(Kurokiri POV for the whole chapter)

At first sight, it strikes me as something that should never have been conjured up.

It’s a perfect sphere with a golden, iris-like design engraved on it, like a black pearl. It floats in the air without any type of support, shifting its iris-like patterns when it observes anything in its environment.

No, I have already figured out what it is observing.

This thing it is observing is the thought I poured into it when I was creating it.

It is the depths of my skill.

But it’s not something a normal entity like me is privileged to be exposed to.

If I were to witness directly what that eye is seeing without any filter, I would certainly be driven to insanity, or at worst, I would die.

No, a normal human being would definitely end up dead. That much is clear to me.

Whatever it takes, I must create something that can control this right now.

“I suppose I am left with no choice but to do this.”

With determination, I shut my crushed left eye and prepare to formulate a new Outer Skill once anew.

This time, I will be combining ≪Devouring Black Fog≫ and ≪Dungeon Creation≫. By incorporating the thought of gaining control of this eye into this mixture, my aim ought to possibly be achieved.

“Now, I wonder what will be formed.”

In my right hand, I create a formation of ≪Dungeon Creation≫ and in my left hand, I create a formation of ≪Dungeon Creation≫ and infuse it with my thoughts.

At the same time, I am resolved to completely lose any part of my body just as happened earlier.

“‘The black blood that flows in my body and the secret art of bringing forth new life. When the two forces are gathered, bound together, and intermingled, a new substance is created, breaking away from the form of the vessel that God had ordained. Outer Skill ・ Kurokirinokessho.’”

Like before, the two formations are continuously disintegrating and building up to form a single formation, which ultimately begins to glow.

“Ah… ugh…”

Simultaneously with the pain searing my left arm, my sensation from the shoulder onward is lost.

And before my eyes, a candela-like object constructed of black bone with the perfect sphere composed of Kurokirinoshinma inside is floating there.

After seeing this, I look at my left arm, where the pain radiated from through my right eye. It turns out that my left arm is missing from the shoulder onward.

Although there has been no blood because of my foggy body, it is a strange sensation.

I try to manipulate my foggy body to produce my left eye and left arm. However, my left eye exhibits no indication that it can be made at all, and my left arm can only be made exceptionally slow, and once my concentration is disrupted, it immediately fizzles out. Perhaps this is the effect of the two outer skills that were consumed as a price.

“Well, whatever. For now, I’ll name these things.”

I grasp the floating candela in my hand.

A name represents the origin of something. Therefore, the act of naming something is extremely significant.

For if the origin is known, that is to say, the destiny is known. To have your destiny revealed is tantamount to being in possession of the rights of life and death.

This is why in the present situation, no matter how hard I strive against the God of Calamity who deprived me of my original name and bestowed upon me the name “King of the Devouring Black Fog”, it is hopeless… and this is not the time to speak about this.

Now I have to give these things a name.

“Let’s see…”

I stare at the candela and the perfect sphere inside it.

The perfect sphere is the one that defines the depths of the skill.

The candela is the one that controls the perfect sphere.

In that case,

“The perfect sphere, as the one that analyzes the magical law known as skill, is to be named the ‘Eye of Law Analysis,’ and the candela, as the one that modifies what the ‘Eye of Law Analysis’ beholds, is to be named the ‘Andon of the Magic Detector’.”

As soon as I name each of them, the ‘Eye of Law Analysis’ begins to sparkle and the ‘Andon of the Magic Detector’ starts to spin around.

These two things are supposed to be without a will, but I feel like they are pleased somehow.

“Now, since it’s a good opportunity, I’ll put them to use right away.”

I have a rough grasp of how to operate the “Eye of Law Analysis” and the “Andon of the Magic Detector”.

I invoke ≪Mist Plosion≫ on the wall to freeze it. Then, I hold “Andon of the Magic Detector” in my right hand and direct the gaze of “Eye of the Law Analyst” contained in the lantern to the frozen wall.

The iris of “Eye of Law Analysis” rotates violently, and the part of the iris that corresponds to the pupil expands and contracts drastically. Then, a string of characters is drawn out from the pupil and drifts around the periphery of the pupil. So far, this is the effect of “Eye of Law Analysis”.

However, the characters are not emitted out of the lantern, nor can the contents of the characters be read. It seems that the power of “Andon of the Magic Detector” is also working properly. Nevertheless, it is clear that these strings of characters contain dangerous information even when viewed through the andon.

Had I looked directly at it, the outcome of what would happen to me is obvious.

“Now then, let’s see the true worth of the ‘Andon of the Magic Detector’.”

I apply power to the “Andon of the Magic Detector”.

Then, from the side of the andon, a paragraph of the internal string leaks out.

I look over it. But…

“Ugh…!”

The moment I look through it, an unworldly piece of information bursts into my head, inflicting me with searing agony.

“Damn… I didn’t expect it to be this bad…”

I hastily halt the emission of the characters from the “Andon of the Magic Detector”. Perhaps because I read it, the characters that were emitted have already disintegrated in the air.

I then begin to examine the information that has penetrated my mind.

Apparently, the information that entered my mind was related to the explosion of ≪Mist Plosion≫.

It transfers magic power with determined attributes to a specified location and releases it in the form of diffusing the attributes at the specified location. This is how explosion-related skills work in a simplified manner.

However, in reality, a slight directionality is given according to the distance between the user and the detonation point in order to provide a safety margin for the activator at the time of the explosion.

Furthermore, there is a mechanism that detects the user’s intention and automatically alters the direction of the explosion, albeit slightly, without the user being aware of it, as well as a mechanism that varies the density of the attributes scattered by the explosion.

“The God of Calamity has assembled several thousands and tens of thousands of these huh… I know I’m using a lot of misappropriation and citations, but she is after all an outrageous being…”

Once again, I am confronted with the abysmal gap in power between myself and the God of Calamity.

Nonetheless, even with this realization, I am not inclined to relent in my steps, maybe because the path to that point has been illuminated, even if only scarcely.

Just as I am about to continue my analysis, I receive a transmission mingled with noise. It seems to be from Ichiko.

[Kurokiri. I’ve arrived in Cairo.]

“Oh, that was quick. I thought crossing the desert would be more challenging.”

[Well, I am only by myself after all.]

Ichiko answers with a laugh. In fact, I don’t think it would have been a journey that could be brushed off with a smile.

[Where’s Lady Ryo?]

“She contacted me a few days ago, so I guess she’s somewhere around Jerusalem now. Wait a minute, let me get in touch with her now…”

When I try to get in touch with Ryo and the others, the communication is not connected. It is not because they are in a dungeon. This feeling is like that day ten years ago…

“!?”

[Kurokiri?]

“Ichiko! Maybe that ‘guy’ is near Ryo right now!”

[!?]

“Can you head over there at once!?”

[I understand. I’m coming to them right now!]

Ichiko hurriedly cut off the communication. Perhaps she is on her way to Ryo and the others at full speed.

“Please make it in time…”

The only thing I could do in the face of all this is to sit and wait.

A/N:

The “Eye of Law Analysis” may look like a cheat item, yet owing to its extraordinary ability value demanded of its usage, it is actually a waste for almost all human beings and demons

T/N:

Andon is a loanword for lantern