The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 490: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, - 2: Lost Civilization

Chapter 490: Volume 11: Misty Cage and Smoke Lock, Chapter 2: Lost Civilization

"Lome, we still need to further observe the power enhancement of Bear," Komer said. "Although it seems that he has no major issues with defense and reaction capabilities, for a successful Undead Warrior, these are just the most basic requirements. As practitioners of Dark Spells, we need to not only restore his inherent reflex abilities but also gradually uncover his learned reflex abilities..."

"For example, when encountering an enemy attack, you only need to give him a hint, and he will be able to use every method he had employed in his previous life to launch attacks against the enemy during hand-to-hand combat. Of course, not every Zombie Warrior can achieve this ability, as it requires the Zombie to have been formed under considerably good conditions. As a Silver Corpse, Bear is already basically qualified, but a Silver Corpse is the foundation for cultivating a Golden Corpse, and to make Bear an outstanding Golden Corpse, we need to ensure a more solid foundation at the Silver Corpse stage."

Like a tutor full of love and patience, guiding gently, there was a tone of kindness in Komer’s voice.

The student before him, full of curiosity, was like a blank slate, akin to a newborn baby. In erasing all her memories, Komer inevitably changed many of her life habits related to the Church of Light, necessitating that Komer provide constant guidance in her everyday life so she could have a completely new beginning.

It should be said that the student was exceptional in every aspect, especially in her extraordinary talent for absorbing magical knowledge, which increasingly attracted Komer like a magnet.

Naming the nameless zombie with a pet-like moniker was a compromise reached between Komer and Lome after a lengthy debate. After seeing the Bear Head Emblem of the Caucasus Lord, Lome stubbornly insisted on giving the zombie such a somewhat comical and warm name. Komer eventually had to overthrow his own thoughts and agreed, albeit with a mouthful and a sense of indescribable absurdity and ridiculousness when spoken out loud.

"Oh, Lome understands. The Great sage hopes that Bear will have a good start at the Silver Corpse stage, which will be beneficial for his future development. Is that what the Great sage means?"

With a slightly mischievous tilt of her head, a knowing smile appeared on the girl’s face. Her delicate and tender features were like a flower bud freshly nourished by dew, exceptionally fresh and lovely. She looked both proud and expectant, as if waiting for Komer’s praise.

"Yes, Lome is right. The firmer the foundation, the better the achievements will be later on. Bitterness first, sweetness later - that is the essential path in cultivating one’s abilities." Although it was an insignificant matter, seeing the expectant look on her face, Komer couldn’t help but feel a surge of affection, and he praised her.

The girl’s face flushed with Komer’s praise, and the gleam in her eyes brought Komer a familiar sense. It seemed he had seen the same look in the eyes of another girl. But at this moment, he seemed quite willing to enjoy the gaze of adoration and reverence that was tinged with other emotions.

The zombie known as Bear continued to leap and maneuver tirelessly in the room, the stiletto in its hands emitting a dark glow that, although still flickering, had extended more than an inch, indicating that the Fighting Qi it activated was beginning to materialize.

Under the surge of Fighting Qi, iron balls and projectiles flew past continuously, but none could break through the screen created by the sweeping stiletto. Even the iron balls that struck head-on only sparked upon impact and were deflected, fully demonstrating that the zombie’s strength had improved by leaps and bounds from before.

Seeing the dancing figure in the room, Komer couldn’t suppress the pride in his heart. Even while training Lome, he never neglected to cultivate and enhance the zombie’s abilities. After all, it was truly the most critical aide that could ultimately serve him; in dangerous moments, it could even sacrifice itself to save the master. Its strength directly determined Komer’s own power.

With a mental prompt, the zombie’s movements immediately halted.

Komer activated the Cosmic Bag in his hand, which slowly bulged, and the opening became as if it was ready to absorb heaven and earth, creating a distortion around it. The zombie darted into the bag with a swift motion, followed by a series of spells, and the Cosmic Bag gradually shrank back to the size of a palm.

The girl, witnessing such a scene for the first time, couldn’t hide the surprise and excitement on her face. It was like something out of a fantasy fairy tale: a nearly two-meter tall zombie, which had just been moving about, was suddenly contained within this strange cloth bag, and then quickly shrank to the size of a palm. Could this be another form of Magic?

It seemed to exceed the knowledge within her cognitive framework.

"Great Sage, what is this Magic? How can this be? Where’s Bear? Has he been shrunk, too? Oh, Hades, the god of darkness, what are you doing?" A burst of questions spilled out, perhaps because she found the phenomenon too incredible. The girl quickly grabbed Komer’s arm, her voice trembling with impatience as she asked.

"Lome, stay calm, keep calm. Calmness is a fundamental quality that a mage must possess. Have you forgotten the words I’ve admonished you with? A qualified mage must maintain an absolutely peaceful state of mind under any circumstances."

Although Komer was very fond of the genuine confession before him, the instinctive to mentor still prompted him to remind the other with a serious expression hidden under his mask. However, the gentleness in his tone betrayed his real thoughts.

With a shy flick of her tongue, a blush spread across the lovely cheeks of the girl. Perhaps feeling that she had behaved inappropriately, yet in front of her own mentor alone, she didn’t think there was anything improper about it.

"Great Sage, this is all so amazing. What is this pouch in your hand? How can it even contain Bear and become so small? Lome can hardly believe her eyes."

"Hehe, Lome, this is nothing but a somewhat valuable magical instrument, or you could even call it a divine artifact. It’s a magical instrument left to me by my master. It has a quite novel name, the Cosmic Bag."

The girl’s eyes, like the morning stars, always made Komer feel a sense of guilt, as if he were committing a crime. Even though he kept reminding himself deep down, that sensation of guilt did not diminish as time passed. Isn’t life inherently sinful? Even the teachings of the Church of Light say so.

Isn’t it said in the Legal Classics that human life is original sin, and only by seeking redemption can one ascend to the Heavenly Temple and gain eternal life after death? If humans are vessels filled with sin, then why should they bear any more guilt? Drawing such a conclusion brought Komer considerable peace of mind.

"Cosmic Bag? What a strange name. Cosmos? What does that mean, Great Sage?" The girl’s curiosity was obviously much stronger than that of average people; while most would only be curious about the magical instrument itself, this girl seemed more interested in the origins of the instrument.

"This instrument is said to be related to the lost civilization. The meaning of the term ’cosmos’ is inexplicable within our known civilizations, but it’s said that within the records of the lost civilization, it should encompass a rather broad meaning. Er, if you ask me to explain, I can only say that I know nothing about it." Faced with the girl’s persistent digging, Komer felt an awkward sense of being tongue-tied for the first time.

"A lost civilization? Hmm, it seems like I’ve heard that term mentioned somewhere before; there’s a familiar feeling to it." The girl’s thoughtful frown gave Komer a start.

That the term resonated so sensitively and left such a deep impression on the girl, that even the mind-cleansing spell he had used couldn’t completely erase the mark from her spirit, inspired Komer to wonder what secrets the Church of Light held that could make the girl remember so vividly.

"Ah, Lome, there’s no need to brood over it. Before your magic practice went awry, I indeed discussed the lost civilization with you. You were very interested in the various arts contained within that lost civilization, and you always hoped to find relics of it. Unfortunately, you met misfortune while practicing magic, ah, it’s all my fault, you ended up in such a state."

Regret and self-reproach were written all over Komer’s face, and the pain deep in his heart seeped out through his eyes with no doubt, which made the girl feel even more guilty and unsettled.

"Great Sage, it’s not your fault. Although Lome doesn’t remember much about the past, she knows that it must have been her impatience that caused the disaster. If not for the Great Sage’s effort to save her, Lome might have gone mad by now. It is better this way; Lome really enjoys the current peace and tranquility. Being naive might be an unexpected gain; Lome does not need to worry about many past things. Really, Great Sage, Lome loves her current life, being able to follow the Great Sage in pursuit of the extremes of Magic Heaven is Lome’s greatest treasure and happiness."

The heartfelt words were so straightforward and sincere that they almost restored function to Komer’s tear ducts—a sensation not even Vero’s arrival had incited. Why did he feel so moved by what was clearly a fiction of his own making? Why did staining a blank canvas himself elicit such a poignant response?

Could it be that his scarred heart was becoming increasingly vulnerable, even moved by things he had designed himself?

Komer kept asking himself, what has become of him?