NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102
The bulbs were quietly waiting, as if someone had flipped the switch. Count Harker explained to Jeongjae, who was watching the bulbs with a puzzled expression.
“This bulb’s light indicates what form the mana from that lower energy will take. The pattern of the bulb blinking maintains the mana of that lower energy. And at the same time, that lower energy acts as the driving force for this machine.”
“Isn’t that practically unlimited power?”
“It only means the mana doesn’t dissipate in the process. There’s no resistance or friction on the movement of mana, so it’s possible to utilize the output results to move the machine again. It just keeps transforming.”
“That makes some sense. But doesn’t that seem more like a device for storing mana rather than producing it?”
“That’s precisely the essence of the Moriarty Machine.”
After hearing Harker’s explanation, Jeongjae thought that the machine was not made for production of mana, but rather for storing it—a device created so that even humans who did not know how to handle mana could use it.
If that’s the case, the shining power here was injected into the machine to function correctly. In the end, all the machine does is process and release the injected energy in a usable form.
“So, this machine was activated using the Hero’s Holy Sword?”
“It was an experiment by Sherlock Holmes. Since the power of the Holy Sword is continuously recharged, it allowed the machine to handle a level of mana that it could manage at maximum capacity without any issues.”
“And it has been stored without loss for over a hundred years. Did James Moriarty create this?”
“And only he knew how to create it. Both Holmes and I didn’t even think of dismantling the machine out of fear that we might not be able to restore it. There was nothing we could do except move it to the safest place for storage.”
Hearing this, Jeongjae closely examined the mana energy in the room once more. He could indeed feel the powerful mana being stored, which he hadn’t accurately sensed before. Jeongjae exclaimed with amazement.
“I never imagined such a device existed in this world. What I’m saying is… storing mana is essentially an impossible task. It’s impossible, and… impossible, right?”
“That’s what countless wizards have said. At least at this point in time, there’s no technology that makes that possible.”
“And yet, a mathematician from a hundred years ago created this? Using technology from Earth, no less?”
“It might have been possible because it was Earth technology. But Holmes and I, being fellow Earthlings, failed at designing the same machine, so Moriarty’s talent must have surpassed the combined efforts of the two of us.”
“The professor was a medical doctor, and Holmes likely had some knowledge of chemistry or biology. I don’t think we can criticize the failure to replicate a mana engineering machine that they’ve never even disassembled.”
Jeongjae continued to stroke the coffin in fascination. In truth, even he had no confidence in making a similar object without having disassembled this one.
There are various methods to put mana onto other objects in the form of “spells,” but there was no magic to store unused mana in any vessel. If such a convenient magic had been commercialized long ago, Jeongjae would not be in such a troublesome situation now.
If there were a way to receive the enormous amount of mana required for any magic from an external source in the “pure form of mana,” there would be no reason to use extreme measures like life force conversion.
“What about Moriarty? It sounds like he crossed over to this side of the world too.”
“I discovered the early form of the Moriarty Machine in Moriarty’s hideout and crossed over. I can’t say what happened right after the two clashed, but it seems Holmes and Moriarty initially decided to work together to return to Earth.”
“Well, if suddenly dropped into a different world, cooperating would be the most rational choice, even with a sworn enemy.”
“The reason we all used aliases may be to delay detection of our existence by Earthlings who might linger here. For example, Dracula. But it turned out to be meaningless. Before I even arrived in this world, Holmes and Moriarty encountered Dracula, who had figured out their identities. Moriarty then declared a parting from Holmes, and they went their separate ways. It seems Holmes didn’t try to stop him either.”
“And then you appeared.”
“Yes. At first, I used the name Quincy Harker.”
There was a certain nostalgia on Count Harker’s face as he recounted events from a hundred years ago. Jeongjae had also studied the history of this world. It was said that the state of the continent had not been this dire a century ago. The borders of the Audrich Empire were easily twice as vast as they are now, and the demon race wasn’t as overwhelming then.
The demon subjugations of that era were more like a conquest war, with the Hero and Man Harryot actively preventing enemy threats through offensive actions. This contrasted starkly with the drastically changing war patterns that began over a decade ago.
“Regardless, the Count’s treatment is a priority. Please let me know how to proceed.”
Jeongjae brushed his hand over the bulbs in the room. As Harker looked up at the white light formed by sacred power, he spoke.
“As I mentioned, the form of that white light is determined by the blinking pattern of the bulbs. There are various types of patterns, but it seems that the one we’ll need today is the most powerful and dangerous.”
“Go ahead and tell me.”
“It’s the Latin Cross.”
“I had a feeling it would be that.”
Jeongjae couldn’t help but chuckle. Harker slowly stepped back and leaned against a chair.
“After that, you’ll see a reaction from the lower energy. You just need to use that energy to suppress the dark force that has started to corrode your body. The only power that can suppress vampire blood is that.”
“Are you suggesting to mindlessly send the sacred energy through the mana circuit to suppress magic? With no technical measures in place?”
To someone deeply acquainted with mana theory, Jeongjae found it almost laughable. Harker frowned as if lamenting that this was the only method available.
“It’s going to be incredibly painful, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s not my concern. I’m not the one who will be suffering.”
Jeongjae joked. Harker, unable to muster a laugh even at that, hesitated as Jeongjae closed his eyes to perceive the flow of sacred energy from the Moriarty Machine.
Once aware of the nature of the machine, he began to see how to handle it. Upon grasping the essence of the force flowing within, Jeongjae flicked the switch, causing several bulbs to illuminate simultaneously, revealing a cross shape in the room.
Though the vertical was excessively long and the horizontal a bit too short, it distinctly resembled a cross. The moment Jeongjae finalized the pattern of the bulbs, the white light that had been hovering in the air began to flicker like madness and crackled chaotically.
Jeongjae began to gather the sacred energy that was pouring forth and directed it towards Count Harker. It was understandable why Harker rushed over to lean on Jeongjae.
The unicorn’s horn, or rather the power of sacred mana, showcases overwhelming strength against beings with evil mana. If this power is used properly, most demon races would be obliterated—body and soul, entirely.
In that case, an exceptionally skilled wizard could harness this sacred energy to eliminate the vampire breed, the Van Helsing, right here on the spot. But if Jeongjae were to drag Count Harker down here and obliterate him, that would be an utter catastrophe.
Here, a more delicate procedure was necessary. Instead of burning the opponent’s flesh and blood with fierce sacred energy, an incredibly subtle technique was required to merely suppress the mana flowing within the body. Some blood vessels might inevitably burn out, and the heart would be subjected to powerful shocks, but if such a degree of energy is assured, it should barely preserve life while suppressing the dark energy.
The amount of sacred energy currently being emitted by the Moriarty Machine easily surpassed what Walter could expel while wielding the Holy Sword.
With careful control, Jeongjae pressed the beam of white mana into Count Harker’s entire body. Harker opened his mouth slightly, as if about to scream, but overwhelmed by intense pain, he could only emit strangled gasps without able to scream.
The mana, stretching like lightning, seemed to electroshock Harker’s body, causing it to convulse. The old man was in a state where he could no longer care about his dignity or shame; a tear began rolling down Harker’s cheek. Though he couldn’t let out a sound from the excruciating pain, his tear ducts moved on their own to release tears.
Saliva dripped from Harker’s open mouth, and as his body twisted strangely, producing cracking joint sounds, Jeongjae hurriedly dashed towards the coffin and pulled out the cross necklace embedded in it, stopping the machine’s operation.
Immediately, the bulbs of the Moriarty Machine began to blink in succession, producing the same crackling noise as before. Jeongjae covered the wooden lid of the coffin, glancing back. Count Harker, leaning against the chair, wiped the drool from his mouth with a dazed look.
“Are you alright?”
“Just close the lid first. I’m not in the mood to hear such noise.”
Jeongjae was surprised to hear Harker’s voice sounded rather cheerful. He had thought the Count would be utterly exhausted from the level of pain delivered.
As Van Helsing got to his feet and laughed heartily,
“Aha! Hahaha! This is refreshing! It seems after being sick for days, a single moment of pain cured it all. Truly a remarkable power. Thank you, Baron! Really, thank you!”
Meanwhile, the fact that Harker was merely wiping the drool he spilled while the tears flowed from his eyes felt oddly peculiar. To Jeongjae, it looked as if Harker was laughing while crying at the same time.
Regardless, it seemed that Count Harker’s condition had indeed improved. The pallor of his face was now flushed with color, and his previously hunched shoulders now seemed to broaden as if he had grown taller.
Jeongjae sat down on the chair opposite the Count and sighed in relief.
“I’m glad the treatment seems to have gone well. It would be alright to come periodically for this.”
“No, I’ll decline. It’s a momentary pain, but it’s still quite painful.”
“Of course, I was joking. If this were done frequently, no matter how skilled a wizard might be, it would burst the Count’s heart. That aside, I actually want to finish the conversation we were having earlier, if you don’t mind?”
“Curious about my past, are you? Go ahead. I’m feeling a bit better, so I think I can answer anything that comes to mind.”
“There are indeed many things, but what I want to know most right now is one thing: What happened to Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty? The Count remains here as a vampire, but I can’t figure out what happened to those two.”
“Moriarty fled north and allied with the demon race. Initially, it seems he intended to infiltrate the upper echelons of the Audrich Empire to seize power, but his true nature was thoroughly exposed by Holmes, and his ambitions to become a power player in the Empire ended in utter failure.”
“I wonder how he managed to leave no evidence of the crimes he committed on Earth.”
“Moriarty meticulously fabricated evidence of treason and usurpation. I helped him with that.”
“Fabricated evidence?”
Jeongjae chuckled. Van Helsing shrugged.
“Moriarty wouldn’t have foolishly attempted to overthrow the royal family on his own. It would have been impossible to counter him without resorting to such cunning. Fortunately, Holmes seemed quite adept at producing evidence; after all, he must have known very well what constitutes ‘proper’ evidence from his past experiences.”
It was somewhat shocking to learn that the great detective Sherlock Holmes was also skilled at fabricating evidence, but on closer thought, it wasn’t too surprising.
Holmes fundamentally operates within the realm of legality, adhering to his professional ethics, but it was well-known that he did not always keep the law or utilize only honorable methods. In the novels, there were instances where Holmes overlooked the murderer’s killing motives as justified and let them go, and he shouldn’t have felt much hesitation in unlawfully entering premises when dealing with a vicious blackmailer.
Furthermore, if the opponent were someone like Moriarty, a ticking time bomb, casting fabricated evidence to unveil his wicked nature was a plan Holmes would be quite capable of executing.
“If that’s the case, Moriarty would face exile at best, execution at worst.”
“Holmes wanted to put Moriarty on the guillotine right away using his status as a ‘Hero,’ but Moriarty sensed danger and fled the Empire. He chose to utilize his talents and infamy to the fullest to survive.”
“What do you mean by that…”
“Nothing is certain. But both Holmes and I suspect that James Moriarty teamed up with Dracula, receiving his support to ascend to a throne among the demons. Yes, the throne of the Demon King, Baron.”