That Arcane-Less Dome… That’s what Aether named it.
Lame? Maybe. Enjoy new adventures at freewebnovel
But so what?
Aether didn’t want to expend his brain cells coming up with a unique name every time, like in the novels he read.
He just named it something straightforward that conveyed what the artifact could do.
Anyhow,
The Arcane-Less Dome had one significant flaw…. it required four individual crystal balls to create the dome. These small black crystals were responsible for the filtering and barrier, but they had a big defect…. they didn’t form one single, continuous dome.
Instead, they formed four individual domes that overlapped, creating what appeared to be a perfect circular dome. However, in reality, it was far from perfect. There were four intersection points where each circle overlapped with the other two. [Author’s note: Think of it as a Venn Diagram.]
As for why they used four small crystals instead of one big one, it was all about the precision of output, direction, and most importantly…. energy consumption.
If they used one big crystal, it would run out of energy quickly. However, using four small crystal balls reduced the power consumption by one-fourth, making it more efficient. These were Aether’s thoughts, anyway.
At each intersection point, the two barriers might collide with each other, potentially causing a repulsive force. Aether wasn’t entirely sure about this, but it was worth a try.
Thus, Aether was currently searching for the intersections.
“Aether?” Delphine frowned when she saw Aether slowly moving around the dome. Her face was anxious, but she bit her lip and followed Aether’s advice, searching around the perimeter.
While searching, Celestia appeared behind Aether and said, “Aether, don’t forget about your mission!” She clearly didn’t want him to be drunk like last time.
Aether smiled hazily and nodded, “Don’t worry, Cutie~”
Celestia flinched, ‘It’s starting to make me really worried now…’ she thought before disappearing. Like the others, she was also searching around.
Aether, while searching for the intersection, suddenly had an idea and wrote something on the barrier with his blood.
Soon, Delphine found a small curve that was barely visible.
Aether nodded with satisfaction and patted her head, “Good girl!”
[+4000 AP]
Delphine’s cheeks turned red. She swatted his hand and glanced at Celestia, who had an indifferent expression.
Delphine sighed and asked, “So what now? I don’t think anyone has the ability to enter it,” her face curious.
Aether simply stared at the intersection for a long time.
Delphine and Celestia glanced at each other.
One of them patted Aether’s back and…
Ssnnnoorrrrrrrrrrrrr
He was asleep!
“AETHER!!!” Delphine shouted, shaking his white shirt vigorously, tears threatening to spill out.
“I thought you asked me to believe in you! Now what are you doing?!” she shouted in fear.
Celestia facepalmed, wondering why in the world he had to drink at a time like this!
Aether groggily opened his eyes, the haziness of sleep still lingering as he beheld Delphine’s tear-streaked face. The intensity of her worry was palpable, and a smirk curled on his lips.
He smirked, “W-What? Already begging to stop? Don’t worry, I will carve every inch of you with my scent~ Come, baby! Your trembling ass—”
“PUFFFFF!!!!”
[+4000 AP]
Delphine’s face turned beet red as she punched his stomach and shouted in shame and fear, “Wake up! Aether!!!!!”
Aether blinked a few times and muttered, “Oh! I forgot, I need to sedu—”
“HHAAAAAAA!”
Celestia let out a heavy and loud sigh, interrupting Aether.
“We don’t have time for this!!” Celestia shouted at Aether, her voice filled with urgency.
Aether tilted his head a few times before nodding. He stood up with a determined face, his hands roaming around the barrier again.
Delphine now worried, could feel her vision was going to come true, and meanwhile, Celestia worried about something else. ‘If he keeps doing that, there’s going to be a bloodbath soon…’ her expression showing exhaustion.
“Huh!!!” Aether flinched with a surprised face before looking at Celestia. “I want that ball!”
Delphine’s face turned crimson for some reason, while Celestia gave a deep look at Delphine before taking out the small black crystal from the artifact she was supposed to deliver to the Empress tonight.
Aether’s gaze fixed intently on the crystal. He slowly poured his arcane energy into it, the glow of his power mingling with the crystal’s dark hue. He then moved cautiously towards the intersection of the barriers. As soon as the crystal neared the intersection…
SsssshhhhhHHHH
The intersection reacted, creating a narrow gap that formed a path without destroying the barrier.
Delphine’s eyes widened in astonishment. She watched as Aether, with a satisfied wink, signaled for her and Celestia to follow him. As they ventured deeper into the academy, they felt their bodies weakening. The sensation was akin to stepping into a dense, heavy mist.
Blubb
Bluubbb
Blubbb
It felt as though they were entering the academy through a bubble, the atmosphere thickening around them.
Delphine’s horror was evident as she saw headless bodies strewn across the floor, her eyes welling up with tears. She shook her head, fighting to remain composed. Resolute, she began searching for any sign of the others when Celestia interjected,
“I think you need to change your attire…” Celestia said firmly.
Delphine glanced at her attire, realizing that a fancy dress was hardly appropriate for the situation. She hurried to her office room, though Aether’s white coat and draped it over her shoulders as she went.
Celestia, now alone with Aether, fixed him with a stern gaze. “Aether, you need to create a clone and have him act as Victor,” she instructed, her voice carrying a note of urgency.
Aether tilted his head, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Hmm, of course, anything for you, my cutie~” he said warmly.
Celestia’s cheeks flushed bright red at his endearing tone, ‘Oh! My horrifying God!! Why is he so adorable now? Why does he have to be cute at a time like this?!’ she thought, a mix of frustration and affection bubbling within her.
She wanted to kiss him, hug him, and show him how much she cared, but she knew that the situation demanded focus and restraint.
Celestia took a deep breath, reining in her emotions. “We need to focus,” she said, her voice a blend of affection and determination, “We don’t have time to waste. Let’s get this done.”
Meanwhile,
“Do not destroy the dome, or everyone will die… and you might as well contact your mother, my stepson…” Kaelene mumbled in shock, his voice tinged with disbelief. He had just returned from delivering the urgent ‘Love’ letter and was now….
“What on the heck is going on?”