Chapter 297 - 293: The Best New Year’s Gift

Chapter 297: Chapter 293: The Best New Year’s Gift

The Holy Spirit found the drifting colors within the light of the world far more intoxicating than the starlight that occasionally stung the eyes.

For instance, some of the bright colors from the bodies of Huang Jiutian and Du Peipei would dissipate into the air.

Within the world’s light presented before it, that shade of color was also somewhat unique. If one looked closely, one might be able to pick out those special colors from within the light of the world.

’Perhaps I should recommend myself to Master Sage and apply to manage the patrol agency,’ Shadow thought. ’I have a talent for this.’

’In a little while, my power for self-preservation should be stable enough. It should be sufficient to hold out until reinforcements arrive.’

From within its sleeves, translucent, crystalline threads began to coil around its arm.

’The disgusting Demon also possessed a pleasing Ability, and now it’s mine!’

With an almost imperceptible nod toward Huang Jiutian, the Holy Spirit formally took its leave.

...

「In the Qingzhen Secret Place, inside a Refining Room with the same specifications as the first laboratory.」

A brand-new Engraving Array was gradually taking shape on the floor.

As a relatively advanced form of Magic Power knowledge, the Magic Pattern Array was naturally not just used for weaving a Secret Realm.

However, conventional use of Magic Power was mostly simple and crude. It was driven by one’s innate Magic Talent as an extension of one’s own body. The wondrous nature of Magic Power allowed Magic Controllers to do as they pleased. Even when special powers like the Weaving Technique were required, the Magic Language was sufficient assistance.

The Technique Array, as a Magic Pattern technology that required a certain amount of preparation, was naturally used most often for defense, construction, or special rituals to enhance effects. The time it was used to trick Mumu was actually a huge coincidence; Magic Creatures would rarely fail to notice a Technique Array and just blunder into it.

What Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness were now Engraving was the third, improved version of the Transformation Array.

Unlike conventional, complex Magic Pattern Techniques, this Technique Array was Engraved entirely in a circular formation, ring after ring. Every Magic Power node was inlaid with a Magic Energy Crystal.

The Magic Patterns on it, when expressed in the Magic Language, had a simple core phrase: "Mi-Mo-Sa." It represented a wondrous power of transformation, supplemented by various directional guides and energy circuits.

Qin Xiaoxia’s memory of it traced back to the last time he performed the Stone-to-Gold Transformation. At that time, he had just obtained the Magic Energy Crystal Ore and was in a hurry for Doudou to craft Wishing Gold Coins.

Back then, he had crudely applied the power of this Magic Language through the Weaving Technique. A small piece of Magic Energy Crystal had only yielded a tiny nugget of gold, a textbook example of wastefulness throughout the ages.

In reality, Qin Xiaoxia’s own understanding of Magic Power’s application, its inherent wonders, and the abilities of a Weaver were all very superficial. Usually, a single word of revelation and a word representing power constituted one use of the Weaving Technique.

Weaving a Secret Realm, on the other hand, was much more intricate. But his initial knowledge of Secret Realms was limited to just the "Fall of the Red Demoness," because that was the only one Doudou knew completely. Qin Xiaoxia had succeeded on his first try only due to the high quality of his Magic Power, his precise control, and an absurd amount of good luck.

After the Red Demoness was resurrected, their knowledge of Secret Realms grew immensely. This was thanks to the fruits of Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness’s joint research, creating what could be called Dawn’s very own Secret Realm system.

There was no helping it. Elves like Doudou and Mumu mostly relied on their innate powers. And while the Red Demoness’s former self wasn’t an Elf, she was a Sea Siren both blessed and cursed by the ocean. She didn’t rely on technique to get by either.

To put it bluntly, these folks were basically "Magical Creatures" with powerful innate talents.

So, what kind of beings truly relied on technique?

The most representative examples were: the Fairies of Magson, originators and masters of Secret Realms; the Akenis Ear Monsters, creators of minor craft tricks, masters of bartering, and a race of swindlers; the Saladin Demon Race of the Delan Garden World—the Brilliant Weavers from the Country of the Power Decryption Weavers’ Origin; and, also located in Magson, the Gray Spirit People of the Magic Rune Realm, with their Mountain Forged Magic Power...

Most of these races didn’t have universal Magic Power, yet in worlds teeming with Elves and monsters, they stood firm with their unique and brilliant magic technologies. For some of the more advanced ones, it would be no exaggeration to call them civilizations.

And beyond this small "technique-based" faction, the Void Realms were filled with countless strange and wondrous magical beings. The number of unique individual, racial, or even supernatural talents and unimaginable Laws was so vast that no one could possibly know them all.

The known inter-world communication circles were but a drop in the ocean. The torrent of time and space, scattered fragments, realms of chaos, places beyond the shadows, the dark recesses... The hidden unknowns were endless, and Earth was just one of them.

Frankly, on a purely technical level, the current Dawn—aside from its respectable Secret Realm Technique—was pathetic in every other area. They were, without a doubt, country bumpkins.

But there was one thing. It was unclear if it was due to the world, humans themselves, or both, but humanity’s potential for Magic Power growth was terrifyingly high. Setting aside a bug-like existence like Qin Xiaoxia, even the speed and quality of Magic Power accumulation in others were remarkable.

Theoretically, according to the principle of quantity-to-quality conversion in Magic Power, the faster one’s accumulation speed without other aids, the sooner one reaches the limit. At that point, quantity turns into quality, which then influences and purifies the body and soul. This lays the foundation for the next stage, where one builds up power to break through the body-soul limit, and the cycle repeats.

Normally, after a period of rapid growth during the consolidation phase, the process would slow down. While humans didn’t exactly break this rule, their speed was definitely beyond the norm. Not to mention the sometimes extraordinary effects of Spiritual Power, like with Su Su back then.

This wasn’t limited to Magic Controllers; the Four Knights were the same. It was also hard to say that ordinary people didn’t have it. For instance, there was the observation target, Hilbert Chakus.

It might not be unique to this world, but at least, no such records had been found in the existing knowledge of Magic Patterns.

’Besides, we also have pure technological power—a key of destruction that absolutely cannot be ignored.’

Right now, the efforts of Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness were focused on creating their own Transformation Array. They were using the Secret Realm Technique as a reference and carving it in the simplest way possible. One could call it a crude forging technique. Its external appearance would surely be mocked by some half-baked Gray Spirit People, but its hidden implications were significant. Once activated, fueled by ample Magic Energy Crystals and a powerful connection to the Secret Realm’s power, its effects would definitely not be poor.

It was only after the Red Demoness’s reminder that he had figured this out and tried to find a substitute for Gou’s Catalyst.

However, the last Stone-to-Gold Transformation was a physical conversion. This time, all they needed was an energy derivative and a Law-based effect.

By the time the Holy Spirit returned to headquarters, the Transformation Array in the Refining Room was nearly complete. All that remained was to use the Magic Energy Crystal nodes to link it to the Secret Realm’s power.

After reporting its findings, it stood outside the door, watching with Su Su, Doudou, and the Gou Junbao couple.

"Whew~"

With the last node he was responsible for connected, Qin Xiaoxia let out a light sigh and straightened up.

"Red Demoness, how much do you have left?"

Her red hair was splayed out on the floor as her snow-white arm, with fingers held like a sword, carved and filled in Shaping Material in front of her.

"Just the Magic Pattern circuits for the dissolution-balance part. Trying to express that with Magic Patterns is a bit tricky, but with Comir’s power helping, I finally managed to work it out."

One could see that the outer rings, which the Red Demoness was responsible for, were covered in extremely fine and densely packed Magic Patterns. Her workload was easily more than ten times that of Qin Xiaoxia.

"Whew~ I’m done too!"

The Red Demoness tossed her hair and also straightened up.

This third revision should be the limit of their current skills.

It was because of the considerable results of the first two attempts that he had decided to give the remaining No. 1 Magic Potion to the Special Security Team as a favor. After all, even if it was for injection, that stockpile was still a bit too conspicuous for those in the know.

Even when used to create the Magic Steel Material, it still required powdered Magic Energy Crystal and was extremely wasteful and primitive. It was far inferior to the energy efficiency of the Technique Array.

But the previous experiments had been incredibly valuable. Without the data and results to support it, the Engraving Technique couldn’t have been used to derive the correct Magic Energy guidance circuits. It would have been impossible to produce the right effect, which was the equivalent of refined mass production.

"Alright, there’s one last step: extract the Law’s guidance to perfect the Magic Patterns."

He exchanged a nod with the Red Demoness, and they each retreated to a corner.

The Technique Array actually had four corners that could be cooperatively managed by Magic Controllers to regulate its complex circuits.

But for controllers on the level of Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness, one person was more than enough. Su Su could also meet the standard. And while the Holy Spirit had awakened its Magic Power on its own, its nature was inherited from a Puppet Demon Spirit, so its precision was also top-notch.

The Magic Power within Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness began to boil. Invisible flames and azure waves roiled and churned on the surface of their bodies.

As their Magic Power covered the entire Technique, a sensation arose, so fine it was as if they could reach out and touch every single Magic Pattern.

At a certain moment, all the Magic Energy Crystals at the nodes lit up. The Technique Array began to glow as well, and circular symbols appeared out of thin air, a palm’s breadth above it. Countless points of light flowed like water.

In the center of the Technique Array, a frozen test tube was illuminated by the light.

Under Qin Xiaoxia and the Red Demoness’s perception, the flowing light converged on the blank spaces of the Technique Array. New Magic Patterns filled them in, and brand-new circuits connected to the Magic Language.

"TSSSS..."

With a soft, scorching sound, the test tube and all its contents were completely carbonized. But the entire Technique Array had now been successfully perfected.

Gou Junbao watched the test tube from the doorway, his feelings complicated.

It seemed he could finally escape a certain nightmare. But by the same token, he could no longer use it as an excuse to ask his wife for... "relief" for his ever-growing desires. Other people could manually release their tension in the shower, but he had to consider if it would pollute the environment. He’d have to destroy the evidence carefully, or another, more terrifying nightmare might become reality.

"It’s done? Boss, hurry and test the efficiency!!"

Gou Junbao glanced at Doudou.

"What’s your hurry? You can’t eat Magic Steel, and Magic Potions are useless for Magic Controllers."

Doudou shot him a contemptuous look.

"What do you know? My little Magic Steel hammer depends on this."

Ignoring the argument outside the door, Qin Xiaoxia almost immediately began an output experiment. This time, he could do it alone; he didn’t need the Red Demoness’s help.

He placed the prepared chunks of iron, copper, silver, and other materials in the center, then immediately activated the Technique Array.

Rings of light enveloped the metals one by one, forming a pyramid of light.

As Magic Power was channeled into the array, the light in the center receded after just a few seconds. In its place were several rice-cake-sized Metal Ingots—the very substance suspected to be Magic Steel.

Then, he controlled the Magic Power to select a different circuit pathway.

The Magic Potion transformation was equally smooth. The basic and low-sequence Magic Potions no longer even required human blood; the target tissue material was converted directly into bottles of pale black Magic Potion.

The original Magic Potions were more like murky liquids with a few impurities, but the potions now were crystal clear, pure, and flawless.

’Just add the Flower of Life and Vermilion Fruit Juice, and it will be a perfect creation!’

He hadn’t used much Magic Power, but the tension had drained a lot of his mental energy.

Only then did Qin Xiaoxia break into a smile.

"This is the best New Year’s gift ever!"

PS: First Chapter for Thursday.