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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 161
As we got closer to the entrance of the mine, the situation became increasingly clear.
Unlike usual, a thin layer of pale smoke was hanging low over the area.
“Poisonous fumes? It shouldn't be spreading like this.”
“No, it's not poison. It's a byproduct created by mana reacting continuously in a confined space. It’s not particularly lethal to the human body, but breathing it in for too long isn't a good idea.”
The conditions here were perfect for orichalcum to form, but if the place exploded, none of that would matter.
“How deep have you dug?”
“We didn’t reach the ten meters you mentioned, but we’ve dug about six meters so far.”
It had only been a day since I started making the mana stone pillars.
Perhaps thanks to the tireless undead, the progress was faster than expected.
“That’s unfortunate, but it should be enough. Verus, take those mana stone pillars over there and place them precisely into each hole. Make sure they stand upright without tilting.”
“Uh? Just bury them like that?”
“Yeah, positioning is what matters. Don’t let them lean, just set them straight and assemble them. I wrote down the assembly instructions here.”
“Hmm… Alright, I got it.”
There was no need for any additional work.
The pillars were quite large, but I had applied a lightening spell, so the task should be completed quickly.
After entrusting the pillars to Verus, I immediately made my way into the mine.
Since mining operations had been halted, no one else was around.
“Oh… Brother, what should we do?”
“There’s still time. No matter how much you explain, some people won’t listen until they experience it for themselves. Let them do as they please for now, and just observe.”
Ignoring the twin supervisors following behind me, I kept walking forward.
My destination was the area where they had set up the barrier magic circle.
If only I could use spatial transfer magic, it would be convenient.
But with the turbulent mana currents here, recklessly using spatial magic would not end well.
As I passed through the area with the barrier magic circle and reached the end of the tunnel, the density of mana became suffocatingly thick.
The space was quite large, but it still needed some work.
I need to expand this area.
“Ugh… This mana is…”
The two people following me grimaced, clearly feeling the oppressive energy.
“Step back.”
I signaled for them to move away.
“There’s nothing here. It’s dangerous.”
Unlike his sister, who was hesitant, Raida remained vigilant, watching the surroundings carefully before grabbing my arm.
“There’s something I need to find.”
“What exactly are you looking for?”
“A suitable spot.”
I needed to focus in order to modify the terrain.
But first, there was something else to take care of.
“Damn it. They carved this magic circle here—no wonder things got out of control.”
I found the fusion magic circle that the twin siblings had inscribed and reached out my hand.
Honestly, at first, I thought I was mistaken.
The mana concentration was so intense that I had overlooked the existence of this magic circle.
Blaming the wild and chaotic mana here would just be an excuse.
I can’t afford to make mistakes like this again.
“Hey! Wait, what are you—”
Crash!
Without hesitation, I shattered the magic circle, breaking it completely into pieces.
“The magic circle… just got destroyed instantly…”
“How did you break it in one move…?”
Instead of answering, I placed my hand on the ground and activated the Heart of the Machine God.
Thump…
Waves of energy rippled outward from me, triggering a massive transformation.
The Heart of the Machine God wasn’t simply using mana—it was a power closer to a divine authority.
That meant it wasn’t affected by the chaotic mana in this place.
Rumble…
The space around me began to warp and distort.
The narrow tunnel gradually expanded, widening from a diameter of ten meters to about fifteen meters.
Everything that had originally occupied the space was pushed outward.
Luckily, there was enough empty space to accommodate the sudden expansion.
The two people beside me looked around in shock as the space transformed before their eyes.
“This is…”
The two mages widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Whether necromancy, holy magic, or elemental magic, all required mana as a cost.
But the Heart of the Machine God was different—it was a divine authority, not bound by the same principles.
Of course, I had no intention of explaining that to them.
Even if I told them my heart contained divine authority, they probably wouldn’t believe it. Besides, I wasn’t obligated to share that information.
Now that the expansion was complete, I altered the ground structure, smoothing it out into a solid, polished floor.
Then, I engraved intricate geometric patterns into the floor—not for decoration, but as a safeguard.
Since I had to set up and stabilize multiple magic circles simultaneously, the engravings served as a guideline to prevent any errors.
Alright, I’ll place three Alphauri-style circles here…
And over there, I’ll install seven Sigma Rudd-style circles… No, let’s go with just three.
“Brother… What is that guy even doing…?”
“Shh. Just wait and watch.”
Not only did I inscribe dozens—no, hundreds—of magic circles on the floor, but I also merged them into one massive formation.
Each individual magic circle interwove with the others, forming a single enormous structure.
Then, I extended the inscriptions to the walls and ceiling, ensuring stability.
After that, I ran a simulation-like test to check for any flaws.
The durability is solid, the output is stable, and the effect is reliable.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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Now that the foundation is done, it’s time to set the stage properly.
Since this wasn’t a one-time use setup, I had to be as meticulous as possible.
Taking into account every possible variable and issue I could foresee, I fine-tuned the formation in real-time.
The seven interlocked circles surrounding my heart slowly accelerated at different speeds, rotating as one.
At the same time, an enormous surge of mana erupted from my body.
Huff.
[Mana currents are intensifying. Prepare for an unstable explosion.]
This wasn’t my first time doing this.
The knowledge and instincts I had gained from that place were burned into my memory, as vivid as if they were stored on a memory card.
I spoke as I focused on adjusting my mana.
"There are two reasons why I brought you with me."
I continued.
"The first reason is that I wanted to bring you here myself so you wouldn’t do anything unnecessary during this crucial operation."
It wouldn’t have been strange if they had shown discomfort, yet the two remained silent, caught in the peculiar atmosphere.
I understood their cause, which is why it was right for me to keep them close.
After all, they were people who couldn’t just ignore a dangerous situation.
"The second reason is to report back to the Vergal Association that there are no longer any problems here."
"May I ask something?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you saying… that you can resolve this situation?"
"Is that a problem?"
I glanced back and snapped my fingers.
A massive magic circle began forming, layer upon layer, continuously expanding to envelop the entire area.
The magic circles spread across the floor, walls, ceiling, and even the air, rotating like interlocking gears as they gradually took on a three-dimensional form.
"Logically speaking, it's impossible for a human to control a natural disaster…"
"A mage,"
I interrupted,
As I lightly pressed my palms together before slowly pulling them apart, a spherical magic circle formed between them.
The shape of the magic circle shifted slightly each time I turned my hands.
"…is someone who studies and commands such natural phenomena. If you turn away from what's right in front of you, claiming it's impossible, can you really call yourself a mage? That would make you nothing more than a fraud."
Now, stay quiet.
I need to concentrate.
Closing my eyes, I sat down and gradually accelerated my mana.
The magic circle I was setting up here was, to put it bluntly, the largest project I had undertaken since returning from Labyrinthos.
It was practically a semi-permanent mechanism, requiring an enormous amount of time, skill, mastery, and, above all, mana.
Fortunately, I either had or could compensate for all four.
Still, no matter what, I couldn’t afford to be unprepared.
"I need to focus from now on, so I won't be able to pay attention to you two. Don’t cause any trouble and just wait quietly."
If I were a mage, I wouldn’t want to leave after witnessing this.
Before long, the magic circle's structure rapidly evolved, with components being added, removed, and continuously refined.
Even engraving a tiny part of a first-circle magic formation demanded my full attention.
In truth, the twins weren’t entirely wrong.
An unstable mana mine could provide immense benefits.
And yes, I could resolve this issue.
But if I made even a single mistake, every worker here would die.
One might argue that I could just use undead labor, but my goal was to develop Cascadia, not put on a one-man circus act.
I wonder what Luna is doing right now.
She’s probably healing Arsha by her side.
I suddenly recalled how Luna had looked regretful when I left.
I need to finish this quickly and return.
* * *
The twin siblings, Raida and Ravena, from the Vergal Mage Association, couldn't take their eyes off the scene before them.
It was inevitable.
They were both regarded as geniuses.
They had deciphered the legacies left behind by archmages and had even debated the research of the Magic Tower scholars during their regular meetings.
Given their intellect, they thought they might struggle to understand things at times but would never hit an insurmountable wall.
Yet now, both of them were thinking the same thing.
This was not something they could argue against—it was something beyond their comprehension.
Would a human from the Stone Age feel this way if they saw an archmage wielding grand magic?
How had someone like this remained unknown until now?
Even if this was just a bluff, the twins wouldn’t mind.
They had long been struck by the sheer magnitude of Leon’s magic formations.
From performing miracles without mana to the series of actions he was now taking—though they couldn't understand them, they found themselves unable to look away.
He was still just a teenage boy.
A boy who wouldn’t be twenty for another year or two.
Yet what he was doing didn’t seem like something a mere boy should be capable of.
Even Ravena, who usually stammered and shrank away in conversations—
Even Raida, known for his cold personality and sharp tongue—
Neither of them could recover from their shock so easily.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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