Repository
A/N: Pat-reon: HelloDarkness07
---
I spend a few more days on Sanctuary, helping the Elves officially move out of my Castle. They had decided to settle down in the forest, just a minute's walk from the Pond of Enhancement itself, so that they could bring any new elf there immediately.
The village contained around 30 wooden houses, each one built by the elves themselves, using just Magic and whatever logic they came up with. Most had crooked walls, magically expanded insides, and a slanted roof to collect rainwater. There was no need for proper foundation setting when Magic was involved.
They had cleared an area in the forest to do this, using the trees they cut for the house wood. Currently, the elves were busy clearing another area near the village, so they can farm whatever they need. Kultur was going to leave later to buy(or steal, or gather) whatever they might need to bring, using the Gold and Silver that I had given him if necessary.
I smile, looking at my own additions to the Elven Village on Sanctuary. First came a small hut, the only completely normal looking building in the village. This hut was also magically expanded, and contained a few hundred books that I had copied from my personal library.
Which.. is just the copy of the Library of Alexandria.
Inside this library were books related to farming, metal working, hunting, pottery, cloth weaving, and a lot of other mundane subjects. I had also kept more than a few books on Magic too, but I had already told them that whatever knowledge they discover themselves will be far more worthwhile.
Elves and Humans are different beings. What helps me understand Magic won't necessarily help them do that, you know. Besides, they're Elves! They are instinctively better at Magic than us! They can achieve whatever they want by just snapping their fingers.
The second addition wasn't exactly inside the Village. I'd kept it on the shore of the Pond of Enhancement. A large stone, kept vertical right beside the Pond. It had been carved with the words, "Open your Mind to the Realm of Possibilities my friends." In Egyptian.
My lip twitches, when I remember exactly where this stone came from.
Stonehenge.
Yup, I'd stolen another stone from Stonehenge and kept it here.
The first one was still in Nowhere, and I had plans of putting it inside the Castle soon.
"Are you okay with handling things from here, Holar?" I ask, looking at Holar, who was observing me with a curious look in his eyes.
Holar nods hesitantly, and says, "Holar has a question.. Sorcerer Athreos." I nod at him, smiling. He says, "I.. I wonder why you did all this? Why help us? Why not let us live out our lives as slaves? It didn't harm anyone before, did it?"
I sigh, and kneel down in front of him. Despite the Enhancement, Holar was still just a bit over three feet tall, and just as old. He might live a decade more than I had originally expected of him, but not any more.
Looking at him, I say, "When you can do something good, and you don't do it.. then you're just as much to blame for the bad stuff, as the actual culprits. My ancestors did a gross injustice to your people, Holar. I knew I could fix it, or at least, I knew I could try to find a way to do it. If I hadn't done it, then I wouldn't be any better than my ancestors. I would be just as much to blame for your enslavement as those people. Besides.. I like Magic, and you're a creature of Magic. I couldn't just let humans enslave a creature of Magic."
Holar nods slowly, looking thoughtful. He looks up at me, and says, "Thank you for answering, Sorcerer Athreos. May you be successful in your tasks."
I smile, and say, "I hope so too, buddy. Now, settle down, and don't rush into things too much. Take things slowly, at least until everyone gets used to living together now, understand?"
"What will you do?" Holar asks, after nodding once again.
I look at the setting sun, and say, "Me? I have a new project to put my focus on, Holar. And this one will take a long, long time." I turn towards him with a smile, and say, "But don't worry. While I won't interfere in your business, in the business of the elves anymore, I will always answer if you have need of me. Consider it repayment for all the tasks you did for me."
And I will. I might have the Sands of Time now, but that doesn't mean I'm just leaving immediately. Time.. time is something I have a lot of. 2000 years of it, in fact. Besides, I need to complete my latest project first. The Knowledge Theft Enchantment.
---
The next few years go by with just studying. The knowledge regarding the Planetary Ward wasn't written down in much detail, not even in the Book of the Vishanti. So, I was just content with actually studying the Barrier by making contact with it.
This usually meant that I had to visit each of the Three Sanctums, and Kamar Taj, repeatedly, and interact with the Wards from there.
I have no doubt that there are dozens of ways in the Darkhold that might be able to teach me how to destroy the Planetary Ward. Hell, there might be ways to cast spells to change the Planetary Ward too, inside the Darkhold. But, I'm not trusting any knowledge that comes from that tome.
Huh, I actually forgot that I was going to destroy those books with my swords. Should definitely do that soon.
Currently, I was in Kamar Taj, floating in a sitting position in front of the Orb of Agamotto. It was a handy artefact that could actually show me the Planetary Ward in the form of an illusion. Every Runic symbol, every line, dot, and shape that made up the Ward, was visible to me clearly.
The Orb of Agamotto could do a lot of things. Cast illusions, predict attacks against any of the Sanctums, detect Dark Sorcery usage, etc. But it was mainly used as a tool to see the integrity of the Planetary Ward, and how each of the three Sanctums were holding up. A single weak link shows up, and the Sorcerers will know.
This is why I was here, to observe every inch of the Ward from the inside, while my Magic interacted with the Orb to see how the Magic of the Ward worked.
"You have been holed up here for a long time, Master Joshi. You need a break." The voice of Master Ayesha sounds from behind me. Well, underneath me.
I break my eye contact with the orb, and look down to see her disapproving face stare at me. I blink, and ask, "I can't have been here that long. I just came here yesterday!"
"And you haven't eaten anything since then, nor have you slept." Master Ayesha drily points out. She then tilts her head, and says, "Come down here. You know as well as I do that this project of yours will not be so easily achieved."
"Yes, and that's why I need to stay here, focused on my work." I say, frowning at her while not doing as she said.
Master Ayesha snorts, and says, "What you need, is a break. Come on, it is time for lunch, and Master Uzuki has made some dishes from his homeland." Seeing me still there, she says, "You won't be able to understand anything at half the strength, Master Joshi, when you're hungry, tired, and sleepy."
"I'm not sleepy." I say, and start floating down, while not denying the hungry part. I.. don't get tired easily, at least physically. Not since I got Victor's mutation at least. But mental exhaustion is a different matter.
Maybe I do need a break, I think, as I rub my eyes. Yup, half a day's worth of break will do me some good.
---
"Where do you think you're going?" Master Ayesha asks, as soon as I walk out of my room the next morning.
I had an amazing sleep after eating a healthy dinner of rice, some, and fried fish. Which means I'm ready to continue my research. Master Murgiel was in the Sanctum anyway, and she will be there for a month.
I stop, wondering if Master Ayesha was waiting for me to wake up or something. I say, "I'm going to the Library, to study the Orb once again."
Master Ayesha scoffs, and starts walking. She says, "Come with me. You're barred from studying the Orb for a week."
I scowl, not liking this one bit. While I can definitely sneak in there, without her knowing at the time, it will be found out later. And then, she might just drop our agreement, not trusting me anymore.
It did say that I had to study the barrier only in her presence, and the Orb was just the one place where she could leave me to study without a worry.
Sighing in resignation, I follow after her, definitely towards the outside. When she stops walking, we are in a veranda looking over the Training grounds of Kamar Taj, which was filled with the acolytes just beginning to start their warm ups.
Master Ayesha says, "You have been a Master Sorcerer for more than a few years now, but you haven't yet fulfilled one duty of that title for even a day."
Oh, fuck. Please don't say it, please don't say it.
"I want you to look over the training of the acolytes for the week. During this week, you will also answer any questions they may have to the best of your abilities." Master Ayesha fucking says. She then smiles towards me, and says, "I hope you are patient with the students, Master Joshi."
She ignores my scowling face, and then says, "Master Fredrick? Master Joshi will be taking over for you today."
"Oh thank God!" The man named Fredrick says, not at all reassuring me with my new situation.
Well, I signed up for Kamar Taj, here's my consequences. Teach some novice students. At least I remember how my own training days were, while not knowing what Magic even was.
"Alright, people! Let's start with physical training! Take positions, and start on my signal." I yell, as I take my position at the front of the group of 20 students, standing in four rows of five.
Well, this will be interesting at least. Students can be pretty entertaining, you know. Especially when they're arrogant, or stupid. Best of all, both arrogant and stupid.
---
Time Skip: 20 BC:
They say time goes fast when you're doing something you enjoy. And I did not appreciate how much I enjoy studying something interesting. And that's what it was, the Planetary Ward. Interesting.
36 years, I've been in the past, almost half of which I've spent as a member of the Order of Mystic Arts. And most of it went in studying this Planetary Ward, and creating my Knowledge Theft Enchantment.
36 years! That's a higher number than what my age was when I got dropped here. I've literally spent more time in the past, than I did in my own time.
I had spent the last decade and a half just switching between the Sanctums, taking a few years in each place, just so I can study the Ward from that place in completion. Sometimes Master Ayesha would join me, sometimes she trusted me on my own.
Which.. is stupid, to be honest, because I'm me, but well, I haven't deatroyed anything yet. So all's well!
And now, after these 20 odd years since I began studying it, I was finally done, the Spell was finally ready. It took a lot of experiments in the Mirror Dimension, on a small globe with a replica of the Planetary Ward cast around it. Master Ayesha and I took days to observe every attempt, even if it failed, just to see to what end the consequences went.
The globe was a perfect replica of Earth, and Master Ayesha and I had even managed to replicate the Planetary Ward around it. It also, funnily enough, contained three Sanctums, Kamar Taj, and veins of Magic Silver to mimic the Ley Lines. All this, to see how my Ward behaves around the Planetary Ward, and with the Earth's Magic.
Sometimes, the ward just destroyed itself, and all was well. But other times, the breaking of the Ward also managed to make the globe implode within itself. Yeah, it took almost an entire decade just to figure the spell out.
The last attempt, one which my Arithmancy calculations told me was 99% likely to succeed, was observed by us continuously for an entire month, just to be safe. And now, we know that it is perfectly safe, with Master Ayesha using the Eye of Agamotto to see the actual Spell in action.
"The spell works as you willed it to." Master Ayesha had said, after a minute of peering through the timelines to check for some future side effects or something.
Which means.. I was free to cast the spell!
The first part was easy. I had to create three Ward Stones and place them inside the Three Sanctums, buried underground. The Planetary Ward was grounded by the entire Sanctum building, not just a single stone or anything like that. So, this Ward Stone was just to ground my own spell, while at the same time connect it to the Planetary Ward. A fourth Ward Stone was to be kept under Kamar Taj, while a fifth and final one on Sanctuary, to designate it as the destination of my Theft Spell.
The second part.. well, that is where things get a bit tricky.
"Are you ready?" Master Ayesha asks, as the two other Sanctum Masters, Master Achak from the Americas, and Master Wong, from the Asian lands, observe silently. We were all standing in Kamar Taj's library, with Master Ayesha keeping an eye on the Orb, to stop me if something goes wrong.
I doubt it will though, because she did use the Time Stone to peer into the future. If she had a tiny bit of doubt that it will fail, or God forbid, cause some catastrophe, then she would have already put a stop to it.
Nodding, I say, "Yup. I've practiced this last month. I'll be fine."
I have to be. Because if I'm not fine, if I actually do make a mistake while casting the spell, despite all the reassurances that it will be okay, then.. well, I've doomed us all then.
Taking a deep breath, I keep the fourth Ward Stone on the ground, and let my Magic flow. I call it a Knowledge Theft Spell, or even an enchantment, but all there is to the spell is instinctually connecting my Ward, which is bound to the four Ward stones, to the Planetary Ward.
The Barrier shown on the Orb of Agamotto flashes once, as the foreign Magic, mine, interacts with the actual Planetary Ward, and I smile, starting the process.
An entire day, I sit there on the ground, in front of the Orb and the Kamar Taj Ward stone, ensuring the Spells first connect to one another. Some time during my bout of intense concentration, the Ward Stone had dug itself underground, with no sign above ground to show for it.
At the end, when my Theft Ward finally connects to the Planetary Ward, I see the changes start happening on the Orb itself.
A blue beam of Magic was flying up from the surface of the planet, from the three Sanctums. We couldn't see anything happening in the real world, but it was happening. I could feel the Magic flowing. I could feel my Magic flowing everywhere.
It rises up, but stops right underneath the Planetary Ward. And then, the three beams start spreading, forming into a transparent blue film like layer of Magic, which encompasses the entire planet.
I feel a strain at that, because this was my own Magic being used to cover the entire planet. But then, I feel my connection to the planet shivering, as the planet sends more Magic towards me.
Is this a benefit of the Pond of Enhancement? Probably, I doubt Gaea would purposefully help me steal knowledge.
This process takes a few more hours, as I sit there using my own Magic to do it. At the end of the process, I drop on my back, the spell finally settling down.
"Did it work?" Master Achak asks, as I take a few deep breaths to recover myself.
I find myself unable to answer, too tired to do so, but Master Ayesha answers for me. She says, "The Spell has been successfully cast. But if it worked or not.. we will have to actually go to Master Joshi's Island to find out."
I raise my hand with a thumbs up motion, answering her unasked question. 'Shall I take us there?'
Nodding to herself, Master Ayesha raises her hand, and creates a portal to Sanctuary, although outside the Ward that disables everyone else's Magic. Even Sorcerer Supreme wasn't immune to that brand of Runic Magic. She then moves the Portal so that it takes us all through immediately.
My healing factor now having healed me back up, with a tiny bit of Magic to go with it, I take over and create one more portal, this one to the secluded area that housed a single palace like building.
I had decided to place my.. Repository of Knowledge on the Western shore of my Island. The lands were warm enough, a tropical paradise even, with a beautiful beach. One small area, around one kilometer square, was warded by me to hold the repository.
The space in this region was warped, so that there is no way to get out of it. Keep going in any one direction, and you will only find yourself moving in circles. There was the Repository building, a mountain behind it, the beach in front of it, and just trees everywhere you look.
Even if someone tries to fly, or swim towards the beach they will only find themselves returned to the Island. There was also no way to locate this place anywhere, even by using the Stars which might appear above us at night, since it will always be noon over here. 24x7 noon, with the Sun showing itself right above us. Always.
I had also made sure to prevent my animals from wandering in. Best of all, no harmful spell could be cast at anything that belonged inside the Repository Wards. So, no-one, not even I, will be able to harm the books inside the Repository, by any method.
Thank you Egyptian Wards.
The Repository building itself was nothing special, with just durability enchantments, and expansion charms cast on it. No matter how many books come in, the Palace-like building will keep on expanding from the inside, leaving ample space for more books to come.
As we appear in front of the Repository building, I hear the others gasp at the sheer beauty of the area, and smile with pride. I say, "Come on in. We need to go through here."
"Impressive, Master Joshi. I did not see this coming." Master Ayesha says, as she stops on the door, her hand touching the stone walls of the Palace.
I nod, immediately understanding why she's so surprised, and say, "I put contingencies for almost every situation, you know. Fire, water, Light magic, dark magic. Nothing will harm the books, or the building. If someone tries, they will find themselves drowning 1000 feet underneath the ocean, without their Sling Rings, or even their clothes."
The Egyptian Wards are pretty dangerous, and really good for setting conditional punishments. If someone wants to steal from me, they will face a minor punishment, of just banishment and a permanent ban from the Library. If they want to harm me or my property, however, they will face death.
And of course, permanent ban from the Library, because some stronger Sorcerers might survive even death.
We pass through a single corridor, which had doors for the guest rooms and other utilities, and then, we reach the actual Library. It was huge, even without books to fill it. The ground was covered in Invisible Alchemical symbols that only reacted to MY magic. I made it so that no one messes with the Repository from the inside.
This Alchemical Spell will conjure the necessary materials for books, scrolls, or texts of any kind to form. And above us, was a single dome like ceiling, spanning the entire hall that made up the Library. This dome shows the sun above us, bringing enough light inside to read comfortably.
I take my pocket watch out, (what can I say, I'm attached), and say, "It will start happening any moment now."
"What will-" Master Wong starts, but then stops, all of us looking up at the sudden blue flash of light.
A single scroll had appeared above us, floating near to the glass ceiling of the hall. It then speeds down, and takes its place inside a shelf. As if that was the signal, dozens more blue flashes start happening above us, as books, tomes, scrolls, papyrus bindings, stone tablets, and a lot of other written texts are conjured above us.
Each of them flies down and occupies the shelf, the previous ones relocating if necessary.
As it happens, much to my wide eyed companions' awe, I say, "All those texts will be sorted first by Magical, or non magical knowledge. Magical on that side of this yellow line, and non Magical on this side." I point at the yellow line in question, which was pretty easily visible. "Then, those two main branches are further divided by subject, which can be identified by the plates hanging above the shelves. Furthermore, the subjects are divided according to languages, and then difficulty. Making it easy for even a novice to go through the Library easily."
Of course, that's if the Novice is allowed to enter the Repository.
I then start walking towards a shelf, the others following me, and say, "Of course, if the copy of a book already exists here, similar in its contents right down to every word inside, then only one copy will be saved. If there are changes, then they will be labeled accordingly."
I take a book from the shelf, and check to see if it is accurate. I don't recognise the text, but it did look a few decades old. A perfect copy of the book it was created from. Perfection.
I then say, "Come on. I'll show you where we can begin setting up the entrance and exit for Sorcerers."
Obviously, the entrance option will only be available from Kamar Taj, and from my Island. And the second option is only available for me. We also need to ward the Doors, and the Welcoming hall, to sort out those with bad intentions.
I'm not going to be here for all these years, you know.
All the while, books keep appearing above us by the dozens, each one going to their place, stacked neatly.
I smile seeing it happen, as I turn away towards the veranda, despite the mental exhaustion I'm still feeling. My own personal Collection, which I will allow some people to read through. But, in the end, this belongs to me!
Ha! Take that, Rowena and your Room of Knowledge! I have a World of Knowledge!
---
"I think it's time for me to leave." I say one day, after lunch at Kamar Taj.
We had just gotten out of a battle with a Demon horde two hours ago, led by a High Tier Demon named Blackheart. I had fought that particular demon, which Master Ayesha herself ordered me to do, while the others took care of the other demons.
It took barely an hour of fighting before I managed to stab him in his black heart (heh), and kill him. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to study this particular demon since the Light Magic in my swords managed to simply make him explode.
He's either dead, or back in hell. And considering whose son this is, I'm betting on Hell.
I did however manage to steal a couple lowly demon corpses away, so that I could study them later. But for now, I'm more concerned with leaving this place.
Master Ayesha raises her eyebrows, and says, "Took you long enough. I expected this 20 years ago, to be honest."
I chuckle, and say, "I expected it too. But what can I say, I wasn't going to let a project go unfinished."
Repository of Knowledge.
My own personal Library, containing the entire planet's knowledge. Of course, there were some books, like the Darkhold, or those kept inside Kamar Taj's restricted section, that couldn't be copied by my spell.
Even the Golden Book of Life, or the Black Book of Death, couldn't be copied. Not like it would have been of much use, since to cast any spell from those books, you actually need to read from those books. It's the same for Kamar Taj's most dangerous books.
Even if you memorize the spells from that book, it won't work unless you read from that book at that moment.
Funnily enough, the Book of Cagliostro doesn't exist yet. Cagliostro wasn't even born yet, and I doubt he will be born anytime soon.
Anyway, my Repository was up and running, with a few students already having gone there to study. There was a door in Kamar Taj, that directly led to my Library. The Door itself was enchanted by us three Masters and the Sorceress Supreme herself, all of us working together, so that no one that wants to harm the Repository is allowed through. The fact that four Sorcerers worked together to do this means that it will be extremely hard to get around it.
If, by some miracle, someone does manage to enter the door, then the Room they come out in was also Enchanted. Enchanted to immediately banish the person, sans their clothes, weapons, relics, and jewelry, depending upon their intentions.
A cleared throat brings my attention back to the present, and I see Master Ayesha looking at me with a raised eyebrow. Shaking my head, I ask, "Sorry. Did you say something?"
Master Ayesha smiles, and says, "I asked what you will do now, now that you're free from the responsibilities of Kamar Taj?"
I shrug, not yet having made my mind. I say, "I'll probably go back home for now." Home, Sanctuary. Because that is what this was. My Home. "Rest for a few years, continue my Alchemy studies or something, and then go back to travelling the world once again. See where my feet take me."
Or my Telekinesis, since I doubt I'll just walk around the world. I'll probably fly.
Master Ayesha sighs, as she puts her cup down, and says, "I cannot say I am glad to see you go. You are one of the strongest Sorcerers Kamar Taj has ever seen, and you would have been a terrific Sorcerer Supreme."
"Okay, time to go." I say, those words really bothering me. As I stand up, much to her open amusement, I say, "I know you did that on purpose, but I am not going to become the Sorcerer Supreme unless extremely necessary. And right now, it definitely isn't necessary."
Master Ayesha chuckles, and says, "Take care, Master Joshi. And do keep in contact."
Smiling despite myself, I walk towards the Library, to take the portal express back to Britannia. I'll still need to wait until she can find me a replacement, at least a temporary one.
But now.. I am free from responsibility.
I have the Sands of Time in my possession, but I don't currently have any inclination towards rushing back to my time. I still need to make my Island more secure, and there's only so much I can get stronger in 36 years.
I have destroyed the two copies of the Darkhold I had in my possession, which I accomplished by just stabbing them with Orthris.
I have freed the Elves of their enslavement, and helped them settle down in a village, with Kultur being named the Village Head. Curiously enough, they decided to keep on living there, having done so most of their free lives. And so, they live as simple people. They farm, they domesticate animals, they make potions, they take care of the other animals all around the Island.
And everything, they do on their own, making decisions as they deem fit.
And I have a Repository of Knowledge of my own.
Almost all of my goals have been accomplished. Which means.. it is time to finally enjoy my time off, before I decide on what I actually want to do.
---
A/N: Fast chapter, but it was to be expected. I have definitely forgotten which chapter happened in what year, and so, I did this timeskip to 20 BC. A long time, to be certain, but he was literally studying the Ward surrounding a Planet. It takes time.
Blackheart is the son of Mephisto, and the main villain in the Ghost Rider movie, the first one with Nicholas Cage. He was just mentioned in this chapter because Mason has had no fights with demons in the 30 years he's been here lol.
FYI, just because I didn't write it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. Kamar Taj deals with Demonic threats at least once a decade, while they also deal with stupid Sorcerers at least once a year, as per my story.
I don't want to focus on it, because I want to focus on Mason's own life, and him fighting a demon.. again.. will be annoying, for both me, and the reader.
Thank you for your support and thank you for your love! Tata!