novelraw Chapter 461 - 237: Ascend Together
Chapter 461 - 237: Ascend Together
Having returned to their rented cottage, the group sat around the campfire, resting.
Although there was no fighting today and not much Magic Power had been expended, their stamina had been greatly depleted. Moreover, their clothes had become filthy, and it felt as if their shoes were caked with mud. After all, they had performed hard labor for over ten hours straight.
Lucilia was examining the valuable items they had brought back.
Alka looked at the Magic Gathering Stone in his hand. He didn’t recklessly channel Magic Power into it to activate it. Instead, he simply stared at it.
After thinking for a while, he suddenly said, "Let’s return to the ship tonight."
Hearing Alka’s sudden pronouncement, his companions, who were sitting around the fire, all turned their attention to him.
Alka raised the Magic Gathering Stone in his hand. "This thing," he said, "judging by its name and likely effects, will probably cause quite a commotion. Using it here would be too conspicuous, don’t you think?"
Hearing this, the others mulled it over for a moment, then nodded. Indeed. After all, this was someone else’s territory.
Seeing no objections, Alka stood up. "Alright then, let’s go. We’ll rest on the ship tonight. We can also change our clothes and freshen up."
As he spoke, he brushed off some dirt that fell from his clothes—he had no idea where it had come from. Then he headed out.
They followed the gravel path to the harbor. Upon arriving, they immediately spotted an enormous ship anchored just off the harbor.
"What a big ship!" Matilda said in surprise.
It was the first time she had seen such a large ship. Even though she lived at the gateway to the Endless Sea, she hadn’t seen a ship this big.
The others, who hadn’t been to the harbor in days and thus hadn’t seen the merchant ship, were equally surprised.
Simon gazed at the ship, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Noticing his expression, Juanlu quickly tugged his arm. "That’s someone else’s ship," he reminded Simon.
"I know, I’m just looking."
"You’d better just look," Jason quietly remarked, giving him a glance.
After all, they had been around Simon for some time now. Normally, Simon was polite and well-behaved. However, if something piqued his interest, or when he became completely absorbed in his research, he was a different person.
Around the harbor, various goods were stacked, though it was unclear if they were waiting to be loaded onto the ship or had just been unloaded.
The group glanced at the goods but didn’t slow their pace, soon boarding the familiar Sound of Dawn.
As they boarded the ship, a gentle and melodious song began to play.
Alka smiled and patted the mainmast.
"Take us offshore. We’ll return tomorrow morning."
The merchant ship anchored offshore and the people they had just seen at the harbor might notice any commotion. Less trouble is better than more.
At Akka’s command, the Sound of Dawn slowly departed the harbor, anchoring a short distance away, to the side of the harbor entrance.
Once he judged the distance to be sufficient, Alka, on deck, finally raised the Magic Gathering Stone in his hand.
Their biggest find today. From an ancient era, before the world shattered. The mere thought was thrilling.
Under everyone’s curious gaze, he channeled Magic Power into it.
As Magic Power flowed in, dense, intricate, and remarkably uniform patterns materialized on the stone’s surface.
Alka, as if sensing something, gently released his grip.
The Magic Gathering Stone hovered before them, suspended steadily in mid-air.
Strange information flooded Alka’s mind: the instructions for using the device.
This is how it gives instructions? How interesting.
The method of use was very simple; Alka memorized it after a quick review.
He extended a finger and touched the Magic Stone. As his finger lifted from its surface, it drew out a line of blue energy. He flicked the line outward, controlling it to draw a circle on the deck that encompassed them all.
As the ends of the line connected, the Magic Stone activated instantly.
On the ground, indecipherable Spell patterns appeared on the circle, densely packed, forming a circular Array.
The ambient Magic Power began to surge into the Array. The concentration of Magic Power around them increased at an astonishing rate. They even felt a strange resistance in the air, as if it had become viscous. Breathing became difficult; the massive influx of Magic Power was displacing the air.
Just as they felt the air grow thin and began to struggle for breath, the Magic Stone, hovering in the center, started to rotate. This dense Magic Power began to follow its rotation, coalescing around the Magic Stone.
Thus, before their eyes, as the Magic Stone spun, more and more Magic Power converged, becoming so dense it was visible to the naked eye. It transformed into an orb resembling a ball of water—it had actually liquefied! Then, this sphere of liquid Magic Power began to radiate outwards.
A peculiar sight unfolded in the space they occupied.
Magic Power from above converged into the liquid Magic Power sphere, which in turn released this Magic Power, causing it to settle below. It was like an Hourglass. The point where the liquid Magic Power gathered acted like the aperture, absorbing vast amounts of Magic Power from above, altering its form, and increasing its concentration as it flowed into the area below—that is, onto the deck where Alka and the others stood.
"This Magic Power... it’s entering my body with every breath!" Chadite exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.