Chapter 249: The Road to the Ninth Circle

One hundred kilometers east of the capital lay the Born Plains.

The terrain was open and deserted, yet it remained a highly significant plain on the kingdom’s map.

Today, this silent land would become the site for a Ninth-Circle mage’s advancement.

A massive circular magic array, exceeding five hundred meters in diameter, was deeply etched into the soil of the plains.

The array was composed of molten and re-solidified magic crystal powder, which shimmered like starlight under the afternoon sun.

Tens of thousands of interlocking runes formed a structure far more complex than any conventional defensive spell.

An energy tower stood at every key node of the array, ready at a moment’s notice to transmit or extract mana from the core area.

The Archmage Horace von Eisenberg stood at the center of the array, looking up at the sky as if calculating the sun’s trajectory.

His expression was one of intense focus, and the air of an “old prankster” he usually carried had completely vanished.

After a slight spatial ripple, Lady Eleonora’s figure appeared by his side.

Today, she wore a simple and elegant long white dress, her long red hair tied up without any superfluous ornaments.

She looked down at the array, which had consumed a vast amount of the Eisenberg family’s resources and Horace’s painstaking effort, her eyes wavering slightly.

“Still worried?” Horace’s voice rang out gently.

“I just feel like the scale is a bit too large,” Eleonora said softly.

“I am the one attempting to reach the Ninth Circle, yet I’ve made the entire capital nervous along with me.”

“It has to be large,” Horace turned around and took his wife’s hand; her fingertips were a bit chilly.

He wrapped them in his own warm, dry palms.

“I don’t want my flower garden to be leveled by out-of-control elemental energy.”

“Besides, the gate to the Ninth Circle is no refined gentleman; it will do everything in its power to push you back out.”

A faint smile played across the corners of Eleonora’s mouth.

“You’ve forgotten, you are no longer that Eighth-Circle mage who lingered before the bottleneck decades ago,” Horace looked into her eyes, his tone certain.

“You have already found your own path; you shattered your old understanding of the elements and reconstructed your world with a new order.”

“That child Lia only gave you a map, but you walked the path yourself, step by step.”

He paused, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

“Now, you’re just going to the finish line to collect your prize.”

“Don’t be as nervous as a student taking their first magic assessment.”

The worry in Eleonora’s eyes dissipated at his words.

She squeezed her husband’s hand in return and nodded. “I understand.”

Just then, a stable spatial gate opened nearby.

Klein stepped out, his blue eyes sweeping across the entire array with a sharp gaze.

“Master Klein,” Horace nodded to him.

“Master Horace, Lady Eleonora,” Klein inclined his head slightly in greeting.

His gaze lingered briefly on Eleonora before turning back to Horace. “I’ve come to assist you.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.” Horace let go of his wife’s hand and led Klein toward one of the array’s nodes.

“As the designer of this array, I have checked it ninety-nine times, but I worry my thinking has fallen into a set pattern.”

“As a friend, I need a pair of eyes that aren’t mine.”

Klein said nothing more; he simply stepped forward and reached out, his fingertips emitting pure mana that touched the lines of the array like a probe.

His movements were not fast, but every step was incredibly precise.

He walked around the massive array, stopping occasionally to simulate energy impacts with his mana.

Eleonora stood quietly to the side, watching.

Horace followed behind Klein, his expression focused.

“The spatial disorder sequence here might produce a zero-point-zero-one-second delay during the third-stage energy overload.”

“It’s a combination of seventeen complex runes; though the delay is extremely short, it is enough for the escaping fire elements to break through the first barrier.”

Horace immediately leaned over, his spiritual sense delving into the runes as he quickly performed the deductions.

A moment later, he straightened up, a look of realization on his face.

“You’re right. I was too focused on geometric symmetry and ignored the non-linearity of energy conduction.”

“This flaw is very well hidden.”

“The energy flow of the seventeen main runes needs to be redirected, and three auxiliary stabilizing runes should be added,” Klein provided the solution.

“I’ve got it.” Horace immediately pulled a bag of softly glowing powder and several alchemical engraving pens from his spatial ring.

“Let’s do it together; it will be faster.”

The two mages, who stood at the pinnacle of the kingdom, sat directly on the ground of the plains and began to modify this massive project.

One was a Ninth-Circle authority in mathematics, and the other was an Eighth-Circle magical genius.

Their cooperation was seamless; a single glance or gesture was enough for the other to understand instantly.

Horace was responsible for calculating and constructing the new rune logic.

His hands traced complex paths in the air, as mathematical formulas and geometric figures appeared and vanished out of thin air.

Klein was responsible for turning these abstract theories into reality.

Using exquisite mana control, he precisely branded Horace’s designs onto the array without the slightest error.

As Eleonora watched her husband and friend busying themselves for her sake, a sense of tranquility filled her heart.

All her unease and hesitation had faded away, leaving only the determination to step onto the battlefield.

“Speaking of which,” Horace spoke without looking up as he drew a new rune structure.

“Have you heard about the True God Religion from the Riley Kingdom in the south that’s been causing such a stir lately?”

“I’ve heard a bit,” Klein replied steadily, focused on guiding the mana.

“An Eighth-Circle mage claiming to have lived for five hundred years,” Horace scoffed.

“If eternal life were that simple, why haven’t any of the brilliantly talented Ninth-Circle mages throughout history been able to achieve it?”

“They claim they’re going to make a small mountain float next month; they’re treating gravity magic like street juggling.”

“Lies always spread more easily than the truth,” Klein commented indifferently.

“Exactly.” Horace’s movements stopped as he looked at the modifications that were nearly complete.

“True power never comes from ethereal faith or unrealistic promises.”

“It comes like this—step by step, using knowledge and perseverance to pry open the truth of the world.”

He stood up and patted the dust off his hands.

After being optimized by the two of them, the energy flow of the array became even smoother and more stable.

Twilight descended, and the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky a magnificent orange-red.

When the last sliver of sunlight vanished from the horizon, the entire massive array was successfully activated.

It lit up silently, a soft white light emanating from every line, illuminating the plains for several kilometers around as bright as day.

In the center of the array, pure energy converged into a stable and gentle pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.

However, it was constrained by an invisible dome at the top of the array, and not a single bit leaked out.

Everything was ready.

Horace walked to Eleonora’s side and took her hand once more; this time, her palm was warm and strong.

“Get ready,” he said softly.

Klein stood where he was, watching Eleonora’s back, the soaring light reflected in his blue eyes.

As the night deepened over the Born Plains, only a single massive array burned quietly, waiting for the arrival of dawn.

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