Chapter 98: Adding a Restriction
In the days that followed, the entire allied army was in a flurry of preparation.
To ensure the smooth creation of his new spell, Rhodes had Olivia teach him the Sky-Winged's Divine Strike. Olivia, of course, complied. The Sky-Winged were all but gone; she could not cast the Divine Strike on her own. The most powerful offensive spell in history was destined to fade away, to be replaced by a new magic created by Lord Rhodes. She had a feeling, and she eagerly awaited the day.
Rhodes and Serie were at the heart of the creation process. With Serie's exceptional talent, the process was much faster. And Rhodes also wanted her to learn the spell. That way, even if he did not find a way to achieve eternal life, she could still pass the spell down through the generations.
In a clearing in the allied army's camp, Serie hovered in the air, a complex magic circle of mana threads woven beneath her. It was the false Divine Strike spell Rhodes had just created. She was now leading a group of mages in a test run to ensure a smooth casting in the final battle.
If any of the mages below made a mistake, she would immediately correct them, ensuring the stable operation of the magic circle.
Dozens of high-ranking elven mages sat in a circle around her, their faces filled with a mixture of shock and concentration as they tried to comprehend and construct the magical structures she demanded of them. They had never seen such a creative spell before; it completely subverted their understanding of magic. Just who is this Lord Rhodes? they wondered, but they didn't dare to ask. They just silently followed her instructions.
"Here," she said, her voice cool but serious, "you must be extra careful. The 'Light of Ersten' will be used as a conduit. Rhodes will use the magic circle to channel the mana into it. All you have to do is control your own mana and make sure it integrates with the circle."
The mages all did as they were told, and the initial preparations were soon complete. Rhodes then took control, guiding their mana, making it resonate perfectly with Org to achieve the 'false Divine Strike' effect he had envisioned.
He closed his eyes and, with his mind, sensed Org's state, then passed on his minute adjustments to Serie.
In the end, all of their mana was gathered into Org, and then, with its 'light cannon' ability, they would be able to unleash a world-destroying attack. But of course, he couldn't just unleash it now. If the demons were to notice, it would all be over. All he needed was for this one test to go smoothly. And in the final battle, he would be controlling the mana of not just these few dozen mages, but thousands. He didn't even want to think about the mental and magical toll it would take.
After the magic circle had dissipated, Rhodes personally inscribed a special restriction spell on several of the key nodes. Serie had taught it to him; it was the same type of spell that had been on the dwarven treasury's door. The original text of the spell had been in the inner vault, and both he and Serie had learned it. He had then modified it into a restriction spell and had applied it to his own magic. He had to have a failsafe.
With the elves' natural talent for magic, it wouldn't be impossible for them to decipher and learn his spell. They had a long time to study it, after all. He did not want a race that could casually throw around a Divine Strike to exist in this world. The Sky-Winged were all but gone; it was better for such a spell to disappear as well. It should only be used in a time of world crisis, like now.
And his restriction was simple: the spell could only be activated against demons, and only in a war to save the world. Otherwise, it would be completely unusable. And only he and Serie knew how to break the restriction.
"It's a necessary precaution," he explained to the Elven King, who was watching him with a questioning gaze. "Its power is too great to be used lightly. Just imagine, if two magical races were to go to war and started firing these at each other's territories, what kind of destruction would that cause?"
The Elven King, who had witnessed the whole process, was silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
With that, Rhodes prepared to go to the dwarves and check on the reforging of the 'Light of Ersten'. But he walked with a cautious air, trying to avoid running into anyone. The renowned dwarven smith, Dural, had come to the front lines, and he was the last person Rhodes wanted to see. But unfortunately...
"If it isn't Mr. Rhodes! Hahaha! I heard you were acknowledged by Org. That's incredible!"
A loud, familiar voice came from up ahead. Rhodes froze, a prickling sensation on his scalp. Of all the luck.
Dural, the legendary master smith of the Dwarven Kingdom, was striding towards him, a heavy hammer in his hand.
"It's been a while, Master Dural," Rhodes said, trying his best to maintain a calm smile. "I didn't expect to see you here." He doesn't know about the sword yet, he thought.
"Hahaha, never mind that," Dural said with a hearty wave of his hand, and clapped him on the shoulder. "But you... have you been spreading the word about my 'Light of Ersten'? I know you're more famous for being acknowledged by Org, but my sword is no slouch either!"
Rhodes's smile froze for a moment, and he instinctively moved the hilt of Org to his back. But Dural's sharp eyes didn't miss it. He reached out and grabbed for it. "Is that the 'Light of Ersten' or Org? Let me see!"
He tried to dodge, but Dural was too fast. He grabbed his belt. "It's Org," he said quickly, not wanting to have his pants pulled down in front of everyone. "Don't pull on my pants!"
Dural let go, a little embarrassed, but his eyes were still fixed on Rhodes's waist.
Feeling a little creeped out, Rhodes quickly drew Org and held it out to him.
"Tsk, tsk! A legendary holy sword indeed! Not bad! But my 'Light of Ersten' is no slouch either!"
Dural would never admit that his own skill was inferior to that of the ancient dwarven smiths.
(End of Chapter)
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