LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 160
Chapter 160: The Guardian of the Mausoleum (5)
The Dragonblood Theo possessed originated from Lodbrok.
Naturally, the more strength Lodbrok regained, the more enhanced the performance of the Dragonblood would become.
Crunch, crackle—
Theo chuckled, feeling the pleasant sensation of changes occurring throughout his body, as he drew a magic tome.
-The Oathbound Tome.
“Is the content related to necromancy?”
-The False Kingdom of Demons.
“This is about the illusions and hallucinations created by lesser demons.”
-The Pinnacle of the Sage.
“Is this a theoretical book on celestial magic, blending magic and astrology?”
Indeed, as expected of the magical tomes preserved by the imperial family, the content was astounding in every respect.
Some of them were even familiar to Theo or interesting enough to catch his attention.
However, Theo decisively put them back.
‘Focus and prioritization. Anything that doesn’t supplement my swordsmanship is just a burden to me.’
Theo had only delved into magic because he believed it would assist him in combat, not to awaken his talent as a mage.
The same applied to the time magic system that the Magical Empress had passed on to him.
While Theo was absorbing the concept of the Time's Restraint, he was also contemplating how to incorporate it into his swordsmanship.
If his expectations were correct, time magic would undoubtedly be explosively beneficial to his growth.
‘That’s why I need a magical tome that can help me understand time magic.’
Even so, nothing he encountered truly appealed to him, and he began wondering if he should search another room.
Rustle...!
-Whoa, what’s this?
-Look at this! Analysis documents on the physical enhancement techniques of beastfolk that were lost even in our time!
-Understanding the Three Steps of World Ascension? Why is the Sword King’s secret technique here?
The ghosts of the Dragon Fang Corps quietly emerged from the Spirit Mausoleum Blade and scoured the library thoroughly.
-Hey! Look at what I found! Whoa, this is incredible!
Some of them even barged into the armory, shouting enthusiastically.
-Hey, Theo! Theo! Is it okay if we check these out?
Particularly those ghosts who had stumbled upon advanced secret techniques—ones difficult to encounter even in their time—were flushed with excitement.
“Yes, it’s fine to look at them, but you might not be able to damage them or take them outside carelessly.”
-Huh? We can’t take them outside?
“Indeed. According to the Magical Empress, most of them are protected by security magic, so while they can be used freely inside the vault, taking them outside would immediately alert the imperial family.”
-Damn! I was planning to study them leisurely outside!
-Looks like we’ll have to memorize every single word in here.
-This one’s 600 pages long! When am I supposed to memorize all this? Ugh!
-It might be hard for an idiot like you, but for a genius like me, famous since childhood, it’s perfectly doable. Keh keh keh!
-I may not show it, but when I put my mind to it, I’m amazing too!
The reckless ghosts started grabbing at each other’s collars again, but most of them soon settled down, sitting in their spots and diving into the books they had chosen.
The knowledge and insights they gained would soon become Theo’s as well.
Theo, finding this situation intriguing, made a peculiar expression as he finally reached the last magic tome.
-Belphegor.
“The Demon of Sloth.”
Like Amon, it was a demon diametrically opposed to dragons.
Moreover, as a grand duke, it was well-known enough that even Theo was familiar with it.
Theo wondered how one of the seven deadly sins could relate to time magic, but this tome emitted an unusually strong blue light.
-Those wretched creatures of heaven say this: Sloth is laziness, a sin that diligent and industrious humans must avoid at all costs. Yet, sloth is, in another sense, leisure and respite. What difference is there between living rigidly without enjoying life and being just another cog in a machine?
-My life is finite. Thus, whether I use my resources rigidly or live while enjoying them is a choice that stems from my free will.
-Utilizing the temporal resource called life, placing it under my will and control—that can be said to be the starting point of
‘Interesting.’
To control the lifespan granted to living beings?
It was an intriguing concept, and at the same time, it strongly suggested a connection to time magic in terms of utilizing time.
‘Time is fundamentally relative, and in the end, the perception and subjectivity of the observer matter most. If I center it around the biological clock within ‘myself’ and expand the domain of time outward...’
Though still abstract, Theo felt a strong conviction that he was developing a plausible perspective for interpreting the time magic system.
‘I’ll have to discuss this deeply with Lodi.’
Theo continued reading the tome of Belphegor.
[Discovered a new interpretation of time.]
[Understanding of the quest has increased. Current completion rate: 15%.]
.
[Successfully established the perspective of the subject. Mastery of 'Skill: Hatchling Synchronization' has significantly improved.]
[Current completion rate: 21%.]
.
[Current completion rate: 32%.]
.
.
Tak!
Time passed for quite a while.
Theo finished reading and closed the magic tome completely.
Though his mind was a chaotic mixture of various pieces of information and thoughts, he felt as if he had grasped a thread of understanding.
[Current completion rate: 64%.]
‘Time is also related to light. The speed of light, unlike time, is absolutely constant, which makes it a reliable unit for measuring time. This light can also be associated with the thunder attribute, which contains photons.’
[Current completion rate: 69%.]
It was a fruitful time, allowing him to sketch a rough blueprint of how to develop the thunder attribute further.
‘However.’
The joy was short-lived.
Theo narrowed his eyes.
‘The last few pages are missing.’
Theo discovered that the final eight pages of the magic tome had been forcibly torn out.
Judging by the lack of wear on the torn edges, it didn’t seem to have been long since they were removed…
「You look like someone who finished their business in the restroom only to find out there’s no toilet paper to clean up properly.」
“…Where did you learn such an expression?”
Theo chuckled dryly as he glanced at Lodbrok, who was now standing by the doorway.
“How did the elixir work for you?”
「You mentioned there were about four more places like this, didn’t you?」
“Yes, for now.”
「It will take some time to digest, but once we make a full round, I should recover about 60% of my peak strength.」
Theo’s eyes widened slightly.
“Then?”
「Yes. By that point, the restoration of my heart will also be complete. Thank you.」
Theo clenched his fist tightly.
Lodbrok’s resurrection was truly not far off now.
Moreover, the development of the ancient dragon’s essence had heightened his senses more than ever before.
「By the way, that thing you’re holding—is it a magic tome? And a highly advanced one at that. The unpleasant stench is wafting all the way over here.」
“Would you like to take a look?”
As Lodbrok lightly extended his hand forward, the magic tome floated up into the air and was sucked into his grasp.
「Belphegor, huh? Quite a troublesome one. Similar to Amon, yet different.」
“Do you know much about Belphegor?”
「A little.」
Flipping through the pages quickly, Lodbrok continued speaking.
「Belphegor is, in fact, a case similar to Amon. He was once a god of high rank, enough to be included among the pantheon, but due to his individualistic personality and lazy nature, he fell and became a demon. Not that he seemed to care at all. His original name was Baal-Peor (בַּעַל-פְּעוֹר).」
“Even after being demoted, his skills must still be extraordinary.”
「Indeed. However, because he rarely reveals himself, he is often underestimated despite his abilities. He also held no particular grudge against us dragons.」
Lodbrok examined the torn final pages and furrowed his brow.
「In any case, a magic tome bearing the name of such a being contains rather intriguing content. But…it’s damaged.」
“Yes. It seems someone has already tampered with it. Do you have any idea what might have been in the missing parts?”
Lodbrok shook his head.
「Not at all. Demonic magic originates from
“However?”
「A
Theo, beginning to grasp what Lodbrok was implying, opened his eyes wide.
「Thus, for this magic tome bearing Belphegor’s name to fully function as a tome...」
“You’re saying it cannot have any damage to its pages?”
「Exactly. But in this case, the final section defining the
A magic tome tied to a demon’s name functions as a type of code that defines the concept of certain words.
Naturally, if even part of it is damaged or if a single character changes, the meaning would completely shift.
For Belphegor’s magic tome to remain intact despite such damage meant only one thing.
“Someone has tampered with the concept.”
「The missing eight pages must have been used to create a new
Lodbrok rubbed his chin, a curious expression on his face.
“The items in the vault cannot be taken out recklessly. That’s why it seems they only extracted the necessary parts and took them.”
「So, a secret they absolutely didn’t want the vault’s owner to discover was hidden in here.」
“What could it be?”
「As I said, I don’t know. But one thing is certain.」
Lodbrok’s lips curled into a smirk.
「The true essence of Belphegor must be there. What you’re holding is only half of it.」
Indeed, despite Theo having gone through the entirety of the magic tome’s contents, its blue glow had not faded.
It was then.
Ding!
[You narrowly missed the final clue needed to complete the quest.]
[Retrieve the last part of the magic tome to complete the quest.]
[Failure to retrieve it will result in quest failure.]
‘I missed it by a hair’s breadth?’
Theo quickly activated his skill.
[Activating 'Skill: Hatchling Synchronization' to summon the lingering thoughts within the magic tome.]
Fwoosh!
Inverted vision.
Under the illumination of fluorescent lights, five people were engrossed in reading Belphegor’s magic tome.
‘David’s Star? How did they get in here?’
He hadn’t expected to encounter the top elites of the Magic Tower within the Imperial Secret Vault.
Even more shocking, the person who appeared to be their leader was a face Theo recognized.
The handsome man Theo had seen in High Theodor.
A familiar face whose identity had eluded him until now…
‘Ivory King! Damn it! How could I not have realized?’
In his past life, there had been a few individuals of Theo’s age who had risen to positions of absolute power.
They were prodigies from the Three Lords and Eight Geniuses who had survived the upheaval of the Great War.
Wellington was one of them, as was Najariu Monte.
Najariu, the sole successor of the Magic Tower, had become the youngest-ever 10-star Archmage.
He had mastered countless magical systems, transforming the Magic Tower into what was famously known as the Ivory Tower.
This feat had earned him the moniker
The reason Theo hadn’t immediately associated Najariu with the Ivory King, even after seeing him, was partly due to the Ivory King’s habit of concealing his face under a hood, keeping his appearance largely unknown to the world.
And of course, Theo had never imagined that the grandson of the Magic Tower Lord would appear in the heart of Ragnar’s domain.
Why Najariu had gone to such lengths, personally extracting the final pages of Belphegor’s tome, remained unclear.
But one thing was certain.
The group had left only a short while ago.
And,
‘I could use this chance to capture a valuable hostage, someone the Magic Tower would owe a huge debt over.’
A golden opportunity had fallen right into Theo’s lap.
Naturally, Theo had no intention of merely watching it slip by.