Chapter 75: Update

Whether Dan Marina’s talk was just a smokescreen, or a deliberate attempt to mislead, since it was a possibility, the importance placed upon that Dragon soared. The Sanctuary Church had always collected things relating to Sorceress abilities. Even though these things were rare and often not very useful, they still collected them.

You never knew when it might come in handy at some critical moment? Without that thing at that crucial instant, a Sorceress could easily slip away.

Every Sorceress possessed a deep, hidden strength. Compared to the past, today’s Sorceresses lived too long. Forget about their sheer power; just their survival abilities made them incredibly hard to deal with. Aside from newly born Sorceresses, capturing one of the veteran Sorceresses often proved impossible even after decades!

“You will not do anything to that Dragon until your power recovers,” the man who had previously spoken with Dan Marina said, fixing her with a hard stare.

“Then what if I refuse?” Dan Marina crossed her arms. Her tone was casual, but the coldness within it was no less than the man’s before her. “According to the Contract, I won’t conceal certain major things. But you people seem ready to break the Contract? Or has this Contract itself outlived its usefulness?”

“…He must be kept alive and absolutely whole,” the man said after a heavy moment of silence.

“Or you find a way to personally make contact with him yourself, and bring him back.”

He could intervene directly in this matter, but his current position made that difficult. Any movement he made would draw attention. If he were going after some dangerous entity, that wouldn’t be such a big deal. No one would pay it undue mind, because the Sanctuary Church’s work was always about eliminating ‘abnormalities’ in this world. Work that benefited the whole world. Only a troublemaking minority would object; almost all people would support it.

But if he personally acted against a Dragon? He would have a serious problem trying to explain that to the Dragon Clan. Even though the Sanctuary Church wasn’t afraid of the Dragon Clan, an outright clash would bring no benefits at all!

Moreover, if the Dragon Clan learned that Dragon possessed an ability capable of affecting Dan Marina, things would become far messier. The Dragon Clan’s attitude toward Sorceresses wasn’t as extreme as the Sanctuary Church’s. Aside from Dan Marina – a special case who, even with relations broken, they saved for last – they spared no effort in capturing other Sorceresses; it was better to capture mistakenly than miss one entirely.

“Hmm? Though I am rather curious about him too, what makes you think I’d do that? Handle it yourselves!” Dan Marina scoffed. Her power made the people of the Sanctuary Church wary of her. But if they could eliminate the effects of that power? A whole squad of elite hunters would probably swarm her location immediately to subdue her!

The man knew very well that if he made a move… the Dragon Clan would find out. Not for any complicated reason, but because of the woman before him. No one likes dying obediently, and that included Dan Marina!

“As for him staying alive? I don’t want trouble from the Dragon Clan either. Those elders care way too much about their descendants,” Dan Marina finished, waving a dismissive hand at the man. “I’m also taking that girl away. She’s useless here now. Surely the great Sanctuary Church wouldn’t trouble an ordinary girl?”

“That is none of your concern.”

“The Magic Weapon Summoning Book has ties to that Dragon. If you plan to recruit her into the hunting squad, aren’t you worried something might go wrong?”

Dan Marina finished speaking. Without waiting for the man’s reply, she turned and walked away alone, leaving the man standing there silently. The Magic Weapon Summoning Book… the sheer convenience it offered was something the Sanctuary Church valued immensely. Even after extensive research, they hadn’t been able to figure much out about it. That Book’s nature was simply too unique!

Moreover, based on ongoing investigations, they had discovered something long ago. The Book was undergoing rapid enhancement. Ordinary people couldn’t perceive this, but the Sanctuary Church’s resources and experience made detection possible. Through many different secret rituals, they managed to glean some insights… though the cost was far from light for those who used these rituals.

The Magic Weapon Summoning Book was an exceptionally rare item possessing rapid growth. Its growth limit? Its rate of enhancement hadn’t slowed even marginally, already revealing immense potential. And as it became stronger, the information these secret rituals could uncover became less and less, to the point where each use inflicted severe consequences on the user.

Huge amounts of Mana and Mental Energy were forcibly drained from them. This damage was permanent. Using it once was typically enough to cause a Ranked Practitioner to fall back below the tier ranks. Even those with exceptional talent, after suffering such hurt, would become mediocre. Its growth was based on an immense user base propping it up.

As long as the Magic Weapon Contract spread further, the Magic Weapon Summoning Book’s accumulation of power would keep increasing. The researchers studying it were deeply amazed. What kind of Magic did that Book possess? How could it ignore the countless Mana imprints of so many users and gather the Mana sustaining their Contracts!

It was vital to remember that each person’s Mana was a unique ‘color’. Mixing a few could produce unique hues. But the fusion and accumulation of countless different colors? That would become hideously muddy! Almost nothing could withstand the corruption of such vast, impure Mana!

Yet the Magic Weapon Summoning Book accomplished exactly that.

Therefore, the Sanctuary Church’s stance toward the Magic Weapon offering book was… delicate. They wanted to utilize it, yet worried about what hidden dangers the book might harbor. But giving it up felt like a huge waste… As for obeying the Magic Weapon Contract to provide the Book with Mana? That was less concerning. One percent of each person’s daily Mana was truly negligible. The Sanctuary Church members currently using it were all low-level personnel.

Few from the middle levels used it… and none from the higher ranks used it at all.

“Damn that Witch!” Only after Dan Marina was completely gone did the man realize something. Dan Marina’s parting words felt like a hint that the Magic Weapon Summoning Book held some risk… But… she herself had signed the Magic Weapon Contract!! Considering her own ability, even if the Book had extra dangers, it was likely acceptable to her. After all, Sorceresses were also bound by their Contracts. If there was a truly severe danger involved, would she still do it? Clearly not! Therefore… the Sanctuary Church’s previous wariness might have been too cautious. Perhaps they could authorize lower-level members to sign the Magic Weapon Contract. The Book’s convenience was too high. The Magic Arms inside were also strengthening alongside the book itself. Quality was not an issue; the Magic Arms within would only grow increasingly powerful!

Access could be opened for low-level members. For middle-level members… partial access could be granted, but they would need to report their status regularly. As for high-level personnel, that avenue would remain closed until the risks associated with the Magic Weapon Summoning Book were completely ruled out. Besides, since they were Sanctuary Church higher-ups, were they really lacking in extraordinary magical weapons?

They had no need whatsoever for the Magic Weapon Contract at present.

“Huh? It just released a new weapon?” Dan Marina, who had already left, took out her Magic Weapon Summoning Book. She flipped to the latest page. It was still an Intermediate Magic Weapon. But this time, it wasn’t a sword or blade… it was a staff!