Jack quickly thought how to modify some of his currently obsolete spells.
His [Lesser Ward] was weak bur useful. A simple instant-cast protective barrier that deflected one physical attack. But even a small bump could break it.
Now, what if it could be strengthened? Or stacked? Five over-layered ward should deflect five physical attacks, shouldn't they? Or what if it could nullify or absorb specific types of energy?
He could use runes for enhancement. Or duplication. Or energy absorption. That would be interesting.
And how about his [Magic Missile]. It was the most basic offensive spell. What if it could ignore physical defense? Or pierce specific magical defenses?
What would happen if it was infused by certain element, like lightning? Or, could he make it target one's mind instead of body? What if he could make it shatter into multiple needle-sized bullets before launching? He envisioned runes for penetration, fusion, mental targeting, or fragmentation.
And then, there was his [Healing Chant]. He had the better [Arcane Healing Lullaby], so the [Healing Chant] was just wasting a page in his grimoire.
But, what if he modified it to mend not flesh would, but spiritual wounds? What if it could be re-assigned to fixing damaged mind? Or better yet, damaged soul? He had the necessary knowledge for the runes that might be used for that.
And what about his [Vine Entanglement]? It was a simple crowd control spell. Still useful. Not exactly obsolete yet. But he could optimize it.
What if the vines were poisonous, capable of weakening the entangled target? What if they could drain magical energy from the target? That would be... interesting.
The possibilities were overwhelming. Yet also exhilarating. He could now optimize the limited pages of his spectral grimoire.
...
The gathering was now nearing its end.
Baroness Emerald Artheim, the young noble widow, had mostly listened to the discussions. In silence.
She cleared her throat. Drawing the attention of the remaining members. Her usually composed demeanor held a hint of urgency.
"Jack Mystery!" She began. Her voice was steady. But her gaze was pleading. "I know you are occupied with the matter in Songstress Village right now. But when you are free... I would like to ask for your help."
Jack turned his spectral gaze towards her. He remembered the last time he encountered her. The death of her brother. The ghost of Neone, the maid bodyguard. The involvement of Purity Cult.
Her story was a tale of betrayal, of murdered family members, of a deep-seated desire for vengeance. His kind of case.
"My path to vengeance gets... complicated." She continued. A flicker of pain was crossing her face. "The remains of the Purity Cult are indeed involved. I could handle them. But I have recently uncovered evidence that the Night Salvation Association is also deeply entwined in the death of my father and brother."
She sighed. "They are the most powerful dark organization at the moment. My resources can handle one group. But, they are not enough to face both organizations simultaneously. Especially when one operates so effectively in the shadows."
Night Salvation Association. Jack recognized the name. Reina's old organization. He knew firsthand how insidious and widespread they were. They preyed on the desperate. Twisted ideals into perverse instruments of control.
It was a network he intended to dismantle eventually. Piece by piece. This could be a good starting point.
He considered her request. It should be a complex problem. Involving two major, dangerous organizations. Exactly the kind of challenge that piqued his interest. Appealing to his sense of brutal justice.
He was a harbinger of vengeance, after all. He saw the suffering. He delivered the punishment to the guilty source.
"Alright. I will help you, Baroness." Jack stated. His voice was a low, resonant hum. Devoid of overt emotion but firm in its commitment.
"But my immediate priority is the Deep Silence." He continued. "Once I've dealt with the curse in Songstress Village, I will come. Provide me with whatever information you have, and I will contact you when I am ready."
A wave of relief washed over Baroness Artheim's face. "Thank you, Jack Mystery. I will have everything prepared."
The time for the gathering had expired. Rainsister gave a final, lazy smile. And the familiar sensation of displacement began.
Jack felt his spectral form being gently pulled back. Spiraling out of the spiritual sanctuary. Back into the mundane reality of Songstress Village. The weight of his new knowledge settled upon him.
The ethereal pull receded. And Jack found himself standing back in the restroom. He quickly activated his [Incarnation Shift] and transformed back to his human form. Jack Mystery was gone. Jack Night was back.
He left the place and returned to the library. Reina, Chief Flute, and the village librarian were still researching. Opening the old, dusty manuscripts. Their faces were serious and were full of weariness.
Jack cleared his throat. The sound resonating a little too loudly in the quiet room.
"Alright, everyone!" He began. "I've just gained some information from one of my contacts. We have a way to handle this 'Deep Silence' problem. The good news is, the seal can be repaired. The bad news is, it's going to take a bit of work."
Reina's eyes widened slightly. "Dear, what did you learn?"
"The village ancestor, Hearth, was an Array Wright." Jack explained. "According to my source, any Array Wright would leave a way for their sealing arrays to be fixed by others."
He paused. A wry smile touching his lips. "Apparently, my source had a record of Hearth and his array characteristics." Jack confirmed. "He was always working with his wife, Nerea. His seal always needs three components to fix... the bone of a powerful beast, a piece of silver, and the correct song."
He looked at the three others in the room. "The bone and silver, I can handle that. As for the song... I got the spell schematic for [Transcendent Echo]. We need a Mystic Scholar to cast it. I'll give it to you to study later, Love."
He continued. "My source said, the spell allows us to see and hear what had happened long ago. So, we might get to hear the Empyrean Songstress in all her glory, Love."
Reina smiled. "I look forward to it, Dear."
"Now..." Jack continued. Turning his attention back to Chief Flute and the librarian. "It's already late afternoon. And Reina still needs to learn the spell. We're not going to have enough daylight to do the actual sealing. But I need some things prepared tomorrow."
"Chief Flute!" He gave instruction. "I need you to gather some set of herbs... red rosemary, seerheart sage, and mystic mugwort. They're common enough, I believe. We need it for the spell to work."
Chief Flute nodded eagerly. "Consider it done, Mr. Night. Anything else?"
"Just rest!" Jack said. His tone shifting to a more gentle one. "Reina and I will be staying in Mr. Keener's sister's house. We've got the key."
He then warned them. "Don't go outside during twilight hours. And tomorrow, I need to leave early to acquire the bone and the silver. Reina also needs to study the spell. So you might not see us in the morning. But, I hope we all would be ready to do the sealing mid afternoon tomorrow."
...
They retired to the abandoned house that belonged to Mr. Keener's late sister. It was empty now as the couple living there became the victims of the Twilight Death. And their children were in Lonestone with Mr. Keener.
As Jack and Reina settled in, a comfortable silence fell between them. Jack taught Reina how to modify the [Past Echo] spell in her grimoire. It took her almost two hours to complete the modification. Turning the [Past Echo] into [Transcendent Echo].
Jack needed to do that. He didn't have a normal grimoire. His grimoire was spectral one. He couldn't use it in his human form.
And he definitely wouldn't want to appear as Jack Mystery during the day. A specter appearing during the daylight was just asking for trouble.
...
The night passed uneventfully. The unnatural silence during the early evening was eventually ended late at night. As the rain fell and filled the village with its rhythmic sounds.
...
As the first hint of dawn painted the eastern sky, Jack stirred. He nudged Reina awake.
"Time to go, Love." He whispered. "We need to visit the North Caves. Rune!"
A soft glow emanated from the corner of the room. Rune, Jack's miniature mechanical companion, drifted towards them. Her iridescent body was shimmering. She projected a bright green glow. An affirmation.
Jack took out his hoverboard. He swoop Reina in bridal carry and jumped on the board. Guided by Rune's light, they ventured north.
Soon, the air grew cooler. Carrying the scent of damp earth and ancient stone. The North Caves, a network of maze-like caverns, loomed before them. They jumped down from the hoverboard and prepared their weapons.
Inside, the silence was profound. Broken only by the drip of water and the scuttling of unseen creatures. Rune pulsed with a soft light. Illuminating their path.
They faced a few hostile encounters on the way. Mostly, the Dusk Bats. But, they were easily dispatched by the transcendent couple.
They kept navigating the labyrinthine tunnels. Following Rune. Until they reached a vast cavern.
And there, bathed in the faint dawn light filtering from unseen cracks, and the glow of unknown mushrooms... lay the colossal skeleton of a dragon.
Reina let out a soft gasp. "It's… magnificent."
Jack nodded. A sense of awe momentarily overrode his pragmatism. He had seen it once. But it was still an incredible sight.
He approached the skeletal maw. "One fang should be enough for the ritual, shouldn't it?" He rhetorically asked.
Jack then carefully wrenched away a single, razor-sharp fang from the dragon's jaw. It was large. Bigger than the size of his leg. And it pulsed with a latent power.
"This should be enough." He said. Examining the fang. And then putting it in his Spatial Backpack. "Now, let's get back."
Jack patted the backpack. Yesterday, he had retrieved several silver ingots from his material storage in his Mirror Space. And he put them inside too. With the dragon fang and the silver in hand, the main materials requirements were done. Now, they just needed the song.
By the time they reached Songstress Village, the early afternoon sun was high above the sky. The air buzzed with a different kind of energy than the previous day. And the ones who were waiting for them were not just the villagers.
Alenna Keener and her two classmates, Nick Glaiver and Harold Mason, had returned. Their faces were a mix of apprehension and renewed determination. Accompanying them were three transcendent professors from Lonestone University. Professor Enderson. Earl Timbercreek. And... Dr. Crafton.