Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple Chapter 687 Ingenious Plan

Ali watched Jelia with an almost feline eagerness and anticipation, merely shaking her head in response, uncertain if any of her advice had truly sunk in.

It was apparent that the iron pot was not something Jelia had been carrying with her.

And the wild vegetables simmering inside, though plentiful in the surrounding area, were still gathered from the wilderness.

Fortunately, Code 19 was incapacitated, meaning Gick's focus would not be on them for the time being.

Monka had already set his own plans into motion.

Regardless of Monka's objectives, Gick would have to deal with him directly to access the village's secrets.

As long as Monka remained alive, the inhabitants of the forest settlement would stand united.

How would Gick handle Monka?

Would it be assassination? Or imprisonment?

Neither of these options seemed particularly feasible.

Such conventional methods would likely fail to surprise someone as prepared as Monka.

Furthermore, eliminating him outright would probably mean losing the last individual who possessed knowledge of all the village's hidden secrets.

"Quite the predicament," Ali commented, though a hint of malicious enjoyment flickered across her face.

It was only natural, after all.

Witnessing an adversary's troubles brings a unique kind of pleasure.

If one doesn't experience this satisfaction, then their professed hatred might merely be for show.

Genuine hatred disregards methods, ignores the judgment of onlookers, and desires only the destruction of its target.

This is the very essence of pure animosity.

It appeared the contents of the pot were nearly ready.

Ali observed as Jelia served herself a portion into a bowl, taking it to a nearby stone to begin eating, accompanied by some bread.

Roronora also had his own bowl.

It seemed Ali was on the verge of having to resort to eating with her hands.

With a sigh, Ali stood up. "After we finish eating, Roronora, you will accompany me. Regardless of the villagers' decision, it is time for us to make our move."

Seizing the opportunity while Gick's attention was preoccupied with Monka presented the perfect moment for action.

"Understood."

Although Roronora was unclear about Ali's plan, he knew that since Jelia had instructed him to follow Ali, he must adhere to her commands.

With a nod, his focus returned to his bowl.

A slight twitch disturbed the corner of Ali's eye.

Was she truly less significant than a bowl of stew?

She decided to step outside for some fresh air before her irritation escalated further.

Moving through the increasingly narrow passage, Ali once again found herself bathed in sunlight.

This was the opportune moment to test the spell matrix detailed in the booklet.

Surveying the peaceful surroundings, Ali sat down cross-legged on top of a small mound, retrieving the booklet filled with incomplete spell matrix equations.

While the final computations were still pending, the essential conditions and limitations were already established.

Whoever undertook the remaining work, the ultimate result would remain unaffected.

Much like a mathematical problem, the tools and approaches might differ, but the correct answer is always singular.

Following the logic laid out in the booklet, Ali, bolstered by her solid foundation, made swift progress.

Spell runes were deciphered and meticulously constructed, one after another.

Upon completing each rune, Ali immediately manifested it using her mana.

Before the matrix could be fully assembled, Ali needed to ensure it was not some form of perilous trap.

It was not uncommon for previous practitioners to leave partially completed equations, leading subsequent individuals to believe they had stumbled upon secret techniques, only to find themselves caught in a self-destructing matrix, or the equation proving fundamentally flawed at a critical step, resulting in a collapsing matrix and uncontrolled mana surges.

Who could say if Code 19 had employed such a stratagem to ensnare the unwary?

Given Code 19's proficiency in matrix construction, deceiving Ali would prove exceedingly difficult, though it wasn't necessarily his own creation.

Acquiring it from another source would serve the same purpose.

The crucial element was making it appear entirely harmless.

Similar to a falsehood interwoven with verifiable truths, this approach is most effective.

Ali's construction of the foundational rune did not consume much time; this particular task was not exceptionally challenging, and any magus possessing a firm foundation could accomplish it within approximately thirty minutes.

It is important to note that in a combat scenario, creating a rune of comparable complexity would need to be executed within ten seconds at most.

For a magus specializing in spells, time is synonymous with survival, and the duration of a battle could very well represent the span of one's life.

With only thirty basic runes, which is not a substantial quantity, their combined arrangement had the potential to push the limits of a level 3 magus.

"Now comes the most perilous part."

If Code 19 were to interfere with anything, he likely wouldn't tamper with the foundational runes. These could be easily detected, allowing the user to disengage if circumstances turned unfavorable, and they lacked sufficient destructive power.

If Ali were to set a trap, she would undoubtedly place it within the connecting structure that followed the completion of the foundational runes.

The spell matrix is fundamentally composed of three integral parts: the foundational rune, the linking structure, and the external unit.

Typically, the foundational rune dictates the matrix's overall purpose, while the linking structure governs its operational efficiency. The external unit, though not always present, serves to amplify specific functions or to supplement the matrix's existing capabilities.

Altering the linking structure means any irregularities will remain undetected until the user initiates the matrix's activation sequence by channeling Qi into it.

As the most intricate component of the matrix, any flaws within this section are exceedingly difficult to identify.

Consequently, if issues are present at this stage, the matrix is prone to catastrophic failure, either during the mid-charge phase or even during a preliminary stress test before activation!

In such an event, the matrix would detonate with the force of a bomb.

What, then, constitutes a complete and properly functioning spell matrix?

The diverse foundational runes serve as the matrix's anchor points, the elaborate linking structure forms the conduit for mana circulation, and the various external units introduce novel pathways for mana transmission.

The entire construct operates with a remarkable degree of order, reminiscent of a meticulously governed empire.

Within such a framework, maintaining stability is paramount, followed closely by the overall level of performance achieved.

After all, it is humans who utilize spell matrices, and no human could endure such a potent surge of mana without sustaining injury.

Should a different species encounter a malfunction, they might possess the innate abilities to rectify it through their unique racial talents.

However, the majority of human mages would likely meet a swift demise.

"What a remarkably clever design."

Gazing at the ethereal halo shimmering in the air, at its core, a disk roughly the size of two palms, a spell matrix was suspended within the hazy luminescence. It emitted a soft golden radiance, transforming the surrounding mist of mana into a pale golden hue.

This represented the fully realized form of the matrix detailed in the booklet found within Code 19's Space Ring.

Currently, this spell matrix of indeterminate function was exhibiting capabilities solely for potent mana condensation, purification, and solidification.

While potentially beneficial for cultivation or for establishing specialized mana environments, its utility held no significance for Ali.

If its purpose was merely such, she already had access to numerous superior alternatives.

What she truly sought was the "key" described in the other booklet!

This straightforward, rule-based encryption represented a concept entirely distinct from the sophisticated spell encryption employed on the Space Ring.

Spell encryption, despite its complexity and the inherent risk of self-

destruction, ultimately relied on the fundamental properties of mana.

Depleting the mana directly rendered any encryption spell useless, implying that spell encryption could be forcibly circumvented, even rapidly.

However, the rule-based encryption presented in the booklet was fundamentally different.

Setting aside the question of whether a brute-force solution was even feasible, if one existed, the sheer amount of time required to break it posed a formidable obstacle.

Time was precisely the resource Ali had the least of!

If she could not rapidly decipher this intelligence, the booklet would devolve into mere waste paper once this opportune period concluded.

The spell matrix continued its slow rotation, its pale golden light faint yet remarkably steady.

Within a thirty-meter radius, mana was drawn inward, converging into a three-meter-diameter space, effectively amplifying the mana concentration by a factor of ten!

Although this enhancement was undeniably impressive, as previously noted, it offered no practical relevance.

Neither from the perspective of a mage nor for Ali personally did this spell matrix demonstrate sufficient value.

"It appears I must forge another path. This spell matrix might have been invaluable to Code 19, but to me, it is utterly worthless."

A faint sense of disappointment washed over Ali.

Her initial expectations had been high, as all indications suggested this was the very key she was searching for.

Yet, the outcome had fallen far short of her anticipations.

Perhaps Code 19 had never truly intended to leave behind a "key" at all.

It was conceivable that he had considered it but, fearing the exposure of his secrets, ultimately opted against preserving it.

The definitive answer to this query now resided solely with Code 19.

With a resigned sigh, Ali gathered her focus once more.

If no convenient shortcuts were available, then she would confront the challenge directly, engaging it head-on and honorably.

Gick's capacity to command forces was undeniably restricted.

He could, at most, mobilize mages up to the first level of cultivation.

Mages of higher calibers were not individuals easily swayed by command; they were analogous to strategic deterrents in the realm of tactics and warfare.

The sheer scale of devastation a special-level magus could unleash was far beyond ordinary comprehension.