I Made Up Forbidden Spells, and They Actually Worked?

Chapter 207: Chapter 207: Confirming the Assessment Location

Dean Bruce rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Let's hurry up and look for clues! But we'd better stay on our toes. Who knows what kind of traps might be waiting for us."

Just as they were about to step further inside, a series of sharp "clack-clack" sounds echoed from all directions. It was the unmistakable noise of mechanisms being activated. The three of them immediately tensed up, their eyes darting around warily, unsure of what new dangers might emerge.

In this tense atmosphere, the surrounding bookshelves began to move slowly, while strange patterns appeared on the floor. The patterns seemed to be pointing the way forward, yet they also gave the ominous impression of a giant trap waiting to spring.

"Watch your step and keep an eye on the shelves. Something's not right," Dean Bruce muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the shifting bookshelves.

The headmaster nodded, his hand already glowing with defensive magic. "It looks like we've triggered some sort of mechanism. Stay alert and be ready."

The young mage focused on the patterns on the floor, attempting to decipher them. "These markings look similar to the runes on the door earlier. They might be the key to deactivating this trap."

Carefully, they followed the direction indicated by the patterns on the floor, taking care to avoid the ever-changing positions of the bookshelves. Suddenly, a shadow darted out from behind one of the shelves, lunging straight at Dean Bruce.

"Look out!" the headmaster shouted, sending a beam of magic light toward the shadow. The shadow deftly evaded the attack, revealing its true form—a small demon with bat-like wings.

"Damn it, a little demon!" Dean Bruce scowled, quickly casting a spell to retaliate. The demon fluttered nimbly through the air, dodging their attacks and spewing out bursts of black smoke. The smoke carried a pungent stench that made their heads swim.

"There's something wrong with this smoke! Hold your breath!" the young mage warned, reinforcing the magical barrier around them to contain the spreading fumes.

Working together, the three of them managed to fend off the demon after an intense struggle.

As the demon disappeared, the moving bookshelves came to a halt, and the patterns on the floor grew even clearer.

"It seems we've passed this challenge. These patterns should lead us to the magic formation," the headmaster said, his voice steady but tinged with relief.

They followed the patterns further and soon arrived at the magical array at the center of the library.

The magic circle radiated intense waves of magical energy, and the air around it was thick with a mysterious aura.

Dean Bruce stepped closer to the circle, examining the runes etched into its design carefully. "These runes seem to be connected to the artifact's markings. We need to study them thoroughly."

The headmaster and the young mage joined him, the three of them comparing the runes on the artifact to those on the magic circle, attempting to uncover their secrets. After a detailed investigation, they realized that the runes on the circle appeared to narrate an ancient story, a story that concealed instructions for using the artifact.

"Look here," the young mage said, pointing to a section of the runes on the circle. "This part seems to mention a specific ritual. It requires a particular time, place, and specific magical items to unlock the artifact's full power."

Dean Bruce nodded. "Exactly. And here, it also mentions certain risks. If the ritual fails, it could lead to severe consequences."

The headmaster furrowed his brows. "Then we need to proceed with even greater caution. What is this specific time and place? And what are these magical items?"

They continued to analyze the runes, searching for clues about the time, location, and items mentioned.

Deep within the runes, they discovered faint patterns depicting a valley under a starry sky. In the center of the valley stood a massive crystal, surrounded by various magical creatures.

"Could this valley be the specific location?" Dean Bruce speculated.

The young mage studied the pattern. "It's possible. And that enormous crystal might be one of the key magical items. But as for the specific time, these runes don't seem to provide a clear indication."

The headmaster pondered for a moment. "Let's record these clues and analyze them further once we're back. For now, we should see if there's any more information about the artifact to uncover here."

They continued their search through the library and eventually found an ancient diary in a secluded corner. The diary's pages were yellowed with age, and the handwriting was somewhat blurred, but still legible with some effort.

Dean Bruce picked up the diary and opened it to the first page. The inscription read: "This is the secret of the Clawn family. The power of the artifact is immense, but it is accompanied by great danger. Only a true guardian can wield its full strength…"

"It seems this diary was written by someone from the Clawn family. It might contain the information we're looking for," Dean Bruce said, his tone filled with anticipation.

They carefully read through the diary, each line feeling like a key to unlocking the secrets of the artifact.

"This part mentions that the artifact was once used to guard a mysterious space," the young mage said, his brows furrowing slightly as he read. "This space holds an endless trove of magical knowledge, but it also seals away a powerful and malevolent force."

The headmaster pointed to another section of the diary. "Look here. To prevent the artifact from being misused, the Clawn family designed a series of rigorous trials. Only those who pass these trials are deemed worthy to use the artifact to either protect or access the power of that mysterious space. Finding the artifact in Ghostly Valley may have only been the beginning of this series of trials."

Dean Bruce nodded. "Then those attacks we faced earlier—and the appearance of the robed mage—might all be part of these trials. Someone may be trying to stop us from gaining the artifact's power."

As they continued flipping through the diary, they uncovered details about the ritual they had read about before. It seemed that during a full moon, the artifact needed to be placed on the crystal in the valley. Then, a person with a pure heart and exceptional magical power had to perform a specific type of magic to activate the artifact and open the gateway to the mysterious space.

"The full moon timing is crucial," Dean Bruce noted. "We'll need to keep track of the lunar cycle. But how do we determine who this person with a pure heart and great magical strength might be?"

The young mage pondered this for a moment. "Perhaps we can identify such a person during the student assessment. We should look for students who demonstrate extraordinary courage and kindness, combined with exceptional magical talent."

The headmaster agreed. "That's a solid plan. We can integrate the search for this individual into the upcoming assessment. For now, let's leave here and begin preparations."

They cautiously exited the library, retracing their steps back to the school. Once there, Dean Bruce immediately gathered the other teachers and shared what they had discovered in the library, as well as the revised plan for the upcoming assessment.

"This time, the assessment will take place in the valley where we found the artifact," Dean Bruce explained. "The test will not only evaluate the students' magical skills and teamwork abilities but also observe how they respond to potential dangers and temptations."

The teachers nodded in agreement and began making the necessary preparations for the assessment.

Dean Bruce, along with the headmaster and the young mage, continued preparing the items and magical tools required for the full moon ritual based on the clues from the diary.

During the preparations, Dean Bruce noticed a group of students who seemed unusually excited about the upcoming assessment. They were often seen huddled together, discussing something enthusiastically. Feeling curious, Dean Bruce decided to call them into his office during a break.

"You little rascals," Dean Bruce said with a smile, "what have you been whispering about lately? You all seem particularly interested in the assessment."

One of the students quickly responded, "Professor, we heard the assessment will be held in a mysterious location, and there might be some powerful magical creatures and challenges. We're determined to do our best!"

Seeing their eager and motivated expressions, Dean Bruce felt a sense of pride but still reminded them, "The assessment will indeed have its dangers, so you must be well-prepared. During the assessment, always stay calm and don't act recklessly."

The students nodded earnestly before leaving his office.

As the date of the assessment drew nearer, the atmosphere at the school grew increasingly tense. Dean Bruce double-checked all the preparations to ensure no details were overlooked.

Finally, the day of the assessment arrived. Under the guidance of the teachers, the students were led to the mysterious valley. The air was thick with an enigmatic mist, and faint growls echoed around them as the magical creatures in the valley seemed to sense their presence.

"Students," Dean Bruce announced loudly, "this assessment is not only a test of your magical abilities but also of your character and resolve. I hope each of you gives your very best."

"Professor Dean, will you be coming with us this time?" one of the students asked.

"Me? Of course not," Dean Bruce replied with a laugh. "This assessment is for you students. As a teacher, it wouldn't make sense for me to participate."

"But what if we encounter danger?" asked a beautiful young woman. "Could you at least teach us a few useful magic spells?"

"Spells again?" Dean Bruce was momentarily taken aback. Not this again! They wanted him to come up with something on the spot?

Before he could respond, the headmaster joined in, "Dean, since the students are asking, why don't you teach them something? It might boost their confidence."

Dean Bruce was speechless. What could he possibly teach them? He wasn't prepared for this!

After a moment of thought, he decided to improvise, recalling a simple nursery rhyme he had once heard.

"Ahem." Dean Bruce cleared his throat. "Fine, I'll teach you something. Listen carefully."He began reciting dramatically:"Stars are winking bright, The moon shines in the night, Magic sparks in hand, Danger takes its flight." "This spell," Dean Bruce said with a mysterious tone, "can be recited when you're in danger. Who knows? It might just produce some surprising effects."

The students, though somewhat skeptical, eagerly memorized the rhyme. Dean Bruce watched them, silently praying that nothing serious would go wrong.