Chapter 118: Manaka Sajyou Has Been Found
Vivian had three treasures she didn't want Noah to take. The first was the tree on the island in the center of the lake, and the second... was a needle.
This needle wasn't even inside the Lady of the Lake's magical realm—it was in the great lake outside the Lady of the Lake's magical realm.
—This needle was the gate to the Lady of the Lake's magical realm.
Compared to others who needed to search endlessly in the lake to enter the magical realm, Vivian simply walked to the lakeside, reached out toward the water, and beckoned with her finger. Then the needle at the bottom of the lake
flew out and landed in her hand.
"If we're talking about treasures, this definitely counts as one... but this thing is the gate to the Lady of the Lake's magical realm. It's also set up with a mechanism that requires finding it in this lake to trigger. Moreover, it can't be taken too far from this great lake—even if thrown outside the lake, it will reappear in the water within ten hours."
Vivian first explained this to Noah, then hurriedly added:
"Other than that, it's completely useless."
"You're welcome to enter the magical realm anytime, so this needle..."
Vivian trailed off here because Noah had already snatched the needle from her hand.
Then, just like when Noah touched the great tree earlier, the needle emitted a glow, and numerous magecraft circles emerged from this slender needle.
The number was even greater than before—over two thousand three hundred magecraft circles!
Seeing this, Vivian couldn't help but reach out her hand.
"This needle was forged during the Age of Gods by a certain God of Forging, commissioned by the first generation of our Lady of the Lake. Compared to the earlier great tree, this..."
Vivian originally intended to tactfully suggest that he shouldn't casually handle this item, but what unfolded before her eyes soon left her speechless.
Because this time, although Noah didn't directly modify these magecraft circles, he did something else.
He held the silver needle in his right hand and opened his left palm.
His eyes rapidly scanned the over two thousand magecraft circles around the silver needle. Then, on his empty left hand, a ring glowed. The materials he needed were drawn from the ring according to his thoughts, and Noah began replicating these magecraft circles.
In the blink of an eye, he had replicated many of the over two thousand magecraft circles.
In roughly ten minutes, the materials Noah had taken out earlier had transformed into a needle in his left hand—though the Lady of the Lake's was silver, his was golden.
And the magecraft circles were perfectly replicated by Noah.
But Noah still wasn't entirely satisfied. He then modified the arrangement of many magecraft circles on his golden needle, altering the structure of some and adding numerous special incantations he had researched during his simulation as the King of Alchemy.
Only then did Noah close his eyes, allowing these magecraft circles to return inside the two needles.
"Here, keep this silver needle. I have this one, and that's enough~"
Seeing that Noah didn't intend to take the silver needle, Vivian visibly relaxed. The moment she received it, she returned the silver needle to the bottom of the great lake and watched Noah's hand.
The golden needle inside, she hesitated to speak.
Seeing her like this, Noah explained it to her.
"The function of this golden needle is roughly the same as that silver needle, but this one is engraved with incantations that only I know, so only I can use it—however, similarly, this golden needle no longer requires this great lake. Whenever I wish, I can enter the Lady of the Lake's magical realm anytime, anywhere."
If Vivian had felt relieved upon hearing the first half of Noah's words, thinking nothing of it, when she heard the latter half, she visibly grew somewhat worried.
However, this worry didn't require Noah to say anything; she quickly suppressed it herself.
After all, she knew she couldn't ask for more.
Noah hadn't directly used his powerful Alchemy to rewrite and take the silver needle, which was already showing consideration for them. They no longer had any right to criticize Noah.
So, this was already the best outcome.
Instead, they should be grateful to Noah.
Vivian convinced herself of this issue.
Then, no longer dwelling on this problem, Vivian gained a deeper understanding of Noah.
You must know, that silver needle was originally forged by a certain God of Forging—a true divine artifact!
Yet, something like that was replicated by Noah in just over ten minutes, almost identical, and even optimized according to his own ideas...
A genius?
Vivian felt that Noah's prowess in Alchemy could no longer be described as genius; this was simply divine!
He was the God of Alchemy!
Vivian didn't voice this thought, but even if she had, Noah might not have denied it.
He truly was a god now.
Moreover, after obtaining Divinity, all his other attributes had been upgraded. Even his Alchemy and martial skills had improved under the influence of Divinity.
This balanced enhancement meant he now didn't even know what kind of god he was.
He would have to wait for Mary's research to reveal it.
Perhaps he really was the God of Alchemy.
Alright, don't just stand there; let's go to the final item.
Hearing Noah say this, Vivian finally snapped out of it and nodded silently.
Regarding the fact that the tree and the needle weren't taken by Noah, although she still felt relieved, this was also the outcome she had seen in that major prophecy.
Though she didn't understand why, in that prophecy, her relationship with Noah should have been closer, but in reality, it wasn't like that...
Still, in any case, the tree and the needle were indeed left behind, just as prophesied.
But this final item...
In that prophecy, Vivian clearly saw this item being taken by Noah.
As for this last one, Vivian wasn't exactly reluctant to part with it. Though it nominally belonged to them, the Ladies of the Lake, in essence, they couldn't use it themselves. They were merely guardians here, watching over it and waiting for the one who could claim it to arrive.
So, if Noah could pass the trial, he rightfully deserved to take it.
It's just...
Vivian was a little curious about how exactly Noah would pass the trial.
While Noah was still undergoing trials in the Lady of the Lake's magical realm, back in Camelot, Morgan—who was holding the fort in Noah's stead—paused her current work upon receiving a message.
She read the message from beginning to end, and then Morgan smiled.
"The surprise is ready. I'll tell Noah about it once he returns from the Lady of the Lake."
"The intel has been confirmed as true—that Manaka Sajyou... I've found a trace of her."