Ancient Magic

Castle Black grew even harsher after sunset.

Shivering, Bowen Marsh pulled out a large ring of keys and tried them one by one on the heavy iron chain locking the gate.

"Can't we go beyond the Wall tomorrow?"

Tyrion could not help complaining. Fire magic kept him from feeling the cold, but what scenery could they possibly see at night?

"Uncle may not be in a hurry, but I only want to fulfill my wish at once and sleep soundly tonight."

Joffrey answered perfunctorily.

What he anticipated was not the land beyond the Wall, but the secrets hidden within it. The invisible magical sensation ahead constantly tempted him.

The chains fell with a clattering crash.

Joffrey's eyes lit up.

He had to admit, getting in and out of the Wall was truly no easy task.

Ahead in the narrow, winding tunnel stood two more equally heavy iron gates, each requiring someone to unlock them. Above each gate were murder holes for firing hidden arrows and ice stones, making the defenses exceptionally tight.

For the Wall, which had no city gates, such tunnels were the most convenient—and only—passages between its two sides.

Unfortunately, even these tunnels had mostly been abandoned.

Joffrey only knew of two that remained usable. One was this place; the other was the "Black Gate" in the abandoned Nightfort.

He guessed that the Three-Eyed Crow might have let that Skinchanger and Snow Bear through the Black Gate. After all, the old man had once been Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, so it was hardly surprising.

All in all, the Wall truly lived up to its reputation as a colossal fortress.

Just before entering the tunnel, recalling the descriptions of the Wall's magic, he could not help hesitating. Did this magic only harm monsters like the Others, or was it hostile toward all spellcasters?

He deliberately fell half a step behind.

Tyrion stepped into the tunnel. Good. Tyrion had neither shattered nor dropped dead.

Reassured, Joffrey continued forward.

One step, then two.

But the instant he took his third step, a hazy curtain of light swept across his body.

The Wall's magic!

A wave of dizziness surged from within and seized his soul. Did I get hit?

After several breaths, he was relieved to find himself still alive. He felt no pain, his mind remained clear, and he was neither cold nor warm.

Then he noticed the changes in himself.

The abundant Magic Energy in his body had all been suppressed within his Runes, leaving it nearly impossible to draw upon. At the same time, a steady stream of Magic Energy slowly flowed from his Runes into the Wall, streaking through it in trails of light.

At least two kinds of Runes!

He focused and stared deep into the wall, following the multicolored glow of Magic Energy flowing from his body.

Patterns of identical design were absorbing the leaking Magic Energy. They flickered between light and dark, yet the sensation they gave him grew stronger in a steady rhythm.

Why?

He immediately thought of the similarities and differences between invisible Source Energy and glowing Magic Energy. Could these Runes reverse Magic Energy back into Source Energy?

Countless wild ideas erupted in his mind in an instant.

He hurriedly memorized the Pattern's shape, then began searching all around for traces of other Runes.

The group came to a stop.

Jon silently stood guard beside Joffrey, guarding against enemies that did not exist.

Bowen Marsh was in no hurry at all.

But Tyrion, shivering from head to toe, could not help urging him, "Good nephew, spare my life. It's so cold here my little fellow is about to freeze off. Either let's hurry out, or let's turn back right now."

Tyrion had paid the price for his carelessness.

His confidence in fire magic had made him forget to put on extra layers of fur or cotton clothing. Now that his magic had failed, he finally experienced firsthand the endless might of the Wall's ancient magic and Ice.

Satisfied, Joffrey withdrew his gaze.

"Ah, for Uncle's little fellow, I suppose we can only set aside the scenery beyond the Wall for now. First Steward, we're returning the way we came."

At those words, Bowen Marsh's already flushed face darkened until it nearly turned purple.

At a time this cold, he had left his warm hearth and bedding to guide the Crown Prince, only for it to end so hastily?!

Bowen shot Tyrion a vicious glare. "Lord Tyrion, if there is a next time, put on more clothes before coming out. I'm a busy man too!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Bowen led Joffrey and Jon briskly back, completely ignoring Tyrion.

Tyrion followed helplessly.

The iron gate at the tunnel entrance slammed shut, and it was not opened again that night.

The moonlight was cold and clear.

The fires throughout Castle Black went out one after another. Only the King's Tower and a few places where men stood watch still remained lit.

The group that had arrived at Castle Black that afternoon had already dispersed.

Benjen and Yoren returned to their duties, while the Wildling Osha was placed under guard to await identification of the secret passage.

Joffrey, meanwhile, took Jon and Tyrion to the warmest rooms on the second floor of the King's Tower. Rainwater, Ghost, and the Snow Bear each stayed with their respective masters.

Bathed in the orange-red glow of the fireplace,

Joffrey sat on the bed, absentmindedly stroking Rainwater's fur.

Rainwater seemed to have obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Whenever it saw its smooth fur being messed up, it always had to grumble a few times in protest.

"Ah... I can't sleep."

The increase in Mental Power had greatly reduced Joffrey's drowsiness, and today's gains had made his thoughts even more active. Naturally, that was a good thing, but for someone who had once been able to lie in bed all day, it was also a rather tragic price to pay.

Fortunately, the strength gained in exchange was precious enough.

Joffrey closed his eyes and practiced connecting with the three new invisible Runes.

The Extraction, Restoration, and Anti-Magic Runes.

Contrary to his earlier guess, the Rune that drew away Magic Energy and the one that reversed it into Source Energy were not the same. It was the result of the Extraction Rune and Restoration Rune working together.

The Extraction Rune could absorb Magic Energy within a certain range.

The Restoration Rune could restore surplus Magic Energy from various Runes into Source Energy for storage, then supply it back to the Runes when Magic Energy ran short.

As its name suggested, the Anti-Magic Rune could greatly suppress the movement of Magic Energy within a certain range. Its effect was nearly equivalent to forbidding magic altogether. The Anti-Magic Rune was probably the most harmful to the Others and Wights.

Once their magic failed, creatures whose existence depended on magic might even melt away directly.

No wonder the Others had not taken a single step south for thousands of years.

Yet there was one thing he could not understand. He could control the activation and deactivation of the Runes on his body, as well as their targeted output, so how did the Anti-Magic Rune within the Wall avoid interfering with the operation of other Runes?

Perhaps it was the effect of an unknown fourth Rune? But he had not discovered one.

Or perhaps some ritual had merely pried open the power of this unknown Rune without leaving it behind in the Wall or any other object.

If that were true, what kind of ritual had it been?

Having gained so many Runes through archaeology, Joffrey had already put away his arrogance.

Perhaps the ancients had not understood the essence of magic, but the fact that they had left behind so many magical ruins was enough to prove the high level of their magical applications.

He and the ancients had merely arrived at the same destination by different paths. There was no need to distinguish who was superior.

What other wonders did the Wall hold?

He turned his mind inward and searched through the countless memories in his consciousness, finally stopping on a few short lines of text.

The Black Gate of the Nightfort: a talking Weirwood door, a Weirwood face that opened the passage for Night's Watch brothers who answered its oath.

It was worth investigating.