Read up to 30 chapters ahead on Patreon - patreon.com/Light_lord
-----
Boom!
Suddenly, countless sharp tentacles erupted from the ground, lashing against the rune matrix surrounding Ryan's body with a crackling sound.
Despite the tentacles being repelled, Ryan's expression didn't show any relief.
Instead, his brow furrowed slightly as he canceled the rune matrix.
"Fall back. It can devour magic."
In the brief clash moments earlier, Ryan had already sensed the magic imbued in the runes being absorbed—not neutralized by impact, but consumed.
The tentacles of the unknown subterranean creature weren't especially strong, but their ability to siphon magic posed a significant problem.
The creature below had been sealed for over a thousand years, and Ryan had no intention of becoming nourishment for its awakening.
"Devour magic? Then what do we do?"
Seraphine and the others hurriedly retreated as the tentacles thrashed wildly, their worry etched on their faces as they glanced at Ryan.
All of them were mages, after all. Even Orianna, with her mechanical body, drew her energy from the magic stored in her Hex core.
"Mages rely on magic, but they also rely on their wits. Seraphine, lend me your book."
Ryan's voice was calm, unshaken, as the Soul-Stealing Scroll in Seraphine's hands flew to his.
At that moment, the tentacles struck again, faster and more ferocious than before, likely empowered by the magic they had absorbed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of water churned alongside the rustling of turning pages.
Ryan was lifted by a surge of water magic, swiftly retreating from the onslaught of tentacles.
The scroll hovered before him, flipping open on its own.
Beams of white light shot forth, landing on scattered stones nearby.
"So that's why I get headaches every day…"
Seraphine muttered from a safe distance, watching the light dance.
She could hear the voices of the souls trapped within the scroll, but only a few of them obeyed her.
The white light imbued the scattered remnants of the flaming golems they had encountered earlier.
The stones reassembled, water gushing through their cracks, giving them new life.
The newly-formed Water Golems grabbed nearby swords, blades, and axes, moving in unison toward the ground.
Dozens of them marched forward, their combined momentum creating a thunderous rumble.
Sensing the approaching threat, the tentacles became even more frenzied.
Hundreds of them surged upward, flailing violently at the stone army.
But the golems moved like a disciplined battalion, their swords, axes, and shields forming an impenetrable defense. The tentacles failed to touch their enchanted bodies.
Suspended in the air by water magic, Ryan radiated immense magical energy.
From below, he appeared like a divine figure, an ethereal guardian carved into the wall of a temple. His power was awe-inspiring, a source of unshakable reassurance to his allies.
"This scene should definitely be recorded," Ezreal muttered to himself, his voice tinged with admiration.
The Water golems pressed on, fending off the relentless assault while landing precise strikes on the tentacles.
Each hit splattered droplets of dark purple blood onto the desolate ground.
However, the creature beneath the surface regenerated quickly. No sooner had blood flowed than its wounds healed.
Ryan observed closely. With each strike, the tentacles' strength seemed to wane—if only slightly.
The battle was a stalemate for now.
"Is this the full extent of Mr. Ryan's power? These Stonemen move like a perfectly synchronized army, each performing their role flawlessly," Ezreal said, swallowing hard as he watched the spectacle unfold.
It reminded him of the story about Kalikan, who once used water golems to seal away ancient calamities.
"Sir, would my armguard work against it?" Ezreal asked, gesturing to his enchanted gauntlet.
The question made Ryan pause, considering it carefully.
Meanwhile, the water golems continued their relentless assault, their unity and discipline unbroken.
"Perhaps. The Ascended Gods once used weapons to wound creatures like this. They couldn't destroy them outright, but they could weaken them. It's worth trying as a means of attrition," Ryan finally replied.
"Let me try!"
Ezreal's voice rang out with enthusiasm, his expression lighting up with excitement.
'Sure enough, you are a protagonist,' Ryan thought wryly, glancing briefly at the confident young explorer.
Yellow light began to glow on Ezreal's armguard, crackling with energy.
In a flash, a radiant yellow beam shot forth, weaving through the gaps between the Water Stone Men before striking one of the tentacles.
The impact caused the tentacle to recoil slightly.
Ryan observed the reaction and nodded, his expression thoughtful.
"The armguard works… though it's still magic in essence," he mused aloud, studying the creature's reaction closely.
"Ordinary magic won't suffice against it, but your artifact seems to possess properties that can bypass its absorption—likely because of its specificity."
He folded his arms briefly, lost in thought. The creature before him was merely one of many that could rise in the future.
Understanding its mechanisms now would prepare him and the empire for battles yet to come.
The tentacles' movements grew sluggish, a clear sign that its energy reserves were depleting.
Ryan could sense its ancient, weakened state—it had been sealed for far too long to mount a proper fight.
Victory was within reach, but further experimentation was necessary.
The ring on Ryan's finger began to emit a dark, jet-black light.
Within moments, the light coalesced into a sharp, ominous black sword that materialized in his hand.
"Wait, your teacher knows how to wield a sword?" Ezreal exclaimed, turning to Seraphine in disbelief.
Seraphine shrugged, her expression a mix of amusement and curiosity.
"Honestly? No idea. He always keeps things mysterious."
Before she could say more, Ryan's figure transformed into a flowing stream of water.
With supernatural speed, he reappeared beside one of the tentacles, his sword slicing downward in a fierce arc.
Slash!
The tentacle was severed instantly, leaving the onlookers stunned.
Ezreal's arcane blasts and the golem's weapons had only managed to leave shallow scars on the creature so far.
But this time, the tentacle was completely severed—and its regeneration was noticeably slower.
"Her magic works… but it's different. Unlike Ascended weapons, this magic has devouring properties," Ryan murmured to himself.
His sharp gaze was fixed on the black sword as he analyzed its effect.
"It still absorbs magic, but not much. There's a canceling effect at play here…"
Twisting the sword in his hand, Ryan flourished it before driving it directly into the severed tentacle.
The blade pulsed with black light as it drained the tentacle's energy. The black aura from the sword coursed into the tentacle, corrupting and extracting its essence.
In just a few breaths, the black sword's surface darkened further, gaining a faint purple sheen.
"So… the energy and magic of these calamities can be devoured and converted," Ryan muttered, pondering the implications.
The black sword was not merely a weapon. Its true form was a dark orb—a magical construct imbued with attributes of dark magic: devouring, eroding, and cursing.
On most days, the ring served as a passive reservoir, quietly absorbing Ryan's excess magic.
But in battle, it was his preferred tool, capable of amplifying his abilities and overwhelming opponents with its versatility.
For a mage, the best counter to close-combat warriors was simple: develop melee capabilities that surpassed theirs.
Slash!
Ryan's figure blurred again as he severed yet another tentacle, repeating the process with precision. Each strike sapped the creature's strength further, reducing its remaining tentacles to feeble, writhing remnants.
By the tenth severed tentacle, Ryan paused, eyeing the black sword in his hand. A faint purple pattern now laced its surface, a visual indicator of the absorbed energy.
"That's enough," he muttered, his instincts warning him against overloading the sword.
Though it could absorb the creature's essence, its growing power required careful management.
With a flick of his wrist, the black sword dissolved into a harmless blue ring, its dark aura concealed once more.
The golems continued their steady advance, driving the creature into a corner. Its tentacles, now drained of strength, fell silent.
Ryan stood motionless, sensing the creature's energy fully depleted. It was over.
"Time to finish this," he declared.
Under Ryan's control, the golems
split into two groups.
Half maintained a vigilant watch, ensuring no surprises.
The other half raised their weapons—swords, axes, and pickaxes—and began digging into the soil.
The subterranean creature was now a turtle in a jar, unable to escape its fate.
Ryan allowed himself a small smile. This battle had provided valuable insight.
There would be plenty of opportunities in the future to conduct more experiments on these ancient creatures.
For now, this one was the empire's to dissect and study.