Chapter 168
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 168: Who Set Up These Space Magic Arrays?
“Who created this enormous chain of Space Magic Arrays?”
Although the demon race had completely withdrawn, Patricia and Dorothy, who had landed in the southern forest outside Hillenbrand Town, now faced a small obstacle.
The two stumbled upon an active Space Magic Array in the southern mountains.
Of course, thanks to Patricia, the Great Sage, they did not foolishly rush in like some elf or knight, only to have their minds overwhelmed and be teleported away.
Even though Lolth’s Space Magic Array was extremely well-hidden, Patricia had sensed its presence before they even got close.
It was nearly impossible for these magic arrays to remain concealed from the eyes of a legend-level expert—
And Patricia was not just any expert.
She was a Great Sage from the Wizard Association!
The Expertise of a Great Sage
The magic circles Patricia had personally set up might outnumber all the magic circles that Tina and Isabella had seen combined!
Her first instinct, of course, was to break it.
After all, she had studied and explored spatial magic extensively.
Magic circles were a core subject for most wizards in the Wizard Association.
If a magic circle course were to be offered in Cloud City, every wizard would fight for a spot in her class.
Breaking a mere small magic circle?
That was child’s play.
Without much thought, Patricia activated her Magic Perception to analyze the structure of the magic circle.
But then—
She paused in astonishment.
A Vast and Complex Network
This was no ordinary magic circle.
It wasn’t independent—
The magical circuits at its outer edges were connected to other magic circles, and the array itself had multiple layers.
Patricia was only slightly surprised.
After all, complex magic circle networks were difficult to set up but were not particularly rare.
There were quite a few wizards in Cloud City who could achieve something similar.
However—
Practical composite Space Magic Arrays were another story.
Space magic was already challenging, and a functioning multi-layered array was an incredible feat.
“Even among fallen mages, there are still skilled individuals…”
Patricia mused as she expanded her detection range.
Something is Wrong
Soon, Patricia noticed an anomaly.
Her perception and detection magic were not functioning properly.
At first, she thought there was a problem with her spells—
But she quickly realized—
The issue was with this world itself.
At least eighty or ninety of these magic circles—possibly around three hundred—
Were all active at the same time, surrounding the entire town.
They were interconnected, forming a complex structure where disturbing one part affected the whole.
The stability and elegance of this magic system were extraordinary.
Even if one array was destroyed, the rest would remain unaffected.
But—
As soon as one was broken, the self-defense mechanisms of all the others would activate instantly!
“The person who designed this magic formation… No—this group of people—are absolute mad geniuses!”
A Masterpiece of Magical Engineering
Patricia had to admit—
If she spent a whole year, she could probably design something just as complex.
But setting it up would take even longer.
The amount of magic power required for this formation was immense.
However, the most terrifying part was—
This entire network was composed of pure magic arrays.
These arrays were extraordinarily efficient in controlling and consuming magical energy.
They didn’t even rely on magical materials for support—
Except for a basic anchoring medium.
Instead, they functioned entirely through intricate magical circuits—
Allowing them to operate even in a magic-depleted environment.
Theoretically, these magic circles could run indefinitely without any maintenance.
But—
The cost of constructing them far exceeded that of a normal magic circle.
Who Would Do This?
Although these formations saved on materials,
The actual energy consumption was ten times higher than a standard magic circle.
Even the mages who relied on Magic Potions to replenish their power would struggle.
Typically, only Great Sages and Archmages used such pure magic formations to fortify their Mage Towers.
Sometimes, nobles and royals commissioned them for hidden treasure vaults.
But other than that—
Almost no one would choose this method.
It was far too costly.
However, using it to protect a small town that might be hiding a half-plane passage—
That made sense.
But—
Why was the entire town surrounded?
Why not just isolate the half-plane passage itself?
That part didn’t make sense to Patricia.
The Demon Race’s Confidence
Suddenly, things started to click.
“So that’s why the demon race stopped chasing us…”
From the perspective of most demon race members,
A formation this powerful would surely block all intruders.
That explained why there were almost no demon race Superoperators in this small town.
Instead, she sensed:
A single magical beast.
A faint demonic presence.
Many human, elf, and dwarf Superoperators.
It seemed that the demon race was using this place as a prison for captives.
Although, Patricia thought, it was an extremely extravagant prison.
Still, it was the only explanation she could come up with.
A Careful Approach
Patricia sighed.
“If I were a criminal, the demon race would be waiting for me to try and escape. They’re probably lying in ambush, ready to catch me when I turn back!”
But—
She was not a criminal.
She was calm.
She was confident.
She was the Great Sage Patricia.
If anyone from the Wizard Association could disarm this magic circle without setting off alarms,
It would be her.
Of course, a violent approach would be much faster—
But that would alert the creator of the formation and the demon race.
That would ruin their chance to sneak in unnoticed.
“I’ll take advantage of their overconfidence!”
What she didn’t realize—
Was that the demon race’s confidence had nothing to do with this magic formation at all.
A Plan in Motion
“Even though this magic circle is cleverly designed and perfectly arranged…”
Patricia rolled up her sleeves, lifted the hem of her wizard robe, crouched down—
And began to study each array carefully.
Meanwhile—
Dorothy, who had been observing their surroundings with magic, spoke up.
“It seems there is no magic circle on the road to the north…”
Patricia shook her head.
“Of course, I know that,” she said, her tone relaxed.
“But tell me, Dorothy—if you were setting a trap inside a circle, would you put it at the exit?”
Dorothy blinked, processing the thought.
Patricia smiled knowingly.
“Think about it this way—would the Golden Peacock Prison leave its main gate unguarded?”
Dorothy’s eyes widened in realization.
“I understand now…”
She nodded thoughtfully.
