Lynch sat at the center of this tomb almost forgotten by history, his robes hanging limply. The silver light from two metal spheres illuminated his face, outlining every line clearly. Yet, his eyes were unresponsive to the light that constantly switched between bright and dark, and the flickering Elemental Power failed to capture his attention because his thoughts had long drifted to days from years ago.

"Ever since gaining a new source of Magic Power, I've found it strange." The Mage wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, murmuring as if in a dream, "Why should the same magic not be able to merge with each other? When cast, they achieve the same effect, but once they meet, they become unstable."

"What are you talking about, Lynch?" Zilvra lifted the Mage's face and said, "Do you realize how frightening you look? If you're worried about something, just say it, make it clear! Unless you think there's a need to hide it all."

"No, there's no need to hide anything in this matter. But first, let me do something." Lynch chanted a Spell, dispelling all the Magic Barriers on him, and the talismans that protected him day and night vanished in a brilliant flash. Even his eyes returned to ordinary, no longer possessing the power of Dark Vision.

He pulled a torch from his Spatial Bag, something he'd placed in the corner of this container long ago but had never needed to use because of the Eye of Insight. The warmth of the pale yellow flame relaxed him more than the cold brought by Magic lights.

Everyone watched him do all this in silence, not understanding the meaning behind it. Eryies reminded him there were many potential enemies outside, all eager to claim Lynch's life. But the Mage shook his head, ignoring those concerns.

"Ah, much more comfortable now." Lynch looked at his companions through the torchlight, suddenly finding the world clearer, even more True than what the Eye of Insight had shown. But, having abandoned using Magic Power to heal himself, he immediately convulsed, curled up, and coughed violently for a long while before he could manage to speak again.

"Thank you, Soka, your Divine Arts have become increasingly proficient." Lynch wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and then said, "I once lost my Magic Ability in a battle, and later, by a stroke of luck, discovered a new source of Magic Power. Specifically, it's a very ancient way of using Magic, drawing energy directly from the Magic Origin, like the silver Light Sphere you saw. But since then, some things have often troubled me."

"You see, back then I still had quite a few old scrolls from before I lost my Magic Power. When I used those scrolls, the two different sources of Magic Power would interfere with each other until a violent explosion occurred. I always found it strange; no matter what, new and old methods should have the same attributes, right? Like Magician and Mage, elf and giant dragon, though their ways of using Magic differ, essentially it's the same power."

At this point, Lynch paused, gently pressed his chest, adjusted his breath, and continued, "I've always tried to find the secret within, naively thinking that if I could unravel this mystery, I would understand the fundamental working of every Spell in the world. But now, I've realized, it's merely a trick played by the Magic God." He looked into his companions' eyes and sighed, "I don't know if you can understand the following, so I'll try to describe it as simply as possible. Before dying, the Magic God established the Magic Network, to bind those powerful ancient Arcanists—this is the story you've heard, and a familiar history to me ever since I became an apprentice."

"But being part of history doesn't mean it's correct and complete," Lynch said, "because the ancient Great Arcanists all perished after that battle, and even the Magic documents were completely destroyed. So no one knows how those ancient spells actually worked. Everyone thinks it's the Magic God's revenge. But it should have merely been the first step of his actions."

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