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Chapter 461: The Exodus from the Night Highland

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"The Almighty God of Steam, the Lord of Life and Death. Your devout servant, Augustus, prays to you."

"… Under your lead, we have spread out your grace across the land of Vlad, into all the middle-rank vampires' castles. Now, we have twenty-three thousand seven hundred and eighty-six dwarf brothers and sisters praying in your name and following your words…"

"… Two thousand six hundred and nine brothers and sisters of us have devoted their lives to the fight against vampires and blood servants. The attention of the senior-rank vampires has been attracted. Our actions are getting increasingly dangerous…"

"I beg your guidance. I beg your mercy on all devout dwarves. I beg for help to break the chains and for new lives away from the Night Highland…"

"Steam Above."

The holy statue in front of Augustus looked very strange. In the shape of a round, tower-like cone, it was engraved with countless unique patterns — The dwarves made the statue based on the beyond destructive weapon they saw in Atlantis.

In Lucien's eyes, they were praying to a nuclear bomb.

Prostrate on the ground, Augustus was praying with all his heart. It had been three years, and the God of Steam never gave them any guidance again. But his belief was still solid. Augustus regarded this as their trial.

This did not mean that he was not worried. Several years ago, before their troop expanded, because Madam Tess had died and Count Vlad had fallen asleep, the Dwarf Rebellion grew fast with ease.They had the knowledge and had won the control of some mines and forges, thus their weapons and armors had been greatly improved — High-pressure steam rifles, vampire-killing bullets, mythril-mixed chain mails which were effective against the claws of vampires. And they were finally able to fight back.

However, as they started having more followers, and when they had reached the territory of the middle-rank vampires nearby, the situation suddenly became intense. It would cost the lives of over a hundred dwarves to hurt and back off a middle-rank vampire. Even the explosive bullets they invented later whose power did not differentiate vampires from dwarves did not work very well.

According to Harold and Aquinas, their only hope was to remake the huge warship from the ancient Steam Civilization, which could probably be very efficient for killing middle-rank vampires.

"But based on what we have — the knowledge and the techniques — there's no chance for us to build such a thing…" said Aquinas, the leader of the Dwarf Rebellion, a bit desperately over the meeting.

Augustus, the leader, said with even greater worry, "now we're only fighting against the middle-ranks. If the senior-ranks wake up, if Count Vlad wakes up… even the warship will become useless, unless…"

Augustus did not finish his words, but his listeners all understood. What Augustus was indicating was the ultimate weapon they saw in Atlantis, the one whose power was enough to temporarily create a new Sun and destroy the entire Night Highland.

Thinking of this, Augustus's prayers became even more sincere. Their God was testing them, Augustus believed.

"You dominate everything, Life and Death. You're the King of the kings, the God above all gods."

Finishing his prayers, Augustus was about to stand up when suddenly heard a remote, powerful voice in his brain,

"The future has arrived. Take your staff, and guide your people to the new life."

His eyes suddenly opened wide. Out of the ecstasy, Augustus trembled when he hurriedly mumbled the words. "In your name. As you command."

He saw bright light blooming before his eyes, lighting up the entire underground cave. The light was an illusion resulted from his ecstasy.

After calming down a bit, Augustus asked very humbly, "Almighty God of Steam, how shall I guide them out of Night Highland?"

Although the tales passed on for generations said that the ancestors of the dwarves were from another place, Augustus had no idea how to leave the Night Highland.

"Do as I say. Do not ask why."

"We shall sing forth the honor of your name. May we get out of the pain and sufferings under your blessing and glory," said Augustus, his head lowering deeply.

Then he walked out of the altar and opened the gate in extremely high spirit. Full of confidence, he exclaimed in front of the dwarves,

"Command to you all! And all dwarves devoted to the God of Steam. We shall gather in three days! The Almighty, the God of Steam, has given us words — WE SHALL LEAVE THE NIGHT HIGHLAND!"

After a short silence, under the lead of the young dwarf lady Myrna, all of them present cried out loud.

"Steam Above!"

Joyful tears ran across their faces.

…

Three days later.

In the huge underground cave located within the territory of Count Vlad, close to twenty-one thousand dwarves were gathering here.

Some of them were carrying high-pressure steam backpacks and holding big steam rifles, guarding the entrance of the underground caves connecting to each other, while some wore only ragged cloth bags and their bodies were covered with wounds left by whipping. However, they had one thing in common — Their eyes were shining with bright hope.

"It's the time. I'm very encouraged by the fact that we have all of us here. Your devotion deserves the blessing." Augustus walked across the crowd, wearing the dwarf robe and holding a missile-shaped staff. "and I, Augustus, the Speaker of God on the ground, will lead you forward.

"On our way out, we shall have no fear and no hesitation, no matter what is waiting for us in the front. Because, we are blessed!"

"It's time to hit the road!"

"Steam Above!" the dwarves cried out loud together.

Joining the teams they belonged to, the dwarves followed the instruction in the book, Military Training, which was left to them by the God of Steam, and walked in the underground caves quietly.

They all understood it. Staying here on the Night Highland only meant death and shame. The landing of the God of Steam gave them the only belief in the boundless darkness. Death, or fight. They chose to fight, although they were afraid.

Going through the caves, the path elevated, and countless tombstones appeared beside.

"Here sleep our heroes, who died for our freedom. Some of them were warriors, and some were just common men and women who died protecting us. At this moment which decides the living or death of us dwarves, every one of us is a hero!" Augustus said aloud in great respect, while leading the troop to salute the dead.

The two thousand six hundred and nine tombstones watched them march forward, and the atmosphere became rather solemn. Suddenly, a sharp scream penetrated the silence from behind — Two to three senior vampires, leading seven to eight lower-rank vampires, chased up them in the air!

"It's Sanelson!" The dwarves screamed. "They're here!"

Sanelson was a level-five vampire knight who had killed hundreds of dwarves.

Did anyone betray them?

Was it because the vampires had caught some dwarves on the way?

Panic and despair spread out. The dwarves knew how powerful those vampires were. The vampires were already close to senior-rank. In such a crowded place, many of them would die, without a doubt.

Harold stopped his steps, looking at his brothers and sisters helplessly screaming and running in panic. He made his decision within a second. He spat on the ground and commanded,

"Warriors from Mechanic Knight, stand out! We die for the God of Steam! It's time for us to devote everything for our brothers and sisters!"

Damn it! They would rather die standing than die for nothing!

At this moment, he conquered his fear of death.

Holding the huge rifles in their hands, the warriors were also afraid. Despite that, some still stood out with great determination. They shot at their best, but only hit a lower-rank vampire, who roared in pain and rolled back and forth on the floor.

When Harold had no idea what to do, Augustus's voice arrived,

"On our way out, we shall have no fear and no hesitation, no matter what is waiting for us in the front. Because we are blessed!"

"Hold your weapon, keep moving! We are blessed!"

It was the command!

Harold did not understand. If they kept fighting, there might still be hope, while they all would die if they followed the command. However, Augustus's severe eyes could not be disobeyed.

"All, keep moving!" Harold had to obey.

The dwarves did as asked, marching forward slowly in great fear.

To their great surprise, all of a sudden, the surrounding tombstones started shaking fiercely. The dead dwarves climbed out: Some had turned into bones, and some were half rotten.

At first, they thought that it was the vampires who were manipulating the bodies. However, the over two-thousand tombstones all started writhing, and the over two-thousand bodies stood up one by one, as the world of death had befallen.

Silently, the bodies rushed to the vampires in great numbers. And then —

Bang! Bang! They exploded.

Were they still protecting their people after death?

Were they still clinging to the hope of freedom?

The dwarves recalled that another name of the God of Steam was — the Lord of Life and Death.

Tears in his eyes, Harold looked at the dead dwarves exploding together with the vampires, and his fists tightened — He must complete the dream left by those heroes; They must free themselves!

For over ten thousand years, this was the solid belief shared by dwarves!

Harold lifted his arm and cried, "Steam Above! Keep moving!"

Through the cemetery, the dwarves left the underground cave, and they saw a giant rock in front of them.

Following the instruction of the God of Steam, Augustus opened the gate of the underground palace. He walked in leading the troop and saw a mysterious gate in the middle of the hall, on which bright starlight glimmered.

"Behind the gate is the new world. The world of redemption." Augustus pointed at the gate. "If you have made up your mind, go through it."

At this moment, no one would hesitate anymore. Under Harold's organization, the dwarves walked through the gate and disappeared. The space shook because of the teleport. However, none of the vampire princes were here on the Night Highland as they were all rushing towards the dimension for the Primordial Ancestor. As for the senior-rank vampires, they were not as sensitive. The only senior-rank vampire living nearby was Count Vlad who was still trying to get out of the trap in great fury.

When only members of the Mechanic Knight was left, Sanelson and the rest of the vampires finally got rid of the dead dwarves and arrived.

"What should we do?" the warriors exchanged a look with each other. Some of them were ready to cover the rest to make sure most of them could leave.

Harold put his hand on his chest and said, "don't be afraid. Don't stop."

As soon as he finished the words, a silver shiny coin appeared above the gate, rolling upward.

As the coin rolled, distorted magnetic field and silver electric currents appeared in its surrounding. They twisted and wound around the coin, forming a giant, thick snake of electric currents.

Sanelson's scarlet eyes opened wide out of great fear as he watched the lightning filled the hall.

The horrible power devoured the vampires swiftly. There was no chance for them to run away.

Chapter 462: The Morning Star

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Bricks of stone fell like rain drops. When the lightning disappeared and he regained his sight, Harold finally realized that the vampires were all gone and the hall itself was also on the edge of falling apart.

"It was just a… silver coin…" murmured one of the dwarves.

Harold quickly calmed down and scolded. "The coin was possessed of the power of God! The Almighty God of Steam is not only the God of Machinery, but also the Lord of Life and Death, the King of Lightnings, the Lord of Punishment!"

"Why a silver coin then?" asked another dwarf.

Harold wasn't good at explaining this kind of stuff. He squeezed the words out with great effort. "That shows the Almighty God of Steam is also the God of Wealth, the King of the kings, the God above all gods!"

Everything could be explained by the almightiness of God.

The dwarves nodded under the convincing words. All of them, including Harold, put their hands on their chests and bowed deep in front of the gate,

"Steam Above!"

They then walked in the gate in pairs. Within half an hour, they had all left the underground hall.

As soon as they left, the power supressing the space instantly disappeared, and the space started shaking fiercely. Pieces of starlight fell from above, and soon the entire gate disappeared together with the collapse of the underground palace.

...

After quite a few days, Sanelson's "father", a vampire duke, arrived at the ruins following the blood connection between Sanelson and him. He came to figure out why Sanelson had gone missing for days.

A space joint! The vampire duke was shocked.

Staring at the collapsed underground palace, he now cared no more about what happened to Sanelson. In great anger, he turned around and was ready to teach Vlad a good lesson — Even if he had fallen asleep to recover, Vlad still must be responsible for this.

An unreported space joint in his territory! The Church might find it and launch an attack at any time!

Another few days later, a deafening noise burst out in the direction of Count Vlad's castle. The vampire count's anger surged right into the air,

"I will kill that bastard who trapped me!"

However, Vlad had no idea who did this to him and had no clue to trace him, not even with Horoscope.

...

Lighting up the torch, Augustus saw an abandoned city; there were thick chimneys, metal pipes, bolts, springs, and gears everywhere. The civilization of Steam was right in front of them.

He immediately understood. Tears gushed out. He cried in great excitement and sorrow. "This is our homeland, where our ancestors worked and lived!"

Augustus kneeled down onto the ground and kissed the cold land overgrown with weeds. "We're back! We're finally back!"

The dwarves all followed him, kneeling and kissing their land of origin. Bitterly they cried, shedding tears for what they had lost.

After Harold and the rest of the dwarves came and the gate disappeared, Augustus took a deep breath and said to the over twenty thousand of dwarves, "this isn't our final destination. We shall go back to the ground, and start our new life! There shall be no more slavery, no more painful deaths, no more suffering!"

His eyes were shining with hope and determination. "Grab your torches and follow me! Don't hesitate. Don't be afraid. This is the revelation of the God of Steam!"

"Steam Above!" Answered aloud the dwarves together.

The torches were lifted. Following the command of the instructors, the dwarves marched forward in order, in units of families and villages, through the abandoned city of steam. The Mechanic Knight was divided into four, safeguarding in four directions.

The city was huge. Eveloping the light of the torches was the endless darkness. In the darkness, the only light came from the dim green shine emitted by noctilucent moss, but it wasn't a comfort for the dwarves at all. They were afraid of the darkness, and the green light seemed to be the blood-thirsty eyes of countless monsters.

What was in there? They didn't know.

Silence seized them, only the sound of their own steps could be heard. The journey seemed to be getting longer and longer, as if they could never leave this place.

When the dwarves started getting lost and panicking, Augustus's voice came again.

"Don't hesitate. Don't be afraid. Follow me!"

"Yes!" Answered the dwarves together, although not too confident.

Augustus raised the staff high,

"The God of Steam is with us! No difficulty, no danger, no suffering can conquer us!"

Hearing the name of the God of Steam, the dwarves became braver. Saying God's name silently in their mind, they were equipped with the courage for scattering the darkness. Gradually, they walked faster and faster.

Bang, bang! The rifles shot together, throwing the monsters leaping from the darkness to the ground in blood and flesh.

They had the power of steam, thus, they were invincible!

"The Almighty God of Steam, the Lord of Life and Death, the King of Lightnings, the Lord of Punishment, the God of Wealth…"

"You're the God above all gods, the King of the Kings…"

The dwarves sang forth the names together. Their voice joined into this force driving away the creatures hiding in the darkness.

Finally, this huge troop walked out of the city through the tunnel and came to the caves connected like spider webs.

"This is the last test. Only true followers can walk out from the maze. Don't hesitate. Don't be afraid. Follow me!"

"Yes!" This time, their voice was much louder and full of confidence.

All the forks looked identical, and the dwarves were very afraid of getting lost. However, their leader Augustus had closed his eyes, walking following his heart.

Seeing what their leader was doing, the fire of hope lit up in the dwarves' hearts again.

They should have faith in the Almighty God of Steam, have faith in His chosen exarch. Here, eyes and ears should not be used to seek the path, but hearts and faith!

They dwarves walked on, panicking no more, confused no more.

After a long time, they saw a dim light in front of them and a broad forest in the far end.

They did it!

They were on the ground now!

Suddenly, Myrna pointed at the sky and said, "look!"

The far end of the sky was partially lit up, where a bright star was hanging. The star was quiet but twinkling, directing the path eternally.

"Morning star…?"

"Is dawn coming?"

Those dwarves were born on the Night Highland and they had never seen daylight. They had only heard about morning stars from the stories passing on through generations and knew that it represented the arrival of light.

"You're the Lord of Life and Death, the bright Morning Star. You connect night and day. You bring us new life!" said Augustus devoutly.

The morning star was replaced by the orange light in the east, and then, a fireball slowly rose above the horizon.

The dwarves had never seen anything like this. Now, they started to actually feel the arrival of their new life!

Augustus raised his arm and cheered aloud. "Our new life has commenced. We'll strive for the prosperity of Atlantis! The Atlantis on the ground!"

"Strive for the prosperity of Atlantis!" The more than twenty thousand dwarves responded at the same time, their loud voice disturbed the flocks of birds hiding in the forest.

At this time, a melody full of passion arrived from faraway.

The dwarves turned their head and, to their great surprise, they saw a fat man wearing a long black windbreak and a beret walking towards them, followed by a group of human. The melody came from the small box engraved with strange black patterns in his hand.

Before the dwarves reacted, Augustus told them, "he's the guide. I received the words of the God of Steam. He'll be leading us to our brand new life."

The dwarves were no more afraid. Belief had given them the power for conquering fear. They quietly stared at the fat man and his companies, who studied them like how they looked at buckets of ale and how the vampires look at blood.

"I am Arthur Adol, the one who will lead you to your new life, a life much, much happier than the previous one you had on the Night Highland." Arthur grinned broadly at the dwarves.

In his eyes, the troop of dwarves was the symbol of a large amount of money. With so many skilled dwarves, the mass production of the alchemical products could be realized.

Following Arthur, the dwarves walked all the way down to the station. On the platform, when they saw the long magic steam strain, they burst out into tears again. They were convinced again that this place was their homeland, the paradise of steam.

The dwarves stared at the magic steam train out of great curiosity, wishing that they tear it down and check every part of it, until they got on the train.

"Why is the guide sent by the God of Steam a banker?" Myrna just learned the word 'bank'.

Harold said proudly, "I said it. The Almighty God of Steam is also the God of Wealth. It makes sense."

Then he said longingly, "I saw the small silver coin turn into a powerful bomb with powerful electric currents… I wonder if the Civilization of Steam picked the wrong side for studying huge warships and cannons. Maybe… maybe we should invent new cannons using the power of electricity…?"

"Here you are, the new book from the Lord." Smiling, Augustus handed a book to Harold.

Harold picked it up and saw the name: Basic Electrical Engineering.

Later, Arthur walked to the last carriage of the train and sat down in front of a young man wearing a double-breasted suit. He said to the young man like an old friend but also respectfully, "Evans, I can't believe you can find this many skilled dwarves!"

Lucien Evans was probably the next grand arcanist. Arthur had to show respect.

Holding the teacup in his hand, Lucien said, "treat then well. Give them enough salary and freedom. After all, they left that place because of me. When they have acquired basic electrical engineering skills and knowledge, they'll be able to train more workers."

Because the vampire princes and the most powerful vampires on the Night Highland had left for the mysterious dimension, searching for the Primordial Ancestor, Lucien's rescue plan carried out rather smoothly. He achieved the guidance using the power for awakening the dead of the Immortal Throne magic robe and a new electromagnetic spell, Lucien's Electromagnetic Gun – Although this spell was not that powerful yet, when Lucien reached a higher level, its power would also grow.

"You have my words. I'll treat them well," said Arthur without hesitation. He did not ask a single word about the so-called God of Steam.

The magic steam train was approaching Rentato. In the early morning, the lights in Rentato were still on, as brilliant and bright as constellations in a sweet dream.

The dwarves were so surprised that they could not close their mouths. It was as if they had come back to Atlantis.

...

"Evans, since most sorcerers in the school of Electromagnetics and Light-darkness — Sorry, I have to say this — dislike you quite much, for your safety, we are giving the public another excuse for holding this banquet rather than telling people that it is your award-winning party. I hope you understand," said Joaquin, the president of the Moonsong League, a level-nine arcanist ND ninth-circle archmage, while smiling.

Since Brook just confirmed the change in momentum several days ago, which verified Lucien's light quantum hypothesis, no matter how reluctant Moonsong League was, they had to accept it.

Following Joaquin, Lucien grinned. "We can save the trouble. You could just give me the prize. I'm worried that my presence might be too much of a surprise to the guests."

"No, this is the tradition. We got to have a decent banquet when awarding you the medal." The president shook his head seriously.

Otherwise, the public would look down upon Moonsong League, accusing them of being too narrow-minded to properly recognize Lucien's great contribution.

Chapter 463: Lucien, the Devil King

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The hall of the Allyn branch of Moonsong League was covered in a layer of cool and soft moonlight.

"Jurisian, what's the banquet for?" A short young man looked around in confusion, "Why are those elementalists here today?"

It looked like he was only in his seventeen or eighteen, but his voice was rather mature.

The man he was talking to had black hair and dark brown eyes. With a gentle smile on his featured face, the man said, "no idea. The president informed me to come, so here I am. I'm not gonna stay here for long though, a banquet like this is always boring."

Jurisian was wearing the five-star arcana badge and the five-circle magic badge. Thanks to the introduction of the Influence Factor, he had reached the next arcana level in these years. Also, because of his constant practice in fighting skills, his magic level had also advanced. Now, he was heading for the senior-rank.

"Jurisian, I'd rather it had been you who put forward the light quantum hypothesis." Another sorcerer from the school of Electromagnetics joined their conversation and moaned to Jurisian. "Why you stopped digging in after discovering the photoelectric effect?"

Jurisian swirled the golden liquor in his glass. The smile on his face remained unchanged. "How do you know I never dug into it, Pono, Feya? But putting forward the hypothesis not only relies on conducting multiple experiments, but more importantly, an open mind and brilliant imagination unconstricted by the past theories. I never paid enough attention to the paper written by Lucien on energy's discontinuity, so how could I get the key premise for raising the hypothesis?"

Pono was the short man who was talking to Jurisian earlier. He was more talented in magic than in arcana and was one of the sorcerers in Moonsong League who were most likely to reach the senior-rank. Hearing Lucien's name, Pono said in resentment, "every time I think of that person, I want to destroy the place with lightning balls! My teacher's cognitive world was broken and solidified because of his hypothesis, and my friend… his blood was all over my face…"

"If I see him outside of Allyn, I'll put him in trouble!" Pono claimed.

"Put him in trouble? How?" Feya asked sharply, "as a fifth-circle sorcerer? Will all those awards, he could counter a seventh-circle sorcerer, not to mention New Alchemy. Lucien Evans is the future grand arcanist. Stop dreaming."

She did not want to be this sharp. Her sarcasm came from the feeling of helplessness, for the sorcerer Polo just mentioned whose head exploded was also her friend.

"I know," said Pono remorsefully, "but if I don't think in this way, I'd go nuts. At least, when I see Lucien Evans, I do have the courage to spit in his face."

"That's very impressive. I think I do, too." The corner of Feya's eyes went red.

Jurisian was still wearing the same indistinguishable smile on his face, listening to their conversation quietly. The conversations of the other sorcerers could also be heard.

"If I see Lucien Evans in person, I'll go and ask him directly how to explain the diffraction and interference of light using his hypothesis."

"There will be one day when his head will explode because of a similarly bold hypothesis based on the wave theory!"

"I don't care if he is a grand arcanist in the school of Element and Alchemy or not. Lucien Evans will never understand Light-darkness using his particles. The light quantum hypothesis is very likely simply a part of a correct wave theory. It's not the end yet! We still have the classic theory in electromagnetism and the experiment image!"

Jurisian slightly rose his eyebrow. In his eyes, those high-rank sorcerers were like some little puppies whining after losing a game.

In such a situation, most sorcerers present were actually talking about Lucien. This was enough to show how much they hated Lucien Evans and his hypothesis. At the same time, on the other side of the hall, the elementalists and alchemists were also having a heated discussion over New Alchemy, although it was no longer a new topic among them. In their eyes, Lucien was going to be the future grand arcanist, the legendary, the new leader of the entire Congress.

Suddenly, Pono's eyes opened big. He pointed at the stage in the front of the hall,

"There!"

Jurisian looked over and saw that Joaquin walked on the stage together with a cultured young man.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Joaquin, "this is Mr. Lucien Evans."

Lucien Evans? Pono recalled the horrible scene of his friend's death as soon as he saw the young man on the stage. Until today, he could still smell the blood and feel the squishy brain tissues on his face. The sight of the headless body collapsing to the ground came back to him.

He had this great fury burning inside his heart, but fear seemed to be more. He could not utter the feeling, as if staring at this young man one more second would blow his head up.

The fine glass dropped onto the floor from Pono's hand with a crispy sound. The scarlet liquid stained the carpet, just like the uncleaned floor from then.

More glasses dropped. Staring at the color of the wine, Feya couldn't hold back her nausea anymore. The scene reminded her of that day, the day of blood.

Unable to control their anger, many sorcerers directly squeezed the glass in their hand into pieces. Wine splattered over them,

Their faces became distorted because of the hatred but also fear.

As the sound of glass breaking died away, silence dominated the entire space. Even the sound of breathing had disappeared.

"Ladies and…" Lucien took a step forward and bowed politely.

Lucien did not even finish his starting words. As he took a step forward, the guests backed away subconsciously. Some were shaking their heads as if they were trying to get Lucien's words out of their brains, or their heads would also explode. Among them, there were a few senior-rank sorcerers from Moonsong League who Lucien also knew, yet they were the same afraid as if Lucien would utter some extremely subversive theories at any time.

Silence resumed.

Lucien wondered if his name had joined one of the spooky campfire stories or nasty stories to scare young kids. Luckily, there was no kid here.

Joaquin was a bit pissed with how these sorcerers from Moonsong League responded to Lucien's arrival — They had lost their decency!

Joaquin coughed a bit, and the solidified atmosphere started to break, yet no one dared to challenge Lucien in the face, although many of them were bragging about this minutes ago. They were afraid of Lucien; this fear was a result of many broken skulls, fresh blood, and brains.

"We're gathering here today for awarding Mr. Lucien Evans with the no. 21 Silver Moon Medal, to recognize his great contribution to the school of Light-darkness and the school of Electromagnetism, for raising the Light Quantum Hypothesis," Joaquin said a bit sorrowfully — The award was first established in memory of the birth of the wave theory and the classic electromagnetic theory, but now, the award would go to the hypothesis which overthrew them.

Jurisian examined Lucien calmly. It had been three years since the hypothesis first came out and he had already accepted it. As a young and less conservative arcanist of the new generation, he was not saddened by the fact. However, Joaquin's words seemed a bit sarcastic to him — Lucien Evans's great contribution? Contributing headless bodies and broken cognitive worlds?

The guests present finally realized the reason for being here today. It seems that without doubt, His Excellency Mr. Brook had found the evidence to prove the hypothesis.

"I always believed that It's rather stupid to be obsessed with the question 'particles or waves'." Lucien, the devil king in the audience's eyes, started speaking again in the aggressive air of confidence before taking over the Medal. "Is it really hard to accept the truth, to admit that the experiment results indeed show duality? We should see this from a broader and higher perspective. The micro-world goes beyond our imagination, thus we need to recourse to only the experiment results and math equations."

No one dared to utter a word, however, it did not mean that they agreed with Lucien.

Duality? Both particles and waves? How could that happen?

Lucien glanced at the expression of the audience and didn't go any further. It was better to just give them some hints. Smiling, he continued. "This's my first time winning the Silver Moon Medal, and I am totally confident that this is not the last time. In this brand new realm, honor is only saved for those who are open-minded and unbiased."

Then, Lucien took over the medal and wore it on his left chest, next to his Ice & Snow Medal.

He had won the highest honor of five different fields. Including Lucien Evans, only two accomplished this achievement in the Congress.

"The Silver Moon Medal, Light Quantum, level-seven perfect-rank magic item.

"Electric currents can paralyze the body and destroy the soul. The sorcerer wearing this medal could gain greater power in paralyzing his or her enemy when striking the target with lightning. Meanwhile, the power of the spells in the school of Electromagnetism and Light-darkness can be empowered to the seventh-circle.

"Great magnetic force will form a halo and encircle things within, which works perfectly when the targets are metal golems or knights wearing non-magnetic-proof armor — Seventh-circle Electromagnetic spell, Magnetic Halo. Cast three times a day.

"The giant lightning shall destroy everything — Seventh-circle Electromagnetic spell, Thunder Rage. Cast three times a day.

"Thanks to Lucien Evans for putting forward the Light Quantum Hypothesis, allowing us to see light from another perspective.

"We have figured out what lightning is, but not yet what light is.

"From Edwyn Brook"

…

Rentato, Hexagram Station.

The black-haired man who was always chewing something in his mouth walked casually on the platform. He looked ordinary, like a random passing-by traveler.

Night watcher rank no. 13, level-eight radiant knight —"Flesh Manipulation" Ramiro.

Chapter 464: New World

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

At the parcel collection point of Hexagram Station, Rentato.

A fine-featured lass smiled politely. "Hello, how may I be of service?"

"I have a luggage bag that needs to be stored here until my return from Allyn," Ramiro replied with a minty, relaxed smile.

The minty smell came from a specialty from the Kingdom of Brianne known as "Mint Fragrance", which was a kind of tobacco, though it was not to be smoked but rather chewed on after a secret drying process and provided a mind-refreshing cigarette-like intoxicating effect.

The lass asked with a smile, "how many days would that be? Are you a sorcerer?" Despite being an average female in Rentato, she managed to find a leisure job with decent pay all thanks to "Arcana Voice", which made her got rid of her bias against sorcerers and dared to apply for the job. She successfully stood out from the few applicants and secured the job. As a result, she became very fond of sorcerers.

"I'm just an ordinary sorcerer. Let's make it three days. Nah, can I pay for seven days upfront and make adjustments later?" Ramiro asked calmly. It didn't look like he was pressed for time in any way.

The lass replied, "no problem, please pass me the baggage for inspection."

After listening to "Arcana Voice" and working at Hexagram Station, she realized that sorcerers weren't as wealthy as she had imagined. There were many who, in the pursuit of power and arcana research, were left with barely enough to live by.

Like any normal traveler, Ramiro handed over the black luggage bag in his hand.

The female worker did not cut any corners. Abiding by the training protocols, she placed the luggage inside a magic circle within a piece of large alchemy equipment. Then she pressed the switch and turned it on.

The company "Gift from Elements" had developed this simplified alchemical item for exactly this kind of purpose. They could be powered by electricity, thus allowing ordinary people to use them. As a result, it had been widely implemented at locations including the Magic Steam Train Company, Nekso Palace, the villas and orchards of nobles, music halls, opera theatres, and the town hall.

The inspection had confirmed that there weren't any cursed or dangerous items in the luggage. It was only after this confirmation that the lass opened the luggage to screen the items with her naked eyes. She found that the majority of the items were normal clothes, with a small portion being tobacco from Brianne. There was also a light-dark colored piece of meat wrapped in gray cloth.

"Specialty steak?" she asked out of curiosity.

Ramiro's mouth twitched. "Ya"

"A silver a day, for a total of seven." The lass closed the luggage and attached an identification tag on it. She then took it to the warehouse behind and placed it on the corresponding shelf.

After she returned, Ramiro took out seven shiny silver pieces. He let the pieces fall through his fingers one after another onto the counter while listening to the crisp sounds with slanted eyes.

"This is your receipt, please keep it with you for the final tally." The female worker respectfully passed Ramiro a receipt that had been stamped with a special magical ink paste. Only official magicians — who wouldn't do it for such a little money — could forge the ink paste.

Ramiro picked up the receipt. Still chewing on the tobacco, he nodded. "Thank you."

Then, with hands tucked into the pockets of his tuxedo, he headed off towards the Magic Steam Train station. When he came near to a silvery-black trash bin, he pulled out his right hand and threw a carbonated piece of paper into the bin.

The black paper fell slowly, breaking into a countless number of butterflies at the slightest touch of wind. Not a trace remained.

Afterward, Ramiro went inside a restroom. He surveyed the surroundings carefully while wearing a carefree expression. After confirming that there was no one else around, he faced the mirror and pinched his face. His entire body suddenly wriggled erratically like a slime.

Seconds later, he had transformed into a beautiful young lady with a voluptuous figure. His tuxedo has also transformed into a lilac-tiered dress. The collar and cuffs had transformed into ruffles.

Looking into the enchanting deep blue eyes in the mirror, Ramiro smiled at "her". "Long time no see, Avelina. Sometimes I find that being a girl is much more interesting than being a man."

Naturally, "Avelina" didn't respond.

After tidying up her clothes and donning a broad-brim hat with a beautiful long ribbon which she had seemingly conjured from thin air, Ramiro left the restroom elegantly and boarded the magic steam train that had just arrived.

"Avelina, so you've returned from Brianne?" A young man stood up from his seat in joyous surprise.

Ramiro smiled sweetly. "Yes, the magic development in Allyn is faster than I had anticipated. If I were to remain in Brianne, I would not be able to keep up with the times. So I'm back."

"That's marvelous. Where is your boyfriend Lavrov?" The young man eagerly invited "Avelina" to sit down.

Ramiro's expression turned sorrowful. "We've broken up."

"What?" The young man fought to suppress his happiness. Feigning sadness, he consoled her. "Cheer up, the best is yet to come."

Ramiro watched "with grief" as the platform faded from view. Listening to the sound of the train horn and the clickety-clack of the wheels against the track, Ramiro thought angrily.

"Who on earth was that?"

Avelina had not spoken of this man after she had been controlled…

The "silent melancholy" that she exuded intoxicated the young man, rendering him speechless. Time passed swiftly. The magic steam train gradually ascended towards Allyn.

When they passed through the mythal of Allyn, Ramiro narrowed his eyes. He could feel the power of the mythal brushing past his body.

As expected, though Allyn appeared to be as open a city like any other ordinary city, the security checks that were hidden from view were extraordinarily stringent. Luckily, his "Flesh Manipulation" ability allowed him to be passed off as the real 'Avelina".

The magic steam train stopped at the station. Ramiro saw the brilliant starlight released by the Congress' Headquarter Magic Tower from a distance, with an intensity rivaling that of the red sun in the sky.

"What's happening?" Ramiro had recognized what it was, but he asked regardless.

The young man examined carefully and replied, "it seems to be the Portal to Alternate Realm. Could it be that the grand arcanists have returned from their investigation of the mysterious realm?"

"We'll find out if we take a closer look," Ramiro replied smiling.

This appeared to be an opportunity, yet it seemed to be too much of a coincidence.

However, Ramiro was not about to abandon such an opportunity. As the night watcher ranked number 13th, his powers and abilities overwhelmed many strong level-nines. Decisiveness and willingness to take the initiative are what enabled him to become who he was — Those who were accustomed to plotting and scheming would never anticipate him to barge in like this.

"Merely two point seven seconds…" Ramiro whispered to himself. This was the amount of time that he had before the mythal would react, given that Allyn Mythal was not on its full power yet. He wasn't exactly confident that he could kill Lucien Evans in such a small time window either and could only play it by ear.

...

On the 32nd floor in the Headquarter Magic Tower of the Congress, within the grand hall stood an illusory door that was five-meters tall and three-meters wide.

The door was built on a complex magic circle that was made up of countless gems and rare materials. Rays of brilliant starlight shone outwards from the top, and many sorcerers had gathered around it.

"Sir, why are so many senior-rank sorcerers and archmages assembled?" Lucien had received no notice beforehand and arrived only after he detected the anomaly.

Fernando, who wore his scarlet magic robe as always, said solemnly, "the races of this world are normal, but its environment is special. Every corner is filled with a strange sensation, one that suppresses our spiritual power greatly. Even Douglas' senses can only extend to a radius of 300 meters. This world is separated into countless little pieces by many spatial barriers that are incompletely solidified. Normal people are hardly affected by it, to them, the world is still whole. However, for us legendary sorcerers, it means that flight is almost impossible, for it's too easy to collide into one of such barriers."

"Under such circumstances, it would be very difficult to locate Alterna and the mysterious existence, as they can automatically shield themselves from many magical prophecies ineffective…" Lucien had a rough idea of why so many senior-rank sorcerers and archmages have gathered here. Strength lay in numbers in times like this.

Fernando nodded in agreement and continued. 'We had a fight with the Church. The Pope was involved, and it caused us to fall leeward. However, the numbers that they could spare to send after us were not enough to surround and kill us. Then, after discovering the peculiarities of this alternate space, we reached a tacit agreement to stop the fighting. The highest priority now was to explore the new world and find Alterna's whereabouts. Fighting directly would give advantage to other parties."

"A new world …" Lucien wondered if it meant that Natasha would lead the Duchy of Violet's radiant knights to there as well.

Fernando noticed that Lucien wasn't paying attention. He smiled and said, "according to preliminary calculations, this alternate space is half as big as the main world, so it can be considered as a new world. If anyone can claim ownership of it, they would gain vast amounts of resources."

"So that's how it is, then why weren't the middle-rank sorcerers also summoned? The number of senior-rank magicians and archmages are quite small in comparison," asked Lucien puzzledly.

Fernando shook his head. "That's because a special kind of powerful beings exists in this world. Their abilities are beyond that of high-rank sorcerers. Sending middle-rank sorcerers in would only result in a large scale of loss."

"A special kind of powerful beings?" Lucien had never heard Fernando speak of powerful beings in such a way.

Fernando's expression turned solemn. "False gods, those that came into existence in the early phases of the War of Dawn. They are a variety of monsters with powerful abilities. However, due to some strange reasons, they could bestow powers to their followers, much like demons and devils. Their minds are in a state of crazed stubbornness. Currently, one has been captured and is being researched on."

"Captured one…" Lucien suddenly had the impression that the False Gods were pitiful animals being hunted.

Fernando noticed that the senior-rank magicians and archmages were just about to finish entering the Portal to the Alternate Realm. He threw a stare at Lucien and warned. "Abandon any ideas that you might have. Just stay in Allyn and improve your magic. Until your power matches your Cleansing List ranking, you better not wander around. Don't think about participating in this mysterious space matter either."

But the power matching Lucien's Cleansing List ranking should be that of a legendary… Lucien rubbed his chin in frustration.

Fernando didn't speak another word, gesturing Thompson to enter the Portal to the Alternate Realm with him together.

With his entrance, the batch of reinforcements finished their transfer. Around the portal, only several friends and apprentices remained — This expedition was much more dangerous than the previous ones; It could very well be their last farewell.

Amidst the crowd, Ramiro watched the starlight dissipate and began calculating. The Portal to the Alternate Realm would soon regress back to its semi-charged state.

With the Portal to the Alternate Realm's scattering energy, the Allyn Magic Tower and its surrounding mythal's reaction time was seven seconds.

To avoid alerting Lucien, he only cast a fleeting glance at Lucien at the start and ignored him afterward.

"Seven seconds…"

The opportunity was prime. Let's take action now!

Chapter 465: Behind the Scenes

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Seven seconds.

Ramiro's face was filled with excitement and happiness. Her starry eyes sparkling, she walked quickly towards Lucien. Her expression, gaze, and gestures were screaming to others the fact that she adored Lucien. Meeting her idol at the first opportunity in Allyn, she could suppress her urge no longer.

It was normal that Lucien, whether as a musician or an arcanist, received such adoration from the younger generation of sorcerers. The other surrounding sorcerers only muttered about how it was such a waste of a beauty — According to street gossip, Lucien was a crazy researcher who practiced strict abstinence, just like President Douglas. The swarm of beauties surrounding them was left absolutely untouched. If it had been Oliver, it would have been the complete opposite result.

"Really…" The young magician who had brought in "Avelina" watched enviously. If he had even a fraction of Lucien's talents, Avelina would have fallen for him long ago.

Six seconds, Five seconds.

The ecstatic fan closed in on her idol. With slightly parted lips, she seemed to be considering how to start a conversation.

Lucien had also noticed that a young, beautiful young lady was heading towards him. He extended a hand and signaled her to stop. After receiving knowledge that his rank on the Cleansing List had risen to number 19, Lucien had kept a distance with everyone except his acquaintances.

It was caution that allowed him to still be alive. If she had anything to say, she could speak from where she stood. Only at this distance could his Contact Spell be activated undisturbed.

It seemed that Ramiro didn't understand Lucien's gesture and continued forward.

"Her" eyes were mystified; "her" cheeks were rosy. Most men would be harboring naughty thoughts by now.

Just a little bit closer, just a bit closer!

Four seconds.

Suddenly he saw Lucien raised his right hand, gripping the Sun Staff inlaid with a huge sunstone.

"What the f**k, he's this cold even towards such a beautiful admirer? Not even the slights shred of hesitation?" Grumbled Ramiro to himself in his mind. There was no doubt that if she took even a step further, Lucien would actually activate the magic.

The spell Thanos' Maze could not only trap enemies but also restore composure in excited "fans". Lucien had no trouble selecting the magic spell to use.

If the one charging at him was an enemy, the element of surprise would have been lost after being trapped in Thanos' Maze. Within the walls of the Allyn Magic tower, it would leave the enemy entirely at his mercy. Even if Prince Dracula was here in person, there was no guarantee that he could leave alive. Grand arcanist in charge, along with the top-class mythal, the legendary-rank magic tower, and quick support from other top legendaries — Now that God's Arrival was unavailable, even the pope would be wary of such a combination.

If it really was an over-eager fan, she would be left unharmed after Thanos' Maze expired — the shattered confidence in her intelligence ignored. A simple apology would resolve the matter easily.

A brief urge to swear flashed across Ramiro's mind. After estimating the distance, he suddenly bolted across the space between them like a phantom.

Had he been just a bit closer, Ramiro could guarantee to land a magical blow on Lucien before the latter could react. That would drain his Contact Spell and set the stage for the assassination. However, now that the situation was already like this, and that it was very impossible that there would be another opportunity as good as this, he had to ignore the distance.

To a level-eight radiant knight, this distance was practically nothing. Also, Ramiro believed that his magic resistance could cancel out most of Lucien's magic — at this range, there was only enough time for one spell!

"So it's indeed an assassin." With a mere thought of Lucien, the Sunstone on the Sun Staff shone brightly. If they were not immune to maze type spells, even legendaries could fall prey to Thanos' Maze. Though of course, considering the legendaries' magic resistance, it would depend on who was more blessed by Lady Luck — the chance of successfully trapping one is about once in twenty to thirty attempts.

Ramiro's gaze tightened, his acute instincts warned him of great danger. Thus, he abandoned the initial idea of relying on his magic resistance against Lucien's magic. He narrowed his eyes, and another idea hatched.

Three seconds

Boom, a huge explosion sound spread from within Ramiro's body. A horrifying shockwave rushed towards Lucien.

A rainbow of bright, clear protective shields lit up one after another. The surrounding sorcerers had unconsciously used their most adept protective magic.

Simultaneously, they watched in horror as the beautiful young lady exploded into countless pieces in the blink of an eye. Finger, arm, feet, heart, intestines, and brain rained down all across the floor.

What had happened? As most high-rank sorcerers and archmages had just left through the Portal to the Alternate Realm, none present knew how to cast ninth-circle spells. Even if they could react in time, they could not pause the time.

With Ramiro's self explosion, Thanos' Maze suddenly lost its target and stopped. Lucien couldn't tend to anything else other than quickly altering the spell model within his soul. Suddenly a faint rippling light surrounded him as if he suddenly sank to the bottom of a lake, surrounded by water.

As soon as the intense shockwave came into contact with the "water waves", semi-transparent whirlpools sprouted one after another, dissipating the force.

Sixth-circle magic, "Energy Absorption Field."

"Self-explosion?"

Before Lucien could take a breather, he suddenly saw the body parts on the floor come to life and catapult towards him with a spring. The scene was strangely terrifying.

Other than the Portal to Alternate Realm behind him, the body parts blocked every path of escape.

Two seconds.

Since they were not energy, the body parts passed through the absorption field with ease. Lucien was about to be hit.

If they were not energy, they must be matter!

Lucien was suddenly surrounded by huge whirlpools. Red, yellow, gold, silver… countless light spots gathered and spun. All body parts that attempted to pass through the whirlpools were decomposed into basic elements of charred coal, of gas, of iron scraps. All had returned to their original state.

Element Whirlpool!

Blood on the ground congregated and twisted into a humanoid shape. After his two failed attacks, Ramiro understood that his mission was going to end with failure. Now only one second remained before Allyn Magic tower and the grand arcanist on guard would react.

His gaze steeled. The blood began to boil, and suddenly, erupted with rays blinding as the Sun. The terrifying explosion headed for the Energy Absorbing Force Field like a tsunami.

This was the true self-explosion of a level-eight radiant knight. A power that could erase a mountain top was heading straight for Lucien.

From the beginning, Ramiro had not planned any time for escape, for it was unnecessary!

That's right, one who would self-explode into nothing would have no need to escape.

At the same time, the body parts within the Energy Absorbing Force Field no longer tried to pass through the whirlpools but exploded.

Attacking from both sides of the force field was the true power of a level-eight radiant knight's self explosion. Energy Absorption Field was torn into pieces, like a piece of paper in a storm.

Even if this couldn't kill Lucien, Lucien will not end well!

Energy Absorption Field shattered. Element Whirlpool shattered. But Lucien has yet to recover from the cooldown between castings.

In this time of crisis, Contact Spell was activated.

Short Range Blink and Energy Harm Protection were activated in an instant, and Lucien vanished.

However, Short Range Blink was not teleportation. The huge and terrifying surrounding energy could tear Lucien into mincemeat within the briefest of moments. There was only one direction left to go: behind.

After the blink, Lucien should have appeared across the hall, where he would only be affected by residues of the shockwave. However, unfortunately, behind him was the Portal to the Alternate Realm. So he blinked into the Portal, right before it regressed completely to the semi-activated state.

Starlight rippled like water. The shockwave immediately impacted on the door afterward, inducing violent vibrations. Many tiny cracks to appear on the Portal.

One second.

Allyn Magic Tower was activated, and the elegant, pretty Hathaway appeared above the Portal to the Alternate Realm. She pointed a finger, and the terrifying explosion disappeared immediately, as though they had never appeared in the first place.

Not a drop of blood nor a shred of flesh could be found on the floor of the hall. The power of the self-explosion had erased all traces. Only the cracks on the Portal remained as evidence of what had just happened.

Expressionessly, Hathaway waved and activated the Portal to the Alternate Realm. Then, she stepped in to confirm the safety of Lucien.

However, the Congress of Magic at the other side of the Portal did not see Lucien arrive. It seemed that the explosion had interfered with the teleportation, and as a result, Lucien had been transported to an unknown location.

The only thing that could be sure that Lucien was indeed in this new world, for the main space joint did not change.

...

The Hexagram Station, Rentato.

At the warehouse that stored the deposited luggage, a black suitcase suddenly started shaking. It opened with a bang, and a pale hand stretched out from it, a hand that appeared to have been severed.

The hand was enveloped by a piece of gray cloth. Slowly, limbs, body, the other hand and legs, as well as an ordinary-looking head grew from it.

The black-haired young man coughed violently, sounding rather creepy and scary in the silent warehouse.

"Lucien must have been forced into the New World. Now let's see who he'll run into first, legendary sorcerers from the Congress of Magic or our Grand Cardinals," Ramiro murmured weakly to himself.

This kind of full-on self-explosion came at a great cost to himself as well. His power would drop one-level lower in the short term. Even with treatment of the Holy Water and divine spells, it would still take him at least a month to recover.

Putting on clothes taken from the suitcase, Ramiro shook his head. This operation was too reckless and dangerous after all. He was almost caught by Hathaway.

Even someone who was used to immediate action like him still found this operation too bold in hindsight.

After he finished dressing, he took the suitcase and left the warehouse, heading towards the Radiance Church.

After he left, an ominous wind suddenly blew inside the silent warehouse. A creepy, creaky, barely audible voice said, "obtain Maskelyne's Protective Charm… I'd like to see if he would have some interesting interactions with the mysterious existence…"

...

Ramiro received his orders promptly upon returning to the Radiance Church.

"By the Pope's decree: The upper third of high-rank clergies, the top 200 night watchers, half of the radiant or higher-level knights of each country are to enter the New World."

Chapter 466: Secret Praying Congress

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Thick dark clouds blocked out the sky. The streets were enveloped in darkness by dusk. Many were hurrying home. Regardless of the time or era, save for a few individuals, being drenched in rain was not considered a pleasant experience. It was especially the case in parts where medical treatments were absent or lacking, for catching a cold could often spell death.

The passersby were all wearing linen clothes of a similar gray color, absent in variation of color or styles. Only the occasional patrol soldiers stood out from the crowd. The bronze breast and shin plates together with the iron-black swords and spears equipped them with an air of toughness.

With his entire body wrapped in a linen robe, Lucien tailed behind a middle-aged man whose pace altered frequently. The man weaved between alleyways and main roads, just like every other ordinary passerby.

The sky grew darker, and winds began howling. A storm would come at any moment. The patrolling soldiers had no choice but to speed up their march towards the camp within the city walls.

Stopping in front of a stone two-story building, the middle-aged man surveyed his surroundings cautiously. Only after confirming that no one was paying attention in his direction did he knock gently on the walnut wood door with a peculiar rhythm: first twice on the center of the door, followed by thrice on the left near where the door would pivot, and finished with once on the lock. Each part produced a different sound.

After a ten-second silence, a hole suddenly appeared on the door, and a light-brown eye peered from it.

The middle-aged man took a step back, making sure that the gray rose on the corner of his shirt was clearly visible to the eye.

The image was so unobvious that unless one had known about it beforehand, he would never be able to spot it.

Lucien also adjusted his posture such that his "gray rose" stood out.

The brown eye blinked and vanished behind the door. Then, the walnut door opened slowly, and a midget-like hunchbacked man said in a low voice, "Respected initiators, 'Crown' is waiting for you."

The middle-aged man took the lead and entered the room swiftly, his gaze signaling Lucien to follow.

Lucien was not as agile and alert as the middle-aged man. He pushed the doors open with a smile and entered the room leisurely as if it was a normal visit to an ordinary friend.

The middle-aged man nodded his head ever so slightly after witnessing Lucien's performance.

After the night watcher assassin forced Lucien into the Portal, the teleportation was disrupted due to the self-explosion attack on the gate, and Lucien was thrown into this baffling city "Politown". Furthermore, as Lucien had separated from the protection of the Portal during the final stage of the teleportation, he was affected seriously by space turbulence. Not only was his body severely hurt, but his spirit was now also very weak. He was only at the level of ordinary knights and middle-rank sorcerers. His equipment had also taken damage during the space storm, and required repair before they could be used again.

However, Lucien was rather lucky: He had neither run into any high-ranking godhood personnel and the Grand Cardinal of the Church nor into false gods or monsters. Instead, He had been taken in by a kind-hearted old man named Norton. After two months of recovery, his magic power and knight standard had recovered.

The only problem remained was that the magic items that he had equipped at the time required special materials to repair. Of course, the legendary Sun's Corona and the ninth-level Sun Staff were protected by their tier-corresponding magic and were undamaged.

Frost Freeze, Pale Justice, Transformation Mask, and the other items in the storage bag were also undamaged. Even Norton only saw the transformed ordinary-human appearance of Lucien.

In the past two months, Lucien had not run into any sorcerer or the Saint Truth personnel, neither had he managed to obtain any relevant information. It appeared that they were far from the city, far enough that even rumors about the incident were nonexistent. If he had not felt the strange, omnipresent sensation suppressing spiritual power that Fernando mentioned about, Lucien would suspect that he had entered a different alternate dimension.

According to the old man Norton, Lucien came to know that Politown was situated at the shores of ocean Erdo, and was the heart of the Erdo peninsula's politics and economy.

In the beginning, the indigenous Barril people ruled over this land. They built the Barril empire and worshipped the "the Lord of Fire and Destruction" Avando. However, a hundred years ago, the massive Angornorma Empire attacked from across the sea and conquered the land. Avando was also defeated and exiled by "The Lord of War" Antanas, who was worshipped by the Empire.

Seeking to crumble the foundation of faith of the Barril people, Angornorma's Servants of God spread the word that Avando had been killed.

The Erdo Governor-Generals appointed by the Angornorma Empire had always ruled with cruelty and treated the Barrils as slaves. As such, the island was rife with war. Rebels who claimed that they were blessed by Avando and those who started worshiping other gods waged war frequently. However, due to the strength of the Angornorma empire, coupled with their horrifying "God", the uprisings were quelled time and again.

This should have mattered little to Lucien as he was, with great caution not to reveal himself, preparing to gather information about the surrounding geography and kingdoms in hope of finding traces about the Congress of Magic. After all, sufficient preparation would guarantee a safe journey — The strange sensation that suppressed spiritual power suppressed Electromagnetism Message as well, and Lucien estimated that effective communication could only be established within a range of ten kilometers.

Thus, Lucien would not dare to venture out without precise information. Who knows if he would run straight into the Saint Truth personnel or lands ruled by the vampires. The Transformation Mask could fool your average Joe, but definitely not the Grand Cardinal personnel, not to mention the pope and Prince Dracula.

However, Norton, who was in the last phase of his life, seemed to have felt that Lucien performance in the past two months had steamrolled the youngsters and children that he had taken in. He was also convinced that Lucien was undoubtedly a faithful Barril by Lucien's mastery over the Barril tongue — The Angornorma empire had gone to great lengths to popularize their tongue, so unless taught since a young age and coupled with a longing for Barril's independence, no young man would be able to speak the Barril tongue with such fluency. As such, he decided to pass on his secret identity to Lucien before his death.

The identity was that of a high ranking member of the "Secret Praying Congress", the seventh apostle of the incarnation of the "Lord of Fire and Destruction".

Lucien was well aware that his mastery of the Barril tongue was entirely the credit of the magic spell Mastery of Languages. However, considering that information would be much easier to come by in an organization, he agreed. Due to the constant rebellions, Politown was under close surveillance of both the "Erdo Governor-General" and the "Lord of War Temple". Under such conditions, trying to fool with others' memories was unlikely to work well. Therefore, infiltrating into Angornorma's high ranking officers to find information could only be attempted once, as he would be at risk of being exposed if the matter drags on for more than a day.

Honestly, if it hadn't been for Norton's protection, Lucien would have faced many identity checks already. As for the Erdo Governor-General, rumors had it that he was a hybrid child of god and human, and was capable of using the "Strength of God" like the chief priest of the God of War Temple. It was equivalent to having two ordinary two level-nine red robes stationed there.

There were no crazy sorcerers nor bloodline knights in this world. However, the false gods often indulged in promiscuity and produced many offspring. These offspring were also equipped with qualities similar to that of bloodline knights.

Ordinary humans could only promote by becoming Servants of God and rise along the ranks of the priests. The army was only capable of dealing with ordinary folk and was helpless in the face of the divine-blood "heroes". Luckily, the divine-blooded were few in numbers, and the army was still useful in suppressing uprisings if things don't get too out of hand.

Following the fifth apostle "Anheuse", they passed through the great hall and arrived behind the building. As Anheuse opened a secret passage that revealed a staircase leading up, Lucien looked on detachedly as he pondered if he should find a chance and research on this incarnation of "The Lord of Fire and Destruction". It was the first time that he encountered the incarnation of a False God, and it would be a prime opportunity to obtain first-hand information. This was also one of the main reasons why he decided to join this "Secret Praying Congress".

The staircase looked like it would lead them straight to the ceiling. However, Anheuse stopped abruptly when they were halfway up and opened yet another hidden door. The staircase that appeared this time led downwards.

The two proceeded in silence for a substantial amount of time before finally arriving in front of a bronze door. The door was covered in all kinds of strange flame patterns.

His hand placed on one of the flame patterns, Anheuse's entire body radiated a red light. Then he pushed open the bronze door forcefully.

Beyond the door was a hall filled with a row of lit braziers. It was rather bare save for the stone pillars and a round table at its center.

There were 13 chairs around the table, one of which was gold and embedded with rubies. No one had occupied it yet. At both sides of the gold chair were 6 silver chairs, which were also decorated with similar flame patterns.

Five out of the twelve silver chairs had been occupied. An ashen-haired old man with a full beard looked at Lucien and said, "According to Norton's recommendation before he passed away, the great God of Flame and Destruction had prophesized that you, Leviathan, would be the seventh apostle."

Leviathan was Lucien's alias.

"However, you have not yet demonstrated any power nor made any sacrifice for the god. In the coming year, we will examine you. Only after passing the tests will you be granted the 'Seed of Spirit' and receive extraordinary power."

"Understood." Lucien was immediately curious about this "Seed of Spirit". Could this be the key to deciphering the secrets of the divine spells? Should he capture the apostles or the "Lord of Fire and Destruction" for research?

After the old man finished his piece, he glanced at Lucien. "Have a seat. We will carry out the Flame Baptism for you in a while. As for now, we have more urgent matters to tend to."

"What matters?" Anheuse had thought that they had gathered for the sole purpose of carrying out the Flame Baptism for the seventh apostle.

"It's about our path in the future, about how to let the god recover completely". The old man, who was the first apostle Jacob, said in a low voice.

Chapter 467: The Guest

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Anheuse stole a glance at Lucien. He was uncomfortable with the idea of discussing matters of such importance in the presence of Leviathan, who had only just become the Secret Praying Congress' seventh apostle. For all they know, he could be a spy sent by the evil god Antanas, looking for the whereabouts of the God of Flame and Destruction. They should have waited for him to pass the one year trial period and made sure that nothing was amiss about him before allowing him to participate in the discussion of core matters.

Members of the Secret Praying Congress were extremely cautious in Politown, for those who weren't were all already died, some even brought serious loss to the Secret Praying Congress.

"Why are we suddenly discussing this? I remember that the previous plan 'Missionary' had only recently been confirmed?" Anheuse looked at Jacob solemnly.

Jacob pressed the gray rose pattern on the corner of his shirt and replied in a low voice, "this is the direct order of 'Crown'. We shall wait for him in silence."

"Crown" was the Secret Praying Congress' leader, the Lord of Fire and Destruction's divine son, and the one claiming to be His incarnation. The father and son shared a body. As for apostles like Lucien, they were known as "initiators", those spreading the wisdom of religious discipline.

Anheuse's expressions finally relaxed, and he sat down on a chair on which the flame patterns formed the word "five" in Barril tongue. Some apostles looked at Lucien with caution, while others did so with scrutiny or indifference. Lucien mirrored Anheuse's actions and found himself the silver chair with the pattern "seven". He appeared as if he had been at his own home.

"Leviathan, Norton has spread the word that you have great strength, on par with the worst of the divine-blooded. Is that true?" A mess of white beard covered Jacob's face, making his expressions hard to read.

The other apostles stared at the dark red round table, as though they had not heard Jacob's question, nor were they waiting for Lucien's answer. Though strength of this degree was rare among humans, it was not unprecedented. Being on par with the worst divine-blooded also referred solely to raw strength. As soon as the divine-blooded used the "Supernatural Power" of their bloodline, they cast miraculous spells and control nature itself. A human with super strength would then fare no better than a normal human, and death would follow swiftly.

Black hair and black eyes, Lucien's appearance was that of an ordinary Barril man. He replied with a smile, "I have not fought with any divine-blooded yet and thus can't say how I fare against them. However, it is enough to deal with common monsters."

Lucien had claimed that his injury was the result of an encounter with a terrifying monster in the wild and that he had escaped only due to his natural strength. Norton, who was only capable of using spell-like abilities, was amazed by the knight's strength. This could be one of the reasons why he recommended Lucien to become the seventh apostle.

Jacob's back straightened, but there was no change in his gaze nor his tone of voice. "Then your future Seed of Spirit might lean towards that direction. Strength to crumble city walls, skin tough enough to withstand sword and spear, as well as immense speed. Just like that of the fiend Antanas before he killed his father."

According to Angornorma's legends, The Lord of War Antanas was the son of the Lord of Sky. He was a demigod of boundless strength; Even the sharpest blade could leave only scratches on him. Despite slaying the nine great monsters terrorizing the empire, he was blamed by the Lord of Sky. As such, he rebelled and killed his father, and rose to the main god of the Angonormanian pantheon.

"However, you need to use your strength to serve the great Lord of Fire and Destruction before you can attain such power," said Jacob before Lucien could respond. Jacob had said similar pieces to all new members of the Secret Praying Congress, those who had yet to receive the Seed of Spirit.

Suddenly, the secret hall was filled with the air of heat and destruction, as though a fire had befallen.

Jacob rose from his seat. He placed his hand over his chest and lowered his head. "Welcome, Crown."

The other apostles followed suit. Lucien did likewise while judging the power of the "Crown" at the same time. If "Crown" had released his aura without restraint to intimidate the initiators, then his strength was about level seven. However, his aura was extremely strange — It was not a suppression of spiritual power, or willpower domination, or even divine pressure. In fact, it felt like a mix of the three. Nothing about it was outstanding.

False God, incarnation, son of god… Lucien secretly thought that things are getting more and more interesting by the minute

For Lucien, the main goal of joining the Secret Praying Congress was to gather information and to avoid danger. Research had only been a secondary motive. However, the things that he had been exposed to kept tugging at his arcanist instincts. He found himself wanting to actively participate in the matters of the Secret Praying Congress.

Meanwhile, Lucien calculated in his mind: If "Crown" really is the sole incarnation of the Lord of Fire and Destruction, then the false god's level should be at eight. For the Lord of War to allow him to escape, it appears that the Lord of War is not yet of the legendary level. Probably at the peak of level nine.

In the early phases of the War of Dawn, the sorcerers that survived the massacre of the Saint Truth Church did not know much about the false gods. But with the rise of Thanatos Vicente Miranda, the congress later obtained much information on the false gods from the South Church

Despite having limited knowledge about the false gods due to his limited access, Lucien knew enough to know that false gods were capable of using their power to create incarnations. The incarnations will peak at a power one level lower than that of the original, and their numbers were limited at two. If more incarnations were to be created, their power level would need to be lowered.

Since the Secret Praying Congress had claimed that they were the main group worshipping Lord of Fire and Destruction, Lucien deduced that this incarnation of Avando was of the strongest type.

A young beautiful raven-haired man appeared from the shadows of the stone hall. He donned a pure white robe, and an olive garland sat on his head. The phantom flame covering his exposed skin gave his muscles a sense of beauty and strength.

Judging from the appearance, Lucien deduced that this incarnation was skilled at physical combat and equipped with some level of knowledge about magic. His skill set should be similar to a knight. Or rather, similar to a powerful demon from Hell.

"Crown" Ell looked at the seven apostles present and sat on the gold chair. He then lowered his right hand, signaling the apostles to sit.

"Our kingdom has been taken over by fiend, and our children hurt by the heretics. The number of those who stand with use is dwindling by the minute. Yet we still cling onto our bloodline and our Father. Hence our successors, devout young men, have continued to arrive. Leviathan, we hope that you can guard the gate of the Divine Mountain and spread the name of our god to fellow Barril men."

Ell had acknowledged Lucien as the seventh apostle. After all, Erdo was under the strict control of Angonorma, and talents were hard to come by.

After Lucien saluted and thanked him, Ell said to the seven apostles, "I have gathered you to discuss the future. You should have noticed that the rebellions have dwindled, as are Barril men who place their faith in God the Father. Let me hear what you have to say about this."

"They had forgotten about the majesty of the gods, and no longer fear fire and destruction. We must make them remember the fear that had been etched in their soul, make them remember the Fire Cleansing that will come. Only then will they fight for the great Avando." Anheuse said sternly.

After seeing that the other apostles all agreed to Anheuse's opinion, Lucien shook his head lightly. It appeared that this Secret Praying Congress was still rather primitive, relying solely on fear to spread their religion rather than combining with redemption and hope. It was not suited to the current times. If they continue with this method, their followers would only grow fewer until they are eventually eliminated by the Angonorma.

Ell's eyes seemed to dance with fire. He said in a low voice, "it is our duty to spread the majesty of God the Father. However, I believe that it's time we changed the method by which we do so."

Lucien and the other apostles looked towards Ell. While others were confused, Lucien wondered if Ell was considering new ways of popularizing their religion.

Ell said passionately, "as of now, His children and ministers are suffering under the rule of the heretics. Fear would no longer bring us to their heart. What they need is salvation, a way out from the sufferings. We need to tell them they don't need to fear death, where eternal peace and happiness awaited them in the Divine Mountain of God; Tell them that their sacrifice will help to build a Divine Kingdom free of war, killing, fear, and hatred for their offspring; Tell them only such Divine Kingdoms would escape the wrath of the Fire Cleansing.

"Of course, those who betrayed God the Father must be punished. After just judgment, they would be exiled to the kingdom of the dead to endure unimaginable suffering.

"God the Father will not only watch over the Barril. He is empathetic, benevolent, and willing to accept any race that is willing to place their faith in him."

Lucien was stunned by Ell's words. These were concepts of mature religion. It evolved from that of a god reigning over a race or region towards a more abstract and encompassing god. Could it be revelations from the previous failure?

"But the great Lord of Fire's domain does not include salvation, peace, or judgment," Jacob asked, puzzled. For the Barrils and Angonormians, different gods were in charge of different things, and there was no single omnipotent god.

The fire in Ell's eyes lit up. "God the Father's godhood was compromised as he had parted his power to other gods when he created them. However, the other gods had betrayed him in this war and caused his defeat. He thus decided to wage war on them and reclaim his godhood. If he manages to return to his initial state before he created everything, he would be able to defeat the fiend Antanas."

Not only did he explain why the God of Fire and Destruction who created the world in the legends was defeated, but he also gave them a direction — to unite the forces within the pantheon.

"Right, the gods who betrayed the God of Fire also divided Barril. Respected 'Crown', who shall be our first target?" Anheuse was very much in agreement with Ell's idea, possibly due to anger towards followers of other gods.

Ell replied coldly, "Asin, the God of Moon".

The God of Moon… Lucien suddenly felt something was amiss.

Ell suddenly stood up. "God the Father has made this decision merit of a philosopher from the east."

He turned and said, "Mr. Francis, please advise the details as to how we should proceed."

Francis? Lucien frowned slightly. Another man with black hair and eyes appeared from where Ell did earlier. He had a slender frame and his face was soft. He carried a sword on his back and wore a loose white robe similar to Ell's.

Chapter 468: The Mysterious "Philosopher"

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"A philosopher from the eastern kingdoms?" The first apostle Jacob looked at Francis, confused.

Jacob wasn't questioning this philosopher's abilities or background — He had passed Avando's test and won "Crown" Ell's trust. Jacob had raised the question hoping to learn more to make a better judgment about Francis' proposal. After all, he was the Secret Praying Congress' main leader.

The other apostles shared similar concerns. Even Lucien bore a similar expression.

The situation of this world is rather special. False gods, including those that have Moon as part of their domain, are plenty. When the authentic God of the Silver Moon, Alterna, fell to this world, She would be attracted to those whose godhood is similar to hers. It was possible that she would try to reclaim her powers from them. After all, She was also the Primordial Ancestor of the Vampires and was able to harness blood and godhood.

The Congress of Magic's understanding of divine powers was extremely underdeveloped and Lucien's descriptions were largely borrowed from the Church. He had only a vague idea of what terms like "domain" and "godhood" referred to, but was unclear to what they were exactly.

With this in mind, Lucien thought to himself that if there are no better methods of finding the Alterna, one effective way to locate Her would be to control and monitor the false gods whose duties were related to the moon.

As for Francis, Lucien wondered which church was he from. He could be from the North Church, the South Church, or the Church of the false gods in the Northwest of the Dark Mountain Range. He could also be from the Congress of Magic or the Dark Congress… The only thing to be sure of was that he's definitely not a Druid or an elf.

Ell's words about a mature religious concept did not make identifying Francis' identity any easier, for Lucien was able to spew similar sentiments himself. If Francis was from one of the Churches, then helping the false gods revolutionize their religion seemed to conflict his own faith. However, for members of the Church's upper echelon and the high-ranking night watchers, it wouldn't be too big a deal to slightly bend one's faith for matters important as finding the God of Silver Moon.

Thinking about this, Lucien grew cautious and alert. Most of his magical items were damaged, and he would be disadvantaged in a long, drawn-out fight. It was also unknown whether Francis had any allies nearby.

Ell pointed at Francis and smiled. 'Mr. Francis had come from an oasis in the eastern desert. He has done extensive research on philosophy, divinity, and occultism. One night, he witnessed a star glow curiously bright for a short while before swiftly returning to normal. It symbolized the rising of God the Father, and Mr. Francis thus came to Erdo to pay religious homage and establish communications.

This quack… Lucien swore under his breath. His suspicion about Francis was growing by the minute. The astrological phenomenon that he had described was one indicating the fall of an "old god" for a new one to take its place. It had nothing to do with the rise of Avando.

Was he simply making things up or had he said it deliberately to taunt Avando and Ell who clearly knew nothing about Astrology?

Francis sat down on one of the silver chairs. Still wearing that faint smile, he looked at the apostles and said, "the great God of Fire and Destruction is no longer worshiped by Barrils, not only because the way of preaching was problematic but also was He indeed defeated by Antanas. The Barrils who had feared Avando realized that the God of Fire and Destruction was weaker than they had imagined."

"That's because the other gods betrayed Him!" The second apostle said loudly. He was unwilling to accept that the God of Fire Avando who was able to destroy the world was defeated.

Francis laid back into his chair leisurely. "Regardless, He was defeated. For the gods, defeat is even worse than death. As such, I suggest that we forget about Avando's image of the past, and embrace a new method of preaching. We can say that from the flames of destruction, Ell the Savior was born. The previous failure of Avando was only a test for His followers. Those who failed to pass the test must repent devoutly, for only then will they receive redemption from Ell and harvest on the fertile lands after the fire.

"It will be a new god — Ell, the God of Revival, Fertility, and Redemption. He will then gradually embody traits of Avando and assume the domain of Fire and Destruction. Then the followers will understand that Ell is Avando and vice versa. The two of them will be able to become a truly powerful god when They become one.

"Anything that happens after can also be explained as simply another test of god."

The six apostles around the round table fell silent. Francis' plan made sense. However, writing anything off as the test of the gods sounded rather blasphemous.

On the other hand, Lucien noticed that Francis delivered his words with no sarcasm but rather with an air of fanaticism, which made his words very convincing.

Lucien was more and more convinced that Francis was a "visitor" from the main material world. He wondered if Francis was really that great of an actor, or was he seeking the God of the Silver Moon for other motives.

The apostles remained in silence. Francis stood up, placed his hand on his chest, and saluted Ell.

"We mortals are incapable of truly understanding the minds of god. If anything goes wrong, it must mean that we have failed to understand enough and neglected His test.

"God has been around since the dawn of time and will continue to exist forever. God does not require our worship. However, we need to worship god for redemption.

"God represents truth, virtue, redemption, and every other positive value. He is the only true god in charge of everything!"

Ell's expression became slightly excited upon hearing those words. The flames in his eyes danced even fiercer. Francis' altered religious doctrine elevated his "divine throne" dramatically such that he was now distinct from the false gods that walked among mortals, which made it easier for followers to worship him wholeheartedly.

"Isn't this the latest edition of the Church's explanation of divinity?" Lucien silently cringed.

The Saint Truth needed to be on top of the advancements in arcana, as did arcanists require knowledge on divinity. Both sides knew well of the power of knowing their enemy.

This made it even harder for Lucien to determine Francis' identity. Ironically, the chances that Francis is a member of the Saint Truth is the smallest. Even the pope would be accused of blasphemy had he applied the Saint Truth's religious doctrine on false gods, unless he had ulterior motives.

"Great God of Revival, Fertility, and Redemption, please accept our faith and pardon our sins. Save us from this tainted world." Jacob, the most experienced preacher was the first to recognize what they should do. He immediately started worshiping Ell and accepted the new "God of Fire and Destruction" on behalf of the other apostles.

Ell nodded contently. "My godhood has been passed onto me by God the Father, but it is still weak. We must wave war on the other False Gods who have similar domains to strengthen it. The God of Moon Asin bears the duty of immortality, fertility, and peace. It is intrinsically tied to Resurrection, Fertility, and Redemption. He shall be out first target."

Ell no longer viewed Asin as a god.

"Asin had betrayed the great Avando in the war against the fiend Antanas. She is currently spreading her religion at the Solna river valley. Other gods who also betrayed Avando are competing with her for the limited resource of faith. Fearing the great Avando's revenge, their divine realms are ever more elusive. Our chances of winning, even with the great Avando at our side, are slim if we were to fight them in their own realm." Anheuse frequently preached in the outside world and was very familiar with the state of the world.

Their blatant thirst for faith resource made Lucien ponder over the origin of divine powers. Lucien wondered if the source of divinity is indeed the power of faith, then does it mean that mental power exists or does it mean that mental power is a special form of spiritual power with a special frequency.

Francis smiled. "God of Moon Asin's guard would be lowered if he faces Ell under the title of the God of Revival, Fertility, and Redemption. On my way here, I learned that there will be a divinity debate taking place in the Solana river valley, where the temples could attract followers by boasting about the capabilities of the one's god. Those who fail would be exiled from the river valley. The priest of the fiend Antanas would be there too. He seeks to 'convert' the false gods there to true members of the Angonormanian pantheon.

"We shall participate under the name of a new religion. During the debate, try to agitate Asin and lead him to the ambush."

Ell nodded. "Let's do what Mr. Francis says. When the time comes, Francis, Jacob, and I will kill Asin easily outside of his realm."

"Mr. Francis too?" Jacob asked in surprise.

He was the leader of the apostle and received the most powerful "Seed of Spirit" from Avando, which was equivalent to the total of the other apostles. His strength was about level six, equivalent. What made Francis worthy to fight alongside him?

Francis smiled. "I was once blessed by the great true god. I managed to run into the death of a Hydra who had strength on par with false gods. After bathing in its blood and devouring its heart, I too have obtained strength akin to that of the divine-blooded."

Bloodline knight? Despite the lie, Lucien understood what Francis was trying to get across and thought that if this was the case, he could not be a member of the Congress of Magic.

There were no bloodline knights in the Congress of Magic.

Jacob was taken aback and ceased his questioning to Francis. He turned to the other apostles. "Leviathan, it's time for you to serve. Since you have yet to come into contact with other religions, you can represent the God of Revival, Fertility, and Redemption. Anheuse shall aid you…"

"I will accompany you there too. It would be otherwise hard to win the debate and agitate Asin for someone untrained like you." Francis added.