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886 Progress

Seeing Nando's reaction, Furan reviewed what she did and decided that she was being too hasty. She had come straight after learning the message from another sorcerer on the road. It did not occur to her that it was impossible for Nando, who should have been away from Holm for a while, to learn the intelligence earlier than she did.

"Has anything happened?" After a brief moment of being stunned, Fernando immediately realized that new intelligence had been delivered from Holm to Rentato, so out of concern, he asked in a low voice. It was much easier for the legends to communicate than it was for the common sorcerers. For example, the two Excellencies of Cabin of Palmeira talked almost on a daily basis.

Keeping her right hand on the misty window of the nightmare wagon, Furan thought for a moment and believed that she could get more details from Nando. So, she smiled and said, "A while earlier, the Liege of Death killed 'Graceful Angel' Francois in the Radiance Church and destroyed the transmission circle. Such a terrifying outcome made people wonder if he had regained his top legendary capabilities. So, none of the legendary knights of Holm dared to come out again, and the new pope had to send the Sword of Truth back with two saints."

After a brief pause, she said, "In such a way, the pressure we suffer has been greatly reduced. We'll be on the winning side if Gregory does not leave Lance."

"What? The Graceful Angel was killed in the Radiance Church?" Antec exclaimed in surprise before Fernando said anything. With the support of the divine power circles of the cathedral, Saint Francois could have resisted a top legend for a while. Had the Liege of Death approached the demigod level after his resurrection? Even if he didn't, he had to have returned to his peak in the past, hadn't he?

Fernando also found it hard to believe. He had only been away for half a month, and why had the situation changed so fast? The organization was keeping a low profile after attacking Kritonia and Alfonsol, but how was the highest leader of the Church in Holm killed all of a sudden?

Suddenly, he realized that a secret agreement had to have been reached in the battle against Kritonia. The targets of the Liege of Death and the old fox included not just the Heart of Time but also the Graceful Angel. They intended to create chaos and cooperate with this side.

Looking at Fernando's changing expression, Furan thought of something. "Do you know what is going on?"

"I'm not sure. It's been half a month since I left Rentato. The Graceful Angel was still as alive as ever back then." Fernando did not propose his speculation.

Furan also did not think that a seventh-circle sorcerer who did not have a notable background could know that. So, she nodded, "Do you know anything else about the Liege of Death?"

"Earlier, our Union attacked the Heart of Time together with the Liege of Death." Fernando felt that it was necessary for him to raise some valuable intelligence in case he was underestimated.

Furan chuckled. "Wasn't it the Witch of Iceland and the Eye of Curse?"

Yours is just a wretched group without even a legend. Stop overselling yourself.

"I was there." Not in a good mood, Fernando said straightforwardly.

"What?" Antec was even more surprised than Furan.

Furan did not lose her calmness now that Antec shouted out his surprise. She smiled thoughtfully and asked, "Nando, can you tell me the details?"

Her eyes were wet and full of charm. Although the Lord of Frigidity would inform the legends of the coalition army of the major events, he was not close to the Stellar Mentor and certainly would not tell him all the details.

Fernando did not intend to hide in the first place. He told the basic story and concluded, "… At that time, the Liege of Death behaved as a level-three legend; otherwise, Kritonia wouldn't have escaped."

As for whether or not the Liege of Death was pretending, he was not certain.

Furan listened quietly and asked about the details now and then. In the end, she nodded. "Your intelligence is very valuable."

Suddenly, her face was rigid, and she sounded old. "Little girl, we are interested in what you said. We hope that you can come to my demiplane."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Fernando was stunned before he suddenly realized who the person who had just controlled Furan's body was. In Aalto, only the Stellar Mentor could have done that without causing a conflict.

Furan shivered hard and looked around in confusion. Then, she rubbed her head and said, "Did my teacher invite you just now?"

"Yes." Fernando respected the legends for their strength, but he was not intimidated by them. He seemed rather calm.

Furan smiled like the peaceful moonlight at night, which was entirely different from her usual look. Not only was Antec, a rookie, lost in it, but even Fernando was also rather amazed.

"For our teacher and for us, the issue about the Liege of Death is one of the most important things." Furan smiled.

Damn! This chick has combined illusion, divinity, and her own vibe so perfectly? Fernando struggled to move his eyes away from Furan's face, speculating that she was using illusion. In the meantime, he smiled. "I know that Prince Dracula, the primordial dragon of time, the elven queen, the Mother God of the Earth, and the Master of the Boundless Ocean are not sorcerers."

Even though there were plenty of legends among them, the sorcerers were actually playing a supportive role in the war and could not decide their fate. At such a moment, the "Liege of Death" who had recovered his strength was like a gift from the Goddess of Fortune!

Furan was briefly stunned, not expecting Nando to be unaffected by herself. She smiled and thought that the countryside girl had a lot of potentials!

After only one moment, she had a new understanding and more interest in Nando than physical ones.

"You are very smart." Furan touched Fernando's face with her right hand. "Let's go to my teacher's demiplane now."

It was not until the two of them were melted into the mist that Antec was back to himself. He sighed. "Furan is only into girls. Should I borrow the transformation belt from Fernando for my use? No, she knows that I am a man."

He turned to the mist and said enviously, "Fernando was involved in such an important matter. It's so much better than staying in Aalto and helping with the maintenance of the dreams…"

...

In the demiplane of "Starry Ocean", none of the legendary sorcerers revealed their real appearances, but only affected the space and showed unusual phenomena. For example, on Fernando's left side was a scorching fireball that felt like the sun, and on his right was a weird pattern made of the four main elements.

In their eyes, Fernando, who was not even an archmage, was not qualified to meet them at all. They wouldn't have bothered to talk to him had it not been for the Liege of Death. That was the pride of legends of the Magic Empire.

"That's all I know." Fernando described the event in greater detail and stressed the old fox's role, but he did not mention Douglas' whys and his current research.

Right before him, the brilliant stars swirled and constituted into a fateful nebula. From the nebula, an old but clear voice said, "It's much more valuable than I imagined."

The Stellar Mentor was much more polite than the other legends, but he did not mention what the specific value was.

"I know why you've come to Aalto. We won't stop you from taking sorcerers away with you. There are indeed too many people here." The Stellar Mentor showed their attitude on behalf of other people.

Fernando was secretly relieved. That was the purpose of his intentional leakage. Although it was not important for the legends that he was persuading the talented sorcerers to leave, it was still possible that some of them would turn him into an experimental material someday when they were in a foul mood. Now that he had the endorsement of the Stellar Mentor, there would be no problem. His divinity told him that the Stellar Mentor would have accepted his request, but he did not expect that the guy would mention it before he asked.

Although he was impatient and mean, Fernando was not a reckless man. He had thought of and perfected most of the details.

After Fernando left, the nebula asked the twisting darkness nearby, "Did you notice anything?"

The darkness was vaguely showing the scenery of the abyss.

"There are signs of body modification, and she lacks the unique feminine qualities." Natravos, the Lord of Abyss, was one of the best experts in body modification, only slightly secondary to Viken, the King of Calamities who once stood at the cutting edge of the field.

"Do you mean that she might not be a female?" the Stellar Mentor asked.

"It's a possibility." Natravos grinned hideously. "If you don't mind, I can give her a test. Such a violent girl fits my appetite very well."

"Forget it. We cannot afford any accidents right now. She's a Red Eye noble of the Asso Empire, and she may be related to the Liege of Death." The Stellar Mentor shook his head and thought of his student. However, he soon forgot about such trivia.

The Sun King said loudly, "Does she deserve any attention? Are you too idle? There are so many important things to do!"

Therefore, the Starry Ocean regained the everlasting peace, and the minds of the legends communicated and sparkled.

...

In the days that followed, Fernando and Furan had a great time on the bed. Also, thanks to her introduction and Antec's, he made friends with quite a lot of sorcerers who had potentials but could not improve in cities like Aalto due to the insufficiency of resources. The few female sorcerers that Furan introduced were particularly remarkable.

Those sorcerers were not very happy to leave at first. After all, many companions had been gathered here, and it was easy for them to exchange knowledge here as they were in Antiffler. However, after learning that the Liege of Death had "regained" his capabilities and did something great, they began to feel that the prospects of Holm were promising and changed their mind.

One day, Furan told Fernando that there was an elemental sorcerer in Holsava, a city to the north of Aalto, who hadn't been doing very well. His name was Tuck. His talents were rather impressive, but he had been ostracized after pissing off Beto and was forced to live in Holsava City instead of Aalto.

Fernando immediately went there. Furan, however, was delayed by something else and was not with him for a couple of days.

887 Track

"Are you saying that Tuck has moved away?" "Nando", who now carried feminine charm, asked a middle-aged woman.

Because it was near the mines, the sky of Holsava City was covered by dust all year around, which made it dim and gray. He was now at the center of a dark valley, where the architectural style was more inclined to the mysteriousness and grimness that sorcerers preferred.

The middle-aged woman that Fernando asked was an ordinary person. She wavered and replied, "Yes, Mr. Sorcerer. Tuck moved away a month ago."

The reverence and fear for sorcerers had been etched to the blood of the civilians of the Magic Empire.

Fernando looked around. The buildings here were mottled and heavy, with the traces of aging everywhere. Realizing that Tuck did not seem to have enjoyed his life in this place, he went on to ask, "Do you know where he moved to? Exactly how many years ago did he move out?"

The middle-aged woman thought in fear for a moment before replying, "Mr. Sorcerer, I remember clearly that it rained hard that day. It was exactly the middle of the last month."

As a matter of fact, the sorcerers had a detailed and complicated regulation on years, months, and days, such as the Year of Winter, the Month of Bronze, and Day Thanos. However, it was impossible for ordinary people to remember those things. They mostly still referred to the months with their original names in the common tongue.

Fernando nodded. The magic he secretly performed told him that her words were trustworthy and without interference. The middle-aged woman was also not secretly a senior-rank sorcerer, which he had already confirmed.

The middle-aged woman was more or less relieved seeing the beautiful girl before him nodding her head. She was much more smooth when she said, "Mr. Tuck is a sorcerer who does not like talking. He mostly hid in his room for experiments every day. However, a few days before he moved out, when I ran into him in the lobby, I heard him talking about 'Kufuray', 'my new life will begin there', etc."

She had been a civilian in the neighborhood until she was hired by Tuck as his servant.

"Kufuray…" Fernando repeated the name and soon found the corresponding place in the map in his memories. It was a city to the northwest of Aalto on the border between the territory of sorcerers and that of a dozen heretic churches that were against the Saint Truth. There weren't abundant mines and unique resources in the city.

Why did Tuck go to that city? Fernando was puzzled.

Then, he performed divinity, and after making sure that there were no obvious dangers, he decided to go there and take a look. He could also observe the heretic churches by the way. He had always been curious about the gods' forms of existence and the reason why the Church was preaching about faith. It was a pity that the Saint Truth was too powerful in Holm for him to observe and study. Now that he had come to Aalto, he might as well take a look at it by the way.

After his wish was fulfilled, he would return to Aalto and go back to Holm with the newly-recruited sorcerers.

Furan is one hot chick. It's a shame that I can't spend more time with her, Fernando thought regretfully before he chuckled to himself. However, she will definitely go crazy if she learns my real identity. It's not bad to leave as soon as possible.

Now that the Liege of Death had raised the attention of the legends, their communication with Holm would definitely be more frequent. So, it would be a disaster if the old fox accidentally revealed that the envoy he sent was a guy named Fernando.

…

Kufuray City was a business city in the Magic Empire. It had a huge population and was significantly more prosperous than the mining city Holsava.

The sun was high. Fernando observed the city from the sky. Pedestrians walked like ants, and towers rose high intimidatingly. There was nothing wrong.

He descended and landed out of the city, not attempting to challenge the defense circles of the city. Then, with the credentials that Furan gave him, he passed the gate.

The moment he entered the city, Fernando felt that the bright sunlight was dimmed, as if he had come to a cold and obscure forest.

"The magic circles of this city have been kept running at such a level?" Fernando speculated.

On the street, the residents of Kufuray seemed familiar with each other. Fernando saw many people in groups of ten discussing something in a low voice.

"What's happening?" Fernando thought warily. He cast a spell of distraction and approached them.

"Don't forget to go to the priest tonight. He will pray for us."

"I will. I have to repent."

…

Similar words entered Fernando's ears. There was nothing that deserved his attention.

Fernando sniffed. "It seems that the heretic churches have developed new followers here. Hehe. It's better than believing in the Saint Truth."

He listened to another few groups and found nothing strange. So, he went to the Office of Sorcerers at the center of the city and asked about Tuck. According to the rules of the Magic Empire, only if the sorcerers were registered in the local office could they enjoy the privileges, including subsidies, of the sorcerers.

Very soon, he left the office in satisfaction. Tuck was indeed here.

And I was worried that he might've lost his mind and run loose.

Fernando thought to himself and walked to 24, Right Angle Street according to the file. It was the residence that Tuck was given.

The Right Angle Street was near the city wall. It was as lackluster as Holsava City in the dust. The buildings here were also grim and ragged, as if they hadn't been repaired for a long time. Sorcerers never bothered to waste their time on the houses other than their magic towers. According to them, the civilians they raised were exactly for such things!

"Tuck is ostracized in this place too? But he hasn't been here for long," Fernando murmured, suspecting that it was Beto's influence.

Of course, he didn't think that Beto did it directly, or Tuck would have gone missing. However, Beto's dislike would be spread out from his circle and his followers to other cities, and somebody would try to please him.

Dum, dum, dum.

Fernando stopped before a two-floored villa and knocked on the door.

The villa was so old that it did not even have a common magic doorbell.

After a few knocks, there was no response at all, not even a magic pet or an alchemical puppet.

"Tuck is not here?" Fernando mumbled. What bad luck.

He tried knocking again, with a greater force to create bigger noises.

Dum, dum. Squeak…

After Fernando's movement, the door of the room was slowly opened. It was not really closed at all.

Fernando vaguely sensed that something was not right, but then he realized that Tuck was only a sorcerer who just rose to the senior rank. So, he boldly released the Secret Eye and investigated every corner with it.

The desks and chairs in the house had a thin layer of dust. There was not a living soul both upstairs and downstairs. There wasn't a secret room either.

"Notes in the library, and materials in the laboratory… Did Tuck leave in a hurry when he was preparing for an experiment?" Fernando speculated according to the feedback of the Secret Eye. "It's also possible that he did not leave but went missing…"

Otherwise, a sorcerer wouldn't have left his notes in the library instead of carrying it with him.

It puzzled Fernando. The guy who made Tuck disappear didn't take away the notebook? Why? That was a sorcerer's most valuable treasure!

His confusion brewed. After confirming that there was no danger, Fernando entered the study and decided to find clues from Tuck's notes.

"Earth, fire, wind, and water. I'm so sick of the four elements and cannot understand the content behind at all.

"Maybe I should try studying the mysteries of gods! All the churches have so many experts and fake gods. It means that the secrets of power and immortality must be behind it…

"The thing that I accidentally obtained seems related to the mysteries of gods. However, I cannot study it due to the lack of materials…

"I'm told that some heretic churches are preaching in Kufuray City, which still belongs to the sorcerers. This is truly a gift from the Goddess of Fortune.

"My new life will begin here!"

It was more like Tuck's journal than a real magic notebook. Fernando was less puzzled. If the guy had left in a hurry, it was not entirely necessary to bring the notebook.

"Something is not right!"

Suddenly, a few words that were obviously written in a haste entered Fernando's eyes. He could almost sense the fear in them.

"What did Tuck find?"

Fernando's relief was gone. At this moment, he heard footsteps coming from the gate!

…

"Where are you hiding Nando? She's supposed to be back the day before yesterday!" Furan came and questioned Antec.

Antec couldn't be more innocent. "How would I know? I don't even know where you sent her."

"Hehe. If I know you've done anything bad because of jealousy, I'll feed you to the nightmare in person!" Furan observed carefully and felt that Antec was not lying. In the end, she said, "That's strange. It takes only half a day to travel between Holsava and this place. Why is she still not here?"

"What's she doing in Holsava?" Antec asked curiously.

Thinking about other things, Furan answered casually, "I asked her to go and find Tuck. Although Tuck is not very likable, he's still…"

Antec stood up all of a sudden. He was shocked. "Tuck? Wasn't he allured to Kufuray by Beto with a trick?"

"What? Kufuray?" Furan was also shocked.

"This is bad. Nando hasn't followed him there, has she?" Antec walked to Furan anxiously.

888 Mysterious Kufuray City

Fernando grabbed the notebook and cast "Advanced Stealth" on himself, disappearing from the study. He listened to the coming footsteps quietly.

One, two, three… More and more people were coming to the gate.

"Why are there so many people? Why are they so stealthy?" Fernando created spying eyes and dispersed them in order to monitor the whole house. Although the spell had a range limitation, everything in Tuck's house was still under watch because it was old and small.

In a corner, a crystal ball suddenly glittered and displayed what was in the hall. Even Advanced Stealth could not cover such an effect.

In the hall, the men and women in plain clothes walked lightly like ghosts, as if they feared that they might wake up the owner of the house.

There were about a dozen of them. They dispersed around a creepy-looking man at the center.

The man had scarlet thin hair, a protruding forehead, broken eyebrow, half-missing nose, rolling lips, and eyes that only had whites left. He was so unnaturally hideous that he looked like a doll that a naughty kid stitched on their own, or a monster that would only appear in the illogical dreams.

He looked at the ceiling with his blinded eyes, and his ears, which seemed to have been bitten by dogs, slightly shivered. After the dozen strangers stopped at their respective positions, he suddenly opened his mouth and said, "God saves the people."

His voice was not as ugly as he looked. It was distant and intimidating, as if it came from the infinite heights.

"God, please save us." The men and women held their arms and slowly leaned forward in a weird posture.

Continuing the previous tone, the man said gravely, "Everybody suffers and pays for their sins after they are born. Everybody endures hunger, trauma, jealousy, and betrayal without one day of happiness. They can barely catch their breath under the infinite pressure. Also, nobody can escape death in the end. They can only walk toward their doom in fear.

"However, God tells us that death is eternal, peaceful, and devoid of miseries and pains. Faced with death, we must thank God for His grace so that we do not need to sink in this filthy and disgusting world anymore…"

As he went on, the hall was covered in a tranquilizing and alluring atmosphere. The dozen men and women listened attentively and seemed to have understood the truth of death.

"Is a heretic church that believes in the God of Death preaching here?" Fernando basically realized what was going on in the hall through the spying eye.

Since this city had been infiltrated by the heretic churches, such a condition should be perfectly normal.

The moment the idea popped up, he suddenly sensed that something was not right. "But why are they holding a ritual in Tuck's house? Did they know that Tuck's house was empty?"

With puzzles rising up, Fernando identified the people carefully and did not find Tuck who attempted to study faith. Furan had created an image of Tuck with her memories so that it would be easier for him to find.

"That's odd. Are they related to Tuck's 'disappearance'?" Fernando observed those "believers" even more carefully.

"As long as we earn the grace of God, we will enjoy painless immortality in death…" The priest suddenly raised his voice and his right hand.

After he raised his right hand, the dozen men and women rose from the ground and danced a weird dance that Fernando had never seen before. Their postures were so weird that they did not seem to worry about joint damages or pain at all.

"It's not like a regular religious ritual…" Fernando knew a thing or two about that. "Are the believers of the God of Death so special?"

As the dance grew weirder and weirder, the atmosphere in the hall became chaotic. They all took off their clothes and crawled before the priest.

The priest put down his right hand, but there was now a sharp dagger that emitted cold brilliance in it.

Fernando thought that the priest would reap the lives of the believers to please the God of Death, but the priest rolled his right hand and stabbed the dagger into his own chest. Blood immediately spurted out.

"Huh?" Fernando was completely stunned. He knew a lot of sacrificial rituals, but none of them required the suicide of the host first!

Blood dripped on the filthy floor. A man on the ground, as if summoned by God, suddenly extended his tongue and licked the blood.

Then, with obscure noises from his throat, he lunged at the collapsing priest like a wolf and bit the priest's neck brutally, tearing off a cluster of flesh and swallowing it in a hurry.

The rest of the followers also went crazy. They jumped at the priest, gnawed at his flesh, and chewed it in the most reverential way.

Fernando felt uncontrollably nauseated as he watched the blood, skin, and broken flesh on the believers' mouths. He had studied necromancy before, but he had never seen such a disgusting scene before.

A lot of blood was wasted when they crazily competed for food. It was gathered below the corpse into a pool.

The blood in the pool was suddenly vaporized, creating a hazy mist of blood everywhere.

In the mist of blood, a face was crawling out crazily.

The redness was fixed to the face tightly as if it were a veil. Only the rising parts, such as eyeballs, nose, and mouth, could be seen, which made the face unbelievably creepy.

The man shouted hoarsely, "Help me!"

Startled by the voice, Fernando shivered hard, and the drowsiness that came into being at some point left his body.

It was not until this moment that he realized that the priest was still reciting the prayer and the believers were still dancing in the crystal ball.

"What happened to me just now?" Fernando asked himself subconsciously. He soon realized that he was affected by illusions and entered a dream without him realizing it!

He looked around warily and thought to himself, It's at least a senior-rank sorcerer, if not an archmage, who put me into a dream through the previous scene. What exactly does he want?

Then, he thought in shock, Was the archmage who created the dream the one who cried for help? He created the dream just to send a distress call?

Fernando did not rush out to investigate the dozen heretic believers. The caller asked for help in such a way was obviously to avoid certain surveillance. If he were to take action recklessly, something might happen to him.

"Is the man in trouble caged? No, if he is caged, his leaking strength couldn't have affected me at all unless he is above legendary, in which case whoever cages him is too much for me to deal with. If he is not caged but hiding somewhere in the city, it must be at least a level-nine expert who has put an archmage into such difficulties. The guy may be around…

"Such a method is obviously sorcery. Then, why doesn't he just ask for help from the Office of Sorcerers, which can reach out to Aalto? Maybe the Office of Sorcerers is secretly monitored by the expert, or maybe the people in the Office of Sorcerers have betrayed or been replaced…

"So, will the expert in the dark allow people to leave Kufuray City and get help for the sorcerer?"

Fernando shook his head firmly. It couldn't happen. Maybe he would be captured and killed as long as he attempted to leave the city.

At this moment, the dancing and praying believers slowed down. The ritual tonight seemed to have come to an end.

Fernando looked at the scene; his eyes unfocused. One thought suddenly flashed in his mind. "Is 'the guy in need' doing this on purpose so that I'll be too intimidated to leave Kufuray and can only disappear like Tuck?"

He was very smart and therefore came up with a lot of possibilities. Hesitating, he did not know which one he should believe.

However, since he remembered Tuck, he brought out the notebook and read the following records.

"The ritual here is too weird. It is very different from what I know…

"The more I study the church that secretly develops in this place, the more scared I am. What are they exactly?

"No. Why have I never seen anyone leave the city? Why do the people who bring water and food return at the gate and never enter the city?

"I need to get out of here!"

After the scribble was hopeless blankness.

"Does everybody know that it is impossible to leave the city?" Fernando was even more perplexed.

Inside the crystal ball, the believers stopped praying and were ready to leave under the priest's instruction.

Having a eureka, Fernando blinked to the hall and shouted, "Who are you? Why are you trespassing on Tuck's house?"

Since he was here for Tuck, he had to behave like he was searching for Tuck. That was the best way for him to buy himself more time without raising attention and doubts!

The priest who was as hideous as a monster replied solemnly and honestly, "We have been invited by Tuck."

"Tuck invited you to come here?" Fernando was slightly stunned, not expecting such an answer.

...

With the credentials that their teachers gave them, Furan and Antec flew toward Kufuray City quickly.

"Right, whose turn is it to watch over the place right now?" Antec did not pay much attention to it before.

Furan thought for a moment and said, "His Excellency the Original Fire."

889 Tracing the Source

The priest, which looked like a stitched monster, looked at Fernando with his hollow eyes that did not have pupils. "He has offered this house to the great God."

"Where is he now?" Fernando asked solemnly, feeling that it was getting weirder and weirder. Wasn't Tuck planning to escape this place? How did he become the believer of an evil god all of a sudden?

Had he been completely twisted by the evil god's priest, or even the evil god himself, into a selfless "contributor"?

The priest sounded as calm as before as he said, "He's in the temple."

"I'm his friend. I'm here for him. I would like you to bring me to meet him in the temple." Fernando had been unwilling to risk going to the nest of those believers whose behaviors were weird, but logically speaking, he was here for Tuck, and he could have asked for help from the Office of Sorcerers in case of any danger. If he did not go, it was very possible that the mysterious hunter would notice some anomaly.

Of course, Fernando knew very well in his heart that this city might not be under the control of sorcerers anymore. He inferred it based on the cry for help.

The priest slowly moved forward and circumvented Fernando as if he could see. "Follow me, paranoid sorcerer. You will sense the almightiness of God after you come to the temple. You will know that Tuck has chosen a better path with his heart."

He's not stopping me? Having no time to think, Fernando walked out of the villa with the priest.

It was already late at night. The silver moon was hazy, and darkness was everywhere in the city. Few lights could be seen.

Following the priest unhurriedly, Fernando analyzed the whole thing. "A sorcerer somehow became an evil god's believer after leaving such notes, the whole city has been blocked, and someone delivers water and food regularly… Are the sorcerers secretly doing something based on this city, or have some believers of the evil god infiltrated Kufuray and controlled it bit by bit?"

It was not difficult to come up with the two possibilities because the place was in the territory of the sorcerers after all. It was next to the churches of the other gods but beyond the reach of the dark creatures, elves, dwarfs, or the Saint Truth. The first possibility could also mean the cooperation with the evil god.

He weighed the two possibilities, hoping to figure out the situation and find a way of survival. Based on the fact that it was a sorcerer who cried for help, the second possibility seemed more likely.

The priest in the lead walked to the market area and opened one of the stores.

Many goods were placed behind the door. There was nothing special. The blind priest passed the messy place agilely without bumping into anything.

At the center of the store, stone stairs led to the basement, where bright and yellow light was leaking out.

Kufuray has such underground chambers too. No wonder the archmage can hide and ask for help. Fernando thought to himself. Then, he frowned and sensed the contradictions. "As I inferred before, the mysterious hunter must be at least a level-nine expert, or he couldn't have forced an archmage who is capable of putting me into a dream to stay here.

"Would such an expert secretly investigate after knowing that his enemy is hiding in the city, or would he simply erase the city with his strongest attack?"

Fernando believed that none of the experts in this age had the kindness to care about other people's lives. They would certainly do whatever it took to accomplish the mission as soon as possible in case the enemy's reinforcements came. So, how could the expert have decided to play hide-and-seek with the archmage in Kufuray? Was he not scared that a legend would pass by the place by accident?

It was obvious that the most effective approach was to destroy the city with thunderous attacks so that the archmage would be forced out or killed in his shelter. Whatever protection he was under, when an attack that was powerful enough to destroy the city arrived, the magic effects would definitely be triggered, and he would be discovered as a result.

There was another possibility, which was that the method of hiding involved the deep mysteries of time and space. However, an archmage was apparently incapable of that. If it was naturally formed, he could have stayed in the shelter peacefully without asking for help in a hurry.

More importantly, this place was not close to Aalto. Whatever happened, as long as the Office of Sorcerers was destroyed in the very beginning, nobody would notice anything wrong in ten minutes.

"Therefore, it's not that the mysterious hunter does not want to demolish the city, but his certain concerns prevent him from choosing such a radical approach. He is forced to play hide-and-seek with the archmage…"

Inferring the enemy's thoughts from their action, Fernando sensed more and more "truth". "Either the evil god in this place is beyond level nine and terrifies him, or it is this!"

Based on his previous speculation, Fernando believed that he had already seen through the mist!

"If the evil god has reached the level of legendary, the sorcerers would definitely be willing to cooperate with him in such a situation as long as he is willing to. He will be given a territory for his preaching. There's no need to be so stealthy at all…

"Also, something has happened to many sorcerers in this place. Even though the enemy can fake voices and mails, there are always irrecoverable loopholes, like the people who deliver food and water but do not enter the city, and the source of the food and water… In such an intense situation, it can hardly escape the attention of the sorcerers in Aalto…

"Therefore, this place can only be a secret laboratory of the legends of Aalto! Only they can separate a city within their territory from the outside world without causing any suspicion! Only they can mobilize a large batch of food without raising any attention!

"That's why the mysterious hunter did not destroy the city immediately, which would've attracted the legends!"

The mist before him gradually dispersed, and the situation was manifested before Fernando's eyes. However, he was even more stunned after he figured out the truth.

"We're here." The priest's old and rigid voice echoed next to Fernando's ears.

He trembled and woke up from his thoughts, only to discover that he had finished walking down the stairs without him knowing it. He was standing in the middle of a temple that was fully engraved with patterns of death.

In the temple, many people were praying on their knees. Their genders and ages varied.

"Tuck." Before his God, the priest's voice became low.

A man in an old black jacket moved backward to the priest and Fernando. He did not stand up and was purely moving on his knees.

It was not until he left the praying mass that he finally turned around and looked at Fernando. "Who are you?"

His eyes were lost and dirty.

Fernando identified that it was the real Tuck. He said solemnly, "I'm hiring a batch of talented sorcerers, and Furan recommended you."

He specifically mentioned Furan and hid the information about Holm, hoping that whoever was behind it could be scared. Although it was highly unlikely, it was still worth trying.

"Hehe. Talented sorcerers…" Tuck stressed "sorcerers" before he said peacefully, "I've understood the real significance of my life. I will never study the boring magic anymore."

"Is that so? I'm very sorry." Fernando gave a polite and normal answer.

As a matter of fact, if anyone familiar with him were here, they would've noticed his strangeness immediately. How could the roarer not have spat on Tuck's face and lambasted faith and god.

At this moment, tides were surging in Fernando's heart, not because of Tuck, but because he had seen the truth of the whole thing!

"This issue can be divided into two parts. At first, the sorcerers were studying something with this cult. They blocked the city and forbade everyone from leaving for that purpose. Then, an archmage was hunted by someone and hid in a shelter in the city. He put me into a dream through a ritual and asked for my help.

"Then, the problem can't be more obvious now. Both the archmage and his hunter are certainly aware of the specialties of this place. Otherwise, someone would've tried to destroy the city, and they would've been killed by the legends.

"Then, would a city that is under the control of sorcerers watch an archmage be hunted without doing anything? Even though the archmage felt that the sorcerers in this place had been controlled by the mysterious hunter, he could have caused trouble and attracted the legend who monitored this place. But he didn't do that!

"Also, can a secret research base of sorcerers, which has blocked a city with great resources, be controlled so easily?

"It's only possible if the legend who monitors this place is on the same side with the mysterious hunter. Or rather, the legend may be the mysterious hunter!

"That's why the archmage, who sensed something wrong from a certain channel, did not ask for help. That's why places like the Office of Sorcerers were easily controlled, because they had been under control in the first place.

"The legend hasn't resorted to any powerful approaches probably because many other legends are still watching over this place. He doesn't dare to cause too much noise!"

Although he did not understand the reason behind the situation, or whether he had been involved in an internal strife, Fernando had no time to think about that right now. He only felt that his blood was freezing. Did he have to challenge a legend now?

He did not wait for Antec and Furan to look for himself who had gone missing, because the legend would definitely kill him before they did. After all, it was the rule that many legends made up together—entering Kufuray was allowed, but exiting it was not!

Tuck nodded and returned to the praying team. Fernando thanked the priest mechanically and walked out.

"How can I save myself?" Fernando thought hard but could not come up with a way to escape a legend.

When he walked on the street under the chilling moonlight, Fernando felt refreshed and decided to consider the problem from the perspective of the caged archmage.

"Since the issue here has something to do with the legendary supervisor, it was a rather risky move that the archmage put me into a dream. Also, there wasn't any clue in Tuck's notes at all. It means that he asked for my help because he believed it was hopeful. It was not a random or desperate choice.

"Then, where does the hope lie exactly? Is it my wisdom, my magic abilities, or something else?"

890 Risk

Under the moonlight, Fernando walked to Tuck's ragged house, trying to consider from the perspective of the trapped archmage.

"First of all, he has to choose his rescuer cautiously. If he asks for the help of a random sorcerer in the city, it's very likely that he will expose his traces. After all, not everybody can figure out the real situation as I can. One moment of carelessness, and he will be discovered by the mysterious hunter or the supervising legend."

It was something that Fernando confirmed at the beginning. For the trapped archmage, there were few opportunities for survival. He could not afford to waste any of them.

"Why did he choose me over Tuck or any other sorcerers? How am I different from them?"

Fernando believed that he certainly had advantages that could let the trapped archmage escape. That was why the archmage chose him and entered his dream to ask for help. He intended to find out the specific advances to decide his operation plan.

Fernando was both scared and excited when he realized that his opponent was a legend. His brain was much more active than usual.

"I am a seventh-circle senior-rank sorcerer, and Tuck is a sixth-circle one. The gap is not huge. I don't have obvious advantages. Besides, I never used any senior-rank spells in Kufuray City. It's certainly impossible for the trapped archmage to figure out my real capabilities, which means that my strength is not the reason why he chooses me. Well, faced with a legendary sorcerer, the strength of the senior rank matters little.

"My wisdom? I'm from Holm. Even if the trapped archmage knows me, he certainly does not know if I am a quick thinker."

To be honest, Fernando had basically guessed who the trapped archmage was. Few ninth-circle archmages could put him into dreams after they were heavily wounded, and even fewer could hide right under the nose of a legendary sorcerer. There weren't many archmages who were so good at dreams either. Only one archmage met all the conditions, which was Stanis, Antec's classmate whose cognitive world had half-solidified. He happened to not be in Aalto. Both the timing and his strength checked.

"It's not strange that Stanis heard about me from Antec before. However, those tales are certainly not enough for Stanis to choose me because of my wisdom.

"This place is separated from the outside world. My connections with Antec and Furan are pointless too…"

Fernando was puzzled for a moment, unable to figure out why Stanis entrusted such an important matter to him.

"Huh. I am wearing the transformation belt under the name of Nando. He has never met me before and couldn't have recognized me…" Fernando suddenly remembered that he was now Ms. Nando.

However, he soon realized the reason. When he was in the Office of Sorcerers, he had registered himself in order to ask about Tuck's whereabouts. He stated that he was Nando from Holm, endorsed by Antec and Furan. Taking the information into consideration, Stanis could roughly guess that he was Fernando based on Antec's description in the past, except that he was now temporarily a female. After all, Antec had few friends, and barely any of them was from Holm.

"In such a case, he may be hiding somewhere in the Office of Sorcerers. The most dangerous place is the safest place… Well, eliminating strength and wisdom, what factors make me more suitable to help him get out of the trouble? Seduction?" Fernando ruled out the possibility without thinking. He could not even meet the legend or the level-nine expert. How could he seduce them? Besides, with their strength, they must have appreciated all the beauties in the world.

What can it be? What can it be? Fernando paced back and forth before the ragged house, looking for the greatest difference between himself and other people, as well as the qualities that other people might describe and remember him by.

Suddenly, he stopped with his eyes widened. "If I were Antec, I would've described my friend Fernando as a weaselly, impatient, reckless, mean, and unapproachable man who roars like rumbling thunders when he throws a tantrum…"

The qualities that were of no use ebbed, and "impatience" popped up in Fernando's mind. "Perhaps only an impatient and reckless sorcerer can create an opportunity for Stanis to escape, or at least he thinks so!

"What would an impatient and reckless sorcerer do? A cowardly and cautious man like Tuck would have decided to sneak quietly. His materials and his notebook are just distractions to eliminate doubts…

"An impatient and reckless sorcerer does not wait. He will break out unexpectedly… In such a case, he will attract the attention of the supervisor or trigger the defense magic circles, which will give Stanis a brief window… Well, since he has escaped here, the King of Nightmare must be one of the legends who are involved in the research. It is possible that Stanis can reach out to the King of Nightmare during the brief window…"

For a moment, Fernando felt that he was Stanis. It was almost like they knew what was on each other's mind even though they had never met before!

"However, in such a case, it's very possible that they will vent their fury on me. If there's something wrong with the supervising legend, he can certainly kill Stanis and escape before the King of Nightmare arrives. Why is he confident to take the risk?"

Fernando couldn't figure out the reason. He could only trust Stanis, who would know better than him.

"If I don't take my chances, Antec and Furan will kill me to keep my mouth shut the moment they approach, and I won't be able to take my chances. Even if I die, I have to die while I'm trying to leave!" Fernando made up his mind. Then, he sniffed. "That's really the choice of an impatient and reckless sorcerer…"

He was as mean about himself as he was about other people.

"However, I need to observe tomorrow and see if it is forbidden to leave this city, in case I'm tricked." Fernando was not someone who believed everything other people said.

…

After spending the night in Tuck's house, Fernando pretended to go sightseeing after the failed recruitment. As he expected, nobody left the city at all! The wagons that delivered food and water would stop at the city gate!

After he confirmed it, Fernando took a deep breath. He decided to attack immediately when the supervisors and the cultists thought that he would go back and prepare himself!

Pa!

A silver bolt of lightning as thick as an arm glittered in the sky and struck the city gate, breaking the magic defense and splashing the mud.

In the meantime, the space before Fernando twisted, and countless runes gathered into a dazzling, queer gate.

It was Chaos Teleportation!

At this moment, the whole city suddenly glowed. The magic symbols and patterns appeared and piled into overlapping magic circles.

Right when the magic circles were triggered, clusters of mist rose from the Office of Sorcerers and were connected to the magic circles.

Immediately, stars were rising, and the whole city became blurry. Nobody could see beyond one meter.

Fernando felt so drowsy that he passed out before he was teleported.

…

Struggling to open his eyes, Fernando sensed his body again. Right when he was glad that he was still alive, a beautiful and friendly beauty appeared before him.

"Furan, you're here?" Fernando greeted her subconsciously, but he realized that something was wrong the moment he opened his mouth. Why was it a male's voice?

Furan was as gorgeous as a figure painting when she was quiet, and it was a major contrast when she talked. She laughed, and her eyes were cold as she said, "Why? Are you surprised that a chick has turned into a man? You are a pervert! You turned into a girl and tricked me. You even slept with me!" The more she talked, the angrier she became.

"That… That was a mistake…" Fernando suspected that Furan figured out the function of his belt and nullified it when he was sleeping.

Furan chuckled. "No, it was not a mistake."

When Fernando looked at her curiously, she said with a faint smile, "I asked the Lord of Abyss to perform body modification for you. It will be permanent and irremovable. You will always be a girl. Rest assured. I will take good care of you."

"Stop messing around!" Fernando only experienced it out of curiosity and never considered a permanent transition. He immediately roared, trying to stop Furan.

"Sleep now. You will always be a girl after you wake up!" Furan giggled.

Fernando tried to support his body, but the scene before his eyes suddenly broke. Darkness arrived and quickly disappeared.

"Antec?" Looking at his friend at a loss, he found himself in a regular bedroom.

Antec chuckled. "You had a nightmare just now? Tell me. Let me analyze what it is about."

"Have I been physically transformed by the Lord of Abyss?" Fernando groped his body abruptly, only to discover that it was truly a girl's!

"No," Antec answered in confusion.

Seeing that the belt was still there, Fernando was immediately relieved. "Just now, I dreamed…"

Antec couldn't stop laughing when he heard Fernando's story. "That was the deeply-hidden fear in your subconscious! To be honest, I'm scared of her too. I stole you back as soon as possible because I feared that she might notice something. You'd better go back to Holm early."

"What happened?" Fernando shifted the subject back to business.

Antec became solemn. "This is what happened. Stanis was ambushed by 'Aurora Envoy', who ranked the fifth among the night watchers, when he was out looking for materials. He paid a huge price to kill the enemy, but he sensed that he was followed by other enemies. So, not having the courage to return, he secretly hid in Kufuray City.

"However, when he was about to ask for help, he accidentally discovered that Archmage Prince, the Original Fire's most trusted student, had secretly joined the Church and become 'Bright Torch', who ranked the sixth among the night watchers.

"Also, the Original Fire was engaged in an experiment and could not be distracted, and the whole city was watched by Prince. You know what happened later.

"After you passed out, the 'Dream Transformation' that my teacher secretly deployed was activated, allowing him to arrive in Kufuray and protect Stanis. The Original Fire, who came later, tried to capture Prince, but was one step late. The guy blew himself up, and even his phylactery was shattered."

Fernando frowned. "Do you mean that something was wrong with Prince instead of the Original Fire?"

That could explain why Stanis was willing to take the risk.

891 Ten Years Later

"That's right." After learning Fernando's question, Antec made fun of him. "You were suspicious that a legend surrendered to the Church? What can they gain from that? The common archmages can receive safety and the materials provided by the Church. What can a legendary sorcerer get? After the external problems are eliminated, they will be the first guys to be thrown away."

Such a smooth and convincing explanation did not sound like something that a guy as cowardly as Antec could have thought of so quickly.

He must have remembered it when the King of Nightmare and Stanis discussed it… Fernando mocked Antec in his heart and said solemnly, "What exactly are the legends researching in Kufuray City?"

"The mysteries of faith, the deification of gods," Antec said frankly.

Fernando stared at him with his red eyes, until it was impossible for him to remain calm. He moved his shoulder back and asked, "What are you suspecting?"

"I don't know, but I'm certain that it is definitely not the answer, at least not the most fundamental answer," Fernando said solemnly.

Antec was obviously relieved. He looked at Fernando sincerely. "It is an answer nonetheless."

"Got it. I won't pursue it any further. Asking a coward to bear too much pressure will make him too scared to go to sleep." Fernando heard Antec's meaning between the lines. If he asked further, it was possible that his safety could not be guaranteed.

Antec was not angry after being mocked. He patted Fernando's shoulder with a smile. "The more scared I am, the better I will sleep."

The smooth feeling on his fingers made him move his hand back quickly. He blushed again because Fernando was still "Nando"!

Fernando sniffed. Feeling that his body had already recovered, he said, "I should get out of here as soon as possible. The rotten secrets buried below the ground disgust me. I have goosebumps all over my body."

In short, he felt that the secrets were dangerous.

"I have brought over the sorcerers you hired. They're out of the city." Antec was very scared that Furan would see through Fernando's identity, in which case he would definitely become collateral damage. So, he had been trying to persuade Fernando to leave as soon as possible.

Fernando looked at Antec in surprise. "It's rare to see you so prepared."

"Hehe." Antec enjoyed Fernando's "praise".

Fernando talked with Antec for a while. After making deals about future reunions, he walked to the door and turned the knob.

At this moment, a man who appeared to be in his thirties walked in. He was so plain-looking that he would have been unrecognizable in any crowd.

He eyed Fernando up and down and said in a low voice, "Although you are a pervert, you have the vision and analysis abilities that are better than other people's. That's not bad."

"Am I supposed to be happy for your 'compliment', you idiot who cannot distinguish between dream and reality?" Fernando was as mean as usual.

The man was Stanis, whom Antec had described and painted for Fernando before, and the future King of Nightmare.

"Words cannot bring you any benefits, but magic can," Stanis said coldly. "According to Antec, you have some different opinions on illusions and dreams. I hope that they are not too shabby, or it will be a waste of my time."

Fernando chuckled. "I also hope that you won't waste my time."

The two of them communicated their opinions on illusions and dreams in the ward. Although it did not involve the detailed magic symbols and structures, they both benefited a lot from the brainstorming.

A while after Fernando left, Furan, who had been occupied in her teacher's work, came. It was not exactly love between her and Fernando, but she couldn't help but feel guilty when she thought that Fernando's misfortunes were because of her wrong intelligence.

"What? She has returned to Holm?" Furan looked at Antec and could hear nothing else.

She did not say goodbye to her? Did the recent happiness not deserve a farewell at all?

Furan was rather sad that Fernando had left and ignored her charm.

Suddenly, Stanis opened his mouth and said nonchalantly, "You're interested in a female body with a male soul? Antec is not bad. He has a soul that is even more cowardly than ladies. He'll fit your requirement after some physical modification."

"What do you mean?" Furan was stunned at first. Then, all the confusions when she was with Fernando surged up, and she glared at Antec. Fernando was not a professional actor at all. It was okay for a short while, but as they spent more time together, there were certain details that Furan found perplexing.

Antec stepped back in fear. "It… It was none of my business. Fernando was just a pervert who liked to be a girl."

He did not have the courage to lie before Furan's face.

Gloomily, Furan gritted her teeth hard and did not say anything for a long time. Right when Antec was frightened and trying to move closer to Stanis, she suddenly waved her arm. "I'll turn him into a real female next time I meet him!"

...

Ten years later, Rentato was warm and vigorous at the end of spring.

Fernando, still wearing his favorite red magic robe, ignored the knights and clerics in the city and soon reached the Roasted Fish Hotel.

"Old Green, you are still not dead!" he shouted the moment he entered the room.

Old Green narrowed his eyes and looked at him. "I'll still be alive even after you are dead. Today's letters."

He threw a thick pile of letters to Fernando.

Ten years ago, after the Sword of Truth was sent back by the Church along with two saints, the situation was stabilized. However, as time went by, since the Church was caught in an impasse with the coalition army in Aalto and Tria, and the legends of the Church were distracted by the legendary sea monsters in the Boundless Ocean, the nobles in Holm began to have second thoughts and did not work as hard anymore.

The new situation reached an apex two years ago when the Liege of Death fully recovered and killed a grand cardinal in a head-on clash. Later on, the nobles would turn a blind eye to those in magic robes on the street as long as they were not with clerics. Also, more and more of them were secretly working with sorcerers, hoping that the Church could be struck out and a balance among the nobles, the sorcerers, and the Church could be forged.

An invisible hand appeared before Fernando before grabbing the letters and tearing them open. As per his expectation, he found Hathaway's handwriting to be even more elegant now. On the letters were mathematical questions so complicated that even Fernando felt dazzled, having the illusion that he was not as good at mathematics as Hathaway.

Ten years might be too short to make a breakthrough in magic, but it was enough for a mathematical master with enough talents to rise!

"This girl is not too bad at mathematics," Fernando remarked with his symbolic tone.

Green scorned. "This is your 39th similar remark. Is it really so difficult to admit that her mathematical talents are better than yours?"

Fernando did not hear that, for he had already sat down and dwelt in the world of mathematics.

"She has such a profound understanding of fluxion, no, calculus… She made decisive contributions…" The more Fernando read, the more shocked he became.

He had been writing to Hathaway and offering mathematical guidance over the past ten years, but when it came to the most cutting-edge fluxion, she only asked the basic definitions. Fluxion had been renamed into calculus by Douglas. However, in one of today's letters, the knowledge on calculus that Hathaway gave was beyond his abilities, and he had to learn it first!

"When did she pick up calculus?"

Fernando thought suspiciously. He soon remembered something Douglas said, "A young friend believes that calculus sounds better than fluxion, and she has made great contributions to the establishment of this system. So, let's name it as she says."

At that time, he thought that Douglas was referring to Erica who dropped by a lot. He realized now that it had to be Hathaway. She had been writing to him as well as Douglas about mathematical knowledge!

Since when was she mathematically capable of co-establishing calculus with Douglas? Fernando grimaced, feeling that he had been left behind.

"Old man, Hathaway is still writing to Douglas?" Fernando raised his head and asked.

Old Green wiped the cup as usual and said casually, "Of course, your mathematical abilities are nothing compared to Douglas'. She wouldn't have asked for your guidance if Douglas weren't in Allyn all the time."

He certainly did not mind striking Fernando.

"Nonetheless, calculus has been completed years sooner than I thought. This will be the most dazzling achievement in the history of magic!" Fernando did not feel bitter but talked in excitement.

Old Green was stunned by how open-minded he was. He asked, "The most dazzling achievement? Hehe. Who could've thought that one of the contributors is a little girl who is incapable of magic."

He cared for Hathaway as a senior. Even though ten years had passed, Hathaway was still a little girl in his eyes.

"It seems that I need to treat her as an equal during our communication." Fernando put the letters back, ready to study them further after he was back.

Old Green looked around. Seeing nobody here, he asked in a low voice, "Are we taking action tonight?"

Fernando nodded solemnly before he said in slight discomfort, "You… You'd better be careful."

Having recovered his strength, the Liege of Death believed that it was high time that they occupied a major city with necessary infrastructure so that the defense he had been secretly worked on for decades could be established as soon as possible to resist God's Arrival. It had been ten years. Nobody knew how strong the pope was and how long it would take before he could perform God's Arrival. They could only make preparations as early as possible.

"Are you confident?" Old Green asked in concern.

Fernando nodded his head. "Of course, because the nobles will be on our side!"

892 Accidents

In Cocus of the Duchy of Calais…

Since it was right next to the southern swamps, it was extremely hot even though it was the middle of the night. Now and then, creepy birds flew out of the darkness with bloodcurdling shrieks.

At the edge of the swamp, Arnold, who had been staring at Cocus City, was suddenly amused. "Nielson, you never thought you could return to this city someday, did you?"

He was talking about his return as a master.

This place, as the capital of the Asso Empire, had the most perfect infrastructure for the defense that the Liege of Death worked out. Naturally, it became the target for the operation.

With his bloated fat jiggling, Nielson said with unusual, mixed feelings. "I thought that I would never visit Cocus again in my life… I remember that I was praised right here by the Liege of Death when I became a ninth-circle archmage."

Priscilla covered her anxiety with a smile. "At first, I thought the target was Rentato instead of Cocus."

The operation was mostly to be carried out by legendary sorcerers under the secret cooperation of legendary knights. However, after the churches were destroyed and the cities were occupied, a lot of senior-rank sorcerers were needed to maintain the order and prepare for the construction of the defense. Therefore, Arnold was waiting for the signal at the edge of the swamp with Nielson, Priscilla, Amanata, Fernando, and the other sorcerers.

Arnold clicked his tongue. "The Sword of Truth does not want to lose his territory."

"Huh, why is Douglas not here?" Priscilla basically figured out the reason. She looked around but did not see the archmage who left a deep impression on her ten years ago.

Arnold smiled. "Douglas said that his research had approached the most critical moment, and he was onto something. So, I said that he did not need to take part in the operation."

Then, he suddenly narrowed his eyes. "It has begun."

He received a message from the Liege of Death. The legendary sorcerers were about to take action.

...

Below the thick mud, the ragged City in the Sky lay there just as usual.

Douglas sat in the square at the center of the city, faced with pieces of papers that had symbols and numbers all over them.

The law concluded from tremendous astrological records and the application of calculus allowed him to touch something marvelous, but there was still a gap for him to figure out what it was exactly.

The questions haunted him and kept him here for days, but despite that, he never found the perfect answer.

The secrets of planets, and the power source of the earth. The most essential secrets of the world seemed to be right before him, and all he needed to do was to push the gate and embrace them!

All he needed was one more moment!

In the square, several sorcerers, who were watching over the place, roamed with their kids. They were very curious about the contemplative archmage but dared not approach him.

The kids ran joyfully far away from each other, trying to win the fruits in their parents' hands.

...

Aalto was set on fire. Buildings collapsed one after another. The defense circles did not seem to be of any use.

"What happened? Where's our defense?" Beto, who was in the middle of a party, did not expect the Church to attack at such a moment, or that the defense of Aalto did not work at all!

Aalto was the western stronghold of the Magic Empire. It was first built to deal with the creatures in the Dark Mountain Range and only second to Antiffler in terms of sturdiness. After legendary sorcerers, vampires, dragons, elves, and other people were gathered here to resist the Church, the defense had been perfected and fortified without a care about the cost. The city was as strong as Antiffler after more than ten years. It was one of the trump cards that the coalition army hoped to offset "God's Arrival" with.

However, the defense was not activated at the critical moment!

Furan was in a rather chilly mood as she panicked. "There's only one reason why the defense is not activated. Something is wrong with the legend who is watching over the defense!"

"Who is it?" Beto, the twins, and Antec asked simultaneously.

Furan looked at them and snorted, "Are you idiots? The most important thing right now is to escape, not to find out which legend is wrong. Can you kill him? The grand cardinals and knights of the Church are right above Aalto, and you have the time to ask that question?"

She talked through the telepathic bond this time. While berating them, she ran to the basement of the villa. "Do not run out. We may be killed by the aftermath of the battle of legends. Do not go to our teachers either. They must've been stalled by the grand cardinals and legendary knights. Let's get out of the city through secret channels and hide in the Dark Mountain Range first before we find out what happened!"

The proud students of legends were rather panicked. They did not know how to respond due to their lack of experience. Things would have been better if Stanis were here, but he had gone to the Dark Mountain Range for materials again.

Thankfully, Furan kept the basic calmness at this moment and showed her leadership. She pointed out the best way to deal with the situation.

Antec trembled hard in fear. He never thought that he would confront such grave dangers. He preferred to hide in the dark and defeat the enemy by creating dreams and illusions. Right now, the enormous noises in the sky challenged his heart all the time.

Suddenly, the purest light descended from the sky and purged all the unholy things as if it were a ruling of the god.

The light was reflected by a mysterious mirror that appeared out of nowhere and split into multiple streaks. One of them hit the house where Furan and her companions were at precisely.

A holy light burst out. With a tiny crack that sounded like the falling gavel in the hands of a judge, the whole house disappeared.

Beto, Furan, Antec, and the rest of them were only one step away from the basement, but they were all consumed by the aftermath of the Light of Judgment.

Seeing his body and his soul about to turn into holy light quickly, Beto only had one vague thought in his mind. Am I going to die so easily?

In the age of chaos and darkness, Beto wasn't certain that he could live to the natural end of his life even though he was a legend's student. He had pictured possible ways that led to his death, and all of them were heroic. Some involved battles with legends, while some were his desperate counterattacks after he was ambushed.

However, he did not know until today that he would die such an easy and unknown death. The aftermath of the battle of two legends had wiped him out completely!

It was not a heroic death at all. He couldn't even put up a fight! He was now familiar with the ordinary people who died in the previous battles!

"So, I am not the hero…" Beto's consciousness completely dispersed.

Antec also sensed the momentary vaporization of his body and his soul. His fear was finally gone, replaced by vague sorrow. "I haven't created a real dream yet…

"I don't have many dates in my dream yet…

"I will never live to meet Fernando again…

"To be honest, the Nando he turned into was really pretty, although not as pretty as Furan…"

Stunned, Furan watched Beto, Antec, and her other companions swallowed by the holy light. The brightness of their life-preservation methods glittered, only to be drowned again. She knew very well that she would end just like them.

"I don't want to die here!

"I am an empress who will become a legendary sorcerer in the future. How can I die like a common sorcerer so easily?

"There are many wishes that I have not fulfilled yet. I need to settle scores with Nando and transform him into a real girl…"

Ambitions, desires, and wishes broke out, but Furan's struggles were useless. After a brief predicament, she was also dissolved by the holy light, leaving nothing but subtle regrets behind.

The whole time, the two legends fighting in the sky never looked at the house at all.

The house had nothing but incomplete walls that were ablaze. Nobody knew that the flames were telling the story of a bunch of legends' students struggling against their fall, only to die in silence.

Whatever big wishes and ambitions they had, they could only be buried in such an age!

After a hot wind blew over, one couldn't even find any ashes anymore.

...

The King of Nightmare, the Stellar Mentor, and the other legendary sorcerers fought a few grand cardinals and legendary knights hard, communicating with each other through the telepathic bond.

"They are unstoppable. Gregory is suppressing Dracula and the Master of the Boundless Ocean with the strength of a demigod."

"Mecantron stopped Danisos. Ivan and Rudolf are fighting the Mother God of the Earth and the elven queen…"

"The Silver Moon hasn't shown up?"

"No? What do we do?"

"We have to turn to the last resort! It's time to put Kufuray to use!"

"Alright. We can only summon the Lord of Hell now!"

After the Silver Moon's failed attack against the former pope, the legendary sorcerers decided to add another important leverage to the battle, even if it meant that they had to sell their souls to the devils!

Suddenly, the Stellar Mentor said with a stunned expression, "It's useless! The blood sacrifice in Kufuray is useless!"

"It's him! It's Banham!" Somebody finally realized who the traitor was. It was Banham, the Original Fire!

It was not the Original Fire's turn to watch over the city, so they did not suspect him at the beginning. From what they had seen, he must have assassinated the legendary sorcerer!

Now that their last trump card did not work, the Stellar Mentor, the King of Nightmare, and the rest of them were not willing to fight anymore. They began to look for opportunities to escape.

However, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the sky. His face was plain and his skin was dark, but he was graceful in his sacred crown and his platinum staff.

"Gregory!"

"The pope!"

"Isn't he stopped by Dracula and the Master of the Boundless Ocean?"

Pope Gregory smiled. "Since the Silver Moon didn't come, Dracula could only evacuate in advance. After he left, Harex certainly did not want to waste his life here either."

After a pause, he looked at the bunch of legendary sorcerers. "None of you are at the peak of legendary. I wonder if you can take one 'Light of Judgment' from me together."

When level-three sorcerers were up against a demigod, they would be killed instantly if they did not escape through their unpredictable spells. Furthermore, in the current situation, they were still being haunted by plenty of grand cardinals and legendary knights.

"Why has he given up pursuing the top legends but focused his attention on dealing with the rest of us?" That was the final thought of the King of Nightmare and the rest of the sorcerers.

893 Darkness and Dawn

In the high sky, the Witch of Iceland, the Eye of Curse, and the Liege of Death stood in a triangle far away from each other. At their center was "Heart of Time" Kritonia who was not so confident anymore, as well as the mature man Hoffenberg who had a pair of cold silver eyes.

Neither of the legendary knights was holding their longsword. They simply floated there empty-handed.

"It's about time. I'll go down and ask them to cancel the defense." Hoffenberg raised his eyes and looked at the clear stars.

Atlant, the Eye of Curse, said with a smile, "Thank you for your cooperation, Your Majesty."

Different from Kritonia, Hoffenberg was not controlled by the Liege of Death's death, and he was almost a top legend. So, he was more like a partner.

Hoffenberg turned around and flew downward in a streak of light as his voice rang in the sky.

"Take action!"

Hardly had he concluded his sentence when Kritonia's body suddenly blurred into ripples. A silver sword burst out of his body and slashed at the Witch of Iceland!

He was actually holding Hoffenberg's "Sword of Truth"!

Caught unprepared, the Witch of Iceland only had the time to activate the passive defense and blink effects. However, the light of the silver sword could not be thrown away like a parasite. It slashed the magic defense and nullified the space transportation effects, cutting the Witch of Iceland precisely.

The Sword of Truth cuts everything!

Kritonia cared about nothing else and did not defend himself at all, as if the Liege of Death and the Eye of Curse next to him did not exist.

At this moment, he could only see the Witch of Iceland in his eyes.

The Liege of Death simply watched it without doing anything because he seemed to have been transferred to a different world!

The silver sword passed through the Witch of Iceland's body, which seemed to be made of ice. It was torn apart by countless illusionary gaps into dancing pieces, resulting in a great snowfall.

Even on the verge of her death, the Witch of Iceland could not believe that the Heart of Time would attack her, because he had been implanted with a terrible curse by the Liege of Death earlier. The moment he harmed them, his blood would immediately boil and kill him.

The source of the curse was from the top legendary essence of the Liege of Death. So, even the demigods such as the Lord of Hell or the God of Silver Moon could barely lift it without catching the attention of the Liege of Death, unless a demigod-level sorcerer cracked it directly.

It was absolutely impossible!

Such a sorcerer hadn't been born yet!

The snowflakes dispersed, and the Witch of Iceland perished.

The silver streak of brightness that Hoffenberg turned into zigzagged halfway and flashed to the front of the Eye of Curse.

Atlant had realized what was going on when the Witch of Iceland was attacked. However, instead of providing aid, he simply cast a spell to escape. Therefore, when the brightness that Hoffenberg turned into hit him, only a scream came through the spaces in between, but nothing better was achieved.

"You are a fast runner…" Hoffenberg said coldly and did not chase after him. Instead, he looked at the Liege of Death and thought to himself, Don't blame me. It's all because Aalto has failed, and you don't stand any chance anymore…

The intelligence half an hour ago decided his choice. Although the legendary sorcerers retained daily communication, they were incapable of establishing transmission magic circles everywhere and could only exchange messages through their demiplanes at fixed times. Since the legendary sorcerers of Aalto were in the middle of an intense battle, they certainly did not have the time to send intelligence to this place!

The Liege of Death seemed to have been abandoned by the world. He floated there. He was unable to speak, which made him realize that he had encountered a demigod.

In the sky of Cocus, a middle-aged man, who had a holy crown and a platinum staff, surfaced and said peacefully, "You should feel honored. The Lord has asked me to abort the pursuit of the dark creatures and come to execute you."

A top legendary sorcerer and a necromancer who had been a top legend for a thousand years were definitely most horrifying. Even Dracula and Danisos did not dare to say that they were stronger than the Liege of Death. In terms of the mysterious attacks, the survival abilities, and the resurrection methods, the Liege of Death was much more skilled than them.

Looking at Pope Gregory before him, the Liege of Death suddenly asked, "Who are you exactly?"

The curse on Kritonia had been somehow cracked, which made him realize that something was not right. He then sensed a vague feeling of familiarity from the pope; the familiarity that he had sensed from a certain legendary sorcerer many, many years ago.

Voices could not be spread out of the range of Gregory's power. He raised his head and said proudly, "You don't deserve to know."

The platinum staff was raised, and the projection of Mountain Paradise appeared. The praises of "You are one, and everyone" echoed in the sky.

...

Old Fox Arnold felt anxious when he saw the dancing snowflakes. The terrible feeling came through the projection of the Host Star of Destiny.

"Run!" he roared desperately.

From every part of the swamp, gold knights and radiant knights came at them as elements and light. In Cocus, red robes arrived under the protection of the holy light. In the darkness, the night watchers reaped lives unpredictable.

Coming back to themselves, Congus, Nielson, Priscilla, Fernando, and the other sorcerers did not know what was going on, but they began to try their best to kill their enemies. In the meantime, they used life-preservation spells as soon as possible, hoping to escape even by means of suicide!

The battle was most intense.

Arnold searched for Priscilla and Fernando, hoping to give them a hand before he escaped.

At this moment, Kritonia saw him from the high sky. He narrowed his eyes and waved his right hand. The Sword of Truth immediately cut Arnold in a streak of brightness.

"You are too weak to be involved in this? Smartness without strength is nothing," he mocked casually.

The magic effects on Arnold had been broken before they were activated. The sword passed through his body.

The cold and stinging feeling paralyzed Arnold's soul and made him turn to Rentato subconsciously. He thought in confusion, Am I finally going to die?

...

"Old fox!"

"Old fox!"

Struggling to the edge of the siege despite the wounds, Fernando saw the old fox hit by the silver sword just as he was about to cast Chaos Teleportation.

In his mind, the old fox was an extremely cunning old man. Whatever he said, there might be a scheme behind it. He was always at ease, and everything was under control.

Shouldn't he have more backup plans and more reinforcements? Was he dying just like this?

A dagger pierced out of the darkness into Fernando's back.

...

Below the ground near Rentato…

Douglas sat at the center of the square in a daze, fully concentrated on the problem that was of paramount importance.

After working hard for a while, he raised his head in exhaustion and looked at the remaining sorcerers.

At this moment, a few little kids ran and played with each other. One of them accidentally threw away the apple in his hands.

In a parabola, the apple fell to the ground of the square.

The curve struck Douglas' head like a lightning and illuminated all the darkness. Everything he accumulated in the past was gathered into an answer.

"That's the case!

"That's the law of the motion of celestial bodies!"

As if he were crazy, Douglas picked up his quill and wrote on the paper next to him quickly.

All the fires in Allyn suddenly died out, and dull explosions came from the earth.

The sorcerers who stayed in this place looked at each other in bewilderment, having no idea what had happened.

It was night, and Rentato was supposed to be covered in darkness. However, a scorching sun hung in the sky and released light and heat.

Behind it, a vast and boundless universe appeared, and the stars functioned in both apparent and mysterious patterns.

"What happened?" The guards of the city who hadn't slept yet were astounded.

...

Near his death, Arnold suddenly saw the rising sun in the direction of Rentato, which was a major contrast to the darkness on his side. He struggled to put on a smile.

"Am I having an illusion?

"Or has he truly succeeded?"

In vague consolation, he was ripped into shreds by the Sword of Truth.

Fernando also saw that. Trying to prevent himself from being affected by the stunning effect of the dagger, he disappeared through Chaos Teleportation.

"It's daytime in Rentato? Douglas' cognitive world has half solidified? A feedback from the real world?"

They were the last thoughts before he passed out.

In the meantime, "Ceaseless Wind", the legendary knight of Cocus, joined the battlefield and blocked everybody else who was trying to escape.

The ivory ocean of holy light consumed the sky. The Liege of Death's body turned transparent irreversibly.

Sensing the changes in Rentato, he smiled with complicated feelings. "The succession of magic never stops."

Pope Gregory seemed twenty years older all of a sudden, and his hair turned gray. He looked at the sun in Rentato and coughed. "It's only the half-solidification of the cognitive world. He's a new legend at most."

He needed quietness after God's Arrival and did not want to attack again, so he said to Hoffenberg, "You go and take care of it."

...

The people he was familiar with collapsed, the old fox's blood spilled on his face, enemies were everywhere in the darkness, and it was impossible to escape… Fernando suddenly woke up from his nightmare, feeling pain all over his body.

"Huh." Somebody next to him sniffed.

Fernando looked in shock, only to discover that he was inside a spacious wagon, which was riding steadily without any bump. Inside the carriage, a most beautiful girl was staring at him expressionlessly.

She had a pair of clear and cold eyes.

"Hathaway?" Fernando recognized her although they hadn't met for ten years. He couldn't help but feel that the little girl had grown into a gorgeous woman.

Hathaway was wearing a common red court dress. She nodded her head as acknowledgment. Then, she thought for a long time, only to come up with nothing to comfort Fernando, so she simply said, "The obstacles to Douglas' legendary level are no more."

Fernando was back to reality all of a sudden. He roared in frustration and depression, "How is that going to help? The Liege of Death is dead, old fox is dead, Nielson is dead, everybody is dead!

"How is a new legend going to help anything?"

With her eyes glimmering, Hathaway stared at him for a while. Then, she picked up a thick, black-covered book nearby. "Douglas asked me to give it to you."

"A book?" In his desperation, Fernando took over the book and looked at the cover, only to be briefly stunned.

It was "Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy"!

894 A Meeting of Three

"'Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy'… This is so Douglas…" Having known Douglas for years and communicated with him on magical knowledge often, he had a profound understanding of the guy's naming style.

For some reason, Fernando's anxiety and uneasiness were appeased when he saw the book. Just like when he studied magic every time, he forgot the dark reality, as well as the dark and hopeless environment, and completely devoted himself to the glamorous world.

It was a pity that there wasn't a place where one could read magic books quietly, unless they ran far away. However, how far could they run if they only backed off?

Fernando's mind was disturbed again, but he already opened the book subconsciously. The familiar handwriting entered his eyes.

The first part of the book was on the definitions of various symbols and scalar quantities. Fernando was involved in the discussion on the content before and soon understood them. Then, in the first article, Douglas pointed out three laws straightforwardly and established the mathematical preparations.

"The three laws of motion…" Fernando breathed hastily and could barely control his feelings. He read out the content aloud when he should have read it in his heart.

The three laws that Douglas concluded from nature were simple, straightforward, and apparently correct. One would feel that the laws went without saying the moment they read it. However, Fernando sensed more things from the three laws. The world he knew was dismembered into countless independent things that operated around the three laws!

The mysteries of the world were hidden in the phenomena that people believed to be natural and in the truths that they thought apparent!

After reading the three laws, Fernando felt that the whole world looked different in his eyes!

He completely forgot the heavy failure previously and the frustration brought by the Church. He was completely focused on the book.

In the second article and the third article, Douglas discussed and proved the objects' motion status under ideal circumstances and when they were restrained through strict mathematical approaches. Calculus that Fernando was familiar with was used as a main tool.

Fernando did not have much trouble understanding it. He felt that his long-time accumulation of knowledge had finally been summarized.

The more he read, the more admiration he had. Douglas' three laws were perfect! It was definitely the most in-depth description of motion in the history of magic!

However, his admiration did not last long. His mind was soon occupied by the title of the third article—"On the Law of Celestial Body Movement and Cosmic System".

The first three articles were like water that had been stored. They surged out in this article and gathered into something called "gravity". It was truly astonishing!

Also, Douglas discussed the shape of their own planet, the motion of the moon, the trajectory of comets, and the tides of the oceans based on them. Then, he analyzed and established an enormous universal system that included stars, planets, comets, and all the other natural phenomena!

"For a moment, the whole world is before my eyes…" Fernando forgot everything else and summarized his feelings in the notes.

His eyes had lost focus. A storm was brewing, and countless bolts of lightning were appearing.

Hathaway did not seem to sense Fernando's change. She was still calculating something with her pen and paper. The content was almost the same as the third article on Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy.

After reading the book, Fernando wasn't back to himself until a long time later. He grabbed onto the book so hard as if he feared that it would be gone.

It was too precious!

For a sorcerer, it was too precious!

After a long time, he finally roared, "Gravity! Is it the mysterious force that attracts the stars to move?"

Earnestly, he took out paper and pen from his magic pouch and began to deduce on his own.

The result clearly matched the astrological observations. Fernando said to Hathaway in excitement and confusion, "Is this the mystery of our world?"

"Yes." Hathaway nodded. Her silver eyes were still indifferent, but they were covered in a hazy mist, as if she was also touched by the revelation of world mysteries even though she was a princess instead of a sorcerer.

Fernando clenched his fist and suddenly knocked his head. "It's not an illusion! It's not an illusion!"

Casting a spell to his eyes, he looked at the sky through the thin curtain.

Stars were glittering brilliantly in the middle of the night, but in Fernando's eyes, many bright lines that bound and powered them were added among them.

"There can't be a magic circle that is more magnificent than that…" Fernando complimented sincerely without any sarcasm.

Hathaway stopped her pen and looked at Fernando coldly. "Not desperate anymore?"

Fernando's face had a twisted expression, and his voice became low as he said, "After reading Douglas' Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy, I have a feeling that everything in the universe is under the control of sorcerers… Although the odds of success are low, I would like to shed the last drop of my blood for the pride and for the exploration of more mysteries.

"Also, given more time, when more sorcerers understand the laws of the universe and grasp calculus, there will be a population boom of senior-rank sorcerers, archmages, and even legendary sorcerers.

"For example, after reading the book, I am already confident to become an archmage in ten years although it hasn't been long since I reached the eighth circle."

In his excitement, Fernando revealed his true thought.

Hathaway nodded. "You need time."

It was her principle never to speak more words than necessary!

"Time… We are not necessarily running out of time…" Fernando thought hard and analyzed the current situation, looking for things that could be made use of.

At this moment, the wagon stopped.

"We're here." Hathaway stood up, opened the door, and flew out.

She's flying out? Fernando's eyes were popping out. When did the little girl become a sorcerer? Also, she's at least in the fifth circle!

The one driving the wagon was Fernando's old acquaintance, "Blue Grace" Sharp. He sniffed and said, "You were a bad influence on Hathaway. She went to the royal library in secret and found the files about the Will of Elements."

The Will of Elements, an organization of legends in the Magic Empire, was destroyed by the Sword of Truth, but the files and books were secretly collected by Hoffenberg.

Fernando's lips twitched. I only taught her mathematics, not magic! Don't blame it on me!

The wagon stopped at a corner of a quiet manor. Fernando sensed something the moment he got off the wagon and looked at the darkness on the left side.

Tall and strong, Douglas walked out of the darkness. He seemed even more mature than before, like a charming gentleman in his forties.

Looking at Fernando with a smile, he said straightforwardly, "There are four things. Firstly, I've become a legend. It's a brand-new class that I received from the feedback of the real world. I've named it 'Elect of Magic'.

"Secondly, a lot of archmages and senior-rank sorcerers survived. I've copied 'Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy' and offered it to them.

"Thirdly, not all of the legendary sorcerers were killed in the battle of Aalto. At least seven legends, including the Lord of Frigidity, the Lord of Abyss, the Umbral King, and the Owner of Souls, survived. Some hid in the Dark Mountain Range, some returned to the northland, and some went missing. I've asked someone to deliver 'Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy' to the Lord of Frigidity. The top legends like Prince Dracula, Danisos, and the Mother God of the Earth are not dead at all."

After a pause, he continued, "Fourthly, the empire has completely collapsed, and the Church has never been more powerful. However, it also means that the conflicts between the Church and the nobles will be more and more intense."

The current situation, the prospects in the future, and the individual efforts had been perfectly reflected in the four things. It was enough to show most desperate sorcerers the dawn of hope!

Even though Fernando had already made up his mind just now, he still felt that he saw the light in the darkness when he saw Douglas' confident smile.

However, he was still quite surprised. "You've copied 'Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy' and sent it to all the sorcerers?"

Although he kept saying that more sorcerers would make breakthroughs if they read "Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy", he knew very well that such a magic book that contained mysteries of the world was the great secret that every sorcerer cherished. It was their power source and the guarantee of their position and wealth. Nobody would share it easily unless the other person offered something equal or much more valuable in return.

For them, magic knowledge of such a level was almost their life!

However, Douglas had copied and offered "Mathematical Principles of Magical Philosophy" to all the sorcerers?

It was completely against common sense and humanity!

Douglas nodded his head. "At a moment like this, we have to break the norm."

He said solemnly, "Actually, I've never been fond of the ways that the sorcerers communicate in the empire. You should know that exchange of information helps us get more inspirations and figure out more things. Also, I have a feeling that, in the future, magic research will be more and more difficult when it presses into the nature of the world. All the sorcerers have to work hard together selflessly in order to move on.

"I believe that it is necessary to separate the magic knowledge that can be communicated and the magic knowledge that should be kept to oneself. Well, the former should be focused in the fields like mechanisms of magic and the essence of the world. Maybe we can give it a new name. Well, it's about the mysteries of the world. Let's call it 'arcana'."

"Arcana?" Fernando repeated it, feeling that something old and rotten was collapsed by a cool, refreshing breeze.

So be it! After all, there weren't so many old guys around telling them what to do now!

"Arcana." Hathaway lowered her head and pondered the meaning of the term.

"Arcana…" Sharp said in a low voice in confusion, puzzled why Douglas tried to create a useless new term in such difficulties.

Arcana!