Serena and the Mysterious Labyrinth - Chapter 223

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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223. Encounter with Magic

After finishing a light walk following breakfast, Serena and Neet sat before Countess Nex.

“Cough. Is Grey oppa learning with us too?”

“I should learn what I don’t know.”

The Old Man seemed excited to learn theory of an unfamiliar attribute, even if just theory.

“Duke Pein has a fine successor.”

Serena explained to Countess Nex the complicated blood relationship between Grey and Duke Pein.

There was no need to forbid spreading the rumors circulating in the Royal Palace. Countess Nex had no interest in gossip and never left her research lab.

Even if she heard rumors, she was a rational and mature adult who wouldn’t speak of them.

Countess Nex envied the Imperial Archmage for having Grey as a grandson(?), burning with scholarly passion, then looked at the Princess guarding Neet’s side and smiled faintly.

“Will Lady Serena also attend the lessons?”

“I’m curious about the theory, at least.”

“Good thinking, Your Highness. One should learn what one can.”

The lesson proceeded smoothly. Serena marveled at Neet’s memory that never forgot what she heard once, and Neet was amazed by the Princess’s comprehension that quickly understood the theories she heard.

“After learning 1st-tier Speak with Dead magic, the next appropriate magic to learn is Corpse Explosion, also 1st-tier. Following that would be 2nd-tier Animate Dead and Corpse Repair magic. Raise Dead, the flower of death attribute magic, is 3rd-tier, so to command undead, the first three magics are essential even excluding Corpse Explosion.”

“What’s the difference between Animate Dead and Raise Dead magic? Aren’t they both magic for commanding undead?”

“Grey. That’s a sharp question. That very point is the decisive difference between the necromancy circulating in the world and the power granted to us by the great mystery through death’s permission.”

Happy to teach only intelligent students, life returned to the always pale Countess’s face.

“Animate Dead is literally magic that only controls corpses. At this time, the corpse can attack targets designated by the mage or move to destinations, but won’t move without set objectives. It won’t attack or react even if living beings are in front of it. It’s closer to a corpse moved by object manipulation than undead.”

An explanation of Raise Dead magic followed.

“Raise Dead is magic that breathes soul into a corpse to awaken and enable movement. To breathe soul into a corpse, the mage must contract with the soul. Unlike necromancy where evil practitioners unilaterally desecrate the deceased, this is different. The mage directly converses with the deceased, matches conditions to contract, and can draw out all the deceased’s lifetime power and wisdom.”

‘Ah. That’s why Speak with Dead magic is the most basic.’

“Since this contract proceeds with death’s permission, undead awakened by true necromancers don’t hate the living upon seeing them, and have less of the undead’s characteristic miasma and negative energy. I’ve read records of undead awakened by excellent necromancers being nearly indistinguishable from living people.”

Indeed, officially contracted magic was different from necromancy.

“Usually undead are said to be stronger the closer they are to death. But undead commanded by necromancers are the opposite. The closer to the date of death. That is, the further from death, the stronger they are. This is because the great wisdom considers death’s domain. Death is absolutely unavoidable. So as time passes, souls grow closer to death and lose their memories, reason, and rationality from life. Massive amounts of mana are needed to delay this.”

The Royal Mage of Heuji gazed at the child who was in crisis of her body bursting from too much innate mana.

“Lady Neet doesn’t need to worry about mana. I can see why the brilliant magic took notice of Lady Neet.”

Death attribute requires more mana than other attributes.

Neet, who had talent in death attribute plus abundant mana, overflowed with the qualities of a great necromancer.

“Now that you’ve learned Corpse Explosion theory, try performing the ritual to acquire it. Lady Serena and Grey.”

“I want to try Speak with Dead magic too! I want to do it!”

“I’ll try it too.”

From high tiers it’s good to focus on decided attributes, but for low-tier magic, the more the better. Magic learned this way becomes the foundation for high-tier magic of other attributes.

Serena, Neet, and Grey performed the ritual simultaneously to save incense.

Closing her eyes and concentrating, the Princess’s consciousness contacted the most merciful deity’s thoughts in the heavens.

“Mortal. What brings you to seek me? 1. Praise and proof of faith-.”

“42. New magic learning, great Magic!”

Enduring the terrible automated response she encountered every time, Serena raised her voice.

“You have chosen new magic learning. State the tier of magic you wish to learn.”

“Number 1, 1st-tier, beautiful Magic!”

“You have chosen 1st-tier magic. State the attribute of magic you wish to learn.”

From here, Serena concentrated her mind. There were tremendously many attributes, and the order was always random.

It would be troublesome to miss the desired attribute while blankly listening to the enumerated attributes.

“Number 4, death.”

Her luck was good this time too. Serena immediately shouted.

“Number 4, death attribute, merciful knowledge!”

Would she indeed be able to learn Speak with Dead magic?

As Serena’s heart beat roughly with tension, the deity’s thoughts spoke a sentence Serena had never heard before.

“Mortal. You are not qualified to learn this magic.”

It wasn’t that the God of Magic granted power but Serena was insufficient to learn it. The god refused to grant power at all.

As Serena panicked, contact with the deity’s thoughts didn’t end.

‘Does it return to the automated response beginning? I should be close enough to death, so why can’t I learn the magic?’

“Because, mortal.”

The thoughts that had been gently pressing on Serena’s mind and soul lifted. Serena hadn’t awakened from meditation.

Not the weak thoughts the deity left considering mortals. The truly generous and merciful god residing in the heavens appeared before Serena.

“You have never truly died yet.”

A crow perched on a roost cawed and preened its wing feathers with its beak. At first glance it seemed like a single eye, but looking closely at the giant eye revealed tiny eyes clustered densely together.

Like soap bubbles, like pomegranate seeds, like dividing cells seen in biology textbooks, hundreds and thousands of tiny clustered eyes shone in various colors like raw magic stones seen in the mining site.

One eye with truth, one eye with authority, one eye with universe, one eye one eye one eye one eye one eye in countless many eyes!

Seeing this indescribably bizarre and beautiful deity’s eyes, Serena rolled dice in her head.

Rattle. Sanity check. Success!

‘Kyaaaah! What success!’

She tried to endure by rolling dice and imagining successful mental fortitude checks, but it was insufficient.

Serena’s mental strength instantly became 0.

Serena felt her soul being torn apart and turning to powder while clinging to consciousness.

Fortunately, the God of Magic was merciful.

“To think you cannot even endure this much, truly the minds of modern mortals are weak.”

Caw. The crow with tremendously many eyes closed its single eyelid. The pressure remained but reduced to a bearable level.

Serena felt her soul vibrating and bowed to Magic.

“Gr, gr, gr, great and merciful.”

“You seem to find it hard to endure, so I’ll speak only of business briefly. Death views you two favorites of the labyrinth with displeasure.”

This time her mind reeled for a different reason. Serena squeezed shut her soul’s eyes.

‘Of course it would be displeased! I blatantly ignored death!’

Die and return to save point. This was clearly trespassing on death’s domain.

She thought it was fine since it was an ability obtained by offering sacrifices to the Minotaur God, but apparently the two deities hadn’t reached agreement.

‘Then what happens? Can I no longer regress? If I die next time, is it over?’

Magic also seemed to read Serena’s thoughts like the labyrinth and opened its beak.

“Though displeased, there are laws against interfering in events within the labyrinth.”

Since save-loading was only possible inside the labyrinth, it seemed she barely hadn’t crossed the line.

As if she shouldn’t be relieved, the crow’s beak continued opening.

“However, the other favorite’s actions and the labyrinth that permits them are deeply concerning. If you oppose the other favorite, death’s anger will be appeased.”

The crow narrowly opened its closed eyelid and looked directly at Serena’s soul. Countless eyes penetrated Serena’s present, past, and even her life before reincarnation.

“Mortal. You have experienced death elsewhere. Though death is displeased and cannot permit related magic, I will allow this magic. You must not be greedy further.”

As the God of Magic granted different power to the mortal who craved mystery and power, Serena felt the new magic injected into her head and opened her eyes.

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Her soul hurt. It hurt far too much.

In pain she’d never experienced in two lifetimes, Serena shed streaming tears, clutched her head, and rolled on the floor.

“Lady Serena! What’s wrong!”

“Princess! Are you alright?”

“Did she contact the great mystery? Mark! Uncle! Sleeping medicine!”

“I just need to knock her out, right? Hup?”

“Miss Olive! That’s bloodletting! I’ll do it!”

Warm hands pressed firmly on specific pressure points near Serena’s neck. Thanks to this, Serena instantly fainted.

As consciousness flickered and she grew distant from pain, the crow returned as if remembering and cawed briefly. Caw caw.

‘Don’t learn strange things, next time learn mana field.’

Serena engraved the deity’s advice in her heart as she fainted.

The Princess who fainted in the morning only awakened when evening came.

“Huhuhuheung, Lady Serena. Are you alright?”

“Philia. My head is ringing, so if you’re going to cry, cry from far away.”

The maid kept her mouth tightly shut and only shed tears like silver beads, jade beads, and pearls. Serena received support from the maid to sit in the Princess’s exclusive chair and drank warm mint tea.

The soothing warmth in her mouth, throat, and stomach helped her regain her composure and energy.

Once the Princess’s condition improved, the mages flocked to her side.

“Your Highness. Did you meet the master of magic?”

“The great magic has taken notice of Lady Serena!”

Serena had nearly died and come back to life, yet the two mages’ voices were extremely excited. They looked like they wanted to hang banners at the Labyrinth entrance and throw a neighborhood festival if they could.

“I told you so. The brilliant magic would continue watching over Your Highness. You must be looking forward to the future, right? He told you to study hard, didn’t he?”

“Princess Serena. I believed in you. That Lady Serena would become the Grand Mage who would rewrite the history of Heuji magic. *sob sob*”

Serena shot cold glares at the two mages making a fuss on either side of her. Having only one eye made it inconvenient as she had to turn her head.

“Has Neet learned magic?”

“*Cough*. Yes. I succeeded on the third try. *Cough*.”

“What about Grey?”

“I couldn’t learn it. They said I have no talent. What about Your Highness?”

“He said I have no talent either. Instead, he taught me different magic.”

“What is it? What did he teach you?”

Serena frowned and examined the new magic she had learned.

Since she learned it instantly, she thought it must be one of the magics she already knew the theory for.

“Corpse Explosion?”

The God of Magic wouldn’t permit other death attribute magic, but taught her Corpse Explosion instead. The Princess of Heuji squeezed her single eye shut, wondering what kind of princess in the world goes around exploding corpses.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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