LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 636: Another One Join In
At the shop, the Keeper reappeared once everything was resolved. Daniel stood up from the table, noting that the repair hadn't taken long—only a few minutes.
However, he doubted that time outside the shop had passed the same as inside. From his experience, time within the shop seemed dilated compared to the outside world. While a few minutes had passed inside, he suspected only a few seconds had elapsed outside.
"Thank you for your patience, Lord Emberweave. There's another matter I need to inform you about. Please wait a moment," the Keeper said before disappearing into the storage room. A minute later, he returned, carrying a cage in his arms.
The cage contained a black rabbit. Somehow, Daniel immediately sensed that this was no ordinary rabbit. The Keeper placed the cage on the counter and said, "I've heard that you're fond of… exotic animals that have been transformed from Hell Lords. This rabbit is one such creature. I hope you and your family will enjoy its company."
The Keeper smiled, but Daniel noticed the rabbit seemed terrified of him. Its body was rigid, and its eyes seemed to plead with Daniel for help. He didn't know who the rabbit had been before this transformation or how it had ended up like this, but he figured it was best to find out—just in case.
"Er... who is this?" Daniel asked.
"Ah... he was known as Asmodeus, the Hell Lord of Lust. That was his former identity. Now, he's just a rabbit—a pet, and quite an exotic one," the Keeper replied with a smile.
"Okay, thanks," Daniel said, offering a polite nod as he accepted the cage. He exited the shop while the Keeper waved him off cheerfully.
— Meanwhile - London - British Museum —
Within the long hallway of the Parthenon Sculptures, a woman in a luxurious red dress, layered with a long leather trench coat, strolled gracefully. Her long purple hair was styled into a regal bun adorned with several jeweled ornaments.
These ornaments were not merely decorative; they served as her line of defense. Each one was a carefully crafted rune stone, imbued with powerful spells for attack or defense.
The woman was none other than Envy. She carried a designer handbag by her side, her eyes admiring the sculptures displayed in the showcases.
"I thought you wouldn't dare to come here, Envy," came the cold voice of a man. The people bustling through the hallway, admiring the sculptures, suddenly faded from sight. As if compelled by an unseen force, they quietly left the area, leaving the hallway eerily empty.
A man in a white robe, his face concealed beneath a hood, approached her. He was Golden Scale, the last Grand Councilor of the Hightower.
"Isn't it because you've become a coward, too afraid to meet anywhere other than London, where your power is at its strongest?" Envy retorted, her tone sharp.
"If I were to step outside London, your lover or his subordinates would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to kill me. Call me a coward if you will, Envy, but I won't hand your lover that chance. I know how terrifying the Whispering Hall is. The moment I leave London, I'd be under the surveillance of the spies from your lover's organization. My life would fall into his hands, and I'm not so foolish as to risk that," Golden Scale replied, his voice steady and resolute.
Envy didn't reply; she merely glanced at Golden Scale, who now stood beside her, admiring the same sculpture. "Meeting you here is the greatest concession I could make, Envy," he added.
"Let's get to business," Envy said coolly. "I've already checked on my side. No one has done anything foolish. There haven't been any experiments powerful enough or remotely connected to the mana blip. No one is attempting to safely access the Akashic Record."
"Same on my end," Golden Scale responded. "There were a few idiots who ignored safety protocols, thinking they're unnecessary and hinder progress. But they're all dead now—victims of their own recklessness. However, none of them were foolish enough to try breaching the veil to connect with the Akashic Record. No one that reckless exists within the Hightower's jurisdiction."
The two exchanged further information about their findings, concluding that nothing seemed amiss. Yet, the question remained: what caused the mana blip?
Suddenly, they both felt a strange sensation—as though their mana had completely vanished. Both Envy and Golden Scale tensed as the emptiness persisted. One second… two seconds passed… and still, the mana did not return. Finally, by the fourth second, they felt their mana flow back into them.
Reacting quickly, Envy pulled out her phone and checked Daniel's location. The GPS on his device showed that he was in the Sultanate of Aqaba. She knew why he was there—he was testing a weapon, and that weapon had nothing to do with experiments related to the Akashic Record. Explore new worlds at empire
Envy let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't Daniel. But if not him, then who—or what—was responsible for this severe mana blip?
At that moment, Golden Scale spoke up. "Envy, head back and assess the damage. We'll exchange findings over the phone. I thought we'd have time to evaluate the damage in London together, but I suspect this time it's far more severe. Even I can feel it."
Golden Scale paused briefly before continuing. "We'll coordinate through a live conference. Go assess the damage caused by this mana blip. I'll see you later."
He turned and began to walk away but stopped midway, glancing back at her.
"If you have time, check the imprisonment magic surrounding the entity on the moon. I fear its condition may be beyond our control. We don't need it coming down from the moon to destroy us," Golden Scale said grimly before vanishing.
A few seconds later, the people in the hallway returned, resuming their leisurely strolls and admiration of the sculptures as though nothing had happened.
–
In one of the Sanctum Sanctorums, mages were battling a small abyssal invasion. This Sanctum Sanctorum housed an experimental project aimed at binding Abyssals as servants. It should be noted that the mages had honed considerable skill in this endeavor. Opposing the demons from the Abyssal Realm stood not only a group of mages but also several bound Abyssals who appeared to be serving the mages.
"Hold them off! Don't let them break through! We need an hour to complete the barrier!" shouted a mage who seemed to be the leader.
"Dammit! Assess the damage, and someone put out those damn fires!"
The shouts, commands, and battle cries of the mages echoed throughout the Sanctum Sanctorum, an ancient church-like structure. The chaos reverberated as they fought desperately against a horde of Abyssal demons attempting to emerge from the abyssal portal—a permanent gateway the mages had connected to a random realm ruled by one of the Hell Lords.
—
In another part of the globe, a man sat in front of a radio station, desperately trying to reach someone on the other end. He was stationed in a fire watchtower in the middle of a vast forest, frantically attempting to contact the mages who were supposed to reside in the safest place within the woods—the so-called Sanctum Sanctorum.
"Do you hear me? Over!"
"Do you hear me, you goddamn mages?! Do you f*cking hear ME!!!!"
The man yelled into the radio receiver, his voice laced with panic. Around him, the tower's doors and windows, barricaded with anything he could find—beds, desks, and bookshelves—were under siege. The clawing of nightmare-like creatures outside echoed ominously as they relentlessly attempted to break in and claim the prey trapped inside.
Unbeknownst to him, no one was coming. The Sanctum Sanctorum he was calling had already become a feeding ground for these nightmarish beings. The once opulent hall, a haven for mages seeking refuge from society, had turned into a slaughterhouse. Mages who once gathered there to enjoy wild game delicacies and indulge in hunting now lay dead, their bodies feeding Wendigos, dire wolves, and dire bears. These creatures devoured the mana-rich flesh of their former hunters, growing stronger with each bite.
The catastrophe began when the sealing and suppressing magic circle in the Sanctum's basement failed due to a prolonged mana blip. This mana disturbance lasted longer than usual, causing nearly all magical structures and formations to collapse, particularly those constructed using inferior methods or cheaper materials.
For example, some sealing formations meant to contain nightmarish creatures relied on human blood and bone rather than the horns or bones of magical creatures, simply because human materials were more affordable and accessible. These cost-cutting measures proved disastrous as the formations failed and crumbled, unleashing horrors across the forest.
All over the region, inferior magic formations were collapsing. Only those built to strict standards barely held up, and even they required immediate repair by mages specializing in magic formation construction.
However, the catastrophic failure of these substandard formations, such as those meant to contain the nightmare creatures, made it nearly impossible for mages to repair the damage or regain control of the situation. Especially for mages under the Hightower, who are using alternative sources of material for years.