Chương 227

Mumud sat at a large wooden desk inside the Tower of Limits. He held a simple ceramic cup of green tea. He lifted it to his mouth and took a slow sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat. He closed his eyes, feeling the heat settle into his stomach. It was a small, quiet sensation. To anyone else, it meant nothing. But to Mumud, it was everything. His body was artificial. The flesh Rudra had cooked for him was fragile. His heart beat with a slow, forced rhythm, powered entirely by his own mana.

If he drew too much power, his chest would literally tear open. But he didn't care. He was alive. He wasn't a skeleton trapped in a dark vault anymore.

"I'm sorry!" a squeaky voice cried out. Mumud opened his eyes. A few feet away, a young Siren boy named Kael was waving his hands frantically. Kael had been practicing a basic water-bubble spell but he had lost control and the bubble popped loudly. Water splashed everywhere, completely soaking a tall stack of heavy history books resting on a nearby desk. Kael shrank back, pulling his shoulders up to his ears. The boy looked terrified, bracing himself for a harsh punishment. Mumud stood up.

He remembered standing in a dark, cold tower centuries ago. He remembered an older apprentice making a mistake, and Braham casually dismissing him from the tower. Braham despised failure. Braham demanded perfection. Mumud walked over to the shivering boy. He just smiled gently and snapped his fingers. A warm, dry breeze circled the desk, instantly evaporating the water off the ruined books.

"Do not panic, Kael," Mumud said softly.

"Your mana gathered well. You simply rushed the release. Try pointing your index finger slightly lower to guide the current." Kael blinked, realizing he wasn't going to be hit. A huge, relieved smile broke across the boy's face.

"Yes, Teacher Mumud! I'll try again!" Mumud watched the boy practice. He felt a deep, profound peace in his chest. Stormbreak was a good place. Outside the open window, the sounds of the bustling city drifted in.

"I'm telling you, this balance is flawless!" a guard named Jace boasted loudly in the courtyard.

"Alex forged this iron spear just for me! It feels like it weighs nothing at all!" Mumud walked back to his desk. He picked up his tea. Kael stopped practicing for a moment. The boy jogged over, looking up at the silver-haired mage.

"Teacher Mumud," Kael said.

"I almost forgot. When I was visiting the Siren Kingdom yesterday, I heard a traveler asking about you." Mumud paused.

"About me?"

"Yes," Kael nodded.

"It was a human girl. She was asking the merchants if anyone knew where the design for Mumud's Magic Orb was hidden. She seemed really eager to find it." Mumud set his teacup down. His Magic Orb design. It was one of the few original creations he had hidden away before Braham claimed everything in his name for himself. Very few people in the world even knew it existed.

"A human girl," Mumud murmured. He wasn't angry, but he was curious. He wanted to know who remembered his legacy.

"Thank you, Kael," Mumud said.

"Keep practicing. I am going out for a short walk." Mumud raised his hand. He drew a quick, simple blue circle in the air and vanished from the tower. He stepped out into a quiet, hidden alleyway inside the Siren Kingdom. The underwater city was glowing with soft blue light. The streets were paved with crushed pearl. It looked exactly like he remembered from his peaceful days with Lia. A quiet ache tugged at his chest, but he pushed the sorrow away. He had a new life now.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He pulled his grey hood up to hide his silver hair and walked into the market. The city was fairly busy today. He walked past a coral stall, listening to the idle chatter.

"Ten gold for a breathing potion?" a human wearing cheap leather armor complained to his friend.

"That's a total scam! The alchemists on the continent charge half that!"

"We're underwater, idiot," his friend grumbled.

"Just pay it. We need to finish this quest before the timer runs out." Mumud ignored them. Recently some humans, specifically those Immortal beings like his Lord, started visiting the kingdom since they opened up trade with the outside world. Though the humans entering this place were filtered by the Silver Crest merchant group's leader Ceclia before they are even allowed to visit the underwater kingdom.

He focused his magical senses, casting a wide, invisible net across the city to search for a human mana signature. He found one quickly. It was outside the city walls, near the deep-sea drop-off. Mumud walked to the edge of the city. He hid behind a large pillar of pink coral and looked out into the dark water. A young girl with bright blonde hair and a cheerful face was standing on the ocean floor. She looked like a complete beginner. She wore a simple, light dress and held no visible weapons.

Facing her was a massive, armored sea crab. Its claws were the size of boulders. It was a high-level monster, far too dangerous for a girl without heavy armor. The crab hissed and charged. The young girl, Euphemina, didn't run. She just raised her empty hand.

"Light of Judgment!" Euphemina called out cheerfully. Mumud's eyes went wide under his hood. A massive, blinding pillar of pure divine light crashed down from the water above. It slammed directly into the crab. The holy energy burned the monster's shell, forcing it to stagger backward in pain. A high-tier priest spell, Mumud thought. But she is not wearing clerical vestments. She does not carry a holy symbol. Before the light even faded, Euphemina moved. She pulled a small, curved dagger from her belt.

She didn't just take a step forward. She stepped directly into the dark shadow cast by the crab's giant claw. She vanished instantly, melting into the darkness like a ghost. A split second later, she appeared right behind the crab, driving the dagger into a weak joint in its armor.

"Shadow Strike!" she yelled. The crab let out a bubbly screech. Its health bar emptied, and it shattered into grey ash. Mumud stood frozen behind the coral. His brilliant, centuries-old mind completely stalled. What did I just watch? Mumud thought, rubbing his temples. It made absolutely no sense. A priest who wields pure divine light cannot be an assassin who melds into the shadows. The two distinct classes used entirely different, conflicting mana structures.

If a normal person tried to cast those two skills back-to-back, their internal mana core would violently explode. Mumud stepped out from behind the coral. His eyes glowed faint blue. He analyzed the lingering traces of mana in the water. There were no formulas. There were no complex calculations left behind. There were no casting circles. She didn't understand the base foundation of the techniques, Mumud realized, his breath hitching. She just... copied the final result.

She ignored the limits of those techniques entirely. Euphemina bent down to pick up the crab meat. She noticed Mumud walking toward her.

"Oh, hi!" Euphemina waved happily.

"Did you need this hunting spot?" Mumud stopped a few feet away. He pulled his hood back, revealing his silver hair and pale face.

"You are looking for the design of Mumud's Magic Orb," Mumud said flatly. Euphemina blinked. Her cheerful smile turned into a calculated, innocent smile.

"I am! Do you know where it is? It's really important to me, and I need that orb."

"I am the keeper of that design," Mumud lied smoothly.

"I can give it to you. But I demand a price." Euphemina frowned, crossing her arms.

"Oh, How much gold do you want? I don't have much gold with me now."

"I do not want your gold," Mumud said. He looked her right in the eyes.

"I want to study your magic. You are a Duplicator. You replicate techniques without understanding their foundations. Allow me to analyze the logic of your talent, and the orb design is yours." Euphemina stared at him. She shrugged.

"Just looking? Sure. That's easy." They sat on a rock near the city gates. For the next hour, Mumud asked her to cast various skills. He watched the mana flow inside her body. He didn't speak a single word as he observed. It was terrifying. She simply looked at a result, grasped the concept of what it did, and her class forced the magic to replicate the outcome. It was a complete rejection of everything Braham had ever taught him.

Magic is not just strict formulas and calculations, Mumud realized, a seed of profound understanding taking root in his mind. It is a concept. If you can fully grasp the concept of the end result, you can bend the rules to reach it.

"Are we done?" Euphemina asked, looking a little annoyed as the number of copied magics she has was less than 5.

"Yes," Mumud said quietly. He pulled a rolled piece of parchment from his robes and handed it to her.

"The design is yours."

"Thanks!" Euphemina cheered. She grabbed the blueprint and immediately ran back toward the Siren Kingdom. Mumud stood alone in the dark water. He stared at his own pale hands. His mind was racing with terrifying, impossible theories. Before he could test any of them, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. [Your Liege, Duke Rudra, is requesting to summon you to his location.] Mumud let out a tired sigh. The timing was terrible. [Do you accept? (Y/N)] He accepted. A flash of blue light deposited Mumud on a sandy beach.