Chapter 294: Chapter 291: Skillful Guidance

Rorschach’s sensitivity to Magic Power was likely among the best for a Mage, but excluding visual observation, what he perceived through Magic Control was typically the "flow and fluctuation of Magic Power."

In other words, his perception was somewhat like a frog’s dynamic vision, which was why he hadn’t noticed the nearly stationary "Spiritual Light Cloud."

’Could it be because of the change in ambient gravity?’ Rorschach wasn’t sure. Especially since the "cloud" was motionless, he had no way of figuring out the underlying mechanism.

One thing was certain: the painting was very important to the old man. And that was enough. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The Black Cultivator looked down from his high position, watching as the swarm of bats formed a large sphere over everyone’s heads. He had originally planned to turn his body intangible and dive into it, but several gaps suddenly appeared.

"What is this..." In the old man’s moment of confusion, a Fireball suddenly shot out from one of the gaps, heading straight for the oil painting on the ceiling. With an angry roar, the Black Cultivator rushed to intercept it.

His judgment was flawless. He perfectly caught the scorching Fireball and used countless tentacles to whip at it, preventing it from exploding. The spinning plasma continuously scorched his tentacles, but its energy was steadily draining. It was about to be "rendered harmless" by the Black Cultivator.

Just then, a new Ray burst forth. It not only detonated the Fireball in the Black Cultivator’s face but also pierced through his body. Amidst a pained grunt, his bared tentacles withered away, and a black mist billowed from his body.

The tentacles beneath his black robe receded completely, revealing limbs that were little more than bone.

"Now this is getting interesting." The old man smiled again.

’Does he have some kind of masochistic streak?’ Rorschach was certain his Divine Exorcism Technique had harmed the Cultivator. The tentacles’ form was clearly consistent with "Is," leading Rorschach to tentatively assume the old man’s power belonged to Is or shared the same origin.

Unfortunately, he had needed the Fireball Skill to create an opening, so the Exile Skill had been hastily prepared and wasn’t at full strength. Otherwise, given his performance in Valuva, he could have completely eliminated the old man’s Is power even without the amplification from the Starlight Torch Tower.

But now, he could still see a few sparse tentacles waving beneath the black robe, seemingly in the slow process of splitting.

The Black Cultivator began muttering. Rorschach yelled, "Little Coal Ball, have the bats stop him!"

"’Paths?’" In his haste, Rorschach hadn’t used the common term from the Shadow Land, and Little Coal Ball’s poor vocabulary left her confused. However, she clearly understood "stop him." She let out another shriek, and at her command, the bats launched a new charge.

In his current state, the Black Cultivator couldn’t possibly withstand the countless tiny, sharp-fanged maws rushing to tear into him. However, due to that momentary hesitation, they were an instant too late.

Just as the foremost bats were about to bite or slam into the old man, he finished his chant. The bats began to flutter powerlessly, plummeting from the air.

’What’s going on?’ Rorschach and the others quickly understood. An immense weight, starting from their heads, made it feel as if their entire bodies were being crushed into the floor.

’How did he do it...?’ Now Rorschach could feel it. It wasn’t Magic Power being converted into a Repulsive Force. Instead, after the old man’s energy had spread throughout the space, gravity itself had actually, tangibly changed.

"I can’t breathe..." Freddy pulled Little Coal Ball under him for protection. Bats rained down on the group, filling the air with shrill cries and flailing claws. Rorschach quickly threw up a barrier to shield his teammates, and through the chaos, the Black Cultivator’s hoarse words reached his ears clearly.

"I am now the master of this space. And you can do it, too."

Rorschach saw that the others weren’t reacting to the voice. The Dwarf held his hammer, using his thumb to measure the distance to the Black Cultivator, apparently planning to knock him out of the air with a throw.

But the gravity was growing ever stronger. The hammer slipped from the Dwarf’s grasp and crashed to the floor. Even pumping blood to the upper body became difficult. The effect was especially obvious on those with weaker constitutions; Rorschach could see Freddy’s face growing increasingly pale.

’The Black Cultivator is only speaking to me.’

He wasn’t finished. "You have some technique that can nullify Magic and Divine Power, which is quite impressive. But you use it like some brute from the Shaping Power Energy System, knowing only how to launch your power out as Rays and Projectiles."

"Hurry and think of something!" the old man urged, his tone less like the condescending mockery of a victor and more like he was trying to patiently guide Rorschach. "Your companion, that useless Minstrel, is about to pass out. When the force pulling you to the earth exceeds a certain limit, the circulation of blood and other fluids in your bodies will be impeded. At that point, the vessels that contain your Souls will no longer be able to function."

’It’s just a lack of blood and oxygen to the brain,’ Rorschach thought. ’No need to be so dramatic about it.’ Following the Black Cultivator’s hint, he released the Exile Skill in a wave centered on himself. Everyone’s bodies instantly relaxed as gravity returned to normal for a brief moment.

However, the pressure immediately returned, even heavier than before. Freddy collapsed flat on the ground, though this position actually reduced the strain on his heart.

"Not enough! Not enough!" the old man urged. "What good is a single instant? I can hold on for much longer. Is that all you’ve got, young man?"

’Easy for you to say...’ Rorschach thought. ’These are complex, large-scale spells. Not only do they require preparation to cast, but I can only sustain them for a very short time. To maintain it...’

’Should I use the Reversing Beam? The cost of Reversal is less than Exile, so I could maintain it for longer if I push myself.’ Rorschach considered his options. ’Exile directly negates the Divine Art itself, while Reversal targets its effect—in this case, canceling the abnormal gravity.’

The Black Cultivator was still rambling. "Even those who know nothing of Magic or Divine Arts often say that power comes from strength. Violence against others gives rise to the power to dominate them. If you are a Caster, and if your mind is still clear, then think: what can your power dominate, and in what form can you dominate it?"

As the old man spoke, Rorschach began a new Casting. He once again broadcast the Reversing Beam as a "wave" from his position, temporarily relieving the pressure on himself and his companions.

The Black Cultivator’s control immediately pushed back. But inspired by the old man’s words, Rorschach recalled that the final step of Reversal was to act as a conduit to bestow upon the target its "pre-Casting" state.

’What if this process of acting as a conduit and bestowing the state could be sustained?’ Rorschach began to experiment. The state he needed to bestow was simple, merely "correcting the false gravity" and reverting the Magic Power that had been converted into the power of Is.

In the form of a Ray, the spell was directional and had a specific target. But the Black Cultivator was now demanding that Rorschach cast the spell as a Domain, meaning the target would become the space within the Domain and everything it contained.

This was incredibly difficult. Rorschach could only struggle to move to the center of his three companions, getting them to crawl as close to him as possible so he could make the projected Domain as small as he could.

And so, within that tiny space, everything returned to the state it was in before the Black Cultivator cast his spell. Two opposing gravities and two types of Magic Power collided violently at the boundary between the two Domains, kicking up an ever-shifting, iridescent light. He knew he couldn’t sustain this for long with his current casting method. He needed to find a new way.

His most proficient skill was Magic Control.

For the first time in a long while, the Mage began to pump a large amount of ambient Magic Power into himself. This time, however, he wasn’t just converting it into his own Magic Power. He was attempting to change its very nature, to imbue it with his own "imprint." To an onlooker, blue light erupted from the Mage’s eyes and mouth, which gradually transformed into a faint, white radiance.

Rorschach himself didn’t know what this "imprint" of his was. But as his proficiency with the Divine Exorcism Technique had gradually increased, he’d begun to realize the spell’s core was related to his own essence. Now, he no longer needed to sketch symbols that pointed to himself. Instead, he abstracted that essence into something like an aura and wove it into the Magic Power he expelled.

Merely by circulating, this Magic Power exerted the effects of "expelling Divinity" and "reversion," repelling the power of Is and providing support for his Domain. Perhaps this power—absorbed, modified, and released by Rorschach—could no longer be called "Ether" or "mana," but was an entirely new form of energy.

In a trance, at the boundary where the Domains collided, within the space he now controlled, he vaguely saw intersecting nodes. The sight was somewhat similar to what he had witnessed in the Original Layer.