140 THE BULLY RETURNS
"The Giga Codex—it's here, inside this crystal! The stone was just a damn decoy to hide it," he exclaimed.
"It's not exactly a decoy," Yun-Yun interjected, her tone calm but firm. "The inscriptions on the stone tablet are connected to the crystal. Only together can they form the Giga Codex."
"Can you decipher it now?" Leo asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"I can try," Yun-Yun replied, stepping closer.
Leo carefully replaced the stone tablet, aligning it with the crystal. Yun-Yun touched the glowing artifact beneath the tablet, holding it steady and channeling her magic into it. A faint hum of magic filled the air as energy began to flow from the crystal into the stone.
"The crystal, when exposed to the tablet, reveals the real Giga Codex," Yun-Yun explained.
Suddenly, the runes on the stone tablet blazed with light, their brilliance illuminating the area. Each of them gazed at the glowing surface, but the tablet's magic revealed itself differently to each person.
Petunia's magic stirred within her, flowing through previously dormant pathways and forming new nexuses. The surge left her breathless as she felt her power deepen.
Yun-Yun's eyes scanned the illuminated runes, absorbing their intricate patterns and unfamiliar drawings. Her knowledge expanded as she deciphered layers of magic she had never encountered before.
Leo, however, saw something entirely different.
The glowing tablet revealed itself to him as streams of complex, shifting codes. With practiced ease, he summoned his control panel, studying the flow of magical scripts. His mind moved instinctively, copying and organizing the sequences.
Suddenly, Petunia's body pulsed with radiant energy. She gasped as her magic surged, reaching a new level of mastery.
"I've had a breakthrough just by looking at the bloody stone!" she exclaimed excitedly, her voice filled with awe.
"That's not happening to me," Leo muttered frustrated.
"The Giga Codex reveals itself differently to different people," Yun-Yun explained. "Most people experience a leap in their magic, like Petunia. Others gain a deeper understanding of magic."
"Can you two fully comprehend this Codex?" Petunia asked.
"Partially," Yun-Yun admitted. "But this knowledge runs deep. It will take time to master."
"And you, Leo?" Petunia pressed.
"In my own way," he replied, his gaze locked on the codes scrolling across his screen. To him, it was a puzzle—a complex web of codes to unravel and perfect.
Suddenly, Leo's perception shifted.
His consciousness plunged into another realm. Massive stones surrounded him, each etched with runes and intricate designs. The air hummed with power.
He was inside the Giga Codex.
"You're here too," Yun-Yun said, her voice echoing in the strange space.
Leo turned, realizing she stood beside him. "Yes," he replied, though his view was unlike hers.
Where Yun-Yun saw mystical symbols, Leo perceived only streams of data—magic rendered as lines of code.
Without hesitation, he dove into the task. His mind raced as he organized the chaotic flow, deleting redundancies, stabilizing patterns, and piecing the fragments into coherent structures.
Unaware of time, they continued their work, each unraveling the mysteries of the Giga Codex in their own way, oblivious to the world outside.
-----
"Brother Kaledon, you must help me deal with this demon and get the girl," Bogarth said as he led his companion into the clearing where the Holy Stone rested.
"Where is everyone? Isn't this supposed to be the place of the Holy Stone?" Kaledon asked, his brow furrowing.
"They must've left. Forget about them! There they are—all three of them," Bogarth said, pointing to Leo and his companions.
"Bogarth! How dare you come back here?" Petunia's voice rang out, filled with fury.
To her desperation, Leo and Yun-Yun suddenly collapsed earlier, their bodies motionless. Petunia was left alone, facing Bogarth and his men, her heart was pounding with fear. These weren't good people.
"What's happening with those two? Are they communing with the stone?" Kaledon asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Not likely. I've never heard of anyone getting 'enlightened' by the stone. At best, you can learn a rune or two, they must have been struck by Immobility Spells," Bogarth replied with a dismissive snort.
"This stupid rock looks the same as it did last time. If I couldn't gain anything from it, there's no way they could," Kaledon sneered.
Although the Giga Codex has been activated to the untrained there was no difference. Only focused concentration could extract benefit from the Giga Codex.
"Exactly, Brother Kaledon—you're a genius," Bogarth replied with a grin.
"Enough. Kill those two while they're out," Bogarth barked at his escorts and guards, gesturing at Leo and Yun-Yun.
"You'll have to go through me first!" Petunia shouted, stepping forward with defiance burning in her eyes.
"Ha! I'll handle you myself. Soon enough, you'll be all mine," Kaledon said with a lecherous smirk.
"Brother Kaledon! You know I like her! She's going to become my wife," Bogarth protested.
"Then take her, if you can, leecher," Kaledon taunted. "You can have her after I'm done with her. What's yours belongs to me too."
Bogarth was devastated but had to accept reality. He was nothing without his powerful brother defending him.
Petunia's glare darkened. "I'll kill all of you."
Without another word, Kaledon lunged, his large staff swinging toward her. Despite her recent breakthrough into Tier 3 Svad, Petunia couldn't evade Kaledon's brutal strike. His staff landed, sending her sprawling with a cry of pain.
"Arggghhh."
"Don't kill her, Brother Kaledon! We need her alive to taste her body," Bogarth shouted disgustingly.
"I may have hit her a bit hard, but she'll live," Kaledon admitted with a shrug.
To their shock, Petunia rose to her feet, defiance etched across her face. A golden aura enveloped her, taking the form of a dragon that roared around her.
"Body Transformation magic? Impossible! How did she achieve this at her pathetic level?" Kaledon muttered, his confidence faltering for the first time.
Body Transformation magic was an advanced magic that usually only high tiered Svad mages could hope to master although some mages could master the magic earlier with secret methods.
Kaledon swung his staff again and again, each blow landing with resounding force. Yet Petunia stood tall, her form unwavering despite the brutal strikes.