Chapter 541 542-Ingenious 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.


    Clearly, the iron pot wasn''t something Jelia had been carrying around.


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


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


    Monka had already set his ns in motion.


    Whatever his intentions, Gick couldn''t ess the vige''s secrets without confronting him.


    As long as Monka remained alive, the vigers of the forest settlement stood united as one.


    How would Gick deal with Monka?


    Assassination? Imprisonment?


    Neither seemed like viable strategies.


    Such conventional tactics wouldn''t catch a figure as prepared as Monka unawares.


    Besides, killing him directly would likely eliminate thest person knowledgeable about all the vige''s secrets.


    "It''s quite the predicament," Ali remarked, though her face betrayed a sense of schadenfreude.


    It''s natural, after all.


    Seeing one''s adversary in trouble brings a special kind of joy.


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


    True hatred doesn''t choose means, doesn''t care about onlookers'' gaze, and seeks only the demise of its object.


    That''s the essence of pure loathing.


    It appeared the contents of the pot were nearly done.


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


    Roronora, too, had his own bowl.


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


    With a sigh, Ali stood up: "After we finish eating, Roronora, you''reing with me. Regardless of how the vigers decide, it''s time we made our move."


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


    "Understood."


    Though uncertain of Ali''s n, Roronora knew that since Jelia had instructed him to follow Ali, he wouldply with her directives.


    With a nod, his focus returned to his bowl.


    A twitch flickered at the corner of Ali''s eye.


    Was she truly less important than a bowl of stew?


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


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


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


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


    While the final deductions were yet iplete, the necessary conditions and constraints were in ce.


    Whoever would continue the work, the oue would remain unchanged.


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


    Following the booklet''s logic, Ali, with her solid foundation, made rapid progress.


    Spell runes were deciphered and constructed one after another.


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


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


    It wasn''t unheard of for malevolent predecessors to leave halfpleted 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 wed at a crucial juncture, resulting in a copsing matrix and rampant mana.


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


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


    Acquiring it from someone else would serve the same purpose.


    The key was making it believable as harmless.


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


    Constructing the foundational rune didn''t take Ali much time; this wasn''t particrly challenging, and any magus with a solid foundation couldplete it within half an hour.


    It''s worth noting that inbat, constructing a rune of simrplexity would need to bepleted in no more than ten seconds.


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


    With only thirty basic runes, while not arge number, theirbination could push the limits of a level 3 magus.


    "Nowes the most dangerous part."


    If 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,cking sufficient lethality.


    If Ali were to set a trap, she would certainly ce it in the linking structure that followed thepletion of the foundational runes.


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


    Generally, 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 toplement the matrix itself.


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


    As the mostplex part of the matrix, issues here are the hardest to inspect.


    And if problems arise at this stage, the matrix could copse during mid-charge or during a preunch stress test!


    Then, it would explode like a bomb.


    What should aplete and functional spell matrix look like?


    The 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.


    The entire system operates in an orderly manner, much like a well-regted empire.


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


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


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


    However, most human magi would only face death.


    "What an ingenious concept."


    Observing 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.


    This was theplete form of the matrix from the booklet found in Code 19''s Space Ring.


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


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


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


    What she desires is the "key" from the other booklet!


    This simple rule-based encryption is apletely different concept from theplex spell encryption on the Space Ring.


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


    destruction, is ultimately based on the properties of mana.


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


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


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


    Time is precisely what Alicks the most!


    If she can''t decrypt this intelligence quickly, the booklet will be nothing more than waste paper after this period.


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


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


    While this effect is undeniably impressive, as mentioned before, itcks relevance.


    Neither as a magus nor to Ali personally does this spell matrix reveal sufficient value.


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


    Ali felt a tinge of disappointment.


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


    Yet, the oue was beyond her expectations.


    Perhaps Code 19 never intended to leave a "key" behind.


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


    The true answer to this question nowy only with Code 19.


    With a sigh, Ali regrouped her thoughts.


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


    Gick''s power was undoubtedly limited.


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


    Magi of higher calibers weren''t individuals who could be easilymanded; they were akin to strategic deterrence in tactics and strategy.


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