Castle Black was even colder after sunset.
Bowen Marsh shivered as he took out a large bunch of keys, trying each one to open the heavy iron chains locking the gate.
"Can't we go Beyond the Wall tomorrow?"
Tyrion couldn't help but complain. Although the power of fire magic made him unafraid of the cold, what scenery could he see at night?
"Uncle isn't in a hurry, but I just want to fulfill my wish immediately and sleep soundly tonight."
Joffrey said perfunctorily.
What he was looking forward to wasn't Beyond the Wall, but the secrets within The Wall itself. The invisible magic sensing ahead constantly tempted him.
The sound of chains clanking and falling echoed.
Joffrey's eyes lit up.
He had to admit, going in and out of The Wall was truly difficult.
Ahead of the narrow, winding tunnel were two more equally heavy iron bars that required a specialist to unlock. Above each iron bar were murder holes for shooting arrows and ice stones, making the defense extremely tight.
For The Wall, which had no city gates, this kind of tunnel was the most convenient and only passage in and out.
Unfortunately, even these tunnels were mostly abandoned.
Joffrey only knew of two tunnels that were still usable: this one, and the "Black Gate" at the abandoned Nightfort.
He guessed that the Three-Eyed Crow might have let the Skinchanger and Snow Bear in through the Black Gate. After all, the old man was once the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, so this was understandable.
Overall, The Wall certainly lived up to its reputation as a massive fortress.
Just before stepping into the tunnel, thinking about the descriptions of The Wall's magic, he couldn't help but hesitate: did this magic only kill Others and monsters, or was it unfriendly to all magic users?
He lagged slightly behind.
Tyrion stepped into the tunnel. Good, Tyrion didn't shatter or die violently.
Joffrey continued forward with confidence.
One step, two steps.
But the moment he took his third step, a hazy light curtain swept over his entire body.
The Wall's magic!
A wave of dizziness from within seized his soul. Did I get hit?
After a few breaths, he was relieved to find that he was still alive, without pain, with a clear mind, neither cold nor hot.
He noticed the change in himself.
The abundant Magic Energy in his body was suppressed within the Runes, almost impossible to mobilize. At the same time, continuous Magic Energy slowly flowed from the Runes into the wall of The Wall, tracing streaks of light.
At least two types of Runes!
He concentrated, gazing deep into the wall along the colorful Magic Energy light flowing out of his body.
Patterns of the same design were absorbing the flowing Magic Energy. The Patterns flickered on and off, but his sensation of them was steadily and regularly increasing.
Why?
He immediately thought of the similarities and differences between invisible Source Energy and luminous Magic Energy. Could this Rune be able to reverse Magic Energy into Source Energy?
Many fantastical ideas exploded in his mind at once.
He quickly memorized the shape of the Pattern. Then he began searching everywhere for the whereabouts of other Runes.
The group stopped.
Jon silently guarded Joffrey's side, defending against enemies that didn't exist.
Bowen Marsh was not in a hurry at all.
The shivering Tyrion, however, couldn't help but urge, "Good nephew, spare my life. It's so cold here it's almost frozen my manhood off. Either hurry up and leave, or just go straight back."
Tyrion paid the price for his carelessness.
His confidence in fire magic made him forget to put on more layers of fur or cotton clothes. Now that his magic was失效, he finally experienced the infinite power of The Wall's ancient magic and Ice firsthand.
Joffrey withdrew his gaze with satisfaction.
"Alas, for the sake of Uncle's manhood, I'll have to temporarily put aside the scenery Beyond the Wall. First Steward, we'll return the way we came."
Upon hearing this, Bowen Marsh's flushed face turned even redder, almost purple.
At such a cold time, he left the warm stove and bedding to guide the Crown Prince, only for it to end so hastily?!
Bowen glared fiercely at Tyrion, "Lord Tyrion, if there's a next time, put on more clothes before coming out. I'm very busy too!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Bowen led Joffrey and Jon back quickly, completely ignoring Tyrion.
Tyrion followed helplessly.
The iron gate at the tunnel entrance slammed shut, not to be opened again tonight.
The moonlight was cold and clear.
Fires at various places in Castle Black went out one by one. Only the King's Tower and a few places on watch still had lights on.
The group that arrived at Castle Black this afternoon has disbanded.
Benjen and Yoren have returned to their posts, and the Wildling Osha is being held, awaiting identification of the secret passage.
Joffrey, along with Jon and Tyrion, settled into the warmest rooms on the second floor of the King's Tower. Rain, Ghost, and the Snow Bear each stayed with their masters.
Bathed in the orange-red glow of the fire in the hearth.
Joffrey sat on the bed, absentmindedly stroking Rain's fur.
Rain, perhaps having obsessive-compulsive disorder, would always purr in protest whenever its smooth fur was messed up.
"Ah~, can't sleep."
The enhancement of his mental energy had greatly reduced Joffrey's sleepiness, and today's gains had stimulated his mind to be more active. This was certainly a good thing, but for someone who used to be able to lie in bed all day, it could also be considered a sad price to pay.
Fortunately, the power gained in exchange for this price was precious enough.
Joffrey closed his eyes, practicing communicating with the three invisible new Runes.
The Extraction Rune, Restoration Rune, and Anti-Magic Rune.
Unlike what he had previously guessed, it wasn't the same Rune that collected Magic Energy and reversed it into Source Energy within The Wall, but rather the combined effect of the Extraction Rune and the Restoration Rune working together.
The Extraction Rune could absorb Magic Energy within a certain range.
The Restoration Rune could convert excess Magic Energy from various Runes back into Source Energy for storage, and then supply it to the Runes when Magic Energy was scarce.
The Anti-Magic Rune, as the name suggests, could greatly suppress the operation of Magic Energy within a certain range, its effect almost equivalent to prohibiting magic. The Anti-Magic Rune was probably the most damaging to the Others and Wights.
Once their magic failed, they could potentially melt directly, as their existence was maintained by magic.
No wonder the Others hadn't moved south a single step for thousands of years.
There was one thing that puzzled him: he could control the activation and targeted output of the Runes on his body, so how did the Anti-Magic Rune within The Wall not interfere with the operation of the other Runes?
Perhaps it was the effect of an unknown fourth type of Rune? But he hadn't discovered it.
It was also possible that the power of this unknown Rune was only leveraged through some kind of ritual, without leaving it on The Wall or other objects.
If that were the case, what kind of ritual would it be?
Having gained so many Runes through archaeology, Joffrey had put away his pride.
The ancients might not have understood the essence of magic, but the ability to leave behind so many magical relics was sufficient proof of the high level of their magical application.
He and the ancients had reached the same destination by different paths; there was no need to differentiate who was superior.
What other wonders did The Wall hold?
He focused his mind, flipping through the countless memories in his consciousness, finally settling on a few short lines of text.
The Black Gate at Nightfort, the talking Weirwood door, the Weirwood face that opened a passage for the Night's Watch brothers who could answer the oath.
Worth exploring.
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