Chapter 387: Breaking

Chapter 387: Breaking

After Oss’s eyes reached the final fourth stage, the ‘Kaleidoscope,’ he gained the Elemental Sight. However, this operation rapidly consumed Oss’s Spiritual Power. After all, Elemental Sight allowed one to see the flow of Elemental Power. He didn’t possess the innate Talent of the special Magical Beasts that naturally had this power ; they could maintain this sight without much cost because of their Talent.

But it was different for others. Without the relevant Talent, one could only rely on sheer expenditure to sustain it. The third-stage secretion stimulant worked similarly too. Magical Beasts possessing such glands had compatible physiques. Therefore, their outbursts didn’t cause them much harm, or even much fatigue either.

This was a drawback of modified products. They could forcibly grant features of other species, but the consequence was increased burden on the user.

Right now, even if Oss fought with all his might, he couldn’t maintain the Elemental Sight for long. With his spirit full, thirty seconds was his absolute limit. After that, he’d definitely pass out, dead to the world. He wouldn’t even know how he died if someone stabbed him. The good thing was, the fourth stage could be turned on flexibly… The downside was that engaging the fourth stage would trigger the effects of the previous three stages as well.

The response from the ‘Seven Luminaries Magus’ was straightforward and clear. There were ways to crack the puzzle, but the prerequisite was sensing the flow of power… Although four-fifths of those present had Mana, having Mana didn’t mean outstanding perception. The three Warriors only used their Magic in combat, not for casting spells like Mages.

Lena was indeed a Spellcaster… but she knew only one Fireball Spell. So Oss and the others instinctively disregarded her. Out of caution, they treated that method merely as a reference. But unexpected events often happened. They noticed little black dots approaching outside the Cave. Those were Wind Dragonflies!

Wind Dragonflies had appeared directly there. They weren’t sure if the Wind Dragonflies would just wander inside to look around after returning…

“I’ll give it a try.” Oss said seriously after carefully reading the replies. He took a small breath. His fourth-stage state could last for thirty seconds at best. He needed to allow for at least five seconds of blank time to avoid exhaustion-induced coma.

But leaving five seconds still left him deeply fatigued; his eyes nearly became unusable. Twenty-five seconds was fleeting. However, under his near-frozen super Dynamic Vision, in his direct perception, time felt lengthened immensely. The reply described the relevant details thoroughly. The Magatama in his eyes transformed and intertwined, and the colors in Oss’s vision suddenly became vibrant.

He could see the Elemental Power drifting in the air. Each color represented a corresponding Elemental Power, though these elements occupied only a sliver of proportion. Black claimed the majority. Though black, it didn’t obscure his vision. While engaged, Elemental Sight didn’t interfere with normal sight.

It was like covering his left eye. Though the left eye saw nothing, the right eye could still transmit the image clearly to his brain. Time was short. In this state, Oss could distinctly feel his Spiritual Power draining rapidly. Though the world seemed still, he couldn’t make many moves within this stillness… unless his body’s speed could match his current Dynamic Vision.

But his physical strength couldn’t keep up. Just the simple act of raising his hand too quickly would injure his arm.

The Magic Rune Array before him wasn’t just an image anymore… He could see the ominous Mana flowing upon it. But the clearer he saw, the worse his problem became. Unable to comprehend the Rune Array, staring at it caused unstoppable dizziness. Oss’s face flushed deep red. To stay alert, he stimulated his brain with Blood Essence. It hurt, but it could briefly suppress the intense dizziness the Magic Rune Array induced.

The Mana’s trajectory flowing on the Rune Array matched the ‘Seven Luminaries Magus’ reply exactly. This made him believe the reply might be genuine. It provided ways to directly disrupt the Magic Rune Array, along with preliminary actions. For instance, just disrupting a specific Node could disable part of the Array. This didn’t make it collapse but weakened its effectiveness.

Of course, disruption required technique. He had to observe the frequency of the Mana flow. Only when it reached a critical or Weak Point could he act. Otherwise, he’d cause an explosion, not disruption.

Oss’s Dynamic Vision was now explosive, aided by Elemental Sight. After observing both sides, he pinpointed the Mana flow frequency where he would try disruption. A thorn made of Blood Essence formed in his hand. He thrust it towards the target Node. The method was simple: just cut off the Mana flow at the right moment.

As he swung the blood thorn, veins bulged on Oss’s arm. The world seemed paused. He bore intense pressure. Though super Dynamic Vision slowed his perception of the Mana flow speed in the Rune Array, it was still swift. He couldn’t hold back.

Poof!

A soft sound. Oss, who had tensed every muscle ready to explode with full power and retreat at the slightest sign of disturbance in the Magic Rune Array, breathed a quiet sigh of relief. In his vision, a small section of the Rune Array directly lost all traces of Mana flow, becoming little more than a mundane pattern.

Of course, the obstructing blood thorn couldn’t be withdrawn yet. Pulling it out would let the Mana flow back in, restoring the Array. This cracking method was truly marvelous. Finding the Magic Rune Array’s absolute Weak Point and inserting a blood thorn that wasn’t destroyed by the potent Mana within the Array… It was like hitting pressure points… Hmm, Oss didn’t know what pressure points meant, but it didn’t hinder his understanding.

Since it worked, Oss hesitated no longer. The test alone had used about five seconds. Combined with the Rune Array’s mental drain, lasting twenty-five seconds was already optimistic. He’d barely make it past ten more before collapsing.

Several blood thorns nestled between his fingers. He thrust them towards different Weak Nodes. While there was a method to entirely disable the Magic Rune Array at once, prudence kept him from using it. And he couldn’t. The point for a one-shot disable was at the center of the Array, impossible to reach while bypassing the high-velocity Mana flow above. Piece-by-piece disruption was his only choice.

He only needed to sever the Rune Array encircling the crucial grey crystals and retrieve them. A disorganized Magic Rune Array wouldn’t explode upon losing its vital core parts.

“ARGHHHH!” The longer Oss sustained the output, the worse the burden on his body, especially his brain, which felt ready to burst. His super Dynamic Vision and Insight forced his brain to process a flood of external information in mere moments; now, the flow of power added another layer.

After thrusting the final blood thorn into a Node of the Magic Rune Array, blood trickled from his seven orifices, his expression savage, his aura fading fast. Gale and the others were extremely worried.

“Be careful… don’t touch those blood thorns…” Oss managed to say weakly, struggling to stand straight. Though exhausted, his eyes shimmered brightly. “I did it!”

“Hmm?” Achille looked towards Windwhisper Valley, his face showing slight surprise and confusion. The mist shrouding Windwhisper Valley was fading rapidly. What happened?

Efforts to crack the Magic Rune Array were still ongoing, with poor progress. Yet a new change had just occurred there. Achille instantly thought of Oss. He pulled out the Magic Weapon Summoning Book to get an update. Unexpectedly, the other party seemed to be waiting for him. The reply came swiftly and was simple: the Magic Rune Array had been broken.

How? Achille asked. Simply enough, they’d asked the ‘Seven Luminaries Magus’ for help and followed the solution provided…

“……” Achille rubbed his temples. Honestly. His expression was complex when a Spellcaster, an expert in Magic Rune Arrays, arrived, announcing progress on cracking the Array.

“Was it her?” Achille held up the Magic Weapon Summoning Book, pointing to the pinned post. The arriving Spellcaster gave an awkward nod. “We weren’t very hopeful… But we never expected them to actually pull it off…”

Achille nodded impassively, quickly sorting out the aftermath. Breaking the Magic Rune Array had cost Oss dearly. He was nearly crippled. Achille had promised the Sanctuary Church would cover all expenditures incurred there. They wouldn’t ignore his vulnerable state. Though rash, his success merited reward. Wind Dragonflies prowled outside the Cave. Even with the solution, only Oss’s group could implement it. The only difference would have been a field team guiding them.

Since it worked, the rashness was forgiven. Arrangements proceeded. Having paid a heavy price, Oss swiftly purchased a potent Magic Potion for a symbolic copper coin from a Sanctuary Church Online Store. The bottle shimmered faintly, making Gale and the others eye it eagerly.

“This potion could fetch a thousand gold coins at an Auction, right?”

“A thousand? Try over ten thousand gold coins! And even higher if bidding gets fierce!” Lena rolled her eyes, glancing at the other country bumpkins.