Equipment Printing School Mage

This time, the movement was much more obvious.

And Mars felt even more pain.

Only the stone wall remained motionless.

Even Mars would be somewhat confused if he wanted to smash a stone wall without the help of divine power.

He stared at the motionless stone wall in front of him in disbelief, and for the first time began to question his life.

At this moment, Sig's voice came from behind him: "...I think I heard the sound of something hitting the wall?"

"Sieg, although your hearing is very good, in this world, even a battering ram can only hit the city gate, not the wall." Emilia replied.

"Huh!?" Mars covered his shoulders and elbows in disbelief.

What a joke, he was one thousand percent sure that their team's room was on the right!

But he really couldn't deceive his brain, so he could only turn around and tentatively look into the room on the other side.

Inside the room, the four people were neatly arranged. The layout and their postures were exactly as Mars had imagined them, without any discrepancies.

At that moment, he heard Alestria sigh, stand up, and walk toward the corridor. The previously dark room finally lit up with a silver glow.

Mars saw her face very clearly, and then saw her look into his eyes. He then frowned and said, "Strange, why is it so dark... I can't see anything."

Now, Mars began to understand why Sig was frightened by the shadow some time ago.

At this time, Emilia finally stood up, walked to the side of Elaster, stretched out her hand, and patted the empty space one meter in front of Mars.

The air actually made a dull collision sound.

Emiya muttered, "Well, now we know where the shadow sand works."

He turned around and sent a stream of magic power towards the table.

The real light and shadow swayed gently, and all the virtual images were finally separated from reality.

Then, the room in front of Mars dissipated into the air, revealing the true form of the walls again.

Emiya's voice finally rang out from behind Mars: "...Mars? Why are you facing that side? Our room is on this side? I thought you wouldn't forget such a thing."

"...Haha." The paladin looked hopeless. He tapped his forehead to soothe the redness and swelling, then turned away angrily. "I don't want to discuss this. I'm glad you guys made some progress."

Then, he saw another version of himself turning around at the same speed and standing in front of him.

“…That’s enough!”

-----------------

"...You guys actually made some progress!? So quickly?"

Mars looked at the small table in front of him in shock.

Just now, he witnessed the shadow sand dissolve and vanish before his eyes. Then, a copy of the text he brought appeared before him. For a moment, he wasn't even sure which of the piles of text was the original.

Now Emiya and Yin's control over the shadow sand is almost disabled - the two of them can only make the shadow sand take effect, and they cannot fully control what specific effects it will produce.

The result was that the shadow sand had blocked the door and created a mirrored fake room on the other side of the wall, and they didn't even notice.

"I can only say that I'm lucky." Emilia couldn't help but glance at Elastrid and replied, "I'm prepared to toss and turn over inconsolably about this matter—but, I can only say that I have some clues. For example, the illusion just now, even I couldn't distinguish it."

As long as there was progress in the research, Yin's mood would calm down and he would no longer be anxious. "Right now, we still don't know exactly how Haverfont is operating..."

Mars was distracted a lot along the way, and now he finally got back to the main topic.

He immediately became serious and held up a document. "This contains two parts. One part is the record of the Shar Church's actions and the captured scriptures after 1372 of the Valley Calendar. Of course, the Shar Church's actions became extremely rare in 1385 of the Valley Calendar. Before that, the reason for their cessation of action is actually unknown."

However, after meeting Fenwë, the mystery was finally revealed—most of the Church of Mystra disappeared into the mountains along with Halruaa. The Church of Shar also suffered a devastating disaster during the Arcane Plague when the Shadow Weave was destroyed.

"The second part is a record of Halruaan magic. Although Halruaan is wealthy and often uses its airships to trade with the outside world, magical items are never exported. Therefore, even Candlekeep doesn't have any Halruaan spells." Having said this, Mars stood up and placed a hand solemnly on the pile of books. "So, Emiya, Yin—the spells here were written by our Lord himself."

No matter how secretive Halruaan magic is, it cannot be concealed from their main god.

This is a big favor and gesture of goodwill.

Emiya breathed a sigh of relief, and Yin cheered and rushed forward like a hungry tiger. "Good girl! Just based on this one thing, I'm sure she's a friendly force!"

Hey!

Emilia couldn't help but cover her face, turned her head and said, "...Mars, allow me to ask one more question - does Lady Midnight have any new opinions on the Shadow Sand?"

"Actually, there is," Mars answered with some pride. "She may not know Shar very well, but she knows Halrua very well. If the arcane magic used by Halffont really came from Halrua, then which of Halrua's unique spells is most likely to be related to shadows? This is her guess."

He flipped open a parchment book and quickly found the page: "Remel's Cyclic Light, a four-ring transmutation spell similar to Eternal Light. Its greatest feature is that its light is not unconditionally continuous, but changes according to the external light: it converges in sunlight and radiates in darkness. The lady said that the true purpose of this spell is not the key, but its principle and its possible reverse versions are the key."

"Reverse version."

"Yes," Mars replied. "It is said that in Halrua, people believe that there should be a version of this spell that can absorb light according to external light. However, the practicality of this spell is inevitably greatly reduced. It is not like the Light of the Cycle, which can be used in the streets and alleys of the country."

Halruaa is a country where humans are the absolute majority, and humans, unfortunately, are one of the very few races in this world that do not have the ability to see at night.

Halruaa's magic may be powerful and widespread, but why bother with night vision when you can use light?

Midnight is right.

Light that spreads more easily based on external light... This kind of spell mechanism is perfectly compatible with the shadow sand, a strange substance that completely relies on the outside world!

Perhaps, based on this, Haverfont or her teacher developed a spell or magic item called Cyclic Darkness or Cyclic Shadow.

Just as Emiya and Yin were ready to start working, a hoarse, terrified cry suddenly came from outside the inner court: "It's terrible! The prisoner is missing!"

Fifty-two accompanying shadows (I)

"Is it a misunderstanding?"

"It's a misunderstanding."

Although they were deeply engaged in their research, they were not too distracted from their work. However, as they rushed out into the corridor, they received this definitive answer.

In the main hall of the inner court, a senior reader confirmed, "A monk saw Haffont escaping. However, we have confirmed with His Excellency Apodale that Haffont is still imprisoned."

The monks who had arrived from all over the inner court were already quite satisfied with this outcome. It was already late at night, and most of them had already risen from their beds. After realizing it was a false alarm, they looked at the Great Reader and excused themselves, heading to their own rooms. Emya was certainly busy, but before leaving, he casually asked, "Did he see something that made him mistake it for Haverfont?"

The Great Reader waved his hand in exasperation. "A monk who stole food from the kitchen in the middle of the night—that fool who was sneaking around in a black robe at such a sensitive moment—I've already put him in solitary confinement. Hell, even the gatekeepers on the city wall were diverted to catch a greedy fool."

At this point, he replied, "Don't worry, the defenses on the city walls are impenetrable. Your efforts will not be in vain."

"Thank you very much. The Church of Shar is notorious and cunning. If you want to save the captives from them, a false alarm is an acceptable price to pay."

This seems to be an insignificant little incident.

************************************

There was still an unusual silence inside and outside Candlekeep, but all of Candlekeep's allies were crying out for help every day, saying that they were unable to come.

The Zhentarim and Cyre, who had been dormant for a while, launched another offensive, clashing with Waterdeep. The Harpers were forced to prioritize protecting their own headquarters, preventing them from reaching Candlekeep. The Sword Coast and the North weren't exactly united.

In a place like this, a crisis too small isn't worth asking for help. A crisis too big? Even a request for help will fall on deaf ears.

Worse still, even Elturgard's west gate is beginning to be infested with undead creatures. This nation of paladins has already dispatched its elite Hell Knights, and the remaining forces are only enough to protect its own safety.

In the death storm that swept across South Sword Coast, only Candlekeep remained safe and sound, maintaining an unsettling tranquility.

Today, even the dark clouds seem particularly low.

"Without close neighbors, even the sky doesn't want to give Candlekeep much breathing space."

The leader of Candlekeep, the Bookkeeper, stood at the window, looking at the gloomy sky, and sighed sincerely.

The monks of Candlekeep weren't particularly adept at fighting, and the recent atmosphere of impending storm had made the monks within the castle somewhat uneasy.

"The battle between Baldur's Gate and Belgost is already raging." His deputy, Chief Reader Stutin, said from the side, "Now the Grand Duke of Baldur's Gate is guarding the prisoners in the basement without a step."

"I made a slip of the tongue," Lude replied. "I'm just a little unsure: do I want to start sooner or never start at all?"

"We just don't want to endure the worry and tension, but we can't accept death."

Just as the two leaders of Candle Castle were still sighing, Mars downstairs suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar: "—What the hell did you do! This is completely different from what I expected!!!!!"

**************************

"Calm down. Calm down." Emilia rarely panicked, but now cold sweat broke out on her forehead, which was rare.

Although Mars was not a gentle man, he rarely flew into a rage. This time, he was furious, which was rare, and it was naturally because Emilia had done something wrong.

To be more precise, the equipment he had painstakingly made over the past few days failed to meet his expectations.

——Or rather, it was completely beyond their expectations.

The situation was so unusual that Yin's face couldn't help but turn slightly red. "I think it would be more accurate to say that the actual effectiveness of the Shadow Sand has exceeded expectations. Perhaps we should consider digging more in the Shadowfall Underworld..."

"That's not the point!"

Mars pointed at the shadow beside him and shouted, "Emiya, explain to me, what is this!?"

Not long ago, Mars wore a thin, almost transparent cloak. However, as soon as the paladin finished reciting the activation words, the cloak slowly melted into the air.

The next second, a huge shadow appeared behind him. Mars was smiling at first, but when he saw the true form of the shadow, his face fell.

This phantom stood over three meters tall, a true behemoth. Its body was uneven and covered in sharp spikes. Several pairs of arms stretched out before it. If they weren't phantoms, they would surely be flashing coldly in the air.

The problem is that this form is wrong.

Mars roared, "Didn't you say that the function of shadow sand is to imitate? What is it imitating?!

"--How did you manage to imitate Baal's slayer incarnation!? Do I need you to emphasize that I'm Baal's son?!"

"It's my responsibility. My responsibility." Emilia was sweating profusely, a rare sight. "But I promise, I've tried it on myself—and nothing has changed except for the sword behind my back!"

"...Humph!" Although Mars lost control of his temper, he wasn't being unreasonable. He angrily waved his hands and covered his face, trying to calm down.

Yin was thoughtful at this moment: "From what I've seen so far, it seems that what Shadow Sand imitates is more profound than I thought - its imitation does not stop at the body, but also includes the soul. Mars, the power of Baal is hidden in your soul. Although you don't use it, existence is existence, so you are affected by it."

"Tsk... What bad luck." Mars didn't like his own divine blood. "If wearing this cloak will definitely cast this shadow, I'd rather not wear it..."

At this point, he was suddenly startled, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "Wait a minute, wait a minute—there's no reason for me to be the only one experiencing this! Where are Sig and Elastrid? This Shadow Cloak was originally made as a test piece for Elastrid's armor, right? Where is she now?"

"She is changing her armor in her room, and Sig should be with her--" Before Emilia could finish her words, there was a knock on his door.

"Who?"

"…It's me, Elastrid."

Elastri's voice was already gentle, almost shy, and at this moment it was even more faint.

The door of the room opened, and Elastrid was pushed in by Sig with great reluctance.

Her first words were: "...Emiya, do you really have to show so much?"

Naturally, the most important achievement of the Shadow Sand development is to allow Elastrid to unleash the power of her Moon Blade.

However, Shadow Sand isn't a classic armor material after all. So, after adding a large amount of Shadow Sand, the design results are somewhat... unexpected.

But in terms of practicality, there was indeed no problem, so he shamelessly made it.

"...Hey, Emilia." Alestria's voice was as thin as a mosquito, and her moon-white skin turned red, almost bleeding.

She covered her legs and muttered, "...Why, there's no protection on my legs... - Instead, they're wearing black stockings. I don't think armor is a suitable place to add a personal kink..."

In fact, the problem goes beyond just stockings.

The equipment of Elastrid, who was originally fully armed, now weighs only a few tenths of her previous earthworm armor.

In contrast, only one tenth of the metal visible on the elf priest's body remains.

In contrast, her attire was more like formal wear for aristocratic banquets, and most of her equipment seemed to be made of silk.

She was wearing a pair of pantyhose and a short silver skirt that barely reached her knees. Her upper body was a close-fitting silver-white blouse, but it was connected to the long skirt by a shadow.

"That's not stockings!" Emilia had to argue for the sake of her reputation. "To ensure the relative inertness of the shadow sand, I shattered it again and then reconnected it. The result is that it's hazy and almost transparent. It's not my fault! Now it's almost weightless, doesn't restrict any movement, and has considerable protective power and is extremely difficult to completely destroy. But the legs are the key protection area after all, so that's why they are woven with a mixture of fine gold and shadow sand!"

"Oh." Mars said expressionlessly, in a tone of watching the fun and not caring about the big deal, "Continue."

Emiya felt the sweat on his head increase. He said, "During this time, I've also looked up information on sword chanters' sword dances. Miss Xingyong also explained clearly that sword chanting is a perfect art form, and the user will use every part of their body when dancing. Therefore, I deliberately kept only shadow sand on all joints: in addition to the parts you mentioned, this also includes the knees! Also, to prevent the helmet from obscuring the view, the helmet is naturally made of shadow sand!"

In fact, Elastrid now wore a wide headband that almost completely covered the back of her head - and these headbands were actually made of pure adamantine.

"...Then...then..." When she said the last part, Elaster's face finally turned red, and she pointed at the amazing curve in front of her body, "...Is it necessary to make the bulge in the chest so exaggerated!?"

"This is even more unfair!" Emilia cried. "The breastplate is supposed to be curved. If it encounters a powerful attack that cannot be avoided, the armor will break and absorb the damage. To achieve this, the breastplate itself is convex and has to leave space!"

The result was that, to create the perfect armor, the more impressive the wearer's bust, the more excessive the armor had to be—and Elastrid, unfortunately, or fortunately, fell into that category of "astonishing."

At that moment, the cloak behind Alestria melted away, and an elf's voice emanated from within her: "...Actually, I don't quite understand. I think this outfit... well, the armor itself, isn't anything unusual. Aren't there more outrageous outfits everywhere?"

“…!?” Elastrid was immediately struck down by her senior’s words. “…Is clothing of this level common among elves?”