The black sun hangs high

Chapter 26 The Name of Magic
After a brief explanation from Verain Ernst, Hugh finally understood just how dangerous it was to misuse magic without knowing its name.

"So-called magic is actually the way of using magical power... It's like a sharp sword or a powerful crystal gun. Anyone who can hold it in their hand can cause huge damage even if they use it haphazardly."

"But whether you hurt yourself or others depends entirely on luck."

As Violet explained, she glanced over and, after looking Hugh up and down twice, said, "At least for now, you're quite lucky."

Hugh felt uneasy under Verine's gaze. After all, ever since he completed the magic inscription, he had been casting spells without understanding his own magic. Although he didn't know why he had been able to remain unharmed, the thought of the possible consequences filled Hugh with dread.

He swallowed hard, then asked, "What are the typical symptoms if you hurt yourself?"

"Depending on the school of magic, the negative effects it has on the caster will also change."

Vera said, "For example, the two spells you used are very likely to belong to the Summoning Spells school. The negative effects of Summoning Spells are that the summoned magical creatures are often out of control... and the location where they are summoned will be completely out of the caster's control."

Vera paused slightly, then added, "There have been instances at Delan's magic academy where students had their bellies burst by the pointed-eared rabbits they summoned."

"..."

The examples Vera gave were so vivid that Hugh immediately pictured his body being torn apart by those black tentacles or gnawed through by three-tailed rats.

Given that the magic "exchanged" from the dream world had brought him unprecedented "novel experiences," Hugh immediately decided to nip these potential risks and threats in the bud. He adjusted his expression, instantly transforming into the most eager student in class, and earnestly asked, "So, Miss Verin, what should I do in this situation?"

Vellin was somewhat surprised by Hugh's rapid change in attitude. She shrank back slightly before saying, "Depending on the school of magic itself and the level of danger, there are three different strategies that can be adopted."

"The first method is very simple: temporarily abandon these spells and do not use them again until you have a sufficient understanding of them. This is the safest and most stable method... However, given the current situation, Mr. Hugh, you certainly won't choose it."

Vera raised her second finger: "The second way is to find a way to communicate with these spells at the level of magic power. After all, magic can actually be regarded as the condensation of knowledge and rules. As long as you put in enough magic power, their rules will become clearer."

"In fact, this is the method that most spellcasters would use when they encounter this situation. It is also very safe and secure, but the time and effort required will vary depending on the type of magic."

Vera tilted her head: "However, this method will be particularly difficult for beginners in magic. The Magic Council does have a standard magic ritual procedure that can help, but unfortunately, you can't use it right now."

After hearing the first two suggestions from Verin, Hugh's brows furrowed involuntarily. Time was his most scarce resource, and he didn't have time to hide in a small room and slowly learn the basics of magic from scratch.

So, clinging to his last glimmer of hope, Hughes asked, "Then, what about the last one?"

"The last one is the fastest, but also the riskiest."

Vera retracted her fingers, clearly not recommending this third method: "This method can only be used by spellcasters who have already completed the magical inscription, which means that the mage using it must be at least 'Stream level' or higher."

Hearing this, Hugh's expression began to falter: "It sounds like this method also requires a high level of magical knowledge..."

“You’re wrong, Mr. Hugh.”

Vera shook her head: "The reason why those mages who have completed the inscription choose this method is because they cannot understand the magic they are exposed to, and this kind of magic is often called 'evil magic'."

Hugh heard this word, which sounded incredibly dark and evil even from its literal meaning, once again, so he asked, "I remember Miss Verin mentioned earlier that my magic had traces of sorcery?"

"Yes, that's right. You should have noticed it yourself, right? The magic you've been exposed to is quite different from the regular magic and tricks used by mages. Its power is more astonishing, but its appearance and nature are more sinister."

As she spoke, Vilin pointed to the kitchen and then to the damaged display cabinet: "Evil magic has always been an important topic that has troubled the Law Committee. It is difficult to explain it clearly here. However, the scholars in the Law Committee generally believe that evil magic was created by a group of ancient gods who once occupied Vaan. It is precisely for this reason that they are difficult to analyze using the knowledge of today's magic schools."

This should be a very common explanation, so Vera spoke very casually, but her words carried considerable weight in Hugh's ears.

The moment he heard these words, he remembered the figure he had seen when he first entered the dream world.

That silent figure, dressed in a black suit, whose face was indistinguishable.

Villin had no idea what Hugh was thinking. She continued, “So, if you believe that the magic you inscribe comes from gods that no longer exist, you can try this last method… Using your intuition and understanding of these magics, imbue them with your spirit and will. When you have completely ‘conquered’ these magics with your will, their true names will naturally appear before you.”

"Conquer a... magic?"

"It sounds barbaric, but when faced with something that cannot be understood by common sense, this is one way to deal with it."

At this point, the female mage finally showed some fatigue. She gently pushed up her glasses and said, "Mr. Hugh, although the Law Council has existed for a long time, our exploration and research into magic has never stopped. In the face of its mysteries, even the most learned magic masters are like children. So sometimes, some bold attempts are necessary."

Her voice was soft, but Hugh could clearly detect a fervent passion in it. Vera's attitude towards magic perfectly matched his expectations of the magic scholars in the Magic Council; without this spirit of inquiry and adventure, she probably wouldn't have become a Lake-level magic advisor at such a young age.

"How about... I give it a try?"

With the idea of ​​"giving it a try," Hugh immersed his attention in his mental world. Sitting opposite him, Violet immediately realized what Hugh was thinking. She did not stop him, but quietly opened the magic book in her hand, pressed her finger on a page, and was ready to quickly tear the page off.

At this moment, Hugh was completely unaware of what was happening before him. All his attention was focused on the slowly rotating magic disc. As before, when he began to look at the grooves on the disc, the magic patterns within the grooves also began to move. But this time, Hugh changed his strategy. He tentatively mobilized his magic power and slowly probed towards the magic engraved on the disc.

Perhaps his intentions were too obvious, because this time, the tentacles and rat patterns in the grooves were much more restrained. They were like wild beasts that sensed the hunter's approach, twisting and wriggling in their own grooves. When Hugh's magic reached the edge of the grooves, the entanglement and confrontation also broke out.

The first to launch an "attack" were the black tentacle patterns. At this moment, they looked like beasts that had been forced into a corner and had nowhere to retreat, so they took the initiative to pounce.

The tentacle patterns active in the grooves of the disc launched the first "attack," with the black tentacles forcefully striking the edge of the grooves. This action caused the metal disc to vibrate slightly, and the three-tailed rat also became agitated. It bared its claws and began to scratch incessantly in the grooves, and a slight stinging sensation and a series of annoying noises immediately filled Hugh's brain.

"That's enough."

Veins bulged on Hugh's forehead. As the metal disc continued to tremble, his magic power flowed rapidly into the center of the disc. The dark green magic crystal emitted an even brighter light as a result of his action. The dark green light mixed with Hugh's magic power and flowed like water towards the groove that "imprisoned" the tentacles and the three-tailed rat.

The moment the magic covered the metal groove, the central disc began to rotate faster, and the groove that had been binding the tentacles and rats like a cage stopped trembling. Under the suppression of the magic and the metal disc, the restless magical patterns quickly and completely calmed down.

Something seems to have changed, but nothing seems to have happened at all.

Hugh pulled his attention away from his mental world with a puzzled look. Just then, two distant and unfamiliar messages echoed from the depths of his consciousness. They were like bubbles slowly rising from a bottomless abyss, swaying and drifting, and finally transmitting their faint sounds into Hugh's mind.

"The touch of Calron is a manifestation of the will of the sea god; wherever the tentacles reach, that is the boundary of the sea."

"The running rat is the chariot of the Earth Mother Goddess, and the magnificent three tails are a symbol of abundant blessings."

At this moment, Hugh finally learned the names of the two spells he had mastered.

"Charlon's Touch, the Rushing Rat..."

Hughes silently repeated the strange names of the two spells in his mind, trying to search his memory for information related to them, but the names of the deities mentioned in those messages were extremely vague.

Hughes was certain that the information he knew about this world did not include the god "Karlon". In present-day Vaan, the sea god worshipped by the coastal region and its inhabitants was named "Hiron", who was the brother of Mel, the goddess of magic who controlled the flow of water in the world. Alternatively, this power might be directly attributed to the goddess Mel.

As for "Mother Earth Goddess," this title does not have a specific meaning in Vain. The various powers related to the earth, fertility, and reproduction are distributed among several deities, who are also widely worshipped by groups such as farmers and hunters.

"This doesn't sound good. What kind of earth goddess would choose a swarm of rampaging rats as her chariot? And rats with three tails don't seem like a sign of abundance."

Just as Hugh was about to examine his two spells again, a sudden feeling of palpitation interrupted his thoughts. He forcibly pulled himself out of his daze, and the moment he regained consciousness, the magic disc in Hugh's mental world began to spin.

This time, its rotation speed far exceeded that of the past. Countless metal gears meshed continuously as they rotated, and the magical patterns of "Karlon's Touch" and "Running Rat," which had already submitted to Hugh, became somewhat restless. However, they no longer dared to crash into the metal disc that housed them, but instead continued to rotate and hover in that narrow space.

"Something is wrong."

Hugh suddenly stood up, only then realizing that the female mage sitting opposite him had already taken action. With a dark expression, she tore three pages from her magic book, her magical light emanating from between her fingers and quickly illuminating the magical patterns on the pages.

Vera's icy voice drifted over: "Is there anything else you want to take?"

"No, they're all on me."

"Then let's hurry up and leave, someone's looking for us."

With that, Vera quickly flicked her wrist, and three pages engraved with different spells flew out. One landed in front of where the two were sitting, one landed in the hallway, and the last one was caught in mid-air by the Mage's Hand and carried to the door.

At this moment, the sense of urgency emanating from Hugh's mental world became increasingly apparent. He didn't bother to confirm the situation with Vera, grabbed his trench coat, and ran towards the empty storage room directly opposite the kitchen. There, he found an unfinished basement connected to the abandoned courtyard behind the old house.

Just as Vera followed Hugh into the storage room, the tightly closed door of Ernst's old mansion cracked open under the impact of an invisible force. The fragments of the door, like blades, crisscrossed the entire hall. Before these "visitors" could even step inside, a page from a law committee book with dense patterns floated down slowly from above their heads.

In the center of this page, a dazzling red flame is rapidly spreading.

…………

One more chapter!
I've tried my best, but my mind is starting to fog up.
When will these symptoms disappear? ORZ
Finally, I'd like to ask for monthly votes again in 2022.
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(End of this chapter)