The Existence of Magic Controllers

"How is it, Master?"

Looking at the undeveloped fetus in the crystal test tube, Angela asked a question.

"Just as expected."

Li Lin finished his work and frowned slightly.

"It's largely a success. The fetus inherited the characteristics of the Magic Controller, so in that respect, our research has finally made some progress. However..."

"But?"

Li Lin glanced at Angela, then shook his head without saying anything more.

"It seems I need to conduct a verification test, Angela. I'll need your help this time, is that alright?"

"Certainly."

Although she didn't know what Li Lin was planning to do, Angela had absolutely no chance of refusing.

Soon, at Li Lin's summons, five of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys arrived in the study. In fact, they seemed quite surprised that Li Lin had summoned them so hastily. After all, this time Li Lin hadn't used communication, but had directly used Suoxiate's power to forcibly recall the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys from their location.

"Li Lin, what happened? I'm in the final stages of the academy's personnel reassignment process..."

"Father... Anna... is... on a mission..."

"Master, although I don't know what you want to say, I'm at a critical juncture here. Can't I take a break?"

I know you're all very busy.

Faced with the crowd's complaints, Li Lin held out a hand, signaling them to be quiet.

"However, I also have my reasons... and these are closely related to you as well."

At this point, Li Lin took a deep breath, looked at the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, and only after confirming that they were all listening attentively to him did he begin to speak.

"I have figured out the source of the Magic Controller's power."

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

"The Magic Controller... is that the one you mentioned before, the one who can control the magic cast by mages at will?"

Kalin frowned, quickly recalling Li Lin's earlier conversation with Suoxiate. During the previous war in the Magic Empire, Li Lin had deliberately dispersed his Weapon Spirit to prevent them from being manipulated, controlled, and ultimately becoming his enemies, precisely because of the existence of the Magic Controller. Ultimately, under Li Lin's intentional or unintentional Magic Controller, six of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys left, leaving only the defenseless Suoxiate by Li Lin side. Although they had heard of the Magic Controller's power, Nia and the others had no real understanding of just how powerful they truly were. While they were said to be able to manipulate magic, as the highest-ranking Weapon Spirit, even as products of magic, they shouldn't be so easily manipulated.

"Although Suoxiate has already told you the details of that matter, there are some things that I think you can't understand unless you experience them yourself."

As he spoke, Li Lin looked at Nia.

"Nia, reset your form."

"OK."

Although she didn't know what Li Lin was thinking, Nia quickly nodded in agreement. She closed her eyes, and then golden light radiated from within her body. Immediately afterward, the girl's figure disappeared, and a huge, heavy magic book slowly floated in the air, awaiting its master's next move.

"Angela."

Gazing at the "Eternal Library" before him, Li Lin slowly began to speak.

"Go and pick up the Eternal Library."

"Me, your concubine?"

Upon hearing this, Angela frowned. The other four people also stared wide-eyed in surprise after hearing the order.

Weapon Spirit are not weapons that anyone can use casually. When Li Lin created them, he implemented protective measures to prevent them from being stolen and used by others. If anyone other than Li Lin were to obtain the Eternal Library, their power and Magic Power would be instantly drained, leaving them dried up and dead. And if anyone dared to wield the Gloomy Curse, the potent poison and curse attached to it would kill them. Even seemingly harmless weapons like the Tear of the Meteor are the same; if anyone other than their master dared to possess it, their body would be instantly penetrated by the sprouting buds, transformed into a true plant by the forces of nature. As for the Hymn of Destruction, needless to say, anyone who attempted to use it, except for Li Lin, would be overwhelmed by the massive flow of Magic Power, their body exploding without exception.

This could be seen as a threat, or it could be seen as insurance. Although Angela was Li Lin's familiar, she did not have the right to use the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Therefore, in the eyes of the other four, Li Lin's order was tantamount to ordering Angela suicide.

"Please wait a moment, Master."

Unexpectedly, the first person to step forward to stop her was Yi Aier, who had the worst Angela.

"Although Miss Angela is your familiar, she hasn't gained the approval of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Even Sister Nia isn't someone she can..."

"No problem."

Before Yi Aier could finish speaking, Li Lin interrupted her.

"Angela, pick up the Eternal Library."

"Yes, Master."

Although she didn't know what Li Lin was thinking, Angela still walked to the side of the Eternal Library, and then, under everyone's gaze, she stretched out her hand.

The moment Angela touched the Eternal Library, the magical light shimmering on its cover suddenly intensified. Even though Nia harbored no hostility towards Angela, the weapon's nature dictated that it could never be taken by anyone other than its owner. Soon, the flashing light grew increasingly dazzling. Everyone understood that this was the Eternal Library's defensive mechanism being triggered; it was greedily and ruthlessly absorbing the Magic Power of anyone attempting to possess it, completely converting it into its own.

"...!"

The immense pressure caused Angela to frown slightly, but she did not back down. Instead, she let out a cold snort, and then a layer of thick, dark mist suddenly erupted from her small, white hand. With a powerful grab, Angela finally obtained the grimoire floating in the air.

"Hey... you're kidding... right...?"

Staring at the scene before them, Kalin, Anna, and Yi Aier were dumbfounded. In their eyes, it would be normal if Angela's Magic Power was completely drained. But now, Angela's Magic Power had clearly not been drained, and she had actually taken over control of the Eternal Library!

"How could this be...?"

The voice emanating from the Eternal Library, Nia's, also expressed the same surprise and astonishment.

"How could I possibly..."

"Angela, turn to the page and cast a spell at will."

Li Lin ignored the shock of the people around him and quickly issued another order.

"Understood, Master."

As Angela spoke, she opened the thick grimoire, her eyes scanning it before she extended a finger and pointed to a page.

Darkness!

As Angela's voice rang out, a cloud of Black Mist erupted from the Eternal Library, enveloping the entire study. However, this darkness did not last long, as it was immediately dispelled and eliminated by Li Lin's incantation. At that moment, Angela also reached out and released the magic spell in her hand. Then, a golden light flashed, and Nia reappeared before everyone. But this time, her face was pale, filled with unimaginable surprise and fear.

"Sister Nia!"

"Hey, Nia!"

Yi Aier and Kalin rushed to Nia's side and helped her up.

Are you alright?

"I... I'm fine..."

Although she was extremely frightened, Nia was, after all, the weapon closest to Li Lin's personality. After taking two deep breaths, her expression finally softened again.

"I'm just so surprised... After all, this is the first time I've felt this way since I was born..."

What did you feel?

When Li Lin asked her a question, Nia didn't answer immediately. She closed her eyes, carefully recalling everything that had just happened, and then slowly spoke.

"The moment Miss Angela touched me, my defenses automatically activated. Originally, according to the plan, the power within Miss Angela's body should have flowed to me. However, I didn't absorb any power, and..." Nia's expression changed slightly at this point. "I felt that the control that should have been held by Li Lin was slowly shifting. I had no way to stop this shift, and ultimately, Miss Angela forcibly took over the control that only Li Lin was qualified to use. I have no idea how she did it. I only felt that I couldn't resist Miss Angela's instructions at all, as if... as if you, Li Lin, were using me."

"... That's way too much..."

Hearing this, even the most oblivious Kalin couldn't help but stick out her tongue. She looked at Angela with an expression as if she were looking at a monster.

"Could it be that this brat is the Magic Controller...?"

"Angela is not the Magic Controller."

Li Lin reached out and stroked Angela's hair as he replied.

"If they were true Magic Controller, they wouldn't even need to touch you to gain control of you directly from me. Angela can only do something similar, and even then, she has to come into contact with your true form. So, you can use this as a basis to imagine what kind of power Magic Controller truly possess."

"But, Master."

Yi Aier couldn't help but ask.

"How did you know that Miss Angela possessed such power?"

"Back in the Dark Elf dungeons, the little guy once seized control of the low-level Weapon Spirit I had created for Mina. That sword was supposed to only react to Mina, and anyone else who got their hands on it would be struck by lightning. But the little guy easily suppressed the Weapon Spirit's resistance, and I already sensed that at the time."

As he spoke, Li Lin looked at Angela.

"You must understand, although lower-level Weapon Spirit don't possess the capacity for independent thought like you, it is precisely because of this that their bond with the contract is simpler and stronger. If Angela had simply used her immense power to suppress the Weapon Spirit's resistance, then the sword's ultimate fate should have been complete destruction under Angela's power. However, the sword was not damaged, and it was even controlled by Angela... This power is extremely similar to that of Magic Controller. Moreover, although Angela doesn't understand Magic Controller skills, that's not my purpose. My main goal is to let you personally experience how Magic Controller seizes control of you."

"Indeed..."

Upon hearing this, Nia's expression turned serious.

"To be honest, at that time, I didn't feel that Miss Angela was using any powerful force to suppress me. On the contrary, I felt as if my control was being actively transferred into Miss Angela's hands. I couldn't even control or refuse this process. Although my thoughts and my individuality were not affected by Miss Angela, I myself was already..."

"What you are experiencing now is exactly the same as the power of the Magic Controller I experienced during the Magic Empire War."

Li Lin sighed slightly.

"No matter what kind of defensive or offensive spell it is, control shifts before them. Magic Shield meant to protect us instead envelop the enemy. Spells intended to strike the enemy inexplicably erupt within our own ranks; even Arcane Mage cannot reverse this process. After we cast our spells, we might not be killing the enemy, but rather ourselves..."

At this point, Li Lin closed his eyes, as if recalling the battle. Nia, on the other hand, widened her eyes in surprise, seemingly unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Why didn't I...?"

"To maintain stability at both the front and rear, the existence of the Magic Controller is a top secret known only to Arcane Mage. Even the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys, and even you, who possess the Eternal Library that holds the secrets of the gods' birth, are not allowed to know."

Li Lin opened his eyes.

"First, you won't believe it. Second, this matter cannot be known to the Weapon Spirit, because you yourselves are created by magic, and weapons designed by magic can naturally be seized by the enemy. In fact, during the Third Battle, the enemy's Magic Controller used this power to seize control of the Weapon Spirit. Thousands of Weapon Spirit betrayed them in an instant, becoming their masters' most terrifying demons. Those battle-hardened mages and soldiers ultimately died at the hands of their own weapons... This is why I ultimately decided to have you evacuate. Wherever you go, you can no longer stay by my side, because you are the highest-ranking magical Weapon Spirit, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys. Once you fall into enemy hands, the problem will become extremely serious."

"..."

Silence fell; no one spoke. Yi Aier, Kalin, and Anna each experienced firsthand what it felt like to be controlled by Angela. The result was the same as Nia's: their control was completely taken away without any resistance. Although their will remained, their bodies could no longer move according to their own will.

"I think you've all experienced this feeling."

When even the usually taciturn Anna was pale and trembling as she leaned against the wall, Li Lin understood that they had personally experienced the terror of the Magic Controller.

"I... I never imagined there could be such a terrifying person..."

Yi Aier trembled, a rare sight, staring at her hands. She could imagine that if Li Lin hadn't sent her away, her proud destructive power would have ultimately destroyed the city she had been protecting. Anna, too, conjured the same terrifying image: Gloomy Curse piercing Li Lin's chest, killing its original master. These horrifying fantasies nearly shattered the girls' pride. It was conceivable that if they had actually done it, even if forced to, they would never be able to forgive themselves.

Li Lin.

At this moment, Nia had calmed down and began to understand Li Lin's intentions.

"You're telling us this now because you've discovered a way to counter the Magic Controller, right?"

"Theoretically, yes."

Li Lin nodded, but then shook his head.

"But I haven't conducted any experiments. Furthermore, there are still some things I haven't proven. The power of Magic Controller only works against mages. Without mages and spells, they appear no different from ordinary people. I am not Magic Controller, so I don't know if they are born with this power or if they have been trained for it. However, before I died, I discovered the weakness of Magic Controller."

"Weakness?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.

"The Barrier of Undeath."

As he spoke, Li Lin pointed to the terrifying barrier that enveloped the Ringwraith City, a barrier that had once transformed the souls of countless mages into undead and guarded the Capital of the Magic Empire.

"This was the last spell I cast before I died, and then I died."

"..."

Upon hearing this, the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys' expressions became somewhat strange. After all, it was the death of their master, and it couldn't be glossed over like an ordinary matter. Li Lin, however, clearly didn't intend to dwell on the matter and continued speaking.

"Although I didn't notice it at the time, I later realized some problems... The Barrier of Undeath is a barrier spell, theoretically requiring my individual self as the center to function properly. However, I was already on the verge of death at the time, so ultimately, I modified the Barrier of Undeath into an automatically operating spell. It automatically harvested all life and automatically sealed off the Capital of the Magic Empire. According to us, this barrier has actually already..."

"Out of control."

Nia took over the conversation.

"Automatic, uncontrolled spells are extremely dangerous, which is why I've never been able to enter the Capital of the Magic Empire. I lack the power and authority to reclaim the power of this automatically operating magical barrier."

That's the problem.

Li Lin slammed his fist on the table.

"Mages have absolute precision in controlling spells—size, power, range—no matter the spell, we demand absolute control. And I think that's the problem... Once out of control, the Barrier of Undeath, operating automatically, has no control to transfer, therefore, the Magic Controller's power cannot be exerted. Otherwise, even if they withdrew back then, if they could truly control the barrier's power, they should have returned long ago; they wouldn't have allowed this barrier to operate for a thousand years."

"..."

No one objected to Li Lin's words. After all, they were all veterans of the Magic Empire and naturally understood what this meant to the Magic Empire.

What mages need is precise control.

Whether it's the core that can float a city in the air or the spells of the twelve schools of magic, both require mages to be able to control them independently. This is to avoid the disaster caused by spells going out of control. It can be said that the Magic Empire has always prioritized the ability of mages to control spells. However, precisely because of this, the weakness is also obvious. Although this weakness is not visible in normal times, it becomes the Magic Empire's greatest nightmare when Magic Controller appears.

Spells require the control of a mage; therefore, the transfer of control over spells has become a mage's greatest nightmare.

Even Arcane Mage are no exception.

However, identifying a problem does not equate to being able to solve it.

"Li Lin... I think you know better than I do that autonomous, uncontrollable spells are a top priority for the Magic Empire."

Nia's voice replied, almost weakly.

"All magic, all spells, all magical artifacts—after all, absolute control must be guaranteed... This is the core of the foundation of the Magic Empire, which you proposed in May of the twenty-third year of the Magic Empire's calendar."

"Of course I remember."

Li Lin sighed.

"But, but master."

Yi Aier spoke hastily.

"Weren't those five bastards dead for a thousand years? By now, the Magic Controller are probably all extinct, so why bother..."

"Catherine reports that before leaving, the God of Justice designated a savior. If my judgment is correct, that savior likely possesses the abilities of Magic Controller. After all, such abilities are virtually invisible in ordinary times. Without mages and magical effects, it's difficult to identify a Magic Controller with such terrifying power. Moreover, even if we kill him now, we can't guarantee that the same kind won't appear in the future. We must eliminate the Magic Controller's advantage at its Root to achieve final victory in this war. Furthermore, based on my analysis of the embryo, this ability is hereditary. Currently, the Federation has been destroyed, and Catherine hasn't shown this ability. We have no idea whether the Xialuo Kingdom and Kudel possess individuals with the same ability. We must prepare for the worst when considering the outcome."

"But where does the power of the Magic Controller come from?"

Suoxiate, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.

"Ever since the last war ended, I've been wondering: the power of gods comes from faith, the power of mages comes from magic, but what about Magic Controller? Where does their power come from?"

"... I have a guess, which may not be accurate, but based on my experience, it's highly likely."

At this point, Li Lin took a long breath, then opened his eyes and looked at everyone.

"The power of the Magic Controller may very well come from a God of Magic who has never been born."