Chapter 51

Chapter 51Findd new stories at novelhall.com

The Battle for the Sage’s Seal (5)

[Name: Ed Rothstaylor]

Gender: Male

Age: 17

School Year: 2nd

Species: Human

Achievements: None

Vitality: 12

Intelligence: 10

Dexterity: 13

Willpower: 10

Luck: 8

Combat Skills Details ≫

Magic Skills Details ≫

Life Skills Details ≫

Alchemy Skills Details ≫

It was the start of another day’s work as the sun slowly rose and the early morning air calmly breezed through the forest.

If it were a weekday, I would normally have woken up quickly, jumping out of bed and putting on my exercise clothing before I began my run towards the teacher district. Since it was a holiday, I could be a bit more relaxed.

My body felt refreshed. From the moment I got out of bed, I noticed that my body was back in perfect condition.

Health really was so strange, as you didn’t even feel the weight of its importance until you were already sick. I really needed to start taking good care of my body and stop pushing myself. I couldn’t get sick like that again.

I picked up the passed out Yennekar and I laid her on top of the bed. Then I went out to the stream to wash my face with cool water. While I was there, I decided to check my stats and found that, compared to Taylee’s early-mid core stats, mine were also keeping pace.

Simply put, it would become harder to keep up with Taylee as his growth rapidly changed in the second half... But at least I was able to raise my core stats as much as I could.

That was just how much my stats’ growth had plateaued. Whether it was skill proficiency or core stats, I knew that my growth would slow down once I passed level 10. Though, I did still feel a bit frustrated seeing the way the growth rate declined.

From that point on, each time I raised my stats I would definitely feel the effect. Rather than blindly training without any results, I needed to come up with more of a systematic plan.

“Come to think of it... I’ve barely done any research on the magically engineered items.”

[Life Skills Details]

Grade: Intermediate Craftsmen

Specialized Fields: Woodworking

Handicraft Lvl 14

Design Lvl 10

Collecting Skills Lvl 13

Woodworking Lvl 13

Stonemason Lvl 6

Hunting Lvl 10

Fishing Lvl 7

Cooking Lvl 6

Repairing Lvl 5

<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Spiritual Infusion>

Technical Proficiency: 2

Power Amplification: 3

Infusion Success Rate: 91

Fire-related Spiritual Proficiency: 4

Wind-related Spiritual Proficiency: 2

Contracted Spirit: Low-Ranking Fire Spirit Mugg

Spiritual Resonance Level: 12

Spiritual Understanding Level: 12

Unique Skills: Blessing of Fire Fortune, Explosion

<Advanced Production Technique Slot: Magic Engineering>

Technical Proficiency: 2

Magic Engineering Understanding: 3

Fast Production: 3

Collected Production Formulas:

Weak Wind Generator: Lvl 1

Loud Noise Generator: Lvl 1

Automatic Resonance Magic Power Chessboard: Lvl 1

??? ????? (Analyzing)

?? ??? (Analyzing)

Advanced Production Techniques had a major impact on core stats, and were also very versatile, so it couldn’t simply be compared to a regular skill.

However, as useful as it was, training it was difficult.

It would have been nice if I could just use spiritual injection like a factory, constantly pumping them out. However, for each spirit that used spiritual injection, there was a certain recovery period that was needed before you could do the next one. It was like a cooldown timer.

Magic Engineering, on the other hand, could be trained freely—as long as you have the conditions for it. Preparing the right conditions was quite difficult.

Just by researching the already completed magically engineered items, I was able to gain some proficiency in the skill. If I was lucky, I could also resemble the items. That would teach me the production method, as well.

However, it was standard that, for most magically engineered items, you actually needed to acquire the production method itself. The efficiency of doing so was also better.

The problem was that production formulas for magically engineered items mostly came as rewards in the main storyline quests. That meant it would be difficult for me to get my hands on them.

“Should I ask Taylee...? There’s no way he’ll give them to me... No, he can’t in the first place.”

I sat on a flat rock by the stream as I got lost in my thoughts. The production formulas for the magically engineered items were ‘knowledge’, rather than physical objects.

Since Taylee didn’t have any particular intention or reason to train his Magic Engineering, it seemed like a waste.

If that was the case, then... As the main storyline progressed, wouldn’t it be fine for me to take care of the scroll-type production formulas that dropped?

Taylee wasn’t going to train in Magic Engineering anyway, so the magic engineering production formulas wouldn’t be anything more than pieces of paper to him. There was also a high chance that he just wouldn’t even take them.

Techniques were like goldmines to me. Once I graduated from Silvenia and started living on my own, it would be immensely helpful in making a living if I was able to train a reliable skill like Magic Engineering to its limit.

In fact, I was even well-informed of where and what ways the important production formulas were dropped or hidden. If I could catch and get a hold of them, it would greatly help my skill proficiency.

Teaching myself by repeatedly disassembling, analyzing, and then reassembling the products Lortel managed to supply me with clearly had a limit in terms of my growth.

I was starting to feel the importance of securing efficient, useful, and expensive magic engineering production formulas.

“Hmm... Come to think of it, it’s almost the end of Act 2. I’ve been training out of my mind, not to mention the fact that I was unconscious for ten days, so it’s gone by in an instant.”

In the middle of the tranquil forest, right at daybreak, I gazed up at the sky.

It was a peaceful sight to look at. But when I closed my eyes, I could imagine the scene of the tower of magic power. It engulfed the entire sky over the school, and Glast had imbued it with Celestial Magic.

Using high-ranking time-related magic, creating and using all kinds of golems and experimented monsters, and even using his own disciples and other academic staff members as shields... He was a madman scholar that had finally gained resonance with the Sage’s Seal.

The final chapter of Act 2, The Glast Subjugation.

Thinking that far, the memory of his research room flashed across my mind.

“The Soul Library...!”

I clenched my fist and nodded my head.

There were four stages of battle in the final chapter.

A detour to the teacher’s district, the underground waterways, Glast’s secret research room, and the top of the tower of magic power.

Among them, Glast’s secret research room was notorious for being long and difficult, but it also had the Soul Library—which had a collection of all sorts of valuable magic books, references, and priceless magic documents.

It was a stage where you had to run around and catch the librarian, who would fly through the plentiful bookshelves and magic books. The stage’s boss, the librarian of the Soul Library Raina, was hard to defeat without the use of the Swordmaster's Skill.

Well, even though things were like that, Taylee's present specs should have been high enough to defeat her. I’d already asked around for information, so I was sure he was fine. My interests were in a different area—the contents of the Soul Library.

It was full of valuable Magic Engineering production formulas. As far as I could remember, the number of them was in double digits. Plus, there were two in particular that could produce legendary grade magically engineered items.

If it was a magically engineered item of a legendary grade, as long as you can get the materials to make it, it could be a lethal weapon close to the level of the Swordmaster's Skill.

It might not be able to keep up with the uniqueness of the Swordmaster's Skill, which was effective when fighting against particular storyline bosses, but the sheer firepower of a weapon at that level couldn’t be easily ignored.

I searched through my memory carefully.

‘Glockt’s Eyes’ temporarily amplified your innate amount of magic power and all resonance-related skills’ proficiency.

‘Dell Heim’s Sandglass’ reverted all physical conditions back a few seconds.

‘Glockt’s Eyes’... If I could use that, I'd be able to temporarily amplify my Spiritual Resonance. That would allow me to make a contract with a high-ranking spirit, which I normally wouldn’t be able to do at my level.

‘Dell Heim’s Sandglass’... There was a high possibility that it would be the key to saving my life at least once in a desperate situation.

Those... I couldn’t just ignore them.

“I can’t let this golden opportunity slip through my fingers...”

The advanced production techniques for magic engineering had a uniquely designed balance to them.

As for grant-type skills such as Spiritual Infusion and Enchant... you could only be granted those advanced skills once your body raised its proficiency and mana resonance to a high enough level.

However, for production-type skills like Magic Engineering... it was balanced by ‘the rareness of materials.’

In other words, no matter what type of advanced production formula I got my hands on, if I couldn’t get the materials for it I wouldn’t be able to utilize the power of an advanced magically engineered item.

No matter how early you obtained a legendary type production skill, it wouldn’t mean much if you could only obtain the items in the latter half of the storyline.

That meant that the system was designed to prevent players from making excessively strong magically engineered items at the current point in the storyline... Luckily for me, though, I had a friend that could give me a ‘chance.’

She was a main character in the storyline, one who I’d been trying not to get close to as much as possible. However, she could get any material she wanted, even if it was on the other side of the map.

I didn’t know what she would ask for in return, but the fact that I had a source in the first place was the important part. If all went well, I’d be able to work with a level of magically engineered items that shouldn’t even exist in the current ongoing storyline.

“Just what are you thinking so hard about?”

As I turned around, trembling, I saw a girl with reddish-brown hair sitting on a fallen tree.

I thought she had said that braiding her hair over one shoulder was more comfortable, but I’d been seeing her with her hair unbound or neatly combed recently. I thought her hair was always braided when she was working.

“I wasn’t sure, but you showed up right away.”

The distance between the stream and the camp wasn’t that far. Lortel was going to stop by quickly and place the leather bag near the campfire in the middle of the camp, where he could clearly find it.

Thud!

At that moment, the door of the cabin opened.

Yennekar walked out holding onto Ed’s pillow, yawning with messy hair.

“Yaaawn... Ed... went to the stream.”

Yennekar had seen Ed go out towards the stream while she was pretending to be asleep. She hadn’t slept because of the exhaustion that was flooding her body and the nervousness from spending a night in the same room as Ed, so she had pretended to sleep without saying anything... But she actually ended up falling asleep like the innocent girl she was.

“Before I head back, I should at least eat something simple...”

Rubbing her eyes as her vision started to come back, she made eye contact with Lortel, who was coming from the stream.

Seeing each other’s faces was a disaster in their eyes.

“Why are you coming out of there, Yennekar...?”

“Why are you coming from the stream, Lortel...?”

It was also the beginning of a new disaster for Ed.

* * *

※ The article you’re reading is PepperoPepe’s ‘How to attack the Act 2 Boss for beginners, briefly focusing on the main points! (http://sihtdaerotevahtnoduoy.co.kr/memopad=11231) A summary of basic information and strategies.

※ Please refer to the original article for detailed strategic information!

2-11; Act 2, Final Chapter

Boss: Inquirer Glast (Seeker of Truth)

■ Phase 1. Chasing Glast

Achievement Condition: Chase after senior professor Glast, who is fleeing from Trix Hall after kidnapping Ayla!

(Conditions for additional achievements.) Have ‘The Spear from Nature Ziggs’ join you.

(Conditions for additional achievements.) Have ‘Romantic Adele’ join you.

(Conditions for additional achievements.) Have ‘Gloomy Clevius’ join you.

(Conditions for additional achievements.) Have ‘Nosy Elvira’ join you.

Enemies:

Low-Rank Magic Golem* 50

Mid-Rank Magic Golem* 10

Head Researcher Melverick* 1

Student President Verus *1

Lazy Lucy *1

※ Once you’ve met the specific conditions, your colleagues will join you in rescuing Ayla partway through.

‘Spear from Nature Ziggs’: During Act 2, Chapter 7 ‘Devil of the Underground Waterways’, tell him the story about Ayla’s pendant.

‘Romantic Adele’: When asked about Ayla’s Magic Power Resonance, you answered honestly.

‘Gloomy Clevius’: During Act 2, Chapter 3 ‘The Occupation of Ophelis Hall’, Clevius is slapped and reprimanded by Ayla.

‘Nosy Elvira’: During Act 2, Chapter 5 ‘Exploring the Alchemy Department’s Society’, losing the debate with Ayla.

※ The Magic Golem is barely affected by magic power. It is easier to use physical strength to break through, incompatible magically engineered items, or modified alchemy reagents to neutralize it.

※ You can skip over the head researcher Melverick, who appears midway through the chase, by taking a detour. If you don't need a particular achievement or skill proficiency related to Magic Engineering, take the detour to save supplies.

※ The student president Verus’ swordsmanship can invalidate nearly all blocking-related skills. If it’s difficult to quickly dodge her attacks, it is okay to just use Swordmaster's Skill one time. However, if you have used it once during the battle with Verus, make sure to avoid using it again until right before the boss.

※ If certain conditions are met, Lazy Lucy will appear as a hostile enemy. Make sure to avoid it as a bad ending is inevitable. The pre-conditions that are necessary are quite complicated, so it’s an event that rarely occurs. But if your goal is to complete a certain achievement, please refer to the original article for the detailed conditions!

■ Phase 2. Chasing Glast 2

Achievement Objective: Continue chasing after senior professor Glast, who has now hidden in the underground waterways!

Enemies:

Low-Rank Magic Golem* 70

Mid-Rank Magic Golem* 30

High-Rank Magic Golem Hayton* 1

Third year top alchemy student, Dorothy *1

Assistant Professor Cleoh Elpin *1

※ The High-Rank Magic Golem Hayton is resistant to most attacks. Use the Swordmaster's Skill to defeat it or buy enough time for the event where the entrance to the underground waterways collapses. (Don’t waste any of your consumables!)

※ You can’t see the map while in the underground waterways. If it’s too difficult to remember the correct path, put your hand against the left wall and keep walking until you reach the entrance to the secret research room.

※ Through a dialogue choice, you can skip the battle against Dorothy. Each time the option will be different, but if you express the fact that she’s being deceived by Professor Glast as much as possible, it will work.

If combat begins, fight her in the same method as you dealt with the Act 1 mid-boss Elvira. You can quickly and easily clear the battle if you are careful about your distance while she is throwing reagents.

※ There is not much direct combat with Assistant Professor Cleoh Elpin. If you destroy the shield she created with beginner magic, a cut scene will occur and you can move on to the next phase.

■ Phase 3. Searching Through the Secret Research Room

Achievement Objective: Advance to the deepest parts of the secret research room!

Enemies:

Alive and Moving Dolls* 80

Magic books with souls *440

Floating Bookshelves* 30

Soul Library Librarian, Reina* 1

Escaped Subjects* 30

Blue-blooded Kobold* 40

Gremlins with wings cut off* 10

Distorted Vampire Bat* 40

Celestial Researcher Koom* 1

Revived Devil of the Underground Waterways* 1

※ This is a tricky phase. The number of enemies are high, and they are all quite powerful. Gather your senses and handle it properly!

※ The order follows first the Soul Library - Monster Research Room - the central hallway. If the order is messed up you will need to do it again, so please take notice.

※ Enemies that appear as Souls barely take any damage from physical attacks. However, if ‘Romantic Adele’ joins the subjugation team she will be able to cast soul-fixing magic, allowing you to inflict physical damage. It’s very convenient to have, so make sure to bring her along.

※ The Soul-type magic used by the librarian Reina reduces your mental strength and restrains the flow of your magic power. You will also periodically fall victim to hallucinations, so be careful to not accidentally attack a member of the subjugation team. If you are in a state of hallucination, it’s better to just focus on avoiding attacks.

※ Celestial Researcher Koom uses beginner level Celestial Magic. He’s immune to all forms of attacks and his magic attacking strength is very high, though he doesn’t move locations.

If you steadily keep lowering the number of monster subjects that he is summoning, eventually Koom’s Celestial magic circle will run wild, causing him to self-destruct. Don’t waste any consumables here unnecessarily.

※ The attack pattern of the revived devil of the underground waterways is nearly identical to the one you faced in Act 2, Chapter 7. However, as its body has become much bigger and the number of arms has increased, it is more difficult. Its range of attack is much larger, and the arm attached to its shoulder is able to cover its weak spot behind on its’ back, so you will have to face it with standard tactics.

Try to block as many attacks as you can, then attack it with full strength. If you have failed to acquire the appropriate clear specs, you will get stuck here. Make sure to check the level of your specs.

■ Phase 4. Advancing to the Tower of Magic Power

Achievement Objective: Attack Glast, who is resonating with the Sage’s Seal at the top of the tower of magic power.

Enemies:

Wandering Skeletons* 30

Magic Powered Guardian Golems *20

Cyclops* 1

The Golden Daughter, Lortel* 1

※ You just need to deal with the enemies that appear while taking a straight path up the tower of magic power.

※ Note that some of the wandering skeletons shoot arrows. Also, deal with the elite monsters wearing armor first.

※ Due to its massive size, the Cyclops will move very slowly. However, if it hits you even once you will die. If you have brought along ‘The Spear from Nature Ziggs’, he will take the position of vanguard, making it very easy to clear.

※ The battle against Lortel can be skipped by picking the appropriate option. After the subjugation, if you promise to hand over the ownership of the Sage’s Seal to her the battle will not continue. However, if the seal is damaged in a later battle, the Sage’s Seal will disappear from the clear rewards.

If you are careful of her intermediate ice magic, it will be much easier than you think to defeat her. So don’t unnecessarily sacrifice the reward and continue with the battle.

■ Phase 5. The Glast Subjugation

Achievement Objective: Subjugate Glast!

Appearing Enemies:

Inquirer Glast* 1

※ He uses lots of tricky Celestial Magic and carries many magically engineered items. Listing the unique things to be wary of:

Miniature Time Reversal: Temporarily recovers all wounds and sends out an attack, fainting the entire battlefield.

Time Prison: At the start of the battle half of the subjugation members will be trapped in a time prison, unable to move. Until Glast’s vitality reaches the halfway point, they will remain detained.

Reinforced Claw Fingers: A magically engineered item that pushes back the vanguard of the subjugation team, giving him an advantageous position. It’s usually used with elemental magic, so make sure to fix the battle formation quickly.

Shock-Enhanced Wave Ball: If you are hit at close range, you will immediately fall off the tower of magic power. Always make sure to keep your distance from it.

In addition, he regularly summons golems and monster experiments, as well as using magic common amongst other enemy magicians like elemental magic, spirit-type magic, and spatial magic. Please refer to the original version for information regarding the attacks of each phase.

■ Etc.

At the end of the time limit, Ayla will die, resulting in a bad ending. Make sure to move quickly.

Throughout the storyline, try and sufficiently raise the proficiency of the Swordmaster's Skill up to 4 or 5. It’s a skill that is necessary to be proficient in when facing off against the Act 3 and Act 4 bosses.

This is an important act that lays the key foundation for the future storyline. It’s better to play through it without skipping as much as possible.

* * *

I sat alone by the stream, looking towards the slowly rising sun. With this newly refreshed body, I was encouraged to get started on some work.

I slowly stood up and turned around.

I remembered the three letters that I received before I collapsed from overworking.

One was a letter from Lortel, which contained a message to take care of myself, as Elte’s movements were suspicious.

Another was a personal letter from Princess Penia, who was trying to summon me for information regarding the Rothstaylor Family, since Krepin’s movements were suspicious.

And the last letter had come from the school. The person who had sent it to me was completely unexpected.

The senior professor in charge of the first years, Glast.

It was a message saying that he wanted to meet with me personally after the academy's scheduled training at the end of the month.

Sadly, as I was still unconscious during that time, I couldn’t go see him.

There’s no way for me to know why he had called on me, or what he had wanted to discuss.

Act 2 was now coming to its final stage, and his story was reaching its end as well.