Joanna and Fars hurried to Agno, who had discovered the teleportation array. Fars, still skeptical, couldn't help but question whether this seemingly simple drawing of a magic circle was truly a teleportation array.
His limited knowledge and the few basic magic books he had perused during his apprenticeship led him to believe that teleportation arrays were supposed to be complex and intricate. Even a mage renowned for their mental prowess would find the detailed diagrams dizzying. Both long-distance and short-distance teleportation arrays were notoriously complicated, differing mainly in scale, but even those meant for short distances required a partial understanding of spatial laws, making them far from simple.
Masters who specialized in spatial laws had certainly worked hard to simplify the designs of teleportation arrays, creating versions that were easier to use. However, these simplified arrays were closely guarded secrets, passed only to their direct disciples and rarely shared with outsiders. Occasionally, they might be sold to royal families in exchange for substantial wealth or status. The only examples Fars had seen were the most complex and primitive designs, untouched by any simplification. These comprehensive introductions were indeed suitable for beginners, which is why they had remained classics in the magical texts for thousands of years.
Joanna quickly grasped why Fars was confused. Although her understanding of magic was also shallow, she was privy to many secrets that ordinary mages could only dream of. The precious tomes that many mages would never even glimpse were merely considered important books in her family, and her status granted her access to them. This was why members of prominent families, as long as they weren't completely inept, tended to have broader knowledge and perspectives. In contrast, the Derong family, which was gradually declining, had seen its titles and territories stripped away, and their various treasures snatched by hungry wolves eager to take a bite. When Fars was born, most of the items in his family's castle were newly acquired in the last century. The ancient furniture and decorations had long since fallen into the hands of some emerging noble family.
"This magic circle is indeed the same as recorded; it should be correct," Joanna said, not waiting for Fars to speak. "Don't underestimate this teleportation array's simplicity. It has been refined through countless iterations by masters, and the teleportation arrays within the Gonsago ruins are said to have been crafted by legendary masters of the spatial domain. You don't need to doubt its functionality. Just place the twelve magic crystals into the slots around the array, and I'll provide you with the incantation. As long as you don't mess up the pronunciation, it should work."
Her last few remarks were clearly directed at Fars, laced with a hint of sarcasm that would irk anyone. Fortunately, Joanna had clarified her doubts, and Fars decided not to hold a grudge this time.
Taking the slip of paper with the incantation from Joanna, Fars focused intently on studying it. The text was written in Ancient Nais, a language he found challenging. Joanna's knowledge didn't extend that far; after all, she wasn't a mage and couldn't guide Fars further. Whether he could pronounce it correctly depended solely on him. Meanwhile, Joanna filled the empty slots of the teleportation array with the magic crystals.
Magic crystals were not natural objects but were crafted by mages, infused with magical energy suitable for storage. Due to their customizable nature, their shapes and sizes could be specified, making them more practical than magic cores or natural crystal ores. However, in terms of the quality of stored magical energy, they couldn't compare to the magic cores produced by magical beasts over their lifetimes.
In addition to the gold and silver coins circulating in the mundane world, mages also used magic crystals as a standard medium of exchange. The quality of the crystal coins was classified into three tiers based on the amount of magical energy stored within. The lowest tier could store enough energy for a low-level spell, while higher-tier crystals contained enough energy for high-level spells. However, to store more magical energy, the crystals had to be larger, which made them less suitable for circulation. Joanna produced mid-tier crystal coins, just below high-tier ones, and twelve of these would provide far more energy than needed for a short-distance teleportation.
The incantation was not long. After attempting to memorize it twice, Fars managed to grasp it and informed Joanna. The three of them then stepped into the teleportation array. Deep, resonant Ancient Nais flowed from Fars's lips. This was his first time casting a spell in Ancient Nais, and although he wasn't supplying the magical energy himself, activating the array still placed considerable pressure on him. Most of the strain was mental; the array bore the brunt of the effort, leaving only a small portion for Fars to handle. He finally understood the heavy burden of using such ancient spells. No wonder it was said that only those at the level of a sorcerer could use them; even high-level mages could barely manage a simple ancient spell by exhausting their magical reserves, while the mental toll was another matter entirely.
After thousands of years of dormancy, the teleportation array activated once more, releasing a mysterious purple light that surged upward. The three figures within the array blurred and then vanished.
When their surroundings came back into focus, it was but a fleeting moment. Short-distance teleportation was remarkably swift; Fars barely had time to savor the sensation of being transported before they arrived at their true destination.
Before them lay a small stone chamber. Aside from the teleportation array on the floor, which resembled the one in the magic tower, the room was barren. The magical lamps hanging on the walls had long since extinguished, but Fars had no trouble seeing in the dark, and Joanna and Agno were enhanced with dark vision, making the absence of light inconsequential.
Gently pushing open the stone door, a wave of indescribable awe washed over them. It was hard to fathom how ancient people had excavated such a vast space underground and constructed so many buildings. Unlike the towering structures above ground, the underground did not boast soaring magical towers or magnificent castles. The highest point was only about ten meters, resulting in relatively low ceilings. Yet, the densely packed warehouse-like buildings were astonishing in number.
Joanna, accustomed to explaining things, had no qualms about continuing to share her insights with her dear teammates. Although she already knew what lay ahead and how it was arranged, seeing it with her own eyes was still breathtaking.
"The Gonsago ruins were originally built as something akin to an armory, but not one for producing swords and shields. Instead, it manufactured the rare magical crystal cannons and the firearms favored by dwarves during the Ancient Nais era. The dwarves today pride themselves on their craftsmanship, but they can't compare to the standards of the Nais era. Back then, the workers here were indeed dwarves. When the Nais era ended and the dwarves regained their freedom, they became the inheritors of this technology, forcing humanity to acknowledge their existence."
As Joanna began to share the secrets of the place, Fars listened attentively. She showed no signs of stopping, leading Fars and Agno out of the stone chamber. After choosing a direction, she continued, "When the mages withdrew, they slaughtered the laborers here, the dwarves. It's hard to say if any survived. The dwarves had an advantage underground, and during the millennia that Gonsago operated, they secretly excavated many hidden passages. It would have been difficult to wipe them out completely. Besides, the mages took most of the weapons with them, but the dwarves likely managed to carry off some as well. Fortunately, it was chaotic and hurried at the time, making it impossible to take everything. Among the few items our Medici family is determined to acquire is a blueprint for the firearms. Whether we can find it here depends on our luck."
"Since this was an armory, there weren't many traps or restrictions. The warehouse-like buildings are all abandoned factories. Our task is to systematically search this area for any remaining magical crystal cannons or firearms. Finding the blueprints would be ideal. If you happen to find them first, you can take a bit more than just the essentials we need. But don't think about hoarding; you know what the contract states." Finally, Joanna began to assign tasks. The three of them would each search a designated area and regroup in the stone chamber after a day, regardless of whether they found anything.
With the work assigned, how to proceed was up to Fars. He had no intention of exhausting himself searching for blueprints. Even if he found them, it would only benefit Joanna and Agno, leaving him with a few scraps. The contract didn't require him to help them find anything, so he could afford to slack off. He had previously discovered a diary in the magic tower, which piqued his interest.
The most important thing was that as long as this diary contained information about the ruins, Fars would at least gain some insights from it rather than relying solely on Joanna, who was far more cunning than he was. No one could tell how much of what she said was true or false, and he had to be cautious of any schemes she might have.
Entering a warehouse without hesitation, Fars found it cluttered with various scraps of metal and debris. The lower levels seemed to be sealed off, and while the place was messy, it wasn't particularly disgusting.
Clearing a space against the wall, he sat down with his diary, ready to read. Since the day he had slain Master Perugino, everyone had learned about Danis transforming into a great sword, and the phoenix-like cry had revealed her true identity. Fortunately, the contract protected them; as long as they remained in the Qihar Mountains, Joanna and Agno couldn't act against Fars, nor could they target Danis. While Fars had yet to see Joanna's summoned beast, he could tell from her eager gaze that it couldn't compare to Danis, the phoenix among birds. The little creature had been obedient these past few days, perhaps still digesting the souls of a sorcerer and a ground dragon, as it perched quietly on Fars's shoulder.
Since becoming a vampire, Fars found that all the written words he encountered seemed to be in Ancient Nais, which left him at a loss. Nais was already difficult to learn, and he hadn't put in much effort back then. Now, every time he encountered it, he had to wrack his brain.
The ancient magic apprentice who wrote the diary had also used pure Nais, and aside from the date at the top, Fars couldn't make sense of the rest of the text at a glance.