บท 339: Undead Empress
"Oh, blackness shrouded in light,
Frenzied blaze clad in the night,
In the name of the crimson demons,
let the collapse of thine origin manifest.
Summon before me the root of thy power hidden within the lands
of the kingdom of demise!
Explosion!"
Boom!
A terrifying explosion like a nuclear bomb devastated the area, killing all the unicorn rabbits and destroying the forest they habited. The shockwave of the attack created a powerful wind, making the group's hair and robes float.
With a bashing red face, Snape turned to look at his wife holding a camera. "Are you happy now?"
"Yes, seeing you do chuunibyou things brings great joy to me."
Snape rolled his eyes before embracing her and walking toward the other.
"Has Filius not come back?" asked Lily.
"No, he just sent news to leave him alone to his adventure," Hermione replied, looking at Fleur, who squatted in front of a corpse.
"Did you find something?"
"A few things, actually," she replied before pointing her hand at the half-mutilated corpse and saying: "Revive." Then, the body of the unicorn rabbit rapidly regenerated. Its bones, organs, and skin regrew at speed visible to the naked eye. Lastly, its soul was summoned from the afterlife and fused with its body.
"Back home, reviving someone is a long and arduous process. Whether it is to heal the body, summon the soul and fuse it with the body. All these actions are separate steps that require much effort and a lot of resources.
"However, this [Revive Spell] combined all these steps into one and drastically reduced the resources needed. The question is whether it will work for Arcanists of a certain Tier?"
She looked at everyone, "Who wants to die?"
"There is no point in us trying. We will get a Tier 6 clone and try it," said Hermione. "The real issue is whether the laws of our universe will allow such constant messing of life and death."
"Our Solar System has its own underworld; without Herpo's control, there should be no issue," replied Fleur. "The problem is beyond our star system."
"We also must consider the chaos that will ensue if the Empire has thousands if not more Arch Priests with the Revive Spell," added Lily.
"Indeed, we have to take preventive measures," said Hermione. "What about the other thing?"
"As Edward expected, the Arc Priest's spell [Purification] can indeed purify mana. But, the rate of conversation is atrocious."
"That goddess Aqua can use Sacred Purification, so she could be essential to helping us purify our mana and reach Tier 7."
"I can probably make a Mana Purification Potion with her spell as the ingredient," added Snape, who has been trying to come up with this potion for some time now.
"That's a good idea. Any other discoveries?" asked Hermione.
"We can translate some of the Arcane Runes Spells into skills with Skill Points, but there is a limit to the number of spells translated," said Snape.
"Speaking of limits, I discovered that all the job classes are a form of bloodline, and the limit of all the bloodlines is Tier 3, or level 60 in this world's level system.
"If we can recreate the magic system and how the entire dimension operates, the Empire will have a quick way to manufacture Tier 3 Arcanists."
The way this dimension operates is that as long as you kill any creature, you can level up and acquire higher stats, including mana.
"Lily, how did your experiment go?"
"It went well. The foreign magical beasts I summoned from the Floating City seemed to have been assimilated by the laws of this dimension. I killed one before assimilation and one after assimilation. And as you can guess, the one after assimilation gave me a lot of XP and allowed me to level up.
"However, I have no idea how the assimilation process works. Any idea?"
Everyone shook their heads, then Hermione said: "Edward theorized this dimension was based on the ability System Manipulation: its subcategory, Law Manipulation, to be precise."
A person with Law Manipulation ability could establish rules in a selected area. For example, they could make it that all battles are fought with sticks and stones. If someone tried other methods like guns or magic, they would not work or be punished.
Or that person could make a rule that you can only kill a person if you touch the back of their neck. Then, no matter how powerful that person or what Tier he is, he will die–unless the person with Law Manipulation is weak or their power has limitations.
"So, the rules are if you kill monsters, you can level up and acquire higher stats," said Snape. "This should be another form of Causality Manipulation. Well, System Manipulation and Law Manipulation are subcategories of Causality Manipulation anyway."
"We can use this direction to investigate this dimension and discover its mystery and try to replicate it," said Hermione before looking in a direction. Someone was coming.
Soon, Luna showed up, accompanied by two other adventurers that looked like bodyguards.
"Luna? What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm here on the order of the Guild Master."
"Is something wrong?"
"The Guild Master asked your party to please stop hunting."
"Why? Isn't it a good thing to clean these dangerous creatures?"
Luna smiled in embarrassment. "Normally, that would be the case. However, your party has hunted too many magical beasts to the point of disrupting the ecosystem in the surrounding towns.
"Furthermore, the guild relied on these creatures to give quests and ensure adventures have a somewhat stable income. Your actions have disrupted this, making countless people unable to make a living."
Hermione pondered briefly, "If you put it this way, we are indeed at fault. Do you want us to help you fix the problem?"
"No need. People from the headquarters will come to deal with the issue."
"One last question: Can we still take other quests?"
"As long as it is the high-level ones, the guild has no problem."
"Very well. Severus, let's go."
Snape nodded his head before using the spell [Teleport]. A flash of light enveloped the group, and they disappeared, leaving a shock Luna.
"They could have offered me a ride home; I've come all the way here."
The group had bought an enormous castle outside of Axel Town to serve as their base. So, they teleported there to rest. For the next few days, they set up a laboratory with equipment from the Floating City. Luckily, 95% of these pieces of equipment worked with no problem, while the rest needed a few recalibrations, and only a minority stopped working altogether.
Then, the team visited a few places throughout the city. Hermione needed to learn a few skills from other classes, Like the Thief Skills, Assassin Skills, Magic Crafting Skills, Blacksmith Skills, and skills with job classes his group did not have.
Snape needed to learn how to make potions. He bought all the potion recipes available in Axel using a lot of money. Then, Fleur and Hermione headed to Wiz Magic Shop while Lily and Snape returned home to focus on the potions.
"Welcome, customers. How can I help you?" asked the Wiz with a smile. Fleur looked up and down at her.
"Besides the slightly pale complexion, she does not look like a Lich."
"W-w-what are you talking about? I'm not a Lich."
"There is no need to fluster," Hermione appeased her. "We are here just to learn some undead skills from you."
"Forget about that for now," suddenly said Fleur. "I just had a great idea. She would be a great addition to the harem."
Hermione nudged her, "What are you talking about?"
"We are trying to incorporate undead as citizens to the Empire. What a better way to show our position by making one of the Empress an undead."
"...You are right, but…."
"You should have noticed Edward's tone when he talked about her; it's obvious he is attracted to her. So, it's better to be proactive in the selection process."
Hermione sighed, "Alright."
Fleur smiled before taking out a photo.
"This is our husband. Handsome, isn't he? How would you like to become sisters with us?"
Wiz felt her head spinning as she could not understand what these people were talking about.
"Excuse me, I–"
"There is no need to answer immediately. We will tell you all about him. Then, you can decide."
The more Fleur looked at her, the more satisfied she was. Wiz was a peak Tier 3 Archwizard and a very talented one too. So, once she returned to the Empire, she would make a fine Arcanist.
"In terms of look, talent, and strength, you are a qualified Empress. The only issue I can notice is you're a little too soft and kind-hearted. Plus, your vulnerability to Holy Aura or Magic is a significant problem.
"However, we should be able to find a way to fix your problems in due time," said Hermione.
"I-I-I have not accepted yet," said Wiz in a low voice.
"You will," said Fleur.
While the two were chatting, the doorbell rang, and a few people walked in.
"Just in time; we planned to visit your group afterward."
บท 340: Goddess and Magic Crimson Clan
"Who are you?" Kazuma asked calmly. However, his thoughts were entirely different from his expressed demeanor.
'Oh my god, two beauties with great bodies–especially the blonde one. Is my spring coming? Is it finally time for me to find love? Wait, I've been tricked before by Darkness. I need to know their personalities first.'
"You were thinking about something dirty, weren't you, kid?" said Fleur.
"Of course not. Please don't accuse me of anything without evidence."
"You know there are spells that can read minds, right?"
"So, you said you were looking for us? What for?" Kazuma blushed with shame before coughing slightly.
"First, let us introduce ourselves," said Hermione. "We are from the Arcane Party."
"Arcane Party? The one who ran us out of our business?" asked Aqua.
"We're sorry about that. We only wanted to make Axel Town safe."
"That still–"
Kazuma placed his hand on her mouth before saying with a smile, "We appreciate your hard work. So, what does such a famous party want with lowly ones like us?"
"We wanted the help of Aqua And Megumin with a few experiments," said Hermione directly.
"Experiment?" said Aqua as she crossed her arm across her chest, taking a defensive posture.
"Yes, we want to know what is so unique about a goddess; what makes you different from a normal human."
"Goddess? What are you talking about?" asked Kazuma with a perplexed look. One would think he was genuinely confused if anyone did not know him.
"There is no need to hide; we are from Earth, London to be precise," replied Hermione in English instead of the language of this world.
"If you are from the London Region, shouldn't you be in a different world?"
Hermione and Fleur's eyes lit up as these words confirmed their guess. There are other dimensions to which reincarnators from Earth will be sent after their death. And it is based on the country or region they are born in.
"We died in a bus crash in Japan, so they sent us to this region," said Hermione.
"This is against the rules. Eris should know better," muttered Aqua.
"So, what do you think of our proposal?"
"I'm sorry, but we have to decline," said Kazuma.
"We'll pay you a milliom eris."
"Deal," replied Kazuma swiftly and with no hesitation.
"Kazuma!" yelled Aqua and Megumin.
"How could you sell your teammates like that?" said Darkness with a crimson face, obviously aroused by the thoughts of being sold by her teammate.
"Do you know what we can do with a million eris?" said Kazuma with a loud voice. "We can pay our debt and still have enough money to live a life of luxury. Aqua, you want to go back home, right?"
"Yes."
"With that kind of money, we can hire the most elite adventurers to defeat the Demon King. No, better yet, we can ask this Arcane Party to help as a condition since they are so powerful.
"Megumin, think about your parents back in the village? Think how poor they are. You can change their life and become the richest Crimson Magic Clan ever."
The eyes of these two turned into money signs.
"Plus, you can use the money to buy Skill Up Potions and add all your Skill Points to level up [Explosion,]" said Fleur.
"I accept," immediately said Megumin.
"What about you, Aqua?" The blue hair goddess only nodded as she was distracted, thinking about everything she could buy.
"In that case, let's go to our castle."
"Excuse me, can I also be experimented on?" asked Darkness.
"You need to learn how to control your masochism," commented Hermione. "Wiz, you can also come with us." Then, she dragged Wiz to join the group before using the Teleport Spell to return to the castle.
After arriving, Hermione handed Kazuma a purple bank card.
"A platinum card from the Eris Bank?" said Aqua before taking the card from his hand before he could react. She checked to discover there was indeed a million on the account.
"Since you have your money, let's begin with the experiment."
"It's not going to hurt, right?"
"If necessary, we will give you anesthesia."
The group quickly took Aqua and Megumin into the laboratory, where Snape and Lily waited. They hooked the two to many machines and did many tests, including taking their blood.
The four had a holographic image showing them a bunch of data. Kazuma wondered how these people acquired such advanced technology, but he did not ask.
"So, did you find something?"
"Yes, and it is fascinating," said Hermione. "Firstly, she has a long lifespan compared to humans."
"Of course. As a goddess, I'm immortal."
"Not quite. You can naturally live for only a million years, but with more followers giving you faith, your lifespan is infinite. However, without them, you would die after a million years."
Aqua opened her mouth in shock as this was news to her. Hermione displayed a small crystal in the hologram.
"This is the source of your god's power. Do you have a name for it?"
"I think it's called Divine Spark."
"Divine Spark? A barely acceptable name. Nevertheless, it is truly a remarkable organ."
"It's not an organ; it's a gift," corrected Aqua.
"It's located in your brain and connected to your nervous system, so it is part of you. Adding the fact it has a function: it's an organ."
Aqua slightly snorted without rebutting.
"So, what does this spark thingy does?" asked Megumin.
"The Divine Spark has many functions. The main one is to convert the faith of Aqua's followers into mana."
"Is that why she has an unlimited amount of mana?" asked Kazuma.
"Basically," replied Hermione. "However, the interesting thing about the Divine Spark is its natural ability to purify faith."
The others may not know what this means, but the four from the Empire knew. The Gods in their universe need to use the Divine Flame to purify their faith, and even then, it is still not enough as it corrupts their soul. But this Divine Spark does not have this issue.
Of course, they also know there could be a limit to the Divine Spark. After all, based on their calculation, the Gods in this world are at the peak of their power in the Heavenly Realm, not in the mortal world. And the most powerful of them are probably between Tier 4 and 5, with a few reaching Tier 6.
Regrettably, they do not have enough data to know for sure.
"Does faith need to be purified?" asked Aqua.
"How can you be a goddess and not know these things?" said Kazuma.
"How can you blame me? I spent most of my time in Heaven reading manga, so I didn't pay attention to many things."
"Just know that without purifying faith, it will corrupt your soul, forcibly changing your personality."
Aqua frowned as she remembered Wolbach, the dark Goddess of Violence and Sloth. Many of her believers were demons, creatures that feed on negative human emotions. So, it could be the reason she turned evil.
Of course, she failed to consider that her followers from the Axis Church just randomly labeled Wolbach a "dark goddess" before sealing her.
"Does that thing have other purposes?" asked Aqua, now curious about her ability.
"Yes. It has an attribute, and yours is water."
The others knew the Divine Spark of these gods did not have [Authorities] like the DivineSparks of Elder Gods back home: just attributes.
"Is that why I'm the Goddess of Water, and Eris is the Goddess of Fortune?"
"Don't ask such an obvious and stupid question."
"Kazuma, who are you calling stupid."
Snape, silently processing data with the other three, gave these two a look, and they immediately stopped bickering. Meanwhile, Darkness was jealous that she was not the one who received such a stern stare, and Megumin was playing with her cat, Chumuske. As for Wiz, she was looking at everything around the lab with shining eyes.
"The Divine Spark is responsible for the divine aura your body naturally emits, which attracts undead and magical beasts. And more importantly, it is why you gods can use Sacred Spells."
If there is one thing the group desired after studying the Divine Spark, it's the ability to use sacred spells, which are an enhanced version or boosted version of any spells.
For example, Aqua can only use Tier 3 Level Spells in the mortal world, but her Sacred Spells reach Tier 4. If they can replicate this method and allow it to keep the one-tier boost no matter what, Arcanists would be able to skip ranks in battles.
A Tier 8 Arcanist could use a Sacred Spell to defeat a Tier 9 Mage.
"So, this goddess is special."
Everyone rolled their eyes.
"I still cannot wrap my head that Aqua is the goddess worshipped by the Axel Church," said Darkness.
"Forget about her. What about my results?" asked Megumin.
"Your Crimson Magic Clan's DNA has been modified to grant all of you a high talent for magic," Fleur responded this time.
"That's it?"
Fleur smiled but did not say anything further. They all knew she was even more valuable than Aqua. Her DNA can be analyzed and recreated. And once that is done, it means that the Empire will enter the era where every single individual can be Arcanist through genetic engineering.
What's more, the Crimson Magic Clan's bloodline is a Tier 3 one, so it is guaranteed that every citizen will eventually reach that level.
'This might not be good news for the safety and governing of the citizens,' thought Hermione. Currently, 95% of citizens have practiced [Aura Method] since it is now mandatory. So, even the average citizen can easily lift a ton.
At first, controlling such a large population with superpowers was difficult, but they got things under control. Now, things will become even more complicated if all citizens can use magic.
'Well, let's leave all this trouble for Edward and Aunt Amelia to figure out.'
"Is that it? Are we done?" asked Kazuma.
"No, we still require many tests from the two of you over the next few months. However, you can go home for today."
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