Chapter 79: Projection Experiment

Ace glanced at the Rune Sphere. Daina was out adventuring with a group of Monster Hunters.

In the past few months, the name “Steel Fist Daina” had already made a mark. Although Daina concealed her true strength, her superb unarmed combat skills and the so-called Wonders of her two gauntlets were enough for her to establish herself in the outer perimeter of the Monster wilderness.

Daina often acted alone to utilize her unique Enchanted Martial Arts and Mana Crystal Shaping spells, which had made considerable progress over the months. She had exchanged for a series of spells, forming a distinct combat style.

However, Daina was neglecting a crucial foundation. Ace noticed that she had never exchanged for a better meditation method and was still using the Minimal Meditation spell. He felt it was necessary to remind her.

Daina, who had just begun to recover using the Minimal Meditation spell, was momentarily confused when her Grimoire suddenly grew hot. She flipped to the last page and saw a passage appear on the blank page.

【Daina, you are already a Mid-level Wizard Apprentice. The Minimal Meditation spell is now hindering your progress. For your path of Magic to go further, please exchange for or independently develop a higher-level meditation method as soon as possible.】

Having sent the message, Ace no longer paid attention to Daina’s situation.

“My own meditation method needs improvement too. Since my mental power entered Unit 6, the growth rate has been almost negligible. If this continues, it will be impossible to reach the level of a Hero and become a Formal Wizard in time.”

Ace thought this as he turned and entered a mechanical magic lift. The entire laboratory was traversed by a huge mechanical magic lift, which used Mana in place of electricity from his past life, creating a highly steampunk-styled magic lift.

If someone could see through the walls, they would see that the laboratory was nearly 30 meters from the surface, connected by a long mechanical magic lift to Ace’s study on the ground floor.

The entire laboratory had an elliptical, three-dimensional shape, narrow at the top and bottom, and wide in the middle.

Ace entered Sub-Level 3. Using a Spell Hand, he moved the confined small Demon to the Sub-Level 2 laboratory. His routine dissection experiments began.

Projection is a very miraculous creation. By sacrificing a portion of one’s soul through a specific ritual, or even direct Authority, one can create a perfect duplicate of oneself, a projection composed of Mana.

This projection is independent, self-aware, and active. It perfectly matches the original host. As long as it doesn’t suffer a fatal wound, it will slowly recover as its Mana is restored.

The projection’s interior contains a unique rune structure, which is the core of the entire projection. Once destroyed, the projection will collapse.

The greatest use of these small Demon projections, apart from studying the structure, psychology, and behavior of Demons, is to learn the Abyssal Tongue.

Ace had already become proficient in this supernatural language exclusive to Demons.

As for controlling the small Demons, it was even simpler. He improved his Illusion and Control Spells based on the Demons’ chaotic nature. The general process was to first forcibly impose rationality on the Demon, and then influence or control it with illusion spells.

This small Demon projection, for example, had been thoroughly subdued and tamed by Ace.

After completing the routine Abyssal Tongue conversation practice, Ace sent the exhausted small Demon projection back to its prison.

Ace began analyzing the acquired ritual knowledge. This knowledge required a solid foundation in the Abyssal Tongue and was the reason Ace repeatedly practiced the language.

The ritual knowledge was exceptionally bizarre and prone to unexpected complications. Ace used the Spirit of the Book to assist in understanding and deduction for several months, dividing the knowledge into four parts:

The Sacrifice section, the Covenant section, the Summoning section, and the Projection section. The Projection section was Ace’s current research focus.

He opened the Ritual Laboratory, beginning experiments with captured live Monsters. Dozens of blood crows quietly perched in the Ritual Laboratory. Ace had secretly captured these during the night while Daina was not paying attention.

Most of the blood crows were ordinary low-level Monsters. Occasionally, there were mutated blood crows whose blood-red feathers along the spine were translucent, like crystal. Their strength reached the level of a powerful low-level Monster.

Blood crows favor eating blood; they enjoy both fresh and coagulated blood.

They possess the terrifying ability to siphon blood from living creatures, converting it for their own use. They can manipulate blood, animating it for combat. They can also siphon the life force in blood to recover.

Mutated blood crows can also condense tangible blood wings, which are integrated for attack and defense. They can sweep repeatedly with the blood wings, or they can unleash a storm of thousands of blood feathers, each possessing a terrifying life-siphoning effect.

How did Ace manage to subdue such powerful creatures?

The answer, of course, was through superior mental strength and overwhelming illusion, shock, and charm spells. As long as they failed Ace’s will check, they were destined to become his slave.

Under Ace’s command, the charmed and controlled blood crows flew to the center of the ritual.

Ace divided the projection ritual into two parts: the Essence Replication Magic Array and the Projection Manifestation Magic Array. The entire ritual chamber had multiple rooms. The first room on the left side was the Projection Chamber.

In the Projection Chamber, Mana was activated. The mysterious patterns composed of runes began to flash, carrying a faint ominous aura. The patterns flickered on and off, suggesting a risk of unexpected catastrophe.

Boom!

The entire Projection Chamber shook violently, almost breaking free from the reinforced Magic Arrays on the walls.

A scent of sulfur dispersed. Ace cleared his throat and said in a strange cadence: “Smoke Disperse!”

As the Mana pulsed, the smoke gradually cleared.

The blood crow in the Essence Replication Magic Array had disappeared, leaving only a pool of blood. On the other side, in the Projection Manifestation Magic Array, a blood crow’s soul floated, radiating chaos and malice.

The experiment was unequivocally a failure!

Ace quickly conjured a Mana Crystal Cage, confining the soul.

Instead of merely splitting a portion of the soul and composing a projection with Mana, the entire body of the blood crow had died. Its soul was entirely transferred, and the Mana was corrupted by the Abyssal aura from the ritual, failing to form a projection body. Instead, the blood crow’s soul was completely Abyssalized.

Ace recorded the entire experimental process in his Grimoire. This convenient Grimoire, which utilizes the degraded recording ability of the Spirit of the Book, allowed for rapid documentation.

The cowlick on his head swayed. With the aid of the Spirit of the Book’s ability, dozens of new combinations flashed before Ace’s eyes, constantly being analyzed.

After excluding the combinations that were deduced to fail, seven combinations remained.

He modified the Magic Array again, gradually purging the patterns associated with the Abyss.

The truly ideal projection ritual should be entirely independent of the Abyss. Legend says that Deities, Demons, Devils, and even Legendary Heroes can project themselves. This should be a universal Authority.

Ace experimented relentlessly. The number of blood crows visibly diminished rapidly. A few days later, the projection ritual was activated again, free of the Abyssal aura!

Ace’s tired face broke into a smile. This time, it should succeed, he thought.

Bang!

The blood crow in the Essence Replication Magic Array was completely unharmed, merely looking somewhat listless. However, the Projection Manifestation Magic Array did not produce the projection Ace had anticipated.