Chapter 7: Fight with the firedog (1/2)

There was one event that divided the timeline of human civilisation into two separate parts.

The great culling.

It had many names. The ancient apocalypse, doomsday, greatest disaster in history. According to the knowledge gathered during the long years of research and study over the ancient remains, one thing could be said for certain.

At its peak, ancient technology was in no way inferior to the one developed by the later part. To a degree, one could say that the greatness achieved by the ancient would leave any rational mage of Layn's time in constant shame. Dwarfing the pitiful achievements of modern magic, the civilisation based on the magic stones stood as something that the future generations could only strive to create.

But even this kind of a great human thought stood no chance against the great disaster. In the span of a single day, all of the stones that made the foundation of this highly technocratic society… shattered. Not even into dust, but what was later proved to be particles so small, one could hardly speak about them outside of the terms of chemistry or alchemy.

And yet, it was this disaster that opened a new path for humanity.

Just a few years after the fall, people recorded an increasing number of miracles. In just a few generations, proper magic became a thing, and by the time Layn was defeating the demon lord, the scholars back in the safety of the headquarters worked hard on the theorem of a golem capable of computing great numbers and spells.

'A great civilisation had to fall for the world that I know to even be born. But that doesn't mean there is nothing I can do about it!' Layn's eyes lit up. Then he did two things at once. As if preparing for a fight, he instantly decomposed his physical body back into its true form. As nothing more but a cloud of magic propelled by the will of the gran arcana, he merged with the powerful aura of the monster.

SHRIEK!

In an instant, the firedog released a pained groan. Its fires exploded… Only to subside right away, disappearing from the world. As its body decomposed, the thick fog of the magic that made up the monster swirled in place, turning thinner and thinner. After just a short while, even this last hint of the firedog existence disappeared, revealing Layn's untouched body.

'What energy… But I don't have the time time to waste.' There was only one thing that he could do to stop himself from relying on the fading influence of the gran arcana whenever he would encounter a monster. The only way for Layn to let his knowledge and abilities shine was by actually using them. And in a world void of the magic particles that made it easier for the magical energy to flow, he just needed a simple tool to change that.