Chapter 7: The Ode to Rainbow Light
Curious, Croyer immediately began examining the scroll of the Grand Mansion Technique.
He scrutinized it from left to right.
After a thorough look, he noticed something peculiar about the patterns on the surface of the scroll. If those intricate designs were reversed… they seemed to form strange characters.
These characters were hidden within the luxurious, ornamental engravings of the scroll, blending in so seamlessly that they remained unnoticed.
It was precisely for this reason that no one had discovered them before.
“Wait, these characters… I think I’ve learned them before. My grandfather taught me!”
Croyer’s eyes flickered with uncertainty as he examined them.
He then calmed his thoughts and carefully began deciphering and organizing the hidden text.
It took him a full two hours to extract every single character.
Once he had them all arranged, he was stunned to realize that the text appeared to be a poem—a hymn praising the sun and its light, particularly how sunlight refracts into seven colors.
Starting from red, ending in violet.
The poem was extraordinarily long, spanning over seven hundred words.
Its title was...
Croyer furrowed his brows. “The Ode to Rainbow Light? No, wait… Rainbow Colors…”
“So the seven colors of sunlight are considered a singular concept? They can be called either Rainbow Light or Rainbow Colors.”
Intrigued, he studied the text further and was even more shocked.
The structure of this poem was actually a form of magic—specifically, a special type of music-based magic that included a method of meditation.
It was both light and color.
The first chapter described a unique meditation technique.
The rest of the chapters, however, were still unreadable.
Just the complexity of this meditation method alone far surpassed the basic meditation technique he was currently using.
He hesitated.
The poem was indeed strange, but if he could master it, it would bring an enormous improvement to his abilities.
Being isolated on an island, he needed strength to maintain his position.
The stronger he became, the more opportunities he would have—even qualifying for the Mage Association's resource sponsorship.
Besides, this was something his grandfather had left behind. It should be safe.
The only odd thing was that in his fragmented memories, his grandfather had only ever been a wandering bard.
But… a bard who barely had enough to eat.
How could someone like that leave behind such an advanced magic and such a unique meditation method?
And why was it written in such a strange, magically imbued script?
Croyer paced back and forth in his room, deep in thought.
After pondering for a while, he gritted his teeth and made a decision. He sat cross-legged on the bed and began meditating—he had the knowledge right in front of him, and not learning it would be foolish.
Strengthening his power was crucial!
“I’ll learn it first and figure out the rest later!”
Meditation required absolute focus of one's mind and the ability to sense magical elements in the air. A good meditation technique could drastically improve this process.
Even the rate of absorbing magic energy could be several times faster.
Previously, Croyer had been using the standard Beginner’s Meditation Technique, a common practice spread by the Mage Association.
However, the moment he switched to The Ode to Rainbow Light’s first chapter, The Song of Red, he immediately felt a difference.
The surrounding magic elements trembled at his awareness, resonating with a strange yet crystal-clear melody.
“Ding… ding… ding~~~”
As the ethereal music filled the air, strands of red-colored magical energy from the sunlight gathered toward him.
They obediently entered his magical vortex, smoothly integrating into his cycle of magic.
Judging by the speed at which the magic was being absorbed, it was at least twenty times faster than before.
And yet, Croyer knew this was still not the limit.
With his current ability, he could only barely grasp the spell gestures and rune arrangements of The Song of Red. The remaining six colors were beyond his reach for now.
But if just The Song of Red was already twenty times more efficient than his previous meditation technique… what if he mastered the entire Ode to Rainbow Light?
The thought alone was enough to almost break his meditation out of excitement.
Fortunately, he managed to restrain his emotions, quickly immersing himself back into the process, savoring the feeling of absorbing red magical energy.
The sensation of magic surging through his body was indescribably pleasant.
Even his mental energy was rapidly recovering, bathed in the warmth of the sunlight like a gentle embrace.
At that moment, he had a strange realization—if the sun never set, he could continue meditating indefinitely.
But the sun would set eventually.
Croyer had arrived at Reef Island around noon, had lunch, and then started meditating.
By the time he finally opened his eyes, the sun had set completely.
The ethereal music surrounding him faded away.
A crimson glow flashed briefly in his pupils.
“One day of training is worth twenty days of my previous meditation… Tsk, if only I had obtained this earlier, I might already be a Tier-2 or even Tier-3 Mage.”
Croyer sighed in admiration.
At this moment, his magical vortex was filled to the brim with red magic energy. If he continued meditating like this for another ten days or so, he might be able to form a second magical vortex and advance to a Tier-2 Mage.
Reaching Tier-2 would allow him to fully manifest The Song of Red as a functional spell. Only then would he truly understand the power hidden within this mystical hymn.
He stood up, feeling completely refreshed—both mentally and physically—as if he had enjoyed a full night’s sleep.
It seemed meditation could entirely replace sleep.
If he had this ability earlier, he would have been ahead of everyone else long ago.
The only downside was that this technique relied on sunlight. From now on, he’d have to meditate during the day, which meant staying up late at night.
If only he had a meditation technique that absorbed moonlight instead.
In this world, moonlight wasn’t just reflected sunlight—it came from an independent celestial body.
Many magical rituals and spells required moonlight as a key element.
Croyer sighed, feeling a bit greedy. He had just gained a powerful ability, yet he was already wishing for another one.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, he frowned.
“It’s already seven?”
That realization made him uneasy—he had spent the entire afternoon indoors.
What if something had happened to Butler Robert?
Since he had just arrived on the island, he couldn’t fully relax yet.
With that thought, he quickly dispelled the magical formation protecting his room and strode outside.
Sure enough, he immediately spotted Knight Joshua standing guard nearby. The knight was as sharp as ever, but there was a hint of anxiety on his face.
“What happened?”
Croyer maintained a calm expression, using his walnut-wood staff as a walking stick. He was a lord—the foundation of his territory. Others could panic, but he could not.
Seeing his lord emerge, Joshua sighed in relief and quickly reported, “Something has happened by the sea!”
“What?”
Croyer’s heart tensed. As he walked toward the exit, he asked, “Is it a sea monster, a merfolk attack, or something else?”
If it was a sea monster or an enemy he couldn’t handle, he might need to consider a strategic retreat. Surviving was more important than dying over pride.
Had he really drawn such bad luck? Trouble finding him on the very day he arrived?
The knight followed closely behind and explained, “No, neither we nor Robert understand what’s happening. But Bartos says it’s ‘Poseidon’s Wrath.’ It’s devouring everything along the shore!”
“…”
This was getting stranger.
Even Poseidon’s Wrath was being mentioned now.
But running away without seeing the situation was not an option.
Croyer decided to investigate first before making any decisions—if Bartos recognized it, that meant this phenomenon had occurred before. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too catastrophic.