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墨書 Inktalez
The Iris Pattern of the Southeast Tower's Dome suddenly twisted into a vortex, and as Lucius stepped back, he knocked over a Bronze Candlestick.
The remnants of Honeyed Wine sizzled and steamed at the edge of the rune array, while a purple mist coalesced into a poisonous Serpent Pattern that lunged toward his throat.
"Be careful!" Aelia's Star Moon Chain traced a silver arc in the air but was deflected by an invisible barrier before it could reach the Curse.
Third Young Master Lucius staggered to avoid the first attack, and the heel of his Silver Boots crushed a Defensive Rune hidden in the gap of the floor tiles—last night's reinforced Defensive Formation peeled away like melting Snowflakes.
Qin Si steadied the staggering lady and saw Lucius fall among Ice Crystal Fragments.
Blood Pearls oozed from his knee and fell into the Core of the Defensive Array, dyeing the dark Golden Runes an eerie indigo. "The Defensive Formation was clearly reinforced with Phoenix Blood..." The maid's words were cut short by the sharp sound of shattering crystals from the direction of the Nursery.
As Aelia rushed into the corridor, she caught sight of Luna's swaddled form suspended within a seven-colored Halo.
The baby's Pink Palm pressed against the Purple Iris Formation, which resonated with the tower's Curse. The blood-stained blue runes spread along the walls, weaving into a massive net that enveloped the entire Glorious Demon Fortress in the morning light.
"Mother, there's no need to panic." Lucius pushed himself up with Jian Qiao and casually wiped away the blood on his knee.
The hem of his Dark Robe was stained with ice crystals and remnants of Honeyed Wine, while the Phoenix Tail Feather Amulet hanging at his waist had lost its luster. "It's just an Elemental Turbulence caused by an overload of energy in the Defensive Formation."
Aelia's Fingertip brushed against her son's bloodied sleeve, and the Soul Imprint on his Star Moon Chain flickered ominously. "Last week I missed the assessment at Silver Moon Tower, last month the Alchemical Chamber was destroyed by a Magic Potion, and last year..." She suddenly fell silent, staring at the Blood Red paint that had spread across the image of First Patriarch at the end of the corridor.
Luna Yi Ya grasped at her lady's flowing silver hair.
Deep within the baby's Pupil flowed an Elemental Radiance only a Great Mage could possess—those Iris patterns that appeared alongside water from the Formation Diagram were quietly consuming the Cursed Energy overflowing from the Defensive Formation.
"The Third Young Master's phoenix Amulet needs recharging." Qin Si broke the silence as she held up a medical kit.
She dared not look directly at the Dark Pattern emerging on Lucius's neck; those designs resembling chains and Thorns were anomalies she had not seen when she personally checked the Defensive Formation last night.
Lucius smiled as he rolled up his blood-soaked sleeves, revealing a sword-shaped Luna on his forearm.
The Thunderstorm Phoenix Xu Ying swam beneath his skin; wherever its tail feathers swept, all Iris outside the Nursery suddenly turned toward the tower. "Once I handle the disputes with Northern Merchants, I'll go..."
He abruptly paused.
Droplets of paint, gathering unknown to anyone, converged into a stream that wound its way beneath Luna's Cradle, suddenly rising in a mist.
In the emerging Magic Contract Scroll, the Sealing Rune from Third Young Master Lucius's Eighteenth Birthday was prominently stamped.
Aelia's Star Moon Chain suddenly emitted a blinding light.
As the radiance faded, everyone noticed that the Fire Seal on the Contract Fragment perfectly matched the Purple Iris Formation on the inner side of Luna's Swaddling.
The infant Laughter giggled as they patted the edge of the Formation Diagram, a signature blurred by magic flickering briefly in the morning light.
"Actually, I..." Lucius rubbed the gem that had peeled off the hilt of his sword, his gaze sweeping over the Family Crest Banner that flickered at the corner of the corridor. "During last year's Magic Apprentice selection..."
A sudden cracking sound echoed from outside the tower.
The First Patriarch's heavy sword unexpectedly cleaved through the Frame, and the Contract Fragment pointed at by Jian Feng instantly turned to ashes.
Luna suddenly erupted with a loud cry; within the purple light bursting from the swaddling Formation Diagram, faint illusions of a phoenix and Iris were entangled in a deadly embrace.
Aelia held her baby tightly in her arms, unaware that her daughter's small hand was pressing against the Dark Pattern emerging on her nape.
As Lucius's footsteps faded at the end of the spiral staircase, remnants of Honeyed Wine on the Nursery carpet suddenly coalesced into a mirror-like surface—reflected within it was what should have been miles away at Outer Chamber Manor, now swaying beneath the eaves of Magic Castle.
Lucius's fingers paused for a moment at the groove where sapphire had peeled off from his sword hilt; dust raised by the shattering Frame settled like fine frost on his eyelashes.
Aelia noticed that when her son spoke, his Adam's apple was caught at the edge of light cast by the heavy sword projected from the Image.
"During last year's Magic Apprentice selection," he turned to block the floating magical heavy sword, ripples spreading across his sleeve's Dark Pattern with his movement. "The Fire Lizard I drew suddenly evolved into a Lava Beast and burned down the Judging Table into a glass platform."
Qin Si's hand trembled slightly as he bandaged Third Young Master Lucius's knee.
Bloodstains seeped through gaps in the gauze, identical to those left by the Core of the Defensive Array.
Aelia's Star Moon Chain suddenly buzzed, its Chain Pendant pointing towards Lucius's forearm where a phoenix named Xu Ying swam—what should have been a golden totem of Thunder Magic now had its tail feathers stained with an eerie purple.
"Last quarter's Mage Certification was even more exciting," Lucius said with a smile, brushing aside his left bangs to reveal a lightning-shaped scar hidden beneath his silver hair.
A gust of wind wrapped in ice crystals suddenly swept in through the Nursery window, causing the hem of his Dark Robe to flutter. "When I finished the last Broken Syllables of the Thunderstorm Spell, all twelve Elemental Balance formations erupted simultaneously. The examiner said it looked like eight hundred thunderbirds performing a Tap Dance."
Aelia's fingertip absentmindedly traced the Formation Diagram patterns on Luna's Swaddling.
The lingering purple Iris Pattern suddenly constricted, biting out tiny Blood Pearls from her palm.
The baby in her arms, Yi Ya, reached out to grab Mother’s bloodied fingers, and the Elemental Radiance deep within her pupils vaporized the Blood Pearls into Pale Golden Mist.
"Do you remember the Magic Potion accident last deep winter..." The Lady of the Fortress suddenly choked up.
She recalled that night when the Alchemical Chamber exploded, causing three entire floors of the North Tower's Defensive Formation to fail simultaneously, while Lucius had been wearing the snow Mink Cloak she had sewn by hand.
"Mother, do you remember my first bottle of Dragon Breath Potion that I refined?" Lucius unfastened the dim Phoenix Tail Feather Amulet from his waist, letting it turn into motes of light in his palm. "I was supposed to seal it with volcanic ash, but the moment I touched the Silver Cauldron..." He suddenly tilted his chin toward the Nursery's East Side wall.
Everyone followed his gaze, and on the moonlit stone wall were unmistakable charred claw marks.
Qin Si gasped—those were corrosive marks only an adult Black Dragon could leave behind, yet there had been no records of Black Dragon activity within a hundred miles of Magic Castle last year.
Luna suddenly writhed violently in her swaddling, and the Iris on her Silver Bell Tie burst into bloom.
Aelia had no choice but to hand the baby over to Qin Si, only to find that her Star Moon Chain had somehow entangled itself around Lucius's Jian Qiao.
The Chain Pendant representing their family's Destiny was now being eroded by indigo Bloodstains seeping from Third Young Master Lucius's sleeve, creating tiny Abyssal Serpent Parasite Holes.
"Seven Days ago at Silver Moon Tower..." The Lady of the Fortress's voice trembled.
She remembered that morning during the assessment when the Astrologer had said there were signs of a phoenix weeping blood on the East Side of Magic Castle, while Lucius was crossing through the Emerald Corridor filled with Poison Spikes and Black Roses.
"When the Teleportation Circle activated, my Space Ring suddenly cracked." Lucius pulled out half a broken Ruby from around his neck; its core contained half a Phoenix Tail Feather. "It held a Thousand-Year Ice Soul meant for offering, but instead, the entire teleportation hub froze into a crystal palace."
The Nursery fell into an eerie silence.
As everyone realized, since Third Young Master Lucius began his tale, the sounds of Feng Ling outside, the dripping water from the tower, and even the familiar magical hum of Leonard's Sword had all vanished.
The Purple Light from Luna's Swaddling had somehow spread to the ceiling, mending the crack that split the First Patriarch's Image into a shape resembling an Iris Patch.
Suddenly, the potion bottle in Qin Si's hand exploded, and the green liquid vaporized into mist upon contact with Lucius's Hem.
The maid gazed at the incomplete prophecy emerging from the mist—it was inscribed in Ancient Elvish Language with the words "Cursed Lock." She had seen similar runes in the Old Lord's Divination Mirror last Winter Night.
"Actually, none of this is significant." Lucius suddenly lifted the Honey Wine Mirror on the carpet with the tip of his sword. The swaying image of Feng Ling froze abruptly. "At least my Thunderstorm Phoenix can still devour curses." The Luna on his forearm erupted with golden light, tearing a fissure in the purple Iris Pattern on the ceiling.
Ailya's Silver Hair moved as if stirred by an unseen wind.
She finally became aware that every time her son faced misfortune, some part of the castle's Defensive Formation would undergo a transformation—just like now, as Luna's Swaddling absorbed Cursed Energy that continuously flowed into her body through the Star Moon Chain, while the Dark Pattern on Lucius's neck had spread to his collarbone.
As Qin Si prepared to change the seventh blood-soaked bandage, Luna suddenly emitted an urgent Yiya Sound.
The baby's chubby palm slapped against Qin Si's arm, and to her astonishment, the Purple Iris Formation inside the swaddling detached from the fabric and floated in mid-air. It rapidly flashed scenes of every disaster mentioned by Third Young Master Lucius—each Leonard's Last Night saw a wisp of indigo energy quietly seep into the foundation of Magic Castle.
Luna's fingertip suddenly burst forth with Xing Mang, touching Lucius's blood-stained cuff.
The solidified indigo bloodstains suddenly boiled over, coalescing into Twelve Portraits that hovered as a Curse Totem—each pattern corresponding to a disaster scene Lucius had just recounted.
"Ugh... misfortune!" The baby puffed out bubbles of Jing Liang from Luna, each bubble bursting with a sound reminiscent of Ancient Elven Lament.
Aelia's Star Moon Chain suddenly tightened, and a Hexagram Zhui Zi froze the last bubble into a crystal ball. Inside it emerged a Memory Fragment from Lucius’s birth: all Irises outside the delivery room drooped as the Midwife cut the Umbilical Cord; at that moment, First Patriarch's Image’s heavy sword emitted a sound akin to Longyin, just like Leonard's Sword Suddenly Emitted a Hum.
The Thunderstorm Phoenix on Lucius’s forearm began to swirl counterclockwise, stirring up a sulfur smell in the Nursery air.
Seizing the opportunity, Luna grasped his scorching sword-shaped Luna. The Purple Iris Formation crawled up her oujie-like arm to Third Young Master Lucius’s neck, intertwining with those Dark Pattern chains to form a new Contract Rune.
Suddenly, Hemostatic Herb from Qin Si’s medicine box grew wildly, weaving a bitter-smelling net between them.
"Luna is saying..." Ailya’s Silver Hair wrapped around her daughter’s kicking feet and discovered that an indigo pattern identical to that of the Core of the Defensive Array was emerging from the baby’s soles. "Brother San’s misfortune is not coincidental?"
"Yi Ya—Messenger!" Luna suddenly uttered clear words, and the Purple Light swirling in Pupil projected an illusion onto Lucius's chest: Xu Ying, clad in a black robe, wielded the Iris Staff, standing atop a Curse Totem that was completely inverted compared to the Magic Fortress Defense Array.
As Xu Ying turned, everyone could see the face that bore a striking resemblance to Third Young Master Lucius.
The Sapphire in the hilt of Lucius's sword suddenly oozed frost, freezing his five fingers against the Jian Qiao pattern.
The Dome of the completed Defensive Formation began to shed particles of light, each particle reflecting the image of Outer Chamber Feng Ling in the water pooled on the ground.
Aelia noticed that the surface of the Bronze Bell was engraved with the same Magic Pattern found at the top of the Scepter in Luna's illusion.
"So every time my Thunderstorm Phoenix devours a curse," Lucius's voice seemed to come from far away, "it actually transforms misfortune into nourishment for the Defensive Formation?" He attempted to draw his sword but found that the Jian Qiao had fused with the newly formed Iris Root System within the gap of the floor tiles.
Luna suddenly let out a sleepy yawn, her small hand absentmindedly patting at Qin Si's arm where the Contract Fragment peeked out.
On the parchment dampened by baby drool, the signature of "Harbinger of Misfortune" in Ancient Elvish Language was fading, while the number of Phoenix Tail Feathers on the paper's edge matched exactly with that of Lady of the Fortress's Star Moon Chain's Zhui Zi.
Aelia gently brushed away the ice crystals from her son's shoulder. As her fingertip touched his neck's Dark Pattern, the Star Moon Chain suddenly reflected a magical fluctuation from a hundred miles away in the Cedar Forest—the elemental ripple caused by the activation of the exclusive teleportation circle of the Glorious Demon Fortress.
She adjusted Luna's swaddling to her left side, just covering up the unusual glow of the Chain Pendant with a baby's Silver Bell Tie.
"Go change into a clean Leonard's Cloak." The Lady of the Fortress unfastened her cloak's buttons, and its moonlight satin lining traced a gentle arc through the air. "Bring me the contract from the Northern Merchants before dinner." Her skirt swept over the still-growing network of Hemostatic Herb, causing those plants to bloom instantly into indigo flowers identical to those in the Defensive Formation.
As Lucius's footsteps faded down the spiral staircase, Qin Si noticed in the honey wine mirror on the nursery carpet that the reflection of Outer Chamber Feng Ling swayed gently with some rhythm—like it was responding to the gradually clearer sound of hoofbeats from miles away.
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