I made up magic and taught a world-destroying witch?

The black lines started moving again, and the white light on Allen's shield was gradually pulled and faded by them. The fireball released by Brewster was absorbed before it could fly very far, and the light patterns under Evelyn's feet disappeared completely.

Joseph sensed something was wrong.

It can absorb magic power? Then what's the point of fighting?! In the magical world, wouldn't this thing be a perfect counter to mages?

What on earth did you old-fashioned people bury underground? A magical firewall?

"Back up!" Brewster shouted.

Without him saying anything, Joseph had already started retreating. He was already in a very good position at the back, with a clear retreat route. As long as he moved quickly, he could be the first to get out.

But just as he took two steps back, several black lines suddenly emerged from the cracks in the rocks to his side and rushed straight towards Evelyn in front of him!

Evelyn's prayer light magic was partially absorbed, and she swayed for a moment before turning back, but it was too late.

Before Joseph could even form any grand ideas, his hand had already reached out and grabbed her shawl, pulling her back a step.

It wasn't that he suddenly became brave; it was mainly based on normal escape logic—it's much safer to retreat with someone nearby than to retreat alone.

If you can save it, do so; if you can't, don't let this monster pounce on you first!

Evelyn was pulled back a step by him, just in time to avoid the black threads that pounced from behind. The black threads grazed her shawl, missed, and then quickly circled around and came back again!

Damn it, it's not even as fast as the black line.

Seeing the black lines rushing towards Joseph again, without thinking, Joseph used his mind to press on the two lit spell slots.

At times like this, it doesn't matter if a skill is useless or not; just stalling for time is enough!

The next moment, a purple line and a red-gold spark flew out from his fingertips at the same time.

To be honest, the scene didn't look like reliable magic at all. The red and gold sparks flew out erratically, their trajectory as free as if they had never received a normal education. They first crashed into the stone wall and then suddenly veered off course, grazing past Allen's small round shield.

The thin purple thread was even more outrageous, almost wrapping around Allen's wrist as he gripped the shield.

Allen's eyes lit up as the purple line grazed his hand and flew past.

Because the red-gold sparks just happened to collide with several black lines that were rushing towards them, those black lines that had just been able to absorb even the wind blades and prayer light patterns were instantly burned away the moment they were touched by the red-gold sparks!

For some reason, the purple line yanked haphazardly in mid-air, causing another black line to deviate slightly, which conveniently created a step of space for Joseph and Evelyn.

"It works!" Allen shouted excitedly. "Hahaha! Professor Grantham, yours works!"

Joseph himself was taken aback.

Wait, these two junk things actually work? No, now is not the time to study this.

"Run!" Joseph shouted.

Allen seized the opportunity, raised his shield and smashed through the black lines in front of him that hadn't yet been burned by the sparks, then grabbed Lance by the back of his collar and half-dragged him back.

Lance's face turned very ugly as he held the glass bottle.

"Bright Knight!"

"Sorry, sorry! It's an emergency! Hahaha!" Allen apologized verbally, but his grip didn't loosen at all.

  

"Back off! Follow Professor Grantham!"

As Brewster retreated, he watched Joseph drag Evelyn toward the stone steps.

How can there be such strange magic? It looks messy, but it's effective against those black lines that absorb magic power.

Could it be that he really misjudged before?

Joseph Grantham did not cast spells because the new magic could break through the limits of magical decay, but it was not yet stable.

Brewster's face grew darker the more he thought about it.

If that's the case, then this man has been hiding it for far too long.

Evelyn was dragged by Joseph towards the stone steps, and she stumbled and finally caught up with him.

She kept looking back as she ran, and if Professor Grantham hadn't pulled her back in time, the strange black thread would probably have already wrapped around her.

In the dimly lit passage, only the red and gold sparks attacked the black lines.

Evelyn glanced at Joseph's profile; he already knew how to handle this kind of thing.

She remembered what the people who had been rescued last night had said.

They said it was the light that saved them.

Church records often contain similar statements. After all, when people are in fear and despair, it is easy for them to call what they see for the last time a divine guidance. Evelyn had heard too many such stories since she was a child.

But the gods have long since fallen; this is something that no one in the church is willing to say out loud, yet everyone knows it.

But now... she felt a little uncertain.

Was the light that night emitted by this man?

The group retreated to the bottom of the stone steps. Allen blocked the final blow with his shield from behind. The purple line pulled a group of black lines that were chasing the fastest off course, and the red and gold sparks hit them, instantly burning those black lines.

When they finally emerged from the old diversion well entrance, Joseph was surprised to find that the air in this run-down place, Grey Pigeon Town, was actually quite fresh.

The patrolmen and church knights immediately surrounded them.

"What happened?"

"What happened down there?"

"We didn't hear anything!"

Allen, panting, put down his shield and tried to laugh a couple more times, but he was probably too tired to do so, and only managed to laugh halfway through.

"Ha...it's alright, everyone's out for now."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"Those black lines below absorb magic! It's too dangerous. Luckily, none of the townspeople and workers encountered them last night, or it would have been a huge problem."

The patrolmen's faces changed upon hearing this.

"Absorbing magic power?"

"Won't things get even more complicated down there?"

"How did you guys get out just now?"

Allen immediately said:

"Professor Grantham used new magic to eliminate all the black lines underneath!"

Joseph: "..."

Allen even gestured excitedly:

"The magic and blessings of the rest of us were drained, but then Professor Grantham intervened and burned through those black lines!"

"Really?"

"Wasn't it said to absorb magic power?"

"Even the church's blessing didn't work?"

"Is this the new magic?"

"No wonder the college sent Professor Grantham."

"I knew it! That red-gold light in Grey Pigeon Town yesterday was no ordinary light. What ordinary light could rescue someone from under a ruined portal?"

"So it really was Professor Grantham last night?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense. Big shots don't like people knowing they saved someone. Keep your voice down."

"No wonder he didn't explain anything just now."

"So this new magic is specifically designed to counter that thing?"

The patrolmen and several nearby residents of Grey Pigeon Town began to whisper among themselves.

Joseph's eyelids twitched as he listened.

To describe his two haphazardly flying spells as powerful is a very rare talent.

However, on the other hand, these two things seem to be really useful.

He should go back and study those two spell slots in his head properly. Maybe he really can become a great mage through his students? Wouldn't that be heaven helping him?

No, you can't laugh now.

"It was just a temporary measure; we were mostly lucky," Joseph replied casually.

Upon hearing this, the patrol team members standing nearby were filled with respect.

"To call it luck at a time like this..."

Are truly capable people all this humble?

"No wonder he's a professor."

Joseph: "..."

Lance straightened his collar, which Allen had pulled askew, glanced at Joseph, and his tone was slightly better than before:

"Professor Grantham, it seems that the Royal Academy's decision to send you here was not arbitrary."

But before Joseph could reply, he continued:

"The well needs to be resealed. Let's wait for the association's observers to arrive."

Joseph immediately gave Lance's words a thumbs up in his mind.

Very good. A seasoned investigator should recognize that some wells do not necessarily need to be drilled a second time on the spot.

The best course of action in this situation is to seal it off, write a report, and wait for someone even more unfortunate to take over.

As for why there are black lines and other random things, what does that have to do with him?

After Lance finished speaking, he walked toward the carriage that was waiting for him.

No one noticed that when he came out, he tucked a small glass bottle inside his coat. Inside the bottle was a piece of black thread that he had scraped off the broken part of the ground when he came out.

Lance lowered his eyes.

If it weren't for Professor Grantham's actions just now, they would probably be dead down there.

A bunch of useless trash.

If it weren't for Professor Grantham's effective solution, they would all probably be dead down there.

The royal court cannot rely on others to tell them everything, especially when neither the Magic Association nor the Church is reliable.

Evelyn stood by the well, looking down into the darkness. After a while, she turned to look at Joseph.

She doesn't believe in gods, but she does believe in one thing.

People need to believe in something, and if a miracle can bring people back from chaos, then it has value in itself.

Professor Grantham, who possesses such abilities and is in charge of the New Magic Revival Project, has just demonstrated this fact in the well.

If we can maintain a good enough relationship with him...

Evelyn slowly approached Joseph and asked softly:

"Professor, were you startled just now?"

Joseph: "?"

More than just startled, his soul nearly ran all the way back to the experimental tower from the old diversion well. If those two abstract spells hadn't suddenly come in handy, they would probably have already become part of the latest rumors in Grey Pigeon Town.

"It's alright," Joseph said, raising his hand to straighten his slightly disheveled cuffs.

Evelyn lowered her eyes slightly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good." She said, then suddenly raised her hand and gently placed it on his wrist through his clothes.

Joseph: "?"

"Please don't be nervous," Evelyn said softly.

"It was just a very short, calming blessing. The residue from underground might still have some effect on our mental state. The professor risked his life for us, so I should at least do what I can."

Her bright blue eyes looked at Joseph with worry:

"If I do nothing, I will feel that I am just standing by and receiving your protection, which is really a disservice to the guidance of the gods."

Please don't refuse my calming blessing, okay?

Joseph: "..."

It's like if he refuses, I seem heartless, but if he doesn't refuse, something just doesn't feel right.

Evelyn's fingertips emitted a faint glow through his sleeve, and a touch of warmth spread along her wrist.

To be honest, it felt quite comfortable. The tension I felt when I rushed out of the well seemed to have eased considerably.

Is the church's blessing service really that mature?

In the future, could we consider allowing the experimental tower to apply for some outsourced services related to psychological counseling?

Of course, it would be best to use this money as project funding.

Joseph was just figuring out how to politely pull his cuffs back from under the nun's fingers when a commotion suddenly broke out outside the cordon.

"This area is temporarily sealed off; do not approach!"

Outside the blockade, Mia was holding Grace's arm as they looked inside.

Professor Grantham was standing right in front of them, with a silver-haired nun gently resting her hand on Joseph's wrist.

Seemingly hearing the sound, the nun turned her head slightly and looked at them gently.

Mia blinked: "Huh?"