518

Research, Adjustment, and Improvement (1)

[The Vulcan Magic Engineering Expo is just a day away from its opening.]  

[This year’s expo will feature exhibitions and entries extending over three days, with the final selections made after a thorough review by both the public and experts...]  

[In preparation, magic towers and research institutions from across the regions are booking booths and submitting applications...]

As the announcer's voice echoed through the radio and TV screen, Lennok opened his eyes.

“……”

He stared blankly at the sunlight streaming through the blinds before slowly rising from his bed.

[Speculations continue to swirl over the significant relaxation of participation requirements.]  

[With the restrictions lifted, there’s talk of inviting broader involvement across various fields…]

Beep.

Manipulating the magic particles, he turned off the alarm and the TV, then looked around with sleepy eyes. The chaotic scene of his bedroom, still cluttered with unpacked boxes, unfolded around him.

After gathering information from Logia, Lennok had returned to Vulcan to focus on rest. Right after a health check-up with Murphy, he was summoned by the Eyes of the Blue and later participated in the interim settlement of the Pandemonium. It was an exhausting stretch.

While he had achieved considerable results, it naturally consumed a lot of his time and mental energy. When awake, he focused on nutritional supplements and magical research, dedicating all other time to sleep. Since taking the Tears of the Archangel, his condition had improved, and he’d reduced his dependence on sleep aids, but he still struggled to sleep without them.

For the first time in nearly three years, Lennok attempted to sleep without any sleep aids, only to spend a sleepless night. He staggered to the kitchen as morning dawned. Davi, who had been tailing him, hopped onto his shoulder and began nagging him.

[Didn’t I warn you not to underestimate things?]

“…Underestimate what?”

[How terribly fragile your body is!!]

“……”

[Even after taking an elixir, you heard those remarks from the vampire doctor. Haven’t you done enough experimenting yet?]

“I was just testing how long I could last without relying on medication.”

Lennok murmured in a small voice.

“I haven’t had a chance to test my body directly since taking the Tears of the Archangel.”

[Master behaves foolishly about his own health sometimes.]

Davi remarked while nibbling on the battery Lennok tossed.

[If you were a wise spirit master like me, you’d know when to say, ‘No means no,’ and act decisively!]

“Quit spouting off.”

He downed bottles of nutrient supplements piled up on the shelf, gulping water after each. Ridiculously, he found himself unable to swallow the larger pills all at once. He had to chew through them, finally reaching a liver supplement.

Taking too many supplements can ironically harm the liver, so additional supplements are taken to support liver health.

“Why did you suddenly go silent?” Lennok asked, feeling a bit startled.

Davi just looked at Lennok quietly before shaking its head. Gripping the plush tail of the cyber-spirit, Lennok stood up, yawning, then grabbed a salad box and left the kitchen.

The new home was a stark contrast to his previous mansion—an expansive, two-story private residence with a basement. While far from the opulent mansions of the wealthy elite, it was the first time Lennok had a spacious place suited to his need for ample personal space.

“Come to think of it, I still haven’t unpacked everything….”

“Can’t you just organize it with a shared magic spell?”

“No, I still haven’t decided where to place the furniture and research equipment. Moving it is the easy part.”

“Should I hack into a few major interior design firms and download some furniture layout plans?”

“That’s quite the lazy idea,” Lennok chuckled but then quickly set his face. “Let’s get on that immediately.”

With Davi perched on his head, sifting through the network, Lennok headed straight to the basement of the house. As he stepped down the stairs, the lights turned on, responding to his presence.

Whirrrrr…!

The basement revealed a sweeping view of the lab, partitioned by dozens of glass walls. The walls, with adjustable transparency, divided the space, allowing materials like books and research papers to be organized separately while the rest served as a workspace.

In the spacious central area lay a towering pile of research equipment still in their packaging. These were various pieces he had ordered from the company that manufactured Carlisle Laboratory’s equipment, all delivered after he left upon receiving Lapis’s call. Nearly a month later, he had finally received and set them up in the new home.

Each piece of equipment was worth a small fortune, with many priced well into the millions. While Lennok wasn’t one to indulge in luxuries, he never considered the costs he poured into his magical research a waste.

He unpacked the equipment, arranged them around the lab’s workstations, and connected them to the power source.

Whirrrrr…!

The devices emitted a bluish magical glow as they began warming up, their leisurely startup hum filling the room. These high-powered devices required a significant warm-up time before use due to their size.

Lennok placed his hand on a large, record-like magnifying device among the equipment and started channeling his magic.

Whirrr!!

A single magic particle, assembled in Lennok’s hand, was magnified over a thousand times and visualized on the record-like device. Various metrics quickly began translating into numbers on the screen above the lens.

“Synchronization rate 87.5453%. Mana response 1.9931. Recovery rate 8994.41%. Pattern analysis of manipulation speed, limit synchronization adjustment, spell particle mutation prediction…”

Lennok read through the displayed metrics, frowning.

“The units are all over the place. Not sure if this is even going to be effective.”

[Most of the equipment used at the Carlisle Institute was designed for tuning massive magic engineering facilities, so it makes sense.]

Since he had ordered the same equipment from the institute, some unusual metrics and units were to be expected. These devices weren’t originally intended for human use but rather for observing mana flows in objects like large particle accelerators. However, Lennok hadn’t chosen this equipment for his lab without reason.

“It’s getting increasingly hard for the old workstations and tools to handle the effects generated during the research process,” he muttered, assembling the magic particles with slow, deliberate movements.

The particles twisted, forming a shape resembling a small cube inside the magnifier.

“Investing in solid equipment, even if it’s a bit over the top, is the right choice for the adjustments I need.”

High-ranking superhumans, especially mages and others who manipulate pure magic, wield powers comparable to large-scale weapons. It wasn’t strange that Lennok, adjusting his mana flow, would rely on equipment meant for high-capacity labs. Even Olivera Ron Maize, an 8th-level eye-magic user and head of the Cartel, had filled his personal lab with customized, grand-scale equipment.

Likewise, as one advances to unprecedented realms of magic, it becomes increasingly challenging to recalibrate the altered patterns of mana and spells. The assistance of precise, high-output equipment becomes essential. Although Lennok constantly challenged himself with his extraordinary talent and intuition, it was only logical to use specialized equipment for efficiency. While traveling outside the city left no choice, back in his lab, he didn’t need to be frugal with time or resources.

Beep beep beep!!

As the measurement of the magic particle concluded, countless results flooded the magnifier’s display.

[Mana density pattern: 472 variations detected. Pattern indeterminate.]  

[Magic manipulation speed: neural transmission abnormality detected. Circuit overload suspected. Measurement indeterminate.]  

[Mana responsiveness: discrepancies detected between observed results and timeline. Measurement indeterminate.]

Most metrics, despite attempts to quantify them, ultimately ended up as outliers. By now, it was no longer surprising.

[Highest-grade mana flow detected. Pattern Lambda.]  

[Assuming city-scale particle accelerator adjustments and initiating analysis.]  

[Customizing values based on the target’s area and volume measurements…]

Watching the loading screen with gears turning, Lennok finally withdrew his hand from the device.

"I was planning to monitor and adjust the mutation process of life response and mana patterns, but it’s going to take some time."

Since confronting the Outer sea, he needed to recalibrate his mana pattern and presence, which had shifted strangely. His initial plan was to fine-tune mana responsiveness and then start the adjustment, but it seemed the measurement process would take longer than expected.

[There isn’t much time left until the expo, is there?]

“It’s fine as long as I attend on the last day of the three-day event.”

Glancing at the calendar pinned to the wall, Lennok activated a series of other devices. “The second paper is almost complete, but there’s some research I want to initiate first. I need to handle that now.”

With Davi’s help, Lennok stabilized the device outputs, optimizing the settings to suit his needs.

Click, whirr!!!  

Bzzzt!!

Strange vibrations, metallic friction, and mechanical sounds echoed throughout the lab. The surrounding equipment rotated around Lennok, analyzing and adjusting every mana-related metric in real-time.

Surrounded by a torrent of holographic data and various quantified metrics, he summoned his mana with an intensity unlike before, filling his inner vision. Holding the image of an inflated, almost explosive shape, he took a sharp blade from the workstation and made a small cut on his palm, letting the blood fall.

Kiiiiing!!!

As Lennok’s mana mingled with his blood upon touching the lab floor, golden light intertwined with crimson lifeblood, rising dramatically. The two radiant streams twisted into a double helix, transforming before Lennok’s eyes into a snake biting its own tail.

This was the Ouroboros magic system, a symbol of perpetual yearning for completeness, first acquired in his battle against the 8th-level warlock, Madritch Onion. It was an eternal engine, dismantling and assimilating all imagery and ultimate techniques to make them his own.

At the instant Lennok activated the Ouroboros magic system, the space-time within the lab began to distort and warp. The double-helix force attempted to absorb and restore all the mana and matter around it, disrupting the lab’s entire atmosphere.

Red warning lights flashed across the lab, and holographic displays turned crimson.

[Warning: System output error. Analysis and quantification failed.]  

[Mana synchronization flow collapse. Unable to identify the magic system of this entity.]  

[Non-standard hazardous variable detected.]  

[Special-grade spell disaster in progress. Immediate evacuation recommended-]

Whoosh!!

The moment Davi flicked its tail upon hearing the endless announcement chimes, the noise vanished instantly. Clearing away the warning lights and holograms with the powers of a cyber-spirit, he left only the equipment capable of interpretation and analysis to sequentially observe the magic system.

After swiftly removing all the distractions in sight, Davi asked,  

[Wait, is this 'adjustment' referring to this weird snake?]

Lennok responded, "Strictly speaking, it’s the ideal magical system I've envisioned, constructed by borrowing the concept of a domain."

"The magnetic field projects one’s mental image, whereas a domain manifests an ideal world one desires. Although its scope may be limited by the field, it allows one to adjust the direction as desired."

Olivera Ron Maze’s lab, the ghost ship of Madritch Onion, and the immovable barrier of the battleship Drephus—all are products crafted with the power of a domain.

They are distinct from the projection of an inherent mental image, though they share a similar essence.

[Hmm… So this is part of the ideal concept the Master wishes for.]

"Do you want to give it a try, Davi?" Lennok asked, lifting Davi off his shoulder.

"While it might be difficult with just your power, if you borrow my help, you could visualize the kind of strength or concept you consider ideal."

[The manifestation of an ideal concept—sounds good.]

Davi elegantly leapt off Lennok’s fingertips, then stood before a slowly rising double-helix ring.

[All I have to do is walk into this, right?]

"Exactly. I’ll handle the image projection from my end, so once inside the ring, a screen should soon appear..."

As Lennok spoke, he fell silent at the scene displayed inside the ring.

What was shown as Davi stepped inside was a landscape that defied comparison to any scene Lennok had envisioned.

The bustling main street of a metropolis resembling Vulcan—yet the buildings surrounding this street were absurdly shaped like enormous foxes.

"..."

Statues of foxes decorated every corner of the street, fox paintings and posters hung on walls, fox-shaped cars roamed the roads, and even trains had fox heads.

In the middle of the road, a peculiar procession of devotees ceaselessly praised the fox spirit.

At the center of the seemingly thousands-strong parade, a massive throne slowly moved forward. A colossal fox with blue fur and nine tails sat atop the throne, chuckling softly.

"Hohohoho."

Beside the throne was a mountain of snacks resembling batteries, and the fox swayed its nine tails with a curious giggle. People, looking delighted, continuously praised and admired the fox, who contentedly patted its plump belly.

In the fox spirit's proud and exalted figure, adored and revered by the entire city, there was a figure being fondly toyed with between its forepaws, almost like a cherished doll in a coat.

Unlike most others with obscured faces, the face of this figure was distinct and oddly familiar.

At the moment Lennok lowered his head to get a better look at this figure in the coat,  

"Wababababababat!!!"

Davi jumped out of the ring, flailing its front and back paws, erasing the scene entirely. Not stopping there, it devoured the lingering magical energy, consuming the image whole.

"Nom nom nom nom."

While Lennok was left speechless, Davi cleared its throat, having perfectly erased the image that had just unfolded.

"Ahem, ahem."

"..."

Lennok narrowed his eyes, looking down at Davi and quietly asked,  

"That figure in the coat just now—looked really familiar. Was I imagining it?"

[Ahem, I have no idea what you're talking about.]

Davi casually climbed onto Lennok's shoulder, rubbing against him and turning his gaze away.  

[It seems like some strange hallucination appeared due to an error. Looks like we need to recalibrate the Ouroboros magic system quickly.]

"……."  

[Let’s get started right away. I’ll do my best to support you.]

How often had he entertained such thoughts that an image this absurd popped up instantly? Although his intentions were as clear as day, Lennok decided to postpone scolding Davi for his ridiculous dreams for the time being.

Once the Ouroboros magic system is deployed, severe magic power consumption is inevitable. The research equipment handling the output of magic also gradually wears down their lifespan, so taking care of the immediate task takes priority.

"……The Ouroboros magic system is the most intricate and sophisticated formula among the creation-type magic systems I’ve devised," Lennok said, watching it with his arms crossed.

"Like the kaleidoscope domain, I aimed to capture the potential of incompleteness rather than settle on a single form. And while I’ve achieved some results..."

He murmured while watching the massive, rotating double-helix ring in front of him.

"But it’s still not enough."

The battle with Amrita, the showdown at the Pandemonium, the chase with Evelyn. Given the many events, the knowledge and results gained were considerable.

Before the expo begins, Lennok intended to imbue his mental construct with an entirely new approach, different from the conventional methods.