Chapter 112: Ancient structure (2/2)

Unable to find any further clues in the magnificent dome, Layn pushed forward.

Contrary to the huge structures that were a part of the entire complex, the corridors were pretty simple. They were way longer than Layn expected, seemingly connecting different points that were created in advance rather than points of interest being built along the corridors. But when Layn reached the end of his second corridor, his peace of mind died out instantly.

Long rows of machines continued to operate at top speed. The number of magic stones that moved around the entire place was insane. Pushing slightly forward, Layn made sure no defense system was installed and waiting to pounce on him, before raising a bit and analyzing the entire production factory.

At first, a small stone would be sourced from the warehouse. Then, it would go through a set of four machines, each of which would polish one of two of its sides. By the time it would finish this stage, a stone of any given shape would turn into a perfectly fine jewel.

Then, the magic part started to happen. Once the stone would have a proper shape, it would be placed into a special stand, before an insanely concentrated ray of magical energy would wash through its entire structure. Or to be more precise, once properly embedded into the stand, it would enter something like oven, where it would pass through a wide ray of this energy.

While Layn was unable to see what exactly was going on to the stone he was observing inside that oven, he could see how the stones leaving it on its opposite end, no longer were simple jewels but were already turned into magic stones!

”Just what the hell is this place,” Layn asked once again, startled by the sight. Even in his proper time, humanity has yet to reach the level of magic stone creation. It was this single reason that almost sparked a huge war for resources when people realized that outside of the stones still to be mined, there wasn't much left of them in the world.

And yet, as if to spit in his face and prove he was nowhere near the peak of the knowledge, the factory continued to produce magic stone at a steady rate.

'What does happen with those stones?' Layn asked himself, straightening up and following down the production line. And then he saw it. Once all seven lines of seven different magic-stone producing branches were conveyed into a single line, the output magic stones would then split into twenty different lines, each leading to a separate room.

”So this is where monsters are born,” Layn thought to himself, watching how a stone entered the room through the hole in its glass back.

Inside the room, the stone would enter a plastic-looking form. Then, the intense ray of magic would appear once again, quickly overloading the capacity of the stone and forcing it to manifest its energy outside.

As it grew, the magical energy continued to take physical form, eradicating the plastic form and taking its place. But the process continued. The shape initially hidden in the form would grow bigger and bigger, all the way to the point where the body of the monster would reach the limit of how big it could grow inside the room.

PENG!

As if someone blasted the gates open, the outer end of the room suddenly split into two, allowing a raging current of pressurized water to fill the entire room.

”ROAR!~” The monster inside the room came to life, instantly announcing it by a hearty scream. Then, clearly uncomfortable in its tiny confinement, the monster swam outside, using its paddle-like arms to quickly move through the water.

Then, a concentrated ray of light locked on the monster, before intensifying for a slight moment.

The monster was no more.

Barely a second after it attempted to escape, a magic gun embedded into the outer wall of the room blasted its core into smithereens, killing the monster on the spot.

”Was that,” Layn whispered, staring wide-eyed at the gun he caught a glimpse off. 'I remember there being theories that one could concentrate the mana to that point…' Layn thought, trying to recall the research papers he saw at one point in his past life.

But then, he realized something of even greater importance.

The body of the monster didn't decompose back into magic!