Chapter 49 Part2 (1/2)
<chapter 49.=”” arranging=”” the=”” stage=”” -=”” 2=””>
”It's tough.”
”Did you ever think it'd be easy?”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Kratia returned to the Underground Empire and immediately went to work on improving the Huginn's Eye. Although Kratia had found the doc.u.ments, which acted as the catalyst, when they actually tried to actually apply that information, they encountered several problems.
”If we fail, the artifact's done for. The difficulty's too high.”
”Even if this one breaks, there might be another one out there, right?”
”Do you want me to break it?”
”No, my bad.”
The magical engineering theory that Kratia had proposed was much too difficult for Lee s.h.i.+n Woo to understand.
He'd managed to recreate the Steelworker seal and created never before seen artifacts in the past, so it wouldn't be strange if he were to receive the 'Magic Engineer' t.i.tle. However, that was all brought about by his intuition, as well as his mana sense. He specialized in practical application rather than theory.
”That mana sense is important. If I do something wrong, then you should be able to fix it, s.h.i.+n Woo.”
”Yeah, yeah. I already know you need me. Let's finish up. We need to kill those Liches, but finding Seagald takes precedence.”
He'd given the rest of his party jobs to do while he and Kratia were improving the Huginn's Eye. Seira, who had accepted her status as an undead Banshee, was getting used to her Banshee abilities, as well as the darkness element she'd inherited from Lee s.h.i.+n Woo.
Whereas Jin had only one job to do regardless of whether she'd gotten to level 8 or acquired the light element, and that was running. Of course, it wasn't just running. She would run using every skill and ability she had. She just ran and ran, like a madwoman. She just kept running, even though it seemed like she may not be able to run any faster.
At their levels, rather than focusing on hunting a monster or two, it was much more effective to get used to their own abilities.
”Alright. I think it's possible. No, it'll definitely work.”
And thus, three days pa.s.sed. Kratia's eyes s.h.i.+ned on the dawn of the fourth day. She and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had formed and discarded over thirty hypotheses, but at the end of that all, she said...
”If we can imitate the target's mana, then we can find them. We can make it like that.”
”Ah, you got that from the golems' basic abilities.”
”It was hard to adapt it to the Huginn's Eye. But it'll work now. Let's begin.”
Kratia had mapped out the design but improving it was actually Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's job. He was able to modify the Huginn's Eye with his Disguise and Wild Card skills, as well as his darkness element. Soon, Kratia stretched her hand towards Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, but he stopped her.
”Wait a sec. Let's set-up up some insurance first.”
By 'insurance', he meant Dark Shadow. Even if they messed up the adjustment, with Dark Shadow's ability to reverse cause-and-effect, they would be able to return it to its original state.
”That's the time element!”
”What are you talking about? It's different. It's merely changing a 'damaged state' to an 'undamaged state'.”
”I can't understand what you're saying. What's an innate element? And what's a fusion element? It goes beyond all logic...!”
Only a small handful of people had ever attained innate elements, so it was only natural that Kratia couldn't comprehend them.
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo smiled bitterly and used Dark Shadow to ensure that he had 'saved' the image of the undamaged Huginn's Eye. With this, he reduced any delay in the reversal as much as possible, and he could reverse any mistake as soon as he detected it. This had only become possible because the Dark Shadow element had leveled up to the intermediate level.
”Then, let's start for real. We probably won't have to use our insurance.”
”I trust you.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo and Kratia grabbed each other's hand. He established a connection with her using the darkness element, causing the image in her head to clearly show in his eyes. The connection was secure. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo now understood the image and grabbed the Huginn's Eye with his free hand.
'...Shall we begin?'
It felt like he'd become a surgeon in the operating room, as the sharply refined mana burst forth and Wild Card's influence intensified.
He began modifying the artifact. He'd practiced a few times already, so the image relayed from Kratia was incredibly clear, and her thoughts were also indirectly relayed. Thus, it made it easier for him to modify the artifact.
'Good. There are no problems.'
Everything went so smoothly that he actually felt worried. Moreover, his mana sense had instinctively found the right path, and so he began to infuse his mana into the Huginn's Eye.
The route was a bit different from what Kratia had first suggested. Kratia was briefly startled but soon created a new magic formula on the spot. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo nodded his head and continued to infuse his mana into it. And so, the artifact evolved.
”...”
”...!”
They couldn't say a thing, but their emotions ran wild at each and every moment. If the mana lost its place, then the artifact would explode. If he responded a second too late, then the level 8 artifact would crumble into nothingness.
”Heut...”
But it would be fine now. He could feel it. This was Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's intuition talking. He was creating a new artifact that would find whomever he wanted, and pursue every trace of mana that existed within this world.