The black sun hangs high

Chapter 97 The Sound from the Walls
An intense atmosphere of war is inevitably spreading and intensifying throughout every corner of Borden.

When Hughes returned to the Ernst Manor Hotel just in time, he saw a leaflet urging people to support war bonds on a table in the hotel lobby. He knew that something big was probably coming soon.

Theseus said that the rise of the black sun was merely a point in time, and it would not be affected by the actions or will of any individual, organization, or nation.

That is a sign of the resurgence of the lost ancient gods.

That was a sign that they were casting a malicious glance at the world again, a merciless iron law established by the ancient gods long ago in that forgotten era.

Just like the war that is now on the verge of breaking out.

Driven by countless human groups and individuals, it has become a choice made collectively by the human race. Its occurrence will be a firm countdown, and it will not change based on the wishes or thoughts of individual cases.

Compared to the front lines that are already spitting fire, Hugh's current manor hotel seems rather ridiculous.

Especially after hearing from Theseus that the Black Sun Society's actions were nothing more than "wishful thinking," he became even more disgusted with the things that existed beneath the manor hotel.

If possible, Hugh really wanted to have another frank talk with Zek Ernst to see his views and changes on the current situation and its future direction. He wondered what a soldier who had dedicated his life to the development of military ideology would think about the impending black sun.

The number of people in the manor hotel seemed to have decreased slightly.

In the hotel lobby, Hugh saw Nils Ernst preparing to leave. His face was gloomy, and his brother was not by his side.

So Hugh stopped him and asked, "What happened at the hotel again?"

"It's Dietrich."

Niels read his brother's name in a low voice: "It was noon when he wanted to... take a bath, and he almost drowned in the tub. Luckily, he hit the alarm on the bathroom wall while he was struggling, so the waiter and guards managed to save him."

Niels was very depressed. He looked at Hugh and said in a low voice, "Mr. Hugh, this is too strange and too dangerous. The manor hotel has a security device set up, but it is not working at all. Obviously... something here is trying to harm the family members."

Niels was about to persuade Hugh to leave with him when his gaze fell on the spellbook hanging from Hugh's waist and the credential pendant that, like those of other spellcasters, was fixed to the spellbook. So he swallowed back what he was about to say.

Niels, of course, had no idea that in the traditional Vaan system of magic, Hugh was only a beginner.

Hughes had a rather favorable impression of the two brothers who were so enthusiastic about Dragon Tooth cards, so he asked, "How is Dietrich doing these days?"

"He drank a bit too much water, and while he was struggling, he hit his head on the bathtub... I had the guards take him away, and now I'm leaving too."

Niels replied, "Besides Dietrich, I heard there were two other accidents in the other rooms, but I don't know exactly what happened."

"It looks like a lot of people have left?"

"Yes, especially for the ladies living on the fourth and fifth floors. No one wants to be thrown out of the window while they're sleeping."

Niels gave a somewhat forced smile, then took out his velvet bag containing the Dragon Tooth cards, pulled out a glittering card, and handed it to Hugh.

This dragon tooth amulet is called "Hain's Lucky One," and it depicts a young bard dressed in flamboyant clothes, carrying a lyre, wearing a hat, and carrying his baggage on a stick, walking along a winding road.

This is a playing card game adapted from the famous fairy tale of "The Lucky Bard" from the Lovi Plateau.

"It's a limited edition, but I managed to get three of them... I always carry them with me when I play cards, and I hope they bring you good luck."

"Thank you."

Hughes reached out and took the cards, accepting the blessing in return.

After that, Nils left in a hurry, seemingly having no intention of staying in the manor hotel any longer.

Hugh gently rubbed the Dragon Tooth card, and saw that the lucky bard in the card picture was smiling brightly, as if he had not embarked on a long journey, but a flat path full of flowers.

Those who choose to remain at the manor hotel under the current circumstances are either members determined to compete for the family heirship, or those who have heard some things about the manor hotel from their parents and have made sufficient preparations.

Regardless of their true feelings and purposes for staying here, Hugh noticed that these people were all wearing magical ornaments that provided some protection, and some of them were also carrying weapons such as crystal guns and silver daggers...

It can be said that he was extremely virtuous and martial.

Hugh returned to his room alone. After quickly checking the room and confirming that there was nothing amiss, Hugh went to his desk. After a moment's hesitation, he followed his usual practice and picked up the ash grass and incense that the hotel waiter had brought earlier, and then used them to fumigate the entire room.

The waiters were very attentive. The incense they brought was "Sounds of Inspiration," which is the most popular incense among creators and artists. When lit, it releases a light, lemon-like scent that is very refreshing and invigorating, making it perfect for long periods of focused work.

"They seem to know a lot about my 'profession'..."

Hughes set up a protective ritual and then casually summoned the scurrying rat Sniggy. After ordering it to take a nap on the bookshelf, Hughes opened the textbook he had never had the chance to read before—"The Book of Magic: The Spellcaster's Third Hand".

His previous experiences had made him deeply aware of the importance of magic books to spellcasters, and when he opened the first page of the book, Hugh saw a very interesting passage.

"During the compilation of this book, several authors had several heated debates about the title of the book - a considerable number of editors believed that the magic book should be regarded as the spellcaster's 'second brain' rather than 'third hand'."

"The reason is that the help that spellbooks provide to spellcasters lies in their ability to use complex spells that they cannot inscribe themselves at any time. For spellcasters, the process of copying and imprinting magical patterns on spellbooks is actually a simple and temporary form of 'memory.' "But this act itself has a very clear purpose, which makes spellbooks more of a 'tool' and 'weapon' in the minds of spellcasters. Therefore, after a vote, Merlinler and the Legal Committee finally decided on the title of the book as 'The Spellcaster's Third Hand.'"

"These scholars are really..."

Hugh shook his head.

While reading other magic textbooks, he also discovered a major characteristic of these spellcasters: they often engaged in public debates and arguments over trivial details, and were even very willing to record the process and results of their arguments for future generations to judge.

Like the previous magic textbooks, this book also features an image of the goddess Mel, who possesses special powers. When Hugh gazes at this goddess, a magical force enters his mental world and attempts to influence him. However, due to the presence of the metal disc, this power is completely erased before it can take effect.

After that, Hugh began to read and study seriously.

Unlike the process of learning magic runes and tricks before, learning how to use the spellbook is actually a series of "hands-on" exercises. In order not to waste the pages in the spellbook, Hugh brought a large pile of manuscript paper and began to practice repeatedly on it, simulating the drawing and imprinting of magic runes.

He made protective raindrop and stream-level spells his primary targets.

These spells are relatively simple in principle, but they become complicated once they are put on paper. For example, a Stream-level "Blade Protection" spell requires Shug to copy and imprint about twenty different magical runes in the correct order onto a blank page. These runes must be arranged according to specific rules and connected to each other using curves to form a closed loop.

The initial process was extremely grueling.

Constructing and sketching a magical model in one's mind is completely different from depicting it concretely on paper. Holding the magic ink pen, Hugh felt like a child just starting to learn to draw. Coupled with his already severe obsessive-compulsive disorder, this made his learning progress even slower.

After wasting twenty or thirty sheets of paper, Hugh finally got the hang of it.

As he drew the runes according to the methods described in the book, he also searched through the memories "given" to him by the offspring of the Dark Abyss, constantly absorbing the experience of those spellcasters in drawing magic runes. Finally, after a lot of torment, Hugh successfully drew neat magic runes.

After successfully taking the first step, Hugh's efficiency began to steadily improve.

So one complex rune after another was drawn, and soon they filled the manuscript paper in front of Hugh.

"Then it's time to connect..."

Hughes picked up his water glass and took a sip. Then he grasped the ink pen, which was specially used for engraving magic, and tried to infuse it with his own magic.

The transparent magic crystal embedded in the fountain pen revealed a faint dark green luster. Hugh breathed a sigh of relief and then began to write on the paper.

Hugh's unique magic entered the fragile paper as the pen tip touched it. With the slow movement of his wrist, lines composed of magic and ink appeared on the paper, gradually connecting all the previously drawn magical runes into a whole.

However, the moment the magical ritual was completed, the entire sheet of paper trembled violently, and then it exploded into tiny pieces right in front of Hugh, scattering across the table and the floor.

This is normal, since ordinary paper simply cannot withstand the power flowing within the finished magic patterns.

"Finally, I succeeded!"

Looking at the scraps of paper enveloped in tiny, dark green magical light, Hugh breathed a sigh of relief.

It's like finally solving a difficult problem.

"No wonder scholars are addicted to it; the feeling is indeed peculiar...it brings a very strong sense of accomplishment."

Hugh swept the scraps of paper away, then took out his spellbook and began his first formal spell inscription.

Time passed slowly, accompanied by the soft chimes of the clock on the wall.

Hugh has become completely immersed in the world of drawing magical runes and inscribing finished magic. As someone who adheres to the principles of "more is better" and "the more the merrier," Hugh has always been very willing to invest his energy and time in this area.

Unbeknownst to him, Hugh had already completed the inscription of twelve different raindrop-level spells in his spellbook, including some basic offensive spells and several different protective rituals. Although he failed twice and wasted two pages, overall it was a smooth process.

It was now 7:30 p.m., and Hugh was feeling a little hungry.

He planned to have dinner after completing the inscription of the Stream-level "Instant Fire" spell. The scene of Verin casting this spell at Ernst's old house had left a deep impression on Hugh. Although Verin said it was just a "useless" spell, Hugh had become quite fascinated by it after witnessing the amazing effect of multiple "Instant Fire" spells stacked together.

"I really want to burn this place to ashes too..."

With that thought in mind, Hugh made a light stroke with his ink pen and completed the engraving of the penultimate magic rune.

There's only one magic rune left.

He focused intently on his pen and began the final stage of drawing. Just as the last stage was about to be completed, Sniggy, who had been dozing off on the bookshelf, suddenly raised its head. Its green eyes scanned the room, and at the same time, it let out a series of sharp hisses.

The sudden agitation in Hugh's magical perception distracted him, causing his wrist to tremble slightly. This caused a problem with the final magic rune being drawn on the page, as an excessive amount of magic was injected into it, causing all the runes on the page to flicker violently twice.

But now, Hughes had no time to regret his achievements. He turned and stood up, his gaze falling on the wall near the hotel bed—there, he “heard” a faint sound, as if something was running and darting within the wall.

(End of this chapter)