We made our way down, using the intangibility function of our cloaks.

As we passed through the walls, like ghosts, Maria and I descended the stairs and have hidden passages that should have kept strangers away.

The building was structured in such a way that it had so many levels—even underground.

Mana Gems provided illumination, and the structure seemed to be built using a rather strong alloy as the base material.

The walls had a metallic gleam to it, but I chose not to focus on those for too long.

I sensed some activity in every floor, making me curious as to what exactly the Netherlores were doing in such secret underground structure.

‘Time to find out!’

Fortunately, I came prepared.

Summoning my Automatons—all of which had the Unknowable effect on them—I sent them to the various locations we bypassed.

‘That final spot underground… that’s the goal!’

I spotted so many Magic Traps and defences.l as we ventured deeper. Unfortunately for the Netherlores, none of them were going to be of any help.

They couldn’t sense Maria’s presence or mine. Besides, even if they could, we would simply pass through them.

‘It’s perfect!’

My heart somehow raced in both excitement and dread as we got close to the blot in space.

What I was sensing from there almost felt… forbidden.

‘Could this be it? The big Netherlore secret?’ My thoughts rang.

Soon, we arrived close to the point where Mana was basically nonexistent. Maria and I halted, now standing before a door.

‘I don’t know what exists beyond this door. It could be dangerous. If you want, I could teleport you away and take care of this myse—’

One glare from Maria made me realize I had said something unnecessary.

~We’ve already come this far together. Let’s end this the same way.~

I couldn’t agree any more.

As we both nodded while grinning ear to ear—at least, it felt like that was the expression she made.

‘Alright. Why don’t we pass through this—’

As I touched the large metallic wall, my body felt hard and stiff.

“U-uh?”

I wasn’t intangible—or invisible—any longer.

‘What in the…?!’

It was unexpected, but the Unknowable effect on my hand had gone.

Realizing this, I quickly removed it from the metallic wall—causing another strange phenomena to occur.

‘It returned to its invisible state…?’

Why? What was happening?

‘Could it be Anti-Magic?’

No—my Unknowable was a product of the Tower Arcana. I extrapolated one of it’s space-bending functions to allow myself become intangible and non-visible.

Kind of like I was at a particular place, and also not there at the same time.

Anti-Magic couldn’t interfere with Laws that complicated. It simply offset the effects of Magic made from Mana and Miasma.

Besides… this didn’t feel like Anti-Magic.

There was no trace of Mana or Miasma behind the door.

There was no trace of anything!

“We’ll have to destroy this door. There’s a possibility we’ve already been compromised. To get what we want, we’re going to have to love quickly.”

Magic perhaps wouldn’t work, even if I attempted to destroy the door with it.

‘Let’s find out.’

********

>SHUUUUUUUU<

The moment my Mana or Miasma attack touched the surface.of the door, it dissipated. There was no resistance at all. The Spell simply melted away into nothingness.

‘This is serious. So it doesn’t just offset the Spell or disrupt the process… this stuff simply kills it.’

As I observed the door, I wondered what kind of element it was.

If only I could use Magic on it, things would be much easier, but it just looked like a pitch-black metal door.

~What should we do now? Give up?~ Maria’s thoughts echoed in my head.

Give up? Me?

It appeared Maria Helmsworth did not know me very well.

When confronted with impossible tasks like this, I found it very hard to detach myself from exploring all the possibilities.

Unless every single route was cut off, I wouldn’t stop! This obsession was a great strength of mine, but also a flaw.

As I pondered on what next to do, a sudden thought sparked in my mind.

‘Hm… why don’t I try this?’

I reached out for my Subspace and brought out a card. It was, of course, an Arcana—one of the two that I had currently had in my possession.

‘Strength.’ I smiled at the glowing card.

It gleamed with its usual malleable energy—taking fluid-like form and several colors whole warbling.

I somehow had the inclination that this would work. And so…

‘What Spell should I try with this? Maybe a Fireball?’

>VWUUUUUSSSHHHH<

Before I even completed my thought, the Arcana’s took the form of glowing ember, and flames suddenly manifested in front of me.

The intensity was unlike anything I had ever felt, though it was in minimal form.

‘It… read my mind and generated the Spell?’

I hadn’t fully deciphered the capabilities of Strength, but at this point I was understanding even more.

‘The energy I’m sensing from it isn’t Mana or Miasma. It’s something else entirely…’

However, compared to what was behind the door, the power of Strength felt better… more familiar.

‘I can’t explain it, but… it feels so different, yet so familiar.’

Two new different forms of power were currently evident before me. And I had no idea what to call them!

‘What matters now is that I don’t think the door can resist this fireball. I’ll think about the rest later. For now… let’s get what we want!’

~Agreed.~

The fireball spun as I directed it at the door.

>BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<

The door was instantly destroyed—burned to nothing.

‘A-ah!’

That wasn’t all!

The blazing trail kept burning through everything, until it finally died out.

I was amazed by the destructive capability of a single ball of flames—something that would qualify as Basic Magic by normal standard.

Sure, I knew it was denser and more powerful than a normal fireball, but not to this extent!

As I watched the simmering hot smoke and glowing embers left behind by the flame’s attack, I was beyond shocked.

‘E-everything in its path… got destroyed!’