v2c19 : Abyss Opens the Door to a New World
“But thankfully, thanks to you, we have plenty of magic crystals to work with.” Rebecca wasn’t discouraged by the repeated failures. A person who thrived on research wasn’t easily defeated. She smiled at the three girls (including Abyss in his dress), assuring them she wasn’t upset. “Let me try something else.”
Flora, standing beside her, held a jar filled with the newly crafted magic crystals. She silently offered the jar to Rebecca.
Rebecca, with a grateful glance at Flora, took a crystal from the jar.
“Perhaps I was channeling mana too quickly. This time, I’ll try a more gradual, controlled approach.”
She embedded the crystal into the Gateway’s slot, then turned to Abyss. “Abyss, you’re the most experienced mage among us. Could you observe my mana flow? If you notice anything unusual, please let me know.”
“Of course,” Abyss agreed readily. As the world’s undisputed strongest necromancer, he was a ninth-tier, ninth-grade Supreme Mage. Mages could use a spell called “Mana Visualization” to make mana visible to the naked eye. The difference between a high-ranking mage and a low-ranking one was the level of control over this spell. High-ranking mages could precisely manipulate Mana Visualization, displaying only what they wanted to see, instead of revealing every mana flow in the area, creating a chaotic mess of swirling energy.
Abyss chanted a spell, and a shimmering ribbon of light, adorned with magical runes, appeared before Rebecca. She nodded, placing her hand on the mana input plate.
A faint stream of mana flowed from her hand, glowing white under Abyss’s spell. It was slowly absorbed by the plate, then traveled through a complex magical circuit within the Gateway, showing no unusual fluctuations or interruptions. The mana gradually accumulated on the magic crystal, filling its etched patterns.
Crack! Snap!
The moment the crystal’s patterns were filled with Rebecca’s mana, it shattered, falling from its slot and crumbling into dust.
“Another failure…” Rebecca frowned, stroking her chin. “I didn’t notice anything wrong. Everything proceeded according to my design. I initially thought I might have made a careless mistake, causing a malfunction in the portal’s magical circuit. But it seems that’s not the case? Abyss, did you notice anything unusual?”
Abyss shook his head. As a master mage, his judgment was reliable. If he hadn’t detected any problems with the mana flow, there likely weren’t any.
“What else can we adjust?” Rebecca wondered, then her eyes lit up. “Leona, you know magic, right?”
Leona was surprised. She hadn’t expected to be consulted on such a technical matter. She had always considered herself a simple warrior, a “musclehead” with little understanding of magic.
“Ah, I know a little, but I’m weak. I can only do simple things like lighting a fire or creating a light,” she said. These basic spells were mandatory for nobles, but even these simple spells had been a challenge for her tutor. She was a mischievous child, often skipping magic lessons.
“That’s fine. As long as you can channel mana, it’s enough. This machine only requires a mana input to function, regardless of its strength,” Rebecca said, retrieving another crystal from the jar Flora was holding and embedding it in the Gateway’s slot. “Could you please pour some mana into this plate? Relax and don’t force it.”
“Oh… Okay,” Leona said, nodding, stepping forward and taking Rebecca’s place. Abyss cast the Mana Visualization spell again, revealing Leona’s mana flow, fainter and less controlled than Rebecca’s, a testament to her lower skill level.
Leona stood on her tiptoes, placing her hand on the mana input plate. She carefully channeled her unfamiliar mana, trying to be gentle…
Crack!
“Aah! I’m sorry!” Leona exclaimed, startled by the sudden shattering of the crystal. “I broke it!”
“It’s alright, it’s not your fault. It seems your mana doesn’t work either…” Rebecca said, about to ask Flora to try, but Abyss interrupted her.
“Let me try before Flora,” he said with a smile. “I think I know why you can’t return home…”
Rebecca was surprised. How had he figured it out? There seemed to be no pattern to the crystal malfunctions.
But she set aside her doubts and nodded. “Alright, give it a try.”
Abyss stepped forward, casually placing his hand on the mana input plate and channeling his mana.
Rebecca held her breath, watching him intently. He wasn’t deliberately controlling the mana flow, simply pouring his mana into the plate. But the expected shattering of the crystal didn’t occur. Instead, a pleasant humming sound filled the air as a certain threshold of mana was reached. And before her eyes, the portal she had been waiting for forty years materialized.
“It worked!” Rebecca exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands in disbelief. “How did you do it?”
“I just channeled my mana into the plate, ordinary mana, the kind any apprentice mage can produce,” Abyss said, smiling. “But the explanation is a bit complicated. Let’s return home first. I’ll explain everything after we’ve dealt with the situation there—we have plenty of time.”
Rebecca nodded, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Yes! Take me home!”
“To be safe, you need to…”
Abyss summoned his magical catfish, enlarging it, then gestured towards its gaping maw.
“…Enter here. Hey, Leona, don’t run away! We’re going home!”
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