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n?Watching Jelia with her eager, almost cat-like anticipation, Ali simply shook her head, unsure how much of her advice had actually been absorbed.

nClearly, the iron pot wasn’t something Jelia had been carrying around.

nAnd the wild vegetables simmering within it, while abundant outside, were still sourced from the wilderness.

nFortunately, Code 19 was dead, and Gick’s attention wouldn’t be on them for the time being.

nMonka had already set his plans in motion.

nWhatever his intentions, Gick couldn’t access the village’s secrets without confronting him.

nAs long as Monka remained alive, the villagers of the forest settlement stood united as one.

nHow would Gick deal with Monka?

nAssassination? Imprisonment?

nNeither seemed like viable strategies.

nSuch conventional tactics wouldn’t catch a figure as prepared as Monka unawares.

nBesides, killing him directly would likely eliminate the last person knowledgeable about all the village’s secrets.

n“It’s quite the predicament,” Ali remarked, though her face betrayed a sense of schadenfreude.

nIt’s natural, after all.

nSeeing one’s adversary in trouble brings a special kind of joy.

nIf one doesn’t feel this satisfaction, then their so-called hatred might just be pretense.

nTrue hatred doesn’t choose means, doesn’t care about onlookers’ gaze, and seeks only the demise of its object. 𝘪.𝑐ℴ𝘮

nThat’s the essence of pure loathing.

nIt appeared the contents of the pot were nearly done.

nAli watched as Jelia served herself a portion in a bowl, taking it to a stone to start eating with some bread.

nRoronora, too, had his own bowl.

nIt seemed Ali was on the verge of resorting to eating with her hands.

nWith a sigh, Ali stood up: “After we finish eating, Roronora, you’re coming with me. Regardless of how the villagers decide, it’s time we made our move.”

nSeizing the moment while Gick’s attention was tied up with Monka presented the perfect opportunity to strike.

n“Understood.”

nThough uncertain of Ali’s plan, Roronora knew that since Jelia had instructed him to follow Ali, he would comply with her directives.

nWith a nod, his focus returned to his bowl.

nA twitch flickered at the corner of Ali’s eye.

nWas she truly less important than a bowl of stew?

nShe decided to step outside for some fresh air before her frustration reached a boiling point.

nNavigating through the increasingly narrow passageway, Ali emerged once more into the embrace of sunlight.

nThis was the moment to test the spell matrix from the booklet.

nSurveying the tranquil surroundings, Ali seated herself cross-legged atop the mound, pulling out the booklet filled with the unfinished spell matrix equations.

nWhile the final deductions were yet incomplete, the necessary conditions and constraints were in place.

nWhoever would continue the work, the outcome would remain unchanged.

nLike a math problem, the tools and methods might vary, but the correct result is always singular.

nFollowing the booklet’s logic, Ali, with her solid foundation, made rapid progress.

nSpell runes were deciphered and constructed one after another.

nWith each rune solved, Ali immediately materialized it with her mana.

nBefore fully constructing the matrix, Ali had to ensure that it wasn’t some kind of devastating trap.

nIt wasn’t unheard of for malevolent predecessors to leave half-completed equations on paper, leading those who followed to believe they’d discovered some secret technique, only to end up with a self-destructing matrix or to find the equation fundamentally flawed at a crucial juncture, resulting in a collapsing matrix and rampant mana.

nWho knew if Code 19 had learned such a trick to ensnare the unwary?

nGiven Code 19’s matrix construction abilities, deceiving Ali would be quite the challenge, but it wasn’t necessarily all his own work.

nAcquiring it from someone else would serve the same purpose.

nThe key was making it believable as harmless.

nLike a lie interwoven with verifiable truths, it was most effective.

nConstructing the foundational rune didn’t take Ali much time; this wasn’t particularly challenging, and any magus with a solid foundation could complete it within half an hour.

nIt’s worth noting that in combat, constructing a rune of similar complexity would need to be completed in no more than ten seconds.

nFor a magus specializing in spells, time was life, and the length of a battle could equate to the span of life itself.

nWith only thirty basic runes, while not a large number, their combination could push the limits of a level 3 magus.

n“Now comes the most dangerous part.”

nIf Code 19 were to tamper with anything, he wouldn’t choose the foundational runes, as those could easily be detected and the user could abandon them if things went south, lacking sufficient lethality.

nIf Ali were to set a trap, she would certainly place it in the linking structure that followed the completion of the foundational runes.

nThe spell matrix is divided into three parts: foundational rune, linking structure, and external unit.

nGenerally, the foundational rune determines the functional scope of the matrix, the linking structure determines the matrix’s functional efficacy, and the external unit, not always necessary, is used to enhance certain functions or to complement the matrix itself.

nTampering with the linking structure means that no abnormalities would be detected until the user begins charging the matrix.

nAs the most complex part of the matrix, issues here are the hardest to inspect.

nAnd if problems arise at this stage, the matrix could collapse during mid-charge or during a pre-launch stress test!

nThen, it would explode like a bomb.

nWhat should a complete and functional spell matrix look like?

nThe various foundational runes act as the matrix’s fulcrum, the intricate linking structure serves as the skeleton for mana flow, and the diverse external units provide new mana pathways.

nThe entire system operates in an orderly manner, much like a well-regulated empire.

nIn such a structure, stability is always the primary concern, followed by the overall performance level.

nAfter all, humans use the spell matrix, and no human can withstand such a potent mana shock without injury.

nIf a different species encounters an issue, they might correct it with their extraordinary racial talents.

nHowever, most human magi would only face death.

n“What an ingenious concept.”

nObserving the halo floating in the air, with a disk about the size of two palms at the heart of the hazy luminescence, a spell matrix suspended there, emanating a soft golden glow that turned the surrounding mana mist into a pale gold.

nThis was the complete form of the matrix from the booklet found in Code 19’s Space Ring.

nA spell matrix of unclear function, currently demonstrating only the capabilities for powerful mana condensation, purification, and solidification.

nWhile potentially useful for cultivation or creating specific mana environments, it holds no significance for Ali.

nIf it were merely a matrix for this purpose, she has access to many superior alternatives.

nWhat she desires is the “key” from the other booklet!

nThis simple rule-based encryption is a completely different concept from the complex spell encryption on the Space Ring.

nSpell encryption, though intricate and with the risk of self-

ndestruction, is ultimately based on the properties of mana.

nDraining the mana directly renders any encryption spell ineffective, meaning spell encryption can be forcefully solved, even quickly.

nHowever, the rule-based encryption in the booklet differs significantly.

nSetting aside whether a brute-force solution even exists, if there is one, the time required to break it poses a huge problem.

nTime is precisely what Ali lacks the most!

nIf she can’t decrypt this intelligence quickly, the booklet will become nothing more than waste paper after this period.

nThe spell matrix rotates slowly, its pale golden light faint yet stable.

nWithin a radius of thirty meters, mana converges into a space of three meters in radius, effectively increasing mana concentration tenfold!

nWhile this effect is undeniably impressive, as mentioned before, it lacks relevance.

nNeither as a magus nor to Ali personally does this spell matrix reveal sufficient value.

n“It seems I must find another way. This spell matrix might have been useful to Code 19, but it’s utterly useless to me.”

nAli felt a tinge of disappointment.

nInitially, her hopes were high, as all signs pointed to this being the key she sought.

nYet, the outcome was beyond her expectations.

nPerhaps Code 19 never intended to leave a “key” behind.

nMaybe he had contemplated it but ultimately feared his secrets being exposed and chose not to preserve it.

nThe true answer to this question now lay only with Code 19.

nWith a sigh, Ali regrouped her thoughts.

nIf there were no shortcuts available, then she would face the challenge head-on, fair and square.

nGick’s power was undoubtedly limited.

nHe could mobilize magi up to the first level at most.

nMagi of higher calibers weren’t individuals who could be easily commanded; they were akin to strategic deterrence in tactics and strategy.

nThe extent of destruction a special-level magus could unleash was beyond ordinary imagination.

n𝑖.𝘤ℴ𝘮

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