Nick indifferently raised his right eyebrow in response to Wesley's accusation. He replied to Wesley soon after with a question:
"And what if I am?"
Wesley was immediately taken aback by Nick's question, not expecting the latter to not even deny his accusation. Wesley went silent after Nick spoke, only able to gaze at him bitterly. After half a minute, however, Flynn clapped his hands together twice to get everyone's attention. Flynn, and the others were apparently apathetic to Nick's killing of the frog magic beast, at least on the surface.
Flynn remained in midair using a golden, light stream that was immediately beneath his feet, Capra did the same using sand that perpetually swirled around his body like a twister, and Nora, Carla, and Wesley simply floated in midair. Not all Magicians had specialization specific, flying methods, and so used generic flying spells that allowed for levitation, and similar phenomena.
Carla secretly communicated with Nick after he killed the frog magic beast:
(Nicely done. I don't think that even I was as capable as you at rank 3 late stage. The spell that you just used was also very powerful. I don't think I have met many blade path Magicians that cast their offensive spells without wielding a weapon.)
Nick was not surprised to here that from Carla. He thought:
(If not for me having become familiar with Malevolent Shrine's power, I would most likely not be using blade path in this manner. The principle behind not having to wield a weapon is that I, myself, become the blade using magic energy. Hmmm…it is probably more complicated than that, but that explanation is a nice little summary…)
Flynn spoke with certainty:
"The inheritance site is only a few hours away if we travel low to the ground. Let's keep our actions restrained, so as not to attract unwanted attention while in this forest. Although the concentration of rank 4, and higher magic beasts is relatively low here, many live here nonetheless."
Nora, Capra, and Carla nodded their heads in agreement one after the other. Nick, and Wesley did not respond because they understood that Flynn was not necessarily directing his words at them. Flynn, and the others began to descend towards the forest floor immediately after. Nick soon also willed for his magic energy beneath his feet that still maintained the form of an invisible beast, to lower him to below the forest canopy.
Once Nick, and the others arrived below the forest canopy, the others continued to fly at nearly twenty meters above ground while Nick forced the invisible beast to become free flowing magic energy that silently enveloped him, as soon as it reached the ground. Nick therefore fell a few meters to the ground to stand on his feet before drawing his magic energy back into his mindscape.
The forest had well-spaced, tall, evergreen trees throughout, and each tree had a wide, green canopy that provided shade for the terrain below. Rank 2, and rank 1 magic beasts could be commonly perceived using scouting methods, but they intentionally moved away from the area as soon as they sensed Nick's group.
Flynn, and the others quickly noticed that Nick lowered himself all the way to the ground, and so Flynn questioned him using a magically amplified voice:
"Why don't you join us near the top of the trees, Nick? It is easier to move towards the inheritance site from this altitude."
Nick indifferently replied to Flynn:
"Since I am here in Giant's Ruin, I might as well kill a few magic beasts along the way to the inheritance as training. Don't worry, I will keep up with you."
Flynn looked troubled once he heard Nick's answer because he wasn't sure that Nick could really keep up with them if he intended to kill magic beasts along the way. He reasoned:
(I cannot have Nick slowing down the group because of a reason like that.)
Carla, however, assured Flynn:
"I will be watching over Nick. I will make sure that he keeps up with us."
Once Carla seemed intent on supporting Nick's decision, Flynn could no longer use his own reasoning to direct Nick's actions. Knowing that, Flynn relented, saying:
"Please keep our formation path expert safe."
Carla silently nodded her head, but before she could confirm Nick's plans with him, he suddenly vanished. Flynn quickly noticed Nick's disappearance, and silently stared at Carla in response. Carla's expression became a little awkward, but she said:
"If Nick says that he will keep up, then that is what he will do."
Flynn sighed, and then turned around to take the lead as the group steadily flew through the trees. While Carla was flying along with the group, she used her scouting method to search for Nick while also sending voice transmissions to him. It so happened that her transmission method worked so long as she had used it successfully with a particular person before even if she did not currently know their exact location, and as long as they were within a range of a few kilometers.
Carla knew that Nick had movement methods belonging to the space path, so she urged him:
(Nick honey, please keep up with us. I would have preferred if you stayed with the group so that I can protect you, but if you insist on hunting magic beasts along the way, I will not stop you. Just let me see you every once in a while, or I will come looking for you.)
Carla did not have to wait long to catch sight of Nick because he soon appeared several dozen meters ahead of the group's position; Nick was still on the ground. All five Magicians spotted him standing a few meters in front of a large, rank 3 magic beast that looked like an elephant-sized, blue, anteater that continuously blew air currents from its snout.
The anteater magic beast glared at Nick for a seemingly long time using its ruby-red eyes before it charged at him at surprisingly high speed, seeming to want to stomp him to death. Not long after the anteater magic beast began its charge, however, Nick flicked his right index finger at it, casting his spell:
(Dragon Cleave.)
Following the use of Nick's spell, the anteater magic beast's head was perfectly, and vertically split in two at its center. The two pieces of its head fell tragically to the ground while the remaining stump poured out blue blood like a fountain. The the rest of the magic beast's carcass immediately went limp, and fell to the ground, but it moved forward by a few meters because of its momentum.
Nick ignored the carcass, and activated Cursed Vessel to teleport elsewhere. Seeing that Nick had left the magic beast carcass alone, not caring about it at all, Wesley declared:
"How can we let Nick waste magic materials like that? I will collect the carcass for him."
The four rank 4 Magicians said nothing in response to Wesley's obvious intentions to take the magic beast carcass for himself because Nick did not seem interested in it. Wesley slightly shifted his gaze to observe Carla's reaction to his words, but she did not reprimand him. One moment later, she even said:
"Go ahead, take it. Consider it a token of peace after Nick cut your arm in two."
Once he was given the go ahead, Wesley did not hesitate to lower himself, and store the blue carcass into his space band. For a rank 3 Magician like himself, most rank 3 magic beast carcasses were valuable. He mused:
(Nick's blade magic killed this magic beast so precisely that most of the carcass is still intact. I can sell it for a few million pounds back on Grand Earth.)
Wesley rejoined the group, and flew forward with the rank 4 Magicians immediately after storing the carcass. Soon, the group happened upon Nick again, who stood at the left flank a large, rank 3 magic beast that seemed similar to a mountain lion, but had grey, blue-spotted fur, and was over eight meters in length.
The mountain lion magic beast turned its head in Nick's direction, and menacingly snarled at him, revealing its silver-coloured, metal-like fangs. It seemed like it was about to take action against him, but Nick quickly waved his right index finger at it while casting his spell:
(Dragon Cleave.)
The mountain lion magic beast was immediately, and vertically cut in half at its center. The two pieces of its body then fell limp to the ground where its organs, and red-grey blood spilled out from both halves of its body. The mountain lion magic beast weakly whimpered for about ten seconds before all life left it as its gaze became hollow.
After observing his handiwork for a few seconds after the death of the magic beast, Nick activated Cursed Vessel to teleport elsewhere again. Wesley did not hesitate to retrieve the two halves of the magic beast's carcass after Nick disappeared. While Wesley collected the carcass, Nora asked Carla:
"How is Nick's magic so strong? Although he is rank 3 late stage, killing rank 3 magic beasts with one attack so consistently is unusual, even if he is using blade path spells. I hardly see rank 3 Magicians execute magic beasts as efficiently as him."
Carla was not sure how to answer, at first, since she did not know how Nick cultivated, or why his blade magic was so effective. She soon, however, decided to act confident in his skills:
"Nick is a hardworking Magician who cultivates more seriously than anyone I have ever met. Who does not know that hard work brings extraordinary results?"
Nora internally sneered in response to Carla's answer, thinking:
(If hard work was all it took to become a strong Magician, the dominance of legacy families would not exist. Carla's answer is meaningless…)
Flynn, and Capra smiled bitterly after hearing Carla's words. Both of them remembered working hard when they were rank 3 late stage, but neither of them was able to do what Nick was currently doing.
Capra thought:
(Have I been living a dog's life?…)
Flynn thought:
(Sure enough, comparisons are odious…)
Wesley quickly rejoined the group, and they kept moving forward steadily at speeds of less than fifty kilometers per hour. Strangely enough, the group spotted Nick every few minutes when he killed a nearby rank 3 magic beast. Flynn soon realized that Nick was somehow following their forward movements while killing the rank 3 magic beasts around them. Flynn mused:
(He clearly has a very good scouting method that can track our movements over long distances. Not just us, he is efficiently tracking the rank 3 magic beasts within the area, and killing them with the same spell each time. Since when is blade path so powerful?)
Blade path had a reputation for being more lethal than most other paths, but that referred to when used against other Magicians, not magic beasts. Magic beasts had thick flesh, and strong bodies, so it was a far greater challenge to secure a quick kill on a magic beast using blade path. In comparison, sword path was exceptional at killing both Magicians, and magic beasts, but Nick was not using sword magic.
The group flew forward for nearly eight hours, and witnessed Nick kill over one hundred and ninety rank 3 magic beasts using the same spell once, each time. Wesley had collected a small fortune in magic beast carcasses as a result. This made him feel that Nick was no longer as hateful as before.
The four rank 4 Magicians were a little surprised by Nick's capacity for violence, but did not have much opinions about it since there were many Magicians that loved battle. Nora, however, noticed something peculiar, and asked aloud:
"Nick has been killing magic beasts non-stop, and using a space path movement method with wild abandon, but has not rested to recover his magic energy as far as we can see. What is his magic energy holding capacity, and why has he never run out of magic energy?"
Carla asked herself those same questions, but she knew that she had to work to defend Nick from an over-interested Wisdom Magician. Carla sternly responded to Nora:
"Mind your own business, Nora. We all have special abilities. Do not try to pry into my husband's secrets, or else."
Nora quickly picked up on Carla's threat, and so stopped asking questions, but she continued to closely observe Nick. Wesley, who flew close to Nora, was too busy thinking about the money that he was going to make from selling magic beast carcasses to notice Nora's increased interest in Nick.
After a while, Nick suddenly appeared standing on a tree branch near to the group, and maintained his indifferent expression as he warned them:
"There is probably a rank 4 magic beast waiting in ambush, underground, sixty meters ahead. I managed to spot it using my scouting method."
In the past, Spatial Awareness did not work very well on targets who were at a higher rank that Nick himself unless they were out in the open, and not using their magic, but after Nick's months of meditation, his talent seemed able to pick up on the traces of rank 4 existences, albeit barely. That is how he never lost the group, and discovered a hiding rank 4 magic beast.
Flynn was glad to have received the information beforehand since he had been planning to go in the direction of the hiding, rank 4 magic beast:
(Nick has turned out to be a decent scout. I had not sensed the magic beast yet, so he might of saved us some trouble. Hmmm…detouring around the magic beast is not worth it since we might just encounter another one along the way. We will fight it.)
Flynn soon said:
"Since Nick has done the work of finding a rank 4 magic beast in our path, let's just fight with it, and move on. We are very close to the inheritance site."
Carla, Capra, and Nora nodded their heads in agreement. The time had approached sundown when visibility was lower, but the rank 4 Magicians figured that the dim lighting would not affect them much. Nick teleported along nearby branches using Cursed Vessel to follow the group.
When the group had reached within twenty meters of the magic beast's supposed hiding place, Capra acted first because he was the group's only earth path Magician. He moved to the front of the group, and cast a spell, which resulted in a faint amount of magic energy being exuded from his body:
(Earth Piston)
Following Capra's spell casting, the ground within a few hundred meters briefly rumbled before a massive cylinder made from earth suddenly jutted out of the ground at blinding speed to halt at ten meters above ground. The power of Capra's spell caused over a dozen trees to be uprooted, or broken before being displaced.
The earth cylinder had a radius at both ends of about ten meters, and at its apex now stood a large magic beast that looked like a fox that had one eye, bronze fur, jack-rabbit-like ears, blue eyes and hooked teeth. The fox magic beast was about the size of a mature elephant, and it currently stood firm on its four legs, growling towards the group with unconcealed malice. Capra, Flynn, Carla, and Nora's expressions became serious when they saw the magic beast.
Nick mused after seeing the magic beast:
(I had assumed that this was a rank 4 magic beast because of how difficult it was for Spatial Awareness to perceive it clearly. From the looks of the others, it seems that I was correct. When it comes to magic, even vague results can be useful.)
Carla quickly transmitted to Nick:
(That is a rank 4 magic beast, alright. It may not be that big, but at rank 4, size hardly implies a lack of power. I have seen powerful, rank 4 magic beasts that had the same size as common dogs. Stay clear of it.)
Nick nodded towards Carla to indicate his agreement, but he still summoned Hard Marvel into his right grip in case things got out of hand. Observing that Nick seemed to understand her words, Carla focused on the magic beast with the others. Flynn quickly acted by first waving his right hand at the magic beast.
(Judgement Crosses)
Four upright crosses composed of gold light instantly formed immediately above the fox magic beast, and stabbed deep into its back. The magic beast growled loudly while vigorously shaking its body in response to the attack. Following the magic beast's movement, the light crosses shattered like glass, and dissipated, leaving four deep wounds on the fox magic beast's back that bled, but closed in moments.
The fox magic beast did not hesitate to defend itself after being attack, so it opened its maw further, at a wide angle, and shot out a high-pressured blast of what seemed to be brown mud from its throat. Capra acted again by forming a thick defence in front of the group:
(Soil Monolith)
Immediately, a twenty-five-meter-high, and ten-meter-wide slab of earth rose up in less than one second, and intercepted the mud blast directed by the magic beast. Soon after, however, the earth slab began to quickly degenerate into ordinary, flowing mud under the effects of the fox magic beast's attack. After a few moments, the fox magic beast ended its assault, but at that time, the earth slab had already been destroyed by half.
Carla then made a move by flicking her right index finger towards the fox magic beast.
(Mighty Shadow)
The fox magic beast, and the earth cylinder that it stood on was immediately, and entirely enveloped by a large shadow. Following that, the large shadow writhed, and twisted as if it was a cloth being wrung. Painful howls from the fox magic beast could be heard as it was being brutalized by Carla's spell. This situation continued for ten seconds before Nora was able to cast her own spell:
(Mutilating Philosophy)
Almost immediately after Nora cast her spell, Carla's large shadow developed a faint, purple glow. Not even less than two seconds after the purple glow appeared, however, the large shadow began to degenerate into brown mud, and within moments the magic beast was able to charge its way out of its envelopment, but after only moving a few meters away from the dissipating shadow, it stopped its charge, and bit at its own front-left leg, ripping out a large chunk of flesh using its hooked teeth.
The magic beast's expression then developed a human-like appearance of grief as it held its own bloody flesh in its mouth. Without even sparing the group another glance, the fox magic beast used its three uninjured legs to quickly propel itself off the crumbling earth cylinder, and used its magic to borrow into the ground, disappearing soon after.
Not being able to trace the fox magic beast anymore using Spatial Awareness, Nick assumed that it either had a powerful concealment method, or it had already moved outside of the talent's area of effect. Either way, Nick stored Hard Marvel back into his space band because he assumed that the battle was over. Nick spoke casually at this time for everyone to hear:
"You all let it get away."
Flynn, Capra, and Nora remained silent in response to Nick's statement, but Carla went ahead, and explained:
"Nick, we are here to secure an inheritance, not to fight to the death with a magic beast. Even if you saw that magic beast become injured, Rank 4 magic beasts have exceptional healing capabilities, and become a few times more ferocious if cornered. Not to mention that they have human-like intelligence. That magic beast was even smart enough to run away from a battle that seemed unfavourable.
Not having to fight with it anymore is a good thing because unexpected things may happen that put our lives at risk. We have to consider our aims when we act. Now that the magic beast is gone, we can safely travel to the inheritance site."
Flynn immediately commented on Carla's words:
"I could not have said those words better myself. Nick, let's keep our eyes on the prize. We do not care about a random, rank 4 magic beast."
Capra, and Nora nodded their heads once to show agreement with Flynn's statement. Although Nick maintained an indifferent expression on the surface, he was internally regretting that he notified them about the magic beast:
(I had wanted to see a proper battle between rank 4 existences. If I had known that you would all let it get away, I would have let it ambush you.)
Carla secretly transmitted to Nick:
(Nick honey, do not get any strange ideas. We are all profiteers, not warmongers. We will not fight to the death over feelings.)
When Carla transmitted those words to him, Nick had no choice but to internally sigh, and let the matter go. He spoke to Flynn right after:
"Lead the way, oh cautious one."
Flynn did not feel slighted by Nick's words, and patiently smiled in response to them. He understood how hot-blooded young, rank 3 Magicians could be, but he had a different temperament:
(I am no longer that young. Why should I risk my skin over measly scraps when a feast is up ahead waiting for me?…)
Thinking like that, Flynn led the group further towards the supposed inheritance site. At around midnight, when the realm's grey moon appeared to hang over them, reflecting light through the gaps in the forest's canopy, the group finally came to a clearing somewhere within the forest.
Now, by concentrating their magic energy into their eyes, ordinary darkness could not hamper the Magicians' views by much, so everyone had been able to move through the forest without much being said. When Nick suddenly appeared on the branch of a tree at the very edge of the clearing, he looked into the distance and saw a lone evergreen tree that stood at the center of the clearing, but it was taller than the other trees, having a height of about thirty meters.
Flynn explained at this time:
"That tall tree at the center of the clearing is the entrance to the twilight inheritance. Only humans can enter, and all that one needs to do to get to the inheritance ground is to walk towards the tree, and place one palm on its trunk."
Flynn decided to demonstrate by first lowering himself to the ground, and canceling his light path movement spell. He proceeded to cross the forty meters distance to get to the inheritance tree, after which, he placed his right palm on its trunk. Once he did that, Flynn instantly vanished.
Seeing the method to get to the inheritance ground first hand, Capra followed Flynn's lead by lowering himself to the ground, and canceling his earth path movement spell. He then walked to the inheritance tree, after which, he placed his right palm on its trunk, and disappeared too.
Seconds after Capra disappeared, Nora, and Wesley followed his example in tandem, and soon disappeared after touching the inheritance tree's trunk using their right, and left palms, respectively.
Once the others were gone, Carla floated to the thick branch that Nick stood on. When she landed on the branch to his left side, Nick spoke to her after slightly turning his head towards her:
"You all should have killed that rank 4 magic beast."
Carla furrowed her brows after hearing Nicks words, asking:
"What is your reason for that opinion?"
Nick silently shrugged his shoulders in response to Carla's question, indicating that he was not going to give a reason, but he mused:
(The dream states that I explored revealed to me that many magic beasts with high potential, and intelligence have complex thoughts, and memories. They can hold grudges, and grant emotional debt that lasts decades. One day, that earth path fox magic beast might just show up to collect on that debt, even stronger. I was also with you people, and so it probably saw me. I can no longer roam Giant's Ruin without looking over my shoulder.)
Nick's opinion was that if they did not plan to kill the magic beast, they shouldn't have wounded it. Even a battered dog remembers its abusers until the day that it bites them to death. Nick was no longer in the habit of making enemies that he could not finish. He had done so in the past, and suffered for it, the incident involving Gilman Crocker of the Crown Company being the most remembered.
Even the battle between himself, and Parvone served as an example. He defeated Parvone fairly, but Parvone's father came looking to humiliate him. Nick was not naive enough to believe that he would have been left alone if he had rejected the second battle with the Nefaris. They would have most likely made his life difficult.
Carla's expression soon softened as she approached Nick's immediate left, and said:
"Let us forget about that magic beast. Listen, our aim is in front of us. I need you to do your best, okay, Nick honey."
Nick sighed aloud before moving to grab hold of Carla. Under the moonlight, he held her tightly while kissing her lips. He did so for about one minute while they both closed their eyes, after which, he let Carla go. He then said to her:
"When we get back to Grand Earth, I expect you to go easier with the pushiness."
Carla lightly smiled in response to Nick's request, replying:
"Take your place as my patriarch, and I will naturally have to be softer. But until your strength has become appropriate, that is impossible. Don't worry, things will be fine with me taking the lead until that time comes."
Nick sighed aloud once again before telling Carla:
"You are obstinate."
Carla's smile became neutral before she shrugged her shoulders, and replied:
"Naturally."
Nick indifferently stared at her for a few seconds before saying:
"Let's go join the others."
Carla immediately replied:
"As you say, Nick honey."
Nick immediately activated Cursed Vessel, and teleported to the ground directly below the branch that he stood on a moment ago. He waited for Carla to float down beside him, and when she did so at his left side, they walked in tandem to the base of the inheritance tree. Both Carla, and Nick touched the inheritance tree using their right palms.
Following that, Nick's perspective instantly changed to a chamber made entirely of white, fluffy, but otherwise solid clouds. Carla was still standing beside Nick at this time. He lowered his right hand before focusing on the other Magicians, who appeared to be waiting on them. Capra questioned Nick, and Carla:
"What took you two so long?"
Carla chuckled mischievously before answering:
"Sorry, Nick got a little handsy with me before we came here."
Nora snorted openly in response to Carla's implied, and shameless boast about her, and Nick's relationship. Capra remained silent, and turned his focus away from them after hearing Carla's answer. Wesley's current expression indicated that he was a little jealous of Nick's circumstances. Flynn soon awkwardly spoke to the group:
"This space is definitely the result of a stationary magic formation. We can leave whenever we want just by having the serious intention, but when I first came here, I was made aware of the requirements to get the inheritance through an anonymous transmission. The transmission was, 'Destruct this magic formation completely, and my inheritance is yours. Signed Twilight Magician.'. Don't bother try to forcefully break through the magic formation. I have already attempted that, and failed."
Nora explained some things after contemplating for a few seconds:
"The Twilight Magician was rumored to be a very decent man when he was alive, and so his inheritance is probably not one of the more precarious ones. In that case, we can assume that the major hurdle is this magic formation. Even now, after so long, I cannot simply peer through its mechanisms using my magic."
Flynn nodded his head in agreement before replying:
"You are probably right. That is why I brought you, and Nick here. Help me destruct this magic formation, and you will get your reward, Nora. As for Nick, he is here to help Carla secure her reward, so should not expect to receive a share of the inheritance."
Everyone else except Nick silently nodded their heads in agreement. Nora immediately went to the edge of the magic formation's cloud chamber, and began studying it using her spell:
(Deducing Philosophy)
Both her eyes, and the centre of her forehead glowed with a faint, purple light after casting her spell, and she ignored everyone else from then on. Flynn, Capra, Carla, and Wesley observed her for a few minutes, but did nothing else. They could not forcefully capture the inheritance, so their hands were tied.
Nick soon summoned a wooden picnic table from one of his space bands before summoning a cookie and cream cake, a kitchen knife, and a set of plastic plates onto it. He then sat at the picnic table, and cut into the cake using the kitchen knife. After placing a large slice of the cake on a plastic plate, he summoned a metal fork from his space band, and started eating his slice of cake.
Flynn, and the others silently observed Nick's actions, until a few seconds after Nick had started eating the cake when Flynn sternly walked over to him, and asked:
"Is the cake good?"
Nick swallowed the piece of cake within his mouth before indifferently answering Flynn:
"Yeah, it is good, but it would be better with a little orange juice."
Following those words, Nick summoned a cold carton of orange juice which he opened, and sipped at before continuing to eat his slice of cake. Flynn's, Capra's, and Wesley's right eyelids twitched as they saw Nick continuing to peacefully eating cake in this situation. Flynn then silently turned to Carla while maintaining an expression that practically said:
"Do something about this!"
Carla quickly transmitted to Nick while being a little confused about his lax attitude:
(Nick honey, your attitude is resulting in a little pressure being applied to me. Please start working on the magic formation.)
Nick swallowed one final piece of cake before raising himself from the picnic table as a result of Carla's urging. He indifferently spoke at this time:
"Everyone will have to give me some time to come up with a solution. Reverse engineering someone else's magic formation is not an easy task that can be completed as quickly as brushing one's teeth."
Flynn felt like giving Nick a few tight slaps after the latter spoke those words. He internally complained:
(At least start looking at the damn magic formation before you start eating cake! I do not have time to waste!)
Nick appeared to contemplate for one minute before he leisurely walked to the center of the cloud chamber and summoned a large, glass jar filled with orange dust from his space band. Nick uncorked the jar, and threw out the dust all at once, following which, the orange dust persistently floated in midair in scattered clusters. Nick mused:
(This is the rank 3, formation path material, formation dust. It is used to draw the base of a magic formations in midair rather than on a flat surface. I could do the same thing using my magic energy, but with my magic energy being practically invisible, that fact makes doing so slightly troublesome...)
Nick started rearranging the orange formation dust to form symbols, but he did so very slowly. After noticing that Nick began doing something, Flynn's stern expression became mild, and he summoned a throne-like seat to sit on while comfortably observing Nora's, and Nick's progress. Capra, and Wesley did the same thing, but Carla moved to stand close to Nick to better observe what he was doing.
This situation persisted for hours. Carla noticed that Nick was in fact drawing a magic formation that consisted of symbols that she could not read. She mused:
(Nick knowing another mystical language should not be surprising to anyone since there are a few available to be learned other than Valteese. It's just that I cannot tell what path this magic formation belongs to yet because I cannot read its laws.)
After a few days of watching Nick work, and not being able to read his incomplete magic formation's laws, Carla walked away. She soon realized that Nick's cake had gone bad, and so quickly enveloped it in shadows which turned it into faint dust that somehow blew away after the shadows dispersed. Carla then sat at the picnic table, and begun silently meditating.
A few days after that, Nora finally acted after over a week of continuously observing, and deducing the magic formation using her magic. She had taken occasional breaks to recover her magic energy, but those occasions were so few that they were hardly worth mentioning. At some point, Nora pointed her right index finger at a portion of the cloud chamber in front of her, and cast her spell:
(Change Philosophy)
Following that, the affected portion of the cloud chamber, which was no larger than the surface area of a floor mat, glowed faint purple. Seeing that Nora was making a move, Flynn, Capra, Carla, and Wesley moved closer to her. Nora mused at this time:
(Change Philosophy alters structures slightly as a result of facts that I have deduced using my other spells. It should cause this magic formation to reveal some of its secrets after I have learned so much about its composition of cloud path, and water path laws…)
After ten minutes, the faint purple glow on the cloud chamber faded, and the cloud chamber immediately changed from a white hue to a dark-grey hue. Following that change, it began to rain within the cloud chamber. Capra quickly began to complain:
"What the hell, Nora? After so long, your first action against the magic formation just makes us wet. Are you really a wisdom path Magician?"
Nora turned around, and sneered at Capra while sporting an expression that revealed clear hostility. Wesley was not sure what to do. He would always back up Nora, but he could not openly make remarks against, and contradicting a rank 4 Magician if he still wanted his life.
Flynn mediated at this time:
"Relax, you two. Change is a good thing. When I first came here, I was not even able to obtain this result. We are on track. We just have to give Nora some more time."
Capra sighed aloud before apologizing to Nora:
"My bad, Nora."
Nora's expression eased before she began using her Deducing Philosophy spell to begin making deductions again, ignoring the rain that soaked her magician's robe, and body. Everyone else stepped away from Nora, and summoned vehicles that they entered to escape from the rain. Flynn had summoned a white sedan, Capra had summoned a brown sedan, Wesley had summoned a black SUV, and Carla had summoned a red town car.
Nick, however, paid the actions of the others no attention, and continued to work on his own magic formation. Flynn, Capra, Wesley, and Carla soon began to observe Nick again, but they had no idea of what to think about his evidently unproductive actions. Flynn secretly transmitted to Carla:
(Are you sure that Nick is up for this? Nora has made progress while Nick has stagnated.)
Carla leisurely replied to Flynn:
(Nick just needs time to get his bearings correct. Who told you that the fastest person was the one that was usually successful in the end?)
After getting that reply, Flynn had no choice but to stop questioning Carla about Nick's actions. Although Carla had transmitted those words to Flynn, she became a little worried about the state of things as she watched Nick get soaked in the rain:
(He knows what he is doing, right?…)
After a few hours, Nick used his magic energy to shield him from the rain by letting it form into the invisible beast. The invisible beast loomed over him, and sheltered him using its large head. Nick did not mind that his clothes, and body were wet while he worked.
A few days after that, Nick finally finished his magic formation. It had the shape of a circle that had enigmatic patterns composed of Nickel, and D-Soul Symbols. It was entirely drawn using orange formation dust, and rotated slowly while it emitted a strong soul path aura. Nick had already assimilated a large number of rank 2, and rank 3 magic materials into it, mostly of the soul path, and a few of the formation path.
Nick mused once the magic formation was complete:
(This magic formation has rule path laws that make use of the blameless principle to assist in peering through magic structures. The soul path laws will be mainly concerned with examining this cloud magic formation…)
Nick had never been constructing a method to destruct the cloud magic formation. It was impossible to do that without first thoroughly examining, and then understanding how the cloud magic formation worked. To that end, he expertly designed a magic formation to discover the mysteries of the cloud magic formation's setup.
His magic formation was set up about two feet above the cloud chamber's base, so Nick moved to step onto his magic formation while he was already standing at the center of it with his feet still on the cloud chamber's base.
Once he was standing over his magic formation, and being propped up by its magic power, Nick sat cross-legged. He soon activated the magic formation by speaking its trigger phrase:
"Begin."
Following the activation of the magic formation, its rotation speed was increased by two times, and it emitted a low hum. A few seconds later, its orange glow changed to a deep-blue glow, and a few seconds after that, it began emitting pulses of translucent soul magic power at a rapid rate. The pulses visibly faded the farther they got from Nick's magic formation until they were no longer visible near to the cloud chamber's walls.
Once that took place, all kinds of information about the magic formation, and even the other Magicians was suddenly transmitted to Nick's mind. The other Magicians felt a shiver go down their spines as they sensed the magic power being emitted by Nick's magic formation.
Nora immediately halted her deductions to turn towards Nick, and observe his situation. Flynn, and the others stayed in their cars, becoming excited at the possibility that Nick was finally taking action, but then a few hours passed, and Nick did nothing but sit on his magic formation.
After all that time had passed, Nora shook her head, and went back to making her deductions. Capra, and Wesley reclined in their car seats, disappointed about the anticlimactic situation. Flynn, on the other hand, developed a tight frown while thinking:
(Even though there is now no doubt that Nick is a formation path expert, he has still not taken productive action despite all the flash…)
Flynn soon transmitted to Carla:
(What is Nick doing? How comes he hasn't acted against the magic formation to produce a change after all this time?)
Using an apparent calm, Carla replied to Flynn:
(Be patient Flynn. Nick is no doubt working towards a favourable result…)
While Carla was trying to mitigate Flynn's impatience, she also secretly transmitted to Nick because she too was frustrated by his lack of results after nearly one month of work:
(Nick honey, when will you act against the magic formation. I do not want to rush you, but the others are growing impatient, and feeling that you lack substance. There is a limit to how much I can defend you from their rising scrutiny…)
Even with Carla urging him, Nick ignored her, and continued researching the inheritance's magic formation. Carla could only sigh as Nick ignored her, but she could not otherwise interrupt him based on her, and the others' insecurities. This situation persisted for two more months until Nora cast Change Philosophy to induce another change in the magic formation.
Following the dissipation of the purple glow that her spell induced on the cloud chamber's surface, the dark clouds became white again and the rain stopped. After that, however, the temperature of the cloud chamber increased significantly as its cloud ceiling became completely lined by red-orange flames.
Capra immediately stepped out of his car and complained at Nora again:
"Are you trying to bake us, now?"