The two returned to the open space.
Isaac turned around and stated his thoughts, "Claude, could you teach me the basic runes of necromancy?"
“Of course.” Yun Wei nodded, somewhat understanding Isaac’s thinking. “You want to imprint necromancy runes into your own Branch of Time?”
The two are now in complete sync, constantly on guard against pursuit from the Lord of Light, so Yun Wei has no reason to hold back.
So-called magic runes are the most basic yet most profound symbols of laws in this world.
The Branch of Time is a magical tree that hangs upside down in the sea of consciousness. Magicians meticulously carve different types of magical patterns on its branches, thereby resonating with the outside world through its branches and casting a wide variety of spells.
However, according to the common knowledge on the continent of Zhuyuan today, the Branch of Time is a single attribute and is unique.
Like Yunwei's Branch of Time, it is only engraved with magic patterns representing necromancy. The gray-white patterns spread out from the roots, densely surrounding the withered branches, like bandages on a mummy.
“Yes, I want to invite you into my spiritual sea. I think that when the necromantic runes are imprinted on my light-attribute Branch of Time, there will be a violent reaction, and at that time, you will be able to observe the mutual conversion of elemental forces most directly.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Wei became somewhat worried, "Isn't this too risky? As everyone knows, light magic is the nemesis of necromancy. If we're not careful—"
He didn't finish his sentence, fearing that his words might come true.
Moreover, inviting him into the spiritual sea... isn't this knight a bit too careless?
Isaac smiled nonchalantly, raised his index finger, and gestured for Yun Wei to look over.
A tiny flame appeared on the pale, slender fingertip, its crimson color bathed quietly in the afterglow of the setting sun, like another small sun.
This time, the flames instantly transformed into other elements, namely, small, clear, and sparkling water spheres.
Water and fire are a pair of elements that restrain each other.
Yun Wei carefully examined the pure and clear azure water element, pursed his lips, and said nothing more.
“See, Claude, I used to inscribe water elemental runes like this too.” Isaac manipulated the water sphere to rise slowly, hovering in the air like a giant soap bubble. “It’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
He snapped his fingers, and the water balloon exploded with a bang. The misty water vapor spread gently, like an unexpected drizzle, gently enveloping the ground and dispelling the summer heat.
"No, the angle is wrong." Isaac looked at the mist that hadn't completely dissipated in the air, pouted, and was quite disappointed.
"What?"
“It’s nothing,” Isaac said, looking down at Yun Wei. “Alright, Great Mage, magic runes! Teach me quickly—”
He dragged out the words, just like all big boys his age, mischievous and playful.
Yun Wei chuckled and corrected him, "I'm only a high-level mage right now."
Isaac shrugged. "It doesn't matter, you'll be advancing again soon anyway." "Grand Mage" is just a title used arbitrarily.
Most importantly, he felt that his master's dedication to magic today was exactly the same as that of the top magicians of yesteryear.
Due to the contract, his ability level was restricted from surpassing Yun Wei's, but he could clearly sense that the other party was already approaching the bottleneck of the third-level high-end stage, and was only one step away from the fourth level.
Yun Wei shook his head, picked up a twig, broke off a piece of the branch that was handy, and quickly started drawing on the muddy ground.
The runes of necromancy are actually not complicated. Yun Wei has always called them "nooses": they are just hanging rope loops with a horizontal line at the knot for emphasis.
Although he hadn't studied the punishments of the Zhuyuan Continent in detail, Yun Wei believed they weren't much different from those of the Middle Ages in his original world. The association of the noose with death was natural, so using this symbol to represent the "undead" magic, which carries the imagery of death, was quite logical.
Isaac leaned closer to take a look, then straightened up again, standing tall and straight.
Yun Wei heard him say, "Come here quickly, let's begin."
"What should we do?" Yun Wei also stood up, blinking his eyes, looking completely bewildered.
Isaac turned around, his back to Yun Wei, and said, "Come closer to me."
Yun Wei took two steps forward.
Isaac glanced over and saw that there was enough space between the two for several people to stand in. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why are you standing so far away? Do I look that scary? Come closer, buddy, put your hand on me."
"Why should I put myself on your shoulders?" Yun Wei blurted out, then quickly added when he saw Isaac looking over, "Sorry, I don't know how to enter someone else's mental space."
"Just stay close to me, and slowly release your mental energy, like casting a shaping spell. Don't worry, relax, I'll guide you." After Isaac finished speaking, he answered the previous question, "Because of that very basic theory, what's it called again? Oh, I remember, it's the law of sympathy and the law of contact."
Isaac didn't think much of it; he simply marveled inwardly at Yun Wei's level of magical theory...
It really needs to be strengthened.
"Oh, okay." Yun Wei nodded quietly, keeping it in mind.
He took two steps forward, reached out his hand, and tried to put it on Isaac's shoulder, then—
He looked at the man who was almost a head taller than him, and suddenly hesitated.
The man had broad, straight shoulders, and from the back, he had a typical inverted triangle physique. Yun Wei looked at the little wolf tail that was casually tied together at the back of Isaac's head, and for some reason, an idiom came to mind.
They colluded with each other.
What kind of nonsense is this? Yun Wei shook his head silently.
“Hey, stop dawdling, my lord,” Isaac said, giving in to the rustling sounds behind him. “The sun is about to set.”
He stepped back, reached behind him, and accurately grabbed Yun Wei's wrists. He pulled Yun Wei forward forcefully, then crossed his hands and locked them together, pressing Yun Wei's hands in front of him. "Alright, that's it. Let's begin."
The sudden closeness startled Yun Wei, who gasped in surprise. He instinctively turned his head to avoid having his nose crushed by the knight's sturdy back.
When he came to his senses, he was already pressed tightly against Isaac's back.
His hands were crossed over Isaac's lower abdomen, but were firmly held down by the knight's cold, powerful hands. He instinctively tried to break free, but the knight's strong arms seemed to be made of steel, remaining completely still.
The scent that reached my nose was that of Isaac, a faint aroma of fruit and wood.
Warm and refreshing, yet not cloying; not sweet, but mellow. Yun Wei had smelled it before at his grandmother's house in the countryside. Now, that familiar feeling from long ago made him slowly relax.
The only sound in the world seemed to be his own noisy heartbeat, one beat after another, more irritating than the distant cicadas' chirping.
"Close your eyes and follow me."
He heard Isaac say that.
Yun Wei sighed inwardly. He closed his eyes, made no further movements, and obediently cooperated.
His mental energy slowly emanated and converged on Isaac. Unlike the mental energy used for perception, this mental energy was like an invisible magnetic field, yet it was almost tangible, influencing the subtle light and shadow around him.
In the world of spiritual power, he was like a child, stumbling through the boundless starry sky, with countless stars being born and countless starlight annihilating around him.
He was freed from the constraints of gravity and no longer concerned with the passage of time; this was a vast world formed from pure consciousness.
But soon, another child appeared beside him, with short brown hair, smoky gray eyes, and an innocent and honest smile. He was clearly a younger version of Isaac.
The other child extended his hand to him, and Yun Wei shook it without hesitation. Then, the two children held hands and ran towards the brightest origin of this starry sky.
As the light flickered and gradually became more dazzling, Yun Wei closed his eyes, his ears filled with the increasingly rapid and noisy sound of the wind until it became inaudible.
Everything finally returned to calm.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in an extremely bright and vast space, with a cloudless sky and a calm sea. The child that Isaac had transformed into had vanished from his side.
Yun Wei understood that he had entered Isaac's spiritual sea. He looked up and saw an exceptionally lush tree hanging high in the space, its canopy covering the entire area like clouds. The fiery red and white-gold patterns on its branches represented the dual attributes of fire and light of Isaac's Branch of Time.
At this moment, only the three branches closest to the roots of the magic tree shone, making it look like a candle in the darkness or a dandelion from a distance.
“I’m about to begin.” Yun Wei’s consciousness “heard” Isaac say this. The two of them had now transcended the medium of language and were truly in sync.
Yun Wei nodded, then flew up to the end of a branch and carefully observed how Isaac imprinted magical runes representing the power of the undead on the light-attribute Time Branch.
The platinum branches are slowly carved and imbued with silvery-white patterns, unlike the rhythm of light, they spread slowly like ripples on the branches.
In the slow, almost stagnant flow of time, Yun Wei finally glimpsed the medium that lay between light and the dead.
The aura was so ancient, profound, and timeless that it defied description, yet it was entirely different from the abyss that devoured everything.
It seems to have existed before everything began, yet it lies between existence and nothingness.
...
"How are you, Claude? Are you alright?"
Seeing Yun Wei, who was standing silently with her eyes slightly closed, twitch her eyelashes, Isaac, who had been quietly waiting by her side, spoke up.
Yun Wei opened his eyes.
At that moment, the distant setting sun completely disappeared below the horizon, announcing the arrival of night. The last light in the world seemed to exist only in the clear, black-and-white eyes of this Eastern man.
But Yun Wei reached out his hand.
A tiny flame hovered serenely at his fingertips.
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