Leylin quickly passed through the deep stone corridors of the ruins, arriving at the exact location where he had initially discovered the hidden chamber of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect.
Rumble!
After he pressed a concealed power switch, a section of the solid wall groaned aloud, slowly sliding open to reveal a hidden, dusty room.
The chamber was extremely small, dominated in the center by a dark, pitch-black spell formation that was securely surrounded by four ancient stone pillars.
With a light flick of his wrist, Leylin released a small black snake from his sleeve.
Sssii!
The serpent slithered across the floor, circling the boundary of the spell formation before suddenly rearing its head and hissing sharply.
Dark, volatile black flames erupted across the surface of its scales. The fire grew increasingly intense, gradually expanding and warping the air until it manifested a distinct doorway framed by abstruse, shifting spatial runes.
"A.I. Chip! Scan the teleportation spell formation!" Leylin commanded, pressing the enchanted ring on his finger. A low blue light, entirely invisible to anyone but him, swept across the complex lines of the matrix.
[Beep! Scanning complete. Structural intactness of the teleportation spell formation: 99.8%. Warning: Critical lack of elemental energy present for activation.] the A.I. Chip quickly responded.
When Leylin had previously sent Lancey and her vanguard unit through this very same teleportation formation, it had been after he completely repaired its core pathways. However, to ensure absolute security, he had locked the array upon their departure, intentionally erasing a small but vital key component from its sequence to prevent any unpredictable entities from utilizing it.
"Let's begin the final restoration of the formation," Leylin ordered smoothly.
[Beep! Scanning incomplete data nodes. Commencing advanced simulation of the restoration process…]
As the A.I. Chip's mechanical voice resonated in his mind, Leylin's eyes flashed with a deep, crystalline blue light.
His perception expanded, making him feel as though his consciousness had fully integrated into the geometric lattice of the spell formation.
Moving with precision of a master surgeon wielding a scalpel, his fingers traced the air, seamlessly mending the severed pathways of the teleportation matrix.
The ancient runes carved into the floor were incredibly dense and complicated, with many lines being more than ten times tinier than a single strand of human hair.
Yet, with the continuous, real-time computational assistance of the A.I. Chip, his every movement was filled with an effortless grace and fluid mastery. With his current Rank 3 foundations, handling such intricate repairs was an easy task.
Weng!
The blue light faded from his eyes, and Leylin's vision returned to normal. The residual sensation of perfect spatial manipulation lingered pleasantly in his mind; with only a single glance at the array's blueprints, he had executed the restoration signs flawlessly.
Leylin approached the edge of the granite platform.
"Naz's Hand, third formation!" Leylin intoned, his fingers weaving a rapid, cryptic pattern.
Brilliant silver threads of pure mana shot from his fingertips, entwining themselves seamlessly along the surface of the stone matrix. Within seconds, the black teleportation spell formation was completely restored to its pristine, original state, appearing as clean and unblemished as if it had been carved today.
Leylin looked over the surface of the renewed formation, his eyes flashing with anticipation.
The spatial leather pouch resting at his waist automatically opened, and a dense, pitch-black crystal drifted into the air, dropping perfectly into the central energy groove of the array.
Deep within this unique crystal lay a domain of pure darkness, interspersed with transparent, distorted flames that flickered with immense thermal energy.
This was the purified essence of high-grade magic crystals that Leylin had personally refined. The total cost to forge this single catalyst had consumed over a thousand high-value magic crystal cards, a staggering sum translating to more than ten million standard magic crystals.
Although an ancient teleportation array of this caliber possessed the power to fling a Magus across immense continental distances, the raw energy required to jumpstart the sequence was monstrous. Fortunately, with Leylin's current wealth and territory, gathering such resources was a simple matter.
Rumble!
The moment the purified essence settled into the groove, the entire secret room began to vibrate violently. Mysterious, long-forgotten magic runes illuminated one after another, casting bright, colorful rays into every dim corner of the chamber.
Ka-cha! Ka-cha! Ka-cha! Ka-cha!
Thick threads of blinding energy were violently extracted from the crystal essence, pouring directly into the ancient conduits of the spell formation. Starting from the bases of the four flanking stone pillars, brilliant rings of light emerged, racing up the vertical structures until the tops suddenly exploded outward, revealing hollow conduits.
Piercing light erupted from the centers of the pillars, condensing into four distinct, differently colored bundles of elemental light that hovered silently in mid-air: an earthen brown sphere, a fierce fiery red orb, a heavenly green vortex, and a deep azure ball of liquid light.
In several ancient schools of magical thought, it was widely believed that earth, fire, wind, and water formed the very primordial foundations of existence itself.
"Activate!" Leylin exclaimed loudly, his voice filling the small room with a cryptic, ancient authority.
He spoke in the precise Turian language originally utilized by the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect, a language he had mastered after logging its phonetics into the A.I. Chip.
Weng Weng!
The four elemental energy balls fluctuated violently, shooting out localized rays of power that converged directly above the heart of the teleportation matrix.
Ka-cha!
It was as if the very fabric of space had been cleanly split in two by an invisible blade. Accompanied by a sound like descending thunder, a massive spatial distortion materialized before Leylin, opening up into a dark, depthless spatial hole.
"Finally!" Leylin murmured.
Rumble!
A dense, protective layer of pitch-black Kemoyin Scales instantly erupted across Leylin's skin. With a powerful leap, he threw himself forward, and the silverish spatial passageway swallowed his form whole.
Tss tss!
The moment his body cleared the threshold, the ravenous spell formation sucked the remaining crystal energy completely dry.
The brilliant rays of light dimmed into ash, and the depthless spatial hole snapped shut, leaving the secret room in absolute silence.
The moment Leylin stepped into the spatial tunnel, a crushing kinetic pressure slammed into his body from all directions.
The immense spatial distortion exerted a force equivalent to several hundred tons of pure weight, trying to pancake his physical frame.
However, given his current superhuman constitution, this level of environmental pressure posed absolutely no threat to his safety.
This ancient spatial corridor was engineered to bridge the vast oceans separating two completely different continents. The ambient gravitational friction within the tunnel was a hazard that not even standard Rank 2 Magi could hope to withstand without their defensive barriers shattering instantly.
While ancient civilizations utilized specialized artifacts to bypass this friction, Leylin's stats allowed him to navigate the void without worrying himself too much.
'A.I. Chip, estimate our current route based on the architectural construct of this passage, and scan the surrounding coordinates for any anomalies,' Leylin commanded internally.
[Beep! Spatial calibration initiated. Recording real-time spatial force variables...] the A.I. Chip's prompt cascaded across his vision.
[New Entry Recorded! System Log: Spatial Transit.]
[Current Velocity: Relativistic Spatial Folding. Core Stabilization: Active (Kemoyin Bloodline Shielding). Spatial Friction: 421.3 Tons/Sqm (Within Safe Parameters). Route Mechanism: Fixed Turian Coordinates. Destination Target: Twilight Zone. ]
[Time Remaining Until End Point: 30 Seconds... 29... 28...]
The countdown ticked away rapidly within his mind. Just as the A.I. Chip reached the final second of the transit, the swirling silver rays of light began to dissipate, revealing the physical exit, a pitch-black subterranean cave.
Leylin could see a faint, translucent water membrane shimmering just ahead; passing through it would deliver him directly into the human regions of the Twilight Zone.
[Warning! Warning!] the A.I. Chip's voice suddenly flared with a red alert prompt. [Deep-layer sensory arrays have detected a secondary, highly volatile Spatial Rift intersecting the primary corridor. This rift originates from an alternate cosmic fold and appears to lead to an entirely unknown world.]
[Data Analysis: The spatial pressure surrounding this secondary rift is two hundred percent stronger than the Twilight Zone exit. A unique, highly concentrated energy completely unknown to the database is currently radiating from the fissure.]
'A.I. Chip, halt my forward momentum slightly,' Leylin ordered, his eyes narrowing as he hovered at the edge of the void. 'Run an immediate high-tier scan on that rift. Cross-reference it against our custom search parameters. I want a level 3D.E1OS energy scan, a precise calculation of the spatial folds around the secondary cave mouth, and a determination of the exact xenon radiation signatures leaking through.'
[Beep! Commencing advanced diagnostic scans. Processing...]
The A.I. Chip executed the commands in a fraction of a second, projecting a highly complex, detailed read-out:
[Advanced Regional Scan: Unknown Rift...Spatial Fold Density: Gamma-class curvature (10^12 compression ratio). Level 3D.E1OS Energy Spectrum: Non-standard elemental variables detected. High concentration of volatile active particles. Potency index: High.]
[Xenon Radiation Baseline: 412.98 mSv/h (Indicates a world with a highly active, ancient planetary core and rich primal mana reserves). Spatial Stability Index: Fluctuating. Fissure is naturally occurring but highly dangerous for low-tier entities.]
[Conclusion: The destination world possesses an environmental energy density that reaches Level 3.E!]
Leylin now stood at a literal crossroads of destiny. On one hand lay the familiar, calculated path to the Twilight Zone; on the other lay a wild rift leading into an entirely uncharted world.
He fell into deep thought for a brief moment. He raised his hand, utilizing his soulbound devourer to trigger his summon skill.
A dark light flashed, and the tall, slender form of his Rank 2 Cabourn summon materialized into the tunnel. The moment the undead spirit stepped into the passage, the crushing spatial pressure of several hundred tons slammed into its frame, causing its silver spectral form to violently fracture and falter.
Leylin immediately expanded his own Rank 3 aura, shielding the spirit and helping the summon regain its footing.
'A.I. Chip, execute a soul divination sequence. Use the Sacred Flames meditation technique, and utilize Cabourn's Rank 2 soul structure as the primary proxy catalyst,' Leylin commanded coldly.
Leylin was deeply aware of the horrific limitations and psychotic side effects associated with practicing the Sacred Flames technique directly on one's own sea of consciousness.
To circumvent this danger, he elegantly substituted his own soul for that of a bound slave, forcing the undead summon to bear the catastrophic karmic cost of the divination while he safely reaped the benefits.
BOOM!
Blinding, golden flames of destiny erupted directly from the ether, completely enveloping Cabourn's astral form.
The undead Rank 2 Magus let out an agonizing shriek within Leylin's mind as the golden fire ruthlessly devoured its spiritual essence.
Through the deep, binding connection shared between master and servant, a vivid divination began to project directly into the A.I. Chip's processing banks.
Suddenly, the mental link began to violently snap. The unshakeable, terrifying flames of fate and destiny burned the very existence of the Cabourn summon into absolute nothingness, erasing its signature from reality.
Even with Leylin's current vast pool of knowledge, he could not fully comprehend the primordial power he had just witnessed; he could only leave the mechanics to the infinite river of destiny.
However, the sacrifice of a powerful Rank 2 summon yielded a brilliant omen in his mind: Great fortune awaited him if he stepped into the new world.
"Lancey can conquer the Twilight Zone all by herself," Leylin murmured, a cold smile appearing on his face as he reached his decision. "The native Rank 3 Guardian of that subterranean world is already on his last legs, riddled with injuries. As long as she simply avoids any direct, premature interaction with him, she can systematically conquer the entire human region using her current strength. A chance to explore an entirely new world, however... is far too exciting for me to pass up."
Turning his back on the Twilight Zone exit, Leylin pivoted his body and threw himself directly into the turbulent, high-pressure maw of the unknown spatial rift.
Bo!
It felt exactly as though he were forcefully penetrating a thick, shapeless water membrane. A second later, Leylin arrived on solid earth, and the suffocating physical pressure of the spatial tunnel vanished instantly from his body.
"Oh? It seems I have dropped directly into a hornet's nest!" Leylin muttered lightheartedly.
For a fleeting second, the world in front of his eyes was an absolute, blinding blur as his optical nerves violently adapted to the sudden shift in atmospheric light and foreign elemental particles.
The moment his vision stabilized, he found himself standing in the center of a dense forest filled with towering, ancient trees.
Directly surrounding his position were dozens of massive, predatory beasts.
They resembled monstrous, blue-colored tigers, their heavy paws tipped with razor-sharp claws crafted from organic steel, their jaws pulled back to expose massive, protruding canine teeth.
Strangely, each beast possessed three distinct eyes, two burning with a predatory red light, and a central vertical eye that glowed with a cold, solid white luminescence.
The pack had been startled awake by the sudden, explosive spatial displacement of Leylin's arrival.
Growling aggressively, they moved in a synchronized pack formation, completely locking down his escape routes.
Right at that moment, a deafening, low snarl echoed through the treeline, causing the smaller predators to instinctively lower their heads.
Stepping out from the brush was a gargantuan beast of the exact same species, but its physical proportions were easily twice the size of its pack mates.
Sprouting majestically from its muscular shoulders was a pair of large, feathery midnight-blue wings.
It stepped onto a fallen log, its three glowing eyes locking firmly onto Leylin's face, radiating a primitive, intelligent hunger.