Atop the Ant Being barrier, Ivan sensed something and froze for a second or two before continuing to set up his sorcery array as if nothing had happened.
“Christian really picks his moments; he’s banking on me not notifying the academy even if I did notice, not to mention that I might not notice at all when I am absorbed in setting up the sorcery array.”
The Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array might look simple and straightforward, but setting up a sorcery array often requires adaptation to the environment and constant adjustments based on the actual situation, which is a real test of patience.
Ivan had no time to pay attention to Christian, only keeping an eye on that side just in case he needed to react to any unforeseen events.
Under his control, the fluctuations in the region of the Ant Being barrier remained within a controllable range, not sparking any widespread turmoil. As time passed, a faint sealing force began to emerge, attempting to lock down this area.
“The function of the Ant King Barrier Array is actually not complicated; it involves absorption and transformation of energy, protection, force rebound, and a certain nurturing power. The entire Ant Being barrier is like the outer shell of a beast egg.”
“However, the Ant Being barrier conceals many things, and that nurturing power is somewhat strange. It probably has applications beyond nurturing the barrier and Shadow Ant servants; it may also be related to the Ant Beings’ secret vault, after all, Chairman Narnya once mentioned that a sealed King Blood Ant Beast lies hidden there.”
Earlier, Ivan had specifically researched the concept of ‘King Blood’. If his analysis was correct, it should be a high-level bloodline capable of growing into a Level 4 creature.
For any creature, Level 4 is a tremendous qualitative change, and a being with the potential of such a bloodline is born noble and one in ten thousand.
Given that the Ant Being barrier involved such profound elements, he had to be extremely vigilant to ensure that there were no issues with the sorcery array he was setting up.
“Only the last hurdle remains.”
After a while, the Ant Being barrier suddenly manifested a fierce rebound, but under the accumulating sealing force, it couldn’t cause much upheaval, and the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array took shape.
The new runes sorcery array used the ‘Four Obelisks’ as critical nodes, combined with a web-like runes lines, demarcating an area that was independent yet not completely isolated.
He began further attempts, continuously testing against situations that had occurred in the Lidia family, and eventually, he breathed a sigh of relief as the sorcery array undoubtedly met expectations.
With the presence of the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array, it became possible to repair the barrier one region at a time, turning a big problem into smaller ones and significantly reducing the adverse effects of legacy issues, avoiding the predicament that the Lidia family once faced.
[Enchantment Skill Experience Point +350]
[Enchantment Skill: lv8 (19/4000)]
On the Academic Prodigy panel, Enchantment Skill had risen to an 8-level subject, gaining a Small Light of Wisdom and a Light of Wisdom.
“The timing couldn’t be better.”
After being baptized by the Small Light of Wisdom, he gained a clearer understanding of the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array and the Ant King Barrier Array, and his array-setting skills improved a lot, saving him a great deal of time.
Thus far, on the Academic Prodigy panel, there remained one Level 6 and one Level 8 Light of Wisdom; and two Level 7 Lights of Great Wisdom.
He started with the details and readjusted the newly formed runes sorcery array before heading back to the Core Black Tower.
“Sorcerer Ivan, how are things?”
“Everything is going smoothly.”
Inside the Core Black Tower, upon seeing Ivan come back to his senses, Sorceress Madeline asked eagerly.
Upon hearing his answer, Madeline’s face lit up with joy, and so did most of the other sorcerers around who were waiting for news; the issues with the Ant Being barrier were finally taking a turn for the better, which was a cause for celebration.
“May I have a look at it now?” Madeline asked.
“Of course.” Ivan did not refuse; seeing is believing, and personal verification would convince even a skeptic.
Madeline didn’t hesitate, and Chief Steward Ove also stepped forward, standing next to the remaining two runes obelisks surrounding the giant half-figure of the Ant Being, extending their senses to the Ant Being barrier.
Guided by Ivan, they entered the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array and began a thorough re-inspection.
After their thoughts returned to the Black Tower, Ove and Madeline nodded almost simultaneously to confirm the complete truth of the matter.
“Haha, well done, Ivan.”
Randall laughed openly, without any reserve. If everything went as expected, his disciple would become the Enchantment Group Steward, and even Vice-Dean Teresa couldn’t contest it.
At that moment, Teresa’s expression was complex, and no one knew what she was thinking.
Not far away, Paitt and Arian were quietly making their exit; there was no longer anything here for them to do and staying would only be humiliating.
“Sorcerer Ivan, Sorceress Madeline, the task of repairing the defensive barrier is in your hands now. The academy will bear the cost of all the materials you need. We hope you complete it soon,” said Dean Christian.
“Please rest assured, Chief Steward Ove, we will give it our all,” said Ivan.
Such a large defensive barrier wasn’t something Ivan planned to repair by himself; he had no objections to the arrangements of the senior management. After all, his own credit could not be taken away.
“Very good. If there are any other issues, feel free to reach out to us,” said Ove.
Ove and the others left one after another, leaving only the people who would be directly involved in the repair work behind, including Ivan, Madeline, Mauline, and Heidi, who was there to assist.
It is worth mentioning that Mauline was actually a subordinate of the former Chief Steward Barton, or rather, someone who had taken a portion of Barton’s steward authority, given that the Lidia family was a household governed by a sorceress.
“The two of you, time is of the essence and the task ahead is monumental, let’s begin the repair work right away,” Ivan instructed directly after the others had left.
“Sorcerer Ivan, with Steward Madeline here, it’s not your turn to call the shots,” Mauline couldn’t help but retort, seeing his smug demeanor.
“Then I’ll leave, and let Steward Madeline lead you in the work. I was just thinking of taking a few days off anyway.”
“You—”
“Enough, the capable leads. Let us follow Sorcerer Ivan’s arrangements.”
Madeline stopped Mauline, who seemed to be at a loss for words, focusing on the priority of repairing the defensive barrier. She clearly understood the urgency and immediately expressed her willingness to comply with Ivan’s directions.
Thus, Ivan, along with the competent Madeline, the indignant Mauline, and Heidi, who could only perform menial tasks, began the work of repairing the defensive barrier.
They had to repair one area after another until the entire Ant Being barrier was restored to its pre-damage state or even better. It was an incredibly complex project.
…
Inside a hidden, small space, everything was shrouded in a murky grey.
Christian had quietly arrived at this place and spent a while observing the circular altar before him, trying to identify the dark gold runes lines on it.
He quickly found that these runes lines were somewhat different from what he knew, his information having come from his great-grandfather, who had been the Vice Dean, Sorcerer Darwin.
“What a pity, my talents are mediocre, lacking the enchantment skills of Sorcerer Ivan.”
Both apothecary and enchantment rely heavily on natural talent, and those with exceptional gifts often accomplish much with little effort.
Those with meager talents not only have to work harder for lesser results but what’s more infuriating is that once their enchantment skills reach a certain level, no matter how hard they try, they can’t advance any further due to the limitations of their talents.
Christian knew he was not lacking in effort, but his enchantment level had reached the limit of his talent; he could be considered a competent Senior Enchanter, but he was stuck there.
Faced with the Ant Beings Sacred Altar, he felt like his hands were tied.
“Time waits for no one, I must give it a try.”
Then, Christian set up various materials and attempted to activate the Ant Beings Sacred Altar.
The process was very smooth, and from the slowly operating Ant Beings Sacred Altar, he sensed a special aura that seemed to help him undergo a transformation, to ascend a higher level of life, that of a Level 2 Sorcerer.
This matched exactly with what the records had described.
Out of caution, Christian did not rush to officially activate the Ant Beings Sacred Altar. He needed to use various means to indirectly verify its feasibility.
What he didn’t know was that occasionally a pair of eyes lingered on the outer layer of the small space, watching his every move.
The owner of these eyes was, of course, Ivan. From Christian’s behavior, he guessed that the object before him was the Ant Beings Sacred Altar. Seeing Christian enthusiastically studying the altar, he remained a mere spectator, with no intention of disturbing the other.
In fact, after the other began trying to activate the Ant Beings Sacred Altar, some of the power from the protective barrier began to be diverted into the small space, making his actions more apparent than before. Ivan even intervened to cover for him.
“Sorcerer Ivan, everything is fine here, what do we need to do next?”
On the Ant Being barrier, as Ivan had chosen a relatively easy location for the initial formation, the group had quickly completed the area’s repair. Madeline was keen to move on to continue the work, but she had to follow Ivan’s lead.
“Let me think, do you guys think we should open up the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array?” Ivan asked, seemingly recalling something.
“No, that would trigger a chain reaction. The area we just repaired is likely to be damaged again, which would be somewhat counterproductive,” Madeline opposed.
“If we don’t open it up, then eventually there will be up to 52 Small Ant King Four Obelisks Arrays on the Ant Being barrier. Not to mention the consumption of materials and energy, the pressure the Ant Being barrier will have to endure will be unprecedentedly heavy. In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, the situation would become even more uncontrollable,” Ivan said.
“If that’s the case, then why ask us?” Mauline replied coldly.
“Ha, isn’t it because the repair work includes your hard work? I need to make it clear to you that it’s not about making things difficult for you, but it’s the situation that demands it, and it requires your extra effort.”
Ivan was good at giving orders, knowing how to use men like beasts of burden, and women too. He excused himself for having to maintain the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array and tossed most of the repair work to the two of them.
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The two worked diligently and without complaint, changing his view of them somewhat, prompting him to specifically clarify so as not to dampen their spirits.
“You make the call.”
Madeline and Mauline found no reason to argue.
Having them step aside, Ivan began to weaken the power of the Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array. The surroundings indeed became unsettled, but as he controlled the slowing of the array’s power, he managed to dismantle it without causing too much disturbance.
However, the newly repaired area began showing signs of getting damaged again due to the influence of the surrounding forces.
Ivan paid no attention to this and, with the cooperation of other sorcerers below, soon had another Small Ant King Four Obelisks Array successfully established in an intermediate difficulty area.