Year x365

In the Kingdom of Mildian,

Inside the Mildian Magic Academy,

“Elder Perurus, do you think it is a good idea?”

An elderly man with a long white beard and thick white eyebrows walks alongside another elder.

Both of them wear long white robes with an ornate cape draped over their shoulders. There is a golden hourglass symbol carved on their robes.

They hold a long staff with a lacrima embedded on the top end.

“Elder Saurus, this is the era of mages. The magic has flourished well beyond anything. We discover new magic with each passing day.”

The elders continue to walk through the hallways of the Mildian Magic Academy.

“We are here.” Elder Perurus walks in front of a wall.

He taps the wall with his staff as various dark purple runes lit up on the wall.

“These runes!”

Elder Saurus’s eyes widen.

“Don’t tell me you have delved into ancient black arts.”

Elder Saurus warily stares at Elder Perurus.

“Don’t mind the minor details. Just follow me and I will show you a new world of magic.”

Elder Perurus assures Elder Saurus as both of them descend into the secret chamber.

The wall closes behind them. Elder Perurus points his wand towards the wall and inscribes various ancient runes on the wall.

Shoom…

The runes light up as a pale red aura covers the stares.

“This is…”

Elder Saurus curiously stares at the pale red aura.

“This is ‘Ancient Magic: Divine Intervention’. It allows the user to protect themselves from the prying eyes of gods.”

Elder Perurus chuckles as both of them descend deeper.

A heavy metal door with various ancient runes greets them. Elder Perurus waves his wand twice as a magic circle lit up on the door and unseal it.

“I never expected you to have such a magic facility underneath the heart of the Mildian Magic Academy.”

Elder Saurus remarks.

“I dedicated the entirety of my life to research Ancient magic. Most of the elders and instructors called me a lunatic, but I clung to my beliefs and spent all of my life-savings to set up this magic research facility.”

Creak… Clang…

The door slams open and both of them enter the laboratory.

Elder Perurus fervently walks inside his laboratory as he welcomes Elder Saurus.

Elder Perurus waves his hand as various lacrima and magic crystal lights up the entire place. A gigantic chandelier with a hexagonal lacrima lights up with blue light.

“This is…”

Elder Saurus’s eyes widen in horror as various amniotic chambers with nutritional fluid appear in his vision.

“Human experimentation…. Don’t tell me Elder Perurus, you have fallen to such a degree.”

Elder Saurus tightly clutches his staff as a giant magic circle appears beneath him.

Wham…

Large amounts of Ethernano gather around as he prepares to cast his spell.

“If that’s the case, then I would have to subjugate and hand you over to the Kingdom.”

“Wait… wait! Elder Saurus! It’s not what you think it is.”

Elder Perurus hurriedly stops Elder Saurus.

“Take a closer look at them and you will understand.” He tries to convince Elder Saurus.

Hmph…

Elder Saurus scoffs at Elder Perurus. He turns towards the test subjects.

“Magic Eye: Eye of Balor”

Shoom…

A small magic circle forms around his right eye as he investigates the bodies of the test subjects.

“These are… it can’t be.”

Clank… clank…

Elder Saurus is shocked to see the test subjects as he involuntarily lets go of his staff.

“How is this possible? No… I have to be dreaming.”

Elder Saurus falls on his knees as he blankly stares at the test subjects.

“HOMUNUCLI”

A single phrase left his mouth as it echoes through the walls of the lab.

“Yes… exactly.”

Elder Perurus nods his head as he fervently stares at the chambers.

“This is my lifelong creation. It results from my hard work and research.”

“How could it be? How?”

Elder Saurus is still in a trance as he fervently inspects the Homunculi.

“They are still incomplete.”

Elder Perurus informs him.

“I see.”

Elder Saurus nods his head as he stands up and regains his composition.

“To be able to come this far is still an enormous achievement on its own. I wonder how did you achieve this?”

Elder Saurus curiously stares at the homunculi.

“Our Mildian Kingdom lies in the center of the Alakitasia. It is the heart of magic and is the most advanced magic civilization.

Many other nearby kingdoms have invaded us in an attempt to siege control of our vast magical resources; but the mages of our kingdom have repelled their attempts time and time again.”

Elder Saurus remarks as he picks up his staff.

“Magic is a very rare commodity and a magician even more so. Only one person out of ten can wield magic to some extent.

So, tired by this endless invasion, hundred years ago; the king ordered the magicians of Mildian Magic Academy to create artificial mages.

The Mildian Magic academy researched the process for seventy years with no success.

The construction of a homunculus requires the implantation of a magic heart of magic origin in the body of a deceased mage. This magic heart will then prevent the dissipation of the magic container of the dead body and will gather the Ethernano from the environment.

Thus, we can preserve the body of the mage. Later, a concentered miniature resurrection lacrima is implanted in place of the heart of the body.

This lacrima will maintain the bodily function of the homunculi. We can create a functional body; but it is nothing more than a husk of magic, a human-sized doll.

The actual problems arise with the sentience. We have no method to provide sentience to these bodies.

Twenty-five years ago, one elder of the academy proposed the use of Spirit Magic to enchant Celestial spirits into these vessels; but we all know how it ended. Sigh…”

Elder Saurus takes a deep breath and pats Elder Perurus’s shoulders.

“Elder Perurus, you successfully recreated the body, but it is nothing more than a fancy doll with no spirit in it.”

He shakes his head and sits on a nearby chair.

“I still laud you for your attempt. Still, I am curious to know how you created these bodies.

Earlier, when I inspected them with my magic eye, I saw a hint of dragon force in them. Would you mind explaining?”

 Elder Perurus nods his head.

“Fifteen years ago, in year x350;

A hoard of dragons attacked the capital city of Mildian. During that ruckus, our mages slain a few dragons.

The remains of these dragons were brought to our Magic Academy, and I used the dragon blood to strengthen the magic heart of the homunculi.”

“I see.” Elder Saurus nods his head.

“Now how do you plan on giving sentience to these homunculi bodies.

Our Mildian Kingdom is a firm believer of God of Death, Ankhseram, and the God of Time, Chronos.

Breathing life and animating a corpse violates the authority of the God Ankhseram.

It was the reason I had to expel my only student Zeref from the academy. He researched the connection between life, death, and Magic to create R-system and the Eclipse Gate, both of which violate the authority of Ankhseram and Chronos.”

“I have plans for that.” Elder Perurus walks to a nearby closet. He inscribes some runes with his staff as a magic circle appears in the closet.

Wham…

The closet opens up to reveal an ancient grimoire.

Elder Perurus holds the grimoire and places it on the table.

“This is…”

Elder Saurus curiously stares at the book.

“I found this book in the ruins of an ancient civilization while I was on an expedition.”

He slowly opens the pages of the grimoire as various runes and ancient texts appear in their vision.

“This language!” Elder Saurus tries to decipher the text.

Argh…

He clutches his head tightly as his brain cannot process the information.

“Elder Saurus!” Elder Perurus passes a glass of water to him.

“The various essence of magic is enchanted in these runes. It took me twenty-five years to decipher them and here is what I found.”

He takes out some notes from his pocket and passes them to Elder Saurus.