561 - 569

Setting A Plan

"Good! I'll be there then!" Leylin nodded.

"Of course you will, because you'll have the greatest chance!" Gilbert chuckled.

"Oh? Why's that?" Leylin's thoughts were lightning quick as he immediately came up with a reason. "Could it be…"

"Hehe… that's right. Lord Schiker is the illegitimate child of the head of Atlan. With this connection, and you yourself as part of the Special Task Force, you'll get the most opportunities to sneak into his residence." Emma revealed.

"No wonder I've been thinking Schiker has a very solid backing and very powerful connections. So he's the illegitimate child of the head of the union…" Leylin spoke in understanding.

"Hehe… This is called an opportune moment. We'd wanted to sneak into the Special Task Force too, but the bloodline scanning there is very strict. We can only imitate up to the seventh level of Fireplume, which is pretty much useless. Even if we got in, we'd only be at the bottommost level. You're different. Not only is your Emberwing aura unbelievably pure, you've even improved in Fireplume up to the ninth level. What a genius!"

Gilbert praised. He was now feeling he'd been blind not to have noticed a super talent like Leylin. However, he had managed to take Leylin under his wing, which was a huge relief.

"Alright! I'll do my best and follow Schiker back to the capital!" Leylin nodded, watching these two Kemoyin Dukes. Before heading to the Lava World, he'd been worried that they were injured or something like that, but now, it looked like there was nothing to worry about.

What was difficult for Morning Stars to heal from were injuries to the soul, but as long as firasource stones were in their possession, even the most troublesome soul injuries could be healed quickly.

In actuality, Leylin guessed that these two Kemoyin Dukes had used all their firasource stone reserves to heal the injuries from breaking away from the attack. If not, they would not have had just this slight improvement to their aura.

"By the way, there's someone called Loke under Schiker. Is he also someone you arranged for to be there?" Leylin suddenly thought of something and asked.

"Loke?!" Suspicion flashed on Emma and Gilbert's expression as they exchanged a glance. Even Leylin, who had been observing their facial expressions, could not tell if these expressions were genuine.

"No, I don't know him! He's not a spy we sent out. Is there something wrong?"

"A little. I suspect he's from another race who feigned an identity to enter the Special Task Force!" Leylin casually brought this up.

"In that case…" Gilbert rubbed his shiny bald head, "You'll need to be more wary of him. He's most likely someone from the Mobius Organisation!"

"Mobius Organisation? Do you know that organisation well?" Leylin's interest was piqued at this. Or rather, at the large amount of resources and firasource stones that this organisation had stolen.

"Though this is just a guess, we are almost certain that it's Jupiter's Lightning's organisation here!"

Emma looked grim, "Due to the suppression from Atlan, Zegna of Jupiter's Lightning does not dare come to this world. He's only dispatched a few Morning Star Magi here to secretly build up an organisation!"

"Zegna?" Leylin touched his chin. It was only now that he found out the name of this rank 5 Magus who had been opposing him.

"In this case, Loke is probably a spy or something to that effect sent out by Zegna?" Leylin chuckled.

"Just a mere pawn. It doesn't matter even if that's true. As long as he's not a Morning Star, he won't be that vital in this game here…"

Ruthlessness flashed in Gilbert's expression, "If you really think he's annoying, then dispose of him. If it's not convenient for you, just tell us, and we'll handle it…"

Though Gilbert and Emma seemed to be nobles in the Atlan Union, they were actually one of the three wicked leaders of the Triserpent Sect. It was obvious that they would seek trouble with the Special Task Force, and Loke's death wouldn't be that significant anyway.

"Let's keep him around for now and not alarm the Mobius Organisation. By the way, is that Morning Star who had caused major casualties and stole a lot of resources still around?"

"Why? You want to know where he is?" Emma and Gilbert both had on something that seemed like a smile.

"Of course! I don't really care about other resources, but I must get those firasource stones!"

Leylin answered decisively, "Besides, I can gain more of Schiker's trust with his help. Think about it, if I give Schiker news of the Morning Star who landed him in his current state, what would happen?"

"Actually, we've been trying to track him down and seem to have found some trails…"

Emma exclaimed, "Just as well! That is Collins of Jupiter's Lightning. Neither of us is certain we can kill him, but with you around, we have enough strength. We shall divide the firasource stones equally though!"

"That's fine!" Leylin immediately thought of Collins, who he'd disciplined at his ceremony, and the corner of his lips quirked up in a smile.

...

*Rumble!*

The earth split open, the sky falling. Space was constantly being destroyed, causing turbulence. Silver storms wreaked havoc and ravaged the region.

At the very centre, three phantoms in the form of indistinct giant black serpents streaked across the horizon, surrounding a figure.

"Collins, hand over everything you have on you, and we can let you off!" Gilbert yelled loudly.

Trapped in the middle was Collins, who Leylin had seen once before. Now, bloody wounds were all over his body, and it was obvious that his injuries were not mild.

His own strength lost to even Leylin. Under the joint attack of three Morning Star Warlocks, he was actually pretty good to have survived so far.

"Lord Zegna won't let you off…" The energy undulations from Collin's body were all over the place. The battle with Morning Star Arcane Arts had already landed him in a critical state.

"Zegna? Hmph! Even if he doesn't look for us, we'll look for him. We can't just forget about what happened with the First Elder." Emma snorted coldly.

Collins could only whine about the situation inside his mind. Though his strength surpassed that of Demon Hunter Cyril, he was still no match for three Morning Star Warlocks working together.

Unfortunately, Jupiter's Lightning was huge, and needed many Morning Stars taking charge in the Magus World. There were few Morning Star Magi in the Lava World, and he was the strongest of all those sent over, having committed a serious sin that he had to make up for.

But now? He first had to think about how to save himself!

"Alright! I can give you all the firasource stones, but you'll need to swear on the astral plane that you won't harm or imprison me!"

Collins shouted. This was usually what happened in battles between Morning Star Magi. It might be easy to define the winner, but killing the opponent was difficult and often not worth it. That was why after being defeated, it was common to agree to an unfair contract and concede to a huge compensation.

"You don't have any leeway to bargain over this!" Leylin's tone was firm. With his opponent's life in the palm of his hands and unable to escape, there was no space for negotiation.

"Alright. In that case…" Collins seemed to acknowledge his fate and placed his hands on his waist. All of a sudden, his expression turned sinister.

Berserk black lightning closed in with him in the middle.

Above his right hand, a simple leather scroll was slowly opening, revealing the phantom image of a Magus with a black moon rune on the forehead.

"It's a rank 5 magic scroll!" Emma's expression instantly changed, countless blood-red rays exploding forth.

A giant black snake that spanned across the horizon appeared, charging in his direction.

"Kemoyin Serpent Transformation!" Gilbert and Leylin, who were trailing behind, immediately acted as well. The power of a rank 5 spell was not to be underestimated, and they had to go all out.

On top of that, since this was another world, there was no danger even if they destroyed anything. Their methods were frenzied and cruel, not considering the destruction of the environment.

"Hissss…" A giant black phantom snake collided with the lightning, and the energy undulations created could be felt even hundreds of kilometers away.

*Boom!* A human figure was sent flying, Collins' figure. Black blood shot out of the corner of his mouth, and there were traces of rot that continuously penetrated deeper within. Even his Morning Star body was full of bloody holes.

While he flew backwards, he flung large amounts of fiery-red ores, and even some other precious resources and treasures of his collection. They flew in all directions, emitting brilliant light.

"The firasource stones are all here, as well as my collection. Don't go too far!" he yelled, his figure turning into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.

*Swish!* The fog dissipated, and three black figures floated down, gathering the many firasource stones.

"What do you think of this?" Leylin spoke first.

"Since we're acting, we need to seem genuine. I'm going to chase him for a while longer…" Gilbert nodded, before dashing towards the black streak.

"Well then, Madam Emma, I'll head back now!" After keeping the portion of firasource stones that belonged to him, Leylin was in an exceptionally good mood and bowed to Emma.

"Mm! Take care of yourself. I don't want Freya to become a widow at such a young age," Emma hummed, though there were hints of concern in her tone.

"I understand!" Leylin was slightly touched, nodding as he turned back into Ley the Emberwing. He returned to the Special Task Force encampment in Wox City.

"Boss, the energy undulations just now?" The moment he entered, Mies rushed over hurriedly, his expression grim.

"It's probably a fight between Star ranks!" Leylin obviously knew the reason for the change in his expression.

Leaking Intel

To Mies' knowledge, Star ranks were the most powerful existences in the Lava World.

He, who had not seen much in the world, was not aware there was an even more powerful realm after the Star rank.

However, just one Star rank was enough to cause their leader, Schiker, to be heavily injured, and Sky ranked experts to die in large numbers. If another one had appeared? Mies didn't even want to consider that.

"Has his Grace, the Northern Duke, arrived?" he guessed.

Well aware of all that was going on and actually the main offender himself, Leylin had a serious expression, "I'm afraid not! I'll need to see the instructor!"

On the way, Leylin met Loke again. However, the man seemed to have much on his shoulders, and he could not tell if this was real or a pretence.

"Reporting in!" Leylin and Loke shouted outside the door.

"Come in!" Schiker's slightly weary voice sounded from within. After entering the room, Leylin's nose twitched, the smell of disinfectant and ointment filling his nostrils.

Schiker was still looking like a mummy, but looked to be in a better mental state. He could now perform simple actions.

"Did you feel those undulations too?" Schiker asked with his eyes unfocused, watching a gigantic white tree whose light yellow flowers were blossoming.

The undulations from a Star rank battle were as dazzling and bright as a torch in the dark night. Most likely, all the Earth ranks in a 500km radius around them had sensed it at as well. Leylin and Loke nodded.

"Sigh… Looks like one more powerful person has appeared apart from the previous Morning Star… The situation does not look good. Ley, send down the directive. Our Special Task Force is to wait for orders. Do not act recklessly!"

"I know!" Leylin apprehensively did as he was asked, but seemed hesitant.

"What is it?" Schiker asked. Seeing Leylin this way, he found it funny.

"Actually, instructor, I actually went into the battlefield in secret…" Leylin mumbled.

"What…" Schiker's mouth went wide, as if he had just seen a rare beast.

Just a single stray wave from a Star rank battle could easily cause serious injuries or even death to Sky ranks. And this fearless fool had actually rushed in?

It was not only Schiker. Loke who was at the side was also stunned, feeling like he had to refamiliarize himself with this 'Ley'.

"Hehe…" Leylin touched his head, looking embarrassed.

"I heard about what happened to Instructor and went to take a look and search for trails of that Star rank. It was in preparation for the arrival of His Grace, the Northern Duke…" With Leylin's hot-headed displays in the past, this was a very plausible situation. Hence, Schiker merely nodded, not doubting anything at all.

"You…" Schiker had no idea what to say. "He must have thought little of a Sky ranked kid like you. On top of that, you must have had enough luck to come back safely. If not, we'd only be seeing your corpse now. No, we wouldn't even have seen your corpse…"

"Your courage is really one of a kind…" Schiker nodded. "Well then, what did you see?"

"This is the report I prepared. Sir, take a look!"

Leylin immediately produced a sketch with two faces on it. The first sketch was someone Schiker did not recognise, because it was a portrait Leylin had drawn of nobody in particular. The other image, however, had Schiker's eyes turning red, his throat letting loose a roar, "It's him! He's the one who attacked me!"

"Quick! Tell me everything you saw!" Schiker's remaining arm held Leylin's tightly, eyes hopeful.

"Alright. I…"

Leylin narrated the story he had come up with previously. All of it was the truth, though he took himself out of the equation.

"In that case, the Star rank who attacked me was defeated, and you remember which direction he fled in? You did well!"

The ruthlessness was apparent in Schiker's eyes. He could sense that this could be his only chance at taking revenge.

*Thud!* A stack of documents fell to the ground, and Loke who was at the side cried out in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Leylin watched Loke, who had panicked, and found the situation hilarious as he went forward and asked in concern.

"N-Nothing. I was just shocked!" Concealing the panic and anxiety well, Loke regained his previous demeanour.

"Oh, is that so." Leylin nodded. He could now confirm that Loke was most likely a spy sent in from the Mobius Organisation, and his superior might very well be Collins.

He obviously knew where Collins was hiding, because he had done something to Collins' body. Only Leylin, who had the A.I. Chip, was able to place an imprint that would determine Collins' location without arousing suspicion.

Of course, he wouldn't be so stupid as to reveal he had placed some symbol on the other party's body. He just needed to point in a direction, and with this important clue, finding Collins was a simple matter with the entire Atlan Union working on it.

"Calm down, calm down!" Schiker stood and began to pace around the room. His face was flushed as he cursed.

After standing straight for a long while, Schiker lay back down, disappointed.

"No! Even a heavily injured Star rank isn't someone we can just walk up to!" After calculating the power he had at hand, Schiker announced that he was giving up. Only his tightly-clenched fists signified unwillingness and desire for revenge.

"Sir, are we going to let him off like this?" Leylin seemed to be extremely impulsive as he yelled.

"Yes! Instructor, we can't just let them off like this!" Loke relaxed inside, but shouted along as well.

"I know, but…" Schiker smiled bitterly.

"There's no 'but's!" A resolute voice sounded from outside, and the door was pushed open. A tall, sturdy Emberwing walk in, dressed in military uniform. "Schiker, I will help you take your revenge."

An intense aura took over the room, and the atmosphere grew as heavy as lead.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Martin!" Schiker's eyes turned, looking ready to cry. This was the first time Leylin and Loke had seen such an expression on him, and their eyes grew wide as they watched on in surprise. When would they see Schiker, who had gained repute for his tenacity, having such an expression?

If not for pinching himself firmly, Loke would think he was dreaming.

Compared to Loke, Leylin was more focused on the energy undulations. "Fireplume, the tenth level of Fireplume! He must be the special commissioner, the Star rank Northern Duke!"

This was the first time Leylin had seen an Emberwing at the Star realm. He did not dare let down his guard and hid his point mass and soul energy completely and leaving only Fireplume operating outside.

"You must be Ley, right? Not bad! You're brave! If you ever go to the Thunderoll Legion, remember to look for me!"

Martin extended a large hand that was like steel and patted Leylin's shoulders, eyes full of praise. "Now, bring me to the place where they battled…"

A surging bloodlust was present in his eyes.

"Understood, sir!" Leylin sounded excited as he yelled, though he was actually giving a long sigh inside. "Luckily, he didn't see through my pretence. Looks like a high-levelled Fireplume and the concealed strength of my point mass is enough for me to get away with this situation even in front of a Star rank Emberwing…"

Having ascertained this, Leylin now had more confidence in sneaking into the Atlan capital, Tylasus.

"Let's go!" Fiery-red flames lit up, and Martin and Leylin left before Loke could come back to himself.

"In-Instructor, he's…" Loke was tongue-tied.

"Haha, he's the Northern Duke. A Star rank who once killed 18 fire elemental commanders in the Death Grand Canyon!"

A flush appeared on Schiker's face from his elation; he was extremely excited.

"I heard from Father that even among Star ranks, Uncle Martin is still the best. The other party is now injured, and if Uncle Martin finds him, he definitely won't be able to escape!"

He ferociously punched forward, hope and carefreeness in his expression, "My revenge will be taken quickly…"

Schiker went on and on excitedly, not noticing the hint of concern in Loke's eyes.

...

Days later, a piece of shocking news spread through the eastern region of the Atlan Union. There were even indicators that this news would be spread to other countries. A patriarch of the Mobius Organisation, who was a terrifying being at the Star rank, had been killed by the union's Northern Duke, Martin!

In that instant, the Northern Duke Martin's reputation spread throughout the eastern region, causing many rebelling organisations to be panic-stricken. However, few knew that Leylin and two others had been adding fuel to the flames.

The fall of a Star rank was a huge blow to the Mobius Organisation. Ever since Collins' death, the progress of the purging operation in the eastern region was lightning quick.

The squadron that Leylin led showed no mercy as they uprooted all organisations and strongholds that had anything to do with the Mobius Organisation. Such a fierce method instantly netted a favourable evaluation from Schiker, and with the intel from before, Leylin sensed that Schiker now treated him as a trusted aide.

As for Loke? That kid had been restless nowadays, and was not as enthusiastic in his missions. This had resulted in Schiker's dissatisfaction. Of course, Leylin knew the reason, but he would not make it known.

A month had passed by in a flash after the large-scaled purging missions were over. The most magnificent and important festival of the Emberwings was now fast approaching — Holy Solar Festival!

Formal Visit

A fleet of vehicles slowly drove out of Wox City. Leylin turned to look at the city, a ruminating smile about his lips.

The Atlan Union's operation had dealt a huge blow to both the Mobius Organisation and the Triserpent Sect.

As he had found the opponent's headquarters and killed a Star rank, the eastern line that Schiker was in charge of was instantly rewarded by the leader. Now, they were heading back to the headquarters of the Atlan Union to have their merits evaluated after giving their reports.　　

Within another vehicle, Schiker's injuries had pretty much healed and he watched Martin, deep in thought and sitting upright. He restrained himself for a while, before he could not help himself and asked, "Uncle Martin, what are you thinking about?"　　

"Oh, it's nothing." Martin seemed to recover from his daze and looked tired.　　

"I'm letting my imagination run wild in my old age," he laughed, mocking himself. "The opponent this time is from another world. I keep having a feeling that if not for his being injured, I might just have…"　　

"Hss…" Schiker sucked in deeply, "Someone as powerful as Uncle Martin! How about the person who injured him?"　　

"Exactly! The mysterious person who exchanged blows with him is a giant threat, but no matter how hard I tried to find them, I couldn't find any traces…" Martin rubbed his brows.　　

What worried him more was that with his intuition as a Star rank, he had a feeling that something big was going to happen at the Holy Solar Festival. However, there seemed to be a veil that he could not see through.

"With the head around, who else could create trouble? I'm thinking too much into this…" Martin chuckled, and closed his eyes to get more rest, not realising there was someone watching him from the outside.

"Tsk tsk… Tenth level of Fireplume! I really want to use him as a guinea pig and do some research…" Leylin withdrew his gaze.　　

Martin was obviously an existence that had broken through to the Star rank, and in Leylin's eyes, was like a specimen with very high research value.　　

If he were to make a move on the sly, he had a very good chance of taking him down and obtaining the secret of the tenth level of Fireplume.

However, for the greater benefits, Leylin restrained himself.　　

Besides, even regular contact throughout the day was enough for the A.I. Chip to gather data on the energy undulations and forcefield of the Emberwing, speeding up the simulation of the tenth level.

...　　

The sacred land of the Emberwings that was also the capital of the Atlan Union— Tylasus City appeared before Leylin.

As the Holy Solar Festival was fast approaching, the whole city was in a state of merriment, with multicoloured streamers everywhere.　　

In Leylin's eyes, Tylasus City was not that vast, but since it was constructed on cliffs and precipices, it gave one the feeling of it being a boundless city in the sky.　　

Red floating feathery cotton-like items floated down into the city like snow.

Schiker and Martin parted ways at the entrance to the city, and brought Leylin and Loke to another area.

Passing through a large square and a commemoratory forest full of large stone sculptures, Schiker arrived at a building as large and as majestic as a palace, the whole body made of some sort of white jade.　　

"This is the leader's residence?" Loke's voice trembled, as if extremely emotional. Leylin, however, shot him a discreet glance. This spy from the Mobius Organisation, which was also Jupiter's Lightning, was probably targeting this place. That excitement was probably not feigned.

Leylin, on the contrary, had a change in expression when looking over this residence, as a trace of solemness appeared in his eyes.

In his line of sight, there were powerful energy lights all over the residence, as well as many probing spells and the like. This was a normal sight.　　

However, there seemed to be a terrifying feeling emanating from within the residence. This aura was scalding hot and dense, where the radiation from powerful fire elemental particles was felt.

A humming sound pervaded the area as the world seemed to come to a standstill in Leylin's eyes. Everything was monochrome, and there were distortions in the lines of the building. Eye-piercing red lights constantly leaked out to form an ancient fire phoenix that faced the sky and gave a long cry.　　

*Chirp!* This fire phoenix was almost alive, eyes filled with wit as it glanced in Leylin's direction.

Surprised, Leylin immediately curbed all the undulations from his body, where his soul force holed up within his point mass.

A great heat wave swept past, and red rays of light flashed in Leylin's eyes, causing him to momentarily be dazed.　　

"What's wrong, Ley?" Schiker immediately noticed him acting oddly and turned around, looking concerned.

After all that had happened, he now treated Leylin as his trusted aide, and even depended on him more than Loke. They had a very good relationship.　　

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking about how we're going to see the magnificent leader of the state, so I was somehow lost in thought!" Leylin still looked slightly distracted but had obviously regained his senses. It seemed that only Schiker had seen him in that state.　　

"Haha!" Schiker patted Leylin in understanding, causing a trace of jealousy to arise in Loke's expression.　　

"Lord Schiker!" The guards at both sides of the residence saluted with their bodies straight, not hindering Leylin and his group. It was obvious that they had known of Schiker's identity beforehand.　　

"Instructor, so you're the son of the leader! It's truly an honour to be able to serve you…" Loke entered the resistance, so stirred up that he seemed about to spit foam.

In order to get these two talents to submit more wholeheartedly, Schiker had revealed his identity as the leader's son on the way to Tylasus.　　

In actuality, while he'd assumed that his identity was kept secret, Loke and Leylin had long since found out. However, they obviously appeared to be shocked, and were only one step short of grovelling at Schiker's feet.　　

"I'm going to bring you to see Father. Remember to be cautious with your words!"　　

There was no excitement on Schiker's expression, and his expression instead turning darker. This evidently had to do with his status as the illegitimate child, and Leylin and Loke naturally did not say more.

There was a second wall after they entered the residence. Schiker did not enter directly, but instead brought Leylin and Loke to another area similar to a duty room.　

Leylin glanced at the inscriptions beside the room. There was a line of small wording written in black on a red base: Military Office.

'Could this be the Atlan Union leader's personal force?' Leylin could sense the Emberwing undulations from outside the place.

He found that the auras of all the soldiers inside the office were immensely powerful, and none were below the eighth level of Fireplume. He could feel powerful crimson flames in a few other directions, causing his Fireplume at the peak of the ninth level to turn somewhat sluggish.

'Star ranks! Perhaps only the leader of the Atlan Union will be able to order Star ranks around. He's probably a rank 5 Magus…' Leylin wondered.

"I am Schiker, bringing two of my subordinates to see the leader. I've made an appointment," Schiker spoke to a staff member at the military office, passing an emblem-like item over.

The staff member had a stern expression. From the undulations from the ninth level of Fireplume, he was also a peak Sky rank.

Taking Schiker's emblem, he placed it on a piece of apparatus and scanned it.

*Beep!* The screen on the apparatus leapt up, and showed information on Schiker's appearance and some other basic details.　　

He stood up, performing a military salute, "Officer Schiker, you can bring two subordinates inside."

"Thanks" Ever since Schiker entered the residence, he had spoken sparingly, to the point that every single word was as precious as gold. Leylin and Loke struggled to suppress the excitement in their hearts and followed behind him as a military official led the way.

'A.I. Chip! Record information on the structure, as well as powerful energy responses. Whether it's heat, electrons, radiation or chemical reactions, record everything!' Leylin was inwardly communicating with the A.I. Chip, making the most of his time and creating a topographic map of this residence.　　

'The moment those two Kemoyin dukes found out about my status, they immediately threw this job at me while they relaxed. Sigh…' Leylin rolled his eyes inside, but knew that they had already prepared this operation for a long time. Coming in mid-way of their plans meant he had lucked out, so he did not take this to heart.　　　　

'Firasource stones… This soul treasure is only distributed from the residence of the leader. There's definitely something wrong!' A glint flashed in Leylin's eyes and withdrew again as he lowered his head and followed the official in front. They passed through several sentries and corners one after another. These security measures were all shown on the surface, and there were probably many more in the unknown.　　

In actuality, Leylin disapproved of these measures. For the leader, they were probably a burden, and at crucial moments, only his rank 5 strength could suppress everything.

However, this was the anguish of a person occupying the top seat. Even if it was impractical, it was needed for a person befitting his status.　　

"His Highness, the leader, is inside. You have half an hour!" The official brought Leylin and the others before a large red door and gave a deep bow before retreating.　　　　

Schiker took in a deep breath and held the brass handle of the door, "Father!"

"Come in!" The voice was gentle, yet held within an irrefutable intent. Even the air seemed to distort, obstructing the usual operation of rules and physics.

'There's a rank 5 inside, but I have the A.I. Chip, as well as Fireplume at the peak of the ninth level as a cover. That's enough to conceal my original strength!'

Leylin, who had faith in his strength, followed him in.

Infiltration

Leylin was clear that this was a huge test for him.　　

If his disguise did not get through the leader of the Emberwings, everything was over. He could forget gaining his trust and the entire plan would have to be revised.　　

Hence, he had to go through with this, but it wasn't as if he was entirely unprepared.　　

At least, the two Giant Kemoyin Serpent Dukes had stealthily entered as well and were constantly on the watch outside the residence. If the leader noticed anything, Leylin would immediately use his Kemoyin Serpent Transformation and attack. With three Morning Star Warlocks together, it would probably be enough to escape.　　

After all, the three Kemoyin Elders from before had the record of fighting evenly with a rank 5 Radiant Moon Magus. Though the most powerful First Elder had already fallen, Leylin believed he was no less powerful than him.

With three Giant Kemoyin Warlocks working together, it was enough for them to escape even if they could not win. That was what the three of them had counted on before daring to draw up this plan.　　

"A.I. Chip!" Leylin called out in a low voice.　　

[Beep! Beginning to conceal energy undulations.] The A.I. Chip intoned loyally, causing the aura on Leylin's body to become more obvious as if he was a pure Emberwing.

The hidden strength of the point mass of a Morning Star, the secret technique to hide bloodlines as well as the support of the A.I. Chip gave Leylin the confidence that he could get away with all this under the rank 5's nose!

Taking a deep breath, Leylin followed Schiker into the room, bowing to the figure at the middle.

This was a large study room. Simple armour, oil paintings and the like filled it with a history that changed the atmosphere. What surprised Leylin was the feeling that a domain had automatically been created in the study room.　　

This was not the domain of Morning Star, but a special space that had been formed due to the long period of time it had existed.

"Schiker, you're here!" The head's voice was gentle as he watched Schiker and the rest enter.

"Father!" Schiker called out after he went through a thousand different expressions.

"It's been hard on you, get up. Are these your two subordinates? Excellent!" When the sound fell, Leylin felt his heart squeeze, and entire self get nervous. Immediately after, he felt something like a boiling hot gaze sweep at his body, causing him to tremble.

When the gaze was on his body, his point mass shuddered, as it his soul force defences was being forced to the surface, but Leylin firmly stopped it.　　

Meanwhile, his Fireplume, which had reached the peak of the ninth level, formed a giant energy tide that kept the point mass within. Terrifying flame energy began to revolve spontaneously, resisting the spying from outside.　　

"Hm?" The head made a light sound of surprise. "You must be Ley, right? Raise your head."

Though the voice was gentle, it held the hint of an irrefutable command. Almost at the very moment the voice was heard, Leylin raised his head like it was a conditioned reflex.　　

Following that, he saw a handsome young man with red hair and eyebrows, looks slightly similar to that of Schiker. He wore a loose white robe, and his eyes seemed to hold… praise, within them?

"Pretty good strength, and a pure flame energy." The red-haired young man nodded, and turned in the other direction.

Loke's body shivered, but the head said nothing. It was no surprise either, though. Just a soldier at the seventh level of the fire feathered technique was not enough to attract the leader's notice.　　 　　

"I've already looked through your achievements in detail. I hope you will continue to work hard in the future and protect our Union…" The handsome head encouraged them and waved his arms.

Leylin and Loke immediately retreated with expressions of reverence.　　

*Thud!* The door to the room closed, leaving only Schiker and the head inside. The head's aura changed once more, and his expression while watching Schiker turned emotional, "It's been hard on you these past few years!"　　

"It's service for the union!" Schiker had a taut expression while speaking, but his clenched fists displayed the dissatisfaction in his heart right now.　　

"Forget it. I know you care nothing for using my name and working, so I'll let things move according to the usual procedure. Your contributions are enough for you to be promoted to be an admiral. Make some preparations, you will work at the Tylasus garrison!"

The leader's voice was gentle.

"Understood!" Schiker answered coldly. Seeing this expression, the leader's brows furrowed slightly.

"One more thing. There's something off about your two subordinates, Ley and Loke."

"What's wrong? I don't need to say more about Ley's loyalty, and as for Loke, he's a descendant of the Eiffel family…"

The muscles on Schiker's face tensed. He cared quite a lot for these two subordinates.

"There's not a large issue with Ley. He's long since broken through to the ninth level of the fire feathered technique, but he's been concealing it and only revealing the strength of level eight. It's probably on purpose," the red-haired head commented.

"He must have a pretty high potential to reach this level at such a young age, and you can definitely consider roping him in. His intentions are too complex… Give him the tenth level of Fireplume later, I'm sure he'll definitely be even more loyal to you after that…"　

"So he's already reached level nine?" Schiker ducked his head, slightly ashamed. From his point of view, Leylin had probably hidden his strength because Schiker had yet to advance himself. He did not want to pressure his superior.　　　

He raised his head to look at his father, the number one genius of the Emberwings, and could not help but let his head hang down, defeated. He did not seem to have inherited even an ounce of talent from his father, and no matter how hard he worked, he still could not measure up to those geniuses. This was why he had been discouraged and left Tylasus City.

"I understand." Schiker huffed out a long breath and nodded.　　　

The head's next words caused Schiker's brows to raise. "Loke, however, is a very serious problem."　

"His appearance is a pretence. I'm afraid the real Loke has already died, and the one in front of you is of another race!"

"Another race?" Schiker cried out in alarm.　　

"Yes! I can't tell if he's from the Triserpent Sect or Mobius Organisation, but he probably has his eyes on the Holy Solar Festival." A sneer appeared about the leader's lips.

"I'll seize him immediately!" Schiker got up, understanding the situation. His heart was filled with fury from the betrayal.　　　　

Never had he expected that Loke— the man who usually worked hard, was responsible, and very much to his tastes— was a spy from the enemy. The shame from not realising this hovered in his mind.　

The leader stopped Schiker, "There's no hurry. They're just a few bugs, what do they matter? What you need to do now is…"　　

...　　

After leaving the residence, Leylin bade Loke farewell and found an inn to stay in.　　

Though the Special Task Force members had a station in Tylasus City with many unoccupied rooms and better facilities, Leylin was obviously not going to choose to stay there. He would perhaps go there later, but for now, it was better to find a place that would not attract attention.　

After sending the maid away, Leylin locked the door, and the light in the room dimmed.　　

"How is it? Are things going well?" Two translucent figures emerged from the dark corners of the room. They were Gilbert and Emma.　　　

"Is this place safe? Make sure it's secure!" Leylin's brows furrowed.

Emma replied, "Don't worry. We've long since set up a concealing spell formations and boundaries. Even the staff and guests of the inn have been \hypnotised, and we've also used some spiritual force pressure…"

Leylin did not ask more and began to narrate the happenings of the day slowly, "Things are going well on my end. I've obtained part of the map of the building, and even met the leader successfully…"　　

"So he didn't suspect you? Tsk tsk! So that leader is a pretty boy!" Emma giggled.　　

"Probably not, but he did notice my faked Fireplume, something I intentional revealed," Leylin laughed. He had long since gotten used to how these female Warlocks jumped from subject to subject so suddenly.　　　

"How powerful is he?" Gilbert's focus on his power more than his appearance was only expected. They had exchanged blows with the leader before, but wanted to know Leylin's opinion.　　

"I can't tell…" Leylin looked absent-minded, as if he was recalling the scene from the meeting. "But I can confirm that his soul strength is very powerful. It's probably the strongest out of all the Radiant Moons I've seen!" 　　

"He is the best of another world. He's trained up to the thirteenth level of Fireplume, so he's probably not any weaker than Radiant Moon Magi with level 5 meditation techniques in the Magus World. Not to mention he's been using firasource stones and supplementing his soul…"　　

Gilbert sighed, recalling the scene when he had fought with their opponent, and his body involuntarily trembled.　　　　

"In our operation this time, we'll try our best not to make contact with him, and all should be fine…" 　　

Leylin's heart sank but he continued and asked Emma, "How's your preparation going?"　　

"It's smooth-sailing. Hehe… From now, you need to call us Viscount Flower and Earl Violet…" Emma giggled. It looked like she was doing well.　

Leylin was rather speechless. The Atlan Union had actually let outsiders do so well that they became earls. He had no idea how Emma had gotten through the nobility examination.　　

"Also, we've found traces of activity of several Jupiter's Lightning Morning Stars in Tylasus!"　　

Gilbert's other piece of information immediately had Leylin's attention, "Are they here to take revenge on us?" he asked as he touched his chin. After all, Collins was slain by them.

Gilbert shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Their target should be the same as ours."

"Is that so? Then the difficulty of our operation should increase by a large amount. Of course, things might also become more convenient for us…" Leylin's eyes glinted profoundly.

Fire Phoenix

Leylin walked out of the inn, with the hypnotised boss and attendants left behind.

After he left, these people would forget his appearance and him having been there at all, and would not even doubt their memories. This was a spiritual force intent planted deep in their minds.

He had learnt this technique from the Spirit Circle Warlock, Paul.

He returned to the station to find Schiker waiting for him, having come in secret. After a lengthy conversation with him, Leylin was left wanting to both laugh and cry as he looked at the item on the table.

This was a little book with a fiery-red cover. Within was the information on the tenth level of the fire feathered technique!

Schiker had come over just to give him this. The tenth level of Fireplume that had been on Leylin's mind had landed in his possession quite easily.

"I don't know how to react…" Leylin commanded the A.I. Chip to destroy the book after recording the thing down. "But it looks like he has gotten rid of all suspicion towards me…"

On top of that, the item he had been desiring had landed in his palms. Leylin was in a pretty good mood.

[Beep! Recording of tenth level of Fireplume complete. Beginning analysis…] The A.I. Chip's voice sounded, and Leylin carefully looked through the contents in his memory bank.

Compared to the ninth level, the tenth touched on the Morning Star Realm, and was a path that focused on strength. Given that this had the unique characteristics of a foreign world, Leylin believed it would have very high research value.

Many ancient Magi were all-embracing, incorporating these paths from other worlds into their own systems to advance. By making use of others' strengths to make up for their own weak points, they had been able to achieve the splendour of the ancient era. And Leylin, too, wanted to do the same!

"The tenth level of Fireplume!" Leylin's expression gradually became solemn.

The more he watched on, the more he felt that the person who had created this technique had a talent that was off the charts. This was definitely a powerful technique that could contend against many other top-grade meditation techniques!

As the A.I. Chip's analysis progressed, Leylin's aura gradually changed.

Within his body, the boiling hot energy from the ninth level of Fireplume gradually purified and turned transparent, emanating a frightening might.

Large amounts of fire elemental crystals appeared, and even seemed to turn into a whirlpool.

*Skreee* A high-pitched phoenix cry sounded by Leylin's ear. It felt as if his spiritual and soul force had made a connection with some unique existence!

At the bottom of an abyssal starry river, a giant, terrifying beast with a body that spanned several worlds suddenly opened its eyes, gazing at Leylin coldly.

"Could this be the legendary ancient fire phoenix? With this aura, it's probably the king or even primogenitor of fire phoenixes!"

Leylin knew very well that even if what he saw was merely a phantom, such an ancient existence was mysterious and difficult to fathom. It could perhaps even use its phantom to display its strength.

The rage in the phoenix's eyes caused Leylin to feel a biting cold.

'Crap, it's realised that I've been wearing a disguise!' A thought flashed in Leylin's mind, and immediately after he sensed a tremendous crimson current flooding towards him.

*Rumble!* The sound of shattering was heard in Leylin's lower abdomen, and he immediately turned pale, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His expression, however, was that of rejoicement.

"Luckily, I've already condensed my point mass!" Leylin could still feel fear as he looked into his body.

His point mass, which had already turned silent, had suddenly appeared when Fireplume was writhing, ready to break through to the tenth level. That had shaken the crimson energy essence that had gathered and broken the process of the advancement to the tenth level of Fireplume, the Star rank. For this reason, Leylin had been pulled out of that dream-like fantasy, or else the consequences would be dire.

"That fire phoenix that was like a world itself… Could it be the ancient lord of phoenixes?"

Leylin recalled that terrifying giant fire phoenix. In his mind, it could only be compared with existences such as the Snake Dowager, Trial's Eye, and a few others.

"It looks like Fireplume and the fire phoenix have a relationship, and the tenth level of Fireplume requires connecting with the fire phoenix, and even withstanding the corruptive power radiating from it. Of course, the Emberwings would call that power an additional boost"

The true body of the tremendous fire phoenix was obviously not here, but with sacrificial rites, or other techniques absorbing some sort of energy, disseminating power was a method used by many existences to traverse worlds.

If not for Leylin having already reached Morning Star and having his own path, forcefully interrupting the advancement of Fireplume might have immediately caused his death at its hands!

'So Fireplume at the Morning Star rank is a path of sacrifice! By offering sacrifices up to the ancient fire phoenix or even changing one's bloodline, one will ultimately become part of its family…' Leylin touched his chin. These methods were similar to the belief in various gods, but was still different. Gods focused on quantity, while the path of sacrifice was passed on on a large scale, but then focused only on the elites. It was more like a chosen community of its own.

Leylin's expression grew grim, as he thought of something, 'These methods, this feeling of being suppressed…it's very similar to the rule of the Snake Dowager…'

"A.I. Chip, begin modification of Fireplume. Moderate the force of point mass and simulate fusion of the two, eliminating the possibility of being controlled via sacrifice…"

Since he would attract attention from the fire phoenix after reaching the higher levels of Fireplume, Leylin obviously would not persist. However, he was rather interested in modifying the technique and fusing it into the Magus World system.

In the ancient era, these thoughts had been proven countless times to be workable. On top of that, the element he had the second most affinity with was the fire element, and in this area he had a natural advantage.

This led to an even more insane thought.

'Since all this has to do with the bloodline, meditation techniques and controlling cultivation pathways, I can probably make use of this Fireplume and find ways to deal with the Snake Dowager…'

Leylin's eyes turned darker. He was unwilling to serve beneath anyone, and while he had not gained the attention of the Snake Dowager yet, he could not tolerate the idea of being manipulated. He was already preparing for the day that will eventually come.

Whether it was attempting to break through bloodline shackles or abandoning the bloodline restraints from meditation techniques, it was all for this cause.

'Where is the fun in having immortality at the peak yet being under the oppression of another?' A trace of profound thought flashed in Leylin's eyes.

[Beep! Beginning fusion simulation, mobilising 80% of task resources. Tenth level of Fireplume, meditation technique Kemoyin's Pupil… Estimated time: 16 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes and 56 seconds…]

The A.I. Chip loyally intoned.

After Leylin had entered the Morning Star realm, its calculations and simulation techniques had been reinforced, and the time limit set was now precise to the second. This was a rare occurrence while simulating techniques in the past.

"16 days? It will be completed right before the Holy Solar Festival. That's not bad!" Leylin touched his chin, rather satisfied with this outcome.

...

In the residence of the leader, at the deepest part underground.

Boiling heatwaves of hot lava expanded and withdrew, but were unable to advance due to an isolated maroon spell formation.

Within the maroon spell formation, there were many crowded buildings that formed a large number of private rooms.

In one of them, the leader, with his red brows and hair and young looks, was now meeting the gaze of another black figure in a mirror on the ground.

The figure in the mirror donned loose, majestic Magus robes, with a moon rune on his forehead. Those eyes were now filled with fury.

Zegna's voice was low. "Scarlet Eye! You obviously knew that the Mobius Organisation was mine, and yet you still made a move? On top of that, there's the fall of Collins as well. You need to take responsibility for it…"

The leader of the Atlan Union, Scarlet Eye, snorted. "When we last communicated, I reiterated many times that the Atlan Union is my territory, and I won't let any outsiders spy on us, particularly Magi from other worlds. You seem to have forgotten that, my friend."

Zegna, who was in the mirror, sighed lightly as if finding this a pity. He obviously knew what was taboo to the other party, but how could he have a large world right there but not do anything about it?

"But a Morning Star from our end has fallen! Do you know how much resources we would need to compensate that?" Zegna's voice became sharp.

"Based on the intel from my subordinates, he was already seriously injured and on the verge of perishing when we found him. Those three enemies of yours had attacked him…" There was a hint of schadenfreude in Scarlet Eye's voice.

Zegna's voice was stilted, and he was slightly regretful.

When he had used this world and set a trap, he had been absolutely confident in taking care of the three dukes. That was why he had not minded the leaking of this world's coordinates. However, he had grossly underestimated his opponents' abilities, and they had used quite a few bloodline treasures to break free from their trap forcefully and descended down to this world. That had made things very troublesome for him.

If he could turn back time, he would probably not do the same thing.

"Besides… you have not kept to your word. Trading between us needs to be halted for a period of time…" Scarlet Eye tossed him a heavyweight bomb.

"No!" Zegna immediately cried out, and instantly saw the mocking smile on the other person.

He lowered his head unwillingly, but said little more. The other party did not mind losing the support of his technology, but he could not let go of the firasource stones. That was his only hope at having a glimpse into the Breaking Dawn throne!

Hence, he had no choice but to duck his head and gentle his tone. "Revered leader, I'm afraid we both have to take some responsibility, but this shouldn't affect our friendship…"

"That's right, my friend! As a cost of you violating the promise between us first, you will need to halve the price of the secondary element balancing spell formation you promised the last time!"

"Alright!" Zegna was practically gritting his teeth as he agreed.

When the communication was closed off, he stood up while roaring. The black throne under him continuously creaked, terrifying air waves dissipating in all directions.

"I'll definitely kill that Scarlet Eye someday and roast his soul above my Magus Tower for ten thousand years!"

Shadowing

A Morning Star Magus would not dare face the wrath of a Radiant Moon.

Outside the elegant palace, a few Morning Star Magi looked at each other and kept their distance, leaving the low-level servants hugging their heads and trembling at the side.

A reckless energy wave swept across the area near the throne, and soon there was not a single living thing in the area.

"Rage is the natural enemy of all Magi! Don't tell me, you're a bloodline Warlock as well?" A soothing gentle laugh sounded in the air like a clear spring, mocking at Zegna.

Shockingly, upon hearing the voice, Zegna calmed a little. Besides slightly heavy breathing, he showed no significant difference from before the contact.

"You are right! But soon or later I'm going to wipe out the bloodline of those damn Kemoyin Warlocks!"

Zegna returned to his throne, and the moon on his forehead glowed with bright light, brightening up the entire palace.

"In your current state, you might not be able to deal with Scarlet Eye even if you use a large amount of firasource stones to increase your soul force. Unless you can lure him out of the Lava World, or find a way to eliminate the resistance of the world's will…" The woman said in a cold voice.

"You're still pestering me to use that?" Zegna replied in the same tone.

"Yes! I am the most experienced in the tests of secondary clones. I can reduce the percentage of error such that it's lower than one out of a million, and the best method for you to go to Lava World…"

The female voice seemed to analyse the situation in a very composed manner, sounding very charming.

"If you want to use rank 5 strength in the Lava World, this is the only way. Furthermore, you won't be detected as an enemy by the foreign world through some cleansing of the mind of the clone."

Zegna fell into complete silence upon hearing the last sentence. A foreign world's will was the biggest hindrance to any Magus, and once it worked to support that world's inhabitant, even a Radiant Moon would not dare to defy its terrifying power.

Perhaps, only those who were at the peak of the Breaking Dawn Realm would have the power to destroy the world's will.

Zegna's face turned solemn and gloomy all of a sudden. "Pass down my order. All Magi of Jupiter's Thunder are to return and assist in the preparation of a pathway to the Lava World. All proposals and backups are to be effective immediately. Let's give Scarlet Eye's Holy Solar Festival a big gift!"

Zegna's voice lowered gradually as his facial expression turned malevolent.

In the Lava World, Leylin had not noticed any of this. He had reached the head's place with Loke And Schiker.

"You guys are really lucky. I was transferred to the central garrison. Since you lot were from the Special Task Force, I recommended all of you to enter the Martial Officer Department of the head."

Schiker was wearing the uniform of an Emberwing general as he brought the rest to the Martial Officer Department.

"I am truly honoured and thankful for your recommendation!" Both Leylin and Loke showed gratitude towards Schiker.

With them being allocated here, they would hold high positions wherever they went in the future. It was also obvious that they would have the benefit of getting closer to the head.

As for Leylin and Loke, they both had unspeakable secrets, so the main reason why they got close to Schiker was to use him as a stepping stone towards the head. Since that dream of theirs had come true, they were both thrilled.

"Good! So long as you know I mean well!" Schiker patted Leylin's shoulder. He did not wish to spare a second glance at Loke, but he still gave Loke a smile as he recalled his father's words.

"It's different here, completely unlike being in the Special Task Force. You have to be extra careful. Once you violate law and order, I won't be able to help you… "

While Schiker was giving them reminders, he walked them into a small office, "This is Bowens, and he'll be in charge of you in the future."

A blond-haired middle-aged man in the office got off from his seat and came up to welcome them when he saw Schiker. He seemed to be rather easy going, "Haha, Schiker! You haven't been here in quite some time. So these are the ones? Don't worry, I'll take good care of them."

But Leylin and Loke dared not ignore him. Not only would Bowens be their superior in future, his aura was somewhat similar to the Duke they had encountered previously.

This new superior of Leylin's was also an impressive elite, a Morning Star Magus that had already reached level 10 of Fireplume.

'This familiar aura! He was one of the elite Morning Star Magi I sensed earlier!'

The red progress bar was currently already halfway full. The A.I. Chip had already begun to smoothly merge the essence of the tenth level of Fireplume into his Morning Star point mass, which would greatly increase his power.power.

'I'm not sure how the modified tenth level of Fireplume will be… How will it compare to these true Emberwing elites? I can't wait to find out…' Leylin curled his lips in a subtle movement, showing great interest.

Bowens was totally oblivious to the decision of his new subordinate, who was planning on getting rid of him after completing the new Fireplume. He instead found this Ley quite genial and amiable, instantly growing fond of him.

"There are specific duty rooms and bedrooms in the Martial Officer Department, you guys cannot stay in the Special Task Force anymore, you have to move in from now on. You do have any missions yet, I want you two to join the night patrol team and attend trainings during the daytime for now, any questions? "

After Schiker had left, Bowens turned and looked at them, his tone was less courteous, his aura full of dignity.

"Yes, Sir!" Leylin and Loke bowed together.

Night arrived.

"Something is just not right…" Leylin straightened up his body, feeling good that everyone had their individual bedrooms despite the limited area.

"Schiker has always treated us as his trusted aides… Now that he's going to the central garrison, why didn't he bring us with him?"

Leylin rugged his chin, "Even though being in the Martial Officer Department means to have a very promising future, it is also considered as being his father's bodyguards. It's unlikely that he put both of us in here, unless… someone got exposed…"

Leylin had full confidence in himself, but Loke could not even fool him much less a rank 5 elite.

"Now it seems that they're not as cautious about me anymore, even sending me the tenth level of Fireplume. However, I'm obviously here under observation. It seems like they don't trust me unconditionally yet…"

"As for Loke, he's basically bait. They're ready to net the entire organisation behind him…"

Leylin grew more assured of his assumptions as he thought it through. Suddenly, a red light glowed from the ring on his finger.

Leylin was shocked for a second, but then he lifted a map written on pale yellow parchment from the top of the table.

A little black dot was moving slowly on the map.

"I knew you couldn't wait, but I never expected you to be this impatient." Leylin smiled and laid down.

A thin black string drifted swiftly out of his body and emerged from the darkness.

Hidden in the shadows, Leylin made use of his fine manipulation and the perception of the A.I. Chip, carefully avoiding numerous sentry devices and traps in the leader's area as he followed the other party.

That person was holding onto a black pearl, which had helped him get through many detection formations and the like. It seemed to be recording something.

'Collecting information, eh? It seems like Jupiter's Lightning wants to get rid of the leader of Atlan too…'

Leylin smiled, discovering the other figure who had also secretly followed after Loke. He shook his head and hid himself further.

He was here in his real body, while inside the room was a mere shadow puppet. Still, with the A.I. Chip's abilities, it was not a problem for the puppet to cover his absence for a short period of time.

'This fellow didn't even realise he was being followed. He only has himself to blame…'

Since Leylin already knew that this was a setup, he wanted to return to his bedroom, and hence he hid in silence.

Just when he was about to leave, a horrifying ferocious energy wave fluctuation in the air caused his body to come to a violent stop.

'What's this fluctuation?'

He raised his head, gazing at the sky nearby, 'Morning Star Arcane Art? No, not that! It's more like another path to power. It seems like magic, but it's actually a combination of fire elemental spell formations, not an Arcane Art.'

Together with strong fluctuations, a point of scarlet fire lit up the sky. The heavens rumbled as if they contained muffled thunder.

A rain of lava dripped down, spreading over a vast range and almost covering up the entirety of the head's residence.

'He dares to attack this place directly?' Leylin felt at a loss for words, unsure as to how he should praise that person's bravery.

The ghastly lava rain had wrapped up the entire place, every single drop containing a power of over a thousand degrees. If they were allowed to hit the ground, all the officers except the head and a few elite Star ranks would die, and the whole place would be razed to the ground. The leader would turn into a huge laughingstock.

"Stop!" "How dare you!!"

A few ferocious and reckless voices sounded around the whole place, and dazzling energy light pillars shot up forming into a light shield that covered the whole place within.

"Kekeke! How many can you save?" A quirky voice sounded in the midst of sky, followed by a huge amount of lava rain, it extended fiercely, covering the entire city of Tylasus.

A drop of the lava rain could kill all the normal citizens easily. Were this to happen before the Holy Solar Festival, the head of the union would land in deep trouble.

Thus, Leylin judged that that person would surely take action.

"Screeee!"

Just then, a ferocious bird, huge scarlet body complemented with a stunning tail that was covered by flames flew out of the residence, the high-pitched whistle of a phoenix sounding out…

Gaia's Disc

*Skree!* The gigantic bird of fire dashed out of the building. It opened up its wings in a flash of light, and glorious flames shot out from its body as it enlarged in the blink of an eye. Its humongous wings closed, wrapping up the entire city of Tylasus.

The drops of lava with over a thousand degrees of power fell onto its wings, being absorbed by the flames.

When the lava storm passed, the city had emerged unscathed.

A bright light flashed across Leylin's eyes as he looked at the scene, 'Such a transformation is very similar to that of an ancient Warlock. It looks like the body of this Emberwing Morning Star has the bloodline of the fire phoenix.'

Warlocks were always fond of high-level bloodlines. As for the fire phoenix, Leylin had already seen its incredible power when he'd been trapped in the illusion previously. It was likely at least as strong as the Snake Dowager.

This bloodline posed an irresistible attraction to Warlocks even if it was diluted through sacrifices and projections.

'Before we launch our plan, I should try to get some of the bloodline of a Morning Star Emberwing. It would be even better if I manage to get it from their leader, Scarlet Eye.'

Just as Leylin's eyes brightened, the phoenix soared down from the clouds in the sky, revealing several gigantic, hundred meter long silhouettes made of flames.

The fire elementals were the most powerful living beings in the Lava World, and the most populous. They did not have blood or flesh, and instead had bodies covered in fuming flames and rocks. Their eyes were like deathly white flames that arose from the very soul.

"Divineflame Empire! It seems like you lot didn't learn your lesson at Death Grand Canyon!" Scarlet Eye's voice boomed across the sky, and the humongous wings wrapped up the giant fire elementals, flinging them away.

Its body rumbled as explosions erupted all over it, but it did not seem bothered at all.

By the time the phoenix vanished, half the flames in the sky had subsided. Leylin widened his eyes.

'They even have such a method? Are there still people undercover in the leader's residence? And does that mean this was a ploy to lure the tiger out of its den?'

Hidden in front of him was Loke. He sighed in relief and pulled out a circular disk as he saw the phoenix leave.

On the surface of this disk were weird runes with countless interconnected crimson lines that formed a vertical pupil.

'Haven't I seen something like this before?' Puzzlement crossed his eyes as he immediately checked with the A.I. Chip's database. The answer showed up within a second. 'A copy of Gaia's Disc? Such a technique actually exists…'

Loke stopped at an empty ground in the building. He placed the replica on the ground as he showed a tinge of excitement.

*Ssshh!* The very moment the disc touched the ground, a large amount of sand split apart like it was a stream, revealing a pitch dark tunnel that led underground.

"Here it is! Now I'm at the weakest part of the entire building. Together with the power of Gaia's Disc…" Loke's eyes grew impassioned. He had endured a lot of humiliation during this mission, and now he could finally succeed in his task!

'That was good cooperation, but I'm afraid it won't be of help.' Leylin saw the agitated Loke enter the underground tunnel, soon to be followed by a gloomy Bowens. This was the superior they had just met that day.

It seemed like Loke's luck was at an end.

However, Leylin had one more doubt, 'Since they wanted to coordinate between the inside and outside, why don't they just send a Morning Star Magus in, isn't that much simpler? They already sent so many just to attract attention, one more wouldn't be too hard…'

He did not think much of it since that was a question that wouldn't see an answer soon. Instead, he followed the two and entered just as the tunnel closed up…

*Boom!* Schiker entered Leylin's room.

"Instructor!" 'Leylin' got up from the bed, bowing even with blurry sight.

Schiker first looked around with a cautious gaze, and he looked relieved that Leylin was still around. Soon, he reprimanded the boy, "You're still asleep under such circumstances?"

"Master Bowens and so many of his colleagues are around right now. If they can't solve the problem, what can I do? I might as well just continue sleeping…"

'Leylin' threw his hands up, seemingly helpless. With the support of the A.I. Chip, every action of this puppet was a perfect copy of Leylin's behaviour, even its character was flawless. Forget Schiker, even Gilbert was unlikely to be able to notice the difference.

"You…" Schiker was dumbfounded, but the waves in his heart secretly calmed down…

Inside the underground tunnel, Leylin followed closely after Bowens. He had weakened his breath to the maximum, and not a single energy wave fluctuation broke out. Additionally, Bowens seemed to have put his full focus on Loke, and he did not realise he was being shadowed.

"Gaia's Disc was used by the Hero Moncordol of the Emberwings' legend to lift open the stratum, it is also the powerful weapon which slew the demon king Falsace; this can easily crack open a huge underground tunnel even if it's just a replica."

Loke's voice trembled in agitation, "The organisation possessed such a precious weapon that let me avoid triggering numerous traps. Truly, this is…"

As he reached the bottom, blood vessels popped out from under Loke's skin, his aura growing berserk.

"The final layer of defence!" Loke was frantic in excitement as he saw a crimson defensive membrane.

He suddenly attacked, and a huge amount of fire exploded forth from his hands, rushing into the spell formation.

Crackling sounds rang out as the spell formation shook. A terrifying wave of energy was returned in counter, and surged through Loke's body. His skin peeled off, revealing the flames burning within.

Loke's body had been completely shredded by the formation's counterattack, revealing a two-meter tall fire elemental, composed of flames and rocks.

The flame surged in all directions, and Loke's aura rose to the pinnacle of the Sky rank, the equivalent of a peak rank 3 in the Magus World.

'Hmmm? Loke is a fire elemental?'

Leylin was rather surprised. He had always thought that Loke was an undercover agent of the Mobius Organisation, Jupiter's Lightning's operations here, but now it seemed like he did not know the length of it. Jupiter's Lightning had also approached the Divineflame Empire, and had signed some terms of agreement with each other.

After recovering his original appearance, Loke marched up to the scarlet spell formation.

A dot of a golden flame shot out of his body, burning a round opening in the spell formation's light shield.

Loke turned into a ball of flames, entering from that tiny opening in the spell formation and soon returning to his normal form.

"Hahahaha… All of Scarlet Eye's treasures and secrets are mine for the taking!" As Loke laughed, he explored the chamber. His flaming legs left a black burn mark with every step he took.

He seemed rather familiar with this area, running straight towards the chamber in the centre.

The gigantic chamber was spacious, with nothing around except a large spell formation. Strings of runes interlocked with the energy circuit. It was so refined that a Magus would go dizzy simply by staring at it for a length of time.

In the middle of the formation was a weak red light, it's energy as it flickered causing Leylin's heart to palpitate.

'This aura is so familiar… Yes, the firasource stones! Wait… it's a living creature?' The A.I. Chip had made a judgement that threw Leylin into confusion.

"Found it!" Loke celebrated in his excitement. He took out a big black key, walking towards the spell formation.

Just then, a membrane of light blocked his path of return, the surging wave of energy sweeping him onto the ground in an instant.

The gigantic fire elemental fell flat to the ground with a thud, causing the chamber to shake a little.

"What happened? Doesn't this place just have a single defensive layer?" Loke touched his head, puzzled.

"Obviously it is used to guard against people like you." Bowens sneered, exiting stealth and walking out from the dark.

"B–Master Bowens?" Loke was totally taken aback.

"Hmm! The leader knew long ago that there was something wrong with you. It seems you hid quite a lot from us."

The fuming lava hand dropped onto the ground, and the black key was snatched from his hands.

"You are a very important captive. The leader and Schiker will take great interest in you." Bowens spoke coldly as the flame on his hands turned into ropes which tied Loke up.

Loke could not fight back against the power of a Star rank. Rather, he was so flabbergasted that he did not even struggle or otherwise resist.

While both of them were unaware of their surroundings, Leylin snuck close to the membrane of light. The A.I. Chip scanned the formation, revealing the entry condition, [Aura of level 10 Fireplume required for access.]

Watching Loke being taken away by Bowens, Leylin followed them out of the basement. He recalled the shadow puppet after returning to his bedroom.

He had lots of questions, 'What was that red orb in the middle of the spell formation? Bowens settled Loke so quickly, and obviously he wasn't used as bait. Was it merely for Gaia's Disc and that black bronze key?'

Holy Solar Day

"Gilbert, Emma; the tides have turned. The Mobius Organisation might be colluding with the Divineflame Empire. Be very careful!"

Unable to come up with anything even after a long time, Leylin specially informed Gilbert and Emma about the situation. He then returned immediately to the leader's residence. His actions were not in the least bit unusual.

Yesterday, Scarlet Eye had returned to the mansion right after Leylin followed Bowens out, making Leylin secretly heave a sigh of relief.

If he had chosen to take action then, it was likely that even after he tackled Bowens, he would have bumped into Scarlet Eye who was rushing back. That would have spelt trouble.

Furthermore, he didn't want to make a move before understanding the situation.

"Officer Schiker! Where's Loke? Why haven't I seen him around recently?" Leylin questioned 'curiously'. Upon the mention of this name, Schiker's facial muscles twitched, and he was silent for a long while before he spoke. "He has been assigned to a top-secret mission, and will be away for some time!"

"I see!" Leylin seemed to have gained some understanding. He moved closer to Schiker and asked, "Instructor, about that night… what happened in the end?"

"What else? The leader emerged victorious of course! He struck two of the masters from the other party who were at the Star rank. He took one of them prisoner, and the foreign affairs department will negotiate with the Divineflame Empire!" A look of admiration flashed across Schiker's eyes, but Leylin's heart sank.

'They paid such a high price, yet ended up with nothing. Those people from the Divineflame Empire definitely will not take things lying down. Furthermore, the trap they set previously that caused the loss of the combat abilities of the Morning Stars was not very wise. What is the truth behind all of this?'

Combining that line of thought with the intelligence given by Emma and Gilbert in the past two days, Leylin suddenly felt as though the future was shrouded in a dense fog.

'I'm afraid I'll have to modify my previous plan. This Holy Solar Day will not pass in peace. Divineflame Empire, Jupiter's Thunder, and even the Ouroboros Clan will take action. When that time comes, this place will be plunged into chaos…

'Well, at least there's this to look forward to!' Leylin saw that the progress bar on the A.I. Chip was quickly filling up, and couldn't help but smile.

The tenth level of Fireplume was the gateway to the Star rank. Leylin's energy had already been condensed to form a point mass, and if these two systems could be fused successfully the formidable power produced would definitely not just be additive. There would be a horrifying qualitative change in him, amplifying his powers to a great extent.

Additionally, Leylin had long since used up all the firasource stones he had earned from Collins, something that caused his soul force to improve by leaps and bounds. His strength after all this would surely give many enemies a surprise.

His eyes glowed crimson as the corners of his lips rose to form a wicked smile.

The bloodline of the apex predator, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent, was pressing him to slaughter! He wanted to destroy everything, to bring it all to flaming ruin!

The emotional instability that was common to bloodline Warlocks had begun to act up. After he advanced to the Morning Star realm, the Giant Kemoyin Serpent's soul had fused with Leylin's own, causing him to inherit these violent moods. These were no longer an external thing, but instead part of his own nature.

Once such an illness acted up, it would have a far-reaching effect on the Warlock's personality.

Previously, Leylin had always made a conscious effort to restrain himself, preventing his feelings from eroding his character away. Now that war was upon them, he was facing unprecedented pressure, and some strange emotions managed to worm their way out…

No matter what others thought, time was still ticking by. Finally, the day of the Emberwings' festival— the Holy Solar Day— had arrived.

During his recent trips, Leylin saw the streets and markets starting to bustle with activity. Many teenage Emberwings now went against the taboo, playing on the road. The atmosphere was filled with clamour.

The various district representatives from the Atlan Union and the other tourists who came on their own accord arrived at Tylasus City one by one. The place was packed to the brim, even overcrowded, resulting in multiple cases of breaches in public security. Even Leylin, a martial officer from the Military Office, had to step in at times, something more than evident of how thin the security had been stretched.

According to the information given by Gilbert and Emma in private, many of the elites from the Mobius organisation and Triserpent Sect had also snuck into Tylasus City. They were the ones who stirred up trouble here, making the place chaotic.

Additionally, the arch-enemy of the Atlan Union, the Divineflame Empire, had also sent a large team of ambassadors, causing more trouble.

"It just seems like things will get relatively more troublesome!" Leylin lamented. He donned the dashing uniform of a military official, and stood tall and straight. He and his colleagues lined along both sides, while Scarlet Eye stood in front of a huge fitting room mirror, adjusting the butterfly-shaped necktie on his collar.

"Your Highness! Your schedule for today is as follows: first up will be the parliament lecture, followed by welcoming the envoy from the Divineflame Empire. The banquet in the afternoon…" Standing next to Scarlet Eye were a few secretaries with pen and paper in hand, chattering away. There were also a few maids who were tidying up the creases on the coattails of his dinner suit.

Schiker, Bowens and the others were also dressed neatly and stood at the side. Outside the window, lots of fireworks and gun salutes could be seen. Colourful confetti filled the sky, and the place was filled with a festive atmosphere.

"Alright! I have my own plans for today's matters!" Scarlet Eye furrowed his brows and waved his hand, sending away the secretaries who were still chattering endlessly.

"Schiker, you shall accompany me today." These words seemed to move the leader's son to tears.

Seeing his odd mix of being both moved and apprehensive, Leylin felt at a loss for words.

'The private life of this state leader is quite confusing. His previous marriage did not produce a heir, and now that he only has Schiker, his illegitimate child, does he hope for him to inherit his political legacy and even become the next leader of the union?'

If the other officials knew that Leylin was silently cursing their almighty leader, they might have come together to tear him apart, and the outcome wouldn't be pleasant.

"Let's go!" After quite some time, Scarlet Eye finished his preparations and took the lead as he mounted a chariot that was drawn by numerous scarlet birds. Schiker followed closely behind.

Bowens walked behind everyone. He suddenly glanced at Leylin and commanded, "Ley, you come too!"

"But… The duty of a humble servant is to stay behind and guard the residence!" Leylin appeared to be hesitating, but he was secretly cursing in his heart.

His duty for today was to stand guard at the residence. This was perfectly normal as he lacked the proper qualifications, and thus could not show his face at the parliament. However, this was what he wanted. After all, the places that Scarlet Eye would go to today would not be tranquil, and there would not be any advantages from following him out. How would that be more enjoyable than being able to hide in the residence and unearth treasures the minute he discovered that something was off?

What did he stand to gain from going out with Scarlet Eye anyway? That one casual sentence from Bowens disrupted his plans for the day.

Leylin felt a little gloomy as he looked at Bowens. Maybe Bowens sensed that something was amiss, or maybe he just found Leylin an eyesore, but he had been causing a lot of trouble for Leylin on the sly.

" .. Yes, Sir!" To the others, it seemed that Leylin only hesitated for a while before agreeing immediately in a loud voice, ecstasy spreading across his face. This made many of the officials who were staying behind envy him, yet they did not know that Leylin was secretly rolling his eyes.

Bowens was his superior after all, and Leylin could not do much even if he disagreed.

Leylin stood at the back of the fleet and reflected, 'Might as well! When the moment comes, I'll join Gilbert and Emma directly. Once something is amiss, we will immediately activate the coordinates and return. I don't believe that Scarlet Eye will give chase and follow us back to the Magus World.'

Gilbert and Emma had first found their way into the ranks of feudal nobility through a small noble family by disguise and strength. They then wantonly betrayed the secrets of the Triserpent Sect against their interests, and attained the positions of Earl and Viscount, allowing them to attend today's celebration.

If the three Giant Kemoyin Warlocks were together, even Scarlet Eye would find it hard to capture them successfully, so there was at least some form of assurance in terms of safety.

'Bowens, however, has to be killed! He better not run into me today, or else…' Leylin lowered his head slightly, hiding the brutal crimson radiance in his pupils.

Leylin kept Scarlet Eye company at the parliament while listening to an illogical and boring speech. Afterwards, he tagged along with the leader of the state and the other major ministers as they proceeded to the plaza where people pledged oaths and celebrated their victories. They were preparing to welcome the emissary from the Divineflame Empire.

Positioned behind Scarlet Eye were the delegates from several major districts, as well as a large number of high-ranking officials and influential ministers.

*Boom! Boom!*

it was as though there was an earthquake. Fire flashed in the distance, and Leylin noticed the arrival of copious amounts of fire elementals.

These fire elementals existed in various sizes, and some were not even humanoid. There were quite a number of beasts, bodies constituted of flames and lava, burning at temperatures that could scorch anything.

Although they moved as a delegation, they left two long burn tracks on the ground. The temperature of the entire plaza started to rise steadily.

It was fortunate that most of the Emberwings practised Fireplume. The high-ranking officials and nobility present in the plaza had all mastered at least three levels of the technique, and thus didn't find it hard to bear.

Creatures that were able to survive in the Lava World had a powerful resistance towards high temperatures.

The officials who were specially put in charge of diplomacy appeared, and engaged in a series of complicated rites and etiquette, something so boring that Leylin yawned multiple times in succession.

Regardless of as a scientist in his previous life or a Magus now, he did not have an ounce of interest in such rituals.

In contrast, he was more willing to perform a few more experiments in his laboratory, or expound upon a few hypotheses, or even meditate!

This was a common understanding between an overwhelming majority of Magi in the Magus World.

In the Lava World, the circumstances were evidently different. As compared to Magi who were much like researchers, the Emberwings who studied Fireplume were more similar to knights. They had a great thirst for the secular benefits of various territories.

The Magi of the Magus World often withdrew to the second line of duty, and manipulated the countries from behind the scenes. Those who held authority in the Lava World, however, were different. They liked to handle things personally, and preferred to take control of the entire system in the foreground.

The Opening

Leylin obviously did not think that everything done in the Magus World was right, but he did not approve of the methods in Lava World because they were too time-consuming.

Of course, that might have to do with him being a Magus, since he consciously wanted to protect his own interests.

"Greetings to the Atlan Union Leader. I am Saka, the envoy of the Divineflame Empire!"

Walking ahead of the diplomatic mission was a flaming giant who was over ten metres tall, looking like a fire demon from myths. Him bowing down to a tiny Emberwing seemed rather laughable, but nobody would actually dare to do so.

Scarlet Eye merely stood there like an eternal mountain, a sky which people could only look up to.

"Also… Our empire seriously condemns the leader, Scarlet Eye, for killing one of our personnel without reason." Saka's next words caused the atmosphere to turn chilly.

"Condemn?" Scarlet Eye chuckled lightly. "Anything else?"

"The leader has to take responsibility for this matter, apologise and resign! If not, the Holy Solar Festival that is a celebration for the Emberwings will mark the beginning of a war between us!"

"What?" There was a clamour amongst the audience, and even Leylin's pupils shrunk. Never had he imagined that the Divineflame Empire's purpose in coming here was to declare war!

Scarlet Eye's personality was quite open. Was it possible to get him to apologise and resign?

When those words exited the envoy's mouth, Leylin felt a chill down his spine, as if a vicious ancient beast was staring him down. This was the imposing aura that the strong unwittingly gave off, filled with a sense of danger.

"Is that so?" Scarlet Eye narrowed his eyes, and the fire elemental giant opposite him took quite a few steps back. The terrifying energy emitting from his body reached the Morning Star realm.

This member of the diplomatic mission was actually a Star rank, and that was not all. A few of the other fire elementals behind him had an abrupt change in their physiques, their bodies emanating powerful energy undulations.

"With just a few Star ranks? That's hardly enough!" Scarlet Eye's half-closed eyes opened slightly, as if he was stating a fact.

However, all the Emberwings knew that their leader was already at the brink of fury.

"How could we inconvenience the leader to make a move against them? Uncle Bowens!" Schiker was so frustrated that he had flushed red, suddenly standing up.

"The Military Office does not permit anyone humiliating our leader!" Bowens stood up, crimson energy covering his entire body. With a wave of his hand, military officials charged out and surrounded the diplomatic mission.

Seeing Bowens taking the initiative, Scarlet Eye's brows lifted. "Bowens, you should first…"

At this moment, he suddenly turned his gaze north-west. *Rumble!* An immense blast sounded from that area.

The earth swished along like a metal plank that floated on water, drifting up and down. Giant waves rippled, and a large number of cracks appeared, spewing crimson lava and scorching flames.

It was as if there was a large flame demon underground. The cracks that formed were like a spiderweb that extended in the direction of Tylasus City.

The moment these cracks closed in, the tremendous mountain that the city stood on would completely sink, and the city itself would not be spared.

"Haha… Scarlet Eye, do you feel touched that this emperor came to congratulate you personally?" The earth split open, and a large arm that could cover the sky emerged from within, filled with flames and red lava.

Scarlet Eye's expression was the most stern it had ever been. "Archibald…"

Accompanying the large hand was the frightening suppression of power at rank 5, causing the many Emberwings to feel suffocated.

'A rank 5! Could this be the Divineflame Empire's emperor?'

Leylin took a few steps backwards, making use of the shadows from a few buildings to hide. Amidst the terror caused by rank 5 might, his little actions remained undiscovered.

Scarlet Eye's expression was somewhat dark. He knew that if the other party's attack was successful, the entirety of Tylasus City would suffer great losses, and many high-ranked officials and nobles would die. Hence, he had no choice but to make a move!

A high-pitched cry appeared as a phoenix abruptly appeared in the sky, brilliant flames surrounding its body as its scarlet wings collided with the arm.

*Boom!* The earth and sky seemed to disappear in that instant, and everyone fell into a daze. When their eyes could finally see again, they saw the giant fire phoenix that Scarlet Eye had turned into circling a flame giant that seemed able to support the skies. The two battled further into the distance, but the residual energy undulations still inspired fear.

"Go!" Bowens' expression was grim as he cried out. Flames with energy at the Star rank blazed on his body.

*Swish!* The military officials seemed to act on a conditioned reflex as they headed straight for the diplomatic mission from the Divineflame Empire, with some soldiers and nobles following behind.

Among the Emberwings of the Atlan Union, true nobles trained up to at least the eighth level of Fireplume, the Sky rank. None of them was weak. There were even a few Star rank experts keeping watch, but not revealing their strength.

However, the diplomatic mission of the Divineflame Empire was not a pushover either. There were a few fire elementals who had already broken through the Star rank, and in that instant the two sides had reached a deadlock. Flames and lava flew everywhere, destroying the square where pledges of peace and victory were to be made beyond recognition.

Leylin hid under a gigantic sculpture of the founder of the country. The people nearby had yet to realise there was a military official breaking away from the formation and escaping.

At this moment, the sound of Gilbert's questioning voice sounded in his ear, "What should we do?"

Leylin transmitted back calmly, "Watch the changes in the situation, but don't make a move. Only the fire elementals of the Divineflame Empire have appeared, but there isn't news of the Mobius Organisation which Jupiter's Lightning controls."

He had a feeling that this situation probably had more to it than met the eye. Scarlet Eye was not someone so shallow, and wouldn't have made no preparations. Hence, there could very well be a dramatic change in this situation later on.

In this spectacle, three Morning Star Warlocks like them were not considered top strengths, and definitely needed to conceal themselves and wait for a chance to go in for the kill.

'Besides…' Leylin looked at the screen that showed the A.I. Chip's status.

The bar that signified the progress of fusing Fireplume's concepts with his point mass had reached 99.9%. Only a tiny bit was left.

A large amount of energy from Fireplume condensed within his body, but this time it was being contaminated by great amounts of darkness elemental energy particles. The energy turned darker than its original scarlet red, now tending towards black.

His point mass, as well as the nebula surrounding it had appeared as well, beginning to take in large amounts of the dark red energy from the modified Fireplume, constantly condensing and assimilating it.

With the point mass' purification, the energy of Emberwing had become richer. At the same time, its colour grew increasingly darker, giving it a sinister feeling.

"Ley, what are you doing?" All of a sudden, a stern yell and a piercing gaze swept towards Leylin's location.

Bowens' gaze now could practically kill Leylin, "What are you doing? Trying to desert the army?"

'Damn it, why did he set his sights on me?' Leylin walked out, speechless. Seeing the quick changes in Schiker's eyes, he knew he could not explain this half-heartedly, or he would be attacked.

"Bowens is getting increasingly annoying!" Leylin took in a deep breath, Fireplume at the peak of the ninth level exploding from his body, like a dazzling meteor streaking through the skies.

"Our people have already acted according to plan. All that's left depends on you!"

A distance away from the square, in a residential building. The original owner had long since disappeared. The walls were filled with red runes, revealing a maroon luster. Some of the blood had yet to dry, and droplets of it were still dripping down, causing long blood-red lines to form on them.

Within this building, a few people dressed in black robes were watching the scene in the square from afar through the window.

The fire elemental delegation acted immediately and began to fight many military officials and nobles. Such an act caused chaos among the spectating commoners.

The attacks from the fire elementals were ruthless. If lava brushed across a commoner's body, it would reduce them to ashes in an instant. On top of that, the military officials and the nobles of the union didn't really bother themselves with protecting them. As a result, a huge number of the people watching died, resulting in great casualties. The mix of piercing screams and feeble cries for help were filled with the taste of horror.

Many commoners of the union were wailing, pushing everyone else as they tried to leave the blazing hell that was the square. This resulted in the chaos intensifying, leading to more innocent deaths.

"Hehe… Resent us! Cry out! These souls filled with hatred and fresh blood are the best nourishment for our spell formation…" An aged voice sounded from within the mantle of a black robe.

"Don't worry, my friend. Us of the Mobius Organisation always trade fairly!" The old man's voice was as piercing as an owl's screech, and would cause goosebumps on anyone who listened to him. Yet, the fire elemental opposite him did not seem to mind.

"The chaos we're creating can only last for a while longer. You'll need to make a move quickly!"

"Alright, alright!" the old man cackled, touching a dark green metal bracelet, "How's the set-up on your end?"

White noise sounded from the bracelet, followed by the voice of a middle-aged man, "Enough flesh and blood have been gathered. It's just difficult to obtain vengeful spirits full of resentment. Only 80% of the charging process has been completed."

"That's enough!" The old man laughed coldly. "On my command, begin!"