Chapter 378 - The True Value of Destroying Evil

"It’s gone," Gaven shook his head, "This cursed item is indeed a bit different from the evil equipment I’ve destroyed in the past. I really can’t guarantee a certain level of success rate. Once the skill is activated, it’s not entirely under my control. It’s possible that nothing will happen, or the cursed item could be directly destroyed.""Since it’s an experiment, failure and success are both possibilities. We’re mentally prepared for that," Valon reassured Gaven with a confidence booster, "Mr. Gaven, please go ahead and do what you must. Even if it ends in complete failure, it will be on the Monastery, not you."

"If the Grand Inquisitor himself says so, I would be embarrassed to be timid. Alright, if that’s the case, would Mr. Darnell please prepare a few new brooms for me? Since it’s originally a broom, it’s most appropriate to use one. Let’s see if I can remove the malicious part of the magic and turn it into a real Flying Broom." Gaven could now only make bold assumptions and verify them cautiously.

"That’s easy." Darnell went out for a bit and soon came back, holding several brooms in his hands.

Gaven examined the Beating Broom from top to bottom—it wasn’t much different from a regular broom that Darnell had just brought in, not even a flicker of Magic Aura.

Although he was now undoubtedly a first-level Mage, he had never studied magic in depth in either his past or present life. Even if Lord Virginia crammed him with loads of magic knowledge, he hadn’t had the time to study it carefully.

In terms of studying magic, he was inferior even to Magic Apprentices. Don’t expect to start with theoretical knowledge; better to start with what he’s most skilled at.

This was similar to a Magician’s abilities—knowing how to use them without understanding the research process.

A brilliant, holy light emerged from his hands, enveloping the Beating Broom within it.

Gaven distinctly felt that this time was different from the previous attempts.

In the past, when using Destroy Evil, the holy light was so impatient, launching attacks frantically without any need for his prompt, as if facing a life-threatening enemy.

This time, it was lethargic and unwilling to move.

Only when Gaven concentrated his attention and spurred it on did the light completely envelop the Beating Broom.

The Beating Broom ignited like a flame, beginning to burn and melt away bit by bit, yet without a hint of smoke.

Seeing this, Gaven was not alarmed but rather delighted, sensing a breakthrough.

The other three didn’t dare to breathe heavily, their attention completely focused on Gaven’s right hand.

They could feel that the blazing white light emanated a sanctity that was supremely divine, certainly not just Positive Energy—it seemed to involve higher Laws.

Yet, they couldn’t sense any presence of a Deity.

Normally, God-Given Skills would bear an unmistakable divine mark.

After receiving Divine Health, although Gaven was neither a follower of Tyr nor a Holy Warrior, some who are sensitive to such matters could feel Tyr’s mark on him.

Could it be that Gaven’s God-Given Skills were not derived from the gods, but like those of a Druid, were a gift from natural divinity?

This speculation, while incorrect, was close to the true nature of the matter.

The burning speed of the Beating Broom was much faster than normal; in less than a minute, it turned into ashes, leaving behind a glowing orb in Gaven’s hands.

This time the sensation was also different from before.

Previously, he had only a vague sense of the orb’s Enhancement direction.

This time, he could clearly feel the Magic Force contained within it.

Artifact creation, Flying Spell, and Awakened Object.

The Flying Broom turning into a Beating Broom—the problem was likely in the combination of the Flying Spell with the Awakened Object.

He had to separate the two. Only by doing so could he create a real Flying Broom.

Gaven tried to control the orb and, to his surprise, it worked efficiently; he successfully split the orb into three, each housing one Spell effect.

The rest was simple.

Artifact creation, Flying Spell.

He smacked the two orbs directly into the same broom, and once the orbs left his hand, they completely lost Gaven’s sense and control.

The broom began to float on its own and started spinning in the air.

Gaven backed away promptly, holding the last glowing orb.

The others also wisely kept their distance.

After all, the notorious reputation of the Beating Broom preceded it, and they did not fancy being randomly beat by a broom—though it was certain not to hurt them.

Just as they backed away, the broom stopped its dance and fell to the ground.

Gaven stepped forward and picked up the broom from the ground, casting an Identify spell on it.

It was the first level-one spell he had learned because it was the most practical and commonly used spell.

Better to identify something on his own than to rely on someone else’s hands.

When coming across Magic Items with unknown effects, best to start with an Identify spell.

A soft glow spread over the broom, and the information about it appeared directly in his mind.

After identifiying the broom, Gaven’s brow immediately furrowed.

Seeing this, Darnell quickly asked, "What’s the matter? Did it fail?"

"It’s a partial success," Gaven sighed, "The broom can indeed fly, but it’s a substandard product. It can only fly for half an hour per day at a speed of ten kilometers per hour. A normal Flying Broom should at least be able to fly for ten hours and have a minimum speed of fifteen kilometers per hour, with the strongest going even faster.

But that’s also normal. For the Beating Broom, the use of the Flying Spell and Awakened Object is typical of the creator’s insufficient abilities."

"A normal Flying Broom should be enchanted with the fifth-level ’Soar the Skies’ spell, and then made permanent with ’Magic Constancy’."

Gaven was quite knowledgeable about some of the more common magic items.

The method of making flying brooms, which are most frequently used by mages, especially witches and Ghost Witches, is not a secret.

Measured at market value, a flying broom would be worth at least twenty thousand Gold Coins.

This defective item, if it could sell for one-fifth of the price, it would be quite fortunate."

"Being able to fly five kilometers a day is already very good, already excellent, until it can handle most situations."

"Amazing, truly amazing, Mr. Gaven, you’ve really opened our eyes today, we never imagined such wondrous skills could exist."

Compared to the dissatisfied Gaven, Darnell and Valon were full of pleasant surprise.

After all, to them, this Beating Broom was purely a chicken rib: tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw away.

Now that it had turned into a simplified version of a Flying Broom, not to mention in the hands of young Holy Warriors, it would be very useful even for a Transcendent Holy Knight.

After all, they could not cast flying spells, so carrying it was like having an unending Flying Scroll, which was very practical.

Gaven slapped the last orb of light directly into another broom.

The broom immediately stood up and began to sweep around Gaven with a hissing sound.

This broom had become an Awakened Object, a small construct.

Gaven then explained, "I just dismantled an Awakened Object from inside it that can only animate objects smaller than the broom itself. I’m afraid I can’t return this one to you. From now on, it will only obey my commands."

"That’s normal, from now on, it belongs to Mr. Gaven," declared Valon without hesitation, "don’t worry, this is a bonus, not included in Mr. Gaven’s compensation."

"Fine," Gaven did not dwell on the matter, for compared to a practical magic item, an animated magic broom truly wasn’t worth arguing over, especially with over a dozen cursed items waiting for their transformation.

Come to think of it, the Awakened Broom does match Weizemay Manor quite well.

Given the atmosphere of the manor, there’s no need for the ghost servants to make an appearance; just a broom sweeping around in the dead of night is enough to scare the unaware out of their wits.

With a successful start, not only was Gaven full of confidence, but everyone else began to look forward to the possibilities.

Soon, the second Beating Broom melted in Gaven’s hands, but this time, he did not press the orb into the broom, instead he said to Darnell, "Sir, please take off your combat boots."

"Are you thinking of attaching the flying capability directly to the boots? Is that possible?" Darnell guessed as he took off his boots.

"Not sure, but between a broom with a flying spell and a pair of boots with a flying spell, I think you understand better which would be more helpful. Gentlemen, are you ready to take a chance, or play it safe and go for a guaranteed success with a simple version of the Flying Broom? I’ll listen to you," Gaven left the choice to them, as the items belonged to them.

"Take a chance," Valon and Darnell said in unison, without hesitation.

Just as Gaven himself had asked, both were imbued with flying spells, but the practical uses were not the same.

If the flying spell was on the boots, it could be used in combat, while the Flying Broom was merely an auxiliary tool.

Gaven did not hesitate any further, and pressed the two orbs he had extracted directly onto Darnell’s freshly removed boots.

Soft light glowed again, and under the magic’s influence, the shape of the boots changed subtly, with a small wing on each side of the heel, symmetrically arranged.

Items like gloves and boots are, in terms of the rules, considered a single magic item, and Destroy Evil, being a natural extension of the rules, assumes many things by default.

This time, not only were Valon and Darnell amazed, but even Gaven couldn’t hide his delight, because he recognized the magic item without the need for identification.

Winged Boots, allowing the wearer to cast flying spells three times a day, each lasting no more than five minutes.

While the overall duration had shortened, the practicality increased, and the market value could now compete with a real Flying Broom.

For the other orb of light, Gaven did not press it into the broom again, but drew a Dwarven short sword instead.

It was a spoil of war seized from the hands of a Dwarves Vampire Warrior, named Vampire Fangs, and there was a pair, each endowed with the Vampire’s Touch magic power, using these two short swords to strike an enemy would drain blood from the victim, replenishing the wielder’s own life.

These two swords were exquisite weapons for Agile Warriors, giving them sustainability in prolonged fights. In the hands of vampires, they complemented their abilities and enhanced their regenerative powers to unprecedented levels.

If it were not for the encounter with Gaven’s abnormal group, the Dwarves Vampire warrior, equipped with these weapons, could traverse most Transcendents with ease.

Because there was no one among the collaborators with this type of close combat style, and with special spoils like the Fine Gold Coffin, they had not yet decided on the loot, leaving it in Gaven’s hands all this time.

Having been experimenting with ordinary items until now, Gaven wanted to try attaching these magical properties to those magic weapons to further enhance them.

Doing so was naturally in preparation for regular equipment like the Crown Shield and Death Roar.

However, with the precedent of cursed equipment as a warning, Gaven dared not try it on important gear.

The Beating Broom demonstrated with its practical example that the combination of magic is not about having more, but about suitability being most crucial.

The invention process of the Ghost Witch who made the Beating Broom was quite clear.

The flying spell endows the broom with the ability to fly, and the Awakened Weapon gives it the ability to hover in place when animated.

But the combination of the two, through shoddy workmanship, did not become a permanent ’Soar the Skies,’ but degenerated into frenzied attacks. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovel(ꜰ)ɪre.nᴇt

Now Gaven was looking to harness the ability of equipment to become Dancing Air Weapons after animation.

Gaven was extremely careful, not letting go of the orb of light, but controlling it from start to finish.

Just as the orb was over ten centimeters away from the Vampire Fangs, it emitted a blinding Magic Aura, and myriad mysterious Magic Runes appeared and rotated within it, giving rise to a powerful repulsion.