Silas turned back to the magic circle and observed the incomplete patterns carved into the ground below. "You need to kill him, Aaron. We're too close to our goal to allow complications."
Aaron's posture straightened. "How much time do I have?" he asked.
"Three weeks are needed for the Mana Siphoning circle to be completed. Perhaps less if the final materials arrive on schedule."
Silas gestured at the ores and bones surrounding the circle. "These came from the portals and can't be found around these parts. They're essential to the circle's function."
He walked along the circle's edge. "Once completed, this circle will drain all mana within a 200 kilometer radius. Everything. The air, the ground, the monsters, and even System-bound survivors caught in the effect will be drained of their mana. All of it will flow here, and that will then be fueled into those standing in the center."
He paused.
