âHeyâah!!!â
The enormous mouth, just about to clamp down on Saulâs head, suddenly swerved toward the small porcelain vial revealing the holy oil. Despite its bulky frame, the fat worm changed direction in an instant.
It was like it had been injected with a surge of adrenaline. It first contracted, then launched forward, so fast that it left behind only a blur.
Its gaping maw opened wide midairâshockingly, it was almost as massive as its elephant-sized body.
Victor, unable to move quickly, could only lift his head and watch helplessly as that enormous mouth descended like a shroud of darkness.
Boom!!!
The violent impact completely shattered the stone staircase. Fragments flew everywhere, some scraping Saulâs cheeks raw.
But he had no time to enjoy the sight of Victor being swallowed whole, nor to register the stinging pain on his skin.
The instant the worm leapt, Saul turned and ran.
He dashed past the nearly liquefied Clawn and Swan, who stood there crying wide-eyed, and sprinted toward the depths of the corridor.
The little Algae, now missing several tendrils, quickly retracted behind him, slurping back into the base of Saulâs neck like a noodle.
At the end of the hallway, as expected, Saul found a passage leading underground.
It was a large door built into the floor, covered in runes.
Just as Morden had analyzed. The laboratory of this castle was indeed built underground.
But as soon as Saul stopped in front of the door, a new problem presented itself.
The entrance to the basement was sealed with a magic barrier.
Although the magical currents flowing through it were slow and dim, Saul could still tell that the entire door was protected by a spell formation meant to prevent outsiders from entering.
His eyes flicked from rune to rune, but he couldnât make heads or tails of it.
The more he looked, the more dizzy and disoriented he became.
The hallway behind wasnât that long. Once the worm finished digesting Victor, it might come this way.
Clawn looked done for, and Swan clearly couldnât resist the worm-faced monster.
If Saul couldnât find a way inâor another escape routeâheâd likely be seeing that death warning from the diary again very soon.
âWith my current knowledge, thereâs no way I can crack this formation. If I try to force my way inâŠâ Saul gave a bitter laugh. âOnly the Tower Master might be able to break through it by force.â
âThis is the trouble the Tower Master wanted me to deal with? This isnât just dangerâwithout the diary helping me deduce a way out, Iâd be dead a dozen times over.â
He glanced around. There were a few rooms at the end of the corridor, but they were all ordinaryâno place to hide.
Staring at the sealed entrance, Saul suddenly said, âDiary Bro, could you please bring out Lord Morden?â
He was going to try something new, not even knowing if it would work.
But with the exit blocked, Saul had two options: enter the basement and rely on the true wizardâs protective spell formation to block the enemy or break through the wall.
The latter, though, would definitely make a racket and alert others, killing any chance to explore further.
And Saul hadnât forgottenâhis primary reason for coming to the Ralph Estate was to find clues about the diary.
Who wouldâve thought heâd get ambushed by the bizarre and mysterious Victor the moment he entered and now was being chased by a giant worm?
He felt that the danger here had already far exceeded the Tower Masterâs warning.
This might be his last chance to explore the Ralph Estate.
[What do you want now? Honestly, I really donât want to answer your questions. Iâm the emperor of the Kema Empire, a Second Tier wizardâhow can I act as a mentor to a Second Rank apprentice?]
Saul ignored Mordenâs complaints. âLord Morden, can you see the sorcery formation on the ground?â
[See what? Itâs pitch black here. I canât see a thing.]
As expected, the consciousness in the diary couldnât see the outside world.
But it could receive Saulâs thoughts.
In that caseâŠ
Saul shut his eyes and began using his mental power to sketch out the magic formation on the floor.
Soon, veins bulged on his forehead, and beads of sweat poured from his pores.
A few seconds later, those beads turned into droplets of blood.
He abruptly opened his eyes, the whites bloodshot, his black pupils twitching violently as he endured immense pain.
âUgh!!!â
Clenching his teeth, he tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
His head felt like it was being split open, as if someone had stabbed a thick surgical needle into his brain.
And then the needle started sucking out his brain matter, making him feel like his very soul was escaping through that hole.
But Saul knewâhe couldnât give up now.
He was close to completing the mental replication of the formation.
One second⊠two⊠threeâŠ
When the final stroke was done, he seemed to hear the sound of tearing flesh.
He exhaled sharply.
âHuff⊠Huff⊠Lord Morden⊠can you see it now?â
[âŠ]
[Kid, I donât know who you are. But youâre impressiveâreally impressive. A Second Rank apprentice, and you dared to replicate such a complex spell formation using your mental form. I believe that, as long as you donât die by accident, the wizarding world will hear your name someday.]
Saul gave another bitter laugh. People only grow when theyâre pushed to the edge.
Though it felt like a long time, the whole process took less than a minute.
A short time doesnât mean it was easy.
If he had failed to finish the drawing in time, the entire formationâs structure would have collapsed, and heâd have to start over.
âLord Morden, can you unlock this formation?â
[The formation isnât exactly brilliant, but it does use a unique rune-linking pattern. I must ask: how much do you want it unlocked? If you want a complete analysis, with full flexible control, even I would need a few days.]
âI just need the door unsealed and the ability to shut it again afterward.â
[Thatâs doable. Iâll need⊠two hours.]
âIâm sorry, Lord MordenâI might only have a few minutes.â
Maybe not even that.
The hallway was still quiet, but Saul didnât know when the worm-faced monster would become interested in it.
It could be the next minute or the next second.
All he could do was hope the Death Diaryâs warning would give him a few minutesâ head start.
[If itâs that short, then I can only break the seal forcefully. But that means once you close the door, the protective strength will be far weaker than before.]
Saul gritted his teeth and glanced back into the dark corridor.
He couldnât hear anything, but there was a faint squelching sound of fat squirming and bubbling behind him, in rhythm with his heartbeat.
White misty bubbles began forming in his mindâs eye.
He licked his cracked lips. He had made up his mind. He had to get underground first.
âThen please, Iâm counting on you. I donât have much time.â
This time, Morden fell silent, and the black page of the diary stilled.
Saul quickly used the time to begin meditating.
Since he was in enemy territory, he couldnât go fully into deep meditation. He had to settle for a semi-submerged state to recover his drained mental and magical energy rapidly.
The headache still throbbed, but he was used to that by now.
Strong swimmers drown the deepest.
His mental talent was exceptional, but also the part of him that got injured the most.
âWhen I get back, Iâve got to have a real chat with Gorsa. Even if heâs raising parasites, he canât treat me like this! No more help unless I get some real benefits!â
Saul rambled in his head to distract himself from the pain while healing his spiritual injuries.
Finally, the diary lit up with fresh text.
[Itâs done. Opening it is easyâjust connect these few nodes with magic, and the door will open.]
A complex white pattern appeared before Saulâs eyes.
He took one look, and suddenly, it felt familiar.
Just then, the diary seemed to read his thoughts and flipped to reveal its cover.
That white pattern was⊠exactly the same as a symbol on the diaryâs cover.
(End of Chapter)
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