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Chapter 501: Life and Death

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Inside a dark forest that seemed far away from Death Valley but in fact was very close to it in a straight line.

Lucien and Natasha observed the sky that was blocked by clouds through the leaves. There were neither stars nor the silver moon tonight. One could barely see one's own fingers. The deepest fear and panic were brewing.

"Our zone of activity has been minimized. It seems that we need to return to Death Valley." Leaning against a tree, Natasha sighed at the horizon with Lucien next to her. "It's almost dawn. Aunt Camil should've arrived at the Metarin oasis. It's a pity that we have to wait another day before reinforcements arrive. I wonder if we will ever see the sunrise again?"

The two of them were caught by Congus approximately one day later. Then, they killed him and forced him to spend more than one and a half days to rebuild his body and return to the main material world. After that, they had hidden themselves around Death Valley for more than half a day. Therefore, it had been more than three days since they left Camil. Even taking the time of her recovery into consideration, she should've already arrived at the Metarin oasis.

"We will certainly see the sunrise together." No frustration could be found on Lucien's face. The more dangerous there was, the more determined he would be. His face was beaming with a hopeful, gentle smile.

Natasha was the same kind of person. She soon grasped her longsword, as resolute and confident as ever.

She looked at Lucien's left hand with a smile. "After the morning outbreak, the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls must've been controlled by the silver moon. The frequency of loss of control is getting lower and lower. Perhaps, it will be one day later next time. If we can get away from Demigod-lich this time, he will not necessarily be able to find us again, even if we do nothing but hide.

At dawn, the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls had the greatest rampage so far. Not only was Lucien frozen, but even Natasha, who was next to him, was also affected. She felt that two years had passed. Thankfully, it was only two minutes in reality, and no other accidents happened. Ever since then, the gap between loss of control was longer and longer, and the last loss of control was in the morning, which exposed their location and allowed Congus to reduce their range of activities.

"Alterna said that the most ferocious phase of a counterattack has passed. Next, it's time to digest the cake. However, isn't the mysterious existence of the World of Souls slightly weak? Even though he hasn't restored his consciousness, he is still rather vulnerable since he is absorbed by an existence of the same level in only seven days." Lucien expressed his confusion.

Natasha sniffed, "Is that so? If he persists for a few more days, we would be sent to the World of Souls by Congus as specters. Alterna definitely knows more about demigod stuff than you do. If she says that it's fine, there shouldn't be a problem."

Lucien was about to reply, when the last light in the forest went out. It sank into the purest darkness.

"Stop hiding. Come on out obediently, and I'll grant you peace after your death." Congus's voice that sounded like the frigid wind in hell came from the other side of the dark forest. "How much longer do you think you can hide?"

"He is less than a thousand meters from us." Lucien and Natasha looked at each other. They left the tree quietly and returned to Death Valley according to the planned route. They detoured on their way back in order to avoid the whole mountain of spectral slaves.

The scene around them was a vivid demonstration of 'scourge of the dead'.

Congus sneered, "I know that you are hoping that 'Blue Tide' has already arrived at the Metarin oasis and informed the old pervert Storm and Hathaway to rescue you. However, do you think I'm such an idiotic and imprudent person?"

Natasha came to an abrupt halt, her face pale. Aunt Camil?

"It's alright. If Aunt Camil were killed or captured by him, he would've shown it to us to sway us." Lucien patted Natasha's shoulder and comforted her gently.

Natasha soon realized it and regained her resolution. She nodded at Lucien and sped up.

Congus' voice got closer and closer. "While I was in too much of a hurry to catch you two rats to deal with 'Blue Tide', I changed the contact in the Metarin oasis into my loyal subordinate. Rehau has always been a secret student of mine. Do you think your cry for help can be delivered to the other side of the ocean?"

Lucien's face slightly changed. It had been more than two months since Congus started to monitor him. He must've made arrangements regarding everything. However, while he lost that hope, he was still far away from desperation. Just like what Natasha said just now, if they could get rid of him this time, the remains of the mysterious existence would not run out of control easily, and they would be safe again. By the time Alterna recovered, the roles of the hunter and the hunted would be swapped.

Natasha took a breath in relief. She said to Lucien in the telepathic bond with a smile, "He indeed failed to capture Aunt Camil. Since Grandma Hathaway and the Lord of Storm asked me in private to search for you in the areas under the control of the church, they must've sent secret contacts specifically."

That's good. Lucien put on a smile, too.

Having no doubt that the two of them were around, Congus intimidated them with words and suddenly turned into grey smoke that was filled with countless weird bugs.

The bugs were of the same color as the smoke, but their heads were twisted human faces, which were so illusory that they seemed to be made of souls. Humming, they spread out of the grey mist and soon covered the area. In less than twenty seconds, they finished the search in the area. Then, the smoke floated forward and covered a new area.

Seeing that, Lucien and Natasha accelerated again. They passed through a secret cave and returned to the entrance of Death Valley. Leaving blurred shadows behind, they rushed into the valley.

"Hum! Hum! Hum!" The upsetting noises of bugs suddenly echoed.

"Crap!" Lucien secretly exclaimed. He hurried to hold Natasha next to him with his left hand. Then, both of them blinked and disappeared.

The legendary sorcerer had too many uncanny methods. He had discovered the two of them in advance!

A green ray shot where the two of them were previously at only one second late. The stones, the mud and the plants all turned into green spots of light, and a gigantic pit that was enough to bury dozens of people appeared.

Congus cackled. "Got you two rats! Let's see how you get away this time!"

His voice was brimming with intense hatred. It was the greatest humiliation that a Demigod-lich could be killed once by two 'kiddos' who hadn't even reached the ninth circle!

Teleporting into Death Valley, Lucien and Natasha went at full speed and swooshed past the deep darkness, arriving at the area that they had prepared in advance.

"A divine domain?" Congus floated above Death Valley instead of acting recklessly this time. "You want to team up with a fake god to deal with me, and to weaken and restrain me with the enhancement of the divine domain and the magic circles you set up in advance?"

"Hehe. Let me show you what a sorcerer should be like!"

Congus raised his hands, and seven minor meteorites fell from the sky surrounded by fire. Illuminating the dark night, they smashed into Death Valley.

"Damn it! A massive attack!" While Lucien was braced for it, he was still shocked by Congus' cautiousness and decisiveness this time and cursed. In the telepathic bond, Natasha exclaimed in ways not expected of a 'lady', too.

"Hide!" Lucien and Natasha rushed to the place they prepared, while they asked Ell and the fake angels under their control to dodge.

The meteorites almost hit Death Valley at the same time. Under the stimulation, divine defenses immediately showed up, but they were soon shattered by the Meteor Swarm. After the attack, the defense of the divine domain was already ragged.

However, Congus did not stop. He raised his hands again, and another seven meteorites fell simultaneously.

Time seemed to have slightly halted. After a boom, a minor mushroom cloud rose from the valley. The overwhelming smoke deprived the area within several hundred kilometers of their original colors.

Inside the divine domain, the city decorated in agates and jade was half-collapsed by the blast. The parts that were directly hit were even razed to the ground. The vines that had blocked the sky in the past were broken and burnt. The pure souls and angels were blown away by the wild wind, not to be seen again. The holy halo was eclipsed by the rampant dust. The magic circles deployed in advance were riddled with holes, and dilapidated walls were the only things that could be seen.

It was not until five consecutive 'Meteor Swarms' that Demigod-lich Congus descended and searched for Lucien and Natasha.

Below the ground of the divine domain, Lucien and Natasha hid inside a 'fortress' while they listened to the incessant collisions outside.

"Thankfully, you prepared this bomb shelter in advance." Sensing the violent quakes and the dust that was sprinkling from the ceiling, Natasha raised her thumb at Lucien.

Lucien smiled and said wisely, "It is common sense to be prepared for air raids. It's good that they are just small meteorites."

"But the magic traps you set up have been rendered useless." Natasha looked rather solemn.

Lucien nodded his head. "Most of them, yes. However, a tiny proportion of them are rooted in the divine domain, which will not be completely destroyed as long as Ell is not dead. I hope that some of them are still functional."

The explosions outside stopped. Lucien hurried to reach out to Ell and confirm their location for the upcoming counterattack.

Congus landed inside Death Valley. Looking at the messy ruins, he searched for Lucien and Natasha through magic methods. In the meantime, since the holy halo was not entirely gone, he was aware that the master of the divine domain hadn't perished yet, and therefore was even more vigilant.

The 'mosquitoes of souls' flew out of him and spread out. Suddenly, a shadow rushed out of a collapsed building, with a common longsword in her hands.

Reflecting the fire and the holy halo nearby, the longsword carried the air of divinity, and the shadow seemed to have been melded with the longsword. Surrounded by two illusionary gaps, she slashed at Congus.

Congus did not use legendary magic that required the cooperation of short spells, in case the master of the divine domain attacked him with his ring when he cast the spells. He raised his hands, and all of the colors around Natasha faded away, replaced by the greyness of the void. Natasha's movement was halted under 'Time Stop', her longsword frozen in midair.

When Congus was about to extract Natasha's soul, another person rose from behind his back. He had the Sun Staff in his right hand, preparing to 'lock' Natasha in the maze when necessary, and his left hand was emitting silver brilliance as it was raised high at the enemy.

"You are going to cheat again?" Ignoring the air of the silver moon on Lucien's left hand, and not bothering with Natasha who was in the zone of 'Time Stop', Congus summoned a void-like black ball in front of his skull. Unleashing the greatest horror, it was about to be shot at Lucien.

It was Orb of Ultimate Destruction, a ninth-circle magic!

"He is not using any legendary magic. He is truly wary of Ell." Delighted, Lucien instructed Ell to attack.

However, there was no response to his command.

Chapter 502: Grand Entrance

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

"No response?"

"Something is indeed wrong!"

Apart from shock, Lucien couldn't help but feel that he had seen it coming. It was like something long-expected finally took place, or the other boot on the upper floor finally hit the ground.

Not trying to call again, and not wasting any more time, Lucien decisively commanded the 'Angel of Lightning and Thunder' who was hiding in another bomb shelter to attack!

When he said that it was in case of accidents, he meant the accident of when Ell went wrong!

The Orb of Destruction that seemed able to create a void took shape. The two needle-like red spots on Congus' white skull stared at Lucien and locked onto him, making him feel coldness rising from the bottom of his heart.

Suddenly, another shadow flew out from Congus' left rear. He had six wings on his back and was surrounded by lightning and the holy halo. Attracting the remaining atmosphere in the divine domain, it seemed that he was the master of the divine domain.

As a fake Seraph, he was on the second tier in the divine domain and could execute part of Ell's power on his behalf!

No expression could be seen on Congus' white skull. The Orb of Destruction blinked and arrived next to Lucien, and he started chanting: "Spirit Confinement."

He had been wary that the master of the divine domain, who was close to level nine, would ambush him with 'Congus Ring', which had quite a few legendary magics on it!

"Spirit…" A complicated voice that almost overlapped with Congus' spell echoed following him, and massive magic waves emerged.

Having no time to check the 'master of the divine domain' who had been solidified into a statue, Congus discovered in shock that Lucien had a black, weird ring on his right hand, which looked so familiar.

"He has just advanced into the senior rank. How can his cognitive world be substantialized?"

"How is it possible?"

For a moment, Congus felt that his soul and his cognitive world were collapsing. It completely violated his common sense!

"… Confinement!" As the weird spell ended, Lucien's spiritual power flooded into the 'Congus Ring' incessantly like a river that had just broken the dam. On the other hand, the moment the Orb of Destruction hit the target, the trigger was activated, teleporting him to the other side of the battlefield. He was away from the confinement, and he watched the ruins turned into destructive black.

Illusionary souls appeared around Congus, trying to crawl into his body. Immediately, the two needle-like red spots on Congus' face were frozen. As a result, the area of 'Time Stop' collapsed, and Natasha was normal again. In the next second, she did not bother to look at Congus but simply slashed at a certain corner in the ruins.

Out of nowhere, feeble magic waves spread out from the white skeleton enshrouded by souls. Congus vanished and blinked to a corner not far away. He freed himself from the illusionary souls that hadn't really slithered in, but his forehead was greeted precisely by Pale Justice!

It was an estimation and a plan that Lucien made according to the effect of 'Brief Blink'. When the other places were occupied by the holy air of the divine domain, there was an 80% chance that the spectres would choose this corner to hide in!

Congus, who was briefly affected by 'Spirit Confinement', did not have any thinking ability, and could only count on his instincts!

A firm and gentle hue popped up on the longsword, surrounded by two illusionary, horrifying gaps. Congus' black cape was abruptly cut, and his pure skeleton fell apart. The gold skull was broken into three pieces, with earsplitting howls echoing from the mouth.

However, right then, the skull revolved and got covered by the feeling of a twist of time and space.

When everything was settled, Congus was already gone, and Natasha had been blasted by the howls.

Despite using Pale Justice to block, she was still blown away by the terrifying soundwaves. She fell heavily, with blood on her lips. She was apparently heavily wounded.

"Chaos Teleportation… He's still not killed. Legendary Sorcerers are really hard to kill." Lucien's spiritual power was almost dry, and he could barely raise his hands. "Let's get out of here fast. Congus' capabilities are not really compromised."

The main body of the Demigod-lich was the gold skull. The skeleton was mainly meant to stabilize part of the magics. It was not a big deal even if the skeleton was lost. Therefore, Congus still had at least 95% of his strength left. After he returned, he would definitely vent his fury through legendary magics. Lucien, on the other hand, had run out of spiritual power, and Natasha was also heavily wounded. If they did not seize the opportunity to flee, there would be no chance of survival for them except for mutual destruction with the enemy.

Natasha did not say anything but wobbled to Lucien, helping him to get back on his feet. They were ready to leave Death Valley. Now, the loss of control of the mysterious existence was longer and longer. As long as they ran a thousand meters away before Congus returned, he wouldn't be able to locate the two of them as easily as before. Their chances of survival finally did not seem slim now!

"Although I'm heavily wounded, I can still keep this speed. As long as Congus' landing point is not very close, we will be safe." Natasha comforted Lucien in delight and observed the surroundings warily. She did not need Lucien to remind her to know that something was wrong with Ell after seeing that it was the Angel of Lightning and Thunder that was standing there stunned.

Hardly had she concluded her sentence when everything around them changed. The collapsed buildings were raised again, and the town decorated with agates and jades were as complete as yesterday. Pleasant hymns and overwhelming halos appeared again, decorating the place as if it were the real Mountain Paradise, although the pure souls and angels were nowhere to be seen again.

Ell flew out of a bomb shelter. Wearing an olive garland and a white robe, he smiled at Lucien and Natasha who raised her longsword. "One of you is out of spiritual power, and the other is heavily wounded. Even though you have a legendary ring and a longsword that's equal to legendary, you still cannot put up any resistance."

His vibe was unpredictable and intimidating. However, Natasha refused to wait to die. Gritting her teeth, she was about to wield her sword and attack.

Right then, Lucien secretly patted her arm and spoke in the telepathic bond, "Wait a moment. There's still a chance. Later, you will run backward as fast as you can. Don't look back."

"You want to die together with the enemy?" Natasha's voice was shivering.

Lucien smiled, "There are still chances that I may survive. Over the past few days, the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls have been greatly weakened. Even if Alterna completely lets go of it and attacks the enemy, chances are that my body will decay but I can hide my soul in the magic robe of the 'Immortal Throne'. The extraordinary item will never be corrupted so easily. I'll have to count on your help then. It's not a big deal for a sorcerer to change a body."

"But…" Natasha wanted to say something, because it was only Lucien's own deduction. If the power left in the remains was beyond his estimation, the item as well as his soul would be decayed together.

"There's no need to say anything. This solution has better odds than you fighting him. Isn't it obvious which option you should choose?" Lucien criticized Natasha's hesitation. "In my heart, you have always been a determined knight who makes decisions after ruling out emotional factors. Don't disappoint me."

Seeing the unusual rigorousness on Lucien's face, Natasha bit her lips and nodded hard. Her silver and purple eyes were covered with mist. Then, she slightly backed off and stood next to Lucien's right hand.

The conversation was conducted in the telepathic bond and did not take much time. At this moment, Ell floated not far away and said while looking at Lucien's left hand. "After I kill you, I will have plenty of time to return to the World of Souls before the Demigod-lich comes."

The World of Souls? Both Lucien and Natasha looked at him in astonishment.

Ell enjoyed their astonishment and burst into laughter. "Do you still not recognize who I am?"

Solid black, white and grey colors surfaced in both of his eyes.

"The mysterious existence of the World of Souls? You…" Lucien was surprised at first and then looked at his left hand. No wonder it was so weak. Had the largest portion secretly escaped to Ell?

Ell smiled, "Alterna's greatest mistake was that she did not foresee that part of my main consciousness had been awakened in advance. She was stalled by the power that I dropped. Until the power is fully absorbed, she will be swallowed if she gets distracted and attacks anyone. In the meantime, my current body is not bad at all. The power of faith is copious, allowing me to return to the ninth circle quickly. While I cannot deal with Demigod-lich for now, am I unable to deal with the two of you in your current states?"

"So, you can go to hell." Ell summoned the power of the divine domain. The holy halo was more dazzling than ever before. Because of the blockage of the body, it was in no conflict with the mysterious existence of the World of Souls at all.

Enhanced by the power of 'Mountain Paradise', and surrounded by the sacred light, he looked like the real God of Truth.

Lucien's heart became heavy. He began to discuss with Natasha about the time to run. In the meantime, he talked to Alterna and asked her to attack despite the risks.

Suddenly, the hymns and praises were thousands of times more magnificent, making Lucien and Natasha feel that their minds were cleansed. Ell, on the other hand, was stunned, but was still emitting the holy brilliance.

"What's wrong with him? Lucien asked in confusion.

Natasha shook her head cluelessly.

"Hehe, finally." A familiar voice came from the entrance of the Death Valley. Francis, in a plain robe, and with six illusionary wings, slowly walked in and watched 'Ell' zealously, as if he were appreciating a piece of artwork that he had just completed.

Natasha's eyes were frozen. "Francis, what have you done?"

Francis seemed overjoyed, and Lucien and Natasha posed no threats to him right now. Therefore, he replied rather cockily, "Faith is gathered according to different prayers, sublimating into godhood. You should know it already as 'Leviathan'."

"You know that?" Lucien did not expect that Francis would recognize him.

Francis laughed. "I did not see it, but it does not mean that none of the existences saw it. I only learnt it a few days back when I was heavily wounded by you."

After saying that, He continued his topic, "However, since godhood is the congregation of beliefs and represents the strongest desire of different souls, how can regular creatures bear it? The fake gods such as Ell, Avando, Asin and Antanas became more and more bigoted, extreme and crazy because of the influence of godhood. Countless people must've been crying and driving them in their heads. Therefore, for the fake gods, the higher they go and the more faith that they gather, the crazier and more dangerous they will be. Few fake gods can advance into the legendary realm."

"Does it have anything to do with what you are doing?" Seeing that Francis was so calm that he seemed to have forgotten that a Demigod-lich was returning, Lucien asked in confusion.

"Oh, I'm off the topic." Looking at Ell respectfully, Francis said, "If a fake god had the doctrines, clergy, rituals and prayers of the Lord, and his believers worshiped him as an omniscient and omnipotent being like the Lord, do you think that his godhood will be closer and closer to the Lord?"

"How can you invoke the Lord? What you are doing is pure blasphemy!" Natasha berated him more than angrily.

Francis burst into laughter. "How can it be blasphemy? What do you think will happen when his godhood is more and more like the Lord?"

Instead of waiting for Lucien and Natasha to reply, he turned around to Ell and said piously, "You are one, and everyone. You are the beginning, and the end. You are the moment, and forever."

Boom. The final step of the ritual seemed to have been finished. Infinite holy light burst out from Ell, suppressing the mysterious existence of the World of Souls inside his body. In the sky, the hollow and unpredictable hymns echoed again. A gigantic, illusionary cluster of light that was divided into seven layers surfaced uncannily. From the first to the fifth layer, there were holy spirits and angels, there were all kinds of musical instruments, and there was happiness and peace. On the sixth layer, there were six Seraphim, who were worshiping the indescribable brilliance on the seventh layer.

"Mountain Paradise…" Natasha found it hard to believe.

Lucien, on the other hand, was stunned.

As if attracted by the enormous force, Ell was more and more synchronized and alike with the light of the seventh layer. In the end, with the main consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls, he flew towards the infinite brilliance whose feet was embraced by an angel.

Francis declared frantically, "How can such an idiotic fake god resist the assimilation of the Almighty Lord?"

"What I have been worshiping and preaching has always been the Lord. How is it blasphemy?"

"Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Francis drew a cross on his chest devoutly, the vertical bar shorter and the horizontal bar longer!

Lucien, on the other hand, heard only one voice: "Welcome to FM XXX. This is God of Truth."

Chapter 503: "Hunter"

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Enshrouded in holy light, Ell had turned into a glittering ball that was projected to the seventh layer of 'Mountain Paradise' and melted into the infinite brilliance.

Natasha shook her head nonstop, overwhelmed as if she were the little girl whose mother had just passed away again. Her years of faith bordered on collapsing as she was faced with such a scene. Lucien's years of influence couldn't have amounted to the shock and desperation she had at this moment.

Facts were the most powerful weapons!

Lucien, vaguely knowing what was going on, managed to suppress the crazy roars in his head. Noticing Natasha's countenance, he suddenly had the bizarre idea that he should give Francis a great gift to thank him for his contributions to Lucien's happy life. Of course, that is, if he and Natasha could survive the disaster.

At this moment, while Lucien could not see his own face, he could absolutely imagine how fabulous it was. Shock, delight, confusion, panic, fear and all the other indescribable feelings were surging inside his heart like a tsunami.

Watching Ell being merged with 'God of Truth', Lucien suddenly discovered that the Saint Badge he wore quivered, and the source of divine power inside changed into 'God of Truth' without any resistance. It was not until this moment that Lucien understood why Francis was bold enough to accept the Seed of Spirit.

"Wait, the main consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls is still inside Ell's body. Will the God of Truth have indigestion? Will he explode and destroy the world?" Such an idea suddenly occurred to Lucien, who watched 'Mountain Paradise' with his mouth open. Did Francis know that Ell was possessed by the mysterious existence of the World of Souls? Somebody might get killed!

Hardly had the idea occurred to him when the infinite, obscure light on the seventh layer expanded abruptly, as if it was proving Lucien's speculation. He couldn't help but put on a bitter smile and leaned towards Natasha. Being killed by the self-detonation of 'God of Truth' seemed almost a kind of 'glory'. The future history of magic would probably record him in such a way: "This is a sorcerer who once slew a god, although he perished because of that, too."

A gentle breeze echoed. The dimmest piece of black, white and grey was spat out from the light. The monotonicity in him was broken and flew far away, and the projection of Mountain Paradise gradually faded.

"What a shame. They were not merged. Otherwise, I could've tried God's Arrival!" Francis watched the scene as zealously as before,

Try God's Arrival? With your capabilities, I'm afraid that your body and your soul will fall out on the spot. Lucien secretly laughed at him, but he was even more grave. Francis did know that the main consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls was hidden inside Ell's body. He was even more mysterious than they imagined. Would Lucien's suicide attack work in front of Mountain Paradise's projection?

Pointing at Francis, Natasha demanded, "Your rhetoric cannot cover the nature of your blasphemy! Your words in themselves are blasphemy!"

Francis drew inclined crosses on his chest slowly. "I am no less devout to the Lord than you are, except that our opinions on the Lord have great differences both theologically and generally. However, it is not evidenced that I am a heretic. We have only gained a new understanding of the existence and the form of the Lord under the enlightenment of a great prophet."

"A great prophet…" Lucien repeated in confusion. That sounded like the head of the heretics lurking within the North Church. Was he a certain Saint in the North Church?

Lucien was glad about the debate between Francis and Natasha. A delay was very helpful for him to recover his spiritual power. Even though he could only use magic below the senior rank, Natasha was still capable of fighting Francis, who was only a level eight with his help. What he was worried about was the Demigod-lich who left through the Chaos Teleportation and the projection of Mountain Paradise that had not completely vanished.

Suddenly, the black, white and grey piece attempting to fleet stopped, and a gold skull appeared before it. Congus landed at a spot nearer than everybody anticipated. He had arrived in advance!

The black, white and grey piece shivered, as if it was communicating with Demigod-lich. After only two seconds, Congus burst into laughter. Opening his jaw, he swallowed the black, white and grey piece.

The two needle-like red spots danced crazily like fire in the wind and gradually turned gray. The space around Demigod-lich was twisted, and his vibe soared intimidatingly. In only one moment, he seemed to have broken away from the hundreds of years of being halted and upgraded by one level. Also, it seemed that he was the mysterious existence that controlled the specters, and not controlled by it.

The grey fire bouncing in Congus' eyes, he turned to Lucien, Natasha, Francis and the projection of Mountain Paradise that was about to disappear, before he said gloomily:

"You will all die."

…

Inside the magic tower across the ocean, the Lord of Storm read the intelligence report before him. Lightning glittered in his eyes, and tornadoes rose around him, blowing away everything inside the house except for the chairs that Hathaway and Douglas were seated on.

"Congus…" Fernando roared. Then he rose abruptly and said to Douglas, "Ask Bergner to help me."

Bergner was the name of the Tower Prophet. He had entered the alternate dimension, too.

Douglas' usually kind face was filled with graveness, too. "Alright. You and Hathaway will go to rescue Lucien, and I will watch over Vicente in case he plays any tricks."

Fernando, being a reckless man, flew towards the place where the Portal to Alternate Realm was deployed immediately after Douglas' approval. Hathaway remained silent and followed him.

By the time they reached the lobby of the Portal to the Alternate Realm, Bergner, the Prophet, had already been notified by Douglas and was already waiting. His grey hat seemed to be a small version of the tower.

Nodding at the Prophet, Fernando entered the Portal to Alternate Realm in the lead and returned to Allyn.

When Hathaway and Bergner also arrived at the magic tower in the Congress of Magic, Fernando implemented a telepathic bond and walked out.

"Aren't we going to deploy a portal to the northern mountains of Erdo Islands?" Bergner confusedly watched Hathaway walk out with Fernando.

Fernando's voice bordered on screaming. "Relocalization and reestablishment will take another day. However, it will only take us less than a minute for us to reach Heidler from here. Since Vicente and Congus are not there, we will control the Hand of Paleness in no more than an hour."

"Bergner, foretell the location of Congus' phylactery and the location of the Portal to Alternate Realm he used." Hathaway requested straightforwardly.

Bergner was more or less stunned. "You want both of them?"

"If he is dead, everything will be settled." Fernando's red eyes were filled with terrifying and depressing storms.

…

"Your Excellency Demigod-lich, congratulations on advancing to the second level of legendary with the help of the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls. You are likely to be promoted to a demigod and control the power of death." Francis said in a smile unhurriedly, although he was faced with the threat of a legendary expert.

Congus was dazed. "Do I know you?"

Is he trying to surrender?

However, learning the lesson from the three previous encounters with Lucien, Congus did not intend to chatter on. Dead people were the safest targets to talk to!

Francis slightly bowed and drew the weird crosses on his chest. Then he said respectfully, "The great prophet will arrive with my body. I hope Your Excellency Demigod-lich can live until you enjoy your beautiful future."

Congus suddenly had a bad feeling. The gold skull was opened, and a hoarse voice echoed, "Spirit Confinement!"

Soundless explosions took place. The remainder of the Mountain Paradise's projection over Francis's head unleashed holy brilliance that blocked the shadows which intended to confine his soul, creating the weird feeling that time and space had been twisted.

With the help of the twist, a most extremely evil, cunning and formidable air rose abruptly inside Francis' body, which then formed a dark shadow dozens of meters tall behind him. The shadow had two curly horns and a pair of bloodred, mocking eyes on his obscure face. The enormous black wings on his back blocked the sky of Death Valley.

After he arrived, minor volcanoes rose in the divine domain similar to Mountain Paradise. Red magma flowed out, and black smoke spread throughout the place with an intense smell of sulfur. The temperature seemed to have risen by hundreds of degrees.

Below the volcanoes, there were another eight horrifying scenes. There was a cold plain of eternal silence, there was a muddy stinky swamp, there was an infinite slope of rocks, there was a magnificent bronze castle, there was a world made of fire, and there was a colossal gap whose bottom could not be seen. After only one moment, Death Valley seemed to have turned into a hell.

Looking at the shadow in disbelief, Congus blurted out, "Lord of Hell!"

The shadow turned out to be Maldimos, the Lord of Hell!

Hearing Congus' exclamation and learning the shadow's identity, Lucien felt that lightning struck his head and illuminated the scenes he had forgotten, allowing him to connect everything.

Why did Rhine know that the seal of the Master of Argent had something to do with the secrets of the World of Souls?

Why was he confined when he was well-prepared and wary, when Sard got away easily?

If Rhine had not known the secrets of the World of Souls, or that the Master of Argent was sealed in Aalto's projection, he wouldn't have participated in the scheme or explored the World of Souls, which meant that he wouldn't have been trapped. If he hadn't been trapped, he wouldn't have asked Lucien to summon Silver Moon Alterna to have a head-on clash with the mysterious existence of the World of Souls, resulting in heavy losses on both sides.

If the target had been the gods, few could have plotted against them without them knowing it.

The other identity of the Master of Argent turned out to be Tiphotidis, the Ice Duke, who was the lord of the eighth level of hell!

Perhaps, the Lord of Hell had already realized the World of Souls and the secrets it contained from the incident when Tiphotidis was sealed. It could be seen by the fact that he pretended to be the great prophet of the 'Horizontal Cross' church. The devil who was best known for his cunningness and prudence was certainly unwilling to directly deal with the mysterious existence of the World of Souls. Therefore, he set up a scheme to attract Rhine to join the game and instigated Silver Moon Alterna to fight the mysterious existence of the World of Souls, so that he could take advantage.

So, Lucien had been pushing forward his scheme without noticing anything was wrong. There had always been somebody else behind the curtain.

It was indeed as expected of the Lord of Hell and the Head of Devils!

Chapter 504: Sunrise

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the projection of hell, the devils surrounded in flames and smoke lunged at Lucien, Natasha, and the Demigod-lich with the cold wind that could freeze their souls. The succubi inside the bronze castle let out soul-stirring moans… As Maltimus, the Lord of Hell, arrived, the projections of countless devils formed a terrifying legion.

Demigod-lich, who had only a gold skull left, opened his mouth after brief astonishment, releasing an ear-splitting howl that echoed directly in the soul. The quakes spread out, and the intense air of death was rising.

Within the range of the howl from the Demigod-lich, the volcanoes, rocks and, castles remained unchanged, but all of a sudden, a senior-rank devil almost three meters tall who was wielding a fiery sword collapsed without a sound.

As if contaminated by him, the swarm of devils fell like wheat that had been reaped. In only two seconds, the first wave of the devil legion that marched aggressively was annihilated.

"Life Ritual." After his advancement, it was much easier for Congus to perform the legendary magics. The time gap between the two unique magics that were based on the Land of Dirt, his demiplane, and Demigod-lich, his legendary class, was much shorter than before.

As Congus' voice spread out, the fire from hell turned grey, the stinky swamp was dry and broken, the bronze castle decayed and faded, and the cold wind of death on the silent plain raged even more violently. The devils that had just collapsed rose again, their skin wrinkled and their muscles rotten. With needle-like redness beaming out of their eyes, they turned around and charged at Maltimus, the Lord of Hell.

The extracted vitality was gathered into filthy, dim clouds in the sky that was illuminated by black lightning. Grey water drops poured down toward the Lord of Hell torrentially.

At this moment, Congus's demiplane seemed to have overlapped with the projection of hell. Soul Catchers rose one after another, the giants of death threw rocks, evil beasts commanded the legion of the dead, dozens of stinky skeleton dragons flew in the sky, and countless shadows wandered between illusion and reality unpredictably, making it barely possible to put up any resistance.

Scourge of the Undead!

Although none of the spectres were legendary, they had the advantage in numbers. Now that the Lord of Hell had been stalled by Congus, they could still hurt him.

After the space was twisted through the projection of Mountain Paradise, Maltimus' projection here had already reached the level of grand arcanist and close to the peak of legendary. Congus dared not be careless at all.

Lucien and Natasha were both shocked at what they saw. Congus was indeed too imprudent earlier. He did not carry out 10% of his abilities when he dealt with the two kiddos who were only seventh-circle and level seven. If he had treated them with his current attitude, however quick-witted Lucien was and however resolute Natasha was, they could've only died.

The fire that was similar to sulfur was ignited on Maltimus, blocking the dirty rain. He whispered: "Life Deprivation."

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. The spectres exploded like blooming fireworks.

Eleven silver balls of light suddenly appeared next to Congus. They also expanded and exploded, and it was not until only two of them were left when he finally blocked Maltimus' Life Deprivation.

However, Congus' Undead Scourge had already been wiped out by then!

Inside the ruins, Natasha managed to stab Pale Justice before her to thwart the attack of Life Ritual and Life Deprivation. The sword trembled and hummed violently, emitting the brightness of sacredness and determination, while it protected a tiny range nearby. It seemed that the sword might be broken at any moment.

For Maltimus and Congus, Lucien and Natasha, who had lost their combat abilities, were not worth their attention at all. The aftermath of their attacks could've killed the two of them, had it not been for Pale Justice, which was a legendary weapon for both spectres and devils.

For Congus, if Lucien restored his spiritual power at this moment and could still use his ring, he wouldn't mind working with Lucien temporarily to deal with the Lord of Hell. There were no eternal friends or foes but only eternal interests. However, it was a pity that Lucien absolutely did not have any ability to provide help.

Maltimus, on the other hand, was rather cautious and did not do his best. He was worried that Lucien would set Alterna free at the cost of his own life. However, Alterna, who only had the strength for one attack and who had been weakened by the material world, was not too great a threat for a demigod like him who knew all the details about her.

Swallowing the consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls, and melting the World of Souls with the hell, were his greatest purposes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have tried so hard to diminish the consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls. Even if he could not kill it, he could still assimilate it!

"Death Lament." Congus' spell sounded like an unpredictable, illusionary song, that made the sulfur flames on Maltimus die out dully.

Pale Justice wailed and blocked Death Lament, but it did not seem able to hold on much longer.

Lucien hinted Natasha to draw the longsword and run back when he launched the suicide attack with the strength of Silver Moon Alterna.

However, the ivory light inside Lucien's left hand suddenly expanded. Unhurriedly, it swallowed and digested the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls.

Such quickness, such ease and such an astounding result dumbfounded Lucien, whose head seemed to be illuminated by a light that drove away all the darkness. All the details that had escaped his attention before were now clearly visible.

Why did the mysterious existence of the World of Souls lose control so coincidentally?

Why was it never out of control after he was wounded when he mixed the potion and wrote the paper?

Why was Alterna unable to control her 'appetite' when faced with Asin, if she had been so cautious before, to the point that she took the chance when nobody noticed to the Lord of the Underworld?

Furthermore, when the Master of Argent was slain, according to Rhine, he summoned Alterna and borrowed her strength.

It was a lie that the absorption and digestion would take seven days.

In his confusion and shock, Lucien only felt that the strength contained in his left hand changed and grew rapidly. In the next instant, the strength was poured into Lucien's body, allowing his spiritual power to soar, like the sorcerers whose capabilities were temporarily improved through projections or summoning.

At this moment,

"But it is not complete." Having no time to ask Alterna what happened, he could only reply that there was still a long way to go for 'fusion magic'.

Boom. Alterna did not say anything, but stronger, higher power surged into Lucien's soul and body. His perceptions of the world entirely changed.

Lucien, at this moment, seemed to be in space. The material world next to him lost all the external conceptions and turned into part of his cognitive world: Electrons jumped in orbits, accepting and launching quantum photons now and then; protons and neutrons formed the atomic nucleus under the strong interaction… The deep and cold light flowed out quietly

Extending his hand that was made of his spiritual power, Lucien realized that he could directly 'control' them. He was immediately shocked.

However, Lucien soon realized that it was not the best moment to relish the experience. He hurried to review the knowledge and mechanism of fusion and project them into different magic models.

The time seemed to be elapsing slowly. Also, he had the main core of the fusion magic, and his spirit library had enough introductions to its mechanism. Therefore, a rather shabby magic structure without any assistant models soon appeared before Lucien.

"Control it, release it." Alterna sounded as serious as before.

Lucien was rather scared. "No launch, no extension, no nothing! We are going to be killed, too!"

"I'll take care of it. Hurry up." Alterna promised him. The 'cognitive space' around immediately faded, revealing the real world, where Maltimus was still fighting Congus, and Pale Justice and Natasha were still managing to resist.

Lucien took a deep breath. The feeling of entering deep into matter lingered before his eyes. Therefore, he extended his left hand, and the silver light drew uncanny traces in the air as if he were controlling the particles of the entire world!

Natasha was the first one to notice that something wasn't right. Sensing that Lucien was performing complicated magic, she turned around and looked, only to catch a pair of eyes that were deep, dark and filled with infinite mysteries.

The demonic eyes were emanating unimaginable charm. Natasha could barely move her head away after she saw them.

Lucien opened his mouth and declared hoarsely, as if he hadn't spoken for years:

"Eternal Blaze!"

Along with the spell, silver brilliance burst out of Lucien's body. The moon seemed to have landed, turning Natasha and himself blurry.

It was not until they heard the spell that the Lord of Hell and Demigod-lich noticed Lucien's changes. When they sensed him, they discovered, to their surprise, that terrifying, overwhelming strength that exploded from Lucien, and infinite light was coming at them like the scorching sun in the midday.

Having no time to take other actions, Congus hurried to chant, "Undead Rampart."

Walls made of souls and bodies surrounded him, almost as good as Wall of Sighs, the highest defense magic in Necromancy.

"Alterna!" Maltimus, who was more or less braced for it, roared. The hell next to him collapsed into a Hellish Barrier.

However, under the scorching heat, the radiant rays and the enormous blast, rocks were shattered, ramparts were melted, and barriers were broken.

The Lord of Hell and Demigod-lich both wanted to leave using teleportation. However, they realized that they had locked the space during their battle earlier, like they usually did. Therefore, in their red eyes, the scorching light from the grey fire was brighter and brighter, occupying their horizon and swallowing everything!

Boom! The terrible explosion did not echo until this moment, deafening everyone!

Outside of the northern mountains, Lucien, Natasha and Alterna appeared from the fuzziness. Then, they all heard the explosion and saw an incandescent sun rising far away, dispelling the deepest darkness before dawn.

"It's sunrise…" Natasha looked at Lucien and then at the 'sun', mumbling to herself.

The sun soon disappeared. A gigantic mushroom cloud where the fire was surging popped up, blocking half of the dark sky.

Chapter 505: Roar

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In the headquarters of the Hand of Paleness at Heidler, inside a dark, steepled magic tower, after destroying the barricades through Advanced Cracking and Elemental Dissection, Fernando and Hathaway found the entrance to the Land of Dirt, Congus' demiplane, with the help of Bergner's astrology.

Then, they repeated what they did. Since their master was not here, most of the defenses were broken in only one hour by two grand arcanists and one prophet. The only thing left before them was Demigod-lich's secret chamber where his phylactery was kept. They saw a black box that was embedded with all kinds of rare gems and sensed the bouncing of soul fire inside.

"It's a barrier of 'Desperate Abyss'." Bergner reminded Fernando and Hathaway in case they were swallowed. The magic circle with which Demigod-lich protected his phylactery certainly entailed dangers.

Fernando simply twisted the space around with 'Electromagnetic Storm', blocking the last connection between the magic circle and the control pivot, while Hathaway started to brutally crack the barrier with 'Extravagant Dissolution'. They did not have the time or patience to analyze and guess the riddles to destroy the defenses at minimal cost. In order to gain more time for the rescue, it was acceptable to suffer the counterattack or even be heavily wounded.

The magic circle was dispelled and broken layer by layer. The secret chamber seemed to have become an abyss, and a powerful counterattack was about to be launched.

Suddenly, Fernando, Hathaway and Bergner all sensed something and raised their heads. Through the transparent barrier, they observed the black phylactery.

The space above the phylactery was twisted and blurred abruptly, displaying the outbreak of infinite light, in which a gold skull was howling miserably while being broken and melted.

The air of destruction was able to be sensed by Fernando, Hathaway and Bergner even though there was a 'Desperate Abyss' in between.

As the gold skull quickly vanished, the projection of the scene was blurred, and the viewpoint went further and further away.

The three legendary sorcerers discovered in shock that a strange, orange cloud in the shape of a mushroom rose in the mountains where the light burst out. It was so large that almost half of the sky was blocked.

The blast spread out, raising rings of smoke, which made the 'mushroom' look exceptionally weird.

After leaving a deep impression on Fernando, Hathaway and Bergner, the mushroom disappeared together with the projection of the scene.

"The explosion was as powerful as a full-strength blow from the president." Reviewing what he just saw, Bergner reached the conclusion. He looked at Hathaway, as if he was asking the opinion of the authority in the elemental field. "It looked like simple, explosive magic. Generally speaking, the power of such magic can be improved. I wonder if it can reach the level of God's Arrival in the end."

Looking at her front in silence, Hathaway seemed to be considering something, or organizing her speech. "I sensed that the explosion had something to do with the mysteries of the sun. As to how much it can be improved, I cannot say anything without examining the theory and the structure of the magic first."

"Who was Congus fighting?" Fernando slightly frowned. "Mysteries of the sun… Is it still with the boy Lucien? But what did he use to perform the magic of such a level?"

When the illusionary sun rose earlier, Fernando already sensed that it was possibly related to Lucien. Now that the same scene had appeared again when Congus hunted Lucien, he naturally associated the two incidents. However, he did not think that Lucien had advanced to the peak of legendary all of a sudden. Even though he had insights on the mysteries of the sun due to his previous research, and he achieved the model of legendary magic, his strength had to be improved step by step. Therefore, Fernando suspected that Lucien borrowed power from somewhere.

The precious magic gems on the black phylactery began to emit different colors and absorbed the other materials around, rebuilding a gold skull. Fernando and Hathaway looked at each other and accelerated the speed of cracking 'Desolate Abyss'.

After almost an hour, the gold skull took shape, and Congus woke up from the dark. However, the outburst of light that resembled the arrival of the sun still lingered in his eyes.

For undead creatures, such light itself caused the greatest damage, not to mention that it came with a terrifying blast and unbelievable high temperature. Congus almost failed to weather through it and became the first lich who couldn't be revived even though he had a phylactery.

"The Silver Moon had recovered a long time ago and had been waiting for a chance. Thankfully, I made it back alive." Congus thought to himself in fear. At this moment, his soul was still being developed inside the gold skull, and he hadn't sensed the surroundings yet. "Also, what exactly was the magic that Lucien Evans used? How could it have been so horrifying?"

Although he only had time for a peep, he could tell with his experience that Silver Moon Alterna lent her strength to Lucien and allowed him to perform the magic. If the spell had belonged to the Silver Moon, it could've been cast much easier.

"How many more secrets is the boy hiding?" The more he hunted Lucien, the more shocked he became. But soon, he calmed down and considered future plans. "The Silver Moon has recovered. The predator will become the prey. It's a pity that the main consciousness of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls was wiped out by Lucien's 'legendary magic' along with my shell. All my endeavors have proved to be for nothing. I even lost my ring!"

He had been quite satisfied about the legendary ring and regarded it as a divine item. Although he had chosen Necromancy, the field he was best at, and used his legendary class as the architecture in order to improve the odds of success, which meant that the abilities of the ring overlapped with his own abilities, it did not change the fact that the ring was the only legendary item that he had forged. It was a masterpiece that made him proud.

"Lucien and Natasha, the two rats, are not dead. I cannot stay in the congress anymore. Should I join the guys in the World of Souls, or should I hide in the Dark Mountain Range?"

Pondering for a while, Congus made up his mind to enter the World of Souls. He gnashed his teeth, "If there is any chance in future, I will definitely fulfill my promise and turn you two little rats into corpse prostitutes!"

A moment later, as his spiritual power restored, Congus' gold skull floated, and his eye sockets were filled with the previous needle-like redness. He was about to go to the nearest gap to the World of Souls.

"You?" It was not until this moment that he noticed Fernando, Hathaway and Bergner who were observing him. Sensing the horrifying fury that the Lord of Storms was holding back, he hurried to say, "Lucien is not dead, and neither is Natasha!"

He was worried that the old pervert would change from roaring into attacking in excitement and wipe him as well as his phylactery. Now that his capabilities had been reduced by a half and not entirely recovered, there was no way that he could resist Fernando, not to mention that expressionless Hathaway was standing next to him.

"You have still done things that are punishable by death!" Fernando roared.

Congus calmed down and looked at the prophet that the congress sent. "Bergner, it was wrong of me to try to kill a senior-rank sorcerer of the congress and to search for Silver Moon Alterna and the World of Souls on my own. I should be punished as a warning for the other sorcerers of the congress. However, Lucien Evans is not dead. Please be careful about the degree of the punishment. Also, I demand a meeting of the Highest Council, where all the members will discuss my punishment together. This is the treatment that a legendary sorcerer deserves!"

The congress had only eighteen legendary sorcerers. The Church, which was the most powerful of all, had only twenty of them. The legendary are the best warriors and the foundation for any organization. The loss of a legendary sorcerer was a great retrogression to every organization. Therefore, Congus was qualified to propose such a demand.

Bergner, who always considered the development of the Congress of Magic, nodded and said to Fernando and Hathaway, "Congus has violated the rules of the congress and almost killed a senior-rank sorcerer. It is indeed a horrible mistake. However, it's still 'almost'. Lucien Evans is alive. Therefore, Congus' crime does not deserve the death penalty."

"Also, I believe that you are well aware of the role of a legendary sorcerer. He should be punished aptly. For example, under the witness of magic source, Congus will swear to the two of you or to Lucien Evans that he will not hurt him anymore. He will also offer tremendous compensations and be appointed as an explorer of a few dangerous areas. That should be enough."

"Hunting a senior-rank sorcerer of the congress blatantly is a severe provocation against the order of the congress. If such a behavior is not punished with alarming penalties, I believe that all the sorcerers in the congress will worry about themselves. There will be no sense of community at all. Compared to such a consequence, the loss of a legendary sorcerer is not unacceptable!" The Lord of Storm tried to suppress his anger, but he sounded like he was roaring even when he was only expressing his reasoning.

Congus still looked at Bergner and said, "However, Lucien Evans is not dead, and he actually did not suffer any loss. Is a senior-rank sorcerer more important than a legendary sorcerer? Although he may become a grand arcanist in a few years, that's only a possibility! His new alchemy system hasn't been proven yet! Do you want to kill a legendary sorcerer just to appease him?"

"I believe that the members of the Highest Council should be able to make a judicious conclusion about which is more important, a sixth-circle sorcerer who may grow into a legendary sorcerer, or a sorcerer who has already advanced into legendary!"

He intentionally avoided the terrifying legendary magic that Lucien just performed and simply focused on his current identity and position.

As long as the case was appealed to the Highest Council, Vicente, who had the veto right, could at least keep him alive!

Bergner looked at Fernando and Hathaway in a dilemma. "In any case, the punishments for legendary sorcerers should be decided by the Highest Council together, not by us in private. Alright, Fernando, Hathaway, let's bring Congus back to Allyn and convene a meeting of the Highest Council to discuss his mistake, evaluate his sincerity and value, and make a final decision."

Douglas' request for him, other than providing help, was to stop the two grand arcanists from outrageous actions. Therefore, he suggested that the two grand arcanists should consider the future of the congress and attach enough importance to a legendary sorcerer.

Fernando's face was a bit twisted, and his eyes were occupied by storms. However, he contained himself and fell silent, as if he had accepted Bergner's suggestion.

Seeing that, Congus was relieved and started enhancing himself with the magics such as 'Magic Order' in case of accidents.

Hathaway, on the other hand, simply walked out, as if she had accepted the result more easily than Fernando did.

By the time Hathaway reached Bergner, Bergner suddenly felt that a world-destroying storm burst out in the tiny chamber. Lightning rose like trees, and thunder blew up the ceiling. Noises of broken items echoed nonstop. The weather within ten kilometers was affected and changed into a thunderstorm, too.

Congus' cry came to an abrupt halt when it just rang out. The crystal ball in Bergner's hands glittered, and he was about to save Congus, but the silver, grey eyes on Hathaway's expressionless face simply stared at him without blinking, until he abandoned all his movements.

"Ahhh!" The phylactery was broken. A scream that seemed to be echoing inside the soul disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

The thunderstorm ended. Fernando walked to Bergner's front. With the remaining lightning flashing in his red eyes, he roared terrifyingly: "Let's convene a meeting of the Highest Council to discuss which is more important, two living grand arcanists or a dead legendary sorcerer!"

Chapter 506: A New Way of Searching

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

The gigantic mushroom cloud slowly disappeared, but earthquakes were still coming over from deep down like soundless cries. The violent wind raised dust that carried the air of death, making everyone feel that their faces were burning.

It was not one mountain but a group of mountains here. At this moment, having sensed such obvious aftermaths when she was outside of the mountains, Natasha had a new understanding about the power of 'Eternal Blaze'. "It's almost as good as Dracula's Scream…"

She had once entered the Dark Mountain Range and observed the place where Lucien fought Dracula with the Observer's Castle. She was shocked by the broken environment, and she had the same feeling today.

"There's still a huge gap. When the spell Eternal Blaze turns into 'atomic fusion', it will probably be as powerful as God's Arrival." As an earthling, Lucien had natural fondness of fusion magic, and he felt regretful that he could only perform it once with the strength of Alterna. In order to be a human-shaped hydrogen bomb, he would have to reach level three of legendary, which was where most of the grand arcanists were at. Also, the power of the magic was only limited by the user's capabilities and understanding about its mechanism. It wouldn't be strange that he could directly destroy the world someday.

By then, the Congress of Magic would have to solemnly swear that they would never use 'Lucien's Big Ivan' first.

"The temperature at the center. The sunlight it produced suppresses spectres and devils as well." Alterna said gravely next to him.

She had changed to a new hairstyle. The long gold hair had been combed to the left side of her head and dangled down from there, revealing her pure and beautiful face. Plus her white robe, she looked much more like a princess than Natasha did.

While Lucien was very curious about whether Alterna understood the special theory of relativity and the mass-energy formula he wrote, or she had inferred the power and status of the magic based on the structure of the magic and his description for it, the secret involved a demigod, and he could not predict the consequences if he asked recklessly. Therefore, he calmed himself down and asked with a bitter smile, "Your Excellency Alterna, didn't you say that you needed seven days to absorb the remains of the mysterious existence of the World of Souls?"

Lucien suddenly grew anxious as he said that. He had thought that Alterna was one of the silly guys who acted based on their instincts. Together with their natural closeness, he was bold enough to whine. However, she was apparently one of the scheming guys, and she was also an honorable demigod. Would she be infuriated by such a question and even kill him?

If he survived all the disasters, only to be killed by the Silver Moon for a complaint, he would definitely die with regrets.

Well, would she prefer to be regarded as a male than a female?

Alterna replied solemnly, "I needed seven days if I were to eat it slowly."

She said with a 'I didn't lie to you' look on her face.

Lucien and Natasha both felt awkward, because she could've digested it in one day or shorter. He asked, "Why didn't you eat faster if you could absorb it quickly?"

Both of them understood that Alterna did it for the purpose of attracting the masterminds behind the curtain. It was only a subconscious question due to the fear and anxiety in the past days.

Pressing her face with the right hand, Alterna replied equally solemnly, "I ate it slowly because I was waiting for the main dish."

The main dish? Lucien understood that it referred to Maltimus, the Lord of Hell. However, the central area of Eternal Blaze had such a high temperature and such an intense release of energy. His projection that hadn't reached the peak of legendary yet couldn't have survived at all. What was there to eat?

If the purpose was to weaken him so that she could fight him in hell, the loss of a projection could only cause a minor injury at best. Under the enhancement of hell, Maltimus would still be able to compete with Alterna who was not in the home field.

According to the congress' descriptions on 'Lord of Hell' and 'Will of Abyss', they were slightly different from Alterna in that they seemed to be limited to the worlds they lived in. Therefore, they could not arrive at the main material world freely. Even if they did, they would be weakened. The only exception was the War of Dawn, when Maltimus gathered enough strength and sacrifices with a terrible scheme and opened the gate of hell, descending on the main material world. It was a pity that he was blown back by the pope's God's Arrival.

On the other side, their strength would be boosted in hell and in the abyss. They were the places that the Church had the weakest influence in apart from the alternate dimension controlled by other organizations.

Thinking about that, Lucien suddenly felt regretful. If even two experts in the legendary level couldn't have left any traces, there couldn't be any items or materials that survived the disaster.

Alterna seemed to have seen through Lucien and Natasha's confusion. She remained as solemn as before as she replied, "The roasted goat? He was not the main dish; the qualities he displayed were my target."

The qualities displayed? Lucien and Natasha looked at each other in shock? Was it the Lord of Hell's understanding about the nature of the God of Truth, the method that he briefly broke the limitation of arrival by twisting the space with the projection of Mountain Paradise, the skill with which he improved a level-eight radiant knight to a level-three legendary one, or the extraordinary abilities such as 'Life Deprivation' that he demonstrated during the battle?

The moment she recalled it, Natasha couldn't have seemed more torn. She found it unacceptable that the Lord of Hell could indirectly make the projection of Mountain Paradise arrive. Her faith was greatly shaken.

Lucien was more inclined to the first speculation. "God of Truth?"

Alterna neither nodded her head nor did she shake it. Instead, she said very, very carefully, "Do not walk on that path, for it may be wrong."

After that, she looked at Lucien's left hand. "The rest of my power and the 'cake' has melted into your left hand. You can take a look at it."

Thanks to the powerful recovery of the Silver Moon, Lucien's left hand that was ripped off had been restored. Hearing that, he focused his attention and moved his spiritual power over to examine it.

Before he knew it, Lucien had the illusion that he was viewing everything from an unimaginable perspective high above. Also, he seemed to have touched the mysteries of death and spirits for real and established a vague connection with the World of Souls.

However, it was still just a feeling. Lucien woke up very soon. He saw a silver moon rising before him, leaping into the sky and illuminating a corner, resonating with the sunrise in the east.

Under the illumination of the silver moon, the frozen, monochrome illusion popped up, and a pair of gigantic bat wings seemed to be rising inside.

In the next instant, everything was gone except for the sun.

"Mr. Rhine is finally unshackled." Lucien remarked in delight. Whatever role he played in Alterna's plan, whether he was tricked or directly involved, the fact remained that he was a friend who offered Lucien great help.

Looking at the sky quietly, Natasha suddenly said with a smile, "You played a lot of roles and tricked many people. Did you see it coming that you would be tricked by such a beautiful and seemingly harmless girl without noticing it at all? This is truly remarkable."

While the Silver Moon was genderless, Natasha obviously preferred to regard her as a girl.

Lucien explained with a helpless smile, "I just felt that a demigod could've attacked me directly if she meant any harm, and no tricks were needed. That was why I fell for it."

"There's no need to explain." Natasha said in amusement, "Didn't you say when you comforted me that the girls who seemed silly, soft, cute and beautiful, tended to be dark inside? Haha. Your theory has been proven."

Lucien could only smile now.

"Right, what abilities does your left hand have?" Asked Natasha curiously.

Pondering for a moment, Lucien replied, "The greatest benefit is that I can study the nature of a demigod's power and slightly sense their understanding about the world. My connection with the World of Souls is also strengthened. In the meantime, this left hand should be able to nullify magic, divine powers, elements and other abilities. However, since there is not much power left, it can only affect abilities no higher than the eighth circle. Also, unless I have groundbreaking research products in the field, there will be no way to improve it in the future. As for the rest of the abilities of the left hand, I have to figure them out during the usage."

It was similar to Bloodline Elimination, but could not deal with the natural effects caused by extraordinary powers, such as the mountains collapsing by magic, or the illusionary gaps of space from Natasha's sword.

"That's great. You have earned a lot. Your spiritual power must've reached the eighth circle, right? Natasha said rather enviously.

Examining himself, Lucien nodded, "It only just stepped into the eighth circle, but I haven't even constructed a seventh-circle magic yet."

Then, he comforted Natasha, "You've done a great job in the test of life and death this time. Your chivalry and willpower have both been trained. Also, with your bloodline, you will meet few obstacles before you enter into legendary after you become a radiant knight. Chances are that you will advance into level eight very soon."

"Chivalry…" Natasha suddenly sighed, "I don't even know how to face the Lord now."

Her chivalry was partly built on her faith. The collapse of faith tended to result in the plunge of willpower. She would not die of it, but further advancements would be very difficult.

Lucien comforted her in a gentle voice, "Sympathy, courage, protection, justice and other spirits of chivalry, are they all the bliss from Mountain Paradise? In your heart, is there not sympathy for the weak, the protection for your family, friends and subjects, the hope for order and virtue, the courage to fight enemies and difficulties, and the determination in your opinions and glory?"

"Natasha, all the virtues and spirits originate from our heart. The real Lord is not out there, not on Mountain Paradise, but in your heart. Each of us have a Lord that solely belongs to ourselves in our heart. Unless you give up on yourself, he will never be gone."

Natasha put on a smile that covered up her gloom. She said lightheartedly, "Lucien, you are very fit to be a priest. Well, I need time to review my mind. Alright, let's go. Your Eternal Blaze was too noisy. Perhaps, His Excellency Varantine is coming."

"I'll stay in the northern mountains and wait for my teacher and Her Excellency Hathaway to come. Considering the uniqueness of my fate, it will be difficult for Varantine to locate me." Although Lucien hated to say goodbye, he still said toughly, "You need to get out of here fast and return before the Church discovers this."

"Okay." Natasha did not hesitate.

Right then, a stormy roar echoed far away, "Lucien Evans!"

The roar seemed to be from a place far, far away. Lucien couldn't hold back his smile, "My teacher does have a loud voice…"

The transmission of electromagnetic waves was limited in this world, but soundwaves remained unaffected. Therefore, the Lord of Storm decided to search for him with 'Lord of Storm's Roar', a ninth-circle magic, which was the most effective way.

However, it was still amazing that the voice was delivered so far away. Lucien could only remark that his teacher was not scared that he would be discovered by the Church at all.

"I'm going to meet Grandma Hathaway, too." Natasha's eyes glittered.

Chapter 507: Summer Change

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Not far away from Death Valley that was already gone, Fernando, Hathaway and Bergner floated in the sky and observed the destruction, inferring the temperature and power of the explosion based on the astonishing traces and the gigantic pit.

"If this was really an explosive magic, wouldn't the sun be a planet where such explosions happen all the time?" Bergner asked at a loss.

It was not because he was hostile against 'fusion explosion'; it was just that he felt lost as a prophet when the sun, which was in a very important position in astrology and horoscopes, finally revealed part of its mysteries.

After Fernando killed the Demigod-lich, Bergner did not leave in fury. According to Congus' reason, it was obvious that two living grand arcanists were more important than a dead legendary sorcerer. If Congus' self-defense was left aside and the rules of the congress were respected, Fernando wasn't wrong doing what he did, either.

Perhaps because the Lord of Storm had always abided by the rules of the congress, people had forgotten that he was short-tempered not only in academic questions, or how he achieved his legendary class and nickname. It was not until he suddenly attacked that Bergner felt it was only reasonable and as expected of the 'Lord of Storm'. Therefore, he accepted the result with a bitter smile.

Fernando shook his head, "Technically speaking, this was not an explosive magic. I don't find any unique traces left by the traditional explosive magics. There's only the purest release of energy and an unimaginably high temperature."

He specifically added 'traditional' when he mentioned the explosive magics in the school of elements. It was obvious that he regarded what was before him as a brand-new way of using explosive magic that approached the mysteries of the sun. Walking down the path, the faction of light and electromagnetism would be able to be partly included in the field of elements.

"Exactly." Hathaway nodded softly and agreed with Fernando's conclusion.

Bergner, a prophet who was not good at elements, sighed, "I can't imagine that Lucien Evans has created such a magic. However, I do have a feeling that the times have changed. Perhaps starting from this moment—No, since Lucien proposed the Energy Quantum Theory, arcana and magic have entered a marvelous and appalling era."

While Fernando and Hathaway did not respond to Bergner's words, their looks and their silence suggested that they were considering it. What a prophet said must not be overlooked easily.

At this moment, two people flew close from far away. Fernando's hands that had been clenched in fists all this time loosened, and he criticized gravely, "You were truly idiotic this time! You didn't know that somebody played tricks on you, and you were forced into the Portal to an Alternate Realm just like that! If you are this careless again next time, I think I will have to collect your body for you, if your body can be found at all!"

Hardly had Lucien arrived when he was greeted with the storm of roars that he had missed. He felt rather warm to see his teacher's angry look, and therefore hurried to admit his mistake.

"Granny, how did you come so soon? We thought we would have to wait until the evening or the next morning." Natasha had often heard Lucien talking about his teacher's roars. She observed it joyfully and planned to record it to make fun of Lucien later. However, after a while, she changed the subject for some reason.

Hathaway looked much more gentle as she stared at Natasha. She said casually, "We killed Congus and came from the Portal to the Alternate Realm that he established."

"You killed Congus?" Lucien was surprised and delighted. He was worried that 'Eternal Blaze' could not kill Congus who had a phylactery, and that there would be infinite trouble if the guy escaped. He did not expect that his teacher had already taken care of the problem.

They must've held back a lot of pressure, mustn't they?

"He should die!" Fernando did not change his attitude. Then, he held back his 'anger' and asked with a fake smile, "What's with your magic? That illusionary sun we saw the other day was made by you, too, wasn't it? What about the Silver Moon and the existence from the World of Souls?"

"Master, you saw it, too?" Lucien did not expect that his teacher could've seen it over such a long distance. Then, something most important was obviously missing in his speculation at that time. The world was more complicated than he thought.

Hathaway had been standing quietly. She interjected at this moment, "Everybody saw it. Is it a legendary magic that was derived from the new alchemy?"

She was keener than anybody else as she was studying the 'new alchemy'.

"Yes. I noticed some phenomena when I studied the decay of atoms and reached a lot of conclusions. After I killed Congus for a second time, the knowledge was integrated, and the world gave me feedback. I achieved the prototypes of two legendary magics, which triggered what you saw. Later, with the help of the Silver Moon, I completed the main body of 'Eternal Blaze', or 'Atomic Fusion', and released it." Lucien did not reveal the special theory of relativity or the mass-energy formula but explained it from the experimental phenomena that would be seen in the new alchemy.

The deduction of the special theory of relativity was not difficult. Considering the knowledge and the existing accomplishments of the Congress of Magic, anybody who overcame their biases could come up with it in a few years. However, it was exactly because of the biases that Lucien dared not show his teacher the paper immediately.

While the wave theory of light and the particle theory were the foundations of different factions and cognitive worlds, the opinions on time and space was the fundamental 'common sense' that every arcanist used to understand the world. They came from everyday, intuitional and errorless feelings. For example, even the ordinary people had the feeling that time flowed by quietly as they enjoyed peace.

Therefore, for an arcanist, absolute, independent, time was the cornerstone of their worldview. It was well believed that 'Time Stop', the ninth-circle magic, merely froze the area and slowed down the movement, and that it did not really manipulate the time. The magic was like an upgraded version of Deferment.

The disruptive part of the special theory of relativity was not the mass-energy formula but the idea that time and space are relevant. It told people that time was a function of speed and depended on matter, which would be a revolutionary storm no smaller than the one caused by the Energy Quantum Theory. In the meantime, it declared the obsolescence of 'Ether'.

After all, the preliminary studies on fission and fusion did not require the mass-energy formula. Therefore, Lucien hid it for now so that his teacher could take it in slowly.

Thinking about that, Lucien secretly asked for forgiveness in his heart. "My teacher is always the first one to take the hit of the groundbreaking theories. I feel really sorry for him. Well, can fission and fusion help him reach a higher level?"

Fernando asked solemnly, "Fusion? The other is fission?"

The decay of elements that was observed was clearly fission. That was why he asked in excitement.

"Fusion releases energy just like fission does?" Hathaway asked the important question, with zealotry beaming out of her silver grey eyes.

They completely forgot that the area was under the control of the Church, or that an insane explosion of 'Big Ivan' just took place, but simply floated in the air and discussed atomic fission and fusion.

Having been taught by Lucien in advance, Natasha listened enjoyably and chimed in now and then. Bergner, who was terrible at elements, was so overwhelmed that he simply left and stayed on alert.

After a brief introduction, Lucien said, "Master, Your Excellency Hathaway, the explosion previously must've been noticed by Varantine.

"Varantine? Does he dare to come here?" The Lord of Storm glared at Lucien. There were two grand arcanists and one level-two legendary prophet. Why would they be scared of the leader of the ascetics who was not even a Saint?

Even if the pope came here in person, Fernando still believed in the capabilities of his side as long as God's Arrival was not available. Although they could not beat him, it was not difficult to escape. A legendary sorcerer was more difficult to kill than any other class, unless they were surrounded and the space was blocked. But since a prophet was here, it was absolutely impossible to ambush and surround them.

Despite saying that, Fernando held back his desire in arcana exploration. He went on, "Let's go back to Allyn. You can write your experiences with the Silver Moon and the existence of the World of Souls into a report. Tell people the things about Maskelyne, too, if you want. You cannot face the World of Souls on your own."

Congus had some files left in his place, which let Fernando know why they had been chasing Lucien.

Natasha took the opportunity to bid farewell, ready to return to the knights sent by Duchy Violet.

"Talk soon." Natasha was not upset by the departure and made a gesture of electromagnetism messaging to Lucien with a smile. She flew away at ease after whispering something to Hathaway in secret.

Seeing that she left, Fernando suddenly put on a horrible smile. "Lucien, your pursuit of love seems very tough."

Have I been seen through? Lucien asked embarrassed, "What are you talking about, master?"

"Haha, don't be shy. I have abundant romantic experience. What have I not been through? The only reason why I'm single right now is that I do not think it is a big deal now. Whatever question you may have in that regard, you are free to ask me." Fernando made fun of his student without any reservations.

...

In the Nekso Palace at Rentato, the capital of Holm…

A white candle was burning inside a silver candlestick. The dim light from it created an air of loneliness and desolation under the contrast of the storm and lightning outside.

Sard, wearing a white hat, looked at King Feltis who was lying on the bed and said, "Your Majesty, your life came to an end a few months ago, and it has been sustained by the divine power since. However, even the divine power cannot extend your life anymore. Everything is set. You can return to the arms of the Lord in peace. Rest assured. Death is not the destiny. You will enjoy eternal happiness and salvation on Mountain Paradise."

Feltis' dirty eyes became clear, and he appeared more or less guilty, but his guilt was replaced by more dutifulness and determination. He said intermittently, "Honorable Saint Sard… Rex, the things… will be in your hands. Holm has always been a kingdom favored by God… and it will always be one."

Rex, Duke of Frenburg and president of the Parliament of Nobles, was full of grief in front of the king whom he had served for years. On one of his knees, he grabbed Feltis right hand and said, "Your Majesty, I will live up to your hope."

"It's my mission to add more glory to the Lord. Your Majesty, rest assured, the prince will not fall into hell." Sard drew a cross on his chest.

Crack. An enormous lightning struck and illuminated the room. Feltis closed his eyes with a smile, his right hand slipping off.

...

In the residence of the Minister of Finance, Count Henson was woken up from his dream.

"What? His Majesty has been summoned by the Lord? Get the wagon prepared now!" Count Henson stood up from his bed abruptly and walked out in his pajamas. His lady hurried to follow and covered him with a black gown, before she handed over his staff.

Count Henson who had lost his usual grace went to the wagon at the gate of his villa almost running. Then he shouted, "Hurry! To the Nekso Palace!"

Having not activated his bloodline, he ran far more slowly than a wagon dragged by Dragon Scale horses. Being carried to the palace, on the other hand, it would expose his panic. Therefore, despite his anxiety, he simply cleaned his clothes inside the wagon to show that he was very calm in order to give other nobles confidence.

BOOM. A lightning bolt struck, and deafening thunder echoed, exactly an implication of Count Henson's heart. The wagon rolled fast as the coachman tried his best, making mud splash everywhere.

The four wheels rolled so fast that the whole carriage was almost thrown when the wagon took a turn.

The window was opened as a result. The wild wind blew in, and raindrops the size of beans poured into the wagon. The night outside was as dark as ink and seemed to contain infinite horror.

The wagon stopped outside of the Nekso Palace. Count Henson rushed into the palace despite the storm. Then, he saw Duke James and Duke Russell who were standing by the gate.

"What's the situation? Where is the prince?" Count Henson breathed hard. He was already an aged senior.

With a gloomy face, James replied hoarsely, "The prince has been summoned by the Lord, too, because of grief."

"What?"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Count Henson's exclamation was eclipsed by a series of shocking thunder. He stood in the rain and simply allowed it to pour on him. There was nothing but fuzziness before him, now bright and now dark.

(End of Volume V)

Chapter 508: Candidates

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Inside the Parliament of Nobles in the Nekso Palace.

Torrential rain was pouring outside with deafening thunder and dazzling lightning, as if it were the end of the end, but all the members of the Parliament of Nobles in Rentato had been gathered in the hall. White wigs and black capes could be seen everywhere.

Had it not been for the power of the natural lightning, which made the experts below gold knights too scared to fly here, all the members of the Parliament of Nobles would've been gathered, and it had only been one hour since the Lord summoned King Feltis and Prince Patrick.

Of course, the nobles who could not make it here had also learned from their spokespersons and allies in Rentato remotely and forwarded their opinions.

They had never been more grateful for the Allyn Telephone and the Telegram Company. While the 'wired phones' that they promoted were limited to Rentato and the capitals of a few counties because of the complicated infrastructure and the huge cost that came with it, it was the only means of communication for the nobles who were unable to deploy and use expensive teleportation arrays in such weather. Many nobles decided to help with the promotion after witnessing its advantages.

"How was the prince summoned by the Lord?" Count Henson took a hot bath in the restroom in the Parliament of Nobles and changed his clothes and wig. It was not until then that he was finally freed from shock. He put on a white paper flower and seated himself in the front row, asking James, Duke of Paphos, Russell, Duke of Wolfburg, and Viscount Harrison, who had come after informing the Congress of Magic.

The four of them were the leaders of the Liberal group apart from Prince Patrick. They had to reach a consensus first, or the nobles on their side would lose confidence.

Duke James put on a white wig in the Parliament of Nobles to cover his bald head. He said sullenly, "I don't know, either. It already happened when Russell and I came to Nekso Palace. We examined the prince's body and discovered no anomaly. It was indeed a body collapsed caused by overwhelming grief. I don't think anybody could've assassinated him when he was protected by His Excellency Kritonia."

Kritonia, 'Heart of Time', was one of the two legendary knights of Holm. In the whole world, there could only be no more than five knights who could reach level three of legendary, he and Rudolf II were among them. As for the legendary knights who reached the peak of legendary, apart from the monsters such as Prince Dracula, Prince Abyss, and the lord of the first level of hell, there was only one among human beings, who was Saint Melmax, the captain of the Temple Knights and a member of the Grand Cardinal.

Although he claimed that no assassinations could've happened under Kritonia, James did not seem certain of it at all.

"His Excellency Kritonia was a hero in the War of Dawn and a legendary knight who crushed the Magic Empire's reign in Holm together with the late king. However, he is approaching the end of his life. He needs to consider and arrange more things than ordinary people do." Duke Russell said expressionlessly, "He cannot observe the situation as quietly as His Excellency Winston of the Solefen family."

Winston, 'Night Walker', was the other legendary knight of Holm, who was now supervising the kingdom's colonies in a few alternate dimensions.

Viscount Harrison sneered, "I, for one, don't believe that the prince passed away because of grief."

Harrison, Henson and the rest of them knew that Patrick had been a crown prince for four decades. It was inevitable that there was a conflict of power between the prince and the king. The two of them hadn't been intimate since a long time ago, particularly when their ideologies differed greatly. The nobles might've believed it if Patrick's body collapsed because of ecstasy.

"With everything coming to this point, we need to forget our grief and focus on two things. Firstly, we need to ask the sorcerers of the Congress of Magic to investigate the prince's death in private. Secondly, we carry out our backup plan and support David to assume the throne." After Count Henson calmed down, his blue eyes became sharp again.

Patrick had always been in poor condition. The liberal nobles had been prepared that he would die earlier than the king. Therefore, they were not panicked after they passed the initial shock and panic.

David's father was King Feltis' cousin, as well as Archmage Morris' nephew and student. Although he had died in an adventure, David, a grand knight, was completely inclined to the Liberal in daily life as well as in official affairs under his father's tutelage. He was the most suitable candidate of the royal family for the liberal nobles. Also, his bloodline was very close. According to the law of nobles, he was the fourth heir on the list.

"Okay." Duke James nodded heavily and informed the other liberal nobles of the result of their discussion.

A moment later, Rex, 'King's Griffin', the president of the Parliament of Nobles who wore a blue cape and a white wig, walked in, followed by a black-haired, smiling man whose silver grey eyes told everyone unmistakably that he belonged to the Hoffenberg family.

"Gordon!" The liberal nobles became solemn.

Duke James couldn't have looked more awful. "Didn't he claim that he would serve the Lord for his life? Didn't he quit the Sword of Truth's Knights and go to Lance, the Holy City, to join the Temple Knights?"

"A level-eight radiant knight no more than 50, the Torn Sword…" Duke Russell and Viscount Harrison whispered gravely.

Noise echoed in the hall. The other nobles, be they liberals or conservatives, began to whisper to each other. Count Gordon was a genius and an eccentric of the Hoffenberg family. He became a radiant knight when he was only 35 years old. He was appointed as the deputy captain of the Sword of Truth's Knights by King Feltis. However, as a pious believer, he went to the Holy City at 40 and joined the Temple Knights.

His bloodline was much further from King Feltis than David's was. However, his rank as a radiant knight was influential enough to raise his right of succession to be on par with David. While the Hoffenberg family was not unpopulated, most of its members were more distant in bloodline, or were not knights, or they had already embarked on the path of magic, thereby forfeiting their qualification.

Duke James and the other liberals thought that Rex would support Alex, his nephew who had just activated the bloodline of 'Sword of Truth'. Then, in terms of strength or blood connection, David would inherit the throne without suspense. Nobody expected that Gordon would come back.

As the mallet knocked the table ahead, the hall of the Parliament of Nobles immediately fell quiet.

Rex drew a cross on his chest and said sorrowfully, "Our great king, His Majesty Feltis, and our honorable crown prince, His Highness Patrick were summoned by the Lord an hour ago. Let's have a moment of silence and pray that they be favored by the Lord on Mountain Paradise."

James and the other nobles stood up and drew crosses in the quiet and grievous atmosphere.

Five minutes later, Rex hinted that everybody should sit down and turned tough. "Because His Highness Patrick, heir of the kingdom, has also been summoned by the Lord, without leaving any children, the Parliament of Nobles will elect an heir according to the law. The election will be based on the right of succession, on the premise that they are blessed by the Lord."

By 'blessed by the Lord', he meant that a Grand Cardinal would come to host the ceremony of inheritance.

Rex did not allow the nobles to speak. Pointing at Gordon who was next to him. "The royal family of Holm is in peril after such a strike. Therefore, Count Gordon decided to consider for his family and asked for the Lord's forgiveness. He quit the Temple Knights and returned through the teleportation array of the Church. He is a level-eight radiant knight and of the purest bloodline of 'Sword of Truth'. I propose that he should inherit the throne. Please vote by raising your hands."

"Wait a moment." James stood up and said loudly, "Under such circumstances, according to the law, only if more than two thirds of the members agree and none of the nine dukes objects can the elected inherit the throne. Is it the case, President Rex?"

Rex looked at James gloomily, "Yes, and no. When all the other candidates have no more than one fifth of the votes, the last candidate will not need to meet the requirement. In emergencies, the candidate with more than half of the votes will inherit the throne directly. I believe that it is an emergency right now. The throne cannot be left empty."

"It is not up to you whether or not this is an emergency; it requires everyone's vote. Now, I propose Count David. He is closer to His Majesty in bloodline and much more entitled to the throne than Count Gordon. Also, he is a grand knight who has activated the strength of his bloodline."

James did not speak on the podium but looked around at other nobles on the spot. "I don't think any member will object to the hereditary hierarchy, right? If anyone agrees to it, then the candidates stronger than his son or his grandson can invoke the example and steal the title when they are about to inherit the title, right?"

It was the foundation to keep the nobles in fact. Every noble wanted to leave their title to their direct heir. If the strong were free to rob, every family would be filled with assassinations and internal strife.

Of course, that was one of the reasons why they succumbed to the Church. The independent and powerful church could ensure that nobody would disregard the rules because of their strength.

A conservative stood up and bowed at everybody courteously, "According to the law, the bloodline abilities are the foundation of nobles, and powerful strength will be considered during inheritance. Considering the strength of a radiant knight, Duke Gordon and Count David are on par. Therefore, electing Count Gordon is not in violation of the law and will not result in the collapse of order."

"Also, Count David's father was a sorcerer. We need to consider if he can be blessed by the Lord."

His brief reply completely resolved James' attack.

Count Henson stood up with a feather pen. He also bowed around courteously and said, "Just because the father is a sorcerer does not mean that the son is not a devout believer. Count David has never missed any church session and often donates to the Church. Everybody knows his piety well. I believe that the Lord can certainly see it and tolerate it. Count Gordon, on the other hand, once entered the Temple Knights. I find it hard to believe that he will place the interests of Holm before everything else in the future. This is not blasphemy of the Lord but a confusion of the power of the Church and the power of the king."

At such a moment, he had no time to be subtle but pointed out the confrontation of the two powers.

Gordon raised his hands and smiled, "Speculations are not proof. I believe that I will view the questions of nobles as the king of Holm instead of as a Temple Knight."

The other liberals and conservations stood and offered their opinions. In the end, Rex said, "Now, a show of hands. Those who agree with Count David, please raise your hands."

Arms were raised. They did not seem to be many, but they already made up one third. While the liberals were outnumbered by the conservatives, they were more united.

Rex frowned at that as he could not invoke the first special clause now. Thinking for a moment, he proceeded, "Those who agree with Count Gordon, please raise your hands."

Arms were raised. It did not seem to be a problem that he would have the approval of more than half of the people. Rex began to consider how to make the motion of the state of emergency pass.

Suddenly, the raising of hands was stopped when there was still not half. Rex looked at Duke Solomon, stunned. The noble who had a black mustache shook his head, stating that he would not support candidates with distinctive church backgrounds. As a major leader of the conservatives, his attitude directly influenced many other nobles.

Duke James smiled, "President Rex, it seems that we need to discuss and negotiate for a long time."

Now that Duke Solomon hesitated, he was confident to kick Gordon out through compromises.

Rex fell silent. Looking at the mallet in his hands, he suddenly raised his head, "I will propose another candidate."

He intended to force Duke Solomon and the rest of them to agree with his proposal with the emergency of the situation, but they were more stubborn than he anticipated. He could only activate the backup plan now.

"Who? Who is higher on the hereditary hierarchy than Count David and Count Gordon?" Duke Russell expressed his objection.

Rex replied unhurriedly, "Natasha Violet, Countess of Violet, has activated the bloodline of 'Sword of Truth'. She is closer to His Majesty than Count David is. Also, she is a radiant knight and a devout believer that can be blessed by the Church."