NOVEL NEXT Chapter 542 Chapter543-The Portal
A level 1 magus might still be within human capability to contend with, but once one breaks through the ceiling of a level 1 magus, they begin to truly tap into what is called "magic" - the power of miracles that human effort alone could never achieve, the domain of law-level spells.
Ali had once witnessed such earth-shattering power and experienced what it felt like to wield such a force.
It was indescribably wonderful, holding a beauty beyond imagination.
With a flick of her hand, Ali intended to dismiss the spell matrix before it reached its breaking point and collapsed, as any actual collapse would present some inconvenience.
At that moment, an unexpected change occurred! The spell matrix, which had been slowly rotating and gathering mana, suddenly accelerated.
Its rotational speed increased exponentially, as did the speed of mana condensation.
Huge mana currents surged towards the spell matrix's location!
This was bad! If this continued, the mana might explode outright.
The very next instant after the anomaly arose, Ali reacted.
A beam of mana light from her hand struck the spell matrix, attempting to forcibly halt its operation.
Although this could potentially cause the currently condensed mana to rampage, it was preferable to allowing more mana to accumulate and erupt simultaneously.
However, there was no response.
The spell matrix had slipped from her control.
"How can this be!"
Ali paused for a moment, then started to move faster.
Although she didn't understand why the matrix had become uncontrollable, ensuring the safety of the two people in the cave was now more critical than stopping the mana rampage.
A pure mana rampage wouldn't last too long or cover too vast an area.
As long as Jelia and Roronora left in time, they could completely avoid it.
But this meant someone had to stay behind to buy them more time.
Ali believed she was the best choice for that.
"Ali, what's happening?"
As Ali reached the entrance of the cave, Roronora was emerging with Jelia in tow.
Looking up to see the mana frenzy atop the mound, Roronora's expression shifted starkly.
The mana had been gathering before, but now its convergence was visibly unstable— a precursor to a mana rampage!
"A bit of an accident. Take Jelia and get out, not a hundred... but two hundred meters away!"
Ali tried to appear calmer than she felt.
The mana could erupt at any moment, and she couldn't risk Jelia and Roronora's safety.
"You're lying!" Jelia stared intently at Ali's face.
"This is definitely not an accident! If you die, I'll go to your grave and feast, and not leave you anything!"
Was such a threat effective against someone who had been cooking for months?
"Who's going to die, huh?"
Ali managed a smile.
Despite the danger, she had no intention of dying here.
And even if things turned dire, she still had a last resort, though deploying it would thoroughly derail her plans.
"Go now! Don't hesitate!"
With a deep look at Ali, Roronora scooped up Jelia and turned to leave.
Glancing at Roronora's retreating figure, Ali turned back to face the glowing orb of mana on the mound.
A rampage?
Was such a simple trap befitting of Code 19's intricate design?
This was no accident, but a trap laid by Code 19!
In the moment Ali attempted to control the matrix and failed, she understood—this was Code 19's trap!
The spell matrix wasn't as straightforward as the booklet suggested but was a special matrix designed to evolve and self-complete!
Gathering mana was merely a part of its function; its true purpose likely involved using the gathered mana to open a portal.
Within the brilliant golden mana orb, a white vortex slowly spread.
A vague figure appeared deep within the swirl, its crimson pupils glaringly bright.
Ali didn't know what lay on the other side of this portal, but she was certain of one thing: no good came through it, and those who came were up to no good.
The white vortex within the golden mana orb slowly expanded.
In the span of two breaths, the vortex grew to the height and width of two men, its oval shape radiating astonishing mana fluctuations, with the faint sound of a wild beast's roar emanating from its depths.
Ali stepped back, her body fully alert, with "Brave" ready to be activated at a moment's notice.
She had a foreboding feeling—this might be the gravest crisis she had ever faced.
Finally, a blurry figure emerged from the depths of the white vortex, those crimson pupils especially piercing.
The figure stepped out of the vortex with a mix of confusion and arrogance in its gaze, sweeping over the surroundings before settling on Ali's face, betraying fleeting emotions.
"Who are you? What have you summoned me for?"
The figure's features were obscured by the golden light, with only a pair of crimson eyes visible, resembling blood-red translucent gems—beautiful but deadly.
"If my memory serves me right... it wasn't you who summoned me last time, was it?"
The thought that Code 19 might have previously summoned this entity flashed through Ali's mind like lightning, unraveling several possibilities and corresponding strategies in an instant.
However, judging by the figure's current demeanor, it didn't seem to harbor any malice…
Did it have some kind of deal with Code 19? Or was there a contract in place?
Despite the lack of mana fluctuations from the figure, it gave Ali a sense of danger far surpassing any she felt with Code 19.
This implied the entity before her was more perilous than Code 19 had ever been.
"It seems you're unaware of the rules?"
The figure took a step forward, the golden glow on its face dimming slightly, its voice tinged with surprise and amusement.
"Daring to activate an unfamiliar spell matrix without knowing anything, aren't you reckless, little one? Aren't you afraid the spell matrix itself could be dangerous?"
Ali remained silent, but a sigh of relief quietly escaped her internally.
The existence of "rules" suggested that the figure's actions were constrained in some manner!
With that knowledge, she saw an opportunity!
Furthermore, from the figure's statements, it was clear Code 19 had struck some sort of deal with it, but it didn't seem to be a damning request like "kill the next summoner."
Was it a "wish"? Or perhaps some form of "exchange"?
Before understanding the figure's pattern of behavior, Ali decided to stay responsive to changes.
With virtually zero information at her disposal, any rash action could only worsen the situation.
"After all this, you show no reaction... no, wait, your eyes changed, didn't they? Wariness? Guardedness? You were unaware of my existence, yet you activated that spell matrix... This means you must have some connection with Code 19, and Code 19 harbored ill intentions... Did you kill him?"
Such acute intuition! From mere subtle details, the figure pinpointed the heart of the matter with a level of deductive skill no human could match.
Ali's alertness spiked, her skin prickling with tension.
The presence before her was profoundly unsettling.
Had she not been concerned about the sufficiency of "Brave's" power, Ali would have eliminated this figure the instant it appeared!
That tempestuous, chaotic sensation always reminded Ali of apocalyptic legends she had encountered in the past.
The mad gods within those tales always carried such an aura of chaos.
"Such trivial matters bear no significance to me. If you're worried that I might harm you for this reason, rest assured, I'm not so idle as to act against a human without cause."
"My name is Diabolos, from beyond this world. If you must assign me to a species, 'devil' is probably the most apt."
As he spoke, the brilliant golden glow on the figure's face finally dissipated entirely, revealing an excessively youthful visage to Ali's gaze.
Dark red lines meandered across his entire face, outlining a complex spell matrix structure.
His crimson eyes gleamed with excitement, while his mouth bore a proud and cold smile.
His words detonated like a bomb in Ali's mind, obliterating all thought.
Her senses seemed to desert her as if she had plunged into an endless abyss.
Devils are a race existing only in legend, unseen by any in reality, with only oral descriptions passed down through generations.
No one truly knows what devils are like.
They stand shoulder to shoulder with deities, whimsically appearing in the myths of various nations and races.
Their forms and nature are ever-changing, their true visages and alignments unknown.
But one thing Ali could affirm was that devils had vanished from the Avala Continent.
At least, that should have been the case.