Novel Full 330 The Hermit
A card was locked between my two fingers, and it shone with golden brilliance.
“That is—!!!” Neron’s calm outlook broke apart.
‘That’s right…’ My grin grew wider.
It was a present that I was going to give this man… something only he could utilize to its full potential.
“—An Arcana?!”
Not just any Arcana. It was one of the most difficult to use. It was also most instrumental in my three years of training…
… The Hermit Arcana!
********************
During my time at the base made by my friends and me in my past life, I was able to spend at least over a hundred years in training and research.
It felt like time was moving so slowly that the world was still. I defied the laws of nature and exceeded my limits as a result of the extensive period I was granted.
But, that couldn’t last forever.
All Arcanas—with certain exceptions—were not self-sufficient. They required some sort of energy for them to activate.
Without energy, they were simply cards with vast potential and dormant Magic circuits.
The Tower Arcana in my possession required the simple charge of Mana, making it easy for me to use.
The Devil Arcana of the Demon Race simply multiplied the surrounding Miasma it fed on, creating a self-sufficient atmosphere full of negative energy.
Unfortunately, the Hermit Arcana consumed something that had a steep cost.
—Mana Cores!
It consumed too many Mana Cores per use.
While its powers were well worth it, I couldn’t sustain the use of the Arcana. The hundred years I spent in the base was only possible due to the Arcana’s passive ability to store Mana over the years.
Over five hundred years of storing Mana only lasted me three years of use, and everything ran dry. I also had to support the effects of the Arcana with several artificial Mana Cores and Spellcraft.
If I hadn’t, it may not have lasted a year.
Once I came to the realization of its greedy nature, the decision to give it away became much easier to make.
In my two lifetimes, there was only one person I knew who possessed enough fee to sustain the Hermit Arcana.
Neron Kaelid was his name.
*****************************
“Here!” I said, throwing the card at the surprised man.
He caught it thanks to reflex, but Neron’s eyes never left me. However, after a few seconds of holding the Card, I could see his expression change.
“This… it resonates with my Original Magic.
Of course!
That was the second reason I wanted Neron to have this Arcana.
“It utilizes Time Magic.”
But, unlike Neron’s Magic which was restricted in many ways, the Arcana interfered with the world itself. In essence, if he could completely control it… he could once again attain a higher realm.
“Jared… you’re giving this to me? Why?” Neron’s body quivered as he spoke.
“Because… I’m stuck.”
“Stuck?”
“Yeah. I can’t use that thing. So, when you figure out the kinks and everything… I’ll ask you to teach me how you did it.”
Even I had my limits.
I couldn’t dedicate my entire time to learning something too complex.
‘Since Neron is more specialized in that field, it’ll be easier if he figures it out and tells me.’
Once that happened, I could make The Hermit’s Magic my own.
“Huhuhu… Hehehehe… Kekekeke…”
My lips parted as I watched Neron chuckle in excitement.
“Well then, Jared, I accept this gift!”
I nodded.
‘That’s one out of four…’
Only three Arcanas were left in my possession.
The Tower
The Sun
And The Hanged Man.
Well, the latter was currently at work, so…
As for The Sun, I had plans for that.
“Now, I won’t be bored for some time… to think you’d have Arcanas.”
At least he was aware of their existence. As expected of someone as brilliant as Neron.
“I found them by chance… among other things.”
Neron’s face brightened up once I mentioned yet another interesting subject. He probably wanted me to speak some more, but that was about everything I would be giving him… at least alone.
>KNOCK<
>KNOCK<
>KNOCK<
The sudden sound of knocking caused both of us to turn to the entrance of Neron’s office. Both of us knew who was standing at the other end of the door.
‘They’re finally here…’
“Come in!” I called out before Neron could even say anything.
I gave him a knowing look, revealing that their presence was required.
>CREAK<
The door opened slowly, welcoming three people to the office.
They were individuals that were were both acquainted with, and their assistance would be indispensable in my grand objective.
Neron and I welcomed them with warm smiles as they drew closer. They must have been curious and surprised when they received my message.
It was a last-minute decision to gather these three, but, based on all that I had observed, they would be perfect for the job.
“Ana. Miss Vida… and Mr. Maro… welcome.”
***************************
It took a while to get everyone settled. There was a lounge in Neron’s office, so we all moved there in order to accommodate everyone.
Once everyone was seated, their eyes were on me.
I had invited each of them because of particular skills I required.
“There’s a particular project I need your assistance with.”
Their eyes widened with both curiosity and surprise.
It was difficult to imagine that I would be challenged with an issue that they could solve. However, the most important factor in everything was time.
I didn’t have enough time to do everything on my own. As a result, I needed to rely on humans during a moment like this.
“There’s a device that I need your help to build.”
It would be instrumental in ending the conflict that was about to unfold. Before the enemy could become an even bigger threat, I had to lay out all the groundwork.
Once I was done here, I would be leaving for the Capital to finalize my plans. This was currently the most important aspect of the plan—especially the endgame.
“I have the blueprint and a few core materials you will need to construct it, but… it’ll take a great deal of time and energy.”
The fate of the Kingdom—no, the whole world—was resting on the success and failure of the construct they were to create.
“Will you help me?”