[- Dark Matter Magic: Die Gegenwart des Erzengels -]
The pages of the Pale White Grimoire in its digital form flickered rapidly—then stopped.
In the next instant, the air throughout the chamber completely transformed.
The wild Mana around him was forced to submit to Gabriel. His Mana Skin expanded and thickened, reinforced by the simultaneous release of ten Compression Units.
The pressure created was no longer a mere gust of wind—it became a wave of condensed Mana, exploding outward and striking in all directions, as if the very space could no longer contain his presence.
BWOOM—!!
In an instant, the golems hanging from the ceiling plummeted, shattering like porcelain.
Almost simultaneously, the wave continued surging toward the door.
The massive stone door, etched with runes and adorned with gold, shook violently… before finally collapsing, reduced to unrecognizable rubble. Every obstacle was obliterated without a trace.
As the flow of Mana stabilized, Gabriel stepped forward.
Beyond the now-open chamber, golden light welcomed him.
Piles of gold, gemstones, ancient Magic Items, and several thick, dust-covered books—almost certainly relics from an era of old magic—lay scattered before him.
Gabriel let out a quiet breath, a faint smile touching his lips. He then picked up a Magic Tool resembling a Goblet, fulfilling the conditions of the Side Quest.
"Good…" he murmured. "This… is far more interesting than I expected."
Ding!
[Herald has completed the Side Quest: Dungeon Exploration - Grade C]
[+5,000 system points]
With a single wave of his hand, Gabriel dismissed the notification. Without hesitation, he summoned several Beetles—pale-white horned insects whose entire bodies were composed of Dark Matter.
With a subtle touch of Dark Matter Magic: Haniel Umgestaltung des Leerenlichts, Gabriel modified the abdomen of each Beetle into a hidden cargo compartment.
The compartments were crafted to securely hold and transport all the treasures—shimmering gold, ancient artifacts, and books hundreds of years old.
Once everything was ready, Gabriel released the Beetles, which immediately scuttled off toward his base, carrying their loads with flawless precision.
Watching the Beetles scurry back and forth, loaded with gold and relics, Gabriel's satisfied smile widened—a satisfaction only he could truly feel.
***
A day had passed.
Now, Gabriel sat at the edge of a cliff atop a rocking chair entirely crafted from Dark Matter, gazing at the star-filled night sky over Ultime-Vulcan Mountain.
By night, the volcano no longer spewed molten lava. Instead, natural hot springs flowed gently from the mountain's crevices, their wisps of steam rising slowly into the air.
Mareleona had not returned to Ultime-Vulcan. Meaning, there were no battles. No brutal training pushing his body to the limit.
The chance to refine himself—at least for the moment—was on hold.
In truth, Gabriel had already accomplished a great deal.
He had acquired all the knowledge held by Loropechka, Queen of the Heart Kingdom.
And that was not all.
Forbidden Magic once wielded by the Elven race, Rades Sprito's Magic Soul Corpse, and Lucius Zogratis's Soul Magic—all were now within his reach.
All of that information had been obtained through Gigan's Ability Transfer, which traced the target's memories via the Beatles; these creatures functioned both as mediums for theft and as storage for magical knowledge.
The ancient books and several less-useful Magic Tools from yesterday's dungeon had also been neatly stored in his base. He could experiment again at any time, without any rush.
But tonight, Gabriel had no desire to do so—experiments could wait, and research could be conducted whenever.
More importantly, a brilliant idea was slowly taking shape in his mind.
A few seconds later, it crystallized fully. Gabriel could not help but let a faint smile spread across his lips as he rose from the rocking chair.
"Alright… it's time for Ash to descend into the mortal world," he murmured, his voice tinged with the deliberately mysterious tone of his persona.
[- Dark Matter Creation Magic: Seraphim des Leerenlichts -]
The pale white Grimoire, in its digital form, flipped open several pages.
As the pages came to a stop, three pairs of pale white wings sprouted from Gabriel's back, emitting a cold light that made his silhouette appear almost divine.
The wings flapped slowly, releasing a few pale white feathers into the air.
Gabriel observed them for a moment, recalling how previously this spell—even in its simple form—consumed fifty percent of his Mana.
But now, it was different.
Thanks to Compression Energy and Mana Zone, creating and dismissing these wings repeatedly no longer drained him.
In a sense, Gabriel was now on a level comparable to Kakine Teitoku—possessing an almost limitless supply of Dark Matter.
Not truly infinite, but sufficient to make the concept of Mana conservation nearly irrelevant in most situations.
Moreover, these three pairs of wings functioned similarly to Kakine's.
They could be used to slash, pierce, defend as shields, generate high-pressure gusts of wind, and perform a variety of other applications according to his will.
Without wasting another moment, Gabriel shot into the night sky, leaving behind a trail of pale white feathers that slowly faded under the starlight.
As he pierced through the darkness, he abruptly halted mid-flight.
Below him, a small village was in chaos.
Around thirty bandits moved with brutal force: men were restrained and tied together with children, while the women were separated and dragged away, their intent clear without needing to be explained.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, noting three familiar auras among the bandits.
"Seems they haven't learned their lesson," he murmured softly, his brows furrowing. "But… where are the Magic Knights?"
The Gigan magic circle appeared before his covered eyes.
In an instant, Gabriel's vision pierced the distance, hacking into the existences with sight—searching, scanning, confirming.
The result was the same.
Not a single Magic Knight was anywhere near the village.
"So… they haven't received the report yet?" Gabriel murmured. "Communication technology in this world is truly pathetic…"
A faint smile suddenly appeared on his face. His right hand swept back his bangs, revealing the softly glowing Gigan beneath.
The next instant, Gabriel dove.
The night air split as he streaked downward, landing directly in the midst of the chaos.
The moment his feet touched the ground, silence fell. Bandits and villagers froze in place, their eyes locked on the figure of a youth with three pairs of pale white wings and uncanny eyes.
Among the bandits, three of them visibly tensed—their faces drained of color.
"I-I… I've seen him before," one whispered, voice trembling.
"At the base back then…" another added, swallowing hard.
"What… should we do?" murmured the third, voice barely audible.
But before fear could spread further, a large-bodied bandit stepped forward, laughing harshly, as if trying to break the tension.
"Huh? A little winged kid?" the bandit jeered. "What's this? Some magic knight? Cheap angel?"
Gabriel stared at them, expressionless.
"Leave," he said calmly. "Release the villagers and surrender to the Magic Knights, if you wish to leave here in one piece."
For a moment, the air tensed.
Then—
"Hahaha!"
Laughter erupted from the large bandit, joined by several others.
"You heard that? He's threatening us!"
"With what?" another sneered. "Pretty wings and weird eyes?"
Gabriel exhaled softly.
"I see…" he said in a flat tone.
"Mana Zone."
"Ten Units: Output Release."
Instantly, the surrounding Mana bent to Gabriel's will. At the same time, the output of ten Compression Energy Units was unleashed.
In a fraction of a second, the pages of the Grimoire in its digital form flipped rapidly, as if selecting the spells that best matched its user's intent.
A sudden gust of wind enveloped Gabriel's body, swirling tightly yet controlled.
At the same time, he raised his left hand, palm facing forward.
The next instant, a translucent bow formed—made of condensed air through Dark Matter manipulation. Almost simultaneously, his right hand drew back, as if pulling the string of an invisible bow.
The Grimoire's pages stopped flipping.
[- Dark Matter Magic: Spell Construction — Gale of White Bow -]
Thirty wind arrows materialized around Gabriel, hovering in precise formation. The surge of Mana caused the bandits to flinch, some starting to cast their own spells.
But it was too late.
Gabriel released the draw.
The volley of wind arrows shot forward in unison, slicing through the night air.
The impact hit the bandits with brutal force, breaking bones and knocking them down one by one before a single spell could even take form.
___
Author's note:
Cheer me up...! Give me some power stone and review!