When Magnus stepped out of the testing chamber, his eyes quickly found Eveline near the two magical containment tubes. Inside them were the true bodies of the two vampires he'd first trapped.
The dark, mist-like forms were being prodded with long needles—some as short as a finger, others as long as an arm. The needles phased through the barriers that held the vampires, moving almost like they were attached to invisible strings, perfectly in sync with Eveline's fingers. Every time one of the sharp tips touched the incorporeal bodies, there was a sudden, sharp reaction, as if the creatures were recoiling from an unseen shock. Eveline's grin grew wider with each twitch, and she carefully adjusted the needles with a sense of satisfaction.
"Well, you look like you're having... fun?" Magnus asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. Eveline turned her head to glance at him.
Her eyes sparked with curiosity as she chuckled.
"Oh, very much so. I might not have shown it earlier, but it's been a while since I've had something this intriguing to study. Glitches and the source code behind them are fascinating, but their fundamental nature lies deeper than magic. It makes research limited to just observing the effects instead of diving into the code itself."
"That makes sense, I suppose. So, have you learned anything useful? Anything that might keep me from dying when I step into a den of blood-thirsty undead?" Magnus joked, but Eveline's response being a nod, wasn't what he expected.
"Actually, I have. You and I once wondered why creatures capable of breaking down and absorbing energy and matter, even converting one into the other, don't just consume everything around them. It would be the most effective way to gain power, and logic dictates they should be capable of doing just that. However, after pinpointing the locations of their brains—well, the term is used loosely in this case—I've gained a better understanding of their abilities. The truth is, while they can convert matter to energy and vice versa, they need to have a proper understanding of the structure they're trying to convert and manipulate." Eveline paused, and as her fingers stopped, so did the needles.
Magnus tilted his head slightly, lifting his hand to his chin.
"What do you mean by a proper understanding?"
Eveline's gaze shifted upward as she thought, staring absently for a moment as she tried to think of a way to explain. Then her eyes returned to the containment tubes.
"It's like trying to strip a building for resources," Eveline explained.
"You can take the outer sections down easily, without much care. But if you want to tear out the supports, break down the walls, floors, and ceilings, you need the blueprints. Without them, the whole structure will collapse, and you'll end up with nothing but rubble and broken materials. And being inside a collapsing building? Well, that could kill you. The same principle applies to these creatures. They have an instinctual understanding of how to break down, absorb, and interfere with much of the human body, its fluids, and some other forms of life." She narrowed her eyes, studying the two vampires trapped within the barriers, her fingers moving once more, making the needles shift in sync.
"I tested this myself," Eveline continued.
"I introduced a simple rock into their containment tube, one I had studied on a microscale. Then, I used a memory imprint spell to insert my memory of the rock's internal structure into their minds. After that, they were able to break down the rock into energy, almost instinctively. No practice needed, no study. This shows that vampires are born with the ability to break down anything they can understand. The only thing limiting them is their inability to study the material world around them—specifically, their sensory limitations."
Listening to her explain, Magnus's mind drifted back to the vampires who had surrounded him in the park in the Upper City.
Those vampires had thrown all sorts of attacks at me, but none of them did anything. I thought it was because my body was tough enough to shrug them off, but now it makes sense. If Eveline's right, and vampires can break down the human body into energy instinctively, my heavily modified body would be completely foreign to them. It's like asking someone who can solve a three-by-three Rubik's Cube to solve a higher-order one. They're similar, but at the core, they're different.
That also meant that his altered body was practically immune to any of their vampiric abilities that targeted his physical form. If he had to guess, the only real threats were abilities aimed at the parts of him he hadn't altered—things like his blood, brain, and nervous system, the stuff too delicate to tamper with casually.
"Well, this has been surprisingly enlightening, thanks, Eveline," Magnus said as he processed everything she'd just explained.
"Of course," she replied.
"I assume you're heading to the vampires' meeting spot soon?"
Magnus nodded.
"Yeah. I've got the mental prep to do and then just wait for nightfall. Not much else I can do."
"Hmm. In that case, here." With a simple wave of her hand, light poured from her fingers, forming a three-dimensional projection of a building in the air next to her. Magnus recognized the spell—it was the same one she'd used to help him find Celia. With a point of her finger at him, the projection shrank, flying toward his right forearm, and melted into his skin, vanishing completely.
"That should do it," Eveline said with a smile.
"Just like before, it'll show your location and the location of your targets... den. Their meetings start at midnight, and it's halfway across Arlcliff City in the Lower City, so I'd leave early if I were you." Her tone was light, almost as if she was watching an entertaining show unfold.
Magnus glanced at his forearm, testing the spell, before giving her a nod.
"Got it."
Having gathered all the information he needed from his in-depth look into the K-Variant Rokshaata's effects on the Knockout Brick, Magnus was ready to leave the Puppet Space and wait for the right moment to make his move.
He started his way toward the moving platform elevator, which blended seamlessly into the floor and would rise to take him up to the first floor.
But halfway there, he heard Eveline call out, "Oh, Magnus, I almost forgot. Could you do me a favor?"
He turned around, a little hesitant, and asked, "What is it?"
"The research on the anatomy of these vampires has been quite productive," she said, her voice smooth.
"With all the additional subjects you've provided me, I'll be able to continue for quite some time. But, as useful as these Nightborn are, they're the lowest class of vampires. Their quality varies, but if I want to make any real breakthroughs, I'll need a higher-ranking subject. Do you understand what I'm asking?"
Magnus paused, then sighed.
"So, you want me to bring you a Hierarch?"
Eveline's eyes lit up, her grin widening.
"Yes! It would be invaluable for my research. And if I ever compile my notes into a book, you'll certainly be in the credits. Oh, but only if you can manage it without putting yourself at too much risk, of course." The last part seemed like an afterthought, but Magnus didn't comment on it.
He gave her a half-hearted nod.
"I mean, it's not like I can do anything but capture them in the first place. I'll see what I can do, but no promises."
"Of course, of course. Just a request. You're merely doing me a favor," she said, brushing it off, though the excitement still sparkled in her eyes.
"Sure," Magnus responded, stepping onto the rising platform. As it disconnected from the floor and began to lift him, he glanced back at Eveline. She was already returning to her work, the mana artifice needles shifting in coordination with her hands with a focused intensity.
The anticipation in her gaze, with each subtle movement, sent a shiver down Magnus's spine. He couldn't help but shake his head. He was beginning to understand Eveline better, more and more every day, but he really hoped he never became like her, or any more like her than he already was.
=====================================•=====================================
Year 348 of the Great Sundering Era, 2nd Month, 4th Day of the Mistveil Cycle.
The dark hood projected by Magnus's mask of Cain fluttered lightly around him as he leaped from one rooftop to the next. Each jump was near silent, his movements smooth and precise, as if he were perfectly clearing the distance between rooftops with each step.
It was midnight. The stars had emerged from their hiding place, the sun long gone, creating a shimmering tapestry across the pitch-black sky. The moons, with their abnormal orbits, began to rise higher, spinning slowly as they moved around one another.
Magnus wasn't flying tonight—he was trying to stay hidden. He had already suspected he was being watched, and Mulvin's confirmation only confirmed that suspicion. It was almost certain that either Nightshade or the Jackals specifically were keeping an eye on him, especially after the ambush he'd experienced earlier. If that was the case, they would know that Cain and Magnus were one and the same. No matter which persona he left the academy in, they would follow. That's why he had asked Eveline for help—she'd teleported him just outside the academy walls, careful to avoid breaking the contract limitations she had on using her magic.
She would also be covering for him since he was once again breaking curfew.
After leaving the academy, Magnus had taken the long route through the city, slipping into his Cain disguise along the way. Now, he was on his way to his destination.
If I managed to slip them like I hope I did, they'll still think I'm still at Takerth Academy. That means the vampires at the meeting won't know I'm coming.
Even without flying, he was moving faster than most would think possible, crossing entire city blocks in just a couple of bounds. As he leapt, Magnus kept an eye on his right arm, watching the projection Eveline had given him. It displayed a top-down view of Arlcliff City, showing his current position and the building where the vampires would be gathering.
The streets below were mostly empty, cast in the shadows of the night and shrouded by a slight haze in the air. The only light came from the occasional lamp's candle flickering in glass—Arlcliff City couldn't afford to light every street with luminous crystals set on runic timers.
When Magnus finally arrived, he landed on the roof of some kind of shop, quickly moving into the shadows cast by a dormer. His eyes sharpened as he focused on the building directly across the street.
The building in front of Magnus resembled a church or temple that had been remodeled, standing as the lone structure between a Y-junction road that split off in two directions. Taller than the other buildings around it, it had multiple sharp spires and angular rooftops, giving it the appearance of a miniature Gothic fortress. The dark gray stone of its walls was weathered in places, but still solid, showing no signs of collapse. Stained glass windows lined the walls, with rows of them positioned above the arched doorway. Through those windows, Magnus caught the briefest glimpses of warm light—likely from candles flickering inside.
Well, this isn't eerie at all...
The Batis Kingdom didn't have a dominant religion. While the Church of the Fourfold Light was the most widespread faith in the world, it hadn't originated in Batis. It came from the Valots Empire, one of the few remaining human nations, which was also a theocracy ruled by the Church rather than by a monarchy or nobility. That being said, the Batis Kingdom allowed freedom of religious expression, which meant an old church or temple, no matter how obscure, wouldn't raise any eyebrows. There were plenty of smaller, lesser-known faiths in the kingdom.
People and city patrols likely walked past this place every day, unaware it served as a meeting ground for bloodsucking monsters. But tonight, the scene seemed more active than usual.
Magnus's gaze shifted to the front of the gothic building, where a growing crowd had gathered. Some had arrived in carriages, stepping out either alone or with companions, dressed in noble finery, though not overly extravagant. Dark reds, blacks, and other muted colors dominated their attire, fitting the atmosphere of a religious gathering, or perhaps a cult meeting. Regardless, the people, whether arriving by carriage or walking, greeted one another with smiles, brief chats, and laughter, as though they were all old friends.
Magnus counted over sixty of them so far.
Who knows how many more are already inside? I handled those thirty vampires who ambushed me before, but if there are over a hundred in there in such a cramped space, things might get tricky, especially if a Hierarch is among them. Not to mention, I have to worry about the ones that try to escape.
With that thought in mind, Magnus began scanning his surroundings, starting with the roof he stood on and the buildings around the gothic church. Most of the nearby structures didn't look like houses; mostly shops and other commercial buildings. None showed signs of life, no candles or lights visible through their windows.
Well, this seems like the perfect time to take advantage of having some prep time.
Raising his pointer finger, Magnus lowered it to the slanted surface of the roof. He focused, visualizing the mana formation belonging to the Adept-level from his [Library of Babel]. In response, a flickering black-and-white light appeared at the tip of his finger, resembling a flame made of mana, unflickering by the breeze and only shifting when he moved his finger. As the mana touched the roof and Magnus moved his hand, it didn't leave a burn mark but instead left behind a trail of mana, just as wide as the finger he was using. The trail slowly began to fade as he traced, disappearing without leaving a trace behind.
As vampires continued to arrive and head into the building, Magnus moved slowly around the perimeter of the area. His finger followed, whether across rooftops, down the sides of walls, along streets, or into the gutters. It took nearly half an hour, even with his speed, because he had to be thorough and careful not to be spotted. When he finished, the trail his finger was leaving looped back around to the same roof where it all began.
When he was done, Magnus stood up, glancing at the faint, fading line he had just created. Magnus mentally ran through the combination of magical functions he had just laid down, thinking to himself.
[Mana Projection: Tracing] + [Concealment: Optical] + [Anchor: Self] + [Recursive Trigger: Proximity + Kinetic Threshold + Mass Threshold] + [Piercing Protrusion] + [Homing] + [Retraction: Piercing Protrusion]?
He wasn't entirely sure, but he figured a test was in order.
His eyes scanned his surroundings. Spotting a loose part of the roof behind him, which he reached for it. It came away with hardly any resistance. Using a brief hint of [Self Body Puppetry], Magnus hurled the piece ahead of him at high speed. Not even a second passed before the trails he'd traced across the roof and surrounding area sprang to life, becoming visible again. The glowing black-and-white lines twisted and reshaped, as a sharp, spear-like mana protrusion shot out from their surface, piercing through the piece of roof Magnus had thrown.
And it didn't stop there. Other sections of the line of mana shifted as well, and dozens of mana protrusions rose up, stabbing through the roof piece, breaking it into smaller and smaller fragments. The piercing prostrusions retracted after piercing their target, before shooting out again.
Magnus watched as the roof piece fell, completely losing its momentum, now just a cloud of broken shards.
Looks like it works perfectly.
It was a trap—a complicated one. Wherever his finger had traced, it left behind a dormant line of magic. Invisible to the naked eye, the line would remain inactive until it detected something moving within a set range. If the object exceeded a speed threshold and weighed more than a specific degree, the magic would activate, piercing its target with rapid precision, repeatedly, until the target was no longer able to trigger the magic.
Given that vampires were energy beings without internal organs or blood, they were much lighter than a human, which allowed the spell to differentiate between them and other targets, like normal people.
This won't be enough to fully stop a vampire, not with their immortal bodies.But from what I've seen, it still takes time for them to regenerate. And even blowing or ripping their heads off immobilizes them for a while. If they're repeatedly damaged and 'killed' faster than they can heal, they can be locked down.
The spell, after all, was meant to prevent them from escaping. Its detection range was limited in terms of the X and Z axes, but its Y axis stretched straight up into the sky. Even jumping or flying over it wouldn't be an option unless you went extremely high up. A spell this complex, spread over such a large area, would drain an Adept-level mage completely. But for Magnus, with his endless mana, he could sustain as many spells like this as he wanted, since their initial casting cost never exceeded his limit.
Alright, that's the prep work done. Now, for the main event.
Magnus shifted his attention to the Gothic church. There were no more vampires or carriages outside, and it looked like everyone who needed to arrive had done so while he'd been setting things up.
Only two figures remained outside, likely assigned as guards. Magnus traced the perimeter once more just to be sure—but it really was just the two of them.
Just them, huh?Well, I suppose if I were attending a meeting with dozens of other immortal vampires, security wouldn't be high on my list of concerns either. Especially not in the dead of night.
And in the end, it worked out perfectly for him, didn't it?