Novel Full Chapter 1016: A Place To Return To
Leif did not learn much from Kyran and Aki’s conversation. Nonetheless, she more or less understood Kyran’s relationship with the Dragon Clan. She also discovered that Kyran’s name, Null, was neither a title nor a nickname but a random name he came up with.
To be honest, that annoyed Leif, but she did not voice her anger because of Kyran’s relationship with the Dragon Clan. She considered his fake title payback for the disrespect she might have unintentionally shown since they met.
Another thing that Leif learned about Kyran was his strange magic, which she still could not figure out. Usually, she would have gleaned some clues after observing him for a while. But his concealment ability and refusal to use any magic array when summoning magic made it hard for her to find clues.
The dense magic energy in their surroundings challenged anyone trying to discern the type of raw magic energy that responded to a mage’s use of magic. Kyran’s infrequent use of magic and reliance on Aki for combat further complicate the matter, making it even harder for Leif to understand his unique magic.
Speaking of combat, they were met with more puppets after they left the hallway and entered what appeared to be a grand hall. However, unlike the ones in the hallway, these puppets were the size of an average human and mainly used elemental magic spells.
Aki remained their vanguard, and Leif assisted him from the rear. As for Kyran, he just stood to one side and watched as they dealt with the puppets.
Kyran’s lax attitude aggrieved Leif. But after realizing that even if he was not doing anything, the human-sized puppets could not overwhelm them, she chose to ignore him.
There was a time when she thought the puppets would swarm Aki because there were too many. He needed two or three hits before he destroyed them, a testament to their superior exterior compared to the previous group of puppets they encountered. However, just as Leif felt a looming fear in her heart, the puppets’ defenses would suddenly become nonexistent as Aki destroyed them in one hit.
She even managed to eliminate a few puppets using a mid-tier spell.
Another time, Leif saw Aki throwing a puppet at three approaching puppets. The impact of the puppet colliding with the three resulted in a small explosion.
If it had been any other time, Leif would have been convinced that the collision of the four puppets caused the explosion. But these puppets had sturdier exteriors, and a mere collision would not have been enough to make them explode. At least, Leif did not believe it was possible. Besides, she strongly felt that the explosion occurred before the puppet Aki held collided with the three puppets.
Leif became suspicious of Kyran’s lax attitude, which might only be a front, but he was actually assisting them in the shadows.
Leif had no idea how and when Kyran assisted them, but his assistance significantly reduced the pressure on her and Aki.
After the number of attacking human-sized puppets had been reduced, an automaton appeared, and it emitted a very intimidating aura. Leif even sensed that the automaton’s strength was no weaker than her. It might even be more robust. She was not intimidated, though. With Aki, who she already knew was an automaton with them, there was nothing to worry about.
Leif was wrong.
With a simple wave of the automaton’s hand, a huge array formation appeared on the ground and sealed their magic circulation. After that, it summoned a thunderstorm that reduced the ground to smithereens wherever its lightning struck.
At that point, Leif started to feel despair. Not only was Aki’s movement being hindered by the random strikes of lightning from the thunderstorm, but they could not even cast any spells. Then again, Leif’s innate magic was useless against lightning. Thus, even if she could cast magic, she would not be able to do it any harm.
She might even end up harming all of them if she inadvertently hit any of them.
Just when Leif was about to use an escape talisman she carried with her at all times, a crack appeared on the magic array the automaton had summoned. The crack spread in every direction, affecting the thunderstorm’s momentum. After which, a small dark purple orb appeared above the automaton’s head. The dark purple orb did not stay small.
It expanded and swallowed the automaton whole in the blink of an eye.
When the automaton was gone, the array formation on the floor dimmed, and the thunderstorm disappeared.
Leif felt dumbfounded at what transpired. However, her mind was somewhat fixated at the moment when the small dark purple orb appeared above the automaton’s head. She started to shiver as she recalled something about the nature of the most powerful Ancient magic of all— Void magic.
It was at that moment that something clicked inside Leif’s head.
How the remaining huge puppets were destroyed in the blink of an eye. How the human-sized puppets seemed to put little pressure on them even when they were clearly at an advantage in terms of numbers. Finally, why did Kyran use Null as a fake title?
Before Leif could sort her thoughts and express her suspicion, Kyran walked past her and said, “Keep your thoughts to yourself if you don’t want to become like the automaton.”
Initially, Leif thought Kyran’s threat referred to how the dark purple orb swallowed the automaton. However, the automaton suddenly emerged from the still-present dark purple orb, lowered its head before Kyran, and said, “I am at your service, master.”
The sudden change in the automaton’s attitude blew Leif’s mind. She suddenly felt conflicted about her decision to approach Kyran that day in the city’s library. Why did she ever think that he was someone she could win over?
Ultimately, Leif only nodded and kept her thoughts to herself as she was told.
After Kyran won over the automaton, the grand hall could be cleared. But instead of proceeding to the next area, Kyran asked the automaton, whom he temporarily called Auto-one, some questions.
Seeing how easy it was for Kyran to gather intel by winning over one automaton to his side, Leif was quite impressed and wanted to recruit him to their clan. But just as the thought came to her again, she scolded herself for momentarily forgetting why she could not recruit him.
Anyhow, the information Kyran got from the automaton was exceptionally helpful. Unfortunately, apart from the type of challenges the floor offered and the semi-detailed map of the whole seventh floor, Auto-one could not tell them where the treasures on that floor were located.
At first, Leif asked Auto-one if he could not tell them because he did not have the information. However, the latter answered:
“All automatons at this level knew where the treasures were located. However, we cannot tell them to anyone because it defeats the purpose of the tower’s challenge.”
Leif was surprised Auto-one humored her and answered her question. When she looked at Kyran to see if he allowed Auto-one to talk to her, she was somewhat confused to find him deep in thought.
Leif wanted to ask Kyran what he was thinking but stopped herself midway. After the latter threatened her, she admitted she could not muster the courage to ask him anything. But she did not have to mull over what Auto-one told her alone because Aki started talking to Kyran soon after.
“Master, is opening Auto-one’s databank impossible?” Aki asked.
Kyran straightened and looked at him with a sigh. “It’s not impossible, but the runes used are too complicated. It will take me hours, even days, to decipher everything.”
“Forgive me, master. As much as I wanted to provide you with all the information you required, I cannot force the removal of all previous authority and security locks in my programming.”
“It’s fine. I thought turning you into one of my automatons was enough, but apparently, I had unconsciously underestimated the Ancients’ technology,” Kyran replied while looking at Auto-one. “Will there be any conflict in your programming if I order you to do something?”
Auto-one was silent for a while, seemingly checking his programming internally. After a short time, he looked at Kyran and shook his head.
“Apart from asking for information that is classified inside my databank, there will be no conflicts in my programming.”
Kyran nodded, “Alright. I’ll leave it at that. I’ll work on your programming when we return to…” His voice trailed off as his face distorted slightly.
Leif guessed that Kyran’s reaction was that he did not know where he would return after leaving the tower. She thought he did not seem keen on going to the Dragon Clan yet.
Truth be told, that was not the case.
Kyran reacted as he did because he remembered Cyneah and her group were also at the seventh level and wondered if they were fine. The Dragon Clan’s strength had a massive advantage over Array, but that did not mean they were already in the clear, especially when surprises like the Array formation that could seal movements and magic energy circulation were there.
Thinking this, Leif opened her mouth and thought of offering to let him stay in Ogen until he decided where to go. She believed that even if he threatened her just now, ensuring a good relationship with him was better than severing it after they left the tower.
But before Leif could say anything, Auto-one said something that made her speechless.
“Master, where exactly do you plan to return?”
“I’m… still thinking about that.”
“But… are you not here because you have returned to the tower?”
“…?”
“Since you have returned, is there a need for you to go to leave this place?”