Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 901 - 838: Artificial Satellite

Gravity flipped through the notebook in his hands, legs crossed, seated atop the earthy-brown Stellar Ring. The battle had long since ended, and the pages detailed the meticulously memorized steps of his plan. It wasn’t that he doubted his memory; he simply revisited the familiar contents to steady the turbulence in his heart.

At this moment, Mr. Gravity was a little nervous.

Behind him, the simulated celestial body had grown to the size of a basketball court. Its ochre surface bore dark red streaks, rotating slowly with its ring. Several meters of soil had been scraped from the ground, and at the base of the Star of Gravity, small palm-sized clumps of earth were continuously captured by its gravitational pull, rising slowly to merge with the sphere—like a famished glutton secretly nibbling away despite restraint. The faint hum of air friction murmured in the background, akin to white noise, which Gravity had deliberately left undisturbed.

Gravity’s assigned portion of the plan was crucial. Thanks to his unique power, his spellcasting range extended remarkably far—even to the outer layers of unobservable planets. His responsibility was to construct a satellite using magnetically launched rocks and soil in the outer atmosphere—the largest in recorded history. It was a monumental task. The total mass of material launched electromagnetically already accounted for one ten-thousandth of the planet’s own mass; scattered randomly across the external layer, this charred material could easily serve as a shield against small meteorites. Though Gravity had constructed numerous simulated celestial bodies before, modeling and replicating a true celestial entity was entirely unprecedented.

This satellite came with a series of stringent requirements: exact specifications for size, mass, and shape—all of which directly influenced its orbital trajectory and would thus affect subsequent phases of the plan. The greatest challenge of the operation, however, lay in its unobservable nature: performing remote ground-to-sky spellcasting through a dense atmospheric layer was akin to a blindfolded surgeon attempting open-heart surgery. Throughout the process, Gravity could only rely on his operational precision, sense of timing, theoretical calculations, and personal memory. Any misstep or mistake could result in deviations that led to catastrophic failure—a consequence the Advanced Magic Research Society could ill afford after already paying such a heavy price. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

What price? Chain reactions triggered by the loss of planetary mass: seismic activity stemming from the planet’s efforts at self-repair; orbital shifts due to reduced total mass; destruction of subterranean ecosystems disrupting the biosphere; geological disasters and potential extinction caused by stirred molten cores; decline in the planet’s total energy resulting in a shortened lifespan; and finally, the wrath of Triton, the planetary will in slumber, directed toward the Advanced Magic Research Society.

Despite deliberating these ramifications, the Advanced Magic Research Society adamantly proceeded with the investigative plan, buoyed by confidence in themselves, trust in their comrades, and readiness to bear the consequences. The risks were inevitable, and success improbable—but even if the odds were one in ten thousand, they would forge ahead without hesitation.

Gravity just happened to be in charge of the most critical part. In the past, they would have undoubtedly bestowed upon him the Andrei Liches’ Crown—a token that might have alleviated some of the pressure weighing on him now.

"Bound by obsession to transcend death, feeling joy in that moment of regained humanity, only to later wish for the return to a cold, lifeless state. Happiness truly is relative, while greed remains absolute."

With a bitter smile, Gravity pulled out a small, exquisite die from his pocket. A gift from his student Nameless, its hundred facets were individually engraved with numbers. Although fundamentally dictated by probability, the corresponding facets for "100" and "1" seemed to carry an air of mystery. The die’s symmetrical sheen exuded aesthetic appeal and an enigmatic presence.

"Luck... Since this is Nameless’s gift, perhaps I can trust it, right?" The words he muttered belied his true thoughts. Gravity knew exactly what kind of person his apprentice was—absolutely untrustworthy. Yet, as he fiddled with the die, he found his restless mind gradually calming. Gazing at the inscribed numbers, he began to entertain thoughts of gambling and frivolity after the task was done.

The humming sound had grown deeper. Familiar with the simulated celestial body, Gravity instinctively dismissed this as mere illusion. The Star of Gravity had long reached a stable state; only alterations to its gravitational field could disrupt it. For instance, construction materials propelled by electromagnetic force had already escaped the planet’s rotational inertia. In relative motion, they had crossed into Gravity’s domain.

With no spare attention for extraneous matters, Gravity set the hundred-faced die to auto-run and ascended into mid-air. Liberating his hands, he formed an invisible sphere before him. Gravity unleashed his spell.

[Concept Extraction: Universal Gravitation]

Consciousness expanded! Shedding stray thoughts, Mr. Gravity relaxed his mind, adapting to the transformation in his awareness. He felt his soul drift from his desolate body, enveloped in hazy mist. His consciousness extended, merging with the attraction borne of mass under gravitational influence. Gravity perceived one large, lantern-like light overlapping with his own, radiating warmth, while noticing a faint flicker in the distance.

Counting silently to ten, Gravity looked skyward, his hands following the motions he had rehearsed countless times, beginning his constructive work.

[Advanced Magic Research - Star Creation]

Hovering in mid-air, the Liches abandoned sensory input, devoting himself entirely to guiding his arms and skeletal fingers across the atmosphere. His nimble limbs danced with rhythmic grace, slicing through the air like water currents, pausing only with the steel-like firmness of unwavering precision. In his hands existed an imagined sphere—the rotation and clasp of his movements sculpted its spiraling form, smoothing its surfaces. No trace of energy leakage could be observed; no visible signs of magic betrayed his work, making his actions resemble either flowing dance or masterful martial artistry. Immersed in his task, he remained untouched by the surrounding environment.

As planned, the collapse of the Star of Gravity began. Focusing spirit and magic on a distant point, the chunks of soil and Mantis Monster remains composing the grinder halted their operation. The simulated celestial body’s outer Stellar Ring fell away, and its bulk smashed into the ground with a resounding impact. Its shell crumbled apart like a disintegrated sandcastle; within the scattered fragments, the dust of Mantis Monster particles intermingled, blending seamlessly into the soil.

The disintegration noises soon ceased. Without the humming, silence reigned supreme—until the crisp sound of an object echoed, bouncing like raindrops striking stone tiles.

It was the automatically operating artifact: [Kevin’s Lucky Dice]. Unperceived by anyone, the die bounced up and down, flickering its luminous numbers occasionally with shifting illusions.

[First Hidden Roll, result...]

[Second Hidden Roll, result...]

[Third Hidden Roll...]

[Fourth...]

[...]

Beyond the atmosphere, a solidified celestial entity began obstructing the moonlight. From the moment it attained its spherical perfection, complex mysteries poured out from within its mass.

[Manifestation of Name: The Third Son of Darkness.]

[Executing Command: Consume the Pale Second Son. Command Success.]

[Subordinate Command Auto-Run: Consume the Crimson Eldest Son. Command Missing.]

[Error: Automatically Filtering Replacement Command. Missing. Judging No Dependency Command. Error Calculation. Beginning Emergent Intelligence Derivation...]

[New Command Uploaded: Replacing Missing Command. Name Extraction: The Third Son of Darkness. Going Offline.]

[...]

[Manifestation of Name: Mars Hunter.]

[Awaiting Execution of Plan.]