symbols are arranged inside this grid. Memnon can see that five point star is in the middle of the pattern and cannot be moved. He touches the circle which represents the number one. The touches the square. He starts chewing on a piece of cord.

Memnon has worked out that he has to arrange the symbols in a certain pattern to make out the combination for the this lock. Unfortunately the person who spoke about the treasure he found here had not specified the various steps he did only that the final piece had eluded him which Memnon had already solved.

He only had to draw the symbol for three Divine elements as one. Space, time and gravity can be represented by one symbol. After days of struggling he had come across it. Logging back into the came. Mythials' belt has the Infinity symbol on it. Which also happens to be the symbol he needed. At first he cursed himself for being so stupid and then thanks Mythial for her guidance.

Memnons' minds is certain that the nine symbols are meant to used a numbers in this context. A magic square is usually a math game. Working with five as his center he tries the simplest combination. Which is arranging the symbol by lowest to highest.

So by keeping five in the middle centre, he places one in the top left position. Then two, in the top centre slot, Three in Top right position. He is happily working through the rest of magic sequentially. He taps the the middle centre when he's done. The magic square glows red and a magic array appears on the floor.

Memnon says, "So the simplest answer isn't the right answer after all." The thought of strong password scares him. What kind of clue would he need to solve it. Solving a three by three magic square should be easier since he is pretty good at Sudoku.

Memnon then reveses it, just incase the sequence starts at the bottom. He feels the air in the cave get charge. It seems he has three chances left to solve it. His mana body allowing him to sense the stage the magic is at.

Memnon bites his hand as he tries to arrange them in order of the symbols. Based on his memories. Five is all the common elements then the rest of the number are the advance elements.

In the stories about The scared magic Tower of Darmok. The first five Sages each representing one of the five common elements. Built its foundation collecting all manner of magical knowledge to the this place.They created a large institute. From which magic could be freely studied. After many years of prosperity and magic research. The age of enlightenment happened and for five thousand years.

Darmoks' magic tower grew and an entire kingdom was built around it and its magical advancement the envy of all. The ten advanced elements each had a floor dedicated to them. These floors sat  on top of the five point star foundation.

The legend also spoke of the three divine  elements. Which was said to have been on the very top of the tower. Memnon thinks hard the most famous theory. Is the theory of fifteen. Written by Pythag and an unknown scholar. This theory states that the world is governed by fifteen elements. This theory is basis of all their magics.

He arranges the symbols based on the floors where built up. He knows the sequence because in his research. He learnt a lot about Magic history, rune scripting, magic devices, Elemental construction, Manarithmetics all together called the relic arts.

The magic formations builds more power as that combination is also incorrect. He can't reverse it so he tries the magic order. This is how they appeared in game when he had to select an element for himself. All the elements were available except. The three divine elements.

This is also incorrect, the formation is almost complete. Its a triple cast of advance magic, at the perimeter is lightning probably to prevent him teleporting away. Not that he has that spell yet. Then its the ice section to slow him to ensure he is trapped and right under his feet is the a slow build up of the heat and the subtle glow of lava.

Any sufficiently advanced magician will be able to tell the distinct magic patterns around them and which element. That particular pattern belongs to. The build up continues he has one more chance to succeed. He is trying to squeeze his brain for a sort of clue from the game his real life. Any clue that has to do with the magic square he comes up dry.

The lightning crackles in the background as sparks are thrown about. The whole cave goes bright then dims again. He catches a mural on the wall that he hadn't seen before but the light from the lightning is too quick. Small thin sheets of ice are surrounding him.

Memnon moves a few blocks around. Crack another spark that becomes a real bolt of lightning. Memnon spots something its the same symbol on his legendary item. He only knew its had to do with the fifteen elements. The floor around him builds up little pools of lava. Memnon has to get as close to the door as he can to be burnt. He only has a few more seconds left.

Memnon remembers something it is so far away. The thought is crawling the front fifteen is the key. It is the highest circle available to mages. Fifteen represents the number of known elements. Darkmon had fifteen regions, The council of fifteen, Fifteen Magic Ships, basically if it was the pinnacle of magic it had fifteen variations. His legendary item is in fact the fifteenth in the set.

Fifteen plays a large role in magic. I fact the biggest secret to magic is the magic sum! Once he thinks it he remembers that also a magic sum is when all the number in a magic square add up to fifteen. Being a decent sudoku players Memnon works as fast as he can.

Since the middle centre space is locked to five. This is his clue, works out the sums in his head. In his minds eye he can see the three by three magic. He moves the numbers abouts. He runs through seven combination before landing on something that might work out.

In the top right, he places the symbol that represents the number two. He double checks in his minds eye. He go through removing mistakes. Top centre he puts the symbol that is also the number nine. A smile is his face even as the formation is activating he can see the end the road. He puts the symbol for the number four in the top left slot.

At the bottom right he has to eight since, five is in the middle centre and top left is two. This then also clears up centre right  which has to three. Then of course bottom centre as number one and centre  left a seven. That leaves only the last square which is bottom left he places the symbol for the number six.

The magic square centre piece. Expands into a large. Pentagram at each of the five points there is line leading to the middle creating the symbol. The symbol shines in all the colours representing the elements.

The Star hums as a doorway is created going into the ruins of Darmok...