Chapter 1230
Rafael gave an awkward smile.
"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself. After all, this is Astral Academy's decision, so I can't guarantee anything. But I've received word that, barring any surprises, they'll be presenting that Astral Crystal for everyone to observe.
It's said the Astral Crystal contains countless inscriptions, and what each person sees inside is different—no one can say exactly how many runes it holds. All these years, not once has anyone seen the same inscription as another.
Whenever someone looks at the Astral Crystal, they gain unique insights, and it seems there's no end to what can be discovered.
The three deans of Astral Academy have devoted nearly their entire lives to studying the Astral Crystal. Astral Academy gathers the world's greatest alchemists, and for them, unraveling the crystal's secrets is a lifelong pursuit."
As Rafael spoke, a look of longing appeared on his face.
"For an alchemist who seeks truth, having such an unfathomable mystery to chase after—well, I suppose any alchemist would devote their whole life to it.
Archmage Leon, this is truly the best opportunity we've ever had. After all these years, no one has managed to unlock the crystal's secrets, so there's no need for us to expect that either.
All we need is a chance to observe the Astral Crystal and gain rare insights. For any alchemist, this is an opportunity you simply can't refuse. Surely, you're not planning to skip it?"
Leon thought for a moment. He had plenty of business to take care of in the Odin Kingdom anyway, so tagging along with Rafael to this alchemists' gathering sounded pretty good. Besides, he was genuinely curious about the Astral Crystal—if he could see it for himself, all the better.
"I'm not refusing. Let me handle some family matters, and then we can set off."
Once Leon had finished with the Merlin Family's affairs, he set out with Rafael, traveling in the same Floating Fortress Rafael had arrived in.
This Floating Fortress looked quite different from the combat models used by Skyhold Fortress. Its shape resembled a spindle-shaped, silver-white fish gliding through the air, with no visible seams and a metallic sheen that caught the light. The tip was razor-sharp.
Just from its shape, Leon could tell this thing was built for speed. It ran on Mana Crystals for power, making it perfect for long-distance travel.
If Leon had to fly to the Odin Kingdom himself, his natural demi-plane would keep him supplied with mana, so he wouldn't worry about running out. But other Sky Rank mages weren't so lucky—they couldn't afford to burn through mana so recklessly.
Boarding the Sky Runner, Leon found the interior surprisingly compact. The vessel was about a dozen meters long, with only three rooms for rest—clearly designed for Rafael's personal use. It was just right for one or two guests, but any more would be cramped.
As Leon stepped onto the Sky Runner, Rafael's face lit up with pride, like a child showing off his favorite toy.
"Hey, Archmage Leon, do you see any room for improvement on my Sky Runner?"
Leon glanced at Rafael and smiled, knowing full well he was showing off his Sky Runner. Still, Rafael's expression was sincere—he was genuinely asking for advice.
Leon spoke a few Law Sigils, which landed on the Sky Runner. Instantly, icy blue patterns appeared on its silver-white body, and a deep green Law Sigil floated at the front. Around it, the air seemed to part and flow away.
At the rear, a ring of brilliant crimson patterns emerged. In just a few seconds, the Sky Runner's upgrade was complete.
Rafael stared at the newly upgraded, even flashier Sky Runner, momentarily stunned.
Oh my god, I was just being polite—Archmage Leon actually went and improved it for me! And this upgrade... it made the Sky Runner nearly perfect in an instant.
The Gale Sigil at the front keeps clearing the air ahead, reducing resistance and boosting the Sky Runner's speed.
The frost patterns on the surface minimize friction with the air at high speeds, protecting the materials and cutting down on maintenance.
The flame pattern at the rear—could that be for explosive fire? Is it meant to harness the massive thrust of fire? That would take a ton of mana...
How long has it been? Archmage Leon's power keeps growing, and now his alchemy skills are this strong? I can't even make sense of those runes anymore—damn, and I'm already a Worldshaper!
After a few glances, Rafael realized he couldn't decipher much, but he'd always known Leon's alchemical talent far surpassed his own. He wasn't embarrassed, so he just asked directly.
"Archmage Leon, could you explain this to me...?"
Leon pointed to the front of the Sky Runner.
"That Law Sigil is the core, surrounded by three hundred eighty-nine Gale Sigils. They part the air to either side, perfectly matching the Sky Runner's shape. The redirected air gets funneled to the rear, creating a modest thrust. Overall, this boosts the Sky Runner's speed by forty percent.
The frost magic patterns on the surface form a spiral, reducing wear from air friction and generating a spiral thrust. It also creates a protective layer, like a hurricane shield.
The flame rune at the rear delivers a burst of fire for massive thrust. In three seconds, it can triple the Sky Runner's speed, and in ten seconds, it can ramp up to nine or ten times normal speed—but a Soul Mana Crystal can only sustain that for three minutes.
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Inside, there's a stabilization system made of Earth Sigils, which lightens the Sky Runner's weight and eases the massive pressure from sudden acceleration.
If there are mages below Title Archmage inside, it's best not to use maximum fire acceleration, or the sudden pressure could crush them..."
Leon patiently explained everything to Rafael. There was nothing to hide—he'd done this kind of research countless times while studying the Four Elemental Bombs, so tweaking the Sky Runner was no big deal.
But Rafael looked as if he'd seen a ghost, utterly shocked. He circled the Sky Runner a dozen times, went in and out another dozen, and finally emerged looking completely defeated.
"Archmage Leon, I was only joking before. Now you've made me feel like I haven't accomplished anything. You know, I built this Sky Runner myself after becoming a Worldshaper..."
Leon felt a bit embarrassed—he'd genuinely thought Rafael wanted him to upgrade the Sky Runner.
Before Leon could say anything, Rafael broke into a wide grin and lovingly stroked the Sky Runner, chuckling to himself.
"Hey, now this Sky Runner is better than almost anything built in Skyhold Fortress—no, it's even better than what those other Worldshapers have made.
Their Sky Runners can't match this speed—ten times faster, ha ha ha..."
Rafael kept laughing strangely while Leon ignored him and walked into the Sky Runner. After all, this vessel was all about speed, not combat. For fighting, Skyhold Fortress had plenty of powerful Floating Fortresses—even the main city itself was a gigantic combat Floating Fortress.
Rafael and Leon hadn't even left yet when the Black Tower mages arrived. Coincidentally, some of them were also headed to the Odin Kingdom, so they joined the journey.
Once inside the Sky Runner and after sealing the hatch, Rafael eagerly rushed to the control room. He casually slotted a Level-35 Mana Crystal into the energy supply slot.
The Mana Crystal's immense energy was quickly drawn out, activating all of the Sky Runner's systems—especially those that Leon had just upgraded.
From the outside, the Sky Runner shot skyward. A gale drill enveloped its front, clearing the air ahead, while the pressure from the air itself pushed the vessel forward.
As mana flowed, a spiraling wind surrounded the Sky Runner, and the brilliant crimson pattern at the rear lit up. Suddenly, a stream of fire burst out for several meters.
In a flash, the Sky Runner vanished from its original spot. A second later, it reappeared hundreds of meters away, and within seconds, it was moving faster than the speed of sound. Inside, there was no sign of the deafening roar or vibrations.
After sitting down, Leon promptly cast a mana shield on himself, then calmly watched Rafael.
Sure enough, as soon as the Sky Runner accelerated, Rafael's body was flung against the control room's rear wall, as if he'd been slapped by an invisible hand. He stuck fast to the metal wall, his face turning so red it looked like he might bleed. Only after casting a mana shield did he feel a little better, though the force still pinned him in place.
Leon sat unmoving with a faint smile. Three minutes later, the Sky Runner's speed stabilized and Rafael fell off the wall, scrambling to the controls to cut the flames at the rear. As the vessel dropped below supersonic speed, the thunderous roar finally exploded like a clap of thunder.
Rafael, pale-faced, glanced at Leon, who had cast a silence barrier around himself.
"Archmage Leon, isn't this a bit... a bit extreme?"
Rafael was still shaken. He remembered Leon's warning: below Title Archmage, a mage could be crushed to death if the Sky Runner was pushed to full power. That really wasn't an exaggeration...
Even as a Sky Rank mage, caught off guard, he ended up plastered to the wall like a gecko. Any mage below Title Archmage would have their shields shattered instantly...
The pressure was like someone casting a gravity spell dozens of times over—every drop of blood and every organ was squeezed.
If you're not careful, you really could die from this...
Rafael, pale-faced, grumbled, but then glanced outside and fell silent.
"Oh my god, it's only been a few minutes and we've already traveled over a hundred kilometers? Ha, perfect! Archmage Leon, I take back what I said. I apologize—this is the most perfect upgrade I've ever seen!"
The Sky Runner was originally designed for personal travel and escape—especially the latter.
Without precise coordinates, even a third-tier Sky Rank mage can't open a Portal Gate and cross nearly two hundred kilometers in just a few minutes!
With this, you have a lifeline in dangerous situations. If you run into a spatial storm or elemental tempest, you can't open a Portal Gate to escape.
The only option is flight, and even then, escaping such chaos is far from guaranteed. Many mages—even Sky Rank mages—have perished in these disasters, especially in the Endless Sea, where the deadliest threat isn't magical beasts or ocean races, but the unpredictable environment itself.
But with this, you may not be able to reach every corner of the Northend World, but your chance of survival in a crisis is far higher than other Sky Rank mages...
Rafael, still pale, forgot all about his earlier discomfort. Like he'd just gulped a dozen berserk potions, he howled in the cockpit, constantly testing the vessel's top speed.
The journey from the Merlin Family to the border of the Andalusia Kingdom and Odin Kingdom covers tens of thousands of kilometers. Normally, even aboard the fastest Sky Runner, it would take seven days. Now, Rafael managed it in just a day and a half...
Upon arrival, the Skyhold Fortress welcoming party was already waiting. A massive Skyhold Battleship, nearly two hundred meters long, hovered in midair, and Rafael's Sky Runner landed atop it.
Through the Sky Runner's interior, Leon saw the Skyhold Battleship outside, his eyes flashing with interest.
This type of Skyhold Battleship is the prototype for the Arcane Battleships that would one day conquer the Endless Unrest in the Northend World.
When the Northend World reached its peak, it was impossible to count all the colonized planes. The greatest contributors weren't the unbelievably powerful mages who could destroy a plane single-handedly...
It was the Arcane Battleships—even an older one, manned by a few archmages, could conquer a small plane.