《Fire Mage (Web Novel)》 Chapter 729: Titus Chapter 729: Titus "Why did you ask us toe here, Mr. Charles?" Rhea asked as she noticed that they had already gotten into the conversation. "Oops, I almost forgot about it." Charles was about to say something but suddenly frowned as he noticed Zera appeared behind him and called out. "Something urgent happened, Tower Master! Myl went to the fire elemental ne but hasn''t returned yet." "Myl? That Night Goblin girl?" Charles asked while turning around. "Yes. It seems the connection between two leaves has been cut off." Zera responded. "Is she okay? Last time I saw Myl, she already became Rank-3 [Ember Wizard] and a Rank-3 [Arcane Archer]. So I don''t think she ends up in a bad situation just because of the link between the traveler''s leaves cut off." Rhea said as she recalled the unique goblin child. "Is it the World''s Will? Didn''t Rh say it''s almost impossible for it to pry into Level-0?" Charles asked. "That''s because this ne''s World Will has been in a weakened state all this time,d. But now, she seems to have gainedplete control over this world. So, my array can''t hide anything from her. She is in her prime state." Rh also appeared behind Zera and spoke. "But why would she block the Traveler''s leaves?" Charles asked in confusion. From what he had heard, even demons and devils could easily create portals to enter the Edhen World during the Chaos Era. The only beings she stopped from entering the Edhen were beings above Demigods. "Then, is there any existence far more powerful than Demigods staying on the other side and wanting to sneak in here?" Jessie asked. "It''s not entirely impossible. But given the current situation, I don''t think we can do anything about it." Rh shook his head and added. "Let''s hope nothing goes wrong over there." "That Fire Elemental World''s will is the only being helped me without expecting anything in return. Tsk, this bitchy world really annoys me to the core now." Charles''s eyes red up in anger. But he also knew that he couldn''t do anything about the current situation and pondered deeply. At that moment, Rh noticed their gathering and became curious. "What are you guys up to? Is it some get together?" He asked. Charles made a forced smile and shook his head. "He came back from the dead. But he is hiding in the shadow." Charles spoke as he looked at the faraway woods. "M-My brother?!" Jessie instantly caught on and looked toward the woods. "B-But why isn''t heing to meet us?" An anxious look appeared on her face. "You better brace yourself," Charles spoke as he quietly released his wisdom power and ascended in the air. "Thatd really likes to keep everything secret to himself." Rh grumbled and followed after him. Jessie, Noel, and Rhea also nced at each other in confusion and decided to follow them, leaving Zera behind. They slowly flew across the grasnd and soon arrived above the nearby woods. But the group continued to fly while moving past many viges and farnds. After flying more than a few minutes, Charles slowly descended and soonnded before a tall banyan tree. "Banyan tree... Isn''t this the ce where Griffon family killed Daisy?" Jessie''s expression stiffened as she recalled the unforgettable memory of this ce. "This is... Why are we here, Mr. Charles?" She asked whilending beside Charles. Rhea and Noel alsonded next to her and nced around. "But we don''t see anyone here," Rhea said. "Not in the Physical Realm." Charles spoke as he enveloped his body in a crimson me and turned into his elemental form. Then, he entered the Astral realm and soon saw a skeletal figure in a tattered ck robe sitting under the banyan tree trunk. It was around 2 meters tall, had a gigantic skeletal frame, wore an eerie hood to cover its head, and looked exactly like the grim reaper he saw years ago. Charles instantly scanned him and was greatly startled by the information that appeared before his eyes. ... [Name: Titus Jonas Race: Undead Main ss: Rank-6 Shadow Weaver Sub-ss: Rank-5 Evil Cleanser Title: Servant of the Death Attributes: Strength- 49.0 Dexterity- 49.0 Constitution- 49.0 Wisdom-380 ss skills: Ebon Evasion Shadow Teleport Dark Domain Sub-ss skills: ?????? ????? ????? ?????? Unique skills: ????? Master Swordsmanship ??????] ''Oh? Most of his skill names are showing question marks. It means he learned skills unique from the Underworld.'' Charles analyzed while looking at the status. Upon noticing Charles''s arrival, that skeletal figure slowly looked up and stared at him with its soul-fire eyes. "Who are you?" it asked as it grabbed the scythe from the ground. It was about to stand up but suddenly froze. At that moment, it identified the humans standing a few meters away from it and became frozen in shock. "It''s been a while, Titus." Charles opened his mouth and waved his hand. Titus stood in the same ce for a while and soon snapped out of the daze. "You are? How did youe here?" "I''m Charles. Didn''t youe here to reunite with your sister and friends? Why are you staying here?" Charles asked. "I-" Titus opened his skull mouth and was about to say something but soon shook his head. "I''m not Titus anymore. The only reason I came here is to deliver the legacy to Rhea under the order of Ledger Bonere." Saying so, Titus touched his space ring, took out a unique book from it, and gave it to him. It was covered in gold and even had a unique keyhole at the top. "This is the gift left behind by Master Ledger for his sessor and the people of this world. When Rhea reaches the finalyer, she has to use the Ruler''s Key to open the book and getplete control over the Destiny Tower. You guys only have 20 years time." Titus said solemnly. Charles caught the book and tried to inspect it but couldn''t because a strange divine power was blocking it. "Aren''t you going to say ''Hi'' to your sister? She and the other two has been waiting for your return all these years." Charles said. "Kehkehkeh, meet them? With this body?" A cracklingugh came out of the skull mouth. "I''ve long forgotten the feeling of touch and even emotions, Mr. Charles. Although I still have some feelings for the person I cherish, those feelings are getting away day by day. And I also don''t want to be tangled by the emotions and move on. I''ve a duty to perform in the Underworld." Titus spoke without any emotions. ''It seems he has no intention of seeing Jessie and others.'' Although Charles respected his decision, he didn''t want his disciple to be tied to some underworld duty and be a puppet knight of some undead being. "I respect your decision, Titus. But if you really want to go back, at least meet your sister and friends for once and then return." Titus hesitated for a moment and soon agreed. Then, he raised his scythe and shed at the empty air. The next instant, a vertical gap appeared in the space, allowing him to pass through the astral realm barrier directly. Meanwhile, Jessie, Rhea, and others suddenly saw a sh in the space, followed by a skeletal hand. Before long, a ck-robed, two-meter-tall skeleton with a scythe walked out of the Astral Realm and arrived at the physical world. Simultaneously, Charles left the Astral Realm, arrived beside Titus, and returned to his human form. Nobody spoke, but everyone understood that the gigantic skeleton gave off a sense of familiarity. Titus stood there with an emotional look for a few seconds and soon stepped forward before opening its skull mouth. "Sister." Jessie''s whole body stiffened. Even though it had been more than two decades, she had always remembered her brother''s voice. "T-Titus?" Her lips quivered. "W-What happened to you? Why are you in this state?" Jessie''s face turned pale as white. "A-Are you really our Titus?" Rhea walked closer and tried to touch him but stopped as she heard his words. "I came here to give the legacy to you, Rhea. Your ancestor Ledger Bonere asks you to make the right decision and lead the world to the right path." Saying so, Titus turned his attention towards Charles and asked him to give the present. Meanwhile, Charles nodded and quietly gave the golden-covered book to Rhea. But Rhea''s mind was entirely preupied by Titus''s action. Although he was still the Titus she knew, Rhea felt distance in his words. ''His voicecked emotions and feelings. He talks as if I''m nothing more than a long lost friend.'' "W-What the hell happened to him?" Jessie couldn''t hold back her tears and fell to her knees. "Is there no way to bring him back to his original body? Isn''t it still stored in the Rebirth Tower?" Noel asked in a solemn tone. Charles shook his head and spoke. "It seems he already became a servant of the Death. But even so, we shouldn''t give up. Although he lost his body, the person hidden within this skeletal body is none other than Titus. You guys better not break down and stick together always." At that moment, Rh thought of something and made a suggestion. "Hmm, although it''s impossible for Titus to return to his body permanently, we can use the clone method to let him possess a new body and live the normal life whenever hees back to Edhen." Chapter 1: Assassin! Chapter 1: Assassin Pain! John felt a tearing pain in his head. He slowly opened his eyes but saw nothing clear. He only saw how some red liquid, simr to liquid, clouded his vision and became worried. A secondter, confusion and panic appeared in his mind. ''Was that my blood?'' A thought shed through his head. He tried to open his mouth but soon noticed that some powdery substance had gotten inside. Dirty sand filled with water hit his throat, causing him to cough violently. ''Damn it, my body is not responding! Moreover, why do I feel pain all over my body? ¡­ Wait ¡­ Now I remember ¡­ Angele betrayed me! Was I caught by the Ghosts?'' An ominous thought entered his head. He clearly remembered thest moments before he passed out. ''Angele drugged me at a wedding party and was forced to kneel in front of Thomas. I hate those Ghosts. Even though I was a member of that organization, now I hate them to the core. Damn it, one day I will kill every single one of them. But how did they know my whereabouts? How did they know Angele? I didn''t leave a single clue. '' He was puzzled inside. "# @% @ & k% @ ~ & *?% ''@" While he was deep in thought, he heard a strange male voice behind him and got startled. ''Foreigner?'' He had an uneasy feeling. At the same time, he felt that someone had put a foot on his back and turned pale. ''Where the hell am I?'' He screamed in his mind, trying to blink away the drops of blood that were blurring his vision. His vision gradually cleared in a second, and the muddy earth opened up to his eyes. At that moment, he saw a strange blue game interface appear in front of his eyes and was dumbfounded. ''What the hell is this?'' For a moment, John''s head went nk. Before checking further details about the blue interface, another pain came out of nowhere and assaulted his head. Countless memories shed before his eyes in the form of images and soon imprinted in the depths of his soul. When he looked into these memories, his expression became serious. ''A strange magical world ¡­ Churches ¡­ Mystic ¡­ Reincarnation? ¡­ No ¡­ Transmigration?'' He took a deep breath. But before he could read these memories, someone grabbed his right leg and dragged him somewhere. ''Could you give me some time to put my thoughts in order?'' He mentally cursed the enemy. Then he looked around and noticed that he was in some underground hall. John also saw several prison cells across the hall and was taken aback. Several ming torches were already burning on the walls, illuminating the entire underground hall with a bright yellow light. ''Dungeon?'' Squinting, he turned his face and saw that a dark blue-haireddyy on the opposite side of him. She was about 40 years old, and she looked at him with tear-stained eyes. Her beautiful oval face was already covered in crimson blood and looked even more pitiful. John also saw a long ck sword that pierced her shoulder from the back and pinned her to the ground. From time to time, she coughed up a mouthful of blood and crawled in John''s direction with a painful smile on her face. When he saw that smile, his lips quivered, and he unconsciously muttered something in an unfamiliarnguage. "Mom!" Even he was startled by his emotional reaction and thought it must have something to do with the remnants of the original owner''s soul. ''What happened to her? Why am I in this state?'' Confusion appeared on his face. A grim look soon emerged as he noticed that whoever was dragging his body had already ced him next to the blue-haired woman. ''My head is spinning ¡­ This foreigner must have hit this boy''s head before.'' He touched his temple in rm and felt a sharp pain. While he was deep in thought, the dark blue-haireddy gazed at the enemy and asked. "W-who are you? W-why are you doing this to us?" At the same time, she used all her strength to crawl over to John and put her smooth palm over his mouth. John suddenly noticed that she was secretly trying to pour some liquid into his mouth through a transparent bottle! He co-operated with her. A semi-liquid liquid with a bitter taste got into his mouth. After a bit of hesitation, he silently swallowed it. The next instant, strange energy entered every part of his body and began to heal his wounds at an unimaginable rate. The wound in his temple began to heal quickly and soon disappeared from John''s head. ''What the ¡­'' Sensing the change, he was stunned inside. ''Magic!'' His eyes were full of awe and shock! "He is destined to die here, Eve." A cold voice rang out over John''s head, sending a chill down his spine. "J-James?" Shock appeared on Eve''s face. Soon, the shocking face turned into disbelief and then despaired one. At the same time, John turned his head and stared at the red mask man standing over his head. No, he was looking at the game interface that appeared before his eyes! ¡­ [Main Mission: Escape from the Red Masked Assassin, James.] [Quest Content: On June 5, 6396 of the Second Secret Era, you and your mother were kidnapped by a mysterious assassin in a red mask and are now being held in an unknown underground prison. Find a way to escape from this masked assassin and then determine the reason for this kidnapping.] [Quest Reward: 500 Exp.] [Mission Deadline: 35 minutes.] ¡­ [Sub-Quest: Find a way to save your mother.] [Quest Content: Your mother, Eve Nightwind, is seriously injured and on the brink of death. Find a way out of this situation and bring her to the Church of Life to heal her.] [Quest Reward: 100 Exp.] [Mission Deadline: 24 minutes] ¡­ ''The game world, isn''t it? Truly incredible.'' He realized that somehow he had transmigrated to a strange magical world. Dismissing the blue game interface, he looked at red-masked James to find clues about his current situation. James was dressed in a ck butler suit and appeared to be holding an old-fashioned golden dagger in his hand. He looked about 40 years old and had long gray hair. He did not answer Eve''s question; instead, he walked over to John and kicked him hard in the chest. "W-Wait! I''m begging you! Please don''t kill my son, James." Eve grabbed James by the leg and begged. Tears streamed from her eyes and flooded her slightly wrinkled cheeks. At the same time, John let out a painful groan and fell. ''Damn it, this body is too weak! I couldn''t even dodge his blow.'' He groaned in pain and soon realized something. ''Game? Can I open my status?'' Hope appeared in his mind. ''Stats window!'' He said in his mind. Although it was embarrassing, he didn''t think much about it and gave it a try. A secondter, the same game interface appeared before his eyes. [Name: Charles Nightwind Race: Human ss: No Subss: None Health Points: 18/20 (Healing) Attributes: Strength - 8 Agility - 9 Constitution - 10 Wisdom-11 Charisma - 12 SP (Skill Points): 0 AP (Attribute Points): 0 ss skills: None Affinities: Fire: High Darkness: Average.] ''Strength and Dexterity below 10 ¡­ Not only that but the ss and subss are also seemed empty ¡­ How the hell can I escape without a ss?'' He was stunned inside. While he was lost in thought, James grabbed his hair and mmed his face against the concrete floor. Crimson blood stained the floor, and pain clouded his ability to think. ''Damn it! I can''t die like this.'' He looked at the Red Masked Assassin, James, and then noticed that something was wrong. Instead of attacking him further, James stood there like a frozen statue with a distorted expression on his face. ''What happened?'' He asked himself. John got confused a little and soon turned his attention to the mother of his current body, Eve. Instead of pleading, she bit James on the leg like a maniac! Tears and blood flowed down her delicate face, staining it in red color. "Eve, I have changed my mind." James said with a twisted face and grabbed Eve by her long dark blue hair. Then he bent down a little and thrust an old-fashioned golden dagger straight into her throat. But to his surprise, he saw a red transparent shield appear around her body and blocked his dagger. At the same time, Eve bent at an odd angle and drew the ck sword without even flinching. She then pointed that sword in his direction and lunged at him with all her might. "Y-You!" James was shocked by her act and took a step back. But John had already taken this opportunity to get up and kicked him from behind. As a former assassin, he knew how to adapt to dangerous situations and acted calmly. The ck sword pierced through James''s body with a sharp sound and severely wounded him. Even Eve was amazed at her son''s action and smiled. "Get away from here, Charles." She said hastily and was about to poke her fingers in James''s eyes. But James grabbed her arm and pushed her away. Then he gazed at her and drew the ck sword from his body. "Eve, do you think you can protect your son from the True Lords? Even if you somehow manage to kill me here, they will send another member to kill your son. You cannot hide from their eyes." He said coldly. Upon hearing those words, a wry smile appeared on Eve''s face. "I know. But you think I care about these things? It''s a mother''s job to protect her children, James. That''s why I chose the right Job." She muttered calmly and snapped her fingers. James soon saw that Eve and her son''s figure turned blurry and disappeared from the underground hall! "Spatial Mage!" James cried out in surprise and quickly ran to the exit. He did not even look around and hurriedly headed for the exit. After a few seconds, the underground hall began to shimmer slightly, and soon two people appeared in it. Eve stood in the same ce as before and began to fall backward. Meanwhile, John, aka Charles, had already approached her and grabbed her with both hands. Then he ced her on his shoulder and went to the exit. ''That was very close. It must have been an Illusion-type Ability. She easily tricked that fool. But who is she anyway? Why are these guys hunting her son? Moreover, who are these ''True Lords''? An assassin organization? ¡­ Damn it! First, I need to know more about my current situation. How the hell did I end up in this Magical World?'' He muttered to himself and left the gloomy underground hall through the exit gate. ¡­ [Author''s Note: I added Mc''s affinities earlier on after hearingints about MC''s choices for choosing Fire Mage ss. Affinity Levels: Low¡ú Average¡ú High¡ú Good¡ú Genius¡ú Prodigy¡ú Divine.] Chapter 2: Trickster Chapter 2: Trickster After exiting the underground dungeon, John''s face turned grim. Because what he saw was not an exit but a spiral staircase. ''Damn it! Are there no elevators in this world?'' He clicked his tongue despondently and began to walk unsteadily up the steps, holding Eve on his back. Two minutester, he finally reached the surface and noticed that he was in some mansion garden. An underground staircase led him directly to this strange garden full of ornamental trees and nts. He looked around and noticed that it was already a dark, gloomy night. Three red moons hung in the sky, lighting the night with blood red. Yes, three damned red moons! These three moons instilled an ominous feeling in his heart. ''Was it because of the unknown?'' He asked himself. These strange bloody moons also made the three-story mansion in front of him look more like a haunted building. He nced around and then stealthily headed for the gate. But when he took the second step, he heard an angry voice from afar. "WHERE ARE YOU HIDING, EVE?!" John''s body tensed for a moment as he heard James scream. He felt anxious inside. He also noticed that dozens of guards in silver armor were guarding the entrance like hawks and darkened. ''First I need to know where the hell I am.'' He took a deep breath to calm himself and then headed for the nearest ornamental tree. He made no unnecessary noise and turned his attention to the interface. He saw three icons in the left corner of his eyes. ''Quest Icon, Status Icon, and Skill Icon.'' He felt a familiar feeling upon seeing these icons and soon squinted his eyes. ''These icons look more like the ones in Mystic Worlds Game!'' His heart beat faster. ''But I never heard of any Arcane Era in the ''Mystic Worlds'' game¡­ Moreover, the status screen itself looked different than in Mystic Worlds. Was it possible that some psycho from this magical world kidnapped me and put me in this body as his test subject?'' He shuddered at that thought. ''Heck! I need to find a way to do a full-body check-up.'' He clicked his tongue in annoyance and then focused on the status screen. After that, he focused his attention on the ss area and noticed that the interface began to change. ¡­ [Avable sses for the User: Swordsman Apprentice (300 Exp), Thief (380 Exp), Warrior Apprentice (340 Exp), Apprentice (120 Exp), Cook (140 Exp), Dancer (100 Exp), Teacher (150 Exp), Archer (450 Exp), Assassin (400 Exp), Deceiver (250 Exp), Trickster (275 Exp), ¡­ Apprentice Fire Mage (750 Exp), Apprentice Darkness Mage (1000 Exp), etc.,] ¡­ ''Experience points? Do I need to spend Experience points to buy a ss?'' He raised his eyebrows and turned his attention to the Subss option. But soon, a wry smile appeared on his face when he saw the same information in the Sub-ss section. He then ced the unconscious Eve next to the tree trunk and panted. ''This mother is really heavy. If it weren''t for the unusual feeling in my heart, I would have left her somewhere and run away myself.'' He took a deep breath and then checked the timer. ''I only have 19 minutes to save her.'' He nodded inwardly and crept further towards the nearbypound wall. [Thief Skill: Stealth Learned! 20 experience points obtained!] ''What the heck?!'' John flinched for a moment, noticing that his figure had suddenly darkened, and soon came to a conclusion. ''I can actually recover my past life skills ¡­ Moreover, it looks like I can even earn experience points as rewards.'' He was stunned inside. He then scanned the surroundings and noticed that a human shadow was moving in his direction. ''Is he a security guard?'' He knitted his brows and silently squatted down beside the ornamental bushy-like nt. Due to his stealth state, the guard did not notice his presence at all! John silently focused his attention on the guard and observed his every movement. But just after a few seconds, he widened his eyes all of a sudden. [Thief Skill: Dark Vision Learned! 20 experience points obtained.] ''Damn! I''m starting to like this game system. Although I gained these skills due to my previous life experiences, the notification gives me more confidence.'' He curled his lips upward and looked at the guard who was walking in his direction. Unlike the other guards, this guy was wearing ck clothes. He held a dagger on his belt and looked like an ordinary guy. He was about 30 years old and had a pale face due to the dark red night. ''This skill seemed to enchant my vision a little!'' John smiled. Although he was thrilled a little, he did not like the situation at all. The guard stopped next to him a few secondster and muttered something aloud as he unzipped his trousers. "Those a**holes. They dare to make fun of Master James. If he finds out that we are all messing around, he will punish us for sure." "Is that so?" An eerie, chilling whisper came from behind, causing him to shudder involuntarily. The guard widened his eyes in horror and tried to turn around. But before he could mumble or scream, a soft hand appeared from behind and covered his mouth. At the same time, another hand wrapped around his neck and tightened it like a snake. Noticing the seriousness, the guard moved his hand to the grip of the dagger, grabbed it tightly, and drew it. Although he panicked at the sudden ambush, he did not lose hisposure! ''I''m choking! I need to kill this vile rat quickly.'' He muttered furiously and stabbed his dagger in the back. But to his surprise, the soft hand on his lips moved and grabbed his wrist straight. The hand then moved like a poisonous snake and grabbed the hilt of his dagger. "You are seeking death! Do you dare to grab my weapon?" He was furious and tightened his grip. If the enemy hadn''t grabbed his neck and made him gasp for breath, he would have easily killed the sneaky rat with brute force. But, to his horror, the enemy seemed to be well prepared and more adept at snatching weapons. Before he could try to use his other hand, the enemy had already snatched his dagger! [Assassin Skill: Snatch Learned! 200 experience points obtained.] ''200 Exp? I didn''t expect that.'' John curled his lips and aimed the dagger at the guard''s chest. The silver dagger tore through the air with a whistling sound, appeared in front of the guard''s chest, and plunged right inside. After some twitching, the guard''s eyes were bloodshot, and then his body went motionless. [Thief Skill: Basic dagger arts skill learned! 20 experience points obtained.] [Target Eliminated! 22 experience points obtained.] Ignoring the notification from the game interface, John retracted the silver dagger from the guard''s chest and dragged his body towards the nearest bush. Although he managed to kill this guy, he was not happy at all. ''His strength is slightly above normal.'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment and turned his attention towards the dead body. Then he looked at the silver dagger and frowned. When he plunged the dagger into the guard''s chest, he also felt another difference. ''This dagger is also unique. I made no effort, but this silver dagger entered the enemy''s chest like a very sharp knife ¡­ I had never seen such a sharp weapon in my life.'' Shaking his head, he hid the body in the bushes and checked the timer. ''17 minutes.'' He took a deep breath and turned his attention to the Sub-ss option. After reviewing the information, he fell into deep thought. ''I don''t have enough experience to select the Thief option.'' ''But if I don''t choose any Subss now, the chances of ''me'' dying here are very high. There must be many anomalies out there like this guard. Hmm, ss [Trickster] might be the right choice ¡­'' ''Wait ¡­ The [Deceiver] ss also looks good. But why do I get a weird feeling when I thought of choosing this Trickster ss?'' Charles''s face suddenly became serious. ''What does this System do? Did it influence my thinking?'' ''Damn it, time is running out. Haa, I''ll select the Trickster option then. Maybe I can get some skills that will help me get out of this situation.'' He groaned in displeasure and reluctantly chose the ''Trickster'' option. As a former assassin, he had to choose a job rted to the Thief ss anyway. ¡­ [275 Exp deducted!] [Trickster ss obtained!] [1 Free Attribute gained!] [50 skill points gained!] [Trickster skill obtained!] [Clown skill obtained!] [Sixth Sense skill obtained!] ''Clown? Well, that''s an unusual skill.'' Shaking his head, John added one free attribute to the dexterity. A secondter, he felt some changes in his hand movements and was surprised. He then shed his dagger and smiled, noticing that he could y with it like a real trickster. After that, he opened a status window and checked out the changes. [Name: Charles Nightwind Race: Human ss: None Subss: Trickster Level 1 (0/150) [Rank-1] Health points: 31/31 (healed) Exp: 7 Attributes: Strength - 8 Agility - 10 Constitution - 10 Wisdom-11 Charisma - 12 SP (Skill Points): 50 AP (Attribute Points): 0 ss skills: None Subss Skills: Trickster''s Hand - 20 Clown - 20 Sixth Sense - 20 Unique skills Snatch -51 Stealth - 26 Dark Vision - 25 Basic dagger arts skill - 34] ''Are these my real skills?'' John furrowed his brows as he focused his gaze on the unique skill area. Although he hadn''t regained the physical strength, he indeed felt that he had already recovered most of his assassin skills, making him smile subconsciously. ''Awesome! I''ve learned these skills over the years of training and killing, but here ¡­'' He took a deep breath and shook his head. ''This is not Earth. This is a magical world.'' He calmed his mind and then decided to add 25 skill points to [Stealth] skill and 16 skill points to [Basic dagger arts] skill. ¡­ [The stealth skill has been upgraded!] [The Rank-2 [Assassin] ss''s [Conceal] skill obtained!] [Basic dagger arts skill has been upgraded!] [The Rank-2 [Assassin] ss''s [Intermediate dagger arts] skill obtained!] ¡­ After upgrading, he felt that some information about [Conceal] and [Intermediate Dagger Art] skills appeared in his mind. ''Damn! My [Assassin] skills have been improved to an unimaginable level!'' ''Conceal'' He muttered to himself and soon noticed that his body began to grow dimmer and dimmer and soon merged into the darkness. After a second, he dispersed the [Conceal] skill and added the remaining nine skill points to the [Sixth Sense] skill. ''Not bad ¡­ Not bad at all.'' He smiled radiantly and noticed that something had changed in his body and mind. At that moment, he felt that he could now easily dodge most of the sword attacks and got thrilled. Hiding his excitement, he nced at the interface and checked the timer. ''16 more minutes.'' He nodded his head and returned to pick up Eve Nightwind. After that, he used [Conceal] skill and moved towards the gate, hiding in the dark. At that moment, about 20 soldiers sat near the entrance and seemed to be ying cards. ''It''s time to escape!'' John muttered to himself and crept up to the gate like a sneaky cat under the shadow of darkness! Chapter 3: Life Church Chapter 3: Life Church Around 20 silver armored guards sat on the concrete road in front of thepound gate entrance and yed Mystic Cards game in the dim streetmplight. "Mine is Silver Knight. It''s a Grade-2 card with rank no-45. Take your card and show it, Jimmy." A slightly obese guy said while rudely licking his lips. Meanwhile, a lean guy named Jimmy gritted his teeth and spoke while cursing, "F*CK! It''s the Legendary Clown again!" "Hahaha, Jimmy, you really are the Unlucky Star." The slightly obese guyughed out loud and added, "It''s my win again. Take out three silvers." "Damn it! Let''s try again. I won''t lose this time, Henry." Jimmy said as he passed three silver coins to Henry. Those silver coins had an Eye symbol on one side, a lean woman''s portrait on the other side. "You want to y again? But you already lost to Henry thrice!" Another silver-armored guard shouted in surprise. "I won''t lose this time. If I lose once again, I won''t y the ''Mystic Card'' game for the next three months." Jimmy mmed his fist on the ground and announced loudly. "What?! Jimmy, then how are we going to earn our pocket money daily? Change your resolution!" Another guy protested. "Yes, Yes." Other guards also nodded their heads and stared at Jimmy with expecting eyes. "Real men won''t go back on their words." Jimmy proudly stated and soon froze as he saw a dark shadow near the half-openedpound gate. ''Is it a G-Ghost?'' He blinked in shock and then noticed that there was no shadow near the gate. ''I almost freaked out!'' He shook his head and picked the dozens of cards from the concrete ground. After that, he shuffled the cards like a real expert and stared at Henry with a confident smile. "Are you ready?" Noticing his smile, Henry stared back into his blue eyes and asked. "I''m born ready." Jimmy''s smile widened further as he picked one random card from the shuffled cards and stored it in his pocket instead of seeing it. Meanwhile, Henry picked his card and showed it to everyone. A picture of a naked female appeared in the card, making others droll in lust. The female picture looked very real and gave off some strange feelings to others'' minds. "Mine is the Card of Lust, Grade-5, Ranking no-34," Henry said with an excited smile on his face. All those silver armored guards stared at the card while gulping down their saliva and turned their attention towards Jimmy. Although Jimmy was shocked inside, he didn''t show it on his face and showed his card to others. He didn''t even look at the card and observed others'' reactions patiently. Nobody moved for three seconds, and soon a guy in the crowd muttered slowly. "It''s the Card of Spark. Grade-1. Ranking number-4. You are the Unlucky Star of River dale, Jimmy." A heartbeatter, a burst ofughter echoed at the entrance gate. Jimmy groaned in displeasure and asked the nearby guard to change the topic. "Jobs, where is Rick?" Others also stoppedughing as they heard his words and then nced at each other. "Didn''t he go to take a leak?" Henry asked while furrowing his brows. "But it was around 10 minutes ago." Jimmy turned his expression solemnly and stood up while grabbing the sword hilt. "Let''s split up and search." Another guard proposed, and soon the group was split into two. One moved towards the left side while the other moved towards the other side of the mansion. ¡­ Meanwhile, John walked out of the mansion and moved stealthily towards therge building. That building appeared brighter even in the dark red night, giving a sensation of warmth. From Charles''s memories, John guessed that building must be Life Church. ''Without shoes, it feels rough to walk on this mud road.'' He sighed as he nced at Eve Night-wind, who had already lost lots of blood, and became puzzled. ''How is she still alive?'' He was indeed astounded inside. Her nightgown was already soaked in blood and leaving blood trails frequently. With a single nce, anyone would tell that she was gravely injured. ''Those guards will soon follow after this blood trail.'' He narrowed his eyes. Shaking his head, he nced at the surroundings and noticed rows of brick houses, shops, wooden houses, and huts that appeared all over. He hastened his footsteps towards the tall, dome-shaped building that appeared farther away from his vision in the dark-red night. After absorbing the original owner''s memory, he understood his current situation and hastily walked towards the Life Church. From the memories, he learned that Charles was a resident of River-dale City, located on the Eastern edge of the Arc Kingdom. It was one of the small kingdoms in the Mystic World. Riverdale''s city lord was a Baron who had an Expert level strength and had some connection with the Arc Royal family. He became an Expert Rank Swordsman twenty years ago and obtained the noble title through various schemes. From Charles''s memories, John learned that one must be a wealthy individual to get a ss. Otherwise, they would stay asmoners for the rest of their lives. Unlike ordinary citizens, wealthy individuals, nobles, tycoons, and merchants had many opportunities to buy the ss and Sub-ss gems from various Churches. John wasn''t interested in others'' business. He skimmed through those memories and soon found out some information about Charles Night-wind and Eve Night-wind. Charles was born from a renowned wealthy family, and his father had some special status in the family. But an ident urred 15 years ago. Charles''s father, Harry Night-wind, was poisoned by some mysterious enemy in the Ember Kingdom and died a horrible death in his own house. Nightwind family members used Eve of killing Harry and disavowed her and her child Charles from the Night-wind family. After that, Eve Nightwind took Charles in fear of assassination and left the Ember Kingdom. As for those ''True Lords'' he heard from James, he didn''t found any clue at all. Mother and son lived peacefully in the River-dale town''s El Street for the past 15 years and were already epted by the locals long ago. They had a sizeable two-storied house in El street and 23 hectares ofnd outside Riverdale City. As for why she brought thatnd using her savings? Even Charles knew nothing about her n. Whenever he asked about thatnd, she would say that it was her intuition or some prediction. But Charles felt off about thatnd. A few months ago, the Life Church Bishop visited their house and asked them to sell thatnd for 2000 Arc gold coins. It was triple the amount of the actualnd rate! Charles was beyond shocked by that amount and even persuaded his mother to sell it. But Eve was very adamant about her decision and declined Bishop Reynolds''s offer. After that, their rtionship with the Life Church members became very odd. If his mother were an ordinary woman, Charles would have continued to argue about her. But he knew that her mother was not an ordinary one. Eve''s main ss was Level 5 ''Astrologist.'' It was a rare ss and would be very hard to obtain even in ck markets. She usually spent her time staring at the dark red sky and make money from divination. ''She is good at predicting dangers.'' John frowned as he read Eve''s information. Yesterday, she had been even predicted the impending danger and filed a detailed report to the Security Office for protection. But nobody took her words seriously and sent her back. Once she returned to the house, she told her prediction to Charles and even asked him to escape from Riverdale City. Like others, Charles also didn''t take her words seriously and locked himself in his room. Then, James kidnapped them when they were asleep and ruined their peaceful life. ''Moreover, the real owner Charles appeared to be more interested in Archaeology. He also nned to buy the ''Historian'' ss gem from the auction and seems to be nning to walk on Explorer''s path.'' He briefly skimmed through the information and was disappointed a little. ''There is no clue about the ''Mystic World'' Game. ces and kingdom names are unfamiliar.'' He furrowed his brows and then shook his head. ''I will search for itter.'' John nced at the timer and hastened his footsteps towards the Life Church direction. ''9 minutes left.'' He sighed heavily and began to ponder about the ''True Lords.'' ''Hmm, Charles''s father''s death seems like a well-nned assassination. Are these ''True Lords'' behind Harry''s death? But why are they after Charles and his mother? Are they Eve Nightwind''s enemies?'' He began to breathe heavily and noticed that he already arrived near the dome-shaped building. Unlike the other building, this dome-shaped building looked beautiful even in the creepy dark-red night. Multiplemp lights were hung on every corner of that white building and illuminated the surrounding areas in dim yellow light. He retracted his eyes while panting heavily and began to think about the kidnapping. ''From James''s earlier words, I can tell that he is specifically targeting Charles''s life.'' He felt puzzled inside and soon made a bold guess. ''They must be Harry''s rivals or enemies. What if the ''True Lords'' are some high-ss members of the Nightwind family? Like those arrogant Family Elders from the lots of web novels.'' He let out a chuckle and soon arrived in front of arge white domed building. Two fair-skinned guys who appeared around 30-years-old stood at the entrance while holding spears in their hands and appeared in a half-sleepy state. Both wore white armor on the linen shirt, brown leather shoes, leather gloves, and ck leather pants. John had already undone his [Conceal] skill and went near them while breathing heavily. Due to Eve''s weight, he looked exhausted and was already on the verge of falling. Both guards woke up from their sleep due to his footsteps and moved their spearheads towards John''s face in unison. Unlike the guards he saw in James''s mansion, these two guards looked stronger. John felt threatened by their simple stare! Meanwhile, those two guards stared at John''s face for a second and soon widened their eyes. At that moment, Eve''s blood pained John''s oval face, hands, and dress. "Charles?" One of the guards shouted in shock as he identified him and quickly retracted his weapon. He had silver hair, a rough face, and silver eyes. John narrowed his eyes for a second and soon learned his name from Charles''s memories. ''Mr. Hunt. He is a Rank 2 Holy Knight of Life Church. He lives near Charles''s house and has an affair with City Lord''s second wife. As expected of a Holy Knight, he already aimed his ''Holy Sword'' at City Lord''s second wife.'' He stopped thinking and turned his gaze towards another Holy Knight. That man had blonde hair, a round face, thin eyebrows, and blue eyes. ''Mr. Rob. He is also a Rank-2 Holy Knight of Life Church. Except for his name, Charles had no information about him.'' In a split second, he learned more about these two Holy Knights. ¡­ Chapter 4: Bishop Reynolds Chapter 4: Bishop Reynolds "What happened, kid?" Robb asked while grabbing the injured Eve Nightwind from John''s shoulder. "I-I don''t remember much. We were kidnapped by some guys and were locked up in that mansion." John said with an exhausted face and pointed his finger towards the faraway mansion building. After that, he shook his head and muttered. "This Lady- My mom is severely injured. Please help her." Both nodded their heads as they heard his words and brought her inside. Meanwhile, John followed after them hurriedly and entered the dome-shaped building. In front of him was arge hall with a high ceiling, and pews were neatly arranged in rows on the Aisle sides. Meanwhile, the sacred Emblem of Life, ironmpstands, and candles were ced at the front wall. At the front stage was a white statue of a beautiful woman with a big chest. She wore a draped blouse, a long tulip skirt, and Dorsey shoes. She had big blue eyes, long curly hair, and a soft, beautiful smile on her face. A mere sight of the statue caused John''s heart to thump harder. John stared into those big blue eyes and felt something was off! "Charles, what happened to Eve?" A pleasant male voice came from the right side, causing him to turn his head. In front of him was a white-haired man, who was around 40-years-old, walked towards his direction withrge footsteps and was staring at Eve with concerned eyes. He had deep-set amber eyes, a square face, thin eyebrows, and a long hawk nose. He wore a golden line embroidered white robe, with a white beret in his hand, and held a unique golden pocket watch. ''Bishop Reynolds!'' John easily identified him. "Father Reynolds, please save my mother!" John bowed his head and asked anxiously. "Tell me what happened." Reynolds signaled Hunt and Robb to ce her on the long desk and asked calmly. John checked her pulse rate with a weak smile and then started narrating the whole story while skipping some parts. Meanwhile, Bishop Reynolds nodded his head and began to chant some weird incantation from time to time while listening to his narration. By the time Bishop healed the wound on Eve''s body, John also ended his speech. But he wasn''t happy at all. ''If Charles''s memory is not wrong, this Bishop is a greedy and sly fox. He is also the one who came to offer 2000 gold coins for 23-hectarends¡­ Hmm? Her wounds are already healed but, why her pulse is not improving?'' "I healed most of her internal injuries. But her soul is weakening, and she won''t wake up anytime soon. Unless you purchase a ''Life potion'' from the Holy Life Cathedral, saving her is almost impossible." Reynolds said with a regretful tone. ''Life potion, huh.'' "How much is it, Father?" John asked with a frown. Hearing his words, Reynolds stared at him like a poisonous snake and muttered in a calm yet cold tone. "500 Gold coins." ''I knew it!'' John closed his eyes for a second and asked. "How many days does she have?" "4 hours. But if you get a loan from our Life Church using that 23-hectarend, you will be able to save her." Reynolds said with a sly smile. ''What a sly bastard!'' He sighed heavily and asked. "How much is the interest?" "It''s 5% per month. If you didn''t pay the interest amount for three continuous months, we would confiscate your property legally. If you didn''t pay the interest for the next 12 months, we would sell it." Reynolds replied shamelessly. ''25 Gold coins per month? With that amount, amoner can live his life leisurely for a year! What a cunning bastard!'' He red at the Bishop for a second and coldly spoke while turning around. "I will return with thend documents. Till then, take care of my mother." Hearing his cold tone, Reynolds smiled widely and rubbed his hand. "Father Reynolds, why did you lie to him? Life potion is only 40 gold coins, right?" Robb arrived near Bishop Reynolds and asked while watching John walking towards the exit in confusion. "Cardinal Snake once ordered me to buy thatnd if an opportunity arises. Even I don''t know about the details. But one thing is sure. If we didn''t miss this opportunity, we wouldn''t get thatnd from Eve. Did you hear his cold tone? A cornered cub will always act recklessly." Reynolds patted Robb''s shoulder and turned his attention towards Eve. ¡­ Meanwhile, John walked out of the church and moved towards El Street, located one mile away from the Life Church. On the way, he nced at the sub-quest window and noticed that the timer had changed from 2 minutes to 4 hours. ''As I expected, this system is not an omniscient one. It can predict using basic information and turns them into a game-like quest.'' He snorted inwardly. Then, he looked at the main Quest window and curled his lips upward. [Main Quest: Escape from the Red-masked assassin, James.] [Quest Description: On June 5th of the year 6396 of the Second Arcane Era, you and your mother were kidnapped by a mysterious Red-masked assassin and are now held in an unknown underground prison. Find a way to escape from this masked assassin and then determine the reason for this kidnapping.] [Mission aplished!] [Quest Reward: 500 general experience points (Exp).] ''500 Exp! That''s a good sign.'' He nodded his head and nced at the tall mansion in the farthest area. ''James and his followers must have already noticed the blood trails. They will follow after it¡­But they wouldn''t dare to attack the Life Church.'' He shook his head. ''This boy''s mother is indeed a brave one. Tsk, I will try my best to keep her alive. This is the payment for giving me this youthful body, Charles.'' He muttered under his breath and moved towards El Street while putting the silver dagger on his waist along with its sheath. A few minutester, John reached El Street and began to search for his own house. ''45 El Street.'' He walked on the dirt street road and soon arrived in front of arge two-storied house''s entrance. Unlike other houses, this house was made of white granite rocks and looked prettier. He walked into the yard while ncing at a few ornamental flower trees and opened the door using the key, which he took from near the porch pir. After that, he entered his house and pulled the long thread that was hanging from the ceiling. A secondter, multiple candles started lighting one by one and illuminated the building with bright yellow light. ''Are these Magic Lamps or Magic candles?'' He furrowed his brows and then went towards the wardrobe. He picked up a tight ck shirt and ck pants and then went to take a shower. Fifteen minutester, he walked out of the bathroom and started searching for thend documents everywhere. There was no memory of those documents in Charles''s memory, which made his job harder. But as a skilled assassin and a thief, he searched the important areas and soon found a suitcase under his bed. It was not someplicated lock suitcase, so John opened it quickly. Then, he began to read the line one by one, and soon his expression turned gloomy. Without the house document, the owner wouldn''t be able to sell thatnd at all. The first seller of this house made such aplicated document. ''But why did the first seller went on a roundtable way to create such aplicated document?'' He got puzzled. ''Damn, what is special about thatnd? That Bishop is eyeing for the 23-hectarend¡­And from Charles''s memory, Eve also seemed to be predicted something. What is that damned Bishop is scheming?'' ''Wait a sec¡­He might be eyeing for this house!'' A thought surfaced in his mind. ''Possible! Then, what is this house hiding? Hmm, I need to have a long chat with Eve Nightwind.'' He folded those two documents and was about to put them inside his shirt but stopped. He felt a slight vibration from the ground. It was like 10 to 20 peoples were swarming in his direction. If it were before, he wouldn''t have noticed it. But after he received the [Sixth Sense] skill, his sense of perception improved to another level! ''Enemy! It must be James and hisckeys.'' He unsheathed his silver dagger and made a swift movement towards the ceiling. The next second, the magic candles started to die out one by one, and soon the whole building absorbed into dense darkness. [Chain Quest: Blood for Blood The mysterious Red-masked kidnapper James followed after the blood trail and sent 12 professional killers to finish you off. Someone had already given your personal information to the enemy. . Find out the Spy who sold you out - Reward: 100 Exp. . Survive the uing ordeal - Reward: 300 Exp. . Kill the Red-Masked kidnapper, James - Reward: 500 Exp. Mission Deadline: 1 hour.] ''Spy? The one who sold me out might be the Bishop. It''s not a surprising thing. Well, I will ask him personally after I finish off these killers.'' ''Tsk, I thought of saving up the Exp to select the main ss. But it seems I have to take a step back now.'' He sighed heavily and put 150 Exp to the Trickster subss. ¡­ [150 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 2 Trickster!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded] ¡­ ''Hmm, I need 225 Exp to level up once again. Thankfully, I still have another 400 Exp.'' A smile crept on John''s face as he put another 225 Exp on the Sub-ss. ¡­ [225 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 3 Trickster!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded] ¡­ ''This looks good. My HP also increased!'' He nodded pleasantly and added one free attribute point on the strength and another free attribute point on Dexterity. He added 19 skill points to [Dark Vision], and the remaining 21 skill points to [Sixth Sense]. [Sixth Sense skill has reached its peak level!] A shock went through John''s brain as the skill upgraded. The next instant, his sense became heightened to another level. ''My Dark vision also increased to the peak level. I can walk in the dark like I''m walking in daylight.'' He grinned viciously and then moved towards the kitchen. ''Kitchen knives will be useful during the fighting.'' He nodded his head and soon blended into the darkness. After taking a few knives from the kitchen, he moved towards the reception hall and then waited for those prey to stretch their necks! ¡­ Chapter 5: Ruthless Killer Chapter 5: Ruthless Killer Meanwhile, a total of 12 ck-cloaked guys arrived in front of the two-storied house and then scattered in different positions. Unlike the guards, these guys looked more like professional killers! John wasn''t unaware of their movements. He studied those cloaked figures'' movements one by one through an opened window and became deadly serious. ''These guys are not a normal bunch. But they aren''t well-trained.'' He nodded his head. ''It''s been so long since I went on a rampage. Tsk, although my action will enrage this city lord, it can''t be helped.'' Although John was a little worried about these guys'' abnormal strength, he didn''t put much thought into it. He was a skilled assassin on Earth. With the newly attained magical skills, he wouldn''t have any problem dealing with these killers. ''Moreover, they are not assassins. From their movements, I can tell that most of them are relying on their brute strength. Their stealth skills are pathetic¡­ Hmm? They also seemed to have no experience in weapons. There is one thing I''m worried about these guys are numbers. I need to kill these guys quickly. I can''t fight against all of them at a time.'' He made a few ns inside his head and moved in the dark like a spider. Meanwhile, two cloaked guys went to the backside, and another three guys stealthily climbed up and seemed to be nning to move towards the second floor through the opened windows. The other seven killers took out their weapons and moved inside after opening the entrance gate. John activated [Conceal] and [Dark Vision] skills and then moved towards the back door. He saw two cloaked guys were sneaking into the Lounge and sprinted towards them while holding the silver dagger in his right hand. Before they could notice his presence in the dark, he appeared behind them and thrust his dagger into one of the guys'' necks. A heartbeatter, his silver dagger plunged into the killer''s neck while tearing the flesh and gave him a fatal wound. John didn''t stop his hand and swiftly withdrew his dagger from the enemy''s neck. He then made a hand movement and swiftly sliced the other guy''s throat in a second! The enemy fell on the tiled floor a heartbeatter while gripping his throat and soon went motionless! [Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp obtained!] John curled his lips as he saw the notification icon and then shifted his gaze towards the other guy, who was now gasping for breath with a horrified expression on his face. He then tried to grab John but failed miserably before falling on the floor. Meanwhile, John squatted next to the twitching man and shook his head. "This is what happens when you dare to y hide and seek with a former assassin." He let out a chuckle and sliced his throat calmly. [Target Eliminated! 29 Battle Exp obtained!] "Not bad. Not bad at all!" He spoke lightly, sheathed the dagger, and stood up. After that, he calmly walked towards the spiral stairs with light footsteps and moved towards the second floor. A few secondster, he arrived at the second-floor corridor and noticed another guy was cautiously walking out of his bedroom. He then walked on the smooth corridor and appeared to be moving towards his study room! John also noticed the other two guys'' presence from the storeroom and gave a cold look. He gripped his silver dagger and was about to attack but stopped. His heartbeat raced all of a sudden! It was the [Sixth Sense] warning! He reflexively moved towards the right side and narrowly avoided a dark lightning bolt that came from outside. A secondter, the lightning bolt exploded and illuminated the whole corridor while exposing his location to the enemy. ''There must be an observer outside! But how did he found my location? Also, what is this powerful lightning attack?'' He didn''t dare to waste a second and moved towards the sole enemy who just walked out of his bedroom. Meanwhile, the killer also noticed his presence and rushed towards his direction while gripping a short sword in his right hand. His movements were unique and gave only a few openings for John to attack. A secondter, ngs reverberated at his bedroom''s entrance, and yellow sparks flew everywhere. After parrying for five seconds, John felt a numb sensation. No, a total of three shallow cuts appeared on his right arm! ''His strength is above normal! I can''t kill him using normal means.'' He frowned and crouched down a little. He then took out a kitchen knife from his ck boots and threw it towards the killer at high speed. Simultaneously, he also took a step back and blended into the darkness. Meanwhile, the killer moved his sword and blocked the kitchen knife. But soon, he frowned as he noticed the disappearance of his target and shouted. "Guys, Be careful of any sneak attack. This guy seems to have chosen the-''Cough''." But before he could finish his words, a silver dagger came from his right side and plunged into his throat! A secondter, John appeared next to the killer, snatched his sword, and shed at his head. Like his silver dagger, this short sword was abnormally sharper and decapitated his head in an instant! [Target Eliminated! 28 Battle Exp obtained!] The enemy''s head flew up in the air with widened eyes and sprayed the scarlet blood on the white ceiling! Before the decapitated head could reach thend, a soft hand caught the head and disappeared into the darkness. When the other two killers arrived near the bedroom entrance, only a headless bodyy on the tiled floor. "Ray is down!" One of the killers growled in anger. "I will hold him off for a while. You go and tell the situation to Zero." Another voice muttered and moved towards the headless body. But before he could take a step forward, his expression went stiff as he heard a shing sound from behind. With wary eyes, he turned around and became horrified! Instead of his partner, he saw a headless body dancing in the dark and soon fell, leaving a thudding sound behind. "Are you looking for this?" John appeared in front of the killer and threw the other guy''s head towards him. Fear gripped his heart as he caught the head instinctively and screamed in anger! "Did you feel the fear?" John smiled coldly while avoiding the iing sword and directly shed the sword at the killer''s throat. [Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 26 Battle Exp obtained!] John nodded inwardly as he nced at the notifications and soon heard multiple footsteps from the stairs. ''Before theye here, I should go and finish off the sneaky observer.'' He sliced the killer''s head and threw it in his bedroom. After that, he went near the opened window and stealthily climbed down from the second floor. He nced around warily and then noticed one dark shadow was peeking towards him from the El Street road. The shadow''s eyes glowed in green color. Before John could climb down from the second floor, the dark shadow noticed his presence and ran away hurriedly. ''Who is he? A neighbor?'' He furrowed his brows and shook his head. He then moved towards the backside and looked at the opposite building''s rooftop. The building was a simple one-storied house and looked abandoned. He saw a dark human shadow on the rooftop and noticed that guy seemed to be searching for him using a telescope-like instrument. ''There he is.'' John muttered inwardly and moved towards the opposite building. Before the observer could notice his presence, he arrived at the foot and climbed up hastily using the nearbydder. The poor observer didn''t sense his presence and appeared to bemunicating with other assassins through a strange silver ring. ''Magic cell phone?'' John stealthily climbed up to the rooftop and silently appeared behind the observer. Unlike others, this guy didn''t wear any ck cloak. He wore a loose red robe and looked more like a mysterious mage. He had dark hair, a round chubby face, and looked around 20-years-old. "I didn''t see any traces of him on the second floor." The observer muttered in dissatisfaction. "Are you looking for me?" John didn''t n to waste any more time and asked. The observer jolted up in shock and turned around with a frightened face. "H-How did you find me?" He asked with a stutter and then activated the strange ring. "I will tell you when you answer my questions," John said as he shed his silver dagger and severed the observer''s wrist. The next instant, the observer screamed while attracting the other 7 killers'' attention and nearby neighbors. "I-I will answer! I will answer it." He shouted while shivering like a frightened cat. "Good. Tell me your full name." John stared into his red eyes and ordered while analyzing him. ''Hmm, he looks more like a coward. Heh, let''s see what information I will get from him.'' "Rios Garcia." The observer replied while gashing his teeth. "Who are those ''True Lords''?" John nodded his head and asked while ying with his silver dagger. "I don''t know! I don''t know! But I heard from Da- Master James that they have some connection with Nightwind Elders." Rios said hurriedly and nced at those cloaked killers. They were already moving towards this building from Charles''s house. John was well aware of the cloaked enemies'' movements and asked another question. "Who is James? Why is he after me?" "This¡­ His master is afraid of you-." Rios mped his mouth shut at a slip of the tongue and became pale. "His master?" John stared at him deeply and skilfully threw a knife towards one of the killers who had already arrived near the building. The knife tore through the air with a whooshing sound and directlynded on the opponent''s throat! "L-Lord M-Martin Nightwind. He is Lord Martin Nightwind." Upon witnessing such a scene, Rios took a step back in fear and answered. "Good. Now, why is he after me?" John was very curious about this. It didn''t make any sense at all. "It''s about your father. Lord Martin feared that your father might have given you a final gift before his death. So, he cooperated with the ''True Lords'' and nned to kill you before you chose your Main ss." "What has to do with me choosing the Main ss?" John stared at the loose mouth with a deep look and asked. "Unless you activate your ss, you won''t receive your father''s gift," Rios replied nonchntly. ''Oh? How did he know so much information?'' John became shocked for a moment and soon furrowed his brows. "How did you know so much information?" "James is my dad." Rios scratched his head awkwardly and hung his head in depression. ''Heh, so that exins everything. Moreover, a gift, huh?'' John arched his lips upward as he turned around and moved towards the killers who were climbing up to the rooftop using adder. After taking the fifth step, he activated [Conceal] skill and disappeared into the darkness. The next instant, he arrived near thedder''s end and started killing the enemies one by one. [Target Eliminated! 27 Battle Exp obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 30 Battle Exp obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 24 Battle Exp obtained!] ¡­ A few minutester, John stood on the rooftop while ncing at the eight corpses and sighed heavily. He felt fatigued all over his body. ''My muscles are hurting like hell. Tsk, what a troublesome job.'' He shook his head and nced at the shivering Rios. After witnessing the battle, Rios had already submitted his fate to John. Like a scared cat, he stood a few meters away from him. Although John managed to kill all of the enemies, multiple shallow cuts appeared all over his body. Blood dripped down from his hand and pained the rooftop. "Do you have any healing potion?" He asked in a cold tone. On the other hand, Rios hurriedly nodded his head, took out a reddish vial, and gave it to him. "T-This is the only thing I have." He said in an anxious tone. On the other hand, John caught the vial and furrowed his brows. ''Is it a healing potion? Or, a poison?'' A frown appeared on his face. Noticing his frown, Rios trembled all over and spoke in a hurry. "It''s a real one, sir. I wouldn''t dare to lie." Upon seeing his terrified face, John gave onest look and opened the vial. "Open your mouth," He ordered. With a helpless look on his face, Rios nodded his head and opened his mouth. On the other hand, John poured a small amount of potion into his mouth and ordered him to drink it. Then, he waited for a minute. Only after noticing nothing abnormal happened on Rios did John raised his hand and drank the vial. After noticing that the wounds on his body were starting to disappear, he breathed out a sigh of relief and nced at the notifications. ''I got 321 Battle Exp!'' He calcted the Exp he got from killing twelve members and nodded. He then moved near those corpses and started decapitating their heads one by one. After dropping the heads, he climbed down using thedder and began to take these severed heads. "W-Why are you taking their heads?" After climbing down from the rooftop, Rios sneakily nced at him and asked in horror. "It''s secret. Help me carry them to the reception room." John smiled mysteriously as he gave a short reply and then walked into his own house. After that, he repaired the connection to the magic candles and lightened the house. "Move one wooden table from the dining table to the reception." He ordered Rios and then moved towards the corpses thatid near the backdoor entrance. He checked their clothes and soon sighed in disappointment. ''These guys don''t even have a single copper in their pockets.'' "I''m done!" An anxious voice appeared from the reception room. Nodding his head, John turned around and went to the reception room. Chapter 6: Suspicion Chapter 6: Suspicion After cing another table in the reception room, John put fourteen chairs around those two tables. He then ced tes, sses, forks, spoons, napkins, and other utensils in an orderly manner. After that, John started putting those heads in order at the guests'' tes. He left the two hosts'' chairs empty and then decorated the table with red candles. Watching the ritual-like horror scene, Rios stood around the corner and began to tremble all over. He was deeply regretting his decision to join this hunting mission! ''He is a real demon. Is he a member of Wicked Church? Or is a member of the Demonic Church?'' He stared at the deep-blue-haired kid with a terrified expression on his face. John wasn''t concerned about Rios''s inner thoughts. He instead poured red wine in those empty sses and then shifted his gaze towards the Questpletion icon. He had already got the reward of 300 Exp for the surviving ordeal. ''Now, who is the spy?'' He raised his eyebrows and then ced a few chopped pieces of raw meat on one of the two hosts'' tes. ''No! These meats are not humans'' flesh. Don''t misunderstand. I''m not a cannibal!'' He ced these chopped meats to scare off the enemy a little. John frowned as he felt a dense urine smell! "Damn you, boy. Why did you pee in the room? Look, it ruined the dinner mood." Johnined in dissatisfaction and went near Rios. A few minutester, John stood alone in the reception hall and ced a few fried pieces of meat on the other host''s te. After that, he went to the opposite side and sat on the wooden chair. He then ced the napkin on hisp and waited for the main guest. ¡­ Meanwhile, a long grey-haired man was pacing outside the Life Church and sank into deep thoughts. ''Why isn''t he picking up the call?'' He stared at the unique silver ring and narrowed his amber eyes. ''Why do I feel restless inside?'' He let out a grunt and then turned his attention towards the Life Church interior. ''Damn it, that sly Bishop is still guarding Eve like a dog. I hope they will kill her boy sooner.'' He gashed his teeth and waited for Rios to pick up the call. 2 minutes. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 20 minutes. James began to feel restless and started walking towards El Street hastily. ¡­ After a few minutes, a 40-year-old man in a ck butler suit walking hurriedly towards the porch area and looked around cautiously. James then sniffed the air as he arrived near the porch and became icy cold. ''Blood scent?'' A foreboding sensation appeared in his heart. He took a deep breath to calm his mind and then walked inside while opening the entrance door. He nced warily around inside, and soon his eyes widened. He saw a long dining table arranged in the reception room. Candles were lit, tes, wine sses, forks, and other utensils were ced in order. All of them were perfectly arranged in order. The only thing that made James freeze in shock was the dishes. Instead of regr dishes, he saw his followers'' heads were ced in orders! On the other side, a slim figure sat on the Host seat and seemed to be eating a slice of raw meat! Yes, that was a slice of raw meat! For the first time, James took a step back in vignt. He quickly identified the boy and became shocked. ''Eve''s son is a cannibal? Why didn''t the informer mentioned anything about this?'' Hisplexion turned deadly pale. "Hehehe, Mr. James. Is it? Take a seat." John made a twisted face and let out a creepyugh. His tone appeared abnormally eerier. ''F*ck! Where is my son?! Also, what is that creepyugh?!'' James''s face went stiff as he stared at the gloomy dining table. After looking at his followers'' heads for a moment, he calmed his mind and then shifted his gaze towards the twisted monster that sat on the other end. Simultaneously, John stared into James''s eyes and released his inborn, killing intent. An invisible killing power ripped through the air and gripped the opponent''s heart. For a moment, James felt bloodlust oozing out from the boy and got astounded. ''A real killer.'' Although James was startled by the boy''s sudden change, he didn''t get anxious. ''Even if he turned into a psychopath, he is still a ssless mortal. I have already checked his record.'' James sat on the opposite host seat and asked coldly. "Boy, where is my son?" "I will tell you in a while. You must be hungry. Mom taught me to never speak when eating. It''s basic etiquette." John said with the same devilish smile and took another bite. ''Eve! What the hell did you teach your son during all these years?!'' He gritted his teeth and sat with a hesitant face. Although the food on his te was fried meat, he felt uneasy inside. John''s face turned icy cold as he saw that hesitant look and spoke chillingly. "If you want to know more about your son, then you have to eat it." It was a threat! Although James could easily kill this little brat, he didn''t dare to take the risk. He also saw some changes in the boy''s eyes and became more cautious. ''My son''s life is at stake.'' He closed his eyes for three seconds and then picked up the fried meat with trembling hands. He never expected that a simple hunting mission would turn into something like this. ''Damn you, Eve! I''m gonna kill you over and over again!'' He grounded his teeth and took arge bite. Instead of a salty taste, he felt a nd taste inside his mouth. The meat was not cooked well. He chewed it for a while and then gulped it down. Under John''s piercing gaze, James groaned in displeasure while cursing Eve in his mind from time to time and started eating with bloodshot eyes. A few minutester, James finished eating the whole fried meat and stared back at the devil with trembling hands. "Good! Now, I''m happy." John said while licking his red lips and then asked, "Who told you about us? For the past 15 years, we werepletely hidden from the Nightwind family''s eyes, right? How did Martin find out about us?" A look of astonishment appeared on James''s face as he heard his words. He then shook his head and replied helplessly. "We don''t know. The informer sent your information to us anonymously. But we are suspecting that the informer might be Bishop Reynolds." John had already expected this and soon asked. "Will Martin give up on hunting us? You see, I don''t have any n to avenge my father. I will forgive his past sins and won''t pursue the past matters. But if you guyse again and ruin my peaceful life, I will enter Martin''s bedroom and slit his wife''s neck one day. Then, I will go for his sons'' heads and then his daughters'' heads. I will shave his head, cut his cock, and even put him nakedly on the road. I''m a forgiving person. I won''t kill him. As long as he didn''t cross my path, I will leave this matter off. So, what''s your answer?" Anger boiled up in James''s eyes as he heard rude and wicked words from John. He unsheathed his golden dagger and stood up. But the next instant, he felt his head began to feel dizzy! ''I''m poisoned!'' He stared at John with an rmed face and stumbled on the nearby chair. "You are strong. I can feel the strong aura from your body. But even the mighty elephant has a weakness, James." John shook his head and added, "Your weakness is your own son. You shouldn''t have brought your son to this mission." Gripping his head, James stared at John with full of killing intent and shouted. "WHERE IS MY SON?!" "Where?" John let out a soft chuckle and added with creepyughter, "He is in your belly, moron." Hearing those words, James felt confusion, panic, anxiety, and other emotions appeared in his head. "Hehehe, do you really think I will let you off easily?" John stood up from his seat and walked towards the falling James. "I knew much about those who are in power. Even if you went there and tell them about my cruel character, they won''t believe you. Your only option is to die here and be my strength. I added a strong poison. Even I didn''t expect that my mother would be storing some poison bottles in the storeroom. Look at you now, pathetically crawling under the chair like a worthless worm." John arrived in front of James and smiled. Anger welled up in James''s eyes as he held his golden dagger and lunged towards John at an incredible speed. Even after being poisoned, he didn''t slow down a bit and began to attack him in an agitated state. Meanwhile, John backed away hurriedly while avoiding any fatal strikes. Within 30 seconds, the whole reception hall had turned into a bloody mess. Chairs and tables were sliced into multiple pieces by James''s attacks and were flying in all directions. ''Damn, this is exhrating.'' John felt thrilled inside and started throwing knives at James from time to time. If it were before, James would have easily crippled him. But after consuming the poisonous food, James'' movement became slower and slower. After five minutes of struggle, James couldn''t keep his bnce and fell pathetically. ''My body is too weak! I need to level up quickly and prepare for their next hunting squad. Moreover, I need to find more information about this magical world.'' John mumbled to himself. "Tell me, brat! Is that fried meat is my son''s?" Panting heavily, James stared at the white ceiling and asked anxiously. "Hehe, die in suspense." John let out a chuckle and beheaded him on the spot. [Target Eliminated! 100 Exp obtained!] [Quest reward for killing the mysterious kidnapper, James: 500 Exp obtained!] A smile crept on his face as he saw the notification. He then dragged those bodies and heads outside one by one and ced them in the yard. After that, he went back to his bedroom and took thend and house documents. He then walked out of his house while scaring the hundreds of onlookers and went towards the Life Church building. After he left, security guards and town patrol units arrived at his house and became shocked when watching those multiple headless bodies. The one who led the team was Security Captain Noah. He was an average middle-aged man with broad shoulders and wore a brown uniform. He had wide-set green eyes, short ck hair, an oval face, and thin eyebrows. He nced at those bodies one by one and started taking notes on a thick brown sheet. Security Captain Noah then walked into therge house and started searching for clues. He saw multiple bloodstains all over the ces and then turned his expression solemn. In his 20 years old experience, Noah had never seen such a horrible killing incident and got an uncontroble fear towards his target. After looking at the markings and bloodstains, he could vaguely understand what had happened here. After gathering evidence to make Charles the real killer, he sent a detailed report to the City lord and started searching for his whereabouts. Meanwhile, John reached the Life Church and walked inside with a pale face. After ncing at the front, he saw Bishop Reynolds was seated on the front pew and walked towards him. Hearing his unsteady footsteps, Reynolds closed the Sacred Book of Life, stood up from his seat, and turning around. "Did you bring the documents?" "Yes," John replied with a nod and then nced at Eve Nightwind, who was ced on the wooden table around the corner. "Good. We should sign the contract quickly." Reynolds curled his lips upward and grinned. Meanwhile, John stared into Bishop Reynolds''s deep-set amber eyes and asked sharply. "Father Reynolds, are you the one who informed about us to the Nightwind family?" His sudden question startled Reynolds greatly. "Why do you think it is me?" Reynolds turned his expression serious and asked. "In Riverdale city, no one knew about our real identity. But you are an exception. You are a powerful Rank-3 Bishop. I heard from my mom once that Bishops have the skill to see through one''s secrets and identity. What is that skill name? Ah, yes. [True Eyes] is it?" John asked while turning his expression cold. Chapter 7: Apprentice Fire Mage Chapter 7: Apprentice Fire Mage "Haha, Interesting. Charles, I''m impressed." Reynolds let out a boomingugh and went near Eve Nightwind. "Indeed, I knew about your identities long ago. When I visited your house to ask about thend matters, I checked your identity and learned about your surname. But I''m not the one who informed your presence to your family. I''m a greedy fox, and I do some shady works. Even the Honourable Divine Lady Nira knew about my schemes. But I''m not a betrayer." Reynolds said while pointing his finger at the beautiful Life Goddess''s statue. John followed after Reynolds with hurried footsteps and became puzzled inside. "Then, who is the informer?" He asked out loud. "That¡­ I don''t know. But one thing is certain. Your family members or the one who is after your heads will send more men in the future to kill you." Reynolds said with a sigh and then took out a scroll from the altar table. "Now, let''se to the current business. This scroll is a contract scroll, and I already wrote the contents. Once you signed the contract, you will get 500 gold coins and save your mother." Reynolds said and passed the brown scroll to John. "You don''t need to see thend document?" John furrowed his brows. "Nah, no one can fool our almighty Goddess''s eyes." Reynolds chuckled while waving his hand. Meanwhile, John opened the contract scroll and began to read word by word. Although thenguage was a strange one, he didn''t face any difficulty at all. ''Charles''s memories helped me in many ways.'' He muttered inwardly and then said with a sly smile. "Father Reynolds, I heard from my mom that ''Life Potion'' is very cheap in other Gods'' Cathedrals. I heard her saying that it was only 40 gold coins. Why is so high in Life Church''s Cathedral?" Reynolds narrowed his eyes for a second and said indifferently. "If you feel that I''m scamming you, you can go to other churches and buy ''Life Potions'' or some other ''Healing Potions'' from them." A bitter smile appeared on John''s face as he heard Reynolds''s words. ''This guy sure is after something. What a poisonous snake.'' John heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. ''Other than Life Church, there are two more churches in this city. But there are only priests working there. I don''t want to make a bet using Eve''s life.'' He took a quill pen from the desk without saying anything and dipped it into the ck ink. He then opened the scroll and signed in it. A heartbeatter, the scroll began to shine brightly and then disappeared from his eyes. ''I need to find a way and repay the debt quickly.'' He said to himself and then turned his attention towards Bishop Reynolds. Meanwhile, Bishop Reynolds arrived near Eve and took out a white vial from his pocket. After that, he opened her mouth using his other hand and poured the potion into her mouth. Simultaneously, he recited a short incantation and ced his hand on Eve''s throat. A momentter, Eve moved her lips and swallowed the ''Life Potion.'' Once Bishop Reynolds noticed that she was okay, he turned his head towards John and patted his shoulder. "You can go back now. It will take 4 to 5 days for your mother to wake up. I will send someone to inform you when she wakes up." After that, he moved towards the front pew, sat on it, and then started reading the ''Sacred book of Life'' book. Meanwhile, John saw a notification popped up in front of his eyes and smiled. [Sub-Quest Completed! Rewards: 100 Exp obtained!] John didn''t walk out of the Life Church. Instead, he also sat beside Bishop Reynolds and fell into deep thoughts. ''If Bishop Reynolds is not the informer, then who is it?¡­ Think John¡­Think¡­What did the informer want from us? Is he after money? Probably not. Is he after the treasure that hid in our house ornd? Possible. Hmm, I don''t have any clue. But, the informer must be hiding in this town and gathering information about me¡­Wait!'' John suddenly recalled the shadow with green eyes. ''That shadow. He knew about the assassination incident. If he has some big background, I will be in deep sh*t.'' He thought of the worst possibility and made an emergency n. ''I already killed 14 assassins. If the informer wants to frame me, he might use their deaths as excuses. If I''m not careful, I will end up being in Iron Prison. In the worst-case scenario, I will be executed in public. Although I can avoid the execution by selecting a Mage ss, I will still get punished if I''m not careful.'' John frowned deeply and turned his gaze towards Bishop Reynolds. "Father, can you do me a favor?" Bishop turned his head towards John in annoyance and asked, "What is it?" "I want you to stop the City Lord for some time if an Execution happens," John said in a solemn tone. It was his backup n if something went wrong. "Execution?" Bishop Reynolds widened his eyes in surprise and asked hurriedly, "Who''s Execution?" A wry smile appeared on John''s face as he pointed his finger towards his chest. "Mine." "What did you do?" Bishop Reynolds turned his face serious and asked. "I killed a bunch of assassins," John said and then started exining everything while skipping some information. "I''m amazed by your ruthlessness. Although I love to help you, I don''t want to offend Ethan Walker." Bishop paused for a moment and then added, "But if you died before paying the debt, I will end up losing 500 gold coins. Moreover, the contract will also go invalid." John smiled as he heard Bishop Reynolds''s words. "Thank you, Father," John said and stood up from the pew. After that, he gave a bow towards the Goddess Nira''s statue and walked out of the Life Church. But soon, his face turned grim as he saw tens of security guards in brown uniforms stood outside the Life Church and held different weapons in their hands. As soon as they saw him walking out of the Light Church, they started surrounding him and aimed their weapons at him. Then, a ck-haired officer took a step forward and loudly announced. "Charles Miller, You are under arrest for killing normal citizens. We have multiple witnesses saying that you killed more than 10 citizens in your house." ''Charles Miller? It seems Eve done a good job.'' He nodded inwardly and nced at the officer. He had wide-set green eyes, an oval face, and thin eyebrows. ''Green eyes!'' John raised his eyebrows and spoke coldly. "I indeed killed a few people. But they are not citizens of Riverdale. They are professional killers. I killed them to defend myself. You should have already found out about their real identities, right?" "But killing someone in this city is still a crime, Charles. Say your useless excuses to the City Lord during your execution." That ck-haired officer responded as a matter of fact. At that moment, John also noticed a smirk on the officer''s face and furrowed his brows. "Execution, is it? Are you sure about that? Do you have an authority to execute an apprentice mage?" John let out a cold snort and asked. "A-Apprentice Mage?!" All the security guards took a step back in anxiety and muttered in unison. John had already expected their response and smiled. From Charles''s memories, he learned that Mages were precious treasures in any kingdom. Moreover, one needs a considerable amount of luck to get any Mage ss gems. John was very familiar with these types of ss gems. In the ''Mystic World'' game, wealthy NPCs would send out multiple quest missions to search for ss gems from the Mystic Towers. Although the sses and abilities were totally different, John felt that there must be some link to it. Moreover, there were no Mystic Towers in this strange world. Instead, 13 Lawful Churches controlled these ss gems all over the continent and monopolized them. As for where they get these Mystic Gems, no one knew. But few lucky ones would get these ''ss Gems'' from killing monsters. Yes, many monsters were lurking in this mystic world, and some of them were very dangerous. ''But the possibility of getting a ''ss-Gem'' is very slim like the ''Mystic World'' Game. There are some simrities between the Mystic World game and this strange world.'' John mused in thoughts. "You are not a mage! You are still a ssless human." The ck-haired officer quickly snapped out from the shock and spoke in a grim tone. ''Oh? It seems he knew more about me.'' John shook his head and turned his gaze towards the game interface. ''1396 Exp! Well, this should be more than enough to flip the situation.'' He shifted his gaze towards the main ss option and started to ponder. ¡­ [Avable sses for Host: Apprentice Swordsman (300 Exp), Thief (380 Exp), Apprentice Warrior (340 Exp), Learner (120 Exp), Cook (140 Exp) Dancer (100), Teacher (150 Exp) Archer (450 Exp), Killer (400 Exp), Deceiver (250 Exp),¡­ Apprentice Fire Mage (750 Exp), Apprentice Darkness Mage (1000 Exp), etc.,] ¡­ ''There are only two mage options on this list. It might be due to one''s own elemental affinity.'' ''Although Darkness Mage looks cooler, they have some bad reputation. Not only that, but the strange feeling also wants me to choose Apprentice Fire Mage ss¡­ This feeling is much powerful than before. Darkness Mage or Fire Mage¡­ A tough choice, indeed.'' In this unknown magic world, surviving without relying on external help is almost impossible. I know almost nothing about Darkness Mage ss¡­ Was it a curse-rted ss? Or, ck magic? Shadow magic? Do Churches hate them? Will they burn me in the name of purification if they found out that I be Dark Magician? I can''t bet my life on it¡­ On the other hand, Fire Mage has a good reputation among the masses¡­ Life or gamble¡­ I choose life.'' He hesitated for a moment and selected the ''Apprentice Fire Mage'' option. [750 Exp deduced!] [Apprentice Fire Mage ss obtained!] [2 Free Attributes Rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [10 skill points] [Spell Book option will be avable from now on!] [You can use Experience points to buy suitable fire spell models!] [With your current Wisdom, you can construct only one spell model!] [You have an ''Inheritance Gift'' in your body] [Opening the ''Inheritance Gift''¡­] [You have learned a unique ''Inspect'' skill] ¡­ Many information about Fire elemental spells appeared in John''s head! ''I can think faster than before.'' He was surprised and soon widened his eyes as he nced at the ''Inheritance Gift'' notification. ''[Inspect] skill, huh? Not so special, though. Maybe it can evolve in the future? Hmm, Main ss gives me more attribute points. From the information, I have to increase my wisdom if I want to learn more spells. But currently, I need to increase my body strength. Otherwise, I won''t be able to use the full extent of my assassin skills.'' He pondered for a moment and then added one free attribute to the ''Strength'' and another free attribute to ''Constitution.'' After that, he shifted his attention to the ''Spell Book'' option. [Avable Fire Spell models for the Host: Fire Orb (430 Exp), Fire Arrow (250 Exp), Fire Breath (250 Exp), Fire Shield (320 Exp), me Body (350 Exp), me Jump (540 Exp), Fire Wing (450 Exp), Fire Wisp (240 Exp), Fire de (459 Exp), Fire Prism (310 Exp), etc.,] ''Oh? Do I have to spend Exp again?'' He grunted in dissatisfaction. ''This is also a tough choice. Should I select [Fire Orb] or [Fire Arrow]? But these all are Rank-1 spells, right? Can a Rank-1 spell kill a Rank-2 Mystic? What if it didn''t? Wouldn''t I be wasting all these exp points? Yes, I can kill multiple Rank-1 Mystics using my assassin skills. So, why should I need to waste it? I should focus on my survival first. Let''s see. If I choose the Fire Wings spell model, I can intimidate these soldiers and even escape in case something bad happens.'' Multiple thoughts whirled in his mind. He made up his mind in an instant and clicked the ''Fire Wings'' Spell model. Within a second, something exploded in his mind, causing him to stumble a little! Security guards also noticed his strange behavior and gripped their weapons tighter. "Capture him!" Security Captain Noah roared in excitement. On the other hand, tens of weird mystical letters emerged in John''s mind and started constructing into a red crystalline hexagon! No, it was a spell model! The ''Fire Wings'' spell model flickered in his mind and began to glow like a raging fire. ''F*ck! I''m losing focus!'' He also saw a strange timer appeared in the corner of his eyes and got stunned. ''Constructing spell models take time? 58 seconds?'' He waspletely stupefied. This waspletely out of his expectation! At that moment, the spell model construction also started interrupting his focus! ''Thankfully, I already made some backup ns. I hope Bishop intervenes when the timees. Otherwise, I''ve no choice but to escape.'' He thought. Meanwhile, Noah and a few other brave guards arrived near to him and yanked his legs. Due to the attack, John lost his bnce and fell while staring at the dark-orange sky. ''Dawn appears! Haa, I feel so tired.'' A heavy sigh came out of his mouth. The construction process continued in his head, causing him topletely lose focus. Meanwhile, multiple soldiers attacked him with their fists and made him immobile in two minutes. Although he struggled a bit, the spell model construction processpletely caught him off guard. But instead of panicking, John curled his lips upward and grinned. ''Spell model construction is over.'' ''Stats Window.'' He said in his mind. [Name: Charles Nightwind Race: Human Rank: 1 (Common) ss: Level 1 Apprentice Fire Mage (0/150) Sub-ss: Level 3 Trickster (0/337) Health Points: 61/61 (Healed) Exp: 196 Attributes: Strength- 10 Dexterity- 11 Constitution- 10+1= 11 Wisdom-11+1 = 12 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 10 AP (Attribute points): ss spells: Fire Wings Sub-ss skills: Trickster''s hand- 20 Clown- 20 Sixth Sense- 50 Unique skills: Snatch-51 Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 20] After checking at the status, he became astounded. ''I have already upgraded most of my unique skills. But there is one unique skill that I don''t need to upgrade in the future. [Dark Vision] has almost reached its high state. Even if I add more skill points, it will give the same result.'' He nodded inwardly and then shifted his attention to the [Inspect] skill. After thinking for a moment, he added 10 skill points to the [Inspect] skill. He then looked at the ck-haired officer and cast [Inspect] skill on him. The next instant, a cold glint appeared in John''s deep-set jade eyes. [Inspect (30) skill has been used¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect seeded!] The ck-haired officer''s main information appeared in front of his eyes. [Name: Noah Moore Race: Human Rank: 1 (Common) ss: Level 4 Soldier (204/506) Sub-ss: None Health Points: 35/35 Attributes: Strength- 11 Dexterity- 10 Constitution- 12 Wisdom-10 Charisma- 9 ss skills: Shadower- 21 Charge-23 Fearless Body-20 Weapon proficiency (Basic melee weapon proficiency)-24 Sub-ss Skills: None Unique Skills: None] ''Hmm?'' He furrowed his brows and thenid there motionlessly. ''Prison is not a bad ce to take some rest.'' He chuckled inwardly and cooperated with security officer Noah. Within seconds, Noah cuffed his hands using a handcuff chain and waited for the reinforcement team to arrive. Meanwhile, Bishop Reynolds also walked out from the Church and became shocked when seeing the scene. He hurriedly went near Hunt and asked with a frown. "What happened?" "Father!" Hunt got startled by Bishop Reynolds''s sudden arrival and answered, "They are arresting him for killing 14 men in his house. Even after I told those security guards about the kidnapping incident, no one listened to me. Charles also said that he became an apprentice mage in panic, but no one took his words seriously. Well, even I knew that kid is lying." Bishop Reynolds''s eyes widened as he heard Hunt''s words. The next instant, he turned his gaze towards Charles and cast [True Eyes] skill on him. A secondter, a look of astonishment and shock appeared in his eyes! ''H-How?! I didn''t see any changes a while ago!'' He mumbled in shock and then widened his eyes as he thought of a possibility. "Interesting! He must have obtained some skill to fake his information." He muttered slowly. "Hunt, don''t worry about his safety. He is ying with these fools." He patted on Hunt''s shoulder and then added, "Don''t sneak into City Lord''s mansion often. There are few people already started paying attention to your movements. Your partner Robb also became more suspicious of your movements now." "F-Father, what should I do?" Hunt''s face turned pale as he heard Bishop Reynolds''s words. "Lay low for now. Although City Lord didn''t care about his second wife''s secret affair, we can''t act recklessly. We need Lady Charlotte''s help in this matter. She is the only one who has a more friendly rtionship with Target. Also, be careful of Charles. He appears to have changed. We have to keep a low profile for a while. As for getting the A-035 from that ce, we will have to make some changes in the original n." Hunt''s body went stiff for a moment and soon he rxed. Hunt then nodded his head repeatedly and walked away from Bishop Reynolds. Meanwhile, more security guards and patrol officers arrived near the Life Church entrance and then transported John to the Iron Prison through a horse carriage. Chapter 8: Execution Chapter 8: Execution June 7th, Year 6396, Second Arcane Era. Iron Prison, Riverdale City, Arc Kingdom. Around 11 A.M., In a gloomy prison cell, an 18-year-old kid wasid on the cold floor and constantly snored while disturbing the nearby prisoners. He wore a tight ck shirt and pants and looked slimmer. He had short eyebrows, a fleshy nose, short deep-blue hair, and olive skin. He was none other than John Browning, aka Charles Nightwind. After he surrendered to the security guards, they brought him to the Iron prison and locked him inside a most secured cell. John didn''t mind their rough treatment, though. The security officer Noah even gave him some dry bread and told him to enjoy hisst night in the gloomy cold prison. While he was snorting in the Iron prison, the whole city, filled with 60,000 people, was shocked by John''s cruel action! There was not even a single incident like this urred in Riverdale City during the past two decades! The honorable City Lord, Ethan Walker, was deeply saddened by Charles Miller''s action and announced the Riverdale City that he would personally execute him for his crimes on June 8th Morning at the Execution tform! The whole town began to gossip about what had happened in El Street. The neighboring citizens even exaggerated the whole incident and gave him the title of ''Serial Killer.'' Some even stated that he colluded with Wicked Church''s followers and killed those 14 citizens to do a blood sacrificial ceremony. Unaware of those gossips, John rested for another 4 hours and then woke up by the neighboring prisoners'' shouting. He let out a groan and noticed that his muscles were aching severely. ''Damn, my muscles are aching like hell.'' He nced around the gloomy prison cell and clicked his tongue. ''I already chose the Apprentice Fire Mage ss. Now, I need tons of experience points to level up and also to buy those spell models. The best way to grow quicker is by bing an Explorer. But that will put Charles''s mother Eve in danger¡­For now, I will stay in this Riverdale City and gather more information about this magical world. One thing that worries me is the Nightwind family. I have limited information about them.'' He shook his head and then shifted his attention to the interface. ''I still have 196 Exp remaining.'' He thought for a moment and then assigned 150 Exp to Apprentice Fire Mage ss. ¡­ [150 Exp deduced from the Host.] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 2 Apprentice Fire Mage!] [2 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [10 skill points rewarded] ¡­ ''Heh, 2 free attribute points, huh. Should I add it to my Wisdom attribute? Nah, It won''t help me in this current situation. I should use these points and increase my Dexterity and Strength. Once I increase my body to a certain level, I will put all the free attributes to wisdom. Moreover, whenever I level up the Main ss, the system itself giving me an extra wisdom attribute.'' Muttering to himself, he added one free attribute to Dexterity and another free attribute point to Strength. After that, he added 10 skill points to [Inspect] skill. [Name: Charles Nightwind Race: Human Rank: 1 (Common) ss: Level 2 Apprentice Fire Mage (0/225) Sub-ss: Level 3 Trickster (0/337) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favourability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 71/71 Exp: 46 Attributes: Strength- 10+1= 11 Dexterity- 11+1= 12 Constitution- 11 Wisdom-12+1 = 13 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 0 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Fire Wings Sub-ss skills: Trickster''s hand- 20 Clown- 20 Sixth Sense- 50 Unique skills: Snatch-51 Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 40] ''I''m a Serial Killer, huh.'' John shook his head and shifted his gaze towards the attributes. ''I can feel it! I''m growing stronger! My muscles are strengthening by some mystic force.'' His jade eyes shone in the gloomy prison. ''With my current wisdom, I can cast two magic spells.'' He sat up with a cold look on his face. ''This body is too weak. I will try and see if I can increase my strength by exercising.'' He nodded his head inwardly and began to do push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. His weird action got noticed by the jail warden, but the warden didn''t say anything. He felt this kid might have lost his rationality and shrugged it off. After he exhausted himself, John sat on the cold prison cell and read Charles''s remnant memories. The next morning, a squad of well-equipped soldiers in brown uniform led by the security captain Noah entered his cell and cuffed his hand using a handcuff. After that, they pushed him out of the prison cell and led him out of the Iron Prison near the City Lord''s mansion. The squad then stood behind him and ordered him to walk in the front. Shaking his head, John did as those soldiers told him and started walking on the dirt road. Soon, he reached the main road and saw tens of thousands of citizens were looking in his direction. Today, Riverdale City was filled with furious shouts and slogans. Thousands of citizens stood on the street side and waited for the criminal to pass through the main street. Within a day, John became a monster who reaped more than 200 lives in this world. The citizens exaggerated the rumors and made him a famous killer. Some even imed that they had seen him killing slum citizens during the past two years and reported it to the security office multiple times. ''Someone is definitely fueling the fire. But for what purpose?'' A grim look appeared on his face. As John walked on the main street, the Riverdale citizens threw stones, slippers, rotten fruits, and many other things at him while cursing vulgarly. Upon hearing those curses and shouts, he felt amused inside. ''What a bunch of fools.'' He shook his head and walked leisurely towards the elevated Execution tform. Ethan Walker stood with a solemn face on the execution tform and held a broad sword in his right hand. His face was rough and a little old, seemingly in his forties, and he wore a ck surcoat. He had short ck hair, rounded eyebrows, amber eyes, and a shadow nose bridge. Curling his lips upward, John silently walked on the straight staircase and reached the execution tform. Seeing the target was going to be executed, Noah, the security captain, grinned inwardly and yanked John from behind. Due to the sudden attack, John lost his bnce and stumbled in front of tens of thousands of people. But he didn''t fall, though. Instead, he made a strange dancing movement, regained his bnce, and started stretching limbs. At that moment, a mischievous smile appeared on his face. He raised his cuffed hands, extended them wide, like breaking the chains, and made a nging noise using his mouth. To others'' astonishment, his hands became freed from the cuff! No! There was no cuff in his hand at all! It was a small trick he learned from one of his colleagues! The whole crowd became stunned by his performance! John then nodded his head and thrust out his hands like a showman revealing the grand treasure! The citizens looked confused for a second and soon widened their eyes. Even Ethan Walker became baffled by the sudden change and peeked at the grand prize area. Everyone saw that a ck-haired officer in his brown uniform looked at his own cuffed hands in confusion and puzzlement! The next instant, John waved his hand towards the dumbfounded crowd and in kissed those audiences like a real trickster. He then turned his gaze towards the handcuffed officer and greeted him with a grin. "Hello, Mr. Shadower." [100 Exp rewarded for finding the informer!] John''s grin widened as he saw the notification and nodded pleasantly. He was suspicious of Noah as he saw him at Life Church entrance. "H-How?!- What nonsense are you spouting?" Noah flustered for a second and then argued angrily. "Hehe, stubborn, aren''t you?" John chuckled and then walked near to Noah. Meanwhile, Ethan Walker frowned a little and was about to intervene but stopped. At that moment, he heard a familiar voice in his head. ''Telepathy?'' His eyes swept past therge crowd and soonnded on the white-robed elderly man. The next instant, a surprise shed on his face. ''Bishop Reynolds, why are you stopping me?'' He asked coldly in his mind. ''Don''t intervene. Watch the good show, Ethan.'' Reynolds replied calmly and turned his attention towards John. Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of citizens, John gripped Noah''s cor and dragged him towards the front. He then yanked his knee and made him kneel on the execution tform. After that, he unsheathed Noah''s long sword from his waist and ced it above Noah''s nape. At that moment, everyone who stood near John felt a chilling sensation. Even Ethan was startled by John''s bloodlust and became surprised. ''A killer! Only a guy who killed hundreds of peoples would give this type of aura.'' He was astonished. "Are you the one who peeked at my house during the assassination?" John asked in an icy voice. Meanwhile, Noah got frightened by the sudden change and then looked at the City Lord for help. But to his worst luck, the City Lord stood there watching his reaction with an indifferent gaze. ''What the hell?!'' Noah went pale as he saw the City Lord''s reaction and shouted in a hurry. "W-Wait! I''m not your enemy. I''m just an informer!" John was pleased by his response and continued to ask. "Who is your employer, then?" Upon hearing John''s question, Noah trembled all over and replied while gritting his teeth. "I don''t know his name. But he is from the royal capital. He might be one of the Royal Mages." Noah''s words surprised him. ''A mage, huh? Troublesome, indeed.'' He clicked his tongue while raising his hand upward and shed the long sword at Noah''s neck. Before others could blink their eyes, the long sword left a trail of blurring images and cut Noah''s head neatly! Noah''s head detached from the body and rolled on the execution tform with wide opened green eyes while spraying scarlet blood everywhere. [Target Eliminated! 21 Battle Exp Obtained!] Even Ethan became shocked by John''s decisiveness and then gripped his broadsword in anger. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of citizens screamed in shock! Nobody, including Bishop Reynolds, expected John''s decisiveness and became stunned. "WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?" Ethan pointed his broadsword at him and bellowed in anger. Wiping the scarlet blood from his face, John turned his cold gaze towards Ethan and asked in a deep tone, "Mr. Ethan Walker, I will ask you a single question. Answer me properly. Is your city safer for amoner to stay?" "YOU! ARROGANT BRAT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?! YOU, A FILTHY COMMONER, DARE TO CALL ME, A DIGNIFIED NOBLE, WITHOUT ANY RESPECT? ATROCIOUS! I SHALL EXECUTE YOU AND CLEAN THIS ARROGANT BEHAVIOR WITH YOUR OWN BLOOD!" Ethan bellowed violently and sprinted towards John at a fast speed! ''Wow, this guy sure is from a noble family. Well, I should use this as an opportunity and get something.'' John let out a chuckle and snapped his finger. A heartbeatter, two scorching crimson wings appeared behind him, sending heat waves in every direction. John felt those fire wings were like his own and pped forcefully with his thoughts. Before Evans''s broadsword could pierce through his body, he flew up in the sky and looked down at everyone with cold eyes. ''It''s time for acting.'' The corner of his lips went upward. For a second, nobody moved an inch! Even Ethan became shocked by the sudden change of scene and became unsettled. Although he was a dignified noble, his title wasn''t worthy in front of an apprentice mage''s title. If kingdom Royalty or Sun Church found out about this incident, it would be too troublesome for him. He would even be an enemy of the Sun Church in the future. Fire Mages were Sun Church''s pirs and precious treasures! "Now, I will ask you once again, Ethan Walker. Is your city safe for amoner to stay?" Hearing the domineering voice from the sky, Ethan narrowed his eyes and nodded. "My city is safer." "Is that so? But my mom and I were kidnapped two days ago in this same Riverdale city. Before the kidnapping incident, my mom even asked your security office for protection. But not only your irresponsibleckeys denied her request; they even called her delusional. Because of yourckeys'' ignorance, my mother is still lying bedridden in the Life Church. If not for our Honorable Bishop Reynolds''s precious ''1000 gold coin Life Potion'', I would have lost my mother today." Hearing his words, Bishop Reynolds almost coughed up a mouthful of blood! ''500! I gave that potion for only 500 gold coins! Why did you double it?! F*ck! I can''t even refute now. Over! My reputation is all over!'' He red at the damned Charles and sighed heavily. Simultaneously, Bishop Reynolds felt res from every direction and became flustered. Meanwhile, John looked at Ethan with a void of emotions and spoke indifferently, "But the show didn''t end there. When I went back to my home to get the money, some sneaky ck-cloaked assassins entered my house and tried to assassinate me. To defend this poor me from being kidnapped again, I have no choice but to kill those assassins. I acted out of self-defense. But your security officer yanked me in front of the Life Church entrance and humiliated me! He arrested me, an innocent citizen, for killing a bunch of assassins. And you, a dignified Noble, agreed to his suggestion to execute me and organized an execution ceremony like a dumb fool. Pathetic." His cold voice echoed through the whole city while he had an amplifier. Even John became surprised by his own speech and went with a flow. The whole tform went dead silent! After a whole minute of silence, Ethan looked up at the crimson winged human and asked coldly, "What do you want?" A cunning smile appeared on John''s face. "Because of your men''s fault, I lost 1,000 Gold coins. So, you have topensate me. I''m a noble and forgiving person. You guys put me in jail and were about to execute me. If I was a normal ssless man, I would be lying there instead of Noah. You guys ruined my dazzling, handsome fac-" "What do you want?" With a gloomy look on his face, Ethan red at John and asked impatiently. "I want information." John pped his wings slowly as hended on the execution tform and spoke in a solemn tone, "I want information about past histories, important ces, important artifacts, and other important incidents." ''Although most of them would bemon knowledge, it should be enough for me to understand more about this world. If I ask this guy in secret, there is no way he would agree to it. I wouldn''t be surprised if he tries to kill me. But now, he has to think twice¡­ Nobles cares for reputation and honor after all. So, I will be safe for the next few days. That is more than enough for me.'' He thought inwardly. Chapter 9: Edhen World Chapter 9: Edhen World Ethan Walker stood silently on the Execution tform for a while and then nodded, "I willpensate for your loss, Charles Miller. You can go to Riverdale''s Amber Bank and get 1,000 gold coins tomorrow. As for the other request, you can use this." Ethan took out a red badge, threw it towards John, and then added, "This is the City Lord''s Token. With this, you will be able to enter Riverdale''s Wisdom Library and read all the books. There are over 200,000 books stored in the Wisdom Library. With this token, you can read all you want for the next six months." Once he said those words, he turned around and stepped down from the execution tform. After that, he red at Bishop Reynolds and then walked away from City Square. Meanwhile, Bishop Reynolds let out a bitterugh andmented, "He outsmarted me." Without minding the citizens'' suspicious gazes, he went towards the dark alley and disappeared. In the meantime, John nced at the massive crowd from the execution tform and let out a sigh of relief. ''I already offended the City Lord. But I don''t have any other choice.'' He was well aware of City Lord''s strength. Ethan Walker, a Rank 3 Expert Swordsman. With his measly apprentice mage power, he would be squashed to death in a few seconds. If Bishop didn''t intervene earlier, John knew that he would be beaten brutally in front of therge crowd. ''My name is already spoiled. It would be a little difficult for us to live in this city. Even though I proved that I''m an innocent bystander, most citizens would never believe my words. In these citizens'' eyes, I''m nothing but a ruthless serial killer. It seems I have to keep a low profile for a while.'' He sighed heavily. After that, he nced around and then stepped down from the execution tform. Riverdale citizens also dispersed after City Lord''s speech and went on their way. John didn''t stay near the execution tform and went towards Ivy Street, where Life Church was located. After a few minutes of walking, he arrived in front of the dome-shaped building and walked in through the Narthex. "It''s good to see you again, Charles." A silver-haired guy held a spear in his right hand and greeted with a smile as John walked past him. "Hello, Mr. Hunt." John greeted him with a nod and then walked forward towards the Nave. He walked on the smooth aisle and soon arrived in front of the Goddess of Life, Nira''s statue. Gasps and whispers could be heard from behind, but he didn''t even nce at those citizens. Instead, he looked into Goddess Nira''s beautiful blue eyes and smiled lightly. He then bent his waist a bit and bowed towards the beautiful statue. After that, he recited a usual short incantation and moved towards the front pew. It was Charles''s regr habit. Although John felt little difort when praying to an unknown Goddess, he didn''t put much thought into it. Casting those useless thoughts away, he sat on the front pew and waited with closed eyes. Countless memories of John Browning and Charles''s remnant memories appeared in front of his eyes. ''How did I transmigrate into this magical world? No! This world has a name. It''s called Edhen. A world filled with magical and mysterious powers. Can I even able to go back to Earth? Even if I did go back, who is there for me?'' He heaved a heavy sigh and began to think deeply about his future. ''First, I need to ept Charles''s identity. Then, I will think of a suitable job for me. Assassin? Nah, I don''t want to be an assassin in this life. If I choose to walk on the dark path, I will be hunted down by the 13 Lawful Churches.'' He frowned upon thinking about those churches. ''These 13 Churches are the main pirs of this world. No, there were only 12 Churches a few centuries ago. But a new God was born in this Edhen. He is the mysterious Sun God whose real name is still shrouded in mystery. After his ascension, he killed three Chaotic foreign Gods during the nar Invasion and forced five foreign Gods out of the. After that, he proposed a mutual alliance between Lawful Gods of Edhen and Maintained the Peace of this world till now.'' After reading the information from Charles''s memory, John was amazed by the mysterious Sun God. ''Well, he didn''t seem to be a bad guy. Moreover, he is biased towards Fire mages. It must have something to do with his title, Sun God.'' He nodded in his mind. ''After thest nar Invasion, all the 13 Churches became wary against the foreign Gods. Hmm, I don''t want to be on their bad side. I also don''t want to go and kill citizens randomly for getting Experience points. But if I want to increase my strength, I need some powerful backer.'' When thinking about the unknown future, John got a headache. No, Charles got a headache. ''I will think about itter.'' Charles shook his head and sat silently for five minutes. After that, he stood up and went towards the left transept. A few nuns and one blue-robed priestess sat on the stools on the corner and appeared chattering. Charles looked around and soon noticed a deep-blue-haired woman with olive skin wasid on the wooden bench around the corner. He went near her and then checked her pulse rate while looking at the Clock watch ced on the opposite wall. ''62.'' He nodded his head and sat on the wooden stool ced next to the wooden bench. ''Mother, huh. What a strange fate.'' He looked at the slightly wrinkled woman''s face for a second and then breathed out a heavy sigh. He then stayed near her for two hours and then walked out of the Life Church silently. ¡­ A few minutester, Charles arrived in front of a small two-storied building at Gold Street and entered. It was Riverdale City''s Amber bank. He then directly went to the reception counter and informed about his visit to the bank officer. The bank officer was a ck-haired male employee with big eyes. He wore a white shirt, red tie, ck pants, and formal ck shoes. "You are the Serial Killer?" A secondter, the bank officer''s attitude turned colder. A cold glint appeared in Charles''s eyes as he heard the bank officer''s question. But he didn''t dare to act arrogantly. Instead, he nodded his head and remained silent. After checking a few documents, the bank officer told him to wait in the reception hall and then went to the second floor through a spiral staircase. Charles nodded his head and then waited patiently in the reception hall. Thirty minutester, the same officer returned from the second floor and asked him to follow him. Without any other choice, Charles stood up and then followed after the bank officer. Both went to the second floor through the same spiral staircase and soon arrived in front of arge wooden door. Next to the wooden door was a lean woman''s portrait drawn on it. The woman in the portrait wore a golden tunic dress and appeared more like an empress. But what caught Charles''s attention was the crown on her head. Unlike the other crowns, this crown appeared to be made of a red gem, and it looked gorgeous. "It seems Riverdale City''s Serial Killer didn''t recognize Lady Myer''s portrait." A cold female voice came from the other side, causing Charles''s lips to twitch. ''Bank Manager? Did she have an ability to see through objects?'' "The door is open." She added from the other side. Charles nodded his head as he pushed the door open and walked in. It was a 12x18 ft room. A decorated work table was ced on the left side, two sofas ced in the center, and a small chandelier was hung on the ceiling, illuminating the room with yellow light. A slim young woman in a red peplum dress was seated on one of the sofas and appeared to be in the middle of reading a golden-covered book. She had long silvery hair, a pear-shaped body, a pale face, oceanic eyes, and a hawk nose. After two seconds, she closed the book and turned her attention to Charles. She then stared at him for few seconds while crossing her long smooth legs and smiled lightly. "I''m Be Collins, Riverdale''s Amber Bank manager." Charles got confused inside by her smile, but he showed no expression and responded calmly. "I''m Charles Miller, a Riverdale Citizen, Ma''am." Hearing his words, Be Collins narrowed her eyes for a moment and then said while pointing her finger towards the opposite sofa, "Please have a seat." Charles nodded and then satfortably on it. Both didn''t speak for a while and maintained a long silence. While in silence, Charles first cast the [Inspect] skill on her. [Inspect (40) skill has been used¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect Failed!] ''She is a Mystic.'' He mumbled inwardly. Mystic was the term yers and normal NPCs used to call the ranked NPCs. "What do you want from me, Ma''am?" John stared into her pure silvery eyes and asked after a minute of silence. Be pressed her plump red lips together and gave him a bunch of documents. "We are sorry for doing this. But we don''t have the power to oppose the order from the higher-ups." She added. Charles narrowed his deep-blue eyes and began to read the bundle of documents one by one. ''If I want to get the 1000 gold coins from Amber Bank, I need to sign all these documents. But the documents-'' As Charles skimmed through the documents, his lips started to twitch uncontrobly. ''Once I put my sign in all these documents, it will be like cutting my ties with the Riverdale''s Amber Bank. I will be on their cklist forever.'' If there were other banks like Amber Bank, Charles would have signed it willingly. ''But, there is only one bank in Riverdale. Moreover, this bank belongs to Amber Church. If I sign this contract, it will be like offending Goddess of Wealth, Zephine.'' A grim expression appeared on Charles''s face. ''The enemy is nning to iste me.'' He quickly saw through the enemy''s n and coldly snorted inside. He could tell that someone was pulling strings from behind the scenes. ''And the one who is pulling the string might not be Ethan Walker.'' He frowned. ''Whoever is pulling strings, he must be the same level as Ethan Walker. And the only person who came to my mind in this Riverdale City is Bishop Reynolds. But why is he doing this? Is this way of him expressing his anger?'' The frown on his forehead deepened. He leaned back on the soft sofa and closed his eyes. ''Ethan Walker? Or Bishop Reynolds?¡­ Or, is there another hidden enemy aiming for my head? Nightwind Family? Nah, I don''t think so. If they had nned on scheming, they would have sent a Rank-2 assassin or above to kill us earlier. Martin is the one who is after my head, not the entire Nightwind family. The only one who remained is the mysterious informer. Tsk, I need to find out what is hidden in our house sooner.'' ''Does the enemy thinks that I won''t dare to offend a Goddess?'' He curled his lips upward and opened his cold deep-blue eyes. He then took the quill pen and ink bottle from Be Collins and started signing those documents one by one. "A-Are you sure about your decision? Your current action will be considered as offending the whole Amber Church. No, it will be like you are offending Our Divine Lady!" Be stared at John in confusion for a second, and then she warned. Her earlierposed expression was nowhere to be seen. Her face was filled with anxiety and confusion. She didn''t even consider that a randommoner boy would be willing to offend the Goddess of Wealth. Charles didn''t stop his hand movement as he heard her words and signed those documents one by one. After 30 seconds, he finished signing thest document and stopped the quill pen. He then gave the document bundles; quill pen, and ink bottle to Be Collins and replied calmly, "You gave the choices, and I chose the best one." A deep sigh leaked out of Be Collins''s mouth as she stared at Charles in puzzlement. She then shook her head and passed ten golden cards to Charles. "Each card has 100 gold coins credited to it. You can directly withdraw it in any Lawful Church." Charles took the cards from Be''s hand and stood up from his seat. He then moved to the wooden door and added, "You will regret your foolish decision." After that, he closed the wooden door and walked out of the Amber Bank. Meanwhile, Be Collins stared at the wooden door with a stunned expression on her face and then asked, "Did you expect this oue, Lucas?" A heartbeatter, her own shadow moved and soon formed into a ck-hooded figure. Lucas''s face wasplete covered in a ck mask with an eye-symbol on it, and he appeared more like a skilled assassin. "I didn''t, My Lady. But he is a foolish one. He didn''t seem to know that offending the ''Divine One'' means offending the ''Wealth'' itself. Although I respect his courageous act, he is still the foolish one. Without wealth, he will die of starvation one day." Lucas said while shaking his hooded head. "He is a foolish one, huh. From his perspective, we seem to be made a foolish decision." Be said with a frown and then asked after a short pause. "Did you find out any news about A-035?" "No, My Lady. But I got an interesting clue when searching about it. And it coincidentally rted to this kid, Charles Miller." Upon hearing Lucas''s words, Be''s silvery eyes widened. "Exin to me in detail." "A-035 has some rtionship with the first owner of 45 El Street. And the current owner of this house is Eve Miller." Be''s expression froze for a moment, and soon she asked another question. "Who is the first owner?" "Eddie Nightwind. He is the founder of the Nightwind family and also a legendary powerhouse. On August 8th of the year 5280, he gave the A-035 to Lady Myers and went to look for the Myth Tree in the Endless Ocean. But till now, we never heard any news about him." Lucas said in a solemn tone. "He also went to Endless Ocean, huh." Be let out a deep sigh and added, "Keep an eye on Charles Miller. We need to re-check the information about A-035. If the information we got from the ''ck'' is right, then the A-035 will appear in this Riverdale city. It might find a suitable host to escape from our grasp. Before that, we have to capture it. Those Series artifacts are always troublesome bunches." Once she finished her words, Be opened the golden book and started reading. Meanwhile, Lucas nodded his head and then turned into clouds of ck smoke. ¡­ Chapter 10: Wisdom Library Chapter 10: Wisdom Library It was around 10 A.M. After walking out of Riverdale''s Amber bank, Charles didn''t stop anywhere and went towards Ivy Street. Riverdale City was filled with life. Shouts of shopkeepers, chattering noise of vendees, creaking noises of carriages, and the horses'' neigh sound entered in Charles''s ears as he moved towards Ivy Street. A few minutester, he walked into the Light Church and then saw Bishop Reynolds was standing in front of Goddess''s statue. He also walked in front of the Goddess''s statue and recited the usual prayer. After that, he turned his gaze towards Bishop Reynolds, standing silently near the Goddess''s statue, and said slowly. "Father, I got the money to pay the debt." Bishop Reynolds''s eyes widened as he heard his words. "You agreed to that request!?" He turned his face in shock and asked in disbelief. "Do I even have a choice?" Charles shifted his gaze into the Goddess''s beautiful blue eyes and refuted. "You had another choice. If you have chosen the other choice, you wouldn''t have offended the ''Divine One of Wealth.''" Bishop Reynolds red at him and said coldly. Charles didn''t mind his re, though. He looked up at the high-ceiling and muttered like a real Charles, "If I agreed, I would have lost my house and thend. Moreover, I would have disappointed my mother, Eve Nightwind." "FOOLISHNESS! What would you gain-!?" "He did the right thing." A cold voice interrupted Bishop Reynolds''s talking. Both Charles and Bishop Reynolds turned their heads in unison and saw a long deep-blue-haired woman was standing on their left side. She had wide-set blue eyes, a celestial nose, olive skin, and short eyebrows. She wore a standard gray robe and looked around 35 to 40 years old. "Mother!" Charles turned his face into a surprised one and called out in excitement. With light footsteps, Eve Nightwind walked towards Charles and gave him a big hug. "You have changed, Charles." She whispered in his ears. ''Did she found out about me?'' Charles''s heart skipped a beat. But he turned his face solemnly and responded like a responsible kid. "I''m your son, Mom." Eve''s smile widened as she released him and patted his shoulder. "You did an excellent job. But I need to have a long talk with you about the ''Serial Killer'' incidentter." Saying so, she turned her face colder and then shifted her gaze towards Bishop Reynolds. "I heard about your schemes, Bishop Reynolds." Her tone was cold as chilling ice. "You are after something. Although I don''t know what you are after, I can tell that material will bring great danger to this city." She said as she was peeking at Bishop''s future. "Should I take that as advice from the Predictor?" Bishop Reynolds stared back into Eve''s eyes and asked coldly. A heavy sigh escaped from Eve''s mouth as she saw Bishop Reynolds''s attitude and shook her head. "All I can give you is a warning. Whether you listen to it or not, it''s your choice." Eve muttered as she turned her gaze towards Charles and added, "Son, we must pay the debt first." Letting out a relieved sigh, Charles took out the five golden cards and gave them to Bishop Reynolds. "I failed." Muttering in a displeased tone, Bishop grabbed the five golden cards and then made a strange incantation. A secondter, the signed contract scroll appeared in front of them and then turned into powders. Both Eve and Charles didn''t stay inside the Life Church and returned to 45 El Street. While walking, Charles began to exin everything in detail while adding few extra bits to Eve. He told her that he got ''Trickster'' and ''Apprentice Fire Mage'' ss-Gems in the underground prison hall and made a fake story. "That''s what happened, huh. But what''s your sub-ss again?" As they arrived in front of 45 El Streetpound gate, Eve stared at him in confusion and asked. "Trickster." Charles felt something was amiss and replied after a short pause. "Trickster¡­Trickster¡­I never heard of a ss-Gem called ''Trickster'' in my life. No, there is no ''Trickster'' ss-Gem in the history records." Eve opened the ironpound gate while muttering and soon shook her head. ''Never heard of the ''Trickster'' ss? Tsk, too troublesome. From the looks of it, the ''Game-System'' deliberately used the ss selection order and manipted me to pick up the ''Trickster'' Sub-ss. But what if I chose the ''Trickster'' ss as the Main ss?¡­ Well, I have no power to change anything now. Moreover, the ''Game-System'' appears to be helping me, so I don''t think I have to worry about it for now.'' He fell into deep thoughts. ''Even sses'' names are different whenparing with ''Mystic World'' game. I need to gather more information first.'' "Don''t overthink about it. So, what skill did you get from your father through the ''Inheritance Gift''?" Eve walked on the grassy yard while waving her hand and asked. "I got the [Inspect] skill, mom. Is it something special?" Charles turned his face like a curious kid as he followed after her footsteps and asked. "Special? It''s a legendary Wisdom skill, Charles. Unlike [True Eyes] skill, learning this skill through training is impossible. You can only get this skill through ''Inheritance Gift,'' or you can get it by bing the ''Blessed ones'' of the Goddess of Wisdom. [Inspect] skill is an upgraded version of [True Eyes] skill. With this, you will find out other''s original name, affiliation, race, and even about hidden skills." Eve said solemnly and then stopped as she opened the house entrance gate. The next instant, a rotten smell assaulted their noses and caused them to take a step back. A secondter, Eve covered her mouth and puked at the entrance. Charles also covered his mouth and groaned in displeasure. Although the security guards removed the assassins'' bodies, they didn''t clean the house at all. Blood trails appeared all over the areas, and the whole reception hall looked more like a rotten house. After ring at Charles, Eve dragged him to the nearby shop to buy detergents and then started cleaning their two-storied house. It took two days for them to clean the house thoroughly. After they did the cleaning, they brought white paint and painted the house. For the next few days, the mom and son duo spent their time in their house and made it anew. Charles also acted more like the ''real'' one andpletely reced the ''real'' Charles''s ce. When they were having dinner on a particr day, Charles brought up the matter about ''True Lords'' and asked Eve Nightwind. "Who are these ''True Lords''?" "Why are you asking coldly? Ha, I will tell you. The ''True Lords'' is a business organization, and the current Nightwind family leader is a member of the ''True Lords'' organization. The ''True Lords'' assassinated Harry because they found out about his position in the Wisdom Church. Moreover, Harry seems to have found out something through [Inspect] skill, but ended up getting assassinated." "When I returned to our house from the market, I saw his body lying on the cold floor. Before I could understand the situation, security guards stormed into our house and arrested me for putting poison in Harry''s food. Later, I escaped from prison with your grandfather''s help and took you from my mother''s home. I knew they woulde after your head, so we both left the Ember Kingdom, leaving no trace behind." She said while taking a bite of grilled steak. She also added that Martin must have acted alone to gain favor from Nightwind''s family head and not to worry about them for now. But Charles knew that the beaten wolf would never back down. Charles took a sip of the red wine and asked while raising his left eyebrow, "But why did you choose Riverdale City to hide, mom? Is there something special about this city? Or is there something special about this house?" Eve swallowed the grilled steak and replied with a smile, "I felt some familiarity when I came here to buy this house. I also used the [Intuition] skill and then found out this house has some rtion with the Nightwind family. After checking deeply, I found out that the first owner of this house and 23-hectarend was Eddie Nightwind. I then realized that it must be the power of ''Fate'' which brought me to this city.''" Charles felt a chill went up to his spines upon hearing Eve''s words. ''This is not a coincidence! Oh, the poor mother of Charles, didn''t you feel something was off upon seeing the information about Eddie Nightwind?'' Charles looked at the innocent face of Eve Nightwind and sighed heavily. ''Someone must have suggested her to go to Riverdale City. Then, aren''t we under someone''s surveince this whole time?'' A grim expression appeared on Charles''s face. Seeing his serious face, Eve made a fake cough and added, "You are overthinking nowadays. Eat first." Charles heaved a heavy sigh as he nodded and then picked up the roasted meat using a fork. ¡­ June 12th, Year 6396, Second Arcane Era. It was around 8 A.M, Charles walked out of 45 El Street and went to Riverdale''s City Library while thinking deeply. ''What is she going to do with 500 gold coins?'' Last night, Eve came to his room and asked him to lend her 500 gold coins. At first, Charles didn''t put much thought into her request and gave her those five golden cards. But now, he suddenly felt curious. ''Hmm, she seems to be already aware of our current situation. But why did she always look so calm?¡­ She acted as if everything was under her control!'' Charles''s deep-blue eyes widened. He suddenly thought of Eve''s Main ss. ''She is an Astrologist. She has more than 15 years of experience in Astrology, and she can Rank Up at any time. But she didn''t have arge sum of money to buy the corresponding ss-Gem.'' Charles halted his footstep as he saw through her n. ''She is going to buy Astrologer''s corresponding ss-Gem!'' ''Hmm, that exins her calm attitude. Her [Intuition] skill itself is a powerful one. Wait a minute¡­ Isn''t the [Intuition] skill almost looks simr to [Sixth Sense] skill?'' Charles narrowed his eyes. ''The ''Trickster'' Sub-ss appears to be a good ss.'' He nodded inwardly and then continued his walking. After a few minutes of walking, he made a turn and reached Elm Street. It was where Riverdale''s Wisdom Library was located! He looked around and soon smiled as his sightnded on the four-storied building. After a few seconds of walking, he arrived in front of the building and then entered. Simultaneously, Charles took out his ''City Lord''s Token'' and showed it to the blonde-haired male librarian. After seeing the token, the male librarian nodded his head and then gave a short exnation about the library. Wisdom Library was divided into multiple sections. There were history-rted books, science books, ss-rted books, and war-rted books ced in order on the first and second floors. As for the third floor, most books stored on the third floor were about magic-rted books and religion-rted books. Only Church members and Nobles were allowed to read those books. As for the fourth floor, Charles heard it from the male receptionist that the whole fourth floor was filled with books rted to thest nar War, artifacts'' information books, and extraordinary incident books. With the City Lord''s token, Charles would be able to read all the books! Charles first went to the ss rted books and searched for information about ''Trickster'' ss Gem. He skimmed through the ss-rted books in five hours and sighed in disappointment. ''There was no information about the ''Trickster'' ss Gem. But-'' He curled his lips upward and held another book in his hand. It was the Astrologer ss book! He read the book for the next three hours and smiled as he looked at thest page. ''Astrologer''s corresponding ss is Prognosticator.'' ''Unlike Astrologers who could only make a vague guess about the fate of a person, Prognosticators will be able to see a string of person''s fate!'' Charles''s eyes widened. ''Is that even possible!?'' He sat in front of the reading bench for a whole minute and soon calmed down. Although he learned basics from Charles''s remnant memories, he was still clueless about the magical Edhen World. ''Everything is possible in this magical world.'' His jade eyes shone in excitement. ''What ability will I get in the future for the ''Trickster'' Sub-ss?'' He suppressed his excitement and began to read more about other unique sses. Although there were only Rank 1 ss books stored in the Wisdom Library, he was still shocked by various unique skills. After that, he ced those books in the right sections and then walked out of the Wisdom Library around 7 P.M. Chapter 11: Withering Shadows Chapter 11: Withering Shadows Charles nced up at those three ominous-looking red moons and then went towards El Street. After a few minutes of walking, he reached 45 El Street and was surprised upon seeing a new, unfamiliar guest in the reception room. ''A woman?'' He narrowed his eyes as he walked and then looked at the woman, who sat on the ornate sofa. Upon hearing his footsteps sound, the woman also turned her head around and peeked at the visitor in curiosity. She had monolid hazel eyes, barely visible eyebrows, a duchess nose, fair skin, wiry blonde hair, and an upper lip with sharp philtrum. She looked around 25 years old and wore a V-neck white shirt and tight ck skirt. "Charles, how is the day?" A slightly wrinkleddy with deep-blue hair stuck her head out from the kitchen and asked with a smile, "It''s good, mom." Charles waved his hand and then gave a clueless look at the blonde-haired woman. "She is my colleague, Saron White. Due to her family circumstances, she will be staying with us from now on." Eve said with a smile and then went inside the kitchen. Meanwhile, Charles greeted Saron with a smile and used [Inspect] skill on her. [Inspect skill has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect Failed!] ¡­ Charles wasn''t surprised by the oue. He had expected this and silently went to the second floor through the spiral staircase. After that, he moved towards his bedroom and locked it from inside. ''She is also a Mystic. Hmm, Eve seems to be nning to keep her son in the dark. But it''s a bad choice.'' Charles shook his head while picking up a white towel and went to the shower. After 20 minutes, he exited the shower and changed his cloth into a Nightgown. "Charles,e to the dining hall. It''s dinner time." A loud sound came from downstairs, causing Charles to sigh heavily. He walked out of his bedroom and then went downstairs. In the dining hall, he saw Eve and Saron sat in their seats and appeared to be waiting for him. He sat on the opposite chair and ced the napkin on hisp. On the dining table, various dishes like meatloaves and mashed potatoes, fried chickens, roasted chicken, crab cakes, and three cups of potato soups were ced in order. Once Charles sat on his seat, Eve Nightwind stood up and started serving the food one by one. After serving, she went back to her seat and then pped her hand together to pray. Charles and Saron also followed her action and then recited a short chant. They then picked the fork and spoon and started eating. Charles precisely cut the roasted chicken into four small pieces and put one in his mouth. After that, he looked at Eve and said with a smile. "Congrattions on your Rank Up, mom." Eve''s eyes widened as she heard her son''sment and asked in surprise. "How did you find out?" "I guessed." Charles lied without even flinching and then turned his gaze towards Saron. He then looked into Saron''s hazel eyes and asked. "She is a mystic, isn''t she?" Both Eve and Saron stopped their hand movements and looked at each other in confusion. A secondter, Eve curled her lips up and muttered with a smile. "I forget about your inheritance gift. You used [Inspect] skill on us, didn''t you?" Charles nodded his head and probed further. "Why is she here? I want the real answer." His tone and his face were dead serious. "Should I feel happy? Or feel sad that you have changed." Eve ced the fork on her te and muttered in a bitter tone. She then closed her deep blue eyes for a second and then spoke, "She is here to protect you, my son. Although I have the power to see through one''s fate, I''m nothing but a powerless mother." Eve opened her eyes and then added while ncing at Saron, "She is the Priestess of the Wisdom Church, and I employed her to protect us for the next three months." ''Priestess¡­It is the corresponding Job of ''Clerk.'' She must be a Rank 2 Mystic from the Wisdom Church.'' Charles nodded his head in enlightenment. Meanwhile, Saron White turned her gaze towards the opened window and frowned. Charles and Eve also noticed her odd behavior and followed after her gaze. Charles activated [Dark Vision] and peeked into the dark yard. A blurry humanoid shadow appeared in his sight! The humanoid shadow seemed to be writing something on thepound wall and soon turned around as it noticed Charles''s gaze. A secondter, the ck shadow began to distort and then disappeared from his eyes! ''What was that?!'' Charles was stunned by the shadow intruder''s action and then turned his gaze towards Saron White. "A while ago, I sensed a presence nearby," Saron muttered with a frown and stood up from her seat. Charles and Eve also followed her action, and the trio went out of their house. After a minute, they arrived in front of the oppositepound wall and became puzzled. On thepound wall, there were only two words written on it. Charles moved the fire torch closer towards the wall and soon widened his eyes. He saw two words that looked familiar yet unfamiliar. He hurriedly searched Charles''s memories and quickly found out the answer. It was written in Laka Language! It was an oldnguage that had dated back to the First Arcane Age. ''Laka is one of the ssicalnguages surviving till today. Laka inscriptions from 2000 FAE have been found, and thenguage is believed to be more than 9,000 years old! This ''Lakanguage'' is currently the officialnguage of 2 Kingdoms: Herath and Moon Kingdom. Moreover, the Lakanguage is also recognized as a minoritynguage in the Northern Ember Kingdom and parts of Arc Kingdom.'' He shuffled through the information and began to read. "Holem''s Crown? What does that mean?" Charles asked out loud. Upon hearing his question, Eve and Saron looked at each other and shook their heads. After that, Eve touched one word and closed her eyes. She then made some strange hand gestures and spoke, "Reveal." A secondter, webs of dark strings appeared in her mind, and soon her vision zoomed into a single string. The single string then twisted into a void-like ss and revealed a reddish crown in her mind. The next instant, she opened her eyes and said in confusion. "I saw a Red Crown. And, that''s it." Eve''s reply gave no clue to Charles at all. "Is that a Ranked Artifact?" Saron looked at Eve and asked. "Possible. We should send the report to the higher-ups of Wisdom Church and ask them about the ''Holem''s Crown.''" Eve suggested. "Don''t." Charles looked up at those three ominous red moons and shook his head. "The other party wants us to do the same thing. If we search for clues about the ''Holem''s Crown,'' it will be like we are dancing on the other party''s palm." "Indeed, you are right." Eve looked into her son''s eyes in surprise and nodded. "It might not be something serious. Although the ''Intruder'' appears suspicious, he seems to be providing us some clue. I heard from Lady Eve that someone leaked information about you guys to your family. So, what if this ''Intruder'' is trying to help you guys?" Saron interjected. ''Possible.'' Charles narrowed his eyes and then fell into deep thoughts. ''But why didn''t hee to meet us directly? Is he afraid of the other party? Or, the one who drew these words is the ''real Informer'' himself? If so, what is his aim?'' Charles heaved a heavy sigh and spoke, "I still don''t agree with your suggestion. We shouldy low for a while and then see what happens next." ''Meanwhile, I will also find a way to increase my strength.'' He muttered inwardly. The trio discussed the mysterious intruder''s intention for a while and then went inside. They continued their dinner and then went to their rooms. Once Charles entered his bedroom, he locked it from the inside andid on the soft bed. After staring at the white ceiling for a few minutes, he closed his eyes and then fell into a deep sleep. A whispering sound of the cold wind echoed inside the bedroom, causing his closed eyes to twitch. Charles got confused as he noticed a strange condition. He could think clearly but couldn''t speak or move his muscle. He tried to walk up many times, but he felt some invisible power shackled his body! "I''m the Crown!" He heard a devil-like whisper from his right side! It was a male''s voice! ''Magic?'' He tried to ask questions but ended up failing miserably. "Find me." This time, the whisper came from his left side and soon went silent. Charlesid on the bed for another five minutes motionlessly and then regained control over his body. He sat up with a tensed face and nced at the surroundings warily. ''What the hell was that?! Is it even possible for an artifact to control humans like a puppet?!'' Charles was beyond shocked and began to think deeply. ''That Holem''s Crown seems to be looking for me. But why it has to be me? Is it even possible for an artifact to gain intelligence?¡­ I need more information.'' Charles took a deep breath and then calmed his mind. ''I will go to the Fourth Section tomorrow and search for more information about artifacts.'' He nodded his head and thenid on the bed again. ¡­ The next day, Charles woke up earlier than usual and walked out of 45 El Street after having breakfast. Unlike yesterday, there was another person who apanied him, causing him to grunt in dissatisfaction. Yesterday, his current mother, Eve, told Saron to act as Charles''s bodyguard and protect him. Although Charles attempt to oppose her decision, his attempt went futile as usual. He walked across many shops and houses and soon reached Olive Street. Unlike yesterday, the library was filled with many peoples, giving a unique atmosphere to the library. Charles didn''t even nce at those peoples and went to the fourth floor through a spiral staircase. Meanwhile, Saron stayed in the reception hall and waited for Charles''s return like a loyal bodyguard. After walking through the spiral staircase, Charles arrived at the gloomy section and searched for books about artifacts. He first chose a book called ''Ranked Artifacts'' and started reading. Ranked Artifacts were divided into four types. The first type was Rank 1 artifacts or ''Common Artifacts.'' These ''Common Artifacts'' were usually found inmon markets, and some of them were used regrly. Those Magic candles woulde under this section. The second type was Rank 2 Artifacts or ''Umon Artifacts.'' These ''Umon Artifacts'' were hard to find, and only wealthy people would have the money to buy these items. ''Hmm, themunication ring woulde under this section.'' He nodded in enlightenment. The third type was Rank 3 artifacts or ''Rare Artifacts.'' As the name suggests, these artifacts were very hard to find among ordinary citizens. The fourth type was Rank 4 artifacts or ''Extraordinary Artifacts.'' Extraordinary Artifacts were powerful artifacts and would be found only in the Kingdom''s treasury or some Nobles'' treasure. Charles read the book patiently for two hours and closed it. ''Hmm, there is no mentioning of any intelligent artifact in this book.'' He shook his head and started reading other artifact books. After staying there for the next few hours, Charles went downstairs and returned to his home with Saron. ¡­ Two weeks passed in a blink of an eye. During those two weeks, Charles read hundreds of books about artifacts and finally discovered a clue about intelligent artifacts. Although he didn''t get much information about those living artifacts, he learned a little. Those living artifacts were called ''Series Artifacts.'' Only the Thirteen Lawful Churches and other Four Chaotic Churches possessed those items. Those items were kept in much secretive. That''s all he learned about those ''Series Artifacts.'' He also learned about the Churches'' secretive organizations and then thought of joining one of them. Today, he didn''t go to the Library; instead, he locked himself inside his bedroom and started writing something on white paper using a golden quill pen. The Golden Quill pen was the only gift Charles got from his grandparents. He sat on a wooden chair and looked at the white paper in contemtion. ''In this bunch of organizations, only Withering Shadows and Silver Servants have branch offices in Riverdale City. Withering Shadows belongs to Life Church while Silver Servants belongs to Amber Church. Silver Servants Organization is not a good option because I already ''offended'' the Goddess of Wealth. It leaves me with one option, and that is Life Church''s Withering Shadows. It seems I need to talk heart to heart with that sly Bishop. Although I don''t like that guy, I have no other choice now.'' Charles stood up from his seat and sighed heavily. He then changed his clothes into formal ones and walked out of his house. Chapter 12: Discussion Chapter 12: Discussion June 27th, Year 6396, Second Arcane Era. It was around 9 A.M. After greeting Hunt at the entrance gate, Charles walked into the dome-shaped building and soon appeared in front of Life Goddess''s statue. After that, he pped his hand together and recited a ''Prayer of Gratitude'' while bowing his head. Meanwhile, a 25-year-olddy in a brown shirt and long ck skirt stood near the front pew and looked around at the Church''s interior in curious. "What is a Wisdom Church''s Priestess doing here?" A calm yet cold voice came from Saron''s right side, causing her to furrow in annoyance. Saron White then turned her head towards the voice and saw a white-haired man, who was around 40 years old, was staring at her in confusion. He wore a golden line embroidered white robe, with a white beret in his right hand, and held a unique golden pocket watch in his other hand. "Greeting, Bishop Reynolds." Saron greeted him and then gave a slight bow. "Saron White, is it? I heard a lot about you." Bishop Reynolds walked near her with his calm footsteps and asked with a smile, "Did youe here to change your b-?" "Father Reynolds, don''t go and hit on other Church''s priestess. She isn''t your type." Charles interrupted him. Hearing Charles''s words, Reynolds swallowed his next words and red at him. After that, he snorted coldly and sat on the front pew. Charles didn''t mind Bishop Reynolds''s cold attitude and sat next to him. Meanwhile, Saron also went to the second pew and sat behind them. Nobody said a word for the next few minutes, and they sat in the Church hall in silence. In the meantime, many believers walked past them and offered their prayers to the Life Goddess. After 10 minutes of long silence, Charles leaned towards Bishop Reynolds and asked in whispers, "Father Reynolds, are you after one of the Series Artifacts?" Upon hearing Charles''s words, Bishop Reynolds opened his eyes wide and then looked at him in shock and disbelief! ''How did he find out?'' He stared into Charles''s jade eyes for three seconds and soon calmed down. ''Is it Wisdom Church''s interference? No, that''s not possible. He must have learned about it from the Riverdale Wisdom Library. That Ethan, did he allow this kid to read everything in the fourth section?'' "It''s confidential information." Bishop Reynolds turned his gaze towards the beautiful statue and replied calmly. "Oh," Charles let out a disappointed sigh and then asked, "Can I learn more about Life Church''s Withering Shadows organization?" "It''s confident-" Bishop Reynolds stopped in halfway and then widened his eyes. He sat there like a statue for the next few seconds and asked while looking deeply into Goddess Nira''s blue eyes. "Why do you want to learn more about our secret organization?" ''Oh? I didn''t expect he would listen to my words.'' Charles curled his lips upward and spoke like a brave kid, "I need to get stronger to protect my mother, Father Reynolds. For that, I need an organization''s help. Although many private organizations are out there, I felt Churches'' secret organizations might be the right choice. As a firm believer of Life, I would never go and seek help from other Churches, so I came here to seek help from you." Bishop Reynolds nodded his head and spoke after a short pause. "If you want to join in our ''Withering Shadows,'' you have to learn a few things. First, you must never collude with the Chaos Faction in the future. Withering Shadows and otherwful organizations are created to maintain Peace and Harmony in Edhen World. Meanwhile, Chaos Faction organizations are created by foreign gods to create War and Destruction. Second, Withering Shadows is a Secretive Organization, and it has its own rule like never leak your identity to the public and other few things. You must follow all those rules. Third, you must never betray yourrade during missions. Fourth. Fifth,¡­," Bishop Reynolds continued to spoke about the rules for another 30 minutes and then asked. "So, do you still want to join our organization?" Charles sat beside him with a serious face and stared pondering deeply. ''Although it''s not a loose organization, its rules are not much of a problem. It''s a piece of cake for me to hide my identity as a member of ''Withering Shadows'' from the public.'' After thinking deeply for a while, Charles nodded his head and said, "I agree, Father Reynolds." Bishop Reynolds nodded his head as he stood up and spoke while giving a sealed letter to him. "Go to 35 Ivy Street and give this to a guy named Russell. He will tell you more detailed information about our secret organization." While saying so, he bent his waist a bit and bowed at Goddess''s statue. After that, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and went towards the left transept. "Withering Shadows is not a ce for kids, Charles. Your reckless choice will disappoint your mother." Saron White spoke coldly from behind, causing Charles''s lips to twitch. "I''m not a kid anymore, Lady Saron." Charles shook his head, turned his head around, and then asked while looking into Saron''s eyes. "What do you know about those ''Series Artifacts''?" Upon hearing his words, she smiled while moving her right hand towards his face and flicked her finger on his forehead. "It''s too early for you to learn about those troublesome bunches, Charles. I will tell you once you Rank Up and bes a ''Fire Weaver''." "Fire Weaver?" Charles stared at her face in surprise and asked. "It''s the corresponding ss of the Apprentice Fire Mage ss. You will get the Fire Weaver ss Gem when you contribute enough throughpleting missions. But I''m warning you. Don''t consume the ss Gem before you reach the bottleneck. You will turn into a Distorted Shadow." Upon hearing those familiar words, Charles''s eyes widened. ''Distorted Shadows¡­When a Mystic consumes ss Gem beforepletely reaching the previous ss''s peak stage, he will face a huge bacsh. He will lose his rationality and then finally turn into a mindless monster. But that''s not a scary thing. His strength will instead rise to a peak state of consumed ss level. He will attack anyone or anything thates nearby and causes Chaos and Destruction. It seems there is some connection between the ''Mystic Worlds'' game and Edhen World. ss-Gems are the final clue. If I manage to find out the secret behind the ss Gems, I will also get a clue about Earth.'' He instantly linked those two. "I will remember your words." Charles nodded his head and then turned his head around. He then stood up, went near the Life Goddess''s statue, and bowed his head. After that, he straightened his back while turning around and walked on the concrete floors of aisles calmly. Saron White also stood up from her seat and followed after him with hurried footsteps. Both walked out of the Life Church and went back to 45 El Street. ¡­ After reaching 45 El Street, Charles went inside and then noticed that Eve Nightwind was nowhere to be seen. "Where did she go?" He asked out loud as he walked into the reception hall. Meanwhile, Saron went to the corner room and locked it from inside. It was the room Eve Nightwind arranged for Saron White. Charles shook his head and sat on the Ornate Sofa. After that, he closed his eyes and waited for Eve Nightwind. After five minutes, Saron White opened the corner room door with a click and walked into the reception room. Charles opened his eyes in confusion and soon widened his eyes a little. Instead of formal clothes, she now wore a red nightshirt and pants. He nced at her beautiful curvy body for a second and then closed his eyes. Meanwhile, Saron went towards the opposite sofa and sat while crossing her soft legs. "It seems my job as a bodyguard will end soon." She opened her thin lips and said. "My mother still needs your strength, My Lady." Charles opened his eyes and said calmly. "Why are you acting like some dangerous viin is after your head?" Saron straightened her back and asked with seriousness. Charles curled his lips up and asked with a mysterious smile on his face, "Is he not?" Confusion and puzzlement crossed Saron''s face. "What do you mean?" She looked into Charles''s jade eyes and asked in a dead-serious tone. A chuckle escaped from his mouth as he heard Saron''s question. "Don''t you feel something was off about our situation? Someone is after our heads, and that ''someone'' is not acting personally due to some whatever reasons. Let''s call him Zero for now. The mysterious ''Zero'' can order an Amber Church''s higher officer and even manipte the Riverdale citizens'' thoughts. If I''m not wrong, Zero must be some big shot in this kingdom. As for why he is after us? I can only think of one reason. That is Holem''s Crown." He said with a calm voice. "So, is that why you chose to join Withering Shadows?" Saron widened her eyes a little and probed. Charles nodded his head and added, "Joining the Withering Shadows is not a bad choice for me. If I join the Withering Shadows, Zero might think twice before hees for my head. Harming my mother or me will be equal to offending the Life Church itself. Although the enemy seems to be a maniptive and a crafty one, he might not be as bold as me." Charles''s lips arched upward as he said those words. "He might not be as bold as you?" Saron asked in confusion as she didn''t understand his words. "Would you offend the Goddess of Wealth for 1000 gold coins?" Charles stared into her eyes and asked with a smile. Saron went silent for a whole three seconds and asked in a serious look, "Is that true?" Charles nodded his head and added, "They forced me. No, I would say the maniptor Zero forced me to sign those documents." "Oh! I understood your n now. By joining the Withering Shadow organization, you don''t need to rely on money in the future. They will also protect you from dangers. It will be like killing two flies with one p." Saron nodded her head in enlightenment. Charles smiled and responded mysteriously, "I will kill three flies with one p." After saying so, he turned his gaze towards the entrance and asked, "Why are you spying on us, mom?" "Tsk, did you also get [Perception] skill from your dad?" Eve said from outside and then walked into the house. Charles stood up and greeted her with a smile. "Where were you?" He looked at her formal attire and asked in confusion. "I went to the City Lord''s office to get the Diviner Job certificate," Eve said with a heavy sigh and sat on the nearby wooden chair. ''Diviner Job? Is she nning to continue her previous job through official means?'' Charles narrowed his eyes and asked as he sat on the sofa. "How did it go?" "Thanks to your action, they gave me the cold shoulder and then asked me to get a sign from Ethan Walker. Well, I will have to go and meet him tomorrow." Eve said in a dissatisfied tone and added, "Don''t worry, I''m already a Prognosticator, so he wouldn''t dare to y in this matter." Charles nodded his head and then told his n on joining Withering Shadows. After listening for five minutes, Eve heaved a heavy sigh and nodded, "If Harry is still alive, I would never allow you to join in one of those Church organizations. But, he is no more, and we have to rely on ourselves. Withering Shadows, is it?" Eve frowned deeply and then turned her gaze towards Saron White. "Lady Saron, can you tell me more about this Withering Shadows?" Meanwhile, Saron watched their conversation in puzzlement and became startled a little. ''Strange¡­Why is she acting so calmly? Did she already peek at her son''s fate?'' A thought crossed her mind. ''That has to be it. Otherwise, Lady Eve wouldn''t act calmly like this. What a scary ss. Her son is ruthless and calctive, while his mother is calm and a predictor.'' Calming her mind, Saron looked into her deep-blue eyes and nodded. ¡­ Chapter 13: Telepathist Chapter 13: Telepathist Saron first told some information about Withering Shadows organization to Eve and then exined the rules clearly like Bishop Reynolds. After hearing her words, Eve closed her blue eyes for a while and then agreed. "When are you nning to join the Withering Shadows, Charles?" Eve asked while opening her eyes. Charles sat in deep thoughts for a while and then said with a smile, "I''m nning to join tomorrow, mom." A smile crept of Eve''s face as she heard her son''s words. ''He is acting like a grown-up now.'' Eve thought inwardly. After discussing for a while, Charles went to the second floor, leaving Eve and Saron alone in the reception hall. Both sat in silence for a whole minute, and then Eve spoke up. But, her tone was gloomy. "Did you find out anything odd about Bishop Reynolds, Lady Saron?" "Yes. Bishop Reynolds seems to be injured. Although he looked normal outside, I sensed something dark in his body." Saron said while frowning deeply. "Demonic Energy?" Eve straightened her body and asked in seriousness. "Possible. Bishop must have fought against a Demonic Cult member a few days ago. From his internal injuries, it must be done by a Rank 3 [Demonic Man] or a Rank 4 [Sinful Demon]." "What are those lunatics are up to?" A deep frown appeared on Eve''s face. Soon, she let out a sigh and then asked, "What about Holem''s Crown? Did you found any clue about that Series artifact?" "Yes. I did found a clue about that crown. But there is something wrong with the whole situation. The first owner of the Holem''s Crown¡­ He is someone you are very familiar with¡­ I think something or someone is pulling strings from the dark. We should report it to the Wisdom Church." Saron said while suppressing her voice. Eve''s ears perked up as she heard Saron''s nervous tone and asked, "Who is its first owner?" Saron let out a helpless sigh and answered with a bitter smile, "He is Eddie Nightwind." A chill went up to Eve''s spines as she heard those words! "Eddie Nigtwind¡­ It can''t be a coincidence¡­ I didn''t leave a clue behind¡­ The enemy seems to be aware of our background¡­ Who are they? How did they find us?" Eve mumbled in shock. Eve sat there pondering for a few seconds and then heaved a heavy sigh. "I need to prepare for the worst," Eve said after a long silence. Meanwhile, Saron White stood up from the sofa, went near the opened window, and asked while looking at the blue sky, "Tell me, Lady Eve Nightwind. Whom did you offend in thest twenty years?" Upon hearing Saron''s words, Eve frowned and then started to think. After thinking for a long time, she looked confused and then shook her head. "None." "So, what''s your n now? Did you see your son''s fate?" Saron turned around and asked in curious, Eve nodded her head and spoke solemnly, "His fate is constantly changing now. He should have died during the kidnapped incident. But, he is still alive and even became a ruthless killer." "Somebody changed his fate?" Saron''s eyebrows arched up as she heard Eve''s words. "It seems so. But I never heard of such a miracle in my experience." Eve replied in puzzlement. "Miracle¡­ Is it?" Saron narrowed her eyes for a second and soon shook her head. Noticing Saron''s odd behavior, Eve became curious and asked, "What did you find out?" Saron made a troubled face and then replied while shaking her head, "I once heard about a Series Artifact that could create a random miracle. But, I heard that artifact is long lost in time." Eve''s eyes widened upon hearing Saron''s words. She stood up from the wooden chair and asked hurriedly. "What is the name of that Series artifact?" Saron pondered for a moment and then replied, "I don''t know the artifact''s original name. But, it seems to be a Series-A artifact." Eve furrowed her brows and soon widened her eyes as she thought of an absurd possibility. ''What if the Holem''s Crown is the Miracle creating artifact?'' She was about to reveal her thoughts to her friend, but she stopped. ''She is a Wisdom Church member. If I tell her about this, she will report it to the Wisdom Church and make things moreplicated. Moreover, I know nothing about Holem''s Crown''s abilities.'' Eve heaved a heavy sigh and spoke in a weary tone, "It doesn''t matter now. I will constantly monitor the fate of Charles''s and see if I can get some clue about the enemy." Saron narrowed her eyes for a moment and then nodded her head. "Hmm, I don''t think the maniptive enemy wille out and seek trouble for you after knowing that your son is nning to be a member of the Withering Shadows." "Haha, yes. My kid made the right choice." Eveughed proudly and then went to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Saron shook her head and stayed in the reception hall. ¡­ The next day. It was around 8 A.M, Charles, in a ck suit, walked out of his room and went downstairs. He then entered the dining hall and had some toasted white bread and bacon. After having breakfast, Charles went to the reception and noticed that his mother was already seated on the sofa. Unaware of his arrival, Eve held a book in her hand and seemed to be thinking deeply about something. Charles went near her and made a fake cough. But Eve didn''t even take her eyes off the ck-covered book and stayed silent. He then looked at the book and then smiled as he saw the familiar words. It''s the Blen Language. It was themonnguage of the Arc Kingdom. "Mom, I''m going out." He said while letting out another fake cough. Eve turned her head towards Charles with a startled face and nodded her head. Charles adjusted his surcoat and moved out of the reception room. "Follow the Shadow. You will find something good." But before he could step out of the reception room, a pleasant voice came from behind, causing him to turn around in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Eve stared back at Charles and waved her hand with an amusing smile on her face. Shaking his head, Charles turned his head and then walked out of 45 El Street. Unlikest time, he walked alone on the street and then narrowed his eyes as he saw the Holy Knight was also walking out from the opposite single-storied house. He had silver hair, a rough face, and silver eyes, and he wore silver armor and a unique golden bracelet on his right hand. The golden bracelet had a symbol of a circle with a six-pointed star in it. It looked much like a wheel, representing the symbol of Life. ''It must be a ranked artifact.'' Charles thought. "Good day, Charles!" While he was in muse, Hunt greeted him and then nced around the surrounding houses in cautiousness. Once he noticed no one was around, he turned around and said slowly. "You cane out now, dear." A secondter, a big-chesteddy, who was around 30 years old, walked out of the single storied house and greeted Charles while cing her forefinger on her lips. "Lady Charlotte!" Charles'' eyes widened a little as he identified thedy and greeted her with a suppressing voice. ''Too bold, aren''t these two afraid of Ethan Walker?'' He furrowed his brows and studied her. Charlotte had an apple-shaped body, long blonde hair, olive skin, and deep-set amber eyes. She wore a brown-colored shirt, a knife-pleated white skirt, and chunky heel shoes. "Hello, Charles." She stared at him for a second and then asked, "Are you going to the Library?" "No, My Lady. I''m going to search for a job in Ivy Street." Charles replied politely and then began to walk on the mud street. Meanwhile, Hunt and Charles followed after him while maintaining some distance between themselves. "I heard about your past achievement, Charles. How did you change so much in a short time?" Charlotte walked near him and asked in curiosity. Charles peeked at her oval face and said with a wry smile, "If I didn''t change, my mother and I wouldn''t have walked out of that mansion, My Lady." Charles paused for a second, then looked at Hunt and asked. "Do you know who the owner of that mansion is, Mr. Hunt?" Hunt thought for a moment and replied with a nod, "It belongs to a famed tycoon, Addie. I heard that he is staying in a Royal Capital. You can find more about him in the City''s Security Administration office." Charles nodded his head and then continued to walk. After reaching the Ivy Street intersection, Charles and Hunt bid his farewell to Charlotte and then entered Ivy Street. Meanwhile, Charlotte took a luxury carriage and went to the other side. After walking for a while, Hunt also separated from him and went towards Life Church direction. Charles strolled on the muddy road and then arrived in front of a single-storied building. A wooden board was ced at the entrance and on it were a few words written in Blen Language. "Secret Department of Life?" He stared at the board for a second and then walked in. He went inside the single-storied building and soon noticed a 50-year-olddy was seated behind the reception desk. After she noticed his arrival, she adjusted her round eyess and asked in a clear voice. "Are you Charles?" Charles froze for a moment and soon nodded while passing the sealed letter to the olddy. She had curly ck hair, a slightly wrinkled round face, and grey eyes. She wore a grey peasant blouse and ck pants. ''Hmm, something is odd about this olddy.'' He furrowed his brows. "I''m not an olddy, brat." She stared at his jade eyes for a moment and spoke coldly. Charles flinched at her words and soon widened his eyes. ''Mind-reading?'' He took a step back and stared at her warily. "You heard about mind-reading? Well, it seems you are not some dumb moron." ''She really can read my mind!'' Charles got shocked for a moment and soon tried to think in English. A secondter, astonishment appeared on her face as she stared at him in shock. "Whatnguage is it? The ng is weird¡­" A crafty smile appeared on his face as he cast [Inspect] skill on her. [Name: Emilia Wilson Race: Human ss: Lv 4 Telepathist (Rank 2) Sub-ss: None Health Points: 108/108 Attributes: Strength- 13 Dexterity- 14 Constitution- 13 Wisdom- 15 Charisma- 11 ss skills/ spells: Probe Thoughts, Discern Lies, Mind-fog, Hypnotism, Touch of Idiocy. Unique Skills: Gaze of Medusa.] ''Her unique skill seems to be powerful.'' He thought inwardly. "Greetings, Lady Emilia, I''m Charles Miller." While she was standing with a dumbfounded face, he smiled at her and greeted her. "H-How did you know my name?" She stared at him in a daze for a moment and sighed deeply. "I heard a lot about you in the past two weeks. But you look like a smart child. There are no calluses in your palm, which shows you are a greenhorn in weapon battles. Hmm, I don''t know how you managed to kill those assassins, but you are not strong enough to apply to be a member of Withering Shadows." Saying so, she stood up from her seat and then moved towards the room on her right side. She then knocked it thrice and went inside. Meanwhile, Charles stood in front of the reception desk with a stunned expression on his face and then smiled helplessly. ''Well, she is right. This body needs training. Although I''m doing regr exercise in the past two weeks, it''s still not enough. But before that, I need to be an official member of Withering Shadows.'' He muttered inwardly. After a minute of silence, Emilia walked out of the room and spoke, "You can go in, Charles. Branch Head is waiting for you." After saying those words, she returned to her desk and then sat on her seat. Charles nodded his head and then entered the room after knocking it twice. It was a 12*16 ftrge room. A wooden table was ced at the center, while a brown-haired man was seated behind it. He looked around 40-years-old and had ck eyes, thick eyebrows, and a rough face. He wore a long ck surcoat and appeared more like an expert leader. He looked at Charles in interest and then weed him with a smile. "Charles Nightwind, wee to the Withering Shadows." Chapter 14: First Mission Chapter 14: First Mission Upon hearing the brown-haired man''s words, Charles narrowed his eyes for a moment and then greeted him with a polite smile, "Pleased to me you, Mr. Russell." Meanwhile, Russell curled his lips upward and nodded his head. "Bishop Reynolds told me about you. I also learned about your past achievements through some investigation." Russell paused for a moment and then continued with a chuckle, "Your actions are bold and ruthless, kid. These types of characters are what we needed in the Withering Shadows. Before we discuss further, take a seat." Russell pointed his finger at the wooden chair ced in front of the table and took out many documents from the cupboard. Meanwhile, Charles sat on the wooden chair and patiently waited for Russell to continue. "Charles Nightwind. We had already learned more about your background and even knew about your inheritance gift. We agreed to take you as a member of Withering Shadows is part of that reason. But before that, I will send you on a mission with some members, and then I will decide about your position by calcting yourbat capabilities. If you seed in the first mission, you cane here to sign these documents and be an official member of Withering Shadows. But if you end up failing in the first mission, then you will have to wait for one year." "If you seeded in the first mission, we will also send a warning letter to your family and will inform them about your position in Life Church. As for how they respond to Church''s warning, it''s not within our hands. You know the rules; we are not allowed to intervene in others'' family business. We will back you up and intervene if the action leads to a life and death situation. I think Bishop Reynolds had already told you about the rules and regtions of Withering Shadows, right?" Charles nodded his head as he listened to Russell''s words and asked, "What is my first mission?" Russell grinned widely and then gave a ck color document file to him. Charles opened the file carefully and skimmed through it. "Helping the ACES team to hunt a Rank 2 Distorted Shadow, is it?" He peered into Russell''s ck eyes and asked calmly. "Yes." Russell nodded his head and smiled. His mysterious smile made Charles''s face turn puzzlement. "Tell me more about ACES team members." Charles narrowed his eyes for a second and asked, "You will see them in a few minutes. Team Aces had four members, but it became three a few days ago. We lost one elite member during a fight against the Demonic Cult members and we are in dire need of recement. You will be the recement for now. If you achieve some merits during the next mission, Team leader Emilia Wilson might ept you as her new team member." Russell said while turning his face solemn. ''Emilia Wilson? That olddy is the team leader?'' Charles got startled a little and then nodded. "You can go to the reception hall and wait for the Aces Team''s arrival. You guys will be heading out of Riverdale City before noon." Russell said while waving his hand and then started reading other documents. Charles let out a sigh and walked out of Russell''s office room. He then moved towards the right corner and sat on the empty wooden chair. A few hourster, two guests entered the reception hall and politely greeted Emilia Wilson. One was a 30-year-old bald man, while the other was a 50-year-old muscr man. The bald man wore normal half-sleeved linen shirts, linen pants, and normal footwears and looked like an average guy. He had ck eyes, a round face, and a hawk nose. On the other hand, the old-muscr man wore a neat ck surcoat, ck pants, and leather shoes and looked more like an expert killer. He had blonde hair, oceanic eyes, an oval face, and pale skin. In the meantime, Charles cast [Inspect] skill on those two new faces and checked their skills. Bald headed guy''s name was Andrew Harris, while the muscr guy''s name was Luke rk. Andrew was a Rank-2 Elite Man and hadbat-rted skills. Luke, on the other hand, was a Rank-2 Bowman! He had some exception skills like, [Keep Sense], [True Mark], [Tracking], and [Sniping]! ''He also has a troublesome unique skill called [Devil''s Heart].'' He furrowed his brows. Meanwhile, the trio chatted among themselves for a few minutes and then turned their attentions towards Charles. The bald man and the muscr man showed annoyance expressions on their faces, while Emilia showed an uninterested expression. As they were about to continue their discussion, Russell opened his office door and walked in. He then nced at the trio first, then towards Charles, and let out a disappointing sigh. "Charles,e here." He waved his hand towards Charles and went near the trio. Upon hearing Russell''s words, Charles stood up from his seat and followed after him. "Good day, Branch Head!" After noticing Russell''s arrival, the trio turned their faces serious and greeted him politely. "Hmm," Russell nodded his head and then spoke, "I have a job for your team." "Sir. Russell, we won''t allow this powerless kid to join our team." Emilia looked at Charles with a frown and said decisively. "I know he is a powerless kid. That''s why I''m asking you guys to show him what a real battle looks like." Russell patted on Charles''s shoulder and said with a smile. "What is his ss?" The bald man, Andrew, asked while narrowing his ck eyes. "He is an apprentice fire mage. From his earlier battle records, we concluded that he also seems to have consumed thief ss-Gem. His battle skill looks fine in the report." "Is he a Dual-ss holder? Nurturing him is a waste of time, Sir. Russell. It will take years even for a peerless genius to rank up from Apprentice Mage to a Fire Weaver. But he doesn''t look like a genius; he might take decades to Rank Up." The muscr guy said with a disappointing tone. Upon hearing Luke''s words, Russell shook his head and said, "He has a unique inheritance gift." "Oh? Care to exin more about it?" The muscr guy, Luke, gave Charles a skeptical look and asked. "It''s ssified. Only Bishop Reynolds and I knew about his skill, and we don''t have the authority to share it with others. But if the real owner agrees, I might tell you." Russell spoke while giving Charles a meaningful look. ''Oh? You want me to tell my secret to gain their trust?'' Charles easily saw through Russell''s naive n and snorted inwardly. "If you guys are willing to share information about your trump cards, I will be more willing to tell you about mine." He said coldly. "Don''t be mad, kid." Emilia gave Luke a piercing look and then turned her gaze towards Russell. "Is he worth nurturing?" Her voice was steady. Russell nodded his head and added, "Bishop Reynolds thinks highly of him." Upon hearing those words, Emilia''s grey eyes widened in surprise. A secondter, she nodded her head and probed more about their mission. "What are we after?" "Yesterday, we got a piece of information about a sighting of a Distorted Shadow in Greke Forest. A few wild hunters spotted that creature in the Greke Forest two days ago, and the Town Chief asked the Riverdale City Lord''s help. They also told in the report that many strange events like kidnappings, murders, and sacrifices are happening around Pine Town during the past few weeks. Your job is to go and subjugate the Distort Shadow and investigate those unusual events in Pine Town." Emilia''s face hardened when she heard Russell''s exnation. "It''s the fifth Distorted Shadow in this month. Moreover, the fourth Distorted Shadow¡­ It managed to calm its emotion during the battle and acted like a regr human. If anything goes wrong during the battle, we might lose." She said while ncing at Charles. "I won''t cause any problem during your mission." Charles got annoyed by their distrust and said coldly. ''His tone¡­ He spoke like a fearless guy.'' Russell frowned a little and then shook his head. "We don''t have time to wait for Ironfort Cathedral''s help. If we wait too long, the whole town might get annihted by the Rank 2 Distorted Shadow." The trio understood the seriousness in a second and nodded their heads. After that, Russell invited Charles to his room and gave him a Rank 2 iron dagger. Although it looked like a normal one, Charles knew it was a precious weapon. He didn''t take the dagger, though; instead, he looked at Russell skeptically and asked with a frown. "Why are you giving this to me?" "You are sharp, kid. If what I heard from the report is true, then you are not a normal mystic. But without a proper weapon, you may die during the battle. I can''t afford to lose a member who has a precious inheritance skill. If you survived this mission and became an official member, this dagger will be yours permanently." Russell said calmly. ''No¡­ Russell isn''t telling the whole truth. Something feels off¡­'' Charles thought for a moment and cast [Inspect] skill on the dagger. [Ghost Dagger (?)] Quality: Umon Effect: Extra Sharpness, Freezing Edges. Requirement: 11 Wisdom ''It''s not some random weapon. It must be worth around 20 gold coins. Moreover, that question mark¡­'' Doubt appeared in his mind. He pondered for a moment and then chose to ept it. ''I will use this until I get a better one.'' He nodded his head and took the dagger from Russell. He then walked out of Russell''s office room and followed after the temporary team members. "We should get a few bags of rations. It might take one or two days to return." Emilia said while turning her gaze towards Charles and added, "You should also follow us and get some rations from the storage room, kid." Saying so, she turned around and went to the locked room on their right side. After gathering a few boxes of rations from the storage, Charles and the trio walked out of the single-storied building and entered the luxurious horse-drawn carriage parked at the entrance. A ck-suited coachman greeted the mystics politely and then whipped the ck horse. A secondter, the ck horse let out a loud neigh and went towards the main street of Riverdale City. After a few minutes, the luxurious carriage moved towards therge city gate and went out of Riverdale City. Charles peeked through the golden curtain and noticed mangrove-like trees and weird shrubs appeared on both sides of the dirt road. ''Hmm, our Wind Vi is on the opposite side.'' He mused in thoughts and then closed the curtain. The carriage made creaking noises from time to time and soon went west. Some farnds and farmhouses appeared in their visions, but the carriage didn''t stop and went towards the west. After five hours of travel, the luxurious carriage arrived at the entrance gate of a well-fortified town called Pine Town. A single blonde-haired gatekeeper stood at the entrance while holding a golden spear and blocked the carriage. The blonde-haired gatekeeper wore iron armor, leather shoes, ck leather gloves, and ck leather pants. "State your purpose!" He gave a cold look at the coachman and ordered. Upon noticing the outsiders'' arrival, many soldiers looked down from the 4-meter tall walls and gave curious looks. Meanwhile, the coachman opened a sealed scroll and showed it to the gatekeeper. "We are from Riverdale City, my friend. Mystics are here to investigate abnormal incidents." The coachman added, In the meantime, the gatekeeper gave a nce at the opened scroll and then nodded his head. "Open the Gate." He gave the scroll back to the coachman and said. No, it sounded more like an order. Along with a loud screech, a four-meter tall Iron Gate opened and revealed the town''s interior. Charles peeked at the town''s interior through the curtain gap and narrowed his eyes. ''Brick and mud houses are built in order. Hmm, from the information about Pine Town, the total poption should be around 8,000.'' He nced at those passerby citizens and noticed that there was no happiness on their faces. ''The town looks gloomier. There are fear and anxiety in the peoples'' faces.'' Charles thought inwardly. The luxurious carriage made a few turns and soon arrived in front of a three-storied mansion vi. A brown-haired soldier opened thepound gate and asked the coachman to follow after him. The carriage went in and moved towards the three-storied building. Once the carriage stopped in front of the mansion building, Charles, the baldy Andrew, the muscr man Luke, and Emilia walked out of the carriage and looked around in curiosity. "Wee, my dear guests." A booming voice filled with dominance echoed from inside. A secondter, a blonde-haired male walked out of the mansion and greeted them with a smile. "You must be the Pine Town''s Chief, Darwin." Emilia took a step forward and greeted the blonde-haired male with a slight bow. Darwin wore a standard gem-embedded silk cloth and looked around 35-years-old. He had amber eyes, a round face, and a slightly obese body. "Yes, My Lady." Darwin nodded his head and invited them in. Nodding their heads in response, the Aces team members took a step forward and walked into the reception hall. Once they went inside the reception hall, Emilia halted her footsteps and looked at the three unfamiliar faces in puzzlement. All three of them were seated in luxurious sofas and seemed to be chattering. But she felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing them. Chapter 15: The Mysterious Jimmy Chapter 15: The Mysterious Jimmy She stared at those three people, who were seated on the sofas, for three continuous seconds, and then asked in curious. "Who are those people?" "T-They are my guests, mydy. T-They came here to discuss some private matters." Darwin walked beside her nervously and stuttered. Upon hearing Darwin''s stuttering words, Charles squinted his eyes and looked at those three people in puzzlement. He then cast [Inspect] skill on a ck-robed guy and soon widened his eyes. [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect Failed¡­] A momentter, the ck-robed guy turned his gaze towards Charles''s direction and looked at him with his snake-like yellow eyes! A chill went up to his spine as he felt the ck-robed guy''s gaze! His heart also began to thump faster madly. He had never felt any ominous feeling like this before and became shocked inside. ''He is a real maniac. He is oozing out so much bloodlust¡­ A guy who loves killing for fun¡­'' ''My [Inspect] skill has failed which means he must be above Rank 2 mystic. Moreover, that guy''s yellow eyes¡­ Something is odd about those eyes!'' He retracted his gaze and then looked at the other two guests. One was a blonde-haired male with red eyes, while the other was a silver-haired female with ck eyes. Both wore a formal ck suit and looked around 30 years old. Although they looked normal, Charles felt an uneasy feeling when looking at them. "Let''s go," Noticing his odd behavior, Emilia patted his shoulder and said while following after Darwin. They walked on the red-carpeted floor and went to the second floor through the split staircase. After that, they walked in the decorated corridor and soon arrived in front of a gold-painted metal door. "Honorable Guests, you must be tired due to the long journey. You can stay here for a day and rest well." Darwin said while rubbing his hand and added with a smile, "My town guards woulde and ask your help if they met any abnormal activities." Saying those words, Darwin turned around and went downstairs in a rush. Meanwhile, Team Aces members opened the golden door and went inside. The guest room looked more like arge hall. Multiple magic candles were lit in the corners and illuminated the whole room in dim yellow light. Furniture like tables, beds, and chairs was arranged in the guest room''s center and enchanted the room like a luxurious banquet hall. Once they walked in, Emilia locked the door from inside and asked in confusion. "We came here to subjugate a monster. But why is he acting like we came to attend a banquet?" "Shall we go and gather information from the town citizens?" Andrew sat on a wooden chair and asked while rubbing his chin, "That''s a good idea." Luke went near the slider window and closed it quietly. Meanwhile, Emilia took a head-sized blue crystal from a small pouch and ced it at the room''s center. ''Void pouch? It''s must be an umon artifact.'' Charles thought inwardly. A heartbeatter, the room magic candle lights shimmed a little and then went out with a poof! After that, the crystal began to glow in blue light and illuminated the room. Charles didn''t felt any change and got puzzled by their action. "This is Concealment Stone. Once you activate this stone, no one would be able to hear or see what is happening inside." Emilia said with a smile as she noticed his puzzlement and then turned her face seriously. "Now, let''s talk about the mission. Something is definitely off about Darwin''s guests. I also felt some familiarity feeling when seeing their faces." Her tone was dead serious. "I also felt abnormality around their bodies." Luke nodded his head in agreement and spoke in a grim tone. "Did Darwin seek help from some private organization?" Andrew grunted in dissatisfaction while furrowed his brows. "That might be possible. But does he have that much money? If so, why did he send a request to Riverdale City Lord? Something feels off about the situation." A frown appeared on Emilia''s forehead as she thought about those three guests. Meanwhile, Charles looked around the room curiously and interjected their conversation, "That ck-robed guy looks powerful. He must be a peak Rank-2 mystic." Emilia, Luke, and Andrew froze for a moment and then turned their heads in shock. "They are not good people," Charles added calmly. ''What is his inheritance skill? Is he able to perceive other''s facial expressions keenly? Or, is it [Perception] skill? Nah, It shouldn''t have attracted Bishop''s attention. Although the [Perception] skill is rare, it''s not very hard to find among the mystics. Hmm, is his skill able to see others'' emotions?'' Emilia pondered deeply and then shook her head. ''He must have a rare skill. He could help us gather more information about those guys.'' She looked at Charles in interest and asked, "How are you so sure about that?" "That¡­ It''s up to you to decide whether to believe my words or not." Charles leaned on thedder-back chair and said. The trio went silent upon hearing Charles''s answer. After thinking for a moment, Emilia nodded her head and asked further. "What about the other two guests?" "I didn''t felt any danger from them. But they might also be powerful as the ck-robed guy." Charles said solemnly. ''Hmm, are they from Demonic Cult?'' Emilia furrowed her brows and shook her head. ''They are not our main target. We have to go to the Grake Forest and subjugate the Distorted Shadow first.'' She pondered for a moment and then made up her mind in a second. "Rest for a while, we will start our main mission at 4 P.M." Saying so, she went near the wooden bed andid on it. Others also went near other beds and began to take rest. Charles was the one who didn''t sleep; instead, he sat on the bed and then took out the ''Ghost Dagger'' from his leather bag. After that, he looked at the ck eye-like gem embedded silver hilt and frowned. An uneasy feeling appeared in his mind! It was a warning from his new [Sixth Sense] skill! He looked at the ck eye in confusion and began to think deeply. ¡­ At Riverdale City, 35 Ivy Street. Russell was seated in his office room and was looking at a void-like screen in amusement. The one who appeared on the screen was none other than Charles''s face! "Is everything ready, Russell ck?" An old voice appeared from behind, causing Russell to stand up hurriedly. "G-Grandpa Anderson!" Russell turned around in shock and nodded his head. A secondter, an illusionary image of a white-haired old man appeared in front of him. He looked around 90-years-old with full of wrinkles on his pale face. He wore a golden robe and gave off a sense of ancient aura! Russell calmed his mind and spoke, "Everything is ready. We should find out his real capabilities through this mission. If our luck is good, we might find some clue about A-035." "Good, proceed with the n then. As for Bishop Reynolds, finish him off when the time is right." The old man named Anderson said coldly and then looked at the void-like screen in expectation. "F-Finish him off? G-Granpa, he is a blessed child of Life Goddess Nira! If someone finds about our scheme, all of us will face the wrath of Life Church members." Russell''s face turned pale as he broke into cold sweats. "So what? We can go and hide for a few decades in another world. After that, not even devoted believers of Life will remember a guy called Bishop Reynolds." Anderson ck sat on the wooden chair and said calmly. Upon hearing his grandfather''s idea, Russell began to calm down and nodded his head. ¡­ Meanwhile, at Pine Town entrance, A wooden carriage stopped in front of the Iron Gate, and soon two people walked out from it. One was a slightly obese guy, while the other was a lean guy. Both looked around 25 years old and wore tight leather armors. Knife scars and wounds on their bodies showed that both were well-experienced inbats and sword battles. The obese guy had ck hair, a round face, and wide-set oceanic eyes. On the other hand, the lean guy had blonde hair, amber eyes, and an oval face. He also wore a red gem embedded bracelet in his hand and looked calmer as ice. His amber eyes showed a sense of mystery. "Henry?" A loud shout, which was filled with surprise and shock, came from the fort wall, causing both to look up in wonder. A secondter, a ck-haired guy who was around 20 years old looked down from the top at the slightly obese guy and started roaring in anger, "Bastard, what the hell are you doing here?!" Meanwhile, Henry became startled as he stared at the familiar ck-haired guy''s face and soon grinned. "Show some respect to your elder brother, Sam." "Respect? You are a thief! If not for our mother''s plea, I would havee and search for you in Riverdale City and killed you ages ago!" Sam red at the ruffian looking Henry and then added, "Wait there for a minute. I will ask our guard captain to open the gate." Saying so, he turned around and went to the other side of the gate. Meanwhile, Henry let out a heavy sigh and asked while looking at the calm-looking lean guy. "Why did you ask me to apany you to my hometown, Jimmy?" Upon hearing his partner''s question, Jimmy shook his head and spoke in confusion. "I don''t know. But something is telling me toe here." "Is it another strange dream of yours?" Henry gave a weird look at Jimmy and continued with a sigh, "You need to see a psychiatrist soon, my friend. If you didn''t find a way and cure your mental illness, you would face problems in the future. You are showing symptoms of multiple personality illnesses these days." "Am I?" Jimmy''s amber eyes shed in cold light as he gave a sharp look at Henry. He then shook his head and replied calmly. "It''s not a big deal. I will be normal in a month or two." He said with a chuckle and then turned his attention towards the Iron Gate. A secondter, the gate made creaking noises and opened loudly. Both walked in and met Sam on the other side. After some argument between Sam and Henry, the trio went to Blood Street and soon arrived in front of a single-storied brick house. They walked into the medium house and soon met with a middle-aged woman. When she saw Henry, she cried out in surprise and embraced him in her arms. A small reunion happened in the poorly polished house. Henry also started crying in his mother''s arms and shared his hardship and adventurers like a small kid. Well, he did exclude the robbing and thieving parts, though. Henry also introduced Jimmy to her mother and told her about their deep friendship. He talked about his dangerous missions and even told her about how Jimmy got his famous ''Unlucky Star of Riverdale City'' title. After an hour, Jimmy got tired of their bbering and walked out of the brick house while saying a random excuse. He then went to the town chief''s mansion street and then looked at the mansion for a few seconds in silence. After that, he looked at the red gem embedded bracelet and smiled mysteriously. If someone looks closely at the red gem, they will find a tiny humanoid fog was screaming in pain and anger! "How are you, Jimmy?" He asked while letting out an evilugh. "Release me!" A secondter, a shout filled with grief and pain appeared from the bracelet and soon died down. "Sorry mortal, you have to wait for a while. Don''t worry; I will give you a peaceful death before I take your body." The ''Fake'' Jimmy let out a chuckle and caressed the bracelet like a precious treasure. "Bastar-" As the ''Real'' Jimmy was about to shout again, the ''Fake'' one waved his hand and blocked the ''Real'' Jimmy''s loud voice. After that, he nced at the surroundings in amusement and silently left. ¡­ Chapter 16: Distorted Shadow Hours went by as the sun descended towards the north-west sky and painted the sky in scarlet color. Emilia opened her grey eyes and sat upon the wooden bed. Meanwhile, Charles and others also woke up and started to get ready. Emilia then walked away from her bed and then took out a blue robe from her leather bag. Upon seeing the unique robe, Charles got curious and inspected it in interest. ''It''s a rare artifact!'' He was stunned for a moment. [Queen''s Robe] Quality: Rare Effect: Ice Web- Rank 3 spell. Usage: 0/1 per day (Limited use Item). ''She is rich.'' He shook his head while taking out the Ghost Dagger from his luggage bag and then ced it on his waist. After that, he took a few dry bread pieces from his bag and put them in his pocket. Meanwhile, Luke took out a red-coated bow, a quiver, and many metal arrows from his luggage bag and began to gear up. Andrew was the only one who sat silently on the bed and ced a single long sword in his waist. Once everyone got ready, Emilia took the bluish gem from the floor and stored it inside her void pouch. After that, she ced the pouch in her small leather bag and went to the balcony. Others also followed after her and then looked around the mansion yard in vignce. "The security isx here," Andrewmented as he looked down at the mansion yard. "Darwin is not noble, so it''s not a surprising thing. But what surprised me is thisrge house. From where did he get this much money to build arge mansion in this rural town?" Luke peered at the mansion and furrowed his brows. "No more chit-chats, Luke," Emilia said calmly and then jumped down from the second-floor balcony. A secondter, two illusionary wings appeared behind her back and levitated her body like a feather. She suspended in the air for a moment while pping those illusionary wings and thennded on the grassy yard. After that, she made a short incantation and conjured a ck smoke out of thin air. She then molded the smoke and turned it into an eye with wings. "Stay here." She said calmly and then waved at others to climb down. Meanwhile, the ck eye made a small squeaky scream and flew up. Simultaneously, Andrew and Luke grabbed the nearby pipes and started climbing down nimbly. Charles let out a chuckle as he watched their skillful movements and jumped down while opening his arms widely. A momentter, two crimson wings appeared behind his shoulder and slowed down his falling. He floated like a crimson feather andnded on the grassy yard silently. Once everyone got in their position, they stormed out of the mansion without hiding their identities and went to the main street. A few minutester, they managed to convince the town guards and walked out of the Pine town. After that, Emilia took out a ck ring from her void pouch and started walking towards the dense woods. It was called the Grake Forest, a forest filled with bandits, thieves, and dangerous monsters. Before they leave, Russell warned them that some evil cult members were hiding in the woods and asked them to be careful of unexpected ambushes. Conscious of the unknown dangers, they arrived in front of the dense forest and looked around warily. Poisonous trees, shrubs, and vines entangled together, causing the forest to look gloomier. After confirming that they were in a safer position, they walked into the woods and started their search. Although they met a few wild animals like wolves and kobolds during their search, they didn''t face any trouble killing them. They searched the outer areas of Grake Forest till 7 P.M and stopped as they heard Emilia''s voice. "Something is wrong. Someone destroyed the ''Shadow Eye.''" "Enemy?" Luke scanned the dark woods and asked. "It seems so. We should return to Pine Town and check if everything is okay." Emilia said while turning around. Others also nodded their heads and followed after her without any refusal. But what awaited them was not a peaceful town; instead, they saw that the whole town was burning in chaos! Panic cries and shouts echoed from all over the town, causing the mystics to hasten their footsteps towards the entrance gate. Upon arriving at the entrance, all of them became stunned for a moment! The entrance was filled with blood and corpses. But instead of w marks, sword cuts appeared in those corpses! "They were killed by humans." Emilia nced at those soldiers'' corpses and heaved a heavy sigh. "Let''s go." Luke gripped his bow tighter and said while cing a metal arrow on the silver string. Charles and Andrew also nodded their heads and went inside. Multiple battles happened all over the towns, and cloaked figures were killing and causing chaos everywhere. The Aces team became dumbfounded for a second and soon moved towards the town chief''s mansion. But they halted their footsteps when they walked past the town square. Around fifty citizens, including children and old peoples,id on the dirt ground and were screaming in pain. Seeing this, Emilia turned her gaze towards a particr area and noticed a human was standing at the center while gripping two long swords in his hands. She also saw a strange ritual-like circle were drawn on the dirt ground and became serious. ''Sacrificial ritual circle!'' She nced at those screaming citizens and then turned her attention towards the human. He looked around 6 feet tall, had yellow eyes, pale skin, and ck hair. He wore a ck robe and appeared about 40 years old. "Who are you?" Emilia took out a slim silver sword from her void pouch and asked. But soon, her eyes widened as she remembered the guy''s face. ''He is the ck-robed guy I saw in Darwin''s mansion.'' She looked at his face closely and noticed a tangled snake symbol on his wrist area. ''I-It''s the symbol of the Divine Order!'' Her body went stiff as she stared at the enemy in vignce. Unlike the Demonic Church and Wicked Church members, who love to cause chaos and fear among ordinary citizens, these Divine Order members were real maniacs. They were the children of destruction themselves. Although the title sounds noble, they weren''t noble at all! Most of the members of the Divine Order organization were Shadow Killer ss series members. They love killing, killing, and only killing! The Divine Order was an organization created to kill all the livings mortals who were corrupting the Edhen world and make the world a peaceful ce. The organization''s main goal was to eliminate the humans and other intelligent races from Edhen! The higher they kill and cause chaos, the stronger they would be! It was as if they had different types of game systems ced in their bodies! They believed that the mother Edhen was bestowing them with the Shadow Killer series ss-Gems in the name of blessing. It was the main reason Charles chose to join Withering Shadows. If he had decided to be an independent assassin in this life to grow stronger, the Lawful churches would have assumed him as a Divine Order member and might put his head on the wanted list shortly. Before Emilia could wake up from the shock, the enemy appeared in front of her face while holding two long swords in his hand and shed at her neck. "Ice Web." Meanwhile, Emilia spoke in an unknown ancient tone and then took a step back. At the same time, she moved her sword and blocked those two swords skilfully. An instantter, hundreds of chilling web strings appeared under her feet and started to slither towards the killer. In a second, those stingspletely bounded the enemy and made him immobile! The surrounding temperature started to change and soon began to turn into a chilly atmosphere. The killer stood like a frozen statue for a second and soon let out a creakyugh. Before others could understand the reason for his creepyugh, the killer''s body turned into dark smoke and disappeared from there. "Shadow teleportation?!" Luke and Andrew nced at each other and then looked around warily. "He must be a Rank-2 Shadow Guard. It''s the corresponding ss of Shadow killer ss. Beware of shadows." Emilia said while controlling those web strings in her mind and then added, "Split up and control the chaos. Kill all these Divine Order maniacs on the spot." ''I can maintain this web for two more minutes. Before the time ends, I have to find the Shadow Guard and kill him.'' She nodded her head and looked around. Upon hearing Emilia''s order, Charles unsheathed his rank-2 iron dagger and held his weapon tighter. ''Follow the shadow. You will find something good.'' He suddenly remembered Eve''s words and soon widened his eyes. ''Did she foresee this incident? Or is it a coincidence?'' He furrowed his brows in suspicion. ''Shadow? Did she tell about this Shadow guard? Or Distorted Shadow?'' While he was in muse, he heard heavy footsteps from the front. All of them nced towards the front and narrowed their eyes. In the meantime, Luke ced the metal arrow in the bow and pulled the string while aiming at the uing hooded figure. No. It was not a hooded figure! It was a humanoid ck monster with fangs-like teeth. It had red eyes, round ears, an ugly goblin-like face, w-like hands, and ck fur covered all over its body. It wore a torn ck dress and looked around 2 meters tall. When it noticed their presence, the strange monster let out a terrific roar and sprinted towards their direction madly while crushing a few unlucky citizens on its way! "Distorted Shadow!" Charles muttered out loud and cast [Inspect] skill on it. [Name: None Race: Distorted Shadow (Former Human) ss: Rank-2 Prisoner (Lv 5) Sub-ss: None Health Points: 241/241 Attributes: Strength- 19 Dexterity- 17 Constitution- 18 Wisdom- 7 Charisma- 0 ss skills: Rage (Sealed), Bloody Hands (Sealed), Evil Mind (Sealed). Subss skills: None.] While Charles was looking at the creature''s body status, Luke clicked his tongue in annoyance and released the string. With a swoosh sound, the arrow pierced through the air and directly stabbed on Distorted Shadow''s forehead. But, the metal arrow shattered into pieces after leaving a loud, nging sound. "Enchant the arrows with your skills before releasing them," Emilia said calmly and added, "Charles, hide somewhere." Although Charles was dissatisfied by her words, he didn''t get angry. Instead, he nodded his head and took a few steps back. After that, he blended with the darkness and disappeared from others'' visions. In the meantime, Emilia let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes for a second. ''I need to restrict its movement before it kills all these citizens.'' She made up her mind. A secondter, she opened her eyes and stared deeply into the Distorted Shadow''s eyes. But unlike her original grey color, her eyes glowed in golden-red color! As the Distorted Shadow saw her golden-red eyes, its whole body turned stiff, and it began to turn into a stone! It was her unique skill [Gaze of Medusa]! "Perfect!" Luke curled his lips upward and pulled the string after cing another arrow. But this time, he enchanted the arrow with [True Mark] and [Sniping] skills. The metal arrow glowed in a blue color as it pierced through the air and directly prated the Distorted Shadow''s right eye! Simultaneously, Andrew sprinted towards the Distorted Shadow while enchanting his sword with [Unbreakable] skill and soon arrived in front of it. He then swiftly evaded the creature''s slow attack and appeared right behind the Distorted Shadow. After that, he used [Deep sh] skill and severed its right upper limb! The Distorted Shadow roared madly and then took a nearby wooden club in its rock-like left hand. Although Emilia''s [Gaze of Medusa] skill was powerful, it couldn''tpletely turn the peak level Rank-2 Distorted Shadow into a stone. "Back away, Andrew. It''s not a good move to battle against the Distorted Shadow in closebat." Saying so, Emilia controlled her icy web strings and restricted the Distorted Shadow''s movement. Like an insect that caught in a spider''s web, the Distorted Shadow tried to tear those white ice webs. But its attempt went futile. In the next five seconds, Luke released another six metal arrows and started attacking fatally. In the meantime, Charles hid in the shadows and started looking for the Shadow Guard. Although the Shadow Guard was just an average mystic, he felt something was off about his first mission. ''Why do I feel a staring sensation from the surroundings?'' He frowned. He felt that someone was spying on him from somewhere! Chapter 17: Shadow Guard Chapter 17: Shadow Guard ''Is the Shadow Guard after my head?'' A thought crossed Charles''s mind. ''Is he nning to eliminate me because I''m a weak one? But I still didn''t sense any abnormality around the surrounding areas.'' He furrowed his brows and soon made up his mind. ''I will show him an opening and lure him out from the shadow.'' He curled his lips upward and rxed his guard a little. A momentter, he sensed an unpredictable danger from behind! It was the same [Sixth Sense] skill''s warning! He instantly held his Ghost Dagger tighter and turned around while twisting it towards the uing Shadow Guard, who had two swords in his hands. Upon seeing the Shadow Guard''s speed, Charles''s heart sank! ''My dagger is not suitable for long-term battle. And he is moving faster.'' He made a swift n and bent forward a little. Simultaneously, he cast his [Fire Wings] spell and pped it forcefully. Like a bullet, he sprinted forward towards those two uing swords and smirked. ''He took the bait!'' As he flew near the Shadow Guard, he used [Snatch] and [Trickster''s hand] skills at a time. A secondter, he took a side step while pping his right side crimson wing and calmly evaded the Shadow Guard''s swords. He then let out a cold snort and touched the Shadow Guard''s elbow area with his left hand. Meanwhile, he also moved his dagger towards the Shadow Guard''s chest using his other hand and smiled widely. Due to Charles''s sudden trick, the Shadow Guard felt a numbing sensation from his elbow and got startled. But he didn''t lose his calm, though; instead, he moved his other sword and blocked Charles''s dagger attack. With a nging sound, sword, and dagger collided against each other, leaving multiple fire sparks behind. After a second, both backed away from there and looked at each other cautiously. Shadow Guard''s expression turned gloomy as he started to feel something was odd and soon looked at his right hand. ''Wha-!¡­ My Ring sword is gone!'' His yellow eyes squinted sharply. In the meantime, Charles stared at the enemy coldly and took a step back. After that, he inspected the long sword in his left hand and nodded. [Item: Ring Sword Quality: Umon Effects: Sharpness, High-durability, Self-Repairable.] ''Good sword. But I''m not a swordsman.'' He let out a disappointing sigh and then grumbled inwardly. ''It seems my [Snatch] skill is very effective with the [Trickster''s Hand] skill.'' He nodded his head and then looked at the Shadow Guard. But there was no fear or anxiety in his eyes; instead, his deep-set jade eyes were now filled with greed! It''s because he saw a notification appeared in front of his eyes. ¡­ [Chain Quest Triggered!] Quest Details: One of the four Chaotic Church Organizations called Divine Order is causing genocide in the name of Righteousness and Justice. Due to their horrible actions in these past few centuries, many variables have appeared in the current timeline, causing the Future to move in an unpredictable direction! The Edhen world is moving to its destruction. Join any of the Lawful Factions and help them eliminate the Divine Order from this. Quest Rewards: You will get double Exp when killing a Divine Order member from now on! Time Limit: None ept/Decline ¡­ "The Divine Order, huh. Hmm, this chain mission looks good." Charles muttered under his breath and epted the Quest mission. ''It seems the game system in my head is siding with the Lawful Faction. My real backer might be a member of the Lawful Faction. Hmm, there are thirteen Gods in the Lawful Faction. Among them, who is responsible for my transmigration?'' He thought for a second and soon shook his head. ''I will think about thatter. For now, I should kill this guy and increase my strength.'' He held his dagger and moved. But he didn''t attack, though; instead, he took two steps back and ran in a different direction. Seeing his action, the Shadow Guard widened his yellow eyes and pursued after him. Emilia also noticed the Shadow Guard''s action and frowned. "Should I go and help him?" Luke released an enchanted arrow at the Distorted Shadow and asked. "He isn''t an official member yet. Moreover, we have to finish off this monster sooner and kill the other Divine Order members." Emilia said and continued after a short pause, "His mission is to help us, not the other way around." Upon hearing their team leader''s words, both Andrew and Luke let out a bitter smile and nodded. After that, the trio split up and started attacking the seriously injured Distorted Shadow from a different direction. ¡­ Meanwhile, a blonde-haired lean guy stood on a nearby building terrace and looked at Charles with a cold expression on his face. He wore a unique red gem embedded bracelet and appeared like a mysterious expert. "It seems they are nning to put him in a life and death situation. Is this a trap to lure me out? Too bad, I have no n on helping him." He mumbled calmly and soon groaned as he saw a ck thread came out from his bracelet. The ck thread then slithered towards his neck and started tangling it. "Damn it, I shouldn''t have signed the abyssal contract with Eddie," Jimmy grunted in a displeased tone and then mused inwardly. ''You may have put a restriction on me from killing your descendants, Eddie. But you made a grave mistake. Tsk, tsk, my freedom is bound to happen, and I will have my vengeance then. I will let them know what a true hell will be like.'' He let out a creaky sinister chuckle and then disappeared from there. ¡­ Unaware of the uing hidden dangers, Charles ran towards the more chaotic area and noticed that tens of ck-cloaked guys gathered hundreds of citizens on the mud path and appeared to be preparing for something. They had already bound the citizens in ropes and made them kneel in lines. ''Are these guys making some blood sacrificial ceremony?'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment and soon shook his head. ''It doesn''t matter to me. But, those guys will give me more Exp.'' He was about to move in their direction but paused as he saw a knife cut through the air and appeared behind him. ''Tsk,'' Charles clicked his tongue in irritation and barred the knife with a ng. After that, he made a few turns and went in a different direction. In the meantime, a ck-robed guy followed after him like a mad dog and even threw some darts at him from time to time. But whenever Shadow Guard''s attack was about tond on his target, he found that his target had somehow foreseen his attack and blocked them like a skilled hunter. ''Oh? Did he have [Foresight] skill? Impossible. He is too weak to gain that skill.'' He got puzzled and started throwing darts while adding some strength. Meanwhile, Charles started noticing something was odd in Shadow Guard''s earlier attacks and got puzzled. ''He is not aiming for my life¡­ His strength is way above mine, and from his earlier attacks, I can tell that he is just ying with me. He appears to be testing my real strength by forcing me into life and death situation. But for what purpose?'' A grim expression appeared on his face as he recalled the earlier chasing. After thinking for a moment, he stopped running and activated [Conceal] skill. A secondter, his whole body turned transparent and soon disappeared from the Shadow Guard''s eyes. ''H-How?'' Shadow Guard became stunned for a moment and soon looked around in confusion. "Looking for me?" A sharp voice came from behind, causing him to turn around in surprise! But to his astonishment, Shadow Guard couldn''t see Charles, which caused him to be more confused inside. ''Did he already manage to upgrade his [Stealth] skill?'' An absurd thought appeared in his mind. He knew that only Rank 2 Mystics could upgrade the [Stealth] skill and be puzzled. ''He is an abnormal one. If he started building spell models, he would be invincible among his rank members.'' He muttered to himself in shock. But he wasn''t worried much about a Common Rank Mystic. Shaking his head, he took out a white crystalline card from his pouch and tapped it twice. A momentter, hundreds of green vines sprouted out from the ground and began to spread in every direction while destroying the nearby houses and walls. In a blink, the whole 100-meter surrounding turned into an area filled with green nts and vines. Meanwhile, Charles got startled for a moment and soon backed away while evading those slithering vines. After that, he took a moment to breathe and then cast [Inspect] skill on the card. [Item: Card of Arcane Rank: Rare Effect: A rare rank-3 spell model called the ''Nature''s Hands'' was engraved in this Arcane card. When you activate this card, poisonous green vines will sprout from the ground and help you to prevent the enemies from getting close to you. Cooldown Time: 1/1 per day.] ''Damn it; this guy is the real treasure.'' Charles looked at those vines for a moment and soon sighed helplessly. ''But he is a powerful one.'' He clicked his tongue and soon went towards the sacrificial area. Although he was eager to kill this Shadow Guard, he didn''t like to take risks. He knew the possibility of him defeating a Rank-2 Mystic was very slim. ''First, I need to increase my strength. Those ten plus mystics will be more than enough to satisfy my hunger.'' He licked his lips and fastened his footsteps towards the mud path. Meanwhile, the Shadow Guard looked around the surroundings cautiously and waited for the invisible enemy to enter his attack range. One minuteter, he grew irritated a little. Three minutester, he got impatient and started cursing him. After five minutes, he became tired of waiting and taunted the invisible enemy. "Come out, coward!" No one responded to his shout! ''Hmm, wait a minute¡­ Why am I waiting for him toe and attack me? I should be the one to test his capabilities, right?'' His expression soon froze as he noticed the eerie silence. ''Oh, sh*t! Did he run away?'' His expression went unsightly in a second. He also thought of Charles''s earlier magic spell and grew furious. ''If he had used the earlier fly spell, he would have escaped easily. But why didn''t he use that fire spell and ran around in the streets like a coward?'' He felt puzzled inside and soon took out a blue gem from his pouch. He then closed his eyes while holding the gem tightly and soon opened with an exciting face. "Found you." He muttered coldly and moved towards the direction where Charles went. Meanwhile, Charles arrived at the sacrificial area and started assassinating the Divine Order members in his concealed form. Like a ghost, he suddenly appeared behind a ck hooded man and then sliced the enemy''s throat. After that, he disappeared into the darkness and soon reappeared behind another hooded guy. Like a real Rank 2 Assassin, he moved in the dark and started his massacre. [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, you will get double Exp! 86 Exp Obtained!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, you will get double Exp! 92 Exp Obtained!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, you will get double Exp! 98 Exp Obtained!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, you will get double Exp! 103 Exp Obtained!] In two minutes, he killed 15 Divine Order members and scared the others away. ''I''m already getting used to it. Moreover, these killers only have a slightly abnormal strength. As for their experience in giving fatal blows to the enemy, they are really pathetic. Hmm, this dagger also giving me a big boost when killing the enemy.'' He nodded thoughtfully. ''There are still many Divine Order members left.'' His eyes glinted in cold light. But he didn''t chase after them; instead, he chose to stay and waited for the dumb Shadow Guard. Moreover, he reaped arge amount of Exp in thest few minutes and nned to increase his level. ''1351 Exp.'' He smiled lightly and then shifted his attention to the interface. ''Hmm, I already have 217 Exp. Adding 217 Exp with 1351 Exp, I now have 1568 Exp. With this much Exp, I can level up a few times.'' He curled his lips up and added 225 Exp to his Apprentice Fire Mage ss. [225 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 3 Apprentice Fire Mage!] [2 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [10 skill points rewarded] ¡­ He didn''t hesitate to add another 337 Experience points to the Apprentice Fire Mage ss and leveled it up again. ¡­ [337 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 4 Apprentice Fire Mage!] [2 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [10 skill points rewarded] ¡­ He felt his mind became cooler due to the sudden increase in wisdom and noticed that he could maintain more than five rank-1 spell models in his mind. Moreover, he felt that his thinking capability increased to an unimaginable level and became stunned. ''Is this due to increasing my wisdom to 15?'' He wondered. He then thought for a moment and then added two attribute points to Strength and Constitution. After that, he added the remaining two attribute points to the Dexterity attribute and nodded with a pleasant smile. For the next ten seconds, he stood in silence and concentrated his full attention on his body. He felt his body muscles and bones were undergoing some changes and became excited. He then stretched his lean hands and legs and soon widened his eyes as he noticed the differences. ''My body has grown stronger. I had already surpassed my former body''s peak strength.'' He grew confident in soloing the Shadow Guard. ''Hmm, let''s see where I can spend these skill points.'' He nced at his ss skills for a moment and added 20 skill points to the [Sixth Sense] skill. But to his astonishment, he couldn''t upgrade the skill, which made him stunned for a while. ''Is it because of Rank restriction? Does that mean I have to increase all my skills to 50 before ranking up?'' He mused for a moment and soon nodded his head in enlightenment. Chapter 18: Battle Chapter 18: Battle ''Hmm, I should save these skill points for now.'' Charles thought for a moment and nced at his body status. [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflicted by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human Rank: 1 ss: Level 4 Apprentice Fire Mage (0/506) Sub-ss: Level 3 Trickster (0/337) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favourability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 91/91 Exp: 1006 Exp Attributes: Strength- 13 Dexterity- 14 Constitution-12 Wisdom-15 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 20 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Fire Wings Sub-ss skills: Trickster''s hand- 20 Clown- 20 Sixth Sense- 50 Unique skills: Snatch-51 Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 40] ''Oh? Amber''s Curse, huh? Tsk, that darned Amber Church. You think you can suppress my growth just by cing some wealth curse?'' He coldly snorted inside. ''Forget it, it''s time for me to check a suitable magic spell model.'' He nodded his head and then turned his attention to the spellbook option. ¡­ [Avable Fire Spell models for the Host: Fire Orb (430 Exp), Fire Arrow (250 Exp), Fire Breath (250 Exp), Fire Shield (320 Exp), me Body (350 Exp), me Jump (540 Exp), Fire Wing (450 Exp), Fire Wisp (240 Exp), Fire de (459 Exp), Fire Prism (310 Exp), Fire Mark (300 Exp), etc.,] ¡­ ''I don''t need any attack power for now. All I need is some supportive type spells.'' He thought for a moment and soon turned his attention to the [Fire Jump] spell. But he didn''t choose to construct the spell model now. ''Once I choose the spell model, the system will automatically start constructing the spell model in my mind for the next few minutes. That will do no good for me in my current situation. Moreover, I don''t have any information about how mages create spell models in their minds.'' He heaved a heavy sigh and then turned his attention to the citizens. Most of them had already removed the ropes and started untying the nearby citizens. Although the Shadow Killers already killed some, he didn''t think much about them. ''Hmm, the Shadow Guard should be here at any minute.'' He muttered inwardly and then looked at his Ghost Dagger. [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect Sess!] ¡­ [Ghost Dagger (Observer''s Dagger)] Quality: Umon Effect: Extra Sharpness, Freezing Edges, (Prober''s Eye). The requirement to see the hidden effects: 15 Wisdom ¡­ ''I knew it!¡­ That Russell must have been observing me all this time. Is he probing my real strength? But why is he doing this?¡­ Something feels off¡­This whole chaos incident looks like an orchestrated mission. Did he have a link to Divine Order organization?'' Charles furrowed his brows and soon turned his face serious. ''It seems I entered a lion''s den. Thankfully, I have a system to level up faster than normal humans. Still, I need to fool their eyes and hide my strength for a while. I don''t think that enemy doesn''t have a way to check my real strength¡­ Troublesome¡­ Hmm, there must be some strange skills out there to hide one''s real strength. I have to find a way and get it.'' He thought to himself and turned his attention to the citizens. "Get away from here." He said coldly and held the Ghost Dagger in his right hand. As for the Ring sword, he held it in his other hand and smirked as he saw a ck-robed guy was running in his direction. Upon hearing his unkind words, the citizens nodded their heads in fear and ran in different directions while dragging the severely wounded ones. In the meantime, Shadow guard had already arrived in front of him and was staring at him in anger. ''It''s time to perform a show.'' Charles turned his face solemn and sprinted towards the Shadow Guard while roaring, ''''Why are you guys killing the poor citizens?'''' Charles''s action caused the Shadow Guard to be confused for a while. He soon returned to his normal state and muttered inwardly. ''He looks like a naive fool!'' He coldly watched the maddened youth, who was running towards him in anger, and then aimed his sword at Charles''s shoulder. After that, he activated [Killer''s Thirst] skill and rushed towards the opponent at an unimaginable speed. A secondter, he closed the distance between himself and the target using the [Shadow Step] skill and lunged at Charles. Upon seeing the uing dangerous sword attack, Charles turned his expression serious and blocked the long sword with his dagger. A loud, nging sound resounded. A momentter, Charles''s body was pushed back, and soon he was blown away. Simultaneously, his Ghost Dagger was also sent flying in a different direction andnded one hundred meters away from him. A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he stood up hurriedly and then gripped the Ring Sword in his left hand. He then turned his gaze towards the other side and started running. Noticing his target''s cowardly act, Shadow Guard curled his lips upward and chased after him. Charles, on the other hand, smirked inwardly and ran towards the Pine Town''s exit. Although many Shadow Killers appeared in his sight while running, he didn''t have any luxury to even look at them. After a few minutes of running, he managed to found the town''s exit and ran towards it. Meanwhile, Shadow Guard became shocked by his speed and became more resolute about his original mission. ''Lord ck''s guess is right! He really is hiding his strength.'' A cold glint appeared in his eyes as he locked his eyes on Charles''s back. Like a cat and mouse, both soon moved out of the Pine town and entered the nearby woods. After confirming that no one was following them, Charles heaved a relieved sigh and soon began to look for a suitable grasnd-like area to battle. ''I need to find a way and capture him quickly.'' Charles became firm about his decision. After running deep into the woods for a while, he came across arge grasnd-like area and halted his footsteps. ''''Are you got tired of running?'''' Shadow Guard''s mocking words came from behind, causing Charles''s lips to twitch. Letting out a heavy sigh, Charles switched the Ring Sword to his right hand and turned around with a mysterious smile on his face. Puzzlement appeared on the Shadow Guard''s face as he saw Charles''s mysterious smile. ''''You still didn''t get it, do you?'''' Charles narrowed his eyes as he stared at the dumb Shadow Guard and then cast [Inspect] skill on him. [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect Sess!] ¡­ [Name: Ian Adams Race: Human Rank: 2 (Umon) ss: Level 3 Shadow Guard Sub-ss: None Title: Murderer, Killer, ck''s Loyal One. Health Points: 99/111 Exp: 0 Attributes: Strength- 14 Dexterity- 15 Constitution- 13 Wisdom-14 Charisma- 9 ss skills: Shadow Steps-70 Shadow Teleport-63 Killer''s Thirst- 57 Unique skills: Basilisk''s Eyes- 50 Basic Sword Arts- 38] ¡­ ''He is still stronger but not strong enough to kill me. My only worry about him is his unique skill [Basilisk''s Eyes]. Now, I understand why Lady Emilia told us something about familiarity when seeing him.'' He nodded inwardly and then moved closer towards the Shadow Guard. "Quite an arrogant tongue you have, kid," Ian said in a cold tone and then turned into a cloud of smokes. A momentter, Charles''s own shadow moved on its own and formed into the ck-robed Ian. Before Charles could mutter another word, Ian clenched his fist and threw a punch at him with full force. If it were before, Charles would have dodged it with all his strength. But after he leveled up twice, he became much stronger. He calmly took a step back and blocked the punch with his hand. A momentter, a look of astonishment appeared on Ian''s face. ''He blocked my attack!'' He squinted his eyes sharply. Ian then muttered strange words and stared deeply into his target''s eyes. It was the incantation of [Confusion] magic spell! Ian learned this spell incantation from a magic book called Starfall Codex book and used it often against his opponents to catch them off-guard. Meanwhile, Charles felt confusion feeling appeared in his mind. But due to his high wisdom, he managed to resist the confusion and became clear-headed. After that, he took a step back and avoided his stare. ''I must be wary of his [Basilisk''s Eyes] skill.'' He thought to himself and then shed the Ring Sword at Ian''s neck. Upon noticing the iing attack, Ian Adams grew more alert and blocked the Ring sword. He then took two steps back and parried against his skillful sword strikes while pondering deeply. ''He managed to resist my [Confusion] spell and also seems to be cautious of looking at my [Basilisk''s Eyes]! From his earlier attack, I can tell now that he has the strength of a rank 2 Mystic!'' Ian widened his eyes in surprise and soon backed away using [Shadow Steps] skill. At the same time, Charles gripped the Ring Sword and cast [Conceal] skill on himself. A look of rm appeared on Ian''s face as he stared cautiously at the surrounding grasnd. ''I was wrong. Did this kid lure me here to silence me?'' A foreboding thought appeared in his mind. He recalled Charles''s naive action and soon realized his situation. ''He is a dangerous one and seems to have enough strength to kill me. I need to warn Mr. ck.'' He muttered under his breath and soon took out an eerie ck covered book from his void pouch. It had strange letters engraved on the cover and appeared ominous. Meanwhile, Charles felt an unknown fear upon seeing the eerie ck book and cast [Inspect] on it. [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspection failed!] ¡­ ''It looks dangerous.'' Charles frowned as he saw the eerie book and backed away from Ian. At the same time, Ian Adams let out an evilugh and opened the book. After that, he looked at the book and started chanting in a weirdnguage. ''Isn''t he afraid of assassination?'' Charles got shocked by Ian''s confidence and soon sprinted towards him at an unimaginable speed. In two seconds, he appeared in front of Ian and thrust his sword towards his heart. But to his amazement, a thinyer of transparent force field appeared around Ian''s body andpletely blocked his attack. Meanwhile, Ian made strange hand signs using his other hand and continued to chant. Before Charles could back away, he felt the space around his body began to distort and soon pulled him into the void! ''What is this?!'' He was baffled for a moment and soon noticed that he was standing 100 meters away from Ian Adams! ''Forceful teleportation?'' He was deeply surprised for a moment and soon froze. Because he saw Ian held the ck covered book tightly and started running into the woods, but he could still hear weird rhythmic incantations from Ian, which gave him goosebumps. ''What happened?'' Puzzlement appeared on his face. ''Follow the Shadow.'' Eve''s words once again appeared in his mind. He hesitated for a moment and soon chose to trust her words. But before he could take a step forward to follow after Ian, he saw dense clouds of grey smokes appeared from the eerie book and soon turned into daggers and swords. In a blink, all those weapons aimed in all directions and flew everywhere at an unimaginable speed! A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he jumped up and avoided a dagger that appeared in his direction. ''It seems he is nning to retreat.'' A cold smile appeared on his face as hended on the grassy ground. ''If I let him escape now, he might inform about my original fighting capabilities to his employer. I need to capture him and find more information about the situation. I''m still dancing in the dark like a dumb fool.'' He grew annoyed inside and soon chased after Ian. Meanwhile, Ian''s face grew solemn as he held the mysterious ck book in his hand. ''Damn it; I feel fatigued after reciting a single Rank 3 spell.'' He gritted his teeth in anger and soon went towards the eastern direction. It''s where his secret hideout was located. Although he was afraid of the exposure, he didn''t put much thought into it. ''My current goal is to escape and inform Lord ck about Target''s real strength.'' If it were another person, he would have stopped earlier and killed his target using various means. But his owner warned him not to kill the target, which made him frustrated inside. ''I can''t kill him. Lord ck had already made many preparations to catch A-O35. I can''t mess up the n.'' He grumbled inside and then moved faster. Charles also pursued him while looking at the interface in contemtion. ''I still have 1006 Exp. Tsk, I actually thought of using this exp to construct spell models, but it looks like I need to dy that for some time. Hmm, once I use the Exp to maximize my Trickster ss, I will be able to overwhelm him and kill him swiftly.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment and soon added 843 Exp to the Sub-ss. ¡­ [337 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 4 Trickster!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded] ¡­ [506 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level 5 Trickster!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded] ¡­ ''I have two free attribute points and 60 skill points in total.'' He checked the interface while avoiding the iing [Acid Arrow] spell attack and then added one attribute point to Dexterity. After that, he thought for a moment and added the remaining attribute point to Strength. In a blink, he noticed the changes happening in his body and grinned inwardly. If not for the wooden branches and vines obstructing his path, he would have already caught up with Ian Adams. ''Ian appears to have some n¡­ He is moving in a particr direction.'' He guessed. After pondering for a moment, Charles didn''t dare to dy any longer and added 30 skill points to his [Trickster''s Hand] skill. A heartbeatter, a massive amount of information about hand tricks appeared in his mind. Chapter 19: Information Chapter 19: Information The next instant, he loosens his sword grip a little and twisted his hand at a weird angle. He then aimed the Ring Sword at Ian and threw it casually. Like a slithering snake, the Ring Sword flew towards the target while arching in a weird angle and directly stabbed onto Ian''s shoulder! A groaning sound leaked out of Ian''s mouth as he staggered and directly crashed onto the wooden trunk. Meanwhile, a change urred in the interface, causing Charles to pause in surprise. ¡­ [Trickster''s Hand skill reached its peak level!] [Host''s Snatch skill looks simr to the Trickster''s Hand skill!] [Merging is possible due to skills simrity!] [Would you like to merge these two skills and create a unique skill?] [Cost for merging the two skills: 200 Exp.] ¡­ ''Exp again.'' He clicked his tongue in annoyance and soon arrived in front of the groaning Ian Adams. ''I aimed for his heart.'' He furrowed his brows and soon shook his head. ''I need to train my skillster.'' While thinking, Charles went beside the wounded Ian Adams and pulled the Ring Sword out of his shoulder. Meanwhile, Ian stood up with staggering footsteps and turned around with a piercing re. But he didn''t lose his calm, though: Instead, he held his book¡­ Widening his yellow eyes, Ian looked at his hand and soon got perplexed as he noticed his empty hand. ''Where is the Starfall Codex?'' He drew a heavy gasp and soon froze. ''Could it be¡­?'' He stared back at the humanoid figure and took a step back in the dense darkness. In the meantime, Charles curled his lips upward and asked while holding an eerie ck book in his hand. ''''Are you looking for this?'''' ''''H-How?'''' Ian became stunned for a while and soon widened his eyes as he remembered Thief''s [Snatch] skill! ''No! I have to think of a method. If he captures me, the possibility of me exposes Lord ck''s identity is very high. That Telepathist can read memories.'' Although the enemy had stolen his trump card, he wasn''t swallowed by the despair. Instead, he took out a ck gem from his void pouch and was about to move it towards his mouth. ''I will turn into a Distorted Shadow and kill him-'' While Ian was nning, Charles smirked at him and shed his sword at his neck. Upon noticing the uing sword, Ian retracted his hand and backed away with no other choice, and tried to evade the sharp sword tip. Still, his movement became slower due to fatigue, causing the sword tip to made a small cut on his neck. ''Sh*t!'' He drew a deep breath while covering his neck with one hand and stared warily at the blue-haired kid. Ian then let out an angry grunt and started moving backward. Simultaneously, he put the ck Gem in his pocket and searched for his sword. He also realized that his target wouldn''t give him enough time to swallow the [Phantom Stringer] ss Gem and made a swift decision. ''I need to find my sword first. After that, I will swallow this [Phantom Stringer] ss Gem.'' He grew more resolute as he thought of his main mission. On the other hand, Charles didn''t hold back his strength and attacked Ian with all his might. His every attack turned into a fatal one as he started shing his sword. Covering in wounds and blood, Ian desperately avoided his sword attacks and finally found his sword, whichid a few meters away from him. A hideous grin appeared on Ian''s face as he saw his sword and ran towards it. Meanwhile, Charles noticed his n and snorted coldly. ''Toote for that.'' Unlike thest him, he aimed his sword at Ian''s back and threw it swiftly. In a second, the Ring Sword made a whooshing sound and prated deep into Ian''s right chest area, causing him to fall again. Before Ian could stand up, Charles appeared right behind him and pulled his sword out from his chest. After that, he severed his limbs'' tendons and crippled Ian shortly. Ian also tried multiple times to swallow the ck Gem in those few seconds, but his every attempt failed. Charles then snatched the ck Gem from Ian''s hand and started dragging him towards the east. Two minutester, Charles found an open space and started tying Ian''s hands and legs using green vines. ''''What are you trying to do?!'''' Ian got agitated by Charles''s action and asked in wary eyes. Not responding to Ian''s question, Charles took out Ian''s void pouch and started checking the contents inside. ''Two silver coins, One Arcane Card, five packs of dry bread, and one leather water pouch. He didn''t have a single document. This guy is careful.'' Charles clicked his tongue in annoyance and then shifted his gaze towards Ian. He then made a yful smile and asked, ''''Who is your master, Ian Adams?'''' When he heard his cold yet yful tone, Ian''s face stiffened up. ''How did he know my name?'' He got rmed inside. Although he heard of some unique skills that could expose one''s secret, he didn''t expect his target to possess one of the mysterious skills. ''He is a dangerous one. I must find a way and kill myself before that Telepathist arrives,'' He muttered inwardly and stayed silent. In the meantime, Charles squatted down and asked coldly, ''''Is your master is also after the Holem''s Crown?'''' Upon hearing Charles''s words, Ian''s eyes widened in surprise, and he asked in a stutter, ''''H-How did you know about A-035?'''' ''A-035? Is this some code name? Interesting, let''s see if I can get more information from this fool.'' He smirked inwardly and spoke casually, ''''What so odd about it? I have long known about that Series Artifact.'''' Ian went silent upon hearing those words from Charles. ''Is his sudden rise in strength is also rted to A-035? Is it already controlling him in the shadows? But why didn''t Lord ck sensed its presence around him?'' He looked suspiciously at Charles and probed, ''''Why are you speaking so confidently? Aren''t you afraid of the Holem''s Crown?'''' ''Afraid? Is it a dangerous artifact?'' Charles smiled mysteriously to avoid being suspicious and began to ponder inside. Surprisingly, his facial muscles acted on their own and concealed his real facial expressions. ''Hmm, Holem''s Crown seems like a dangerous, intelligent artifact. But, what about Ian''s master? Is he also a dangerous one? Like Rank 3 or Rank 4 mystic? I need to get more information from this loose lip.'' He muttered to himself and added calmly. "Don''t be so surprised. I also know about your master ck''s schemes." "W-What?!" Ian stared at Charles with a horrified face and soon blurted out, "How did you find out about Lord Anderson''s schemes?" ''Wow, he is a dumb idiot.'' Charles stared at Ian Adams in amazement for a moment and soon fabricated a lie. "Don''t think I don''t have any spies in your organization." Without waiting for the shocking fool to reply, Charles tapped his forehead twice and asked, "Now that I think about it, did Anderson reveal our identities and location to our Nightwind family?" "No. Lord Anderson didn''t know about your real identity before the kidnapping incident. We just followed Legend Eddie''s prophecy and waited for A-035 to show up in Riverdale City for the past 20 years. Not only us, but there are also many organizations watching the city from the shadows. But we found a clue that A-035 would act when its sessor''s life is in danger. That''s the reason we made a small n and cornered you." Ianpletely believed that Charles knew more information and spilled everything. ''Legend Eddie? Prophecy? Am I the sessor of Holem''s Crown? Is that the reason that Holem''s Crown came to my room and asked me to search for its location? Moreover, a Prophecy, is it? Things are getting more and more interesting.'' Charles curled his lips upward and soon moved his sword. "I wonder why your master assigned this mission to an idiot like you," Charles muttered loudly and shed his sword at Ian''s neck, cleaving it into two. A secondter, Ian''s eyes went wide, and soon his whole body began to twitch uncontrobly. [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s Special Identity, 984 Battle Exp Rewarded!] ''984 Battle Exp.'' He licked his red lips and nodded with a pleasant smile on his face. ''My real reward is this mysterious book.'' Charles held the ck book in his right hand and looked at it closely. Charles saw a strange ck scythe symbol on the book cover and became curious about the mysterious book''s origin. He then thought for a moment and opened it carefully to read the content hidden inside. A heartbeatter, he furrowed his brows as he saw the mysterious words written in that book and soon widened his eyes. ''Don''t these characters look simr to the characters in Fire Wings spell model?'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face. ''Looks like I need to search more information about the Mages'' pathways.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment and then stored the book into the new void pouch. The space inside the void pouch was around 3 cubic meters, which would be more than enough for him to store his belongings. After that, he picked Ian''s another Rank 3 sword and stored it in the void pouch. ''Hmm, it''s time for me to hide Ian''s body somewhere and go back.'' He nodded thoughtfully and started to act. He first dragged Ian''s body to an open area and started erasing his trails. He knew that the blood scent would attract the nearby wolves and acted fastly. Once he erased his trails, he carefully followed the route and went in Pine Town''s direction. While moving, he also added another 30 skill points to the [Clown] skill. Earlier, he noticed that this [Clown] skill activated on its own and helped him to control his facial muscles, giving him a big surprise. [Clown skill has reached its peak level!] [Requirement has been met for Trickster ss advancement!] [You can Rank up by consuming Disguiser ss gem or by spending Experience points!] [Experience points required for ranking up the Trickster ss: 2,000 Exp!] Charles halted his footsteps in surprise and soon clicked his tongue. ''Disguiser ss? 2,000 Exp? It looks like it will take some time for me to rank up.'' He mumbled inwardly. ''I did gain good things by following the shadow.'' He smiled and then continued to walk in the dark forest. Before he walked out of the dense woods, Charles heard multiple howls from behind and curled his lips upward. ''Those wolves will eat Ian''s body and leave no trace behind. If someone dide back to search for him, they would only find his bones.'' He smirked inwardly and entered the Pine Town. Unlike before, the chaos in Pine town had already quieted down. Charles first went to the area where the shadow killers gathered the citizens earlier and searched for the Observer''s Dagger. But to his worst luck or good luck, the dagger was nowhere to be seen. ''Hmm, it seems someone took the dagger. It''s a good thing, anyway.'' He muttered inwardly and then searched for a spare bag. Due to the chaos, he soon found a leather bag near a merchant''s dead body and took it. After that, he ced his new void pouch inside the leather bag and concealed it. For now, he doesn''t want others to know about him possessing a void pouch. After re-checking everything, he took a few turns and went in Town Chief''s mansion direction. In the darkness, he walked past many wounded citizens and soon found the main street. ''Once I return to Riverdale City, I have to build some spell models and start searching for clues about the strange magguage.'' While crossing the town square, he started thinking about his future. ''Another worry in my mind is the Holem''s Crown¡­ A dangerous intellectual artifact, is it? From the earlier information from Ian, these shadowy forces seem to be acting based on some foolish Prophecy. Who is Legend Eddie? Moreover, am I a sessor of Holem''s Crown?'' Charles got puzzled inside. ''Why did it choose me? Something feels off here¡­ Did that intelligent artifact know about my transmigration?'' An uneasy feeling appeared in his mind. ''I have to ask Eve. Maybe she can help me find more clues about this intelligent artifact. Hmm, Ian also showed a disbelieving expression when he learned that I know more about Holem''s Crown. From his expression, I can vaguely guess that controlling a Series artifact is an impossible task¡­ Should I ask for help from Bishop Reynolds? That sly devotee is not a normal guy. He also seems to be chasing after that artifact¡­'' He thought for a moment while arriving in front of the mansion entrance and shook his head. ''Forget it¡­ It''s not a good idea for now. He hasn''t gained much trust from me, and he looks more like an opportunist. But I can tell him some information about Russell. Observer, is it? That dagger¡­'' A cold glint appeared in Charles''s deep-blue eyes as he made different ns in his mind and turned his attention towards the mansion. Chapter 20: Contract Chapter 20: Contract Unlike the other brick houses, the town chief''s mansion shone brightly in the dark, gloomy night. Hundreds of fire torches were lit all over the ces and illuminated the mansion building in bright yellow color. ''Darwin must have spent hundreds of gold coins on building this mansion.'' Charles mumbled inwardly and nced upward towards the red sky. One red moon peeked from the east while the other two moons had already hung in the center sky, giving Charles a sense of uneasiness. Taking a deep breath, Charles shook his head to relieve the uneasiness and moved towards the Iron Gate. He then opened the closed gate and went inside while ncing at the wounded soldiers and citizens gathered in front of the mansion. The weeping and cursing sounds of citizens echoed from the building entrance, making the ce looked more like a battlefield. In a minute, he arrived in front of the mansion building, looked at the peoples, and soon followed their gazes. Meanwhile, all those citizens'' eyes were glued on the slightly obese man, who was tied on the porch pir. Some cursed silently, while a few threw stones at the round-faced Darwin and the remaining people grieved silently in anger and frustration. They were angry at their town chief for colluding with criminals who killed their loved ones and frustrated for not having the authority to disobey the three mystics who saved Pine Town from turning into a ghost town. Charles''s eyes flickered as he stared at the trio and soon smiled. "It seems you guys already killed the Distorted Shadow," Charles said while attracting everyone''s attention. "Charles?" Andrew and Luke turned their heads in unison and shouted in surprise. "I thought the Shadow Guard killed you," Andrew said, and soon both stepped down from the elevated porch. On the other hand, Emilia smiled at him from the porch and then turned her attention towards Darwin. She then started frowning on her own as if she was reading the town chief''s memories. Charles also moved ahead, excluding the crowd, and soon arrived in front of Andrew and Luke. "How did you escape from a Rank 2 Shadow Guard?" Andrew sized him up and down before asking him in confusion. "I''m good at running and hiding," Charles replied with a chuckle and stepped up to the porch. "Tsk, you are a lucky one to escape from Rank 2 Shadow Guard''s eyes. But you have to be more careful in the future. It will not be the same next time." Andrew warned him and then gave an iron dagger to Charles. ''Tsk, so it was him.'' He grunted inwardly and thanked him. "Andrew found it near Elite Street. Although you didn''t help us during the battle, you helped us luring out the Shadow Guard and even killed tens of Shadow Killers. That''s an impressive feat." Luke said in an energetic tone and went beside Emilia. "Team Leader, did you get some clue from his memories?" Andrew also followed after him and asked the confused Emilia. "No, his memories are altered," Emilia said with a frown and soon shook her head, "Our job here is done. Once we return to Riverdale City, I will submit a detailed report to the Branch Head and let him take care of the rest." Saying so, she turned her attention towards Charles and said, "You have done a good job surviving on your own, kid. Once you be an official member, I will give you a chance to be a member of our Aces Team." "I''m honored, My Lady." Charles curled his lips up and bowed courteously. "You don''t have to act humble in front of me." She waved her hand and then shifted her gaze towards the citizens who gathered in front of them. "Fellow citizens, I deeply apologize for your losses." She paused for a moment and continued with a sigh, "We had already notified about the current situation to Riverdale City Lord. A squad of 20 soldiers wille and take over this town''s security in a few hours. As for the wounded ones, the town''s security will take you to the infirmary. I wille over thereter and give you healing potions for 10 silver coins. As for this idiot''s crime against colluding with nefarious cult members, Lord Ethan will personallye here and execute him tomorrow." Upon hearing Emilia''s words, all the citizens and soldiers nodded their heads solemnly and then dispersed in different directions. Meanwhile, the Aces Team went inside Darwin''s mansion after telling the town guards to watch after Darwin and began to take a rest. The next day, It was around 6 A.M. A loud horn sound echoed from the western gate and woke up the whole town. Aces team members then walked out of the mansion after a few minutes and soon saw a group of elite cavalrymen strolled on the mud road. cing different types of swords on their waist, they rode their horses and soon reached the mansion entrance. A secondter, the leading cavalryman stopped his horse, dismounted from his white horse, and then removed his silver helmet. Unlike others, who wore simply leather armors, this soldier wore silver-ted armor and gave off a noble aura around himself. After cing the silver helmet on the horse saddle, he turned his attention towards Emilia and said, "Hello Mystics, I''m the First Knight of Riverdale." After a pause, he nced at the other three and then added in a cold tone, "You and your team members can return to Riverdale City. We will take care of this town from now on." Emilia wasn''t affected by the soldier''s cold attitude: instead, she let out a relieved sigh and responded, "We will be on our way then," Saying so, she called out their coachman and told him to prepare the carriage. A few minutester, a silk curtained carriage exited from the mansion house and soon went out of the Pine Town. ¡­ After a few hours of travel, the luxurious carriage soon reached Riverdale city and moved to 35 Ivy Street. After arriving, the coachman parked the carriage in front of the fence and informed the mystics. One by one, four mystics in different attire walked out of the carriage while pushing the silk curtain and went inside the single-storied house. Once they walked in, Russell greeted them at the reception hall and asked Charles and Emilia to follow him to his office room. Both nodded their heads and went after Russell silently. Once they walked in, Russell locked the wooden door from inside and went towards his office desk. After sitting on the wooden chair, Russell gestured them toe forward and spoke. "Take a seat." He then took out a monocle from the drawer, put it on his left eye, and ced his hands on the wooden desk. In the meantime, Charles and Emilia walked ahead and sat on the chairs ced near the wooden desk. "How is the mission?" Russell turned his face serious and asked. Emilia took out a file filled with brown papers from her void pouch, passed it to Russell, and then started to exin everything in detail. She told him about the Divine Order organization''s suspicious movements and asked him to report it to the higher-ups. Once she finished her exnation, Emilia nced at her side and added, "Charles is skilled in sneaking and hiding and has the qualification to be an official member, Branch Head. He survived the chase of a Rank 2 Shadow Guard, which itself is an impressive feat. He is powerful enough to kill tens of shadow killers, so you don''t have to worry about his battle skills." "Oh? That''s surprising." Russell shifted his gaze towards Charles and nodded. "I will promote him to an official member then." Saying so, he took out a bunch of papers and spoke in a calm tone. "To be an official member of the Withering Shadows, you have to sign a contract, Charles." "Contract?" Charles''s brows shot up as he stared at Russell in vignce. "Yes. It is to prevent betrayal." Russell added with a smile. ''Betrayal? Then, why didn''t it work on you?'' Charles scoffed inside and began to read the contract documents. Most of them were about rules he heard from Bishop Reynolds, but there was one rule that caught his attention. ''Rule 53: If the Withering organization failed to keep their words, official members have the right to leave the organization. But, they have to sign a special contract not to divulge any of the organization''s secrets to another party.'' Charles narrowed his eyes for a moment and nodded. ''Hmm, keep their words, huh. Can I add some requests before signing the contract?'' He thought for a moment and spoke, "I want to add some requests before signing the contract. Is it okay?" Russell squinted his eyes for a moment and said while showing two fingers. "You can add two requests. But in return, we will reduce half of your monthly sry." Charles paused in surprise for a moment and soon asked, "How much is my monthly sry?" Russell thought for a moment and said, "All official Rank 1 members will get 10 Arc gold coins per month. But if you add requests when signing the contract, you will get only 5 Arc gold coins." Charles went silent for a moment and soon remembered Amber''s Curse. ''I can use that request to remove the curse ced by Amber Church. Although it isn''t affecting my growth, it is still affecting me in another way.'' He still remembered the amount left in Ian''s void pouch and began to contemte deeply. After thinking for a minute, he organized his thoughts and spoke. "I want to add some requests before signing the contract. But before that, do you know anything about these characters?" He took a quill pen from the table and started drawing a few characters on the nk paper while asking. In the meantime, Emilia and Russell looked at the paper in confusion, and soon Russell''s eyes went wide in surprise. "Runal?! How did you know about Runal Language?" He asked in a startled tone. ''Runalnguage? It seems he knew something.'' Charles smirked inwardly and lied without blinking, "I saw these characters in one of the history books at Wisdom Library, and it piqued my interest. You should have read about my records, right? I''m an Archaeological student, and I''m more interested in history-rted things." Russell went silent for a moment as he heard Charles''s words and replied with a solemn tone, "Runal Language was a holynguage for Mages during the First Arcane Era. Unlike now, First Arcane Era mages used thisnguage as a medium to understand the secrets ofws and evenid their hands on divinities. They believed that their holynguage had some deep connection with the Law powers and had done many forbidden experiments while hiding themselves from the churches'' eyes. Their action infuriated the Divine Ones. That''s why twelve Gods sent their avatar from their divine kingdoms and destroyed the First Era''s Arcane Empire. Because-" "I want to know if I can get Runalnguage book from somewhere." Charles interrupted him and revealed his intention. Russell red at him for interrupting his talk and nodded, "It is possible. The First Arcane Era''s remnant mages are still hiding in this world. So, if you encounter any of them in the future, you can try asking them to help you learn theirnguage." ''Future? I don''t have time to go on a journey to search for those mages.'' He grumbled inwardly and asked, "Do you have any other information about them?" At this time, Emilia turned her gaze towards Charles and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Destiny Conquerors?" Her question made Charles''s expression turn solemn. ''Destiny Conquerors¡­ I do read some information about them in the library.'' He thought inwardly and nodded his head. "Are you talking about the group of unruly mages who destroyed a whole kingdom using some strange curse magic a millennium ago?" He asked in surprise. ''If I''m not wrong, churches had already ced arge number of bounties on those mages.'' He pressed his lips together and waited for her to continue. "Yes, they are also a part of the First Era''s remnant mages. During the Magic gue incident, Life Church caught a few lunatics and confiscated their belongings, including their books and artifacts. If you use one of your requests, the church may give you the Runal Language book." She said while staring at him meaningfully. In the meantime, Charles widened his eyes and nodded in confusion. ''Why is she helping me?'' He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment and soon dismissed the suspicion in his mind. ''At least I got a lead now.'' He heaved a deep sigh and asked, "Branch Head, I want to borrow the Runal Language book from Life Church in exchange for the first request? Can you help me with that?" Russell got surprised by Charles''s decision and asked, "Why are you wasting such precious requests for some forgottennguage book?" After noticing Charles''s silent response, Russell shook his head and added, "If you n to walk on the path of First Era Mages, I will advise you to think twice. Although Life Church doesn''t forbid anyone from using thatnguage as a medium to build spell models, the higher-ups will be dissatisfied by your action. Moreover, using thatnguage to build spell models in your mind is more like walking on a rope. A single mistake when constructing the spell models will put you in deep sh*t. The backsh will also affect you both mentally and physically." "It''s for research purposes. I won''t use Runalnguage to construct spell models," Charles responded while pinching his chin and started pondering about the second request. Chapter 21: Miracle Chapter 21: Miracle ''Hmm, what Ick now is strength.'' He contemted for a while and soon said, "When my mother or I''m in danger, Life Church has to send a Rank 4 or above Rank Mystic to help us solve the problem once. If Life Church fails to do it, I will walk out of the Withering Shadows." Upon hearing his words, Russell fell silent for a moment and then took out a silver ring from the cupboard. After that, he muttered a strange incantation to activate the ring and soon said few words in an unknownnguage. After a minute of silence, a male voice came from the other side, causing Charles''s eyes to widen a little. ''Is it some long-distancemunication artifact?'' He wondered. Without minding Charles''s questionable gaze, Russell started discussing with the man from the other side. After a lengthy discussion, Russell hung up the call and turned his attention towards Charles. "Archbishop Abel epted your condition. But it will be only valid for ten years. If you didn''t use that request by then, the second request would be invalidter." Russell said solemnly. "Okay." Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. ''My second request seems to be a simple matter for them. Well, I''m also losing half of my sry in return. So, it makes sense.'' He thought inwardly. In the meantime, Russell took a sealed scroll from the same cupboard and started writing those conditions in detail with a ck quill. He then checked it for any mistakes and passed it to Charles. Charles also checked the content for the next few minutes and signed it using the same ck quill. Like thest time, after he signed the scroll, the contract paper started to burn and soon disappeared from their visions. ''''I will ask the higher-ups to send you a copy of the Runal Language book in a month,'''' Russell said and then started exining about his job. ''''There are four adept teams and two elite teams working in Riverdale Branch. You have toe here daily before 6.A.M and deliver the present-day mission letters to different team members. After that, you have to go to Riverdale''s security administration office and get the unusual case files from there. Then, you are free to do your work till the next day morning. Your temporary team leader Emilia will give an intro to those team members tomorrow.'''' Russell paused for a moment and added while giving him a small book. ''''Memorize the contents in this book before tomorrow morning. This book has names and details about abnormal Mystics. If you bump any of them in the future, you must immediately report it to your team leader.'''' ''''Who are they?'''' Charles raised his eyebrows and showed a confused look. ''''Like your mom, these Mystics are also from big family backgrounds or some well-known organizations. We don''t know why there are lurking in this city, but if they show any suspicious movement, we have the authority to apprehend them. They are powerful mystics. Unless they showed hostility, don''t make any trouble with them.'''' Russell warned him. After that, he also told him about Charles''s special missions. ''''Once in a week, you also have to apany the Aces team and participate in some random missions. After three months, I will check your battle capabilities again and promote you as an official member of the Aces Team.'''' ''''Got it.'''' Charles nodded his head and asked few more questions about Mystics. After discussion for a while, Charles walked out of the office room with an official badge in his hand. It was an iron badge with a Life symbol engraved on it. The badge had a circle with a six-pointed star in it and looked much like a wheel. While walking out of the Life department building, he met Luke and Andrew in the reception hall and discussed few words with them. After that, he bid his farewell to Luke and Andrew and walked out of the Life department. His next destination was, of course, the Life Church. After walking for a minute, he appeared in front of a dome-shaped building and noticed Holy Knight Hunt was standing at the entrance while holding a long spear in his hand. "Good Morning, Mr. Hunt." Charles greeted him with a smile and walked into the church building. ''''Charles, are you free now? I have to tell you something important.'''' Hunt''s question made Charles narrow his eyes for a moment. He then halted his footsteps and looked back at Hunt in confusion. ''Hmm, did something happen to Eve when I was away?'' He creased his eyebrows and asked in concern, ''''What is it, Mr. Hunt?'''' In the meantime, Hunt nced around sneakily to see if someone was monitoring them and then spoke in a suppressing tone, ''''Follow me. Father Reynolds wants to meet you in private.'''' ''Why is he acting like a thief?'' He stared at Hunt''s face for two seconds and said with a nod, ''''Lead the way.'''' Both went towards the Life Church''s rear and soon arrived in front of a small one-storied building. It was a small brick house with a small porch in front. Hunt took the lead, soon arrived in front of the iron door, and knocked it thrice. A few momentster, a 40-year-old man in a golden-lined white robe opened the door and invited them in. Charles immediately nced inside; his gaze swept across the reception room. This room was at least three timesrger than his room. At the very end were a desk- Painted red and brown- and tworge bookshelves. On the left side of the wall were three tables. They were ck and looked rather old. There was a leather sofa set, a coffee table, and four wooden chairs. At this moment, Bishop Reynolds sat on the sofa while opening a white-covered book in his right hand and gestured them to sit on the opposite chairs. Charles gave a polite nod and seated on the wooden chair. Hunt also nodded his head and sat next to Charles. Nobody spoke for a whole minute and watched each others'' faces in awkward silence. After a minute, Charles got annoyed by their sneaky behavior and opened his mouth. "I''m not interested in men." Hearing his words, Hunt coughed loudly in embarrassment and soon spoke. "We invited you here to discuss something about the Series Artifact." Charles''s eyes widened and soon turned his face serious. "Is it about A-035?" He asked in a cold tone. "It seems you used the [Inspect] skill wisely and gathered some information on your own," Reynolds said with a smile. ''He knew about the Pine Town incident?'' Charles got startled inside and started to ponder. ''Did he also know about the mysterious Anderson''s schemes? Something feels off here¡­Think¡­ What did I miss¡­ Wait¡­ Is he also colluding with Russell? If so, why did Russell use the Observer''s Dagger to probe my strength¡­ Hmm, there are only four people who knew about my inheritance skill. The first is Bishop Reynolds, the second is my mother, and the third one is Sharon White. As for Russell, he-'' Charles''s eyes widened as he suddenly remembered Russell''s behavior when introducing Aces Team members. ''I still remembered his meaningful smile. Did he purposefully act to find out my inheritance skill''s name?'' The more he thought about it, the more sure he became. ''That means Bishop Reynolds might be on odd terms with the Branch Head Russell!'' A look of realization appeared on his face. In a second, he organized his thoughts and asked the most important question. "Father, do you know anyone called Anderson? He might go by the name ''Mr. ck.''" "Anderson ck? Are you talking about Russell''s grandfather? Where did you hear his name?" Bishop Reynolds closed the book and asked in a serious tone. ''Russell''s grandfather?'' Charles felt that the whole puzzle began to link together and soon realized his situation. ''Did I walk into a lion''s den?'' He turned his attention to Bishop Reynolds and then clicked his tongue. ''This man¡­ He appears to have already known about Russell''s scheme. Did he purposefully hide my inheritance skill name to learn more about Russell? Possible! If Russell had known about my inheritance skill, he wouldn''t have given the Observer''s Dagger as a gift.'' Without any dy, Charles unsheathed his iron dagger and passed it to Hunt. "Branch Head gave this dagger as a present." Meanwhile, Hunt stood up from his seat and went near the sofa before giving Bishop Reynolds the dagger. After that, he went beside the leather sofa and stood there calmly like a statue. At this time, Bishop Reynolds inspected the dagger with his [True Eyes] skill and soon turned his face colder. "My guess is right." He curled his lips up and handed the dagger back to Hunt. "Can he spy on us now?" Charles''s deep-blue eyes glinted as he stared at the Observer''s dagger in a cold look. "Using this eye-like gem, he can indeed monitor your movements. But that won''t work here." Bishop Reynolds curled his lips upward and then added, "This house is built using some special stones, which prevents any abnormal energies from getting near it." Upon hearing Bishop Reynolds''s words, Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Charles, do you want to know more about the situation you are in?" Bishop then looked at Charles and asked with a solemn look on his face. "Yes." Charles nodded his head and waited for Bishop Reynolds to continue. "A-035. It''s a series artifact with mysterious powers hidden in it. Except for your ancestor Eddie Nightwind and Myers Collins, nobody knew about its abilities. Some say that the Holem''s Crown has the ability to create a ''Miracle'', while others say that it could see through the ''Past'' itself. But nobody, even the Divines, knew the answer." He paused deliberately for two seconds and continued with a wry smile, "But twenty years ago, a mysterious person sent anonymous letters to Life Church, Amber Church, and few other organizations and revealed some confidential information about A-035 to all. He mentioned in the letter that A-035 had already chosen its master, and it would reveal its presence to the world soon. He also mentioned the exact location and date of its future appearance in the letter." He finished the sentence and then looked at Charles with shining eyes. ''Old man, your stare gives me a creepy feeling.'' Charles stared back at Bishop Reynolds for a second and asked, ''''Did you manage to find out any information about this mysterious person?'''' ''''Nope. We used some unique methods to track his origin and guessed that he might be an Astrologer ss Mystic. As for his strength, we know nothing about them. But-" He paused for a moment while looking deeply into Charles''s deep-blue eyes and added, "We found out who is A-035''s sessor.'''' ''''How are you so sure about me being A-035''s sessor?'''' Charles straightened his back and asked, without losing his calm. ''''It already helped you and revealed its presence to everyone. Now, it is hiding among the citizens and is searching for a chance to meet you.'''' Bishop Reynolds said mysteriously. "When did it help me?" Charles felt numb for a moment and soon muttered in confusion. "Don''t you remember? It can create a ''Miracle,'' Charles. A-035 used its power to change your personality and made you a cold-blooded killer. That itself is a ''Miracle.'' We all felt a strange, mysterious power sweeping down the whole Riverdale city during your kidnapping incident. After that night, I sensed that something was not right. I seem to have lost something precious." He paused for a second and added in a grave tone, "I, No. We, the Riverdale Citizens, might have lost our ''Luck.''" "Luck?" Charles''s expression went stiff as he heard Reynolds''s words. ''Is that even possible to steal one''s luck?¡­ Moreover, ''Miracle'' is it? Is my transmigration also rted to A-035? What about this strange game system residing in my body? Did A-035 create this system using the so-called ''Miracle''?'' A chill went up to his spines as he shuddered in anxiety. ''I heard from Ian that A-035 is a dangerous artifact¡­ But why is it helping me? Damn it; I need to find a way to get out of this situation.'' He grumbled inside in dissatisfaction and soon asked, "But you look normal to me, father Reynolds. Even after losing your ''Luck,'' nothing bad happened to you, right?" A weak smile appeared on Reynolds''s face as he heard Charles''s words. He didn''t say anything; instead, he took off his golden-lined white robe and revealed his upper body to Charles. The next instant, Charles held his breath and squinted his eyes sharper. Because what he saw was not a well-built muscr body. Instead, he saw strange dark-red lines, flesh wounds, and pus appeared all over his body. Some dark-red lines even prated his deep wounded areas and made his body messier! Widening his eyes, Charles stood up from the chair, took three steps forward, and looked closer. He saw that those dark-red lines were tangled one another and appeared to be moving on their own. Those dark red lines appeared to be sucking Bishop Reynolds''s blood! "What are these things?" He asked out loud. "A curse. It''s a curse I got from the [Sinful Demon] ss member during thest battle." Bishop wore the golden-lined white robe and said gloomily. Chapter 22: Clue Chapter 22: Clue "Who is this [Sinful Demon]? Also, what type of ss is this? I never even heard of it." Charles got puzzled by the new term and asked in curiosity. "It''splicated. Well, the Demonic Cult members also have a separate ss system. It''s the path of Demons." He stopped for a moment and added in a grave tone, "[Sinful Demon] ss is a Rank 4 demon ss, and walking on this path will turn the humans into real Demons." "Demons? Are demons real?" Charles had forgotten entirely about the Series Artifact and started asking more questions. "Yes, they are real. Now, let''s discuss the current situation." Bishop Reynolds deliberately paused for a second and asked, "What would you like to drink, tea or coffee?" Charles stared at Bishop in surprise for a moment and soon spoke, "Tea." Nodding his head, Bishop turned his gaze towards Hunt and said, "Go and prepare one ck tea for our guest." He paused for a moment and then spoke while turning his attention towards Charles. "Charles, I need your help to cure this curse and my bad luck." Aplicated expression appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at the white-haired man. He didn''t reply, though; instead, he went back to the wooden chair and sat on it. "What can I get in return?" He asked solemnly. "I can give you an important clue. That clue can help you to get the A-035 Series Artifact." Bishop Reynolds said in a tempting tone. "I''m not an idiot, father. If I find the Holem''s Crown, multiple organization members wille after my head. Humph, even the Churches will corner me from all directions and force me to give up the Series Artifact. I want to live a little longer." Charles responded in dissatisfaction. A chuckle escaped from Bishop Reynolds''s mouth as he stared at the blue-haired kid in amusement. If it was the old Charles, he knew the conversation would have gone in a different direction. ''Well, nothing can be changed now.'' He muttered under his breath and spoke, "That''s why I want to form an agreement with you, Charles." "An agreement, is it?" Charles''s lips twitched as he heard that word from Bishop Reynolds''s mouth. "Yes, it''s a win-win agreement this time." Bishop smiled without any shame and continued, "Holem''s Crown has already chosen you as its sessor, Charles. Even if we snatch it from you using force, that series artifact will try to retaliate and escape from us shortly. If you promise us to return the Holem''s Crown to Life Church before your death, I will ask the higher-ups to solve all the current problems. But you must promise me that you will stay in the Withering Shadows for the rest of your life and serve our Divine Lady. You know, these series artifacts are troublesome bunches, and keeping A-035 in the Life Church''s Secret chamber is the best option." "This is not a win-win agreement. You are just using me to capture the roaming Holem''s Crown before others." Charles''s tone went cold as he heard those conditions. "I''m helping you to solve your hidden problems." Bishop Reynolds refuted. "I can solve them myself, father Reynolds." Charles red at the Bishop for a second and shook his head. "If you want my help, then you have to adjust the agreement." He added. Bishop Reynolds went silent for a moment and soon asked, "What do you want?" "I want aplete ownership over the Holem''s Crown." Charles leaned back a little and replied calmly. "Impossible!" Bishop Reynolds shook his head and continued, "There are rules everyone must follow in this world, Charles. Unless you are a Rank 5 Mystic, Churches won''t allow any low-rank mystic to own the Series Artifacts." "Even if they are the real owner of the Series Artifact?" Charles asked while furrowing his brows. "Yes. Those artifacts are dangerous and have strange abilities to cause destruction." Bishop said in a calm tone. Upon hearing Bishop''s words, Charles''s expression went gloomy. He sat in silence for two minutes and shook his head. "I will be on my way then." Charles stood up from the seat and said in disappointment. "I have a solution." Hunt interrupted their talking as he walked into the reception hall with two teacups and gave one cup to Charles. Taking the cup, Charles paused for a moment in surprise and urged him to answer. "Why not alter the condition a little?" Asking, Hunt passed another teacup to Bishop Reynolds and borated, "Why not make a little gamble, father? You can let Charles keep the Holem''s Crown for the next ten years. If he manages to reach Rank 5 Mystic in those ten years, he doesn''t need to return the Series Artifact to Life Church. But if he didn''t, then the Church will have the right to confiscate the Series Artifact from him. How is this condition?" "Okay for me," Charles sat on the wooden chair and nodded his head. ''10 years are more than enough for me to rank up a few times.'' In the meantime, Bishop pondered for a moment and nodded, ''He is still naive. In the history of the Arcane Era, there are only a handful of geniuses achieved that feat. Well, all I have to do now is wait for another ten years and gain full control over the Series Artifact.'' "Then, let''s talk about how to catch the Holem''s Crown," Bishop said in excitement. "Before that, tell me about the clue to find the Holem''s Crown," Charles spoke impatiently. "I will." Bishop Reynolds patted his thighs and asked, "Do you know Eddie Nightwind?" Charles thought for a moment and soon shook his head. There was no memory of Eddie Nightwind in real Charles''s memory, which caused Charles to think deeply. ''Eddie Nightwind¡­ From the information I gathered from Ian''s mouth, I can guess that he must be an ancestor of the Nightwind family. But what it has to do with me? How did A-035, aka the Holem''s Crown, know about me? There are too many questions in my mind. There is also something off about our house and the 23-hectarend¡­'' "Who is he? Did he have some deep history with Riverdale city?" Charles took a sip of the ck tea and asked, "You guessed right." Bishop Reynolds replied in a surprised tone and continued, "Riverdale city is indeed Eddie''s home. He was born in this city and became a member of Withering Shadow like you. He is a Dreamer ss member, a rare ss Mystic. He made great achievements when he worked as a Withering Shadow and became a famous hero in fifteen years-" "Is he also the first owner of our current house and the 23-hectarends?" Charles interrupted his talking and asked while turning his face gloomier. "How did you find out?" Bishop Reynolds looked at Charles in surprise for a second and asked, "I guessed." He replied vaguely and started to ponder. ''It''s not a coincidence. Someone is pulling strings behind our backs.'' While he was in muse, Bishop Reynolds nodded his head and continued, "Due to some misunderstanding, Eddie left the Withering Shadows and joined a certain mage organization. After that, he created a special team and started researching about Edhen World and outer space. He, his childhood friend Myers Collins, and few other mages explored all over the Edhen Continent and began to raise questions about Gods, Demons, and Devils. They were always a troublesome bunch." "During their space research, Eddie found this Holem''s Crown in the outer space and captured it. He then became the owner of this series artifact and turned into a mysterious individual. With this artifact''s help, he even killed a Demi-God and became a legend among the mystics." Bishop Reynolds stopped for a moment to take a long breath and continued, "But even the mysterious legend met some troublesome enemy during his journey to a secondary dimension. He never mentioned anything about his enemy and returned to Edhen World. After that, he hid from the outer world and started researching about ''Myth Tree.''" "He imed that our world is moving to its doom and the only way to save our from its destruction was to find the world tree of Edhen. Everyone thought that Eddis became crazy after he came from the secondary dimension. So, Lady Myers even invited a Dream Church member to check any abnormalities in his soul. To their amazement, they found out Eddie''s inner world was not damaged at all!" "After years of researching, Eddie made a decision and set out to search for ''Myth Tree'' by himself in the Endless Sea. But before he went on his long journey, he returned to Riverdale City and stayed here for six months. We learned from the records that Eddie stayed in the Wind vi and appeared to be preparing for something. He also wrote a strange prophecy at that time and spread it all over the continent. That''s the reason that many Mystics from different organizations are hiding in this city. They are waiting for you to find the artifact and steal it for themselves. They are a bunch of greedy bastards." Bishop said in anger. Hearing Bishop''s angry voice, Hunt and Charles became speechless. ''You are the one to talk,'' Charles grumbled inwardly and asked, "The clue you are talking about is not that strange prophecy, right?" "Yes. Although Eddie Nightwind is not a divine being, he is still a legendary one. With his strange dream power, he might have some power to see the distant future. Don''t forget that dream is interlinked with past, present, and future. I think Eddie might have deliberately released the strange prophecy to divert others'' attention. He might have ced some valuable information in your home or the Wind Vi." ''Wind vi¡­ Is he talking about that 23-hectarend? Hmm, it seems I need to go and search for clues on my own.'' He mused in thoughts and soon asked in suspicious, "Are you hiding something from me? Did you find something in our vi?" Hearing Charles''s words, even Hunt became surprised and nced at Bishop in wide eyes. "''Cough'' No. I didn''t intend to hide it from you on purpose. I thought of revealing it to youter." Bishop coughed twice to clear the awkwardness and continued while taking out a thumb-sized greyish-ck pebble from his pocket. "3 months ago, I went to the Wind vi and found this strange stone in Eddie''s study room." ''I knew it! He indeed stole something from our ce. What is this strange stone?'' He furrowed his brows and soon cast [Inspect] skill on it. [Item- Nightmare Stone Rank- Unknown Effect: If you ce this stone near your heart when sleeping, it will send your consciousness to a strange dream world. It is believed that these stones are only found in the Woolgather world and are very rare in Edhen World.] "Nightmare Stone?" Charles asked in a startled tone as he read the effect. "Yes. I found it on Eddie''s desk." Bishop Reynolds nodded his head and continued, "I tried to enter this so-called ''Woolgather World'' and but all my attempts ended up as failures." ''Nightmare stone? What is this?¡­ Nightwind¡­ Nightmare¡­ Does this stone have some rtion with Nightwind family members? Eddie is the one who found this family, so it''s not a surprising thing. Did he foresee the future?¡­'' He thought for a moment and soon put it inside his void pouch. "Where did you get a void pouch?" Bishop Reynolds stared at the void pouch for a moment and asked in shock. ''Right? I should exchange those two rare-rank swords with this old man and ask for some good dagger or other-'' Charles abruptly stopped thinking as he remembered a particr type of artifact and furrowed his brows. ''If I''m in the Ember Kingdom, it would be very easier for me to get one of the magic pistols. As a former assassin from Earth, having one of the familiar weapons will give me some advantage against my enemies. Although it has a long cooldown time like one day or something per shot, it will definitely be useful as one of my trump cards. Currently, I only have the mysterious magic book as my trump card. But to use that book, I need to learn that strangenguage.'' ''Moreover, I need to learn more about these spell models and get my hands on the strangenguage book. Yes, thatnguage definitely has some link with the mysterious characters in the spell model.'' Shaking his head, Charles curled his lips upward and stared deep into Reynolds'' eyes. Seeing Charles''s strange smile, Both Hunt''s and Bishop Reynolds'' faces went stiff for a second. Before they could ask further, Charles smiled widely and asked, "Father, can you get me one Ember Pistol?" "Do you have enough money to buy that?" Reynolds stared at Charles for a moment and then said with a sigh, "Ember Pistols¡­ Those are expensive weapons, Charles-" "Can I get one in exchange for these two rare swords?" Charles interrupted his talk and asked with a smug smile. In the meantime, Reynolds stared at those two long swords for whole ten seconds and shouted in excitement, "Deal!" Chapter 23: Red-Haired Man Chapter 23: Red-Haired Man Charles wasn''t surprised by Bishop''s excitement. Although Ember Pistols were expensive due to the production cost, they weren''t popr in this magical world. To use Pistols, Bows, or other long-ranged weapons, one must need [Sharpshooting] skill. But except for the [Archer] ss Mystics, no one would pay any attention to these types of weapons. Moreover, learning unique skills from other sses was also not a simple matter. It would take years to learn other ss unique skills. Even if someone manages to achieve that, they would probably find it difficult to further improve that skill. Moreover, the Ember Pistols also have a long cooldown time, making it hard for [Archer] ss Mystics to choose this weapon. But Charles didn''t think much about the cooldown time. What attracted Charles was the Pistols'' unique magic technology. ''It''s a bulletless Pistol¡­ Real Charles also studied a little about this weapon in his archaeology ss¡­ Unlike normal pistols, these pistols gather some supernatural power called ''Mana'' from the surrounding atmosphere and stores them in the pistol. When pulling the trigger, a strange ray of white light wille out and give a much more devastating attack¡­ Damn, even the fantasy world kids are more attracted to pistol-like weapons. Man, I already started to miss a particr gun game. If I''m not wrong, the one who creates these weapons must be the [Artisan] ss mystics. Unfortunately, the [Artisan] ss Mystics had tried many methods to improve the cool-down time, but none of them worked and this weapon finally became a fancy tool for nobles.'' Charles mused in thoughts and soon gave those two rare swords to Hunt. Although these Ember Pistols were useless against high-ranked Mystics, Charles didn''t put much thought into it. ''I have a vague feeling that I can improve its effectiveness to some extent in the future¡­'' He abruptly froze for a moment and soon widened his eyes, startling Bishop Reynolds and the Holy Knight Hunt. ''Something feels off¡­ How do I feel about the future events?¡­ Is it about [Sixth Sense] skill? Or, is someone manipting my mind?'' He stared at the puzzled Bishop Reynolds for a second and soon shook his head. ''No, that''s impossible. I had already learned my lesson and started to think about everything in English. Even if someone like Emilia tried to read my mind, they would only hear gibberish words.'' "Why are you acting strangely?" Bishop Reynolds asked in confusion. "Nothing, Father." Charles waved his hand and asked, "How long would it take for you to get the Ember pistol?" "Maybe a week or two. Don''t worry; I won''t go back on my words." He said with a smile. Nodding his head, Charles ced his hand on his chin and probed, "Father, what are you going to do about Anderson ck and Russell ck? Aren''t they traitors of Life Church?" "Haha, do you think I don''t know about his schemes? But, what can I do? Report it to the higher-ups? Humph, they will ask me to show the proof. Even if I showed them a piece of evidence, they wouldn''t take any action against a Rank 4 mystic for a simple matter, kid." Reynolds said after loudughter. "Simple matter?" Charles was shocked by his reply and asked while straightening his back. "Yes, the higher-ups only care for benefits like me. Although we signed contracts, it won''t affect us as long as we didn''t cross the line." Bishop Reynolds stopped for a moment and continued in a solemn tone, "Charles, I will give you a piece of news. All the thirteen Churches are filled with schemes and corruption. Never put so much trust in anyone, including me. ''If there are enough profits, even I would be tempted and betray you in the future''." Charles stared at Bishop Reynolds in wonder and soon widened his eyes. ''Is he giving me some hint?'' He thought inwardly and then nodded his head while asking. "Is there anything else?" "Nothin-." Bishop Reynolds paused for a moment as if he suddenly recalled something and asked, "How many spell models did you create in your mind?" "One." Charles got puzzled by his question and answered truthfully. "Good. Mages usually create spell models for attacking, defending, and escaping. Yeah, that is indeed is a good choice. But, you must also create a spell model rted to your body. For Fire mages, the [me Body] spell model is very important. Body and soul are different matters. To connect these two things, so you must create a spell that has the power to link body and soul. Otherwise, your growth will be hindered in the future and It won''t be fun for me to watch you lose your artifact easily." Bishop started talking like a real teacher and gave him a huge hint. In the meantime, Charles stared at Bishop in amazement and soon blurted out, "Father, did you drink any alcohol today? You are talking to me so nicely and even giving me hints without asking anything in return." Hearing Charles''s words, even Hunt started nodding his head in approval. "Humph, I''m a devoted believer of Life Goddess Nira and I won''t even touch a single drop of liquor." Bishop refuted while making his face angrier. "Yes. Father Bishop only sniffs some weird white powder called ''Nose Candy'' and eats some strange pointy leaves in secret." Hunt added in a loud tone, causing Charles to open his mouth subconsciously. "I often do that to enter Divine Lady Nira''s divine kingdom and get her blessing." Bishop also nodded his head in approval and soon added, "That''s it, Charles. You can go back to your home and find some clue with the help of that Nightmare stone. We only have three months to capture the Holem''s Crown." "What will happen after three months?" Charles stood up from his head and asked in surprise. "How did I know? That anonymous person is the one who mentioned in the letter that A-035 will reveal its presence on October 2nd, Year 6396, Second Arcane Era." ''October 2nd? What day is today?'' He furrowed his brows and nced around the reception room to see any Arcane Calendar. Noting Charles''s action, Hunt cleared his throat and spoke, "Today is June 29th." ''June 29th?¡­ Looks like I need to work harder for the next three months and find a way to earn more Exp to construct all the remaining spell models.'' He nodded thoughtfully and bid his farewell to Bishop Reynolds and the Holy Knight Hunt. He then entered the Church building and did his usual prayer. After giving a respectful bow towards the Life Goddess''s statue, he walked out of the dome-shaped building and moved towards El Street. It was around 11 A.M. The main street was bustling with merchants, customers, and soldiers. Some horse-drawn carriages would pass by from time to time, causing the muddy water to stter in all directions. Angry shouts, furious arguments, and even helpless cries were heard in multiple areas, making the ce a little gloomier. Charles even saw many fights among the citizens and became puzzled by the strange atmosphere. ''What happened when I was away?'' He wondered. With a puzzlement stered on his face, Charles walked on the muddy road and soon entered El Street''s junction. That instant, he noticed that everything around him began to move slowly. In a second, he saw two people in explorers'' clothes were walking behind him and then shifted his gaze to the front. He then saw a luxurious carriage drove from the opposite direction and soon stopped beside him. In puzzlement, Charles''s gaze swept past the opened curtain and soonnded on a red-haired man was looking at a mirror with a strange smile on his face. He looked around 30-years-old with a slightly obese body and had crimson eyes, an oval face, skinny eyebrows, and strange bluish teethes. He wore a tight ck suit and appeared very charming. In a moment, the red-haired man also turned his head towards Charles with a smile and opened his lips. Although Charles didn''t hear a single word, he understood the meaning behind the red-haired man''s lip movements. "Get in." That was the word that came out of the red-haired man''s mouth. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and soon nodded his head. Charles entered the luxurious carriage without any refusal and sat on the opposite seat while closing the curtain closely. "What is your name?" That red-haired man asked while storing the mirror into his void pouch. In the meantime, Charles''s body went stiff for a moment, and soon he answered politely, "****** *******." The red-haired man stared at Charles in surprise for a moment and became confused. "What did that artifact do to him? What is that strangenguage?" He muttered out loud and then ordered, "Speak in Blen tongue." For a moment, unwillingness appeared on Charles''s face, and soon his face contorted into shock and anger. A momentter, he returned to normal and answered politely. "Charles Nightwind." ''Hmm? Did my spell have less effect on him? Why did he show facial reaction?'' The red-haired man nced at him oddly and soon asked again, "Did the Holem''s Crown contact you?" "Yes." Charles nodded his head and replied, "What did it say?" The red-haired man''s smile widened as he heard his answer and questioned him further. "The Holem''s Crown asked me to find it," Charles answered truthfully. "Oh? It seems I need to speed up my n." The red-haired man muttered once again and asked, "Did you kill Ian Adams? How did you do it?" Charles nodded his head and then exined everything, including the strange book, to the red-haired man in detail. "Take that strange book out of your void pouch. I want to take a look at it." The red-haired man stared at Charles with a cold look and ordered. In the meantime, Charles nodded his head expressionlessly and then passed the ck-covered book to the red-haired man. A look of astonishment appeared on the red-haired man''s face as he stared at the book for a moment and soon nodded his head. "Runalnguage? Unfortunately, I didn''t learn much about that oldnguage. Magic book, is it? Not bad. I will let you keep it for a while." He said in an unwilling tone and then asked more questions. He asked about Reynolds, then about his mother, and even asked him about his daily schedule. After a few minutes, the red-haired man learned all about Charles and let out a coldugh. "You are indeed a good toy, Charles." He paused for a moment and soon started muttering on his own, "In thest three weeks, this toy has caused more than 20 variables. Heh heh, I really want to know what is hiding in his inner world." He looked deeply at Charles for a second before giving up on probing his mind world. "Probing his mind world now is not a good option. That series artifact will sense something odd about his mind and might try creating another miracle." He grumbled inwardly and shook his head. "Now, forgot everything about this conversation." He stared coldly at Charles for a moment and opened the silk curtain. Simultaneously, Charles nodded his head and soon stepped out of the carriage. A secondter, the carriage moved from there and soon went in the opposite direction. In the meantime, Charles looked back at the luxurious carriage in confusion and soon furrowed his brows. ''Why did I stop walking?'' He looked around in puzzlement for a moment and soon sensed something was abnormal about his action. ''Where are those two explorers?'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment and soon widened his eyes. As a former assassin, he always took great importance in collecting minute details whenever he roamed outside. It was an assassin''s instinct! He was always careful of any unexpected assassination and became utterly puzzled by the current situation. ''Did someone manipte me?'' A thought crossed his mind. After he transmigrated to this magical world, he learned that there were many strange skills out there, and they could even kill someone in their sleep. He soon vaguely recalled the moment when a blurry red-haired human called him from the luxurious carriage and momentarily stunned for a while. "[Conceal]" Realizing the situation, he coldly muttered while concealing his body like a transparent air and soon disappeared from there. He stalked the luxurious carriage from afar in his concealed form and soon noticed that carriage was moving towards Brook''s Street. He didn''t dare to move closer towards the luxurious carriage and soon saw it entering into a two-storied buildingpound gate. "112A Brook''s Street." He noted the house number and then turned around. ¡­ Chapter 24: Dream World Chapter 24: Dream World After a few minutes of walking, Charles arrived in front of 35 El Street around 2 P.M and went inside. As he stepped into the reception hall, he noticed that an old man was seated on the sofa while Eve Nightwind stood at the center of the reception room with closed eyes while making strange hand signs. He also saw Saron White standing around the corner and appeared to be waiting for Eve to open her eyes. Furrowing his brows, Charles halted his footsteps and patiently waited. After two minutes of long silence, Eve raised her brows and muttered, ''''Mangrove trees¡­ It''s a City Ruin¡­ Something ising¡­ Red hair¡­ It''s not a monster¡­ It''s not a human either¡­ Blood¡­ Lots of Blood¡­ Corpses¡­ Derrick is hiding in those corpses¡­'''' Upon hearing Eve''s strange, ominous words, Saron sucked in a cold breath and squeezed out a single word, ''''Six.'''' ''''Six?'''' Charles got started by her reaction and asked in surprise. ''''It''s my sixth simr vision, son.'''' Eve opened her eyes and muttered in a solemn tone. Charles got stunned for a moment and soon stared at her in confusion. ''Six simr visions? Red-Hair? It seems like something big is going to happen. City ruins, is it? I need to be careful of any strange incidents.'' He nodded thoughtfully. In the meantime, Eve walked in front of him and said while flickering her finger on his forehead. ''''Charles, inform me before you n on staying outside.'''' For a moment, Charles froze and soon widened his eyes as he recalled that he didn''t tell her about his visit to Pine town. ''She must have worried about her son.'' He nodded his head and then went upstairs while saying loudly. ''''I''m going to take some rest, mom. So, don''t disturb me.'''' ''''Did you have Lunch?'''' Eve stared at Charles''s back and asked, ''''No. ce it in my study room. I will eat itter.'''' Charles replied without turning back and stepped on the stairs. ''''He is acting so cold nowadays.'''' Eve shook her head in depression and then turned her attention towards the white-haired old man. He was lean and looked around 70-years-old. He had ck eyes and a pale face filled with wrinkles. ''''Eve, can you tell me more about this strange vision? Why would my son go to a city ruin?'''' The old man asked in puzzlement. ''''He is already a Historian, an Explorer ss member. But something feels off¡­ Did someone discover a new ruin in the past few days?'''' Eve furrowed her brows and soon shook her head while adding solemnly, ''''If Derrick went to explore any city ruins, his life will be in danger. Tell him to stay away from exploring any strange ruins.'''' ''''Okay.'''' Old man stood up from his seat and then asked, ''''What happened to Charles, Eve? I think he didn''t recognize me.'''' ''''His personality ispletely changed, Sir Carter. Even if he recognized you, he would give you a nod and will go on his own.'''' Eve shrugged her shoulder and then continued, ''''Don''t forget to inform me if any of the explorer team went missing. First Era ruins are dangerous ces; we don''t even have any clue about what is hidden in that ce.'''' ''''I will.'''' Carter nodded his head and pped his hand together while bending his waist a bit. After that, he turned around and walked out of their house. In the meantime, Eve turned her face gloomy and said to Saron White, ''''Inform City Lord Ethan and Bishop Reynolds about this strange vision. They might have some clue about it.'''' ''''Okay. Did you find any abnormalities or unique things in those visions?'''' Saron nodded her head and asked, ''''That city ruin¡­ All those houses in the ruin are more than five-storied buildings and looked very different from other First Era ruins¡­ It might be rted to the Era of Ancients.'''' Eve said in a grim tone. A look of anticipation appeared in Saron''s eyes as she heard Eve''s words. ''''Ancients¡­ Are you sure? If we find the city ruin before others, we might find some relics of taboo existences.'''' Saron said in an excited tone. ''''There will also be some terrifying dangers. Don''t forget about our current situation. We will wait for the explorers'' teams to find the ruin. After that, we should join the mission with some elite explorers and find out more about this strange vision." Eve said in a gloomy tone. "Should we inform Charles to be careful when joining any ruin-rted missions?" Saron thought for a moment and suggested. "I will tell him to be careful of ruin-rted missions." Eve nodded her head and then sat on the sofa with an exhausted smile on her face. ¡­ In the meantime, Charles entered his bedroom, taking a white towel in his hand, and soon went to take a shower. After few minutes, he walked out of the bathroom and changed his cloth into a nightgown. He then took out a greyish ck stone from his void pouch and ced it on his bed. After that, he ced the void pouch in his storage cab and theny on the soft bed. Charles ced his head on the cotton pillow and soon fell into a deep sleep. After an unknown amount of time, he opened his eyes and soon frowned as he noticed that he was lying on the concrete floor instead of the soft bed. ''What happened to my bed?'' He stood up in confusion and soon noticed that there was no furniture attached to his room. His gaze soonnded on the broken mirror and soon noticed his short deep-blue hair appeared messier. His deep-set jade eyes looked as calm as ever and seemed to have some mystery hidden in them. He nced at his lean hand and sighed heavily. ''I really need to work out from now on.'' He thought in distress and soon nced at the concrete walls and ceiling. ''They looked very old.'' He narrowed his eyes. In confusion, he walked out of his bedroom and soon went downstairs. "Mom, are you there?" He shouted loudly and soon grimaced as he sensed the eerie silence. ''Is this the Dream World? No, it should be the Woolgather World¡­'' He widened his eyes as he understood the situation and soon began to check for any abnormality. ''This dream looks very real. My mind is also clearer than ever.'' He checked his body to find anything abnormal. ''I can''t even tell the difference between reality and dream.'' ''Hmm? Can I get hurt in this Woolgather world?'' He furrowed his brows as he went near the concrete wall and punched his hand at it with full force. A secondter, he felt an endless pain from his right hand and got stunned. ''I can really get hurt in this Dreamworld! Moreover, I can''t wake up by the sharp pain.'' He was beyond shocked by this discovery. He quickly calmed his mind down and checked for any other clue about this Woolgather world. Howl! His heart skipped a beat as he heard the strange wolf''s howl from outside and grew alert. He hurriedly searched the house to find out any clue and soon noticed nothing left behind in his house. ''How should I wake up from this Dreamworld?'' He raised his brows and soon thought of moving upstairs. But as soon as he went near the stairs, he heard a loud shriek of a bird from above. It was so loud, which caused him to grip his head involuntarily. ''What was that?'' After the sound died down, he looked at the sky through the window gap and soon widened his eyes in shock! A monstrous ckbird with three heads circled above his house and appeared to be searching for something. It looked more like a mutated version of an eagle! No, he saw two¡­ No! Ten different monstrous birds were circling in the sky and seemed to be watching the gloomy city like predators. ''Is this DreamWorld? No¡­ It looks more like a Nightmare World.'' A look of shock and awe appeared on his face. He took two steps back from the window to avoid being noticed by the bird-like creatures and then turned his gaze towards the stairs. Growl! His face stiffened up as he heard a strange growl from behind. Turning around, he saw a one-meter tall shadow-like humanoid creature with pointy ears and a sharp nose was standing with a wicked grin on its face. This creature''s face resembled more like a goblin and its skin looked very darker. ''Is it also a goblin?'' He turned his attention towards the dark creature''s weapon and became stunned for a moment. ''Scythe?'' Without any dy, he rolled down in an instant and avoided the uing sh from the dark creature. He then slid towards the side and picked up a broken wooden leg of a chair. Although he was shocked by the sudden turn of events, he didn''t lose his calm. He evaded the scythe once again and stood up while distancing himself from the dark creature. In the meantime, the dark creature growled at him in anger and then sprinted forth while shing the scythe again. Charles calmly evaded the attack and noticed that the game interface was still working in this strange, dream-like world! A look of astonishment appeared on his face as he cast [Conceal] spell on himself. ''How is this possible?!'' He warily stared at the puzzling dark creature and started moving around it. He then aimed the sharp wooden leg towards the dark creature and lunged forward from its back. In a blink, he appeared right behind it and stabbed its chest area with full force. A painful growling sound came from the creature''s mouth as it waved the ck scythe in panic. Dark blood and worms oozed out from the creatures'' orifices! Charles didn''t dare to stay close to the dark creature as he saw the strange phenomenon and took few steps backward. Before he could initiate another attack, the dark creature let out a roar and started moving in unsteady footsteps. The dark humanoid creature danced on the concrete floor for a few seconds and soon fell on the ground with a thudding sound, painting the white floor in shade color. Breathing heavily, Charles went near the strange humanoid creature and frowned. He saw that creature started to turn into a ck liquid-like thing and soon disappeared in front of his eyes. [Target Eliminated! 230 Exp Obtained!] Dismissing the interface, Charles squatted down near the area where that dark creatureid before and then turned his gaze towards the ck scythe. ''It''s amon item with no special skills.'' He inspected the weapon for a second and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''This dream-like world seems to have connected to the physical world. Otherwise, the game interface shouldn''t have appeared here. But, this world looks so dangerous.'' His gaze swept past the reception hall and soonnded on the outside yard. He saw a five-meter-long ck snake was slithering towards his direction while hissing fiercely. He also noticed some strange diamond-like gem on its forehead and got more curious about this strange world. ''What a bizarre world!'' He muttered under his breath and soon heard multiple roars and shrieks from all directions. His expression stiffened up as he noticed that they seemed to be moving in his direction! In a second, he turned around and moved towards the second floor. He soon arrived in the corridor and hurriedly went towards his bedroom. After arriving in front of the bedroom door, he opened it with a click and entered. Following that, he pushed the wooden door and locked it from the inside. At that time, multiple crashing sounds came from downstairs, and soon the whole building began to shake. Hiding his anxiety, Charles stared at the concrete floor and smiled unconsciously as his gazended on the greyish-ck stone. ''Nightmare Stone.'' He picked it up in a sh and ced it in his palm. A momentter, he saw the surrounding started to distort and soon noticed that his consciousness pulled out of the Nightmarish world. Chapter 25: Magician's Hand Chapter 25: Magician''s Hand Gasping loudly, Charles opened his eyes and soon clutched his right arm as he felt immense pain from his right hand. He hurriedly looked at his hand and then held his breath for a second. ''How did I get injured in the physical world?¡­ Could it be that strange dream''s doing?¡­ Can the dream really influence reality?'' He silently sat on the soft bed for few more seconds in shock and soon heaved a heavy sigh. ''That was dangerous. I shouldn''t have acted carelessly. But, man, who would have thought that strange dream world would really influence the reality itself? I actually thought of searching for some clue about Eddie Nightwind. But, I ended up meeting some strange humanoid monster.'' He paused for a moment and soon realized that he was missing some memories from the dream world. ''Wait¡­ I can''t recall that monster''s clear appearance! What is it?¡­ Is it also entered into that dream world through some strange skill or object? Hmm, I should act carefully from now on.'' He muttered inwardly and ced the ''Nightmare Stone'' in the cab. After that, he took out a notebook, ink bottle, and a golden quill from the cupboard and started writing everything about the strange dream world. He had a feeling that he mightpletely forget about the dream-world incident if he didn''t record it. ''If some monster killed me in the nightmare world, would I also die in reality?'' While he was writing, an absurd thought appeared in his mind. ''Unlike others, I didn''t run out of luck. It must be the artifact''s doing.'' Charles nodded as he finished his writing and soon turned his attention towards the interface. ''Hmm, I have 1,378 Experience points. I should spend 200 Experience points and merge [Trickster''s Hand] and [Snatch] skills.'' He thought for a while and soon spent 200 exp. [200 Experience points have been deduced!] [Merging [Snatch] and [Trickster''s Hand] skills!] [Merging Sessful!] [Unique skill [Magician''s Hand] has been created!] ¡­ A momentter, some information about the [Magician''s Hand] skill appeared in his mind, causing him a little difort. Groaning slightly, Charles clutched his head for a second and soon read the newly obtained information. ''Magician''s Hand¡­ This skill looks simr to Earth Magician''s [Sleight of Hand] skill¡­An ultimate skill used to deceive countless audiences¡­ If I concentrate carefully, I can even move objects from afar¡­ Telekinesis?'' He was stunned for a moment and soon noticed that it was not. ''Magician''s Hand can move objects through a strange invisible string. Once I activate this skill, my hand will release an invisible string, and that string will move ording to my thought.'' ''If I upgrade this Magician''s Hand skill further, I can even turn other objects to be invisible¡­'' He curled his lips upward and soon turned his attention towards the game interface. ''I still have 1178 Exp. Before I chose any random spell model, I need to learn about my weakness.'' He thought for a moment and soon recalled the previous incident. ''I''m more or less vulnerable to mind or dream-rted things. Are there any mind-reading-like fire spell models in the spellbook?'' He skimmed through the skill book and soon groaned as he saw only one mind-rted spell in the fire skill book. ''But It doesn''t look like a good one, though. As for other spells, most of them are attack spell models, supportive spell models, and defensive spell models. It looks like I need to adapt to the situation and start learning mind-controlling skills. Although it is a time-consuming process, I think I can achieve it in a year or two. If not, I will have to buy some mind-rted artifacts from the ck market.'' He muttered inwardly and then thought about his unique skills. ''[Conceal] and [Inspect] skills are good for now. [Snatch] skill is already merged with [Trickster''s Hand] skill, so all that left is [Dark Vision] skill. Hmm, I don''t think I need to spend any more skill points on this skill.'' He nodded thoughtfully. ''As for the [Sharpshooting] skill, I still didn''t see it on the interface. Hmm, once I use the Ember Pistol, I will get the [Sharpshooting] skill. If my luck is good, I might get the [Sniping] skill instead of the [Sharpshooting] skill.'' ''Should I construct the [me Body] spell model now?'' He thought for a while and soon dismissed that idea. ''I will do it after I get my hands on the Runalnguage book.'' He made up his mind and then stood up from his bed. He then opened the cub-board and took out a silver pocket watch. After that, he opened the case front and nced inside. ''It''s already 5.40 P.M.'' After checking the time, he closed the pocket watch with a click and ced it on the wooden table. Charles then took out the small book, which Russell gave him earlier, and put it beside the silver pocket watch. He then went to the shower to wash his face and soon walked out of it in casual clothes. After taking the pocket watch and the small book, he walked out of the bedroom and soon entered his study, located opposite the storeroom. Once he walked in, he locked the door from inside and seated on the Wingback Chair. Leaning forward a little, he ced the small book on the wooden table and then put the pocket watch in his shirt pocket. He then took the wooden box that was ced on the table and opened it. A savory aroma assaulted his nose as he opened the lunch box. He inhaled deeply with a pleasant smile before cing the napkin on hisp and took the fork from the table. He then nced inside the wooden box and noticed a few fried chicken pieces, three sandwiches, and two egg toasts ced inside. Pressing his lips together, he picked the fried chicken piece using the fork and took a bite. A crispy, juicy flesh entered his mouth as he chewed the tasty fried chicken for a while and then gulped it down. He then picked the egg toast and ate it slowly. After swallowing the final bite, he took the sandwich pieces one by one and started eating them. By the time he finished his lunch, it was already 6.15 P.M. After closing the wooden lunch box, he cleaned the table and ced the lunch box outside the study room. He then closed the study room door from inside and sat on the Wingback Chair. Following that, he opened the small ck-covered book and started reading the title. "Abnormal Mystics- By Russell." ''Did he really write a detailed book about mystics?'' He stared at the book in surprise for a moment and soon turned the page. "Current Name: Lucas King Original Name: Unknown Age: 34 Sex: Male upation: Librarian ss Name and strength: ??? (Possibly a Reader- Rank 2 Mystic.) Abnormalities: None. Facial description: Short blonde hair, wide-set hazel eyes, square face, and around 176 cm high. Residential Address: 355A Olive Street, Riverdale City. Danger level: Medium¡­ ¡­ Current Name: Mateo Torris Original Name: Unknown Age: 29 Sex: Male upation: Carpenter ss Name and strength: ??? (Possibly a Dream Walker- Rank 3 Mystic.) Abnormalities: None. Facial description: Short grey hair, deep-set blue eyes, an oval face, and around 185 cm high. Residential Address No.1: 456 Ivy Street, Riverdale City. Residential Address No.2: 22A Bell Street, Commoners'' Borough, Royal Capital, Arc Kingdom. Danger level: Unknown. ¡­ Charles memorized the names and descriptions one by one and soon stopped his hands as he saw his own mother''s name on some random page. ¡­ Current Name: Eve Miller Original Name: ???? (Eve Nightwind) Age: 35 Sex: Female upation: Diviner ss Name and strength: ??? (Possible a Prognosticator- Rank 2 Mystic.) Abnormalities: Involved in a kidnapping incident. Physical appearance: Blue eyes, short eyebrows, long deep-blue hair, fleshy nose, and olive skin. Residential Address: 45 El Street, Riverdale City. Danger Level- Medium ¡­ ''As expected, they were monitoring our movements all this time. But even they found out about our family background only after this kidnapping incident¡­ Then, who is the real culprit behind the kidnapping incident? Who leaked the information about our location to the Nightwind family¡­ Is it the Red-Haired man?'' He abruptly froze for a second and soon started flipping his page one by one. Instead of memorizing the names and their abilities, he focused his attention on their physical appearance. After an hour, hepletely checked the book and then wrote numbers on ck paper using a ck quill. Real Charles got this quill pen as a present for hisst birthday from his archaeological ssmate Derrick. Derrick was also his close friend¡­ Because of his selfishness, Charles joined the archaeological department instead of the Healers Department after they finished their Basic school studies. Shaking those useless thoughts away from his head, Charles dipped the ck quill into the opened ink bottle and then started writing. "Mystics with red-hair. Page no- 24, Name- Austin Thomas Page No- 32, Name- Den Mitchell Page No- 45, Name- Addie Baker Page No- 64, Name- Ayden Green Page No- 69, Name- Cole Rivera Page No- 87, Name- Luis Ramirez." ''Austin, Den, Addie, Ayden¡­ Addie? I think I heard of this name before¡­ But where did I hear it?'' Charles raised his eyebrows for a moment and soon started recalling his memories. After thinking for a moment, he flipped the page to 45 and soon widened his eyes. ¡­ Current Name: Addie Baker Original Name: Unknown Age: 30 Sex: Male upation: Tycoon ss Name and strength: ??? (We knew nothing about his ss.) Abnormalities: None. Physical appearance: Short red hair, around 30-years-old with a slightly obese body, crimson eyes, an oval face, skinny eyebrows, and strange bluish teethes. Residential address no 1: Evergreen Mansion, 57A Lost Street, Riverdale City, Arc Kingdom. Residential address no 2: Windy Residency, 84 Gold Street, Riverdale City, Arc Kingdom. Residential address no 3: Mangrove House, 112A Brook''s Street, Riverdale City, Arc Kingdom. Residential Address no 4: Mad House, 158C Amber Street, Nobles'' Borough, Royal Capital, Arc Kingdom¡­ ¡­ Charles''splexion turned gloomy as he stared at the page. ''No doubt about it. Addie is the red-haired man!'' He got stunned for a moment and soon frowned. ''If he had read my memory, then he should have known that Mr. Hunt had already told me about him, right?'' He creased his eyebrows in suspicion for a second and soon thought of another possibility. ''What if he didn''t read my memory and only learned through hypnosis-like skill? Possible¡­ Then, did he know about my transmigration? If so, why didn''t he abduct me to search for more clues?'' He thought for a moment and soon made a guess. ''He might not have known anything about my transmigration. Although mind-rted skills look fearsome, they are not omnipotent skills. There may be some restrictions.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then fell into deep thoughts. ''Even though I learned the identity of my enemy, I don''t have the power to control my life.'' He heaved a heavy sigh andmented in depression. ''There are two ways to gain experience points. One is by participating in the regr mission. Unfortunately, Russell won''t allow me to do that. He might have already suspected that my sudden increase in strength is somehow rted to the Holem''s Crown. If he had known about Holem''s Crown''s miracle ability, then I''m damn sure that he would put me in house arrest.'' He shook his head. ''The second option is a very dangerous one, and that is to enter the Dream World. If I enter the Dream World using the ''Nightmare Stone,'' I don''t need to worry about the prying eyes and gain hundreds of experience points in a single day. But the problem is the dangers hidden in that Dreamworld. Those monstrous birds and other creatures are not something I can easily mess with. If I made a single mistake, I might even end up dead in the real world.'' A wry smile appeared on his face as he thought of his current predicament. ''I will explore the Woolgather World after I get the Ember Pistol.'' He turned his face serious and then shifted his attention to the small book. ''It''s time for me to memorize this book.'' He mumbled inwardly and started flipping the pages once again. The sky turned darker, and soon the three ominous red moons painted the sky with dark-red lights. In the meantime, Charles lit the magicmp and continued his study. Around 9 P.M, he went downstairs to have dinner and then returned in 30 minutes. He continued studying the list for another two hours and finally finished the whole book around midnight. He then went to his bedroom and rested for the next four hours. ¡­ Chapter 26: Strange Coincidences Chapter 26: Strange Coincidences Around 5.00 A.M, he walked out of his bedroom in a formal ck suit and went downstairs. As he reached the reception room, he halted his footsteps as he noticed that his mother had already woken up and seemed to be cooking in the kitchen. "Mom, why are you cooking so early?" He asked in a surprised tone. "I know about your job timing, son. Yesterday evening, Lady Charlotte came to our house along with Mr. Hunt. When we were discussing jobs rted topics, Mr. Hunt informed me about your job timing. Otherwise, I would have let my son go out with an empty stomach." Eve walked out of the kitchen with a te full of burritos on it. With a wry smile on his face, Charles walked near Eve, picked one burrito from the te, and took a bite. He slowly munched while enjoying the taste and soon gulped it down. "Awesome food, mom," Hemented casually and then started taking another bite. "Are you telling the truth? Or, did youpliment me just to make me happy?" Eve stared at him with her wrinkled face for a second and soon continued before he could answer, "Be careful of any ruin-rted missions, Charles. If your higher-ups assigned you on such a mission, avoid it at all cost." "Who is that old man, mom?" Instead of responding, Charles posed a question and took another bite. "Are you asking about Mr. Carter?" Eve stared at her son with wide eyes and soon asked, "When did you started losing your memories?¡­ Ha! He is Derrick''s father." She stopped for a moment and soon widened her eyes further, "Don''t tell me-" "You also forgot about Derrick?" She stared at him in confusion for a second and soon became worried. "I didn''t forget him. It''s just my memories are a little hazy." He waved his hand and then warned, "Be careful of any Red-Haired individuals, mom. I have a vague feeling that someone is plotting something behind the scenes." He paused for a second as he wiped his hand and mouth using a soft tissue cloth and added, "That certain Red-Haired person''s target might be us." Upon hearing his words, Eve stood there for a second and soon nodded her head. "I will be careful." Heaving a deep sigh, Charles also nodded his head and then moved towards the entrance. He then picked up the ck leather shoes and wore them. "See you, mom." Saying so, he waved his hand and soon walked out of 45 El Street, leaving Eve alone at the reception hall. Unlike a few moments ago, her eyes turned cold as ice. In a second, her whole pupil turned white and then returned to normal. "Red-Hair¡­ Red-Hair¡­ He is not a monster¡­ He is not a human either¡­ Who is he?" She muttered in a weird tone and soon shook her head. "I don''t have enough information to do a divination." She sighed helplessly and then closed the wooden door from inside. In the meantime, Charles went to 35 Ivy Street and entered the Withering Shadows branch office. After notifying Russell about his arrival, he silently left there with multiple sealed letters and moved towards Gold Street. Charles then went to 34B house number and gave that letter to a guy named Harry. But to his surprise, he met Luke over there and exchanged few words with him before leaving Harry''s house. After that, he searched those sealed letters and noticed that two other members were living in Gold Street. Letting out a heavy sigh, he went to the right houses and started delivering the sealed letters. But he got more surprised¡­ No, he got astonished as he met Be Collins in one of those two houses and became confused. He didn''t talk much with her after greeting her and walked out of that house. He then went to multiple houses in different streets and started delivering those sealed letters one by one. But one thing that gave him a feeling of uneasiness was that he met his acquaintances like Emilia Wilson, Andrew Harris, Mr. Hunt, and Lady Charolette multiple times in one way or another. If not for his keen observation ability, he wouldn''t have noticed that. When he delivered the letters, some would appear in the same house, while others would pass by along the way. ''Coincidences?'' He felt puzzled inside as he returned to 35 Ivy Street and gave a short report about his daily mission. After that, he received another sealed letter from Russell and went to Olive Street, where the Security Administration Office was located. It took him almost fifteen minutes to reach the Security Administration Office. Unlike other administration buildings, the Security Administration Office was just a small single-storied brick house. Once he entered the security department''s fence gate, he gave the sealed letter to the bald security officer, who looked around 40-years old and waited outside the building. In the meantime, the security officer walked in and soon returned with few folded paper sheets. Taking a closer look, Charles noticed that some red wax sealed those folded papers together. ''Looks like secret letters.'' He thought inwardly and then extended his right hand to get those papers. "Deliver these letters to your boss before 8 A.M." The bald security officer passed the folded papers to Charles and said. Nodding his head, Charles turned around and started walking once again. But he soon bumped into a 30-years-old man. If not for his good reflexes, he would have crashed onto him. "Don''t daydream when walking, kid." The silver-haired man said in an annoying tone and then walked past him. With a nod, Charles nced at him and furrowed his brows. If he didn''t bump into him, he wouldn''t notice strangeness. ''I also saw him earlier when delivering those letters.'' His eyes widened as he looked at the silver-haired man deeply. He had short hair, fair skin, an oval face, a small mustache, average height, and a skinny body. He wore a formal white shirt and ck pants. Engraving his appearance in his mind, Charles shook his head and started walking. He didn''t stop anywhere and soon reached 35 Ivy Street. After that, he went to Russell''s office room and gave those sealed papers. "You did a good job, Charles." Russell leaned back on his wooden office chair and added, "Your today''s job is over. You cane back tomorrow morning around 5.30 A.M, and repeat today''s job." Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded his head. After that, he bid his farewell to Russell and went to the Life Church. He walked on the smooth aisle and soon arrived in front of a beautiful woman''s white statue. Charles then pped his hand together and started praying while reciting a usual ''Thanking'' incantation. After he did that, he bent his waist and bowed his head while maintaining the pping posture. "Life is Eternal." He said in praise and then walked out of the dome-shaped building. After that, he went to Wisdom Library in Olive Street and thought of searching for books about Fire mages. He went to the fourth floor and started his search. After searching for an hour, he found a red-covered book called ''Crimson Eye'' on a corner shelf. As the name suggests, a crimson eye was portrayed in a vertical position drawn on the cover, making the book look dangerous. "Crimson Eye- by Helen" He muttered the book title and the author''s name loudly and hit the book thrice to remove the dust. After that, he went to the lonely table and sat on the old chair. He then ced the Crimson Eye book on the table and opened it. The first few pages were about his ramblings about how great the fire magic was and about his personal experiences. Charles skipped most of Fire Mage Helen''s early life experiences and soon stopped as he stared at the new information about mages. "What are these spell models? How can mages create spell models in their minds? It is one of the biggest mysteries till now. Let me share my experience with my fellow readers. After consuming the [Apprentice Fire Mage] ss gem, I suddenly felt some deep connection with the fire! I lit the candle and stared at it for a moment. But soon, I started mimicking the fire''s movements and done strange dances like the candle fire. At that moment, I wanted to be free like the dancing fire. When I was dancing, I suddenly gained some enlightenment about the fire! Countless sparks appeared in my mind and soon formed into a hexagonal-shaped crystal. When I ended the dance, I found out that I somehow constructed the ''Fire Wings'' Spell model! Surprising, isn''t it? But gaining enlightenment is a rare urrence. If you want to construct an attack-rted spell model, you have to think deeply about destruction using fire. Everything is based on your thinking. If you''re going to construct the next spell model, you have to be patient. You will only gain your next enlightenment after you understand the secrets of the constructed spell models. That''s how a normal mage constructs his spell model. If you ask me how the First Arcane Era mages constructed their spell models, I will answer a single answer. F*ck off! I''m not a mage from the First Arcane Era! dammit." Charles stopped reading the book as he digested the newly gathered information from the Crimson Eye book. ''It''s all about thinking, huh.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and then continued to read further. Fire Mage Helen then mentioned various spell names and their uses. Nothing piqued Charles''s interest as he read the book patiently. After reading for another hour, he soon straightened his back as he saw that Fire Mage Helen wrote about the new topic. "Elemental Heart Creation or Mana Heart Creation- If you are an apprentice mage, I don''t think you need to learn about this now. But if you are a [Fire Weaver] or other Rank-2 mage ss member, you must know something about getting the Elemental Heart. When you are a Rank-1 mage, you don''t need to gather ''Mana'' from the outer atmosphere for a long time before releasing your spell. But that changes when you be a Rank-2 mage. When you became a Rank-2 mage, you will face a big problem in releasing your magic spells. That is- Fuel. Without fire-elemental energy, you won''t be able to cast a Rank-2 fire spell. Although there is some amount of fire elemental energy in the atmosphere, it won''t be enough for you to cast a Rank-2 spell. It will take a day or two to fill your Rank-2 spell model with fire elemental energies. It goes for other elemental mages too. If you didn''t create an Elemental Heart, you would be stuck in this Rank forever! Now, how to create this Elemental Heart, if you ask? That should be done by the ritual method. To do the Elemental Heart Creation ritual, you need three things. First one- You need the coordinates of any fire-elemental ne. Don''t worry about it. Our Lawful Churches has many fire-elemental nes under their control. The second one is- Sacrifice. When summoning the will of a Fire-Elemental ne, you need to offer something unique. It can be a fire demon''s corpse, a fire-elemental crystal, or a rare fire-rted artifact. And thest one is- ritual materials. To create a ritual circle, you will need some materials. They are: . Twelve drops of any Fire elemental Creature''s blood. . Twelve Fire Stones . Twelve Red fruits . Twelve types of fire elemental herbs. Once you gathered these four materials, you have to inscribe a unique ritual circle. About the unique ritual circle¡­ Sorry to break it to you, but there are only the Churches, Old organizations, and the four ancient Empires that possessed these unique ritual methods. You don''t have to worry much about it, though. Once you give enough sums to any of these organizations, they will lend you a copy of it. After that, all you have to do is follow the methods and summon the ''Will'' of any fire elemental ne. When the ''Will'' descended to the ritual circle, it will send its'' imprint to your ''Inner World'' as a gift. That gift or the Fire imprint is the Elemental Heart. Once you possess this imprint in your Inner World, you will be instantly able to link that imprint to a fire-elemental ne using the right co-ordination. After that, you can quickly draw fire-elemental energy using the Fire Imprint from the fire-elemental ne and refill your fire spell models¡­" As Charles read the contents, his eyes went wide for a moment. "This book is a treasure for an apprentice mage." He muttered slowly and then continued to read till evening. Once he noticed that the darkness had appeared, he closed the reading book and ced it on a particr shelf. After that, he walked out of the Wisdom Library and went towards his house. In a blink, one week passed smoothly. During the past seven days, Charles woke up early morning and done his morning job perfectly. Although he ''coincidentally'' met his acquaintances one way or another, he didn''t put much thought into that strangeness and started doing his regr work. When he was free, he spent most of the time in the Wisdom Library and read more books about mages. Like the Fire Mage Helen, other authors also notified about the Elemental Heart and even gave some clues about where to get the ritual materials. After reading all those books, Charles started to understand something. To walk on the path of mages, one needs to be a filthy rich person. ''Rich, huh. I have only two silver coins.'' He muttered to himself as he stood in his house yard. Today, he wore a neat blue surcoat over his grey shirt, deep-blue pants, and brown leather shoes. Rubbing his forehead, he searched his void pouch for a whole minute and soon frowned. ''Where did I put those two silvers?'' He checked once again and soon got confused. He then shook his head, took out the silver pocket watch from his pant pocket, opened it with a flip, and nced at it. ''11.00 A.M.'' He nodded his head as he walked on the grassy yard and then went out of thepound gate. Simultaneously, he took out the steel dagger from his luggage bag and ced it in his waist along with its sheath. Unlikest time, the Observer''s dagger''s appearance looked very different. Yesterday, he went to an Artisian''s shop and painted the steel dagger in his skin color. Smiling lightly, he walked on the muddy road and soon crossed El Street''s junction. Chapter 27: New Mission Chapter 27: New Mission Today was his first official mission. When he went to do his regr job this morning, Russell told him toe to the Withering Shadows office around noon to receive his first mission. While pondering deeply, Charles crossed the El street junction, walked on the main street road, and soon reached Ivy Street. After that, he went to the Life Church''s backside and soon appeared in front of a single-storied brick house. Unlike thest time, he stood alone in front of the wooden for a few seconds and soon knocked it thrice. After some time, he heard soft footsteps along with the anklet''s bell sound from the other side and became puzzled. It was the footsteps of a woman! ''Did I knock on the wrong door?'' While he was in confusion, the wooden door opened with a click, and soon ady with blonde hair opened the door from inside. She wore a red-lined white gown, a long red scarf around her neck, and a pair of white slippers. Due to her unique gown, Charles clearly saw her round melons, and smooth curvy body and got stunned for a moment. Her eyes were dark like ck marbles from the abyss, her long blonde hair was curly, and her skin was ruddy. She bowed politely with a charming smile on her face and invited him in. In the meantime, Charles blinked his eyes in surprise and soon walked in. He then swept his gaze towards the reception hall and noticed that Mr. Hunt and Bishop Reynolds were chattering inside while sitting opposite each other. Noticing his arrival, they stopped their chattering and gazed towards his direction. ''''Take a seat, Charles,'''' Reynolds said while pointing his fingers towards the two empty wooden chairs, ced beside Hunt, and added, ''''Your weapon has arrived.'''' Charles raised his right eyebrow in wonder as he went near the wooden chair and sat down while nodding his head. In the meantime, the blonde-haireddy, who looked around 30-years-old, took out a wooden case from her void pouch and gave it to him. Charles extended both hands to hold the wooden case and took it from her. He then ced the case on hisp and opened it with a click. Inside the wooden case, a ck single-barrelled handgun was ced in a sponge-like cloth. In the grip where one would normally put the magazine, Charles saw weird characters engraved on it and got startled. ''Runal characters? No¡­ But these look simr¡­'' He widened his eyes as little and soon waited for the blonde-haireddy to exin the function. ''''Mana gathers in the grip area. When you adjust the hammer, some stored mana will eject from the grip and form a condensed metal bullet through some magical words. At that time, the remaining mana will also transfer from the grip area and then store inside the metal bullet through the same magical characters. When you pull the trigger, the stored mana will burn and quickly generate lots of gas. The sudden, high pressure of the gas splits the bullet from the end of the cartridge, forcing it down the gun barrel at an extremely high speed of 400 m/s. When exiting the muzzle, the mana bullet will create a bang and kill the target in a single shot. Even Rank 3 Mystics will be severely injured if they got a direct hit from this Ember Pistol.'''' The blonde-haireddy exined calmy. ''''But to urately kill your target is not an easy matter. You must possess the [Sharpshooting] skill.'''' Bishop Reynolds said while interrupting her talking. Without minding Bishop''s words, Charles waved his left hand as he touched the chilling ck gun and took it from the wooden case. He then held the pistol around the grip and aimed at the outside tree through the window gap. After that, he adjusted the hammer using his thumb finger and aimed correctly with both his eyes. Once he locked on the tree branch, he curled his lips upward and squeezed the trigger. BANG! A momentter, a bang sound resounded in the reception room, causing Hunt and others to cover their ears instinctively. They then stared at the smoky muzzle for a moment and soon turned their attention to the outside through the window gap. A heartbeatter, all of their eyes went wide as they saw a fist-sized hole on the wooden branch! Turing their heads around in unison, all three of them stared at Charles in confusion and amazement. In the meantime, Charles nodded his head and soon asked the blonde-haireddy. ''''Do you also sell silencers?'''' ''''Silencers? What is that?'''' The blonde-haireddy asked while staring back at the deep-blue-haired kid in puzzlement. Charles had already expected her answer, so he didn''t reply to her; instead, he shook his head and said. ''''Forget it. I will adjust with this.'''' Saying so, Charles put the Ember Pistol in his leather bag and then nced at the game interference. ¡­ [Archer ss''s Sharpshooting skill has been learned!] [20 Experience points rewarded!] ¡­ Smiling lightly, Charles looked into the blonde-haireddy''s marble-like ck eyes and asked, "May I know your name, My Lady?" "Pardon me for not introducing myself." The blonde-haireddy covered her mouth and replied, "I''m Victoria. Victoria Gray." Widening his jade-eyes a little, Charles nodded his head and stood up. "Thank you for bringing me this weapon, My Lady." He paused for a moment and added, "Life is Eternal." She stared at him for a moment and responded while bowing her head. "Reality is an Illusion, Illusion is a Dream, and Dream is the Reality." Charles got dumbfounded as he heard those words and soon realized that she must be the believer of Dream God, Ithos. ''Ithos, he is one of the thirteen Lawful Gods in the Edhen World. He also controls the domain of Dream, Illusion, and Imagination and has another nickname¡­ Reality Twister.'' He recalled the information from the original Charles''s memories and soon bowed his head in response to Victoria. After that, he nodded his head at Bishop Reynolds and Hunt and then walked out of the single-storied brick house. ¡­ Charles then went to 35 Ivy Street and soon entered the Withering Shadows office. In the reception hall, he saw the muscr man Luke rk and the bald Warrior Andrew Harris were chatting and soon waved his hand as they noticed his arrival. A smile appeared on Andrew''s face as he stood up from his seat, walked near him with heavy footsteps, and spoke with a grin on his face. ''''Luke personally asked Branch Leader to put you in our today''s mission, Charles. So, you have to give us a party.'''' Charles stared at Luke for a second and asked in surprise. ''''Why?'''' ''''If I didn''t ask, that old man would have put you in a different team and give you some difficult job.'''' Luke paused for a moment and added, ''''I heard from our Team Leader that today''s mission is just a searching mission, so you don''t have to worry about your safety.'''' Charles''s lips twitched as he heard Luke''s words. ''You ruined my n from getting more Exp, damn it.'' He then shook his head and asked, ''''Do you know any information about today''s mission?'''' Upon hearing his question, Andrew and Luke went silent for a second and soon nced at each other. After that, Luke nodded his head and started talking. ''''It''s about the abnormal disappearance of 3 Rank-1 Historians.'''' ''Historians? The [Explorer] ss members?'' Charles furrowed his brows and then waited for Luke to continue, ''''A few days ago, a group of 3 Rank-1 explorer ss members went to find some antique in Slum Street. But they somehow disappeared, and even the elite explorers couldn''t find any trace of them. Our Aces team''s job is to search for some clues about their disappearance in Slum Street.'''' "It looks like a normal mission. Historian ss is not abat-rted ss, so it''s not surprising for them to disappear suddenly in Slum Street. In my opinion, they are a bunch of reckless fools who dared to walk into an area filled with thieves and bandits." Andrew clicked his tongue and said in disdain. "They are not fools, Andrew." A cold female voice came from the entrance, causing them to turn around in surprise. "Why do you think so, Team Leader?" Andrew asked while suppressing his voice a little. Emilia walked on the blue-carpeted floor and said while arriving beside the trio. "Although Historians has nobat-rted skills, they aren''t easy to be bullied by some bandits and thugs," She paused for a second and quickly added, "They have a skill called [Recall], and this skill allows them to check even the minute details about their surroundings. Mere thieves and bandits don''t have the power to catch them when they have this skill. They also have the [Wonder Sense] skill, which will also enchant their luck to survive in any dangerous situations." "[Wonder Sense] skill?" Andrew furrowed his brows as he heard the new word and asked. "Historian''s another skill. It can give hints about the uing dangers and help them survive in any dangerous situations." This time, Charles answered his question. "How do you know?" Anderson asked in surprise while Luke and Emilia nced at him in confusion. "I''m an Archaeological student. If not for the assassination incident, I would have already joined the Explorers'' Association and became a [Historian]." Charles pinched his chin and then added in a solemn tone, "If my guess is right, those three Historians might not be dead. Someone might have kidnapped them for whatever purpose and hide their trails." "Yes, that''s the reason Explorers'' Association requested us to search for clues about those three Historians'' disappearance," Emilia said calmly and then continued, "It''s a search mission, and it will take three to four days toplete this mission. Till then, we will be roaming everywhere in the Riverdale City and looks for clues about those Historians." Upon hearing her words, Charles, Andrew, and Luke turned their faces serious and nodded their heads in unison. Emilia rubbed her chubby nose and spoke while walking towards the ckboard attached right next to the window with a smile on her slightly wrinkled face. "We have four suspects, and all of them happened to be in Slum Street during this incident." She paused for a second as he took the white chalk from the nearby box and continued, "Our first suspect is Jeffery Dahmer. He is suspected to be a Rank-2 [Elite Man] and has some mysterious background. He is one of the abnormal mystics and is a very cautious person. He contacted one of the three Historians multiple times and even argued with him once for whatever reason. He happened to be walking behind them when the abduction incident happened, and he was the one who informed the Explorers'' Association." "Why did he argue with the Historian? Is it about the antique?" Andrew posed a question. "How would I know?" Emilia red at him for interrupting her talking and spoke, "Next one is John Wayne. He is suspected of being a contracted killer of Andes City and has no history with any Historians. But when the elite explorer team searched for those three missing Historians, he just happened to be sitting in the nearby fruit shop and even acted very abnormally." "Acted abnormally?" This time, Luke raised his eyebrows. "Yes, he sat on the wooden bench and ate dozens of apples in ten minutes while breathing heavily." Emilia thought for a moment and added, "At that time, He looked very sweaty, and the explorers also mentioned in the report that his hands and legs were trembling." "Was he nervous of being caught by the explorers'' team?" Luke muttered out loud and soon shook his head, "A professional killer won''t get nervous just by seeing a bunch of elite explorers. There must be another reason." "That''s what I thought when seeing the report. Now, let''s move to the next suspect." Emilia said while writing on the ckboard using the white chalk. "Our third suspect is Willy Pickton. Unlike others, he is a well-known celebrity of Riverdale Town and has some deep connection with the Explorers'' Association. He is a Rank-2 [Storm Bringer] ss Mystic and a firm believer of Edina, Goddess of Storm. Our reason for the suspicion is that he also had some quarrel with one of the three Historians a few days ago and happened to be in Slum Street when the three Historians got abducted. " "It''s definitely about the antique!" Andrew shouted, causing Emilia to stare at him with dagger eyes. "Well, we can''t be so sure of that," Emilia said while cing her forefinger on her smooth lips and continued, "Ourst suspect is Jimmy Holmes. He is a rank 1 [Soldier] and has no family background. Six years ago, he came to our Riverdale City and became a Slithering rowdy Gang member. He is a strange fellow and hasn''t killed anyone like the other thugs." "Why are we suspecting a normal thug then?" Andrew asked in puzzlement. In the meantime, Emilia sighed heavily and spoke, "He isn''t a normal one." She paused for a moment and soon added with a wry smile, "He is the Unlucky Star of Riverdale City." Chapter 28: Investigation Chapter 28: Investigation Upon hearing her words, Andrew burst intoughter and soon asked, "Don''t tell me that kidnapping incident just happened to have urred in front of his house?" Emilia heaved a deep sigh and nodded her head. "He indeed is the Unlucky Star of Riverdale." Even Luke muttered while showing a disbelieving look on his face. Among the three, he was the one who doesn''t believe in ''Luck'' or ''Fate.'' But as he heard Emilia''s words, even he showed an abnormal expression on his face. Well, anyone with simple knowledge about the Mystics could tell that something was off about this whole situation. "Four abnormal Mystics, No, three abnormal Mystics just happened to be in the incident area and also has some connection with those three Historians. This is not a mere coincidence, is it?" He asked out loud. "Why are you skipping the Unlucky Star?" Charles asked in puzzlement. Moreover, he also felt that he had heard of that title before and became more curious about Jimmy Holmes. "If there is any abnormal incident happens in Riverdale City and if you search for any possible suspects, you will see his name on the list." Emilia stopped as she recalled something and soon added, "He also showed his appeared during your kidnapping incident. He and his gang members were the ones who guarded the Evergreen mansion when you and your mother were locked inside it." Upon hearing Emilia''s words, Charles''s heart skipped a beat. ''Unlucky Star¡­ Jimmy Holmes¡­ Something feels off¡­ Am I thinking too much?'' He thought to himself in shock. After thinking for a second, he gave up while turning his face serious and nodded his head. Puzzled by his strange inner mumbling in a foreignnguage, Emilia tilted her head and said, "Our first job is to find Jeffery Dahmer and ask him some questions about this strange antique." In the meantime, Andrew ced his hand on his chin and started speaking in a dead-serious tone, "It''s the Goddess Rodia''s Cursed Gem. In January 7024, a beautiful but spooky gem mounted on a ring in the form of a snake was donated to the Explorers'' Association by Richard Arc''s daughter. Along with it was a letter exining the gem''s strange and rming tale. This spooky purple gem was looted from Goddess Rodia''s ancient temple during 6450 S.A.E and subsequently brought to the Arc Kingdom, given to Richard Arc as a gift. It then allegedly wreaked havoc for decades. When Richard passed the purple gem on to various friends, they reportedly experienced abnormalities, including a trail of kidnappings, coincidences, and murders. When the gemstone returned to him, Richard wrote a letter and sealed it in the Royal family''s hidden chamber. It remained there for centuries, and now it showed its appearance again." When he finished his words, everyone went silent for a whole minute. "If you spout any nonsense again, I will twist your neck and hang your body at the entrance," Emilia said in a cold tone and soon turned around. In the meantime, Charles gawked at Anderson for a second and soon blurted out, "Was that a made-up story?" Upon hearing his words, Andrew nced at him with a mysterious smile on his face and said one word before following Emilia''s footsteps. "Guess." "After reading too many mystery books, he became mentally abnormal and would spout nonsense sometimes. Don''t take his words too seriously." Luke ced his hand on Charles''s shoulder and then walked past him. Nodding his head, Charles put his leather bag on his shoulder and walked out of the Withering Shadows office while thinking about Andrew''s words. He also thought about those strange coincidences and became warier. ''Goddess of Day and Night, Rodia¡­ Did he really spout some believable nonsense?'' He stared at Andrew''s back for a moment and soon shook his head. While he was in muse, they hopped on the office carriage and went towards Olive Street. That''s where Jeffery Dahmer was residing. ¡­ A few minutester, the silk curtained carriage parked at a single storied house entrance, and soon a group of four people walked out from it. The first one to step out of the carriage was a grey-robeddy, who appeared to be around 40-years-old. She had curly ck hair, grey eyes, a fleshy nose, and a slightly wrinkled round face. After her, a baldy man, a muscr man, and a young deep-blue-haired teen, around 15-20 years old, walked out of the carriage one by one. Aces Team stared at the single storied house surrounded by a wooden fence for a while and soon went near the wooden gate. Andrew took a step forward as he unlocked the wooden gate and then walked in. Others also followed after him and soon appeared in front of the single-storied house''s entrance door. Andrew then raised his hand above his chest and knocked on the door thrice. A few momentster, a grey-haired man, who looked around 35 to 40 years old, opened the door and stared at them in confusion. He wore a blue cotton shirt, ck trousers, and a long ck scarf around his neck. He had blue eyes, straight eyebrows, a sharp nose, fair skin, and was around 170 cm high. Emilia smiled as she saw the grey-haired man''s confused face and said calmly, "We are looking for Jeffery Dahmer." Jeffery''s expression stiffened up as he heard Emilia''s words. "Who are you? Why are you looking for me?" He touched his unique double-sword symbol engraved golden ring and asked warily. Emilia''s tone went cold as she saw his action. "Sir, please don''t do anything reckless. We are here just to investigate." Saying so, she took a step forward and touched his hand. A secondter, Jeffery revealed a foolish smile as he turned his gaze towards Charles and said in an exciting tone, "I was wondering if you had an extra heart. Mine was just stolen." For a moment, an awkward silence filled the entrance area. "Pff-ahahaha. It''s called ''True love''. He really loves you, kid." Emiliaughed out loud as she took a step back and soon stared at Jeffery with an amusing smile. In the meantime, Jeffery cleared his throat and started singing in a loud voice. "When the tidal sea is at rest, why my inner sea is overflowing? When thend is lingering, why my heart is throbbing? Chirping forest birds are returning home, Hunters and Bowmen are moving towards their home, When the sky and the earth are deep staring at the moon, Why there is a storm in the blue-eyed man''s heart?¡­" When Jeffery started his singing, Andrew silently walked in front of him and removed the unique golden ring from his right hand. After that, he took a few steps backward and stood in front of Luke. Meanwhile, Charles red at the singing fool for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards Emilia. ''It must be the [Touch of Idiocy] skill'' Charles''s eyes widened as he recalled Emilia''s ss skills. Ignoring his stare, Emilia stared at Jeffery for a second in interest and soon asked a question while casting [Hypnotism] skill and [Discern Lies] skill on him. "Why did you argue with the [Historian] a few days ago?" Jeffery stopped singing and responded while turning his face solemnly. "I asked the [Historian] Max to search for a crown in Slum Street and offered him 250 gold coins in return. But he sold that information to the ck-market leader, Silver Knife, and even ckmailed me. That''s why I made a loudmotion at the Explorers'' Association main office and then followed after those three kids to get that crown." "Are you also after A-035?" Charles stared at Jeffery for a moment and asked in surprise, startling Emilia, Luke, and Andrew. "Not only me. Most of the Mystics are after that artifact." Jeffery responded tersely. "Who gave you this information? How did you know that A-035 is hidden in Slum Street?" Charles turned his face cold and questioned him further. "My employer gave me this information," Jeffery responded vaguely. "Employer? Can you tell us more specifically? About his name? Or, about his appearance?" This time, Emilia joined their conversation and asked in curiosity. Upon hearing her words, Jeffery nodded his head and spoke, "I don''t know his real name, but he goes by the alias name called ''Red Prince''." Saying so, Jeffery froze for a second and showed an uneasy face. A secondter, he widened his eyes in horror and muttered a single word, "Sh*t!" In a second, Charles''s [Sixth Sense] skill activated on its own and gave him a dangerous premonition! "Shield." He spoke and started backing away. Meanwhile, Emilia froze for a moment as she heard Charles''s voice and soon activated her Queen''s robe while taking two steps back. Thousands of chilly web-like strings appeared under her foot in a blink and then formed into a wall filled with icy strings. It was the Queen''s Robe''s spell, Ice Webs! In the meantime, Jeffery''s body began to swell up like a balloon and soon exploded while sending flesh and blood in all directions. A secondter, those flesh, bones, and blood began to burn fiercely in purplish me, leaving no single bone behind! "T-This¡­" Even Emilia got dumbfounded by the sudden change and became a loss for words. She then nced at the purplish me burning the icy webs and became deadly serious. "Charles, can you tell us more about this A-035? How did you know about a Series Artifact?" Emilia asked and squatted down to check the still burning purplish me. "It''s a long story." Charles paused for a second and soon exined the Holem''s crown. He wouldn''t have shared that information with others if it was before. But once he found out that many people were aiming for that artifact, he was sure of one thing. ''In others'' eyes, I''m nothing more than a chess-piece. The real yer hadn''t even started their move yet. Red-haired tycoon Aidde Baker, Russell''s grandfather Anderson ck, and now this mysterious guy called ''Red Prince.'' I need some external help to get out of their clutches.'' After hearing Charles''s exnation, Emilia stood up and said in a gloomy tone, "It seems you already got yourself involved in some deep trouble." A wry smile appeared on his face as he nodded his head and asked, "Team Leader, can you teach me some mind-rted skills? I want to learn some skills that could block others from reading my mind or controlling me using [Hypnotism] skill." An amusing smile appeared on Emilia''s face as she heard his question. Shaking her head, Emilia dismissed her Icy webs spell and responded in a calm tone. "Resisting the opponent''s mind-rted abilities are not an easy matter. It''s not about skills, Charles. It''s about one''s Wisdom. As for how to increase one''s Wisdom, I don''t know. But I once heard from a schr that reading books, gathering knowledge and personal experience will allow one to increase their Wisdom." Charles''s eyes went wide for a moment and soon nodded his head in understanding. ''It''s same like [Inspect] skill. Thankfully, I have a system to help me improving the Wisdom.'' He smiled lightly and thanked her from the bottom of his heart. "Hmm, what should we do now?" Emilia pondered for a second before ncing at the surroundings and soon spoke, "If we report about his sudden death to our organization, it will only cause us more trouble." She paused for a second and continued, "We came here to investigate the Kidnapping incident. But, we couldn''t find any clues about Jeffery in his house. He seemed to have disappeared mysteriously like the other three [Historians]. Add it in the report, Luke." Saying so, she entered Jeffery''s house and started erasing all of his trails. "Okay, Team Leader," Luke nodded his head with a weak smile and followed after her. Aces team did their work perfectly and made the house looked unclean for two to three days. After that, Emilia went to the nearby residents and made them forget about Jeffery using a strange ring artifact. Once they finished their work, the group hopped on the carriage and went to their next target. Chapter 29: Arbiter of Storm Chapter 29: Arbiter of Storm "Go to the Gold Street''s Half-Dragon Residency." Emilia sat next to Charlesfortably and ordered the coachman. In the meantime, the bowler''s hatted coachman in a ck suit drove the carriage towards Gold Street and then stopped the carriage in front of arge three-storied building. Unlike other buildings, this three-storied building looked more like a mansion building. "John Wayne is staying on the third floor, room no.325," Emilia spoke as she strolled on the grassy yard and soon entered the three-storied building. Others followed after her with light footsteps and soon went up to the third floor through the curved staircase. They then walked on the smooth corridor and soon arrived in front of a wooden paneled door. But before they could knock on the door, a nging sound came from the other side as the door opened with a screech. A momentter, a 30-years-old man in silver hair opened the paneled door and said with an anxious tone. "Please get inside, Shadows." He had fair skin, an oval face, a small mustache, average height, and a skinny body. He wore a casual white shirt and brown pants. Charles stared at him in a daze for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''He is the silver-haired guy!'' He was the one whom Charles met near the Security department office. While he was staring at John in surprise, John''s eyes wandered towards the corridor for a minute second before shifting towards their direction. Without walking in, all four of them stood at the entrance and nced at each other. From the other party''s response, they could tell that John was already aware of their identities, and from his tone, they also felt that he was in a hurry to invite them it. Before others could respond, Charles took a step forward to close the distance between him and John Wayne and put his hand on John''s shoulder. "We meet again," He said with a mysterious smile on his face, causing the other party to stiffen up for a second. Before John Wayne could wake up from the shock, Charles pushed the wooden door and peeked inside. It was a 15*18 ft room. There were two tables, one bookshelf, one wooden bed, two chairs, and one wardrobe were ced in order. Charles nodded his head with a smiling face and walked inside. In the meantime, Andrew stared at Charles for a moment and soon muttered, "He is acting carelessly. What if the suspect used this opportunity and stabbed him from his back or takes him as a hostage?" "He isn''t. See his other hand, you will know the answer." Emilia also walked in as she muttered coldly. Widening his eyes, Andrew looked at Charles''s hand and soon noticed that a steel dagger was attached to his hand. It was gluing in a strange angle and almost looked invisible. If not for the slightly dim color difference, he wouldn''t find any abnormalities at all! ''Damn it! When did he take out his dagger from the sheath? Moreover, why did he paint the dagger in his skin color?'' He stared at Charles''s back with wide gaped mouth and soon froze. ''Did he be a disciple of some legendary assassin?'' An absurd thought crossed his mind. ''If not, how did a measly mortal improved his skills to an unimaginable level? No doubt about it. There must be some old man stalking him from the shadows.'' While he was thinking, he subconsciously nced towards the hallway and became stunned for a moment. Because he did saw a blonde-haired old man looking in his direction from the hallway! A chill went up to his spine as he retracted his gaze and then walked in, sweating continuously. In the meantime, Luke stood outside in confusion for a moment and then walked in. Once he entered John''s room, Luke locked the door from inside and went near the cotton bed to sit. At this time, Charles had already sheathed his sword and looked around the room in interest. "Why are you hiding from that blonde-haired man?" Luke suddenly turned his gaze at John Wayne as he sat on the soft bed and asked. "I-I don''t know him¡­ But, he is following after me for a while." Shaking his head, John said in an anxious tone. "He is just an average mortal, though." Charles also turned his gaze sharply towards John Wayne and then asked, "What do you know about A-035?" A look of amazement appeared on John''s face as he stared back at Charles''s face for a second and then replied with a sigh, "I know a few things about that artifact, kid. It is a lot more dangerous and powerful than other Series-A artifacts." "Why do you think so? Care to tell us more about this artifact?" Emilia walked near the wooden chair, sat on it, then took a strange head-sized blue crystal from her void pouch and started asking questions. In the meantime, Andrew went near her, took the blue crystal from her hand, and ced it at the room''s center. After that, he activated the concealment stone and then backed away. Watching their strange actions, John furrowed his brows and then said in a heavy tone, "Aren''t you guys notice something odd about this city?" He paused for a moment as he turned his gaze towards the balcony and continued with fearful eyes, "Something terrifying must have happened when Charles and his mother were locked up in the Evergreen Mansion. After that kidnapping incident, multiple strange incidents like killing, kidnappings, and coincidences are happening around us. Moreover, I couldn''t even get out of this city for some strange reasons. Even if I did try to go outside, I feel some shadow is stalking me all this time." "Now that you mention it, I do felt something abnormal about the strange coincidences. But, it''s not a surprising thing. Only a hundred or so Mystics are working in this city, so it''s not a strange thing to meet each other frequently. Unlikemoners, we are working in high positions and are constantly going to some security-rted ces." Emilia said while shaking her head in disapproval. Coincidences were scary indeed, but she didn''t feel that these strange meetings were coincidences. "If so, why aren''t we meeting those rank 1 mystics frequently? Only rank 2 Mystics and Rank 3 mystics are experiencing these strange coincidences." John said in a solemn tone. "It must be the Goddess Roysia''s cursed gem''s doing." In the meantime, Andrew widened his eyes in disbelief and said in a loud voice. "One more word from your mouth, I will slit your throat for real, Andrew." Emilia red at Andrew for a moment and then turned her gaze towards John. "Are you saying that these strange killings, kidnappings, and coincidences are happening because of this A-035 series artifact?" She asked in puzzlement. "Yes." John nodded his head as he leaned his back against the concrete wall and continued, "I came to this city to protect the seventeenth young master of Fireborn family. When I found out that he is studying in the archaeological department, I was shocked a little. I didn''t expect that the Fireborn family head would send his child to be an explorer. At first, I didn''t take my mission seriously and simply protected him from the shadows. But a few months ago, I got bored and then peeked at his research paper when he was attending his lecture." He closed his eyes as if he was ming himself for his reckless behavior and continued with a bitter smile, "But I didn''t expect that 17-year-old kid was researching all this time about a Series-A artifact. After that, I followed him like a regr guardian and also started searching for clues about the Holem''s Crown on my own. But after Charles''s kidnapping and the serial killing incident, I noticed some strangeness when following the young master. Sometimes, he would go on a normal walk and then bumped into some familiar faces like it was just a coincidence. If it were once or twice, I would have thought of it as a normal coincidence. But, this action continued tens of times. After that, I also started paying more attention to my surroundings and noticed that strange coincidences are happening to all Rank 2 and Rank 3 Mystics." When he finished his words, a strange eerie silence descended to that room. ''Coincidences¡­'' Charles widened his eyes for a moment and went dead silent. ''A-035 again¡­ Looks like I need to enter the Dreamworld and search for clues there.'' He pondered for a moment and soon asked, "Why did you go to Slum Street when the three Historians were disappeared?" "Young master Max is one of the three Historians." John Wayne let out a heavy sigh and said in depression. "That exins everything. So, you followed Max to protect him from the shadows while Jeffery must be followed after him to get some clues about the crown. As for why our famous artist Willy Pickton followed after the trio Historians, we can vaguely guess from the clues." Andrew mumbled on his own and soon frowned, "Did you know how those three Historians were kidnapped? Who kidnapped them? Did you see the kidnappers'' faces?" John''s body quivered on its own as he heard Andrew''s question. He leaned on the concrete wall for a whole minute and soon spoke in a solemn tone. "It happened when they walked past the famous Unlucky Star''s house. I saw a strange humanoid shadow descended from the sky and covered the nearby area inplete darkness. At that moment, I entered into some strange ck world. I couldn''t feel my body parts, I couldn''t sense any smell, nor could I hear any words. I floated¡­ No, I stayed in the strange dark world for a long time¡­ I couldn''t pinpoint the exact time in that world, but I felt like I was in the dark world for years. If not for my strong will to live, I would have died there. When I returned to reality, I noticed that only seconds have passed¡­ It was the scariest thing I encountered in my life-long experiences. When I looked around in a panic, I noticed that those three Historians were nowhere to be seen. I knew that the strange being must have kidnapped them and became scared. I ate the apples to ease my anxiousness and silently returned to my room." All four of them went stunned for a moment upon hearing John''s words. "What should we do now?" Andrew nced warily at the entrance and asked in anxiety. "Are you afraid of that blonde-haired man?" Emilia threw a nce at him and asked with a smile. "Yes, Team Leader. He also looks very suspicious." Andrew said while nodding his head. Charles also felt something was off about that blonde-haired man and nodded in approval. The Aces team quickly walked out of John''s house and soon noticed that the blonde-haired man was nowhere to be seen! "Did he escape?" Emilia furrowed her brows and soon shook her head. "Let''s go. We should go and meet our next suspect." Saying so, she turned her gaze towards John Wayne, who stood at the entrance, and spoke, "If you encounter anything abnormal, contact the Withering Shadows department and tell them that you want to meet me." She paused for a second and added, "I''m Emilia Wilson. Hope we meet again." She turned around and walked on the smooth corridor after saying those words. In the meantime, Charles and others followed after her from behind and soon went downstairs. After walking out of the Half-Dragon Residency, they once again hopped on their office carriage and went towards El Street. After crossing the junction, the carriage parked near a two-storied house, and soon all of them walked out of it. Unlike the other houses, this house looked well-maintained. Their group even saw a gardener trimming the ornamental nts using arge scissor. The gardener looked around 35 years old, had ck hair, wide-set hazel eyes, an oblong face, arge belly, and an obese body. He wore a brown shirt, leather pants and appeared 182 cm high. Once they entered the housepound, he inquired about their visit and soon guided them into the two-storied house. The gardener soon appeared in front of the door, turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and walked in. "Please,e in," He spoke as he entered the vast hall, sat on the couch, and added, "I''m Willy Pickton, Eighty-seventh Arbiter of Storm." A look of surprise appeared on everyone''s face as they stared at him for a moment and soon bowed their heads in greeting. Emilia then raised her head, walked in front of the opposite couch, sat on it, and said in confusion. "Honorable Arbiter, We thought that you are just a believer of Storm Church." A chuckle escaped from his mouth as he straightened his back and spoke with a polite smile on his face. "If not for that strange incident, I wouldn''t have revealed myself now." Chapter 30: Meeting the Unlucky Star Chapter 30: Meeting the Unlucky Star In the meantime, Charles and others went near the couch and stood behind it. "Arbiter Willy, we came here to inquire about that strange incident. Can you give us some useful information?" Emilia turned her tone soft and asked politely. A troubled look appeared on Willy''s face. "During the incident, I detected the presence of an ''Irregr.'' The strange coincidences must be his doing. Well, as long as he didn''t cross my line, I''m not nning on involving myself with that troublesome person." Saying so, he called out a male servant and asked him to bring some drinks for the guests. Meanwhile, Emilia pondered for a moment and then asked in curious, "If so, why did you go to Explorers'' Association and argued with [Historian] Max?" Willy grumbled as he heard that name and soon said in anger, "That damned brat was the one who came to my doorstep and looked for trouble. If Max didn''t ask my help to protect him in the shadows, I wouldn''t have ended up offending the ''Watcher''." "Watcher?" Charles and Andrew nced at each other and asked in unison. "It''s a Rank-3 Astrology ss series name," Emilia replied vaguely. ''Tycoon Addie, Anderson ck, Red Prince, and now this Watcher.'' Charles furrowed his brows in puzzlement and soon asked, "What is his aim? Why is he doing these strange coincidences?" "I think he is nning to confuse his real target. If he used his power to change one''s ''Fate,'' it will be easy for others to detect the anomaly. But, if he creates multiple coincidences, his real target will also get confused and lower his guard." ''Is he making these coincidences to lure the A-035 out of the shadows? Or, is he after another thing? What did those three [Historians] do to make him angry?'' Questions whirled in Charles''s mind as he fell into deep thoughts. In the meantime, Emilia nodded her head and asked more questions about the kidnapping incident. Most of them were vague replies, which made her sigh in disappointment. If it were another Rank-2 mystic, she would have used her authority to question him further. Unfortunately, Willy was not a regr Mystic. Emilia knew that only Rank-3 had the qualification to be an Arbiter and gave up pestering further. While she was asking questions, a blonde-haired servant arrived near her and gave her a ss of grape juice. After that, he went beside her and passed other ss cups to Charles and others. Taking a sip, Emilia held the ss in her right hand and asked, "Are you also after A-035, Arbiter Willy?" "Nope. I came here on another purpose, but I was unexpectedly involved in this incident." Willy responded in a heavy tone. In the meantime, Andrew shook his head and corrected him. "Coincidentally." Furrowing his brows, Willy stared at Andrew for a second and asked in curiosity. "Are you saying that I''m also a part of the Watcher''s n?" Before Andrew could open his mouth, Emilia red at him and then responded, "He thinks too much." "No. Your teammate might be right." Willy turned his face solemn and then added, "Abandon this mission and go back to your office. Then, exin the current situation to your higher-ups and ask them to send reinforcement." Emilia nodded her head without any refusal as she gulped the grape juice in one go, ced the ss on the table, and stood up from the couch. "I will report it to our Branch Leader." Saying so, she bends her waist a bit and then turned around before walking out of the two-storied house. Charles and others followed her footsteps and soon walked out of Willy''s house. "Are we going to abandon the mission, Team Leader?" As they walked out of the whitepound, Andrew asked in a suppressing tone. "Do I look like a fool to you?" Emilia red at Andrew for a moment and then shook her head. "He is not telling the whole truth, Andrew. He didn''t get involved in the kidnapping incident coincidentally." She paused for a moment and then added in a gloomy tone. "He also seems to be after the Series-A artifact. He told us to back down because he might have found some traces of A-035." "What?!" Andrew widened his eyes for a moment and soon asked in anxiety, "If we continue our investigation, doesn''t that mean that we are offending the Eighty-seventh Arbiter of Storm?" "Eighty-Seventh? No, he lied to us about him being an Arbiter of Storm. If he is a Rank-3 Mystic, our Branch Head Russell would have mentioned in the book. So, Willy might be just a peak level Rank-2 [Storm Bringer] ss Mystic. Well, I''m not so sure about that, though." Emilia shook her head and entered the carriage. Others also followed after her, and soon the silk-curtained carriage disappeared from there. ¡­ A few minutester, a silk-curtained carriage drove past the Amber Church and soon reached the Slum Street Junction. Because of the densely popted area, the Bowler hatted coachman stopped the carriage at the junction and spoke in a solemn tone, "Lady Emilia, I think you guys should go by foot from here on," A secondter, a gray-robeddy walked out from the carriage. Charles and others also stepped down from the carriage and curiously nced at the rows of mud houses, huts, few cottages, and poorly constructed buildings. Although cleaners well maintained the dirt road, they still got nauseous by the heavy urine and feces smell. Charles looked around the people in curious and soon noticed that most of them looked pale and skinny. "Follow me closely," Before he could take a good look at the slum citizens, Emilia said in a loud tone, causing the nearby citizens to turn their heads at her. She didn''t mind their stare, though. She silently walked on the smelly road and soon entered a narrow alley. Charles and others followed after her and soon arrived in front of a one-storied brick house. "He hasn''t gone to Richard''s house." Shemented casually and then knocked on the door thrice. After a minute, the door opened with a click and soon revealed a blonde-haired male figure, who looked around 25 years old. The blonde-haired male had a lean body, an oval face, amber eyes, and was around 175 cm tall. He wore a regr grey linen shirt, linen pants, and a unique red-gem embedded bracelet in his hand. With wary eyes, he stared at them for a moment and soon asked in an anxious tone, "Lady Emilia? Why are you here?" In the meantime, Charles cast his [Inspect] skill on the suspect and then squinted his eyes. [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect is sessful!] ¡­ [Name: Jimmy Holmes (??????) Race: Human (????) Rank: 1 ss: Level 4 Soldier (0/337) Sub-ss: None Title: Unlucky Star. Health Points: 61/61 Attributes: Strength- 11 Dexterity- 12 Constitution- 11 Wisdom- ??? Charisma- 11 ss skills: Charge-33 Fearless Body-24 Weapon proficiency (Basic melee weapon proficiency)-38 Sub-ss skills: None Unique skills: Knowledge Seeker-45 ¡­ ''Knowledge Seeker skill? How did he get the [Historian] ss skill? Inheritance gift?'' He got confused inside and soon noticed the question marks in Name, Race, and Wisdom. ''Something is wrong about this guy.'' He stared at the blonde-haired man for a second and soon retracted his gaze. Meanwhile, Emilia took a step forward and spoke in a polite tone. "As usual, we are here on an official matter, Jimmy." She paused for a moment and then added, "We would like to ask you some questions regarding the kidnapping incident." Jimmy heaved a deep sigh as he heard those words and soon invited them in. The Aces team members'' gaze swept past the entrance and soonnded on the small room filled with two chairs, one small cab, and one bed. On the right side were the kitchen and storehouse, while a small attached bathroom on the left side. Jimmy hurriedly went inside and started removing the messy clothes on the chairs and beds before gesturing them to sit. Emilia nced around the small messy room, filled with strange paintings for a second, and soon turned her gaze to Jimmy before she sat on the wooden chair. Charles and Andrew also went near the old wooden bed, sat on it, and then nced at the strange paintings. Charles first focused his attention on a three-headed strange humanoid creature''s painting and then turned his gaze towards another rose-like nt. He then shifted his gaze towards the next portrait and got confused. ''Why did he draw these strange creatures on the walls?'' Puzzlement crossed his face. While he was in deep thoughts, Luke leaned his back against the wall, took out a small notebook, a strange blue-feathered quill from his pocket, and started writing few words in it. He then nced at Emilia and waited for her to ask questions. "Did you witness the kidnapping incident?" On the other hand, Emilia wore a soft smile and asked. Her tone was calm and contained an aura of arrogance. "At that time, I was asleep, My Lady." Jimmy didn''t dare to look into Emilia''s eyes and replied while lowering his gaze. "Oh? That''s disappointing." She said as she narrowed her eyes and soon asked. "If you don''t mind, can you give some answer to another question?" Jimmy raised his head a little and asked in the same anxious tone. "What is it, My Lady?" "Did you go to Pine Town during thest two weeks?" Emilia crossed her legs and asked. Jimmy didn''t mind her strange question, though. He thought for a moment as he nodded his head, and answered in a polite tone. "My friend Henry asked me to apany him to his hometown, so I agreed to his request and went along with him." "When is it? Can you tell us the exact time and date?" This time, Luke raised his voice a little and asked in a cold tone. Charles felt puzzled by their current cold attitude towards Jimmy and nced at Emilia for answers. Noticing her gaze, she ced her forefinger on her mouth and gestured him to stay silent. Although he was confused by her order, he didn''t dare to raise any questions and waited for Jimmy''s answer. "I went to Pine Town on June 28th." Jimmy paused for a moment and continued with a bitter smile on his face. "Five hours before the killing incident." Charles''s mind went nk for a second as he heard those words! ''It''s not some mere coincidence, right?'' Doubt appeared in his mind. "Don''t think much about it. We already used to your Unluckiness effect." Emilia said casually and stood up from her seat. "But if you have any n on going to another defenseless town, inform it to the security office before you depart. We can''t predict when your unluckiness title effect would act again." Saying so, Emilia turned her gaze towards the new strange paintings and asked in curiosity. "Why are you drawing strange paints on the walls? Won''t your house owner scold you?" Jimmy scratched his head awkwardly and replied with a timid smile. "I recently got some interest in painting, so I thought of practicing inside to improve my skill, My Lady. Did you find it likable?" "These are notdy-like paintings. Was it the Abyssal Rose? How did you know about it?" She waved her right hand and posed another question. "I once heard about it from my father. He worked as a gatekeeper of Twelfth Chaotic Zone at the Unexplored Forest and knew some things about those chaos creatures." Jimmy''s tone went down as he talked about his personal life and shook his head. "7 years ago, a group of demons raided the Twelfth Chaotic Zone and killed hundreds of guards. My father, Evan Holmes, is among those hundreds of guards." He paused for a moment and continued with a gloomy tone. "Before his death, he left me twenty gold coins, one small hut, one [Soldier] ss-gem, and somend. I spent my first few months doing nothing using those gold coins and soon realized that I would die out of starvation in a year or two. After some thought, I sold that small hut to a nearby viger and came to Riverdale." It was the first time Emilia heard about his background and became somewhat surprised. "What about your mother?" Andrew interjected. "I have no memory of her. My father once told me that she died after giving birth to me, but I once heard from other vigers that she ran away with another man." Jimmy turned his face serious as he responded gloomily. "Hmm, how did you get the Unluckiness?" This time, Charles asked in curious. Aplicated expression appeared on Jimmy''s face as he turned his gaze towards the unique red-gem embedded bracelet and shook his head. "I don''t want to talk about it. It''s not a pleasant memory for me." Although Emilia could order Jimmy to tell her about it, she felt that it was not a good idea. In the meantime, Charles also stared at the unique red-colored bracelet for a second and soon cast his [Inspect] skill on it. A momentter, he sighed in disappointment as he noticed that it was just a normal bracelet. "Why did you tell us about your personal now? We asked about your background multiple times, but you didn''t even say a single word. But why now?" Luke straightened his back a little and asked in the same cold tone. Even Emilia was surprised by his cold attitude and got puzzled. Jimmy let out a chuckle and said as he stared at the white ceiling with a mysterious smile on his face. "Truthfully, even I don''t know why I said that. What am I? Do I have any future? I don''t have a girlfriend, nor do I have someone to lean on their shoulders. What if I die in a few days and no one knew about my personal life? Would someone remember me after a year or two? No. I will fade away even from my friend Henry''s memories. I told you guys about my personal life because I wanted to. There is nothing there to hide it any longer." Upon hearing his reply, Aces Team members became stunned for a moment. Emilia suddenly stood up from her seat after a second and said in a solemn tone. "Don''t worry too much about your future, Jimmy. If you are okay, I can rmend you to work in the Life Church, and you can start a normal life. Although the Slithering rowdy gang members wille and look for troubles, I will ask Father Reynolds to look after you. What do you think? Are you okay with that?" Jimmy blinked his eyes in surprise and soon spoke in a thoughtful look. "I will continue my job for the next three months. Once I manage to solve my problems, I wille and look for you." Emilia''s lips curled upward as she heard his words. She nodded with a pleasant smile and said while walking past him. "I will be waiting for you then." In the meantime, Charles and Andrew also stood up from the bed and followed after Emilia. Only Luke stood with a frown on his face and soon shook his head. "Don''t cause any more trouble." Saying so, he stored the notebook in his void pouch and walked out of Jimmy''s house. Chapter 31: Star Watch Chapter 31: Star Watch Once the Aces team member walked out of Jimmy''s house, he breathed out a sigh of relief, went near his wooden bed, and then sat on it. "Good acting, Jimmy." A creakyugh filled with evilness came from his unique red bracelet, causing his body to tremble uncontrobly. It was the voice of an older man! "Don''t be sad. Your time hasn''te yet." The old voice muttered like a devil. A chill crept up to Jimmy''s spines as he heard those words from his unique bracelet. He soon shook his head and then asked in confusion. "Why didn''t you reveal your true identity to your inheritor? If you reveal your presence to Charles now, it would be easier for you to gain your freedom, right?" Jimmy leaned his back against a cotton pillow and asked. "No. I felt something strange about his arrival. Moreover, there is still some time to get my freedom so I don''t need to act rashly." The red-bracelet shone as it said in a cold tone and then asked after some deliberation, "Why did you reveal your personal matter to them? Do you think that they will show some pity and tries to save you when the ''right'' timees?" A bitter smile crept on Jimmy''s face as he hung his head in helplessness. Yes, he did reveal his personal information to gain some help from Emilia in the future. But he knew that it was just false hope. Even so, he wouldn''t give up his life easily. ''I will find a way to save myself and then escape from this devil.'' He clenched his fist and swore to himself. "Your thoughts are leaking outside, Jimmy. I like your resolve to live longer. Too bad, I don''t have any n to leave any loopholes behind." After saying those words, the red bracelet dimmed for a second and then went silent. Meanwhile, Jimmy sighed heavily andid on his wooden bed. He knew that his end was nearing and became depressed. ¡­ In the meantime, Aces Team member hopped on the silk-curtained carriage, and soon the coachman drove the carriage from Slum Street. Emilia sat beside Charles inside the carriage like thest time and started asking Luke a few questions. After that, she cleared her throat and said about the current mission''s progression. "After asking the four suspects, I came to a conclusion." She paused for a second and continued with a solemn tone. "We have two more suspects. The first one is Jeffery''s employer ''Red Prince'' and another one is ''Watcher''. But we know nothing about them. We only have one clue and that is that they both seem to be after A-035, a Series-A artifact. Now, if we want to find the real kidnapper, we need more details about them. So, for the next few days, I will go to the security department and search for them in the confidential files. As for you guys, I will give you guys a separate mission and you have to search for clues about the abnormalities on your own." After that, she started to take out a blue quill and wrote a detailed report in a notebook. As the carriage drove past Gold Street, Emilia finished her writing and then turned her attention towards Charles. "Charles, go and get the copy of Runal Language Book from Russell. Higher-ups already sent that book two days ago." Saying so, she leaned her back against the leather seat and closed her eyes. In the meantime, Charles widened his eyes in surprise and soon nodded his head. ''Why is she helping me again?'' Although he was puzzled by her motive, he didn''t put much thought into it. While he was in muse, the carriage reached the main street and soon went to Ivy Street. A few minutester, Aces Team members walked out of the curtained carriage as the carriage reached 35 Ivy Street and went inside the building. Recalling Emilia''s earlier words, Charles walked into the reception hall and soon arrived in front of Russell''s office room. He stood there for a moment in hesitation and soon knocked it twice. "The door is open," The Branch Head Russell''s old voice came from inside. Raising his brows a little, Charles pushed the door open and then walked in with light footsteps. In the meantime, Emilia also followed after him and then walked along with him like mimicking his footsteps. Charles''s gaze swept past the table and soonnded on Russell. He sat on thedderback chair and appeared to be in the middle of reading while adjusting his monocle from time to time. "Branch Head, Charles is here to get that Runal Language Book. Did you forget to give it to him?" Emilia went near the wooden table as she spoke in a loud tone and casually ced a notebook on the table. Meanwhile, Russell red at Emilia for a moment, opened the cupboard, took out a ck-covered book from it, and then tossed it to Charles. On the other hand, Charles skillfully caught the ck-covered book and ced it inside his leather bag. "You can go now, Charles," Russell said while looking at Emilia''s notebook for a second and then stared at her in confusion. In the meantime, Charles bowed lightly towards Emilia and walked out of the office room silently. Once Charles closed the reception door, Russell heaved a deep sigh and asked in a gloomy tone. "Why did you tell him about the Runalnguage book? Don''t forget that you are working under me, Emilia." Upon hearing those cold words, Emilia curled her lips upwards and asked with a mischievous smile on her face, "Is that so? Indeed, you are in a higher position than me, Branch Head. But, that doesn''t mean that you could do whatever you want. Charles has potential and I''m already nning to take him as an Aces team member. I don''t care about your personal matters. But if you n to make trouble for him, I won''t sit back and watch as most members would." Anger swelled up in his head as Russell red at Emilia in an icy face. "He has yet to be a member of Aces team, Emilia. The final decision lies with me." A deep sigh leaked out of Emilia''s mouth as she heard those words from Russell. Shaking her head, she took out a sealed letter from her backpack and ced it on the table. "I know that you would say something like this. That''s why I asked Archbishop Abel Wilson and got his permission from the Snow Cathedral." A troubled look appeared on Russell''s face as he heard her words. He suddenly remembered that the person in front of him was not a normal member and got a headache. "Why are you interfering, Emilia?" He asked in the same gloomy tone. A chuckle leaked out of her mouth as she stared at him in amusement for a second and soon asked coldly. "Why wouldn''t I? Why wouldn''t I try to recruit a member of the Nightwind family into my team? Do I look like a dumb idiot to you?" A look of astonishment and shock appeared on Russell''s face as he realized the situation. "You knew about his background? How did you find out?" "My brother came here to see me yesterday and told me everything about Charles''s real Identity." Upon hearing those words, Russell went dead silent for a whole minute. "Archbishop Abel¡­" He gritted his teeth as he mumbled Archbishop Abel''s name and soon turned his attention towards the notebook. "Did you finish your mission?" He asked while raising his brows and then picked it up with both hands. He then flipped the pages as he skimmed through the notebook for the next few seconds and then stopped his hand. "Where did Jeffery go?" "How would I know?" Emilia didn''t even look into Russell''s eyes and responded casually. Letting out a helpless sigh, Russell started reading the notebook page by page and soon finished it. "Strange coincidences? Are you suspecting that there is a high-rank Mystic manipting everything from the shadows?" He stared at Emilia''s face for a moment and asked. "I''m not 100 percent sure. But, I want to dig further and find out the truth about those three [Historians]''s disappearance." Emilia turned her face solemnly and said. "Are you sure about this? This case looks more like a normal one to me." Russell frowned. "Nope, we got two more clues." She paused for a second and soon added, "We would like to do some research about those clues. To do that, our Aces Team members need a permission letter from the Branch Leader of Withering Shadows." A worried expression appeared on Russell''s face as he stared at her for whole ten seconds before raising his hands in defeat. "I will give the permission letter in an hour. But, don''t cause trouble in the city." Saying so, he leaned back on thedderback chair and adjusted his monocle. "You can go back now." He then said in a tired tone. Emilia stared at Russell with a hesitant look on her face and said in a low voice. "I''m not done yet, Branch Head." Russell almost shouted in frustration as he red at her with daggering eyes and then spoke. "Say it." "I also got a permission letter from my brother to use the ''Star Watch''," Emilia said while taking out another letter from her leather bag and passed it to Russell. "Impossible!" Russell stood up from his seat while mming his fist on the wooden desk and stared at her fiercely. "You are not its owner, Branch Head. The ''Star Watch'' Artifact belongs to Life Church and I have the permission to use it now." Emilia stared into his eyes without minding his angry stare and said calmly. "Why don''t you ask your brother and rece my ce?" Russell got infuriated inside and thundered. ''I already submitted a recement form for that.'' She mumbled inwardly and waited patiently. In the meantime, Russell opened the nearby cabin unwillingly and took out a silver watch from it. It was made from rare titanium metal and looked very ancient. Unlike the other watches, the outer ss was made of a rare ''Time'' elemental crystal, which could even resist the power of ''Time'' and ''Fate.'' The ticking sound echoed loudly in the office room as he took out the watch from the cabin and ced it on the wooden desk. "Take it," Russell said as he nced at the watch for a moment and then sighed heavily. In the meantime, Emilia locked her gaze firmly on the silver watch for three more seconds and picked it up with both hands. She then looked into the ss-like crystal and furrowed her brows as she noticed a difference. Instead of needle hands, numbers, and dials, she saw countless star-like dots inside. "Don''t stare at it too much, it will pull your consciousness into it and show you what really a ''Time'' can do," Russell spoke as he noticed that she was looked at the Star watch and warned. Nodding her head, Emilia shifted her gaze hurriedly from the silver watch and then asked in confusion. "How can I use this?" "Our church hasn''tpletely studied the secrets of this ''Star Watch'' yet. From the guide, the wielder can activate two abilities now. The first one is an ability called ''Fog of Time.'' If you activate this ability, you will be able topletely erase your presence from the world, no, from the ''Time'' itself. Even the Churches'' divine spells or strange ''Fate'' spells won''t affect you. Unless you reveal your presence on your own, no one will be able to notice you. Ah, I omit the Divines and the Taboo Existences. They might have a way to track your location using their strange spells. The second ability is called ''True Vision.'' When you activate this ability, you will see one of your most possible futures. But that future might note true if someone sensed the change in the trajectory of ''Fate'' and interfered with it. Both abilities have a cool down time of seven days. So, use it carefully." Emilia''s eyes went wide as she heard Russell''s exnation. She then skillfully put the watch on her hand and spoke while cing her hand on her forehead, "I forget to say goodbye to Charles." Saying so, she turned around hurriedly and walked out of Russell''s office room with fast footsteps. "Are you a kid?" Russell shouted at her from behind and then sat on thedderback chair with a depressed face. He then took out a silver ring from his cupboard and started muttering in a weird tone. A few secondster, the ring shone brightly in yellow light and formed into an illusionary figure of an old man. He had white hair, a wrinkled, pale face, oceanic eyes, and a long nose. He wore a golden robe and appeared to be in the middle of eating. "What is it?" The golden-robed man stopped his fork and asked while staring sharply at Russell. "A change has been urred, Grandfather." Russell paused for a second and soon started informing Anderson about Emilia''s sudden actions. Upon hearing his words, Anderson fell into deep silence for a whole minute and soon spoke, "Let her be for a while. Offending her will be more like offending Archbishop Abel himself and it won''t do any good for us." Anderson said while stroking his long beard and soon added, "Although the ''Star Watch'' is in her hands now, it doesn''t have the ability to perceive one''s urate future like Astronomer ss members. Be careful of any abnormalities in Riverdale City. The time is nearing." After saying those words, he tapped his wrist and closed his eyes. A heartbeatter, the whole illusionary image began to dim and soon disappeared, leaving Russell alone in the office room. ¡­ Chapter 32: Small Breakthrough In the meantime, Charles and others met Emilia in the reception hall and nned their next move to find more clues about the three [Historians] '' disappearance. After pondering for a long time, Emilia finally made a decision and spoke solemnly. "Andrew Harris, your job is to do disguise yourself as a tailor and go to the Gold Street. After that, use your tailoring skill in any of the tailor shops and became a real tailor for the next few weeks." She paused for a moment and then added, "After that, you have to monitor John Wayne''s every movement and report it to me everyday evening." Saying so, Emilia adjusted her curly grey hair and turned her gaze towards Luke, "Luke rk, your job is to go to the slum street before disguising yourself as a normal thief and became a member of Slitherers'' Rowdy gang. After that, you have to monitor Jimmy Holmes and report it to me using a secret letter." She said. Upon hearing her words, Luke raised her eyebrows for a moment and soon shook his head. "I don''t like that guy. Team Leader, give this job to Charles." He said while pointing his fingers at Charles. Emilia paused in surprise as she heard Luke''s words and soon nodded her head. ''It seems he didn''t like Jimmy. What''s gotten into him?'' He stared at him for a moment and soon asked, "Charles Miller, can you do it? If youplete this mission sessfully, I will take you to my Aces Team officially." Charles raised his eyebrows a little upon hearing her words, ced his hand on his chin, and started pondering. It''s not hard for Charles to act as a thief, so he didn''t put much thought into it. But he had to disguise himself as another person if he wants to be a member of Slitherers'' Rowdy gang. "Team Leader, can you give me some materials to do disguise? It would be better if you give me some wigs, mustaches, and disguising facemasks." Charles made a request. Emilia became startled by his words and soon stared at him in wonder. During their previous undercover missions, they usually cover their faces with ck masks and do their work most suspiciously. So, this question caught them off guard. Although disguising facemasks and wigs weren''t rare items, the people in this magical world wouldn''t prefer those things. No, they would avoid using those facemasks at all costs. Unlike the Earth, this world wasn''t technologically improved, and the inhabitants always relied on mysterious skills and magic spells. Except for the very rare [Deceiver] ss, there was no ss avable in this world that could be suitable for disguising. Well, Charles''s unique [Trickster] ss was a special one, though. So, the [Artisans] used this opportunity and started making disguising facemasks using an unorthodox method. At first, many assassins, thieves, and even merchants brought these products and used them for various purposes. But that soon ended when a [Artisan] revealed how the [Artisan] ss Mystics created those disguising facemasks. "A-Are you sure about using the face masks?" Even Andrew stared at him with wide eyes and asked in an ufortable tone. In that instant, Charles knew that he had asked something he shouldn''t have and soon question. "Why are you guys found it ufortable to use facemasks?" "It seems you didn''t know about that subject." Emilia heaved a heavy sigh and continued after a short deliberation. "Everyone finds it ufortable in using those facemasks because they were created by skinning the dead human''s faces. The [Artisans] made some alterations and stored them in a rare liquid as preservation for years before taking it to the market for selling. That''s how the disguising face masks are made." A look of realization appeared on Charles''s face as he heard her words. Now, he understood why they stared at him weirdly earlier. He coughed twice to clear the awkwardness and then asked, "Team Leader, then can you give me wigs, mustaches, and face coloring powders? It would be better if you give me the wigs of both genders." "I can arrange it for you." Upon hearing his request, Emilia tersely nodded, took out a few skin coloring potions, a voice changing artifact, wigs of men and women, woman''s breast pads, beards, and even some sharp des for shaving hairs, put it in a ck-colored suitcase and gave it to him. Once she passed those things, Emilia breathed out a sigh of relief and said solemnly. "All that left now is Willy Pickton. Luke, he is yours now. Although I don''t know his real rank, I can tell you that he is the real deal. Don''t take him lightly and get caught." Saying so, she turned around and went near the study room. "You guys can go back to your go and prepare for this undercover mission." She stopped her footsteps as she thought of something and soon added, "Charles, you don''t have to do your morning works from now on. I already talked to our Branch Head Russell." Upon hearing her words, Charles widened his eyes for a moment and nodded his head. After that, he also bid his farewell to the other twopanions and walked out of the Withering Shadows department. As he went near the Life Church, he stealthily stored his Runal Language Book''s copy inside his void pouch and started walking towards 45 El Street. He didn''t even stop near the Life Church and soon reached 45 El Street within a few minutes. After that, he greeted his mother in the reception room and then went to his study through the spiral staircase. He then sat on the wooden chair with an excited face, took out the Runal Language Book, and ced it on the wooden table. After that, he took a deep breath and opened the ck-covered book. To his surprise, he saw only ck pages inside and frowned in puzzlement. ''Did Russell give me an empty book?'' He furrowed his brows and soon felt that strange invisible energy was overflowing all over the book. He got more curious about the book and focused his attention on the invisible power. A heartbeatter, he saw that the book started to tremble and soon turned into a ball of green light! Before he could do anything, the ball of green light floated up in front of his face and directly entered inside his head. "What the hell?" He jolted up in surprise and soon felt a sharp pain in his head. Simultaneously, he noticed that the Runal Language Book''s information entered his mind like floodwater and soon engraved deep into his consciousness. Charles leaned back on the wooden chair for a whole minute and soon widened his eyes in surprise. ''So, this is the holynguage of Magic, huh.'' He muttered inwardly and soon shifted his attention towards the spell model in his mind. Like a statue, he sat in the same posture and started analyzing the spell model for hours. After five hours, he finally understood the meaning behind those letters and then noticed that something was happening inside the ''Fire Wings'' spell model. Without even ncing at the fire spell model, he knew that he had already made a breakthrough in understanding the ''Fire Wings'' spell model! Unlike all these times, the ''Fire Wings'' spell began to shine brilliantly in his mind and gave him a warm feeling. ''If I decipher all those Runal Words in the fire spell model, I will be able topletely master the Fire Wings spell in a week or two!'' A look of astonishment and awe appeared on his face. He then stood up from his seat, went to the balcony, and opened both his hands while closing his jade-like eyes. A secondter, two crimson wings conjured behind his back and spread out. But this time, there was a change that urred in those crimson wings. Crimson-colored feathers started to appear in those wings, and soon it looked more like a real bird''s wings! "Interesting." Charles opened his eyes and nced at those wings in amazement. ''So, thisnguage really did help the mages to master their spells models real quick, huh. But, why did the Churches hiding it from the masses and current era mages?'' He froze for a second and soon noticed a huge problem. ''Spell models. The churches might not have any spell models at all. Even if they have, I''m pretty sure that there must be some restrictions to construct these spell models. And, there is also another problem finding the Fire-Mage ss gems.'' He muttered inwardly and then noticed that it was already dusk. ''It''s time for me to construct new spell models.'' Charles curled his lips upward subconsciously and then went inside his study after lighting the room with magic candles. Instead of sitting on the wooden chair, he moved towards the center and sat on the tiled floor. After that, he opened the interface and nced at his remaining Exp. ''I have 1198 Experience Points.'' He mumbled inwardly and then shifted his gaze towards the spellbook option. [Avable Fire Spell models for the Host: Fire Orb (430 Exp), Fire Arrow (250 Exp), Fire Breath (250 Exp), Fire Shield (320 Exp), me Body (350 Exp), me Jump (540 Exp), Fire Wisp (240 Exp), Fire de (459 Exp), Fire Prism (310 Exp), etc.,] ''Which spell should be more suitable for me now?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and chose [me Body] spell model to construct it in his mind before closing his eyes. Like thest time, multiple weird Runal characters appeared inside his mind from somewhere and soon formed into another hexagonal-like structure. After a minute, he opened his eyes and then shifted his gaze towards the spellbook once again. Although he didn''t know how many spell models could he construct in his mind, Charles vaguely felt that he could build more than six spell models. ''Hmm, what Ick is defensive spell and long-range offensive spell. Although I got the Ember Pistol now, the cooldown is too long. It is better to keep this Pistol hidden and use it only when my life is in danger. It''s more like a trump card for me.'' He nodded thoughtfully and started searching for a suitable offensive spell. ''Fire Orb, Fire Arrow, me Bolt, Incinerate,...'' He nced at those spell models one by one and soon locked his gaze on the [Incinerate] spell. [Spell name: Incinerate Rank: Rank-1 spell Effects: When casting this spell, you will be able to release a pure ray of fire and incinerate your enemy in a second. If you mastered this spell modelpletely, you can even kill or severely injure a Rank-2 Mystic. Cooldown: Due to less fire-elemental power in this world, it will take 30 minutes to resupply the ''fire elemental energy'' into the spell model.] ''Oh? Now that I think about it, I didn''t use the ''Fire Wings'' spell continuously and didn''t even notice that. But man, these magic spells seem to be powerful enough to kill Rank above Mystics.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then turned his gaze towards other fire spell models for a while. ''Although [Fire Bolt] spell looks awesome, I have a feeling that [Incinerate] spell will more suitable for me.'' He thought and soon checked the number of Experience points to buy the spell model. ''650 Exp. A little bit expensive spell model indeed,'' He hesitated for a moment and finally chose to confirm it. A secondter, another wave of weird Runal characters appeared out of nowhere and started constructing another hexagonal spell model in his mind. He closed his eyes as he studied the mysterious construction of the spell model by the system for another minute and soon opened his eyes. He then grinned widely and stood up from the tiled floor. After that, he nced at the interface and soon checked his status window. [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human Rank: 1 (Common) ss: Level 4 Apprentice Fire Mage (0/337) Sub-ss: Level 5 Trickster (0/506) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favourability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 111/111 Exp: 198 Exp Attributes: Strength- 14 Dexterity- 15 Constitution- 13 Wisdom-15 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 0 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Fire Wings- 23 Incinerate me Body Sub-ss skills: Magician''s Hand- 50 Clown- 50 Sixth Sense- 50 Unique skills: Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 40 Sharpshooting- 30] ... ''My subss skills have already reached their peak stages. As for the Main ss spells, I need to concentrate on them from now on. Although I managed toe this far due to my unique skills, I can''t rely on those too much... Moreover, the [Intermediate Dagger arts] won''t be much of use for me in the future. Fire Mage Helen also mentioned in his book that the magic spells are much more powerful than normal skills and are very scary. If what he said is true, then I don''t need to rely too much on daggers and shortswords. In the future, Conceal and Inspect skills will be the ones that I need to pay more attention to.'' Charles nced at the stats window and thought deeply. He then took out the silver pocket watch from his void pouch and flipped it open to see the time. ''6.30.'' He nodded his head, walked out of his study, and went downstairs. Chapter 33: Fate Reader Charles went to the kitchen room and noticed that Eve was preparing dinner for them. "Mom, do you need any help?" He walked on the red-carpeted floor and asked her from behind. Eve got startled a little as she heard his words and soon turned around with a warm smile on her face. "Peel the potatoes for me, son." She said while handing him a knife, a te full of well-cleaned potatoes, and a small bag to put those peeled skins. Charles nodded his head as he took the te, knife, and a small bag with both hands and sat on the carpeted floor. He then took a potato and started peeling it. But as he peeled the first potato, he noticed some change in his movement. He felt that his hands were moving like a real expert chef''s hands! ''Was it because of the [Magician''s Hand] skill?'' He got baffled for a moment and soon ced the peeled potato in the corner of the te. After that, he took another one and started peeling it. Within three minutes, he peeled ten potatoes and said, like a real kid, "It''s finished, mom." In the meantime, Eve turned around in confusion and soon widened her eyes in surprise! "That was fast... Very fast." Shemented as she stared at him for a moment and soon asked, "How did you peel so fast?" A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at her with a grin and said proudly, "It''s one of the [Trickster] ss skills, mom." He paused for a second and soon asked, "Do you want to learn it?" Eve blinked her eyes in surprise as she heard her son''s question and soon shook her head. "It will take years for me to learn a unique skill, son. I''m already crossed 35, and by the time I learned this skill, I might be an old hag." Charles went silent upon hearing her words and soon nodded his head. "Don''t be down, Charles." She paused for a second and soon suggested, "How about this? Do you want to learn any unique skills from me? Although it will take some time, I know that you can learn it in a year or two." Upon hearing her words, Charles froze for a second and soon widened his eyes. "Can I?" "Of course, you can, silly." Eve let out a chuckle as she took a cutter board from the shelf and sat next to Charles. She then ced the cutter board on the carpeted floor, took out a peeled potato, ced it on it, and then started slicing it with a sharp silver knife. She made precise t, elongated cuts and put them in a separate bowl. "What is the skill name, mom?" Charles showed an excited face and asked. "I have one unique skill, three main ss skills, and three subss skills. Among those skills, the Astrologer ss skill called [Fate Reader] skill will be most useful for you. With this, you will be able to perceive one''s Fate. It has some restrictions, though. You can use this skill only once per day and will also receive some side effects every time." Charles stared at her in surprise for a moment and soon asked while furrowing his brows, "Side effect?" "Yes, when you read one''s Fate, you will somehow alter their Fate in one way or another. When that happens, you will create a coincidence. What will happen when you use this skill on multiple individuals? Everyone''s Fate will change and be a mess." She stopped her silver knife for a second and soon added while taking another peeled potato to cut. "That''s the reason I rarely use this skill on others. Fate is like a bunch of long threads, Charles. When you alter one thread''s movement, it will go and collide with the nearby thread and soon tangle with one another. That''s the reason for those coincidences." Upon hearing her words, Charles''s mind went nk for a second. ''Wow.'' He stared at her for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''Coincidences...Don''t tell me-'' "Mom, are you the one who is creating those strange coincidences?" He stared at her in shock and disbelief. He couldn''t hide his surprise because he never imagined that Eve''s skill would be powerful enough even to scare the Rank-3 mystics. In the meantime, Eve curled his lips upwards as she stared into his jade-like eyes and asked. "Do you think of me as a fool?" After asking that question, she shook her head and responded, "Although I created some coincidences, not all of them are created by me. There is another [Astrology] ss member lurking in this city and seems to be plotting something. Creating coincidences is not a normal matter, son. If we create too many coincidences, we must find a way to solve those coincidences. Otherwise, we wouldn''t be able to Rank up for a long time and receive a huge backsh." "Still, your ss looks awesome, mom." Charles was deeply impressed by the [Astrologer] series ss andmented in surprise. "It has its own limitations." She paused for a moment and soon asked him with a mischievous smile on her face. "Do you want to know about ''its'' current location?" ''It? Is she talking about A-035?'' A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face as he blinked his eyes in surprise. She put the sliced potatoes into arge bowl and spoke while shaking her head with a smile on her face. "There must be some powerful peoples monitoring our movements, so don''t make any unnecessary movements for the next few days. I find out about ''It''s'' location not long ago when I noticed the sudden disappearance of an [Historian]''s Fate. About that [Historian], he told me that he is Derrick''s friend and came to our house to check about his future a week ago. Upon hearing his request, I peeked into his Fate. At that time, I noticed that some powerful individuals would target him and told him about the dangers. Still, his Fate didn''t change. After seeing the anomaly, I put a Fate mark on him to check and check his Fate from time to time. Not too long ago, a change urred in his Fate. No, I would say that his ''Fate'' thread was severed and became a bunch of broken strings." "Was it another [Astrologer] ss Mystic''s doing?" Charles interrupted her talking. Arbiter Willy''s words also appeared in his mind as he heard her words. "I don''t know. But that possibility is very low. Any powerful individual''s interference in a low-rank Mystic''s life will lead to the destruction of their Fate strings. As for why I mentioned about the [Historian], it''s because that he has some connection with the Red Crown, no, Holem''s Crown." Charles''s ears perked up as he heard her words and patiently waited for her to continue. "That artifact was hiding nearby when a powerful individual severed his Fate string. If you want to find that artifact, you have to search for the ce where the [Historian]''s Fate got destroyed." Upon hearing Eve''s words, Charles subconsciously thought of Jimmy Holmes. ''Wait... Holmes... Holem''s... Something''s telling me that these two almost identical-looking names are not a coincidence...'' He touched his chin and fell into deep thoughts. "Now, do you want to learn [Fate Reader] skill?" While he was in muse, Eve ced the final potato on the cutter board and asked. Charles stared vacantly at her for a moment and soon said with a smile. "I will think about it." "Don''t try to learn more than three unique skills, Charles. It will only restrict you from ranking up the main ss. Concentrate on improving your main ss and subss skills." She stood up with a bowl full of sliced potato pieces and went near the heating stove after saying those words. Instead of gas, this stove operated by collecting the ''mana'' from the environment and turned them into fuel. In the meantime, Charles took the bag filled with potato skins, knife, and cutter board and then went near the kitchen table. After that, he put the cutter board in the sink and then transferred the potato skins into the nearby dustbin. When doing the job, he started to think more deeply about the [Fate Reader] skill. ''Although it looks awesome, it will also create more coincidences. A single misstep, I will be in deep shit. Moreover, Astrologer skill looked more like a troublesome maniptive one.'' He thought for a second and soon shook his head. ''I need to think more about choosing my final unique skill. If I choose too many unique skills, I will face difficulty when improving them using skill points.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then turned his attention to Eve. "Charles, take the olive oil from the cab." Before he could ask about his next job, Eve sent out an order. A wry smile crept on his face as he smiled lightly and squatted down to take the olive oil. In the meantime, Eve lit the magic stove and ced a silver cup on the blue fire. Passing the olive oil to Eve, Charles stared at the blue me for a long time and requested, "Mom, can you cast [Fate Reader] skill on me and peek into my future." Upon hearing his strange request, Eve got startled a bit and soon nodded her head. "Wait for a second." Saying those words, she switched off the stove and then stared deeply into his eyes before casting [Fate Reader] skill on him. She then closed her eyes and made different kinds of strange hand gestures. In the meantime, Charles observed her hand movements and soon noticed that her lips started to move. "Hmm,...Gloomy house... Red clouds... Strange creatures... Dangers are lurking everywhere... so are the rewards... It''s going to be a long journey for you... Follow the snake; you will meet a benefactor." Charles blinked his eyes as he heard her words and soon thought of the strange Dreamworld. ''I need to be extra careful when entering the Dreamworld.'' He thought to himself and soon noticed that Eve was staring at him with her deep-blue eyes. "What is that strange ce?" She asked with full of curiosity. "It''s a dream-like world, mom." He responded shortly and then fell silent. Noticing that her son was unwilling to tell her more about it, she smiled and nodded her head at his wise decision. "It seems that ce is very dangerous. Be careful when you go there ande back safely." Eve said as she switched on the stove and started preparing the dinner once again. For the next hour, Charles helped Eve in the kitchen while discussing various things and cooked six different dishes. Once they finished arranging the dishes in the dining hall, Charles went to Saron''s room and invited her for dinner around 8.30 P.M. As usual, they had their dinner silently and went on their own. Charles also went upstairs after saying goodnight to Eve Nightwind and entered his bedroom. Once he walked in, he locked the wooden door from inside and went near the cab to take out the ''Nightmare Stone.'' After he took out the ''Nightmare Stone,'' he turned his attention to his leather bag and took out the newly painted Observer''s dagger from it. ''If this dagger is with me, Russell can monitor my movements through this strange gem anytime.'' He clicked his tongue in annoyance and took out a sharp steel knife from the nearby cupboard. After that, he tried different methods and finally removed the gem from the dagger. ''It came out.'' He nodded with a smile as he went near the opened window and threw the gem out with full force. The gem made a whooshing sound and soonnded on Mr. Hunt''s residence''spound... No, it bounced twice on the concrete floor and soon flew into Mr.Hunt''s bedroom! Charles stared at Mr.Hunt''s bedroom for a second in a dumbfounded face and soon scratched his head awkwardly. ''''Will Branch Head watch live p*rn from now on?'''' He muttered out loud and then closed the curtain before turning around. After that, he put the dagger in his waist as he sat on the bed and then took out the void pouch from the luggage. ''Can I able to bring the void pouch to the Dreamworld?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and soon thought of testing it out. Before that, he once again went downstairs and storing a few packs of dry bread and water pouch into it. After that, he stealthily went upstairs and walked into his bedroom again. He then silentlyid on the bed as he held the void pouch in his right and ced the ''Nightmare Stone'' in his pant pocket. ''Everything is ready.'' He muttered inwardly and then closed his eyes. ... Chapter 34: A Weird Snake After an unknown amount of time, Charles opened his eyes in the gloomy room and sat up with a puzzled look on his face. Unlike thest time, he was in the wooden bed and appeared in the same cloth. He hurriedly shifted his gaze towards his right hand and smiled as he noticed that the void pouch was still in his hand. Within a second, he peeked inside and soon breathed out a sigh of relief as he noticed that his Ember Pistol and other things were still present inside. He then checked his pocket and became rxed as he saw that the ''Nightmare Stone'' was also still there in his pocket. Curling his lips upward, he walked out of bed and saw that everything around him looked gloomy as before. ''Gloomy house...'' Eve''s prophecy-like words appeared in his mind. ''Can I able to use my magic spells?'' He creased his brows for a moment and soon cast ''Fire Wings'' spell with a single thought. In a second, two crimson wings appeared behind him and illuminated the gloomy bedroom. Nodding his head with a pleasant smile on his face, Charles dismissed the ''Fire Wings'' spell and then cautiously walked out of his bedroom. He didn''t go downstairs rashly, though; instead, he peeked outside through the window and noticed that no monstrous birds or any creatures were circling in the sky. But he only saw some strange red clouds floating in the sky and grew solemn. ''Hmm, should I start searching for any clues about Eddie here? Or, should I search for the ''Snake''?'' He furrowed his brows and then went to his study room first. He didn''t make any unnecessary noise and started searching for clues in the Study. Due to his worst luck, he couldn''t found anything rted to Eddie Nightwind or any snake and got disappointed. ''Eddie Nightwind is a dreamer, so there must be something hidden in this dream world.'' He thought to himself and soon went to the storage room. He searched for clues on the second floor for an hour and soon shifted his attention to the first floor. After gripping the dagger in his hand, he went downstairs cautiously and soon started scouting the first floor. Soon, Charles frowned as he noticed that there was not even a single presence near the house. ''Should I go out and look outside?'' A dangerous idea appeared in his mind. But he didn''t act like an impatient kid. He first sat on the torn Ornate Sofa and looked around in puzzlement. ''From the outer appearance, this home seemed to be abandoned for years... But why didn''t I see this sofa when I came herest time? Did someonee here and put the furniture? Even if they did, how did they get the Ornate sofa here?... Think... Think... What did I miss?...'' Charles narrowed his eyes in suspicion and confusion and soon began to think from a different perspective. ''First, let''s see what I know about this Dreamworld and Dream... First is [Dreamer] ss members. They must have some connection with this strange world. The second one is the God of Dream, Ithos. He owns the domains of Dream, Illusion, and Imagination... Imagination...'' He paused for a moment and soon widened his eyes as he thought of a possibility. ''Did the changes ur due to my imagination?... It''s not entirely impossible... This Dreamworld can influence the reality itself, so why not it can also change on its own through one person''s imagination? But, why did I appear in this house? Not the house in Earth...'' He pondered for a moment and soon shook his head. ''Let''s skip those high-level thoughts ande to the current situation. Can I able to use the spell model like Edhen World? Can the cooldown be the same or it varies?'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment as he thought of a problem and checked the interface. He soon focused his attention on the [Fire Wings] spell model in the status and soon saw the details. ''1 minute...'' He stared at the cooldown time in shock for a moment and soon mumbled, "It looks like this world has more mana than the Edhen World." After saying those words, he stood up from the torn sofa and got ready to go out. He silently walked out of the reception room before looking warily at the empty yard and soon noticed a strange scene in the northern sky. He saw an enormous cone-like red tornado in the farther area, and it seemed to be moving in a particr direction while connecting its anvil with those ominous red clouds! ''It is farther away from the Riverdale City.'' He gulped down his saliva as he stared at the monstrous natural disaster and soon nced around his surroundings. ''Why there are no strange creatures in this city now?'' He took a step forward towards thepound gate and soon noticed a strange ck snake was slithering towards his direction from the right side yard! It was the same ck snake he saw when he came herest time! But this time, he noticed something unique about that snake. Instead of a strange diamond-like gem on its forehead area, he saw a blue-crystalline cone and got curious about its origin. Before he could think further, he heard an alluring female voice in his head. "Follow. Me." Charles stared at the five-meter-long ck snake in surprise for a second and soon frowned as he saw that the ck snake had already changed its direction. ''It talked!'' He muttered to himself in shock. In the meantime, the snake slithered out of thepound gate and soon entered the mud street road. He had vaguely guessed that there must be some intelligent lifeforms in this dream-like world and got confused by how it knew about the Blennguage. ''Did this snake appeared through my imagination?... No... That''s almost nonsensical...'' "Who are you? How did you speak Blen tongue?" He asked in a suppressing tone and followed after it. The ck snake raised its head for a moment and soon continued to slither towards the main street. ''Is it ignoring me? Or, is someone controlling this snake from afar?'' He got puzzled inside and furrowed his brows. Before he could ask further, the ck snake muttered in a breaking female voice. "Dream. Lord. is. waiting. for. you." ''Dream Lord? Is it a title? Or, a ss name?'' He narrowed his eyes for a second and soon chose to stay silent. ''Looks like I need to be extra careful. Although Eve told me to follow after the snake, I don''t want to bet my life on some strange fate.'' He thought for a moment and soon halted his footsteps. In the meantime, the ck snake also stopped its movement and let out a loud hiss. After that, it turned around and said while flickering its tongue. "Danger. Hide." The snake slithered into the street corner and soon moved into the drainage passway after saying those words. In the meantime, Charles looked around in surprise and soon noticed a humanoid shadow wasing out from the nearby house. He was about to go and hide in the nearby house but soon stopped his footsteps as he knew that it would be a futile effort. In a second, he saw that the opposite party appeared 20 meters away from him and seemed to be holding ck darts in its hands. No, the other party was also a male human! He wore a ck hooded top, ck pants, and a pair of strange grey shoes. He looked around third-years old, with amber eyes, a rough face, and a lean body. Before he could ask any question to the opposite party, Charles''s [Sixth Sense] skill warned him about the impending danger as he bends down a bit and soon leaped towards the nearbypound wall. In the meantime, three ck darts flew towards the area where he stood before and soon stabbed onto the mud road. A secondter, purple gas appeared from those darts and started spreading like wildfire! On the other hand, Charles ced his hand on thepound wall and skillfully jumped towards the other side. After that, he didn''t dare to face the other party without having any information and thought of escaping. But before he could take a step forward, he saw that thepound wall started to turn minute sses and soon disappeared! ''Dream-rted abilities? He can manipte this illusionary world?'' Cold sweats dripped on Charles''s forehead as he turned around with a stiff smile on his face and pointed his forefinger at the enemy. A momentter, a ray of condensed red fire came out from his forefinger and moved towards the human at an unimaginable speed. It was Charles''s Rank-1 long-ranged offensive fire spell, Incinerate! For a moment, surprise and shock appeared on the hooded human face, and soon it turned gloomy. The hooded human then removed his ck hood while revealing his brown hair and whispered something in his mouth. Like a ripple, the surroundings air vibrated for a moment and soon formed into a transparent spherical shield! It looked more like a science fiction movie''s force field ability. A momentter, bang sound echoed as the fire ray collided against the sphere and the momentum threw the enemy off along with the forcefield-like sphere. When the hooded human snapped out from the daze, he noticed that the transparent sphere began to break like sses and widened his eyes! Before he could think further, he heard a strange metal clicking sound from the front. Squinting his eyes, he stood up unsteadily and locked his gaze on Charles, who was holding an odd metal scrap in his hand. A secondter, the brown-haired male''s instinct screamed all of a sudden to dodge the uing invisible attack! Horrified, the brown-haired human took a step back and tried to dodge the unknown attack by jumping towards his right side. But Charles didn''t even give any time for the brown-haired human and squeezed the trigger. A momentter, a sharp metal bullet came out from the Ember Pistol''s muzzle and soon collided on the strange human''s head! A millisecondter, another banging sound echoed as the strange human''s head shattered like a watermelon! [Target Eliminated! 170 Exp obtained!] Charles breathed as he stared at the headless corpse for two long seconds and then walked near it. ''Who is this?'' He raised his eyebrows in suspicion. Due to the sudden battle, he couldn''t even have any time to use his [Inspect] skill on the enemy, so he didn''t even have a single clue about why he attacked him earlier. "He. Is. a. Dreamer." He heard a strange breaking voice of a female and soon turned around. A weird ck snake slithered out of the drainage passway within a few seconds and soon appeared near him. "Dreamer?" He stared at the weird snake for a second while tilting his head and asked in confusion. "He. must. be. a. Rank-1. Dreamer. ss. Mystic." It replied while letting out a small hiss and then started slithering towards another direction. Sighing heavily, Charles followed after the weird ck snake and pondered about his previous battle. ''Rank-1 Dreamer ss Mystic. But why did he attack me? To rob me? If I didn''t have the Ember Pistol, I would be the one lying over there. His weird dream abilities were also powerful.'' He felt that he had to rank up quickly and increase his strength. Charles then turned his gaze towards the ck snake and asked another question as he walked on the empty main road. "Where did hee from?" "I. don''t. know." The snake spoke while slithering on the smooth mud road and soon added, "Maybe. from. another. ne." ''ne? Is it talking about another world?... That''s interesting...'' He arched his eyebrows a little and followed after it silently. The duo walked out of Riverdale City through the eastern gate and soon moved into the woods. Chapter 35: An Irregular Chapter 35: An Irregr As they moved into the dense woods, the slithering ck snake once again spoke in a hissing voice. "Another. Enemy. Big. one." "Okay." Charles squinted his eyes as he hid behind a tree trunk and unsheathed his dagger. In the meantime, the ck snake circled therge tree trunk and soon turned transparent. "Do you have anybat skills?" Charles also cast [Conceal] skill on himself and asked the weird ck snake. Upon hearing his words, the ck snake moved its concealed head up and down and then spoke in the same breaking voice. "Dream. Hiss, Memory. Steal, Nightmare. Poison." ''Hmm?'' Charles raised his eyebrows in confusion and soon thought of casting inspect skill on it. A secondter, a row of information about this ck snake appeared in front of his eyes. [Name: Shadow Princess Health Status: Normal Race: Dream Snake Rank: 1 (Common) ss: Level 3 Nightmare Snake (0/225) Health Points: 59/59 Attributes: Strength- ?? Dexterity- ?? Constitution- ?? Wisdom-10 Charisma- 6 ss skills: Dream Hiss- 45 Memory Steal- 34 Nightmare Poison- 42 Unique Skills: None] ''Wow, we got a princess here.'' He stared at the snake''s name in surprise for a second and soon nced at those ss skills. ''Hmm, Nightmare Poison looks good. Although I don''t know how it works, at least this weird snake won''t be useless during the battle.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then looked at the enemy, who was already shrouded by shrubs and vines. Due to his sharp eyes, he soon saw the enemy''s appearance and sucked in a cold breath. Like the Shadow Princess had said earlier, the enemy was indeed a big one. It was a grey-colored horse-type creature with a single horn on its forehead. Although it looked more like a Unicorn from the fairy tales, sadly, it wasn''t. It had four creepy white eyes, scorpion-like tails, and a body of a zebra. It looked around five meters tall as a giraffe and appeared more like a horse from someone''s nightmare. ''Well, it might really be created from someone''s nightmare, though.'' He let out a silent sigh and then cast inspect skill on it. A secondter, he smiled bitterly and shook his head. ''Inspection failed. It means this weird horse is a peak Rank-2 creature or Rank-3 creature.'' He thought that retreating was the best option and said to the Shadow Princess in a suppressing voice. "This creature is way above our strength. Is there any other way to go to your Dream Lord''s residence?" The ck snake weirdly tilted its head to show its confusion and soon nodded its head. After that, it slowly slithered from the tree trunk and started moving in a different direction. In the meantime, Charles followed after it with light footsteps and soon noticed that they were moving in a familiar path. ''Isn''t this the way to out Wind Vi?'' He furrowed his brows in surprise for a moment and soon concluded. ''I thought that this Dream Lord has some connection with Eddie Nightwind. Now, it confirmed my suspicion. Hmm, I can''t rule out the possibility that some other guy is manipting me behind the scenes and trying to lure me into this dream world. But that possibility is very low. If such a guy really wants to harm me and find more information about me, he could have extracted my memories using strange mind-rted methods.'' He thought to himself as he soon saw a muddy path in front of him. The weird Shadow Princess didn''t exin anything as it simply slithered towards the muddy path and soon moved on the mud path. With a helpless look on his face, Charles wore a wry smile and followed after the snake. The gloomy way soon came to an end as therge mansion-like building stood blocking their path. It was a two-storied building and appeared very eerie and gloomy. Multiple creatures with different looks roamed in the yard, and Charles even saw some humanoid creatures cutting the ck leaves of the nightmarish ornamental nts. ''What the hell did the Dream Lord turned this ce into?'' He stared at those creatures with a stupefied face for a moment and soon walked in. The duo walked past many strange ck dogs, goats, three-headed orc-like creatures, and even old-looking women with fish bodies and soon arrived under the slightly tilted porch. "Go. In." The ck snake said slowly and then went in a different direction. In the meantime, Charles turned the doorknob, pushed it forward, and opened the door with a click. After that, he went to the reception hall with arge chandelier floating at the center and soon looked up at the split staircase. Without even looking at the surrounding rooms, he walked ahead and soon stepped on the stairs. He walked on the stairs with loud footsteps and soon reached the second floor. He paused for a second to recall Charles'' memories about this Wind Vi and soon found out the study room''s location. Nodding his head, he gripped the dagger hilt with his right hand and started walking on the right-side hallway. After walking for a while, he soon appeared in front of a wooden panel door and knocked it twice. "You are sharp, visitor." An old, ancient voice filled with the power of dominance came from inside, and soon the door opened with a click, leaving a small creaky noise behind. Charles''s gaze swept past the table and soonnded on a white-robed man. He showed his back to him and seemed to be looking at the outside world through the opened window. He hadbed straight ck hair and looked around 187 cm tall. Furrowing his brows, Charles took a step forward and walked into the study. He soon appeared in front of the table, pulls over the wooden chair, and sat on it. Following that, he took out the Ember Pistol from his void pouch and ced it on the table. His calm action even surprised the mysterious old man! Turning around, the mysterious ck-haired old man stared into his eyes and said in deliberation. "You look calm¡­ Very calm¡­Why?" Charles smiled instead of responding and then asked after a short pause. "Why did you invite me here, Dream Lord? Or, should I call you as Eddie Nightwind?" A look of amusement appeared on the old man''s square face as he closed his monolid blue eyes for a second and soon opened while asking. "How did you find out?" His wrinkled face was filled with full of confusion and curiousness. Charles curled his lips upwards as he leaned on the wooden chair and started talking with a mysterious smile on his face. "I guessed with all those small clues left behind by you. First, your strange prophecy and our coincidental appearance around this time to Riverdale city gave me a big clue. Moreover, my mother''s intuition on buying this vi and our current house from the previous owner¡­ It looked more like someone with a higher power forced thend on us in the name of intuition. Unlike others, I somehow felt that someone was manipting us from behind the scenes and led us to this city using some strange, mysterious power like ''Fate.'' After watching my mother''s skills, I knew that it is possible in this magical world. You are one of those suspects. Second, It''s about the Holem''s Crown. If I''m not wrong, you must have left the Series-A artifact in Riverdale City to achieve specific goals. To aplish those goals, you need one of your descendants'' help. Although your reason about saving the world from its doom sounds reasonable for others, I don''t believe in such bullsh*ts. And about the third clue, it''s the ''Nightmare Stone.'' If you have put that stone in some hidden ce and made someplex mechanism to open it with your descendants'' blood or something, I would have believed it. But when Bishop Reynolds told me that he found the ''Nightmare Stone'' in Wind Vi, I almost felt that you are the one responsible for pulling strings." Eddie''s lips twitched as he heard that his descendant pointed out his mistakes like an expert teacher. "Impressive." That what all he could say as he felt ashamed of admitting his defeat. But soon he shook his head and spoke, "You are indeed smart. But you are wrong about one thing." He paused for a second and continued with a solemn tone. "I''m not Eddie Nightwind. I''m nothing but a remnant of his memories with a separate consciousness. Incarnation should be the best word for it." "Incarnation?" Charles raised his eyebrows at the new term as he straightened his back a little and asked in curiosity. In the meantime, Eddie Nightwind walked near the wooden table, pulled another chair from the side, and sat on it. "Yes, I''m nothing but a powerless incarnation. My true body died in the strange dimension when battling against the World Eater." He paused as he saw the puzzlement on Charles''s face and continued with a sigh, "Let''s talk about the World Eaterter. Now, after the death of my true body, all the remaining incarnations and avatars started to destroy one by one. But I entered the Woolbringer World and survived by absorbing the memories of other creatures and humans. Then, I slowly umted my strength by gaining different experiences from others and soon formed a fake soul. That is the current me." Charles widened his eyes for a moment and then asked in surprise. "Why did you lie to others then?" Eddie nced at him for a second and soon changed the topic. "Let''s talk about you, now. What''s your name? Why did you change so suddenly? What''s the cause of your Irregrity?" Charles''s lips twitched as he heard Eddie''s questions and soon shook his head. "I''m Charles Nightwind. As for why did I change, it''s the situations that forced me to walk on another path." He replied vaguely. Stroking his beardless chin, Eddie Nightwind sighed in disappointment and then pped his hands. A heartbeatter, two sses of ck teacups appeared on the table, causing Charles to widen his eyes a little. "Creation Magic? Or, Teleportation?" Charles then asked in curious. "Creation Magic? Do you even know how absurd your thinking is? Do you think of me as a creator of this universe?" Eddie almost lost his cool as he stared at his descendant with daggering eyes and then exined with a sigh. "This is the power of ''Dream''¡­No, ''Imagination'' should be the right term for it." He took one ck teacup from the table and passed it to Charles after saying those words. In the meantime, Charles took the cup, blew some air to break the surface bubbles, and then took a sip. "It looks so real. Can I also learn this skill?" Hemented in surprise and then asked. Eddie, who was about to take the other cup, stopped his hand and said in a surprising tone. "I''m really starting to wonder if you really are my descendant." He paused for a moment as he took the cup from the table, moved it towards his mouth, took a sip, and then added. "The answer to your question is, no. Unless you be a [Dreamer] ss Mystic, It''s really is impossible to learn anything about the power of ''Imagination''." Charles got disappointed a little upon hearing Eddie''s words and soon changed the topic. "So, why did you lie to everyone about the Edhen world? Was that a made-up story?" "No, the destruction of our world is bound to happen in the future. At first, my memories about the ''World Eater'' were disappeared. No, I would say that the real ''Eddie'' sealed my memories. The real ''Eddie'' must have anticipated the original body''s demise and made some n. After entering this Woolgatherer world, I instinctively absorbed memories of other creatures and started improving my ranks. After reaching a certain level, I suddenly recalled my battle with the World Eater and got anxious about our world''s destruction. After making a detailed n, I returned to Edhen World, warned my friends about the destruction, and went out to the Endless Sea to search for the ''Myth Tree.'' In truth, I used that reason as an excuse and returned to the Dreamworld. After that, I used one of my remaining unique skills and started seeing the future changes continuously." "What are the futures did you see?" Charles interrupted his talking. "Most of them are Edhen World''s destruction. But I also some Irregrs in the vision and was greatly impressed by their irregrities. Many of them were not restricted by the strings of Fate and even made a great mess in the timeline. Among those irregrities, only one guy caught my attention." He closed his eyes for a second and then finished in a solemn tone. "Not you. He is an Elf and also an Irregr." Chapter 36: Holem's Crown Chapter 36: Holem''s Crown "Elven Irregr? Are you talking about the Elves from the Ancient Legends?" Charles widened his eyes in surprise and asked. Eddie also started by Charles''s knowledge about Elves and nodded in appreciation. "Yes, I saw that vision 500 years ago. Suddenly, an elf appeared from the City of Miracles and then ascended to a God in less than a decade. He then stood beside humanity during thest nar invasion and helped us repel those foreign invaders. By the nature of Fate, he shouldn''t havee to our world and caused a variable in the timeline. But he came to our world a few centuries ago and made a name for himself." He deliberated for a second and then added in a deep tone, "He now goes by the title ''Sun God''." ''Sun God again?'' He took a note of this Sun God and thought of staying away from him in the future. "Why are mentioning him now?" Charles felt confused by his ancestor''s words and asked. "Well, you are the second ''Irregr'' that piqued my interest when I was looking into the future visions. Unlike the other visions, I saw a vague shadow of myself or my family member in one vision. After finding out that the ''Irregr'' will be my descendant, I made a n and created the prophecy like I normally do. After that, I didn''t interfere in any of the real-world matters and mostly secluded myself here in this Dream World. I indeed wrote the prophecy. But, I''m not the one who led you and your mom to this city." Turning his face solemn, Charles nodded his head and soon asked, "What about Holem''s Crown? Why is it sneaking inside the Riverdale city?" Eddie Nightwind''s face went dark as he heard that name, and soon he spoke with a sigh, "That artifact¡­ Before I tell you about that artifact, I will tell you about how I obtained it. When I found the Holem''s Crown, it was drifting in outer space towards an unknown destination. I tried to capture it, but it retaliated with full power. A fierce battle happened in the void, and finally, I managed to capture it in a sealed Time Stone. But, I soon realized that I don''t have the power to maintain the sealed Time Stone. In the meantime, Holem''s Crown also felt the danger and made a suggestion. It said that it would surrender to me in exchange for its future freedom. Holem''s Crown told me that it could create ''Miracles'' by stealing lucks of other peoples and tempted me to sign an Abyssal contract. I was a little naive back then, so I fell for its trap. But I did some tricks before signing the contract, though. That''s the biggest mistake I have ever made in my life." Eddie let out a bitterugh and continued with a deep sigh. "I tricked the Holem''s Crown by creating a realistic illusion and showed it to create ten miracles for me and my descendants to get its freedom." He paused for a moment and spoke while scratching his head, "In reality, I altered the condition and added two zeros after 10." "1000 Miracles?!" Even Charles lost his calm for a second and stared at his ancestor full of respect and awe. "You are the real Trickster!" He was astounded by Eddie''s evil trick. "Well, I should have prepared for the consequence when I tricked the Series-A Artifact to sign a ve-like contract. When I dismissed the illusion, it almost went on a rampage, so do I." He heaved a heavy sigh as he said that. Charles narrowed his eyes at his words and asked while creasing his brows. "What do you mean by ''So do I''?" Eddie stood up from his seat as he shook his head, went near to stand while facing his back against him, and said in a gloomy tone. "Like me, it also used a strange method and altered a condition. The condition is that after creating a miracle, the user has to bear the consequence." He paused for a moment and soon said while shaking his head. "User will be the Unlucky one." Upon hearing those words, a chill went up to Charles''s spines! ''Unlucky?¡­ Unlucky Star?¡­'' He froze for a second and soon asked a strange question. "Ancestor, do you know anyone from the Holmes family?" "Why do you ask?" Turning around, Eddie asked in a surprised face and soon answered. "It''s been a long time since I heard that word. Marie Holmes¡­ She is my second daughter and was married to Holmes Family under this artifact''s proposal. It was a political marriage and I agreed to it without putting much thought into it. In two years, she suddenly became ill and soon died of an unknown curse. After her death, I lost contact with that family and even lost some clue to find the culprit." After saying those words, he even created his daughter''s virtual video and showed it to him. It was a video with realistic sound effects. As he saw the virtual video, Charles''s mind went nk for a moment. She had long ck hair, an oval face, tan skin, and deep-set jade eyes like Charles''s. But what caused him to be stunned was her facial appearance. ''Her face looks almost simr to me. If not for the tan skin, ck hair, big breast, and female gender, she and I would look like identical twins.'' Eddie noticed his puzzlement, let out a chuckle, and replied while dismissing the video by waving his hand. "Most of our family members have some simr facial appearances, so it''s not a rare thing in this magical world." Nodding his head, Charles pinched his chin and asked, "Can you tell me more about her? What main ss did she choose? What did she like most? Whom did she love in her childhood life? What is her sub-ss?" Eddie went silent upon hearing his strange request and sighed after a long silence. He couldn''t even able toprehend what the hell did his descendant was thinking in his mind and becamepletely stupefied. After thinking for a moment, he gave up on understanding Charles''s character and started talking. "She is a very active one and always loves eating sweet items. As for her main ss, she is a [Psychologist] ss mystic and has one powerful unique skill. It has some rtion with the power of ''Time''. As for her sub-ss, it is the [Fire Mage] ss. You have many simrities with her characters and even sses. If you were a girl, I would have thought of you as Marie''s reincarnation." Charles went silent for a long time and soon began to think. ''Simrities¡­ Well, we are from the same family, so there is nothing strange about having simr characters and simr facial appearances. Now, my main problem is A-035¡­ Holem''s Crown¡­Jimmy Holmes¡­ Jimmy might be the descendant of Marie Holmes¡­ It also indicates that he has the blood of Eddie Nightwind¡­ But somehow, Holem''s Crown didn''t choose him as a sessor and took him as a temporary host¡­ No, that doesn''t add up¡­ There must be some other reason. It might have chosen Jimmy Holmes as a temporary owner for another purpose. Why did it choose me as its sessor?'' He furrowed his brows in suspicion and soon asked, "Ancestor, did Marie have any children?" Puzzlement crossed Eddie''s face as he heard strange questions from Charles. "No, she didn''t have any children." He shook his head and went silent. In the meantime, Charles felt more confused. ''Then, why did it choose Jimmy Holmes? What did I miss now?'' He also stood up from his seat and walked near Eddie Nightwind. He then peeked at the odd tornado and red clouds for a second and soon widened his eyes. ''Holem''s¡­ Holmes¡­ What if the Holmes family''s original name was Holem in the first ce? I also heard that some humans came from other worlds after the destruction of the first Arcane Empire and became Edhen World''s residents¡­ What if the Holem''s Crown was an artifact owned by the Holem Family long ago but somehow got lost in time and space? That''s not entirely impossible¡­ And by some ''Miracle'', Eddie Nightwind found that artifact in the space and brought it to Edhen World where its real owner was¡­Did it manipte the ''Fate'' itself and made contact with Holmes'' family through the political marriage of Marie Holmes? What the f*ck? From when did I start overthinking? But I don''t think that it''s a mere coincidence¡­'' His lips trembled as he came to a daring conclusion. ''Holem''s Crown might be plotting something big¡­ Really big¡­'' His heart thumped harder as he rubbed his sweaty hands and soon asked, "Is there a way to control that artifact, Ancestor?" Upon hearing his question, Eddie curled his lips upward and said with a smile. "Yes. You can control it by tricking the artifact once again." "You are dreaming. Do you think it is very easy to trick the tricked one?" Charles almost got angry at Eddie''s reckless proposal. An amusing smile appeared on Eddie''s face as he shook his head and asked, "Do you know why I made such aplicated n to contact you instead of just appearing in front of you?" Charles stared at the nightmarish yard for a second and soon frowned. Noticing his frown, Eddie let out a chuckle and said while waving his hand. "Do you think that it is easy to trick a Series-A artifact?" "No. Unless you are a legendary trickster, it will be very difficult to trick an intelligent artifact." Charles shook his head and said solemnly. "Correct. You see, the Holem''s Crown uses some strange method to detect its owner or its inheritor. During the past hundreds of years, I studied its strange mechanism and finally made a breakthrough. I tried many methods and finally managed to find a solution." He paused in deliberation and soon took out a reddish paper from the nearby cupboard. "And, what''s that?" Charles asked in curiosity. "It''s a fake Abyssal contract. Like other artifacts, this Holem''s Crown seems to have some weakness against illusion-rted things. So, what if we use a contract made of ''Illusion'' and ''Imagination'' to trick the Holem''s Crown instead of taking risks?" Charles got more or less confused by his words and stared at him with a clueless face. Eddie shook his head and then started to speak. "You see, this world is not some normal world. The Woolbringer world is somewhat linked to all the nes in the universe and can influence reality itself. Abyss and hell are not exceptions. There is also a strange Abyss-like Superior world hidden somewhere in this Dreamworld. It''s the real power of ''Imagination'' and ''Dreams''. I already created an Abyssal Contract with the Dreamworld power through countless trials and errors and now waiting for a suitable candidate toplete the task. What do you think? Can you do it?" Charles went silent upon hearing the old man''s question. ''Although he is speaking honestly, I can''t show any recklessness.'' He thought to himself and posed a question. "What would you gain by helping me take full control over the Holem''s Crown?" A sly smile crept on the old man''s wrinkled face as he stared at him for a moment and then said calmly. "That artifact can create miracles, so I need you to create a veryrge miracle for me when I''m trying toplete a ritual." "Ritual?" Charles blinked his eyes in surprise. "Yes, it''s a ritual to turn my false soul into a true one with the power of ''Imagination'' and ''Dreams''. Unlike other rituals, this ritual is a veryplex one, and the possibility of seeding is almost zero." Eddie deliberately paused for a second and continued with a mysterious smile on his face. "Unless a big ''Miracle'' happens, it will definitely end up as a failure." Charles thought for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''Big Miracle¡­ He is the one who needs the A-035 artifact most, but it seems he didn''t have the power to capture it¡­ No, the Holem''s Crown might have already sensed his death and the present ''Him'' might not have the power to control it¡­ Yeah, he is just an incarnation of Eddie Nightwind and also a fake soul, not a real one¡­'' Multiple thoughts whirled in his mind as he understood Eddie''s n. Chapter 37: Dream Creator Chapter 37: Dream Creator Charles took the red-colored contract from Eddie''s hand and started reading it. After reading the contract for a whole minute, he went silent for a while. Like he had expected, the main owner of A-035 would be himself and would have the power topletely control the Series-A Artifact. That would be only possible when he sessfully tricks the Artifact to sign the contract. "This is too good. It is more like a servitude contract for the Holem''s Crown. Do you think that A-035 would be willing to ept this contract?" He asked while sharpening his gaze towards the outside. "You are right. But when you show this contract to A-035, it won''t see the real content. You can write what rubbish you want to write and trick that artifact into signing it. But you have to act carefully and make it believe that the contents are not too good. If you made a mistake when showing the contract, the Holem''s Crown will be on guard and might find out about our real n." Charles nodded his head solemnly and then cast [Inspect] skill to check if the contract was real or fake. [Name: Contract of Imagination Rank: ???? Effects: It''s an absolute contract and has power equal to the Abyssal Contract. It has the power of ''Imagination'' to deceive the opposite party and make them believe whatever you write.] ''This is a real and a very powerful contract¡­'' He nodded as he stored it in his void pouch and then asked another question to rify his doubt. "Why aren''t you doing it on your own? Is it rted to your true soul?" Eddie smiled as he nodded his head and spoke. "Yes. I also don''t want others to know that my original body and three avatars have already died. My mere incarnation has only the strength of a [Dream Creator], and I won''t be able to stay in the Edhen World for too long. But once I convert my fake soul into a true one, I will be able to rank up once again and be a true [Dream Lord]. If I managed to create a physical body in the real world, I might be an [Imaginary Lord] and will walk on the Edhen World like a normal Mystic one day." Charles''s heart stirred as he heard those new terms and began to organize his thoughts. ''Those titles must be the [Dreamer] ss rank names. [Dreamer] is a Rank-1 ss. What about the 2nd Rank ss name? Rank-3?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and soon asked. "Which rank is [Dream Creator] ss, Ancestor?" A look of puzzlement appeared on Eddie''s face as he stared at him for a moment and soon spoke with a sigh. "It seems you are clueless about the Gem ss ranks. [Dream Creator] is a rank 5 ss. Now that I think about it, you are still an [Apprentice Fire Mage], aren''t you?" After sizing him up and down for a second, Eddie asked. "Yes, Ancestor." Charles didn''t find anything abnormal and replied honestly. "Good. Fire Mage is a good ss." Eddie nodded thoughtfully and soon gave a suggestion. "When you have enough material do the ritual for Elemental Heart Creation,e here. I will give you a particr fire elemental ne''s coordinates. That''s all I can do to help my descendant." "Thank you, Ancestor." Charles felt a strange warm emotion appeared in his heart as he heard Eddie''s suggestion and thanked him subconsciously. After that, he thought for a moment and soon asked questions while pointing his forefinger towards the yard. "What are these weird creatures? Are these the original residence of Nightmare World?" A proud look bloomed on Eddie''s face as he heard those words. "They are my new creations. When someone dreams, they will subconsciously create some living illusions through the power of ''Imagination'' and ''Dreams.'' Although they would be just temporary illusions, I made some alterations in those illusion creatures and let them evolve like me. That ck snake is also created by this method when you came to this Dreamworldst time." "Oh? But why is there no human in the crowd?" Charles looked at those different types of creatures and posed another question. "Humans, huh. They are not trustworthy." Eddie instantly shook his head and replied. "Are there any native species in this world?" Charles wandered his gaze towards the outer Dreamworld and soon asked while staring at the strange typhoon in interest. "Yes, there are many types of Nightmare Creatures, Dream Wanderers, and Trouble Makers roaming in this world. They were born from strong emotions of someone''s dream and then evolved into powerful creatures naturally. Oh, they also have true souls. Due to them created by the power of ''Imagination,'' they aren''t restricted by the Dreamworld and even have some terrifying abilities. If you met any of these weird native creatures, don''t try to confront it." Eddie turned his face seriously and gave him a warning. Charles widened his eyes and nodded his head gravely. After that, he turned his gaze towards his Ember Pistol and asked casually. "Can you help me upgrade this Pistol, Ancestor? The cool-down time is too long." Eddie narrowed his eyes as he walked near the table, picked up the Ember Pistol, and then started inspecting it. "Hmm, they used Runal characters to create a good mechanical weapon. Let''s see if I can infuse my ''Imagination'' power and make some changes." After saying those words, Eddie created different characters in the air using a needle-like quill and started sending them into his Ember Pistol. Like butterflies, those weird characters surrounded the Ember Pistol for some time and soon absorbed into the grip area. Once those characters were absorbed into the Pistol''s grip, Eddie nodded his head with a pleasant smile on his face and said. "You are a Fire Mage, so I added a particr Fire ne''s coordinates as an imprint in weapon and made a few changes. So, from now on, the Pistol will absorb the ''Fire elemental energy'' from the Fire ne through the imprint and increase the destructive power up to three folds of your attack magic spell. That''s only for now. If you increase your rank, it will also grow alongside you. I also put your soul mark on it. So it will be bounded to you from now on, and no one can steal it from you. As for changing the cool-down time, it''s almost impossible for me. If I try to alter those Runal characters, this weapon might get destroyed instead." Upon hearing Eddie''sst sentence, Charles didn''t get depressed. Instead, he smiled widely and agreed. ''It''s a perfect trump card for me. Although the destructive power from the condensed mana bullet is higher than the current bullet, it won''t be useful in the future if I didn''t alter it now.'' He curled his lips upward and took the Ember Pistol from Eddie. After that, he asked few more doubts about Dreamworld and then asked another important question. "Ancestor, can you tell me more about the so-called ''Irregrs''? Why do you call me and the mysterious ''Sun God'' as ''Irregrs''?" Rubbing his temte, Eddie thought for a moment and said solemnly, "Unlike normal Mystics, you can''t measure the ''Irregrs'' strength by normal means. They will grow at an abnormal speed, their actions will always be unpredictable, and they also can control their own fates. Even I don''t know much about these Irregrs." ''Control their own fates, huh¡­'' Charles creased his brows in surprise and soon nodded in understanding. Both then discussed for another hour, and soon Charles found out more interesting information about the Dreamworld. The first one was about the ''Time'' anomaly in this Dream World. Due to this world''s strangeness, ''Time'' would flow sometimes faster while other times slower. No one, not even a mighty [Dream Lord], had the power to influence it. He also mentioned that there would be a time when he would have the possibility of encountering past, present, and future worlds! Although it was a rare urrence, Eddie said that it did happen sometimes. As for why it was happening, he said that it had something to do with a mysterious Time God. The second one was a strange thing called ''World Eater.'' Eddie mentioned that the ''World Eater'' was a strange creature in space and had the power to swallow everything in its path. He mentioned that it looked like arge ckish round thing, and it even absorbed his most devastating attack into its belly. Eddie said that this strange ''World Eater'' was drifting in the space and appeared to be moving in Edhen World''s direction. Charles instantly thought of the ''ckhole'' and became more curious about the origin of this ''World Eater.'' Thest one he talked about was the ''Divinities'' and Divine Path. Unlike the ss-gem Path, Divine Path was forbidden and a dangerous one. To walk on this divine path, one needs to collect divinities from many parts of the universe. Divinities were very rare to find and were dangerous things to touch. Eddie told him that it was a separate path from the ss gem path and had severe restrictions. He also warned Charles not to absorb any divinity even if he stumbled upon one and told him always to be wary of the Divines. Eddie then put a ''Star Mark'' on Charles''s right hand and said in a solemn tone after exchanging few words. "This is the Mark of Imagination. Once you activate this ''Mark'' when disguising, you will have an easy time disguising yourself as another person and could trick others easily. Whoever sees you will be affected by this ''Mark of Imagination'' and would never suspect of you as a disguised person. But be careful of its cool-down, though. You can use this Mark only once a day. Once this Mark is activated, you will be in that state for 2 hours, and then the ''Mark'' will be deactivated on its own. So, use it properly." ''Mark of Imagination¡­'' Charles suddenly stopped thinking and stared at Eddie with wide eyes. "Did you influence my thoughts with your power of ''Imagination''?" ''After I came to this ce, I acted very differently. I felt as if the person in front of me was my closest person and could always trust him with my life on the line¡­ Dangerous! Is he controlling my emotions?'' Noticing the change in his facial expression, Eddie waved his hand and said with a smile. "If I didn''t use the power of ''Imagination'' to make you believe my words, you wouldn''t have listened to my words and might be scheming in your mind by now. I''m not a smart one, so I have no other choice." He paused for a moment as he saw the sudden vignce in Charles''s face and sighed heavily. "I will be honest with you now, Charles. The reason I brought you here is not to kill you or control you. I brought you here to achieve something, and once we achieve that, we will be walking in different paths." Charles grew warier as he heard Eddie''s words and soon realized that he was nothing in front of this powerful old man. ''Yes, he is indeed somewhat polite whenparing to other Mystics. At least, he hasn''t shown any ill intention against me other than manipting my emotions to trust his words.'' After thinking for a moment, Charles thanked Eddie Nightwind for his earlier help and soon asked him about the ''Time'' difference between this dream and the outside world. If it was some other mystics, they would have kept their mouth silent and won''t even dare to interact with a dangerous person. But Charles knew that every piece of information was precious, so he didn''t hold back and asked him. To his surprise, Eddie told him that when someone enters the DreamWorld using the ''Nightmare Stone,'' they will be able to stay here for a week without any restriction. But during the time, the ''Time'' difference will vary from minutes, days, or even weeks in Edhen World. Eddie then told Charles that if he wants to return to Edhen World, he must return to the ce where he first woke up in the Dreamworld. Otherwise, his consciousness would be destroyed by the Dreamworld''s Will, and his real soul would also receive a heavy injury in return. Eddie also told him that If his soul was in a weaker state, the possibility of him dying in the real world was very high. Once the discussion was over, Eddie informed him that the current ''Time'' variation between Dream World and Edhen World was not abnormal, so he advised Charles to return to Riverdale City in four days and then disappeared from the study room. Charles stayed alone in the study for some time and started to return to his normal self. As his original emotions began to return, Charles''s face went gloomy and cold. ''He is indeed influenced my emotions to believe his wordspletely¡­ Thankfully, he isn''t a psychopath. Otherwise, I would be dead or enved by now. Hmm, from his earlier words, I can guess that he is indeed in dire need of my help. Well, as long as he didn''t double-cross me, I won''t make any rash moves against him. His abilities to create things out of nothing through ''Imagination'' power are indeed terrifying. But there must be some restrictions to use those abilities in Edhen World. If he is powerful in creating things out of ''Imagination,'' he would have stormed into the Edhen World and captured that A-035 on his own.'' He turned his face solemn and heaved a heavy sigh. Shaking his head, Charles then walked out of the study room, went downstairs through the split staircase, and sat on a smooth sofa. After that, he thought of spending the time inside and improved his spell models using the Runalnguage knowledge. He felt that this was also an opportunity to improve his spells and study the spell models. He stayed mostly in the reception hall while eating the dry bread from time to time and improved his offensive spell model. Due to his hard work and persistence, he finally managed to master the [Incinerate] spell model on the third day. Once hepletely mastered the offensive spell, he didn''t shift his attention to other spell models. Instead, he took out the magic book called Starfall Codex and started flipping the pages. Unlike the spell models, the Starfall Codex was written in clear Runal words and appeared more like poetry verses. He saw many magic spells'' incantation verses and also noticed the warnings. Each spell verse had some cool-down time and restrictions. If you take the Rank-1 [Confusion] spell as an example, it had a cool-down of two hours, and one needs to have the Wisdom power of 12. That precise number gave Charles a huge surprise. From Emilia''s words, he learned that normal mystics had no idea about measuring one''s Wisdom power. But the book owner seemed to have already aware of the secrets behind Wisdom Power. He looked at those spells one by one and soon found out that he could only use five spells from the Starfall Codex book with the Wisdom of 15. Among those five spells, one was a Titan''s offensive bloodline spell, two Rank-1 supportive spells, and two Rank-1 agility-types spells. The time passed slowly, and soon Charles''s time to walk out of the dream also came. Chapter 38: Abnormal Battle Chapter 38: Abnormal Battle After saying goodbye to Eddie Nightwind, who just happened to pass by, Charles stood up from the sofa and walked out of the two-storied building. To his surprise, he noticed that the five-meter-long ck snake was waiting for him at the entrance and smiled subconsciously. "We meet again, Shadow Princess." He said while stepping on the greyish yard. "Meet. again." As usual, the weird snake said in a breaking female tone and then slithered after him. Both soon appeared out of the Wind Vi and soon went into the dense woods. Unlike thest time, they didn''t meet any dangers on their way to Riverdale City and soon reached the City entrance. But as soon as he stepped in, a chilly wind blew past him and gave him a dangerous premonition. "Go back. I will go on my own." This time, he muttered hurriedly as his gaze swept past the buildings and soonnded on a Dark Wolf-like creature. Its fur was a mixture of dark and grey color and appeared around 2 meters tall and four meters long. It stood on the mud main street road and appeared to be in the middle of eating its prey! Upon hearing Charles''s words, the Shadow Princess nodded its head, slithered around, and soon moved in another direction. Heaving a heavy sigh, Charles gripped his dagger tighter and then cast the [Inspect] skill on it. A secondter, hisplexion turned gloomy as he noticed that the [Inspect] skill had failed. ''It means that the Dark Wolf''s Wisdom is higher than mine. It is most likely a peak-level Rank-2 creature. If it is a Rank-3 creature, I would be in deep sh*t.'' He muttered to himself as he cast [Conceal] skill on himself and then crept towards the Dark Wolf like a sneaky cat. At that time, a bold idea appeared in his mind. ''Should I kill it using this upgraded gun and my [Incinerate] spell? Although these creatures are tougher to kill, I don''t think it is entirely impossible. Moreover, this one is already injured by its prey.'' He instantly calmed down his mind and soon noticed something was affecting his inner feeling. Unlike before, Charles sensed that this emotion was urging him to act against that Dark Wolf! ''Why did I think of such a dangerous idea?'' He was about to question himself but soon felt an irresistible urge to attack the Dark Wolf. Before he could understand it, his hand pulled out the Ember Pistol from the void pouch, aimed at the Dark Wolf''s forehead, and turned the hammer before pulling the trigger. BANG! A loud explosion echoed in a moment, and soon a red bullet came out of the Ember pistol''s Muzzle and tore through the air towards the creature at an unimaginable speed! In the meantime, Charles felt an irresistible urge to kill the Dark-Wolf creature and got both anxious and excited. ''My thoughts are deviating¡­If this wolf is a Rank-3 creature, I will gain thousands of experience points¡­Staying here is too dangerous and confronting this creature is a terrible idea¡­ I need to escape now¡­ No, this is a good opportunity. I''m very confident in killing it now¡­'' Charles''s mind went chaos for a moment. ''No¡­I can''t end it like this¡­'' Suddenly, he made another bold decision as the crimson fire bulletnded on the Dark-wolf''s forehead. ''I will kill it for real.'' Both emotions became one as he stared at the wounded Dark-Wolf and sprinted towards it while unsheathing the dagger. In the meantime, the Dark-Wolf let out a loud howl in anger, turned its monstrous head, and then leaped towards his direction while opening its hideous mouth. ''Damn it, if I get near recklessly, I will die here for sure¡­ I have to think of another n.'' He instantly cast his [Fire Wings] spell and pped it forcefully. He then managed to evade the Dark-Wolf''s monstrous mouth in a hairbreadth and hovered up in the sky. Although he managed to escape from the Dark Wolf, he felt that his inner emotion was acting weirdly and urging him to it quickly. Resisting the desire to kill, he stared at the Dark-Wolf for a moment and soon noticed a bloody crack on its forehead. Dark blood filled with nasty disgusting smells gushing out from its forehead and caused strange dizziness to Charles. Charles bit his tongue to stay calm and then pointed his forefinger at the Dark-Wolf. If it were any other Fire Mage, he wouldn''t have enough confidence to kill this creature in one go. But Charles was a strange guy and had multiple unique skills. For a moment, the pupil inside his jade eyes shrunk as he aimed at the Dark-Wolf''s wounded area and got ready to cast the [Incinerate] spell on the Dark Wolf at any time. Simultaneously, he took out a strange ck-covered book from his void pouch and started chanting in the Runalnguage. A momentter, a condensed ray of fire appeared from his forefinger and soon moved towards the Dark-Wolf! Perceiving the threat, the Dark-Wolf looked up at the crimson bird-like human in anger and soon discovered that the danger was from the human''s forefinger. It was about to evade the uing attack using its [Dream Walking] skill, but soon its thoughts went disarray. It suddenly felt that it couldn''t move its body at all! No, the Dark-Wolf got confused all of a sudden and couldn''t able to think properly! It was the Rank-1 ''Confusion'' spell from the Starfall Codex magic book! Before it could wake up from the dazed state, [Incinerate] spell ray entered the Dark-Wolf''s cracked forehead and soon burned it from the inside. A heavy pain assaulted the Dark-Wolf as it howled in pain and anger and started banging its head in the nearby building walls. Stones and rubbles flew in different directions and destroyed the nearby buildings. Charles curled his lips upward as he saw the Dark-Wolf''s action, took out a card from the void pouch, and activated it by crushing it a bit. A heartbeatter, hundreds of green vines, ck vines, and grey vines popped out from the ground one by one and soon slithered towards the Dark-Wolf. Within seconds, all those vinespletely tangled the Dark-Wolf and made it immobile. In the meantime, Charles didn''t stay idle as hended a few meters away from the almost bounded Dark-Wolf and started to chant after flipping two pages. Unlikest time, he took almost a minute toplete the chant and finally closed the Starfall Codex book. The next instant, an illusionary third-eye appeared on his forehead, and soon a purple bolt of lightning came out from it. It was a unique Titan''s Bloodline spell, Eye of Destruction! The purple bolt of lightning flew in a straight path and soonnded on the bounded Dark-Wolf''s head! It then went inside the severely wounded Dark-Wolf''s head and destroyed its head from the inside, causing ck-colored blood, flesh, and brain matters to stter in different directions. [Target Eliminated! 1710 Exp obtained!] A secondter, tiredness and dizziness assaulted Charles''s mind as he stumbled a few steps and stood in unbnced footsteps. ''So much Exp¡­ This wolf is not a normal one. Thankfully, the Dark Wolf was already injured and seemed to be exhausted. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to battle against this creature. If it used any offensive skills, I would have ended up in a disadvantageous position.'' He groaned in pain and soon dismissed the crimson wings from his back. After that, he also deactivated the Arcane Card''s nature spell, stored the Starfall Codex Magic book, Arcane Spell card, Ember pistol into the void pouch, and then started walking towards El Street with fast footsteps. ''My head is aching all over, and my body is not responding properly. I''m feeling fatigued¡­'' He walked in a half-conscious state and soon reached the El street junction. Although he defeated the Dark-Wolf, he still felt that staying in the Dreamworld was not safer. He went forward on the El Street road while ncing around everywhere in vignce and soon reached 45 El Street. He then opened the rustypound gate, walked on the yard filled with weeds and strange nts, and soon appeared in front of the wooden door. He then pushed the door open, walked into the reception hall, and then went upstairs through the spiral staircase. Within seconds, he appeared outside the bedroom, turned the doorknob, pushed the wooden door open, and walked it. Once he entered the bedroom, he locked the door from inside and then went near the old dusty bed. Without minding the dust, Charlesid on it and soon closed his eyes. ¡­ After an unknown amount of time, Charles gasped for breathing in the real world and soon opened his eyes before sitting up. He instantly felt the tiredness and exhaustion appeared in his mind as he started breathing heavily. ''That was a very dangerous adventure¡­ I need to increase my Wisdom and then started learning ''Confusion'' spell-like skills. It was handy back then¡­'' He muttered inwardly and then took out the ''Nightmare Stone'' from his pocket. After that, he stood up with unsteady footsteps, went near the cab, opened it carefully with a small key, and ced it inside. He then closed the cab, put the void pouch and dagger on the table cupboard, and went back to the bed. Once he confirmed that there were no serious injuries in his body, he breathed out a sigh of relief and then ced his head on the soft cotton pillow. Within seconds, he felt darkness invaded his mind and soon fell into a deep sleep. ¡­ The next day morning, around 7 A.M. Charles woke up from his deep sleep and began to fresh up. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth using a neem stick, washes his face, and then took a long bath in the cold water. After that, Charles walked out of the bathroom, wiped his body with a white towel, and wore brown checked casual clothes. He then went downstairs, had his breakfast, and returned to the study. Once he entered the study room, he locked the door from the inside, went near the table, sat on the woodendderback chair, and began to think about the previous battle experience. ''That Dreamworld is much more dangerous. If not for my quick decision, I would have made more mistakes and got killed by a beginner-level Rank-3 creature. No, it doesn''t look like a Rank-3 creature but in-between. If I had encountered any real level Rank 3 creature instead of this half-assed one, I would have died there. In my previous battle, Icked two things. One is a defensive spell, and another one is a supportive spell. The Starfall Codex magic book did a great help during the battle¡­ And thatst Eye spell was very destructive¡­'' He organized his thoughts and then shifted his attention to Experience Points. ''Hmm, I now have extra Exp to level up the main ss.'' He thought for a moment and then put 337 Exp into the main ss. [337 Exp deduced from the Host!] [You have leveled up!] [You became a level 5 Apprentice Fire Mage!] [2 free attributes rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom attribute rewarded!] [10 skill points rewarded!] ¡­ ''Hmm, I should increase my Wisdom first.'' He nodded thoughtfully and put those two free attribute points to Wisdom. After that, he put the ten skill points to the [Inspect] skill and soon noticed some changes in his mind. He felt that he had touched an invisible wall for a second and soon realized that it must be rted to the Rank-up process. ''Unlike before, I now can create another four spell models in my mind.'' A pleasant smile appeared on his face. He then shifted his attention to the skill book and started to ponder. ''Hmm, I still have 1733 Exp. With this, I canpletely build all the remaining four spell models. The main problem now is about which spell to choose.'' He started checking the spell models one by one, and soon a single defensive spell caught his attention. [Spell Name: Crimson Robe Rank: Rank-1 unique defensive spell Effect: It''s a passive spell. When you master it to its peak level, you will have the power to block Rank-2 offensive spells of the normal Arcane Era Mages and other mystics'' umon weapon attacks. Cost: 450 Exp.] Chapter 39: First Step Chapter 39: First Step ''Unique spell? It''s is the first time I hear about such a spell. But Exp is very less whenparing it to other spell models.'' Charles felt that he was missing some crucial information. ''Wait¡­It might take a long time to master it.'' He thought for a moment and soon chose to construct it. Like the previous times, he closed his eyes and silently watched the constructing process in his mind like a manager. After five minutes of long constructing process, Charles opened his eyes and became stunned for a moment. ''This spell model has double the amount of Runal Characters and appears veryplex.'' A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face as he looked at the new hexagonal spell model in his mind. ''Hmm, the next ones are supportive spells.'' He nced at the spellbook and soon chose three spells. The first one was the only mind-rted spell in the spellbook called [Burning Thoughts]. When you cast this spell on an opponent, a strange type of fire called ''Mind Fire'' will appear in the opponent''s Inner World and burn their current thoughts. It had a simr effect as the ''Confusion'' spell and was a very scary one. What if the enemy suddenly found out that some spell had secretly erased what he was thinking before? He would feel confused, and his mind would go nk for a moment. Although this spell doesn''t have any effects like mind protection abilities, Charles felt reassured to have one mind-rted fire spell. Unlike the previous spells, this spell model''s cost was meager. It was just 230 Exp points! If Charlesprehends the secrets of this unique ''Mind Fire'' in the future, he could influence the opponent''s thoughts and would be able to pull their consciousness into a separate illusion world! It was a perfect spell to manipte others'' thoughts. The second spell was a fire-type healing spell called Blue Cure. Unlike other fire spells used for burning and destruction, this spell would do the opposite. This spell came from a different type of fire called Violet me or soul fire. The violet me had many purposes. It could revitalize and invigorate the user. It could also heal emotional and even physical problems, improves the 10 HP for each casting. Most importantly, the violet me can change the surrounding mana into life energy, making it an effective tool for healing one''s soul itself in the future. Although it was just a healing spell, it was costlier than the unique fire spell. ''510 Exp points.'' Charles didn''t mind the cost and chose to construct it. The final one was a movement-type spell called [Crimson Steps]1. As the name suggests, it could fasten one''s speed by twisting the space and helps the user to takerge steps. If Charles picks a suitable corresponding spell in the future, he could even teleport to a different ce by altering the spacew with this fire spell. As for the cost for [Crimson Steps], it was 404 Exp points. After constructing all those spells, he felt that he had finally taken his first step on walking the Fire Mage path. ''Only 139 Exp points are remaining.'' He looked at the interface for a second and shook his head. ''I still have many works to do.'' He took a deep breath and then began to ponder about his work in Slum Street. But instead of going to Slum Street to do his undercover job, he stayed in the study, took out arge chart, ck quill with a blue ink bottle, and started writing. He knew that just going to Slum Street would do no good for him, so he made a detailed n and started to go through it multiple times. Around noon, he changed his clothes into a formal ck one and went to his mother''s room. It was located just near the kitchen room, making his job easier. He also packed some of his belongings in arge iron suitcase and held them in his right hand. Once he saw her reading something serious, he knocked on the opened wooden door and said with a smile, "Mom, I''m going out of Riverdale City for a while, and it will take a few days for me to return." Eve stopped reading as she heard his words, looked at him for a three long second, and soon nodded. "Don''t go near any ruin-type areas." She warned him. After that, she waved her hand and turned her gaze towards the book. In the meantime, Charles nodded his head, turned around, walked out of the room, and closed the wooden door. He then walked out of his two-storied house, stepped on the mud road, and soon went to the main street. He didn''t stop anywhere and soon reached the Riverdale City entrance gate. Due to the presence of his Withering Shadow membership batch, the security guards didn''t even ask him a question and let him walk out of Riverdale City. Charles didn''t even conceal his presence and went into the nearby dense mangrove woods. Once he entered the deep woods, he cast [Conceal] skill on himself and soon disappeared from there. ¡­ A few minutester, one human shadow walked out of the dense wood and soon looked around in confusion. "He disappeared?" A cold male voice came out from the shadow''s mouth as he touched his silver ring to send out a warning signal to his boss. A secondter, the human removed his ck hood and stared at the ce where Charles stood before in puzzlement. He had deep blue hair, a lean body, and looked around 187 cm tall. He wore a ck mask with an eye symbol engraved on the forehead area and looked more like a skilled assassin. Before he could utter another word, his silver ring began to shine brightly and soon formed into a small illusionary figure of a slim young woman in a blue peplum dress. She was seated on a sofa and stared at the masked human in confusion. She had long silvery hair, a pear-shaped body, a pale face, oceanic eyes, and a hawk nose. If Charles had been here now, he would have identified her in an instant. She was none other than Be Collins, who forced him to sign a contract and cklisted him from Riverdale City''s Amber Bank! "What happened, Lucas?" Be asked in a deep tone. "He disappeared, My Lady." The masked human named Lucas said in a confused tone. "How did he escape from an expert assassin like you?" Be asked him in surprise. Silence descended as she finished her words. Noticing Lucas''s silence, she waved her hand and muttered. "It looks like he is not a normal Mystic. Back off from your current mission." She paused for a moment and then added after a short deliberation, "Protect his mother. The Nightwind family Ancestor owes our Collins family a big favor. So, I''m nning on helping him this time. Moreover, I also unknowingly ced a curse on him and made his life harder." In the meantime, Lucas squinted his ck eyes and soon asked in puzzlement. "My Lady, I thought you just used a cklist contract to restrict his movement? When did you put a curse on him?" A wry smile appeared on her face as she shook her head and said solemnly. "I didn''t. But someone from the headquarters with higher authority did. That someone used that contract as an offensive mark and put an ''Amber''s Curse'' on him." "Amber''s Curse?!" Lucas went wide eyes as he heard her words and soon blurted out in surprise. "Why did they go that far?" "I don''t know. But Charles didn''t seem to have realized that someone put an ''Amber''s Curse'' on him. Well, his mother is the one doing all the financial works, so it didn''t affect him in any way yet." Be said with a sigh. "But he will find out soon." Lucas paused for a second and then asked. "Did the higher-ups know about his background?" "How would they not know about his background?" Be pinched her chin and then shook her head. "He is bound to be on odd terms with the Amber Church from now on. Well, there is no point in talking about this matter now. I can now use the favor as an excuse and give him some help through various means. As for how he is going to survive without money in the future, it''s all lies in the upper-echo men''s hands." After saying those words, Be Collins waved her hand and cut off her long-distance virtual magic call. In the meantime, Lucas shook his head, pulled his ck hood over his head, turned around, and soon disappeared into the woods. ¡­ In the meantime, Charles made a few turned in the woods and soon moved towards Wind Vi''s direction. After two hours of walking, he soon reached the Wind Vi building''s entrance and then walked in. Unlike the Dreamworld''s Wind Vi, this one looked gorgeous, with many ornamental nts and trees nted in the outer yard and appeared well maintained. As soon as he went near thepound gate, a muscr man, who was around 40 years old, walked from inside and soon smiled. He had long ck hair, a round face, and brown eyes and wore a regr brown linen shirt and pants. "Charles? What a surprise!" The muscr man''s smile widened as he recognized Charles''s identity, opened the metal gate with a click, and then invited him in. Charles also identified the man from the real Charles''s memories and walked in. The ck-haired man''s name was Rey. He and his family members were the ones who were currently farming the 23-hectarend and maintaining the Wind Vi under Eve''s order. After Eve brought the 23-hectarend, she gave the Wind Vi and thend to Rey''s family in the name of lease and earning most of their money from the lease rent. If not for this rent money and her divination job earning, Charles wouldn''t have finished his higher studies in the Archaeological department. Shaking those useless thoughts away, Charles chatted with Rey for a while as he walked into the yard and soon appeared in front of the building entrance. He didn''t enter the building, though. Instead, he got the guest house key from Rey and then went towards the building''s right side. After a minute of walking, he soon arrived in front of a small single storied brick house and unlocked the wooden door using an iron key. After that, he turned the doorknob, pushed the door open, and walked in. Unlike the main building, Eve didn''t give this guest house to Rey''s family as a lease and let it be for their personal use. Once he entered the guest house, Charles locked it from inside and nced at the interior building. Unlike the house in Riverdale city and the outside three-storied mansion-like building, this one looked very simple. There were a kitchen room and a storeroom on the reception room''s right side, while the bathroom and bedroom appeared on the left side. Charles walked on the concrete floor and soon entered the bedroom. After that, he put his iron suitcase on the wooden bed and opened it. Inside were skin coloring potions, a voice-changing gem artifact, wigs of men and women, woman''s breast pads, beards, and even some sharp des for shaving hairs arranged in order. Charles first removed his formal dress, put them in the wardrobe, and took out a tan-colored skin coloring potion. He then opened the bottle tap and gulped it down. A few secondster, his olive skin started turning darker and soon turned into a tan-colored one! ''I have three more Tan skin potions, and each bottle can be effective for 12 hours.'' Nodding his head, Charles took out a thin de from the suitcase and started shaving his face like a young woman''s face. If he were a little older, he would have faced some difficulty. But due to his child-like oval face, he didn''t face any difficulty at all! He skillfully removed those few hairs using a sharp knife and then washed his face using the bathroom tap water. After that, he put a long ck-haired wig on his head and adjusted it to his head. Once he finished the process, Charles wore a ck bra, put the breast pads inside, and made it look like a real woman''s breasts. After that, he wore tight ck pants and a full-sleeved ck shirt and then stared at his reflection in the mirror. "Damn, there is some simrity in between Marie Holmes and me!" He muttered out loud as he pressed his chest area to feel the softness and then nodded his head. After that, he took a blue crystal from his void pouch, put it in his mouth before swallowing it, and started adjusting his voice tune. He spoke while tuning it to his original one and soon tuned it to Marie Holmes''s voice. After a lengthy process, he cleared his throat and muttered in a pleasant young female voice. "Should I call myself as Marie Holmes from now on? Or, should I use another identity?" He furrowed his brows and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Directly using Marie''s name will attract too much attention and future problems. The Mystics will search for Marie''s background and soon find out that Marie was the daughter of Eddie Nightwind. Although Eddie gave me the ''Mark of Imagination,'' I don''t want to put my life on someone''s strange skill. When the mystics find out that I also disappeared when Marie shows up, they will connect the dots and discover my real identity¡­ That''s not a good thing. During this undercover mission, I n to get close to Jimmy Holmes and see if I can get some information about the Holem''s crown. My option now is to use another name as a cover and get close to Jimmy. After that, I will directly ask him about the Holem''s Crown and check if A-035 would respond to my call¡­ Although the Series-A artifact has the power to check if the other party is a Nightwind member or not, it doesn''t have the power to check the Nightwind family member''s real identity. That is more than enough for me. Once it reveals its presence, I will then use Marie''s identity to threaten it and trick it into signing Eddie''s special contract paper.'' After thinking for a minute, Charles let out a heavy sigh and muttered. ''It''s been so long since I disguised myself to do an undercover mission. I should use my former title, ''Colorless Ghost.'' Let''s go by the name ''Edith Oliver.'' Edith''s main ss is a Rank 2 [Assassin], and she is more skilled in stealing. She was born in Twin Towers City and came here to do an assassination job. Her target is Addie Baker, and her job is to probe the target''s strength and kill him swiftly. As for his employer¡­'' He paused for a moment and soon curled his lips upward. ''Her employer is Anderson ck.'' After making the fake identity''s goal, he took out red lipstick and started getting ready to do his first job. Once he changed his outer appearance, he put the makeup kit in the ck suitcase, closed it with a click as he stored it into his void pouch, and then waited for the sun to go down. ¡­ False Fire- A certain type of fire that could manipte other elements to a certain extends. Crimson Steps spell model is created from this False Fire. Chapter 40: A Perfect Disguiser Chapter 40: A Perfect Disguiser It was around 7.A.M. A slim shadowy figure walked out of Wind Vi''s guest house and soon arrived beside thepound hall. In the dim darkness, the shadowy female-looking figure moved its slim body, jumped towards the other side, walked into the dense woods, and soon disappeared into the darkness. Two hourster, a long ck-haireddy, around 25-years-old, entered Riverdale City by climbing the stone wall and soon went to Slum Street with a ck iron suitcase in her hand. She had deep-set jade eyes, an oval face, tan skin, and trimmed thin eyebrows. She wore a ck full sleeve top, ck pants, and ck leather shoes. She was none other than Charles in his disguised form. Charles walked on the muddy road and soon went in the direction where Slum Street was located. Although it would be dangerous for women to walk alone in the slum road, he didn''t even consider the danger hidden in the slum street and went ahead with a calm expression on his face. Within few minutes, he entered the slum street and soon went to a random dark alley. But on his oval face, confusion and puzzlement could be seen he arrived in front of a random house door. A few minutes ago, Charles used his [Magician''s Hand] skill and stole a few silver coins from a random passerby. But to his shock, he found out that whenever he touches the silver coins, they disintegrated into ashes! ''Is this the effect of Amber''s curse? Is that why I didn''t find those two silver coins in my void pouch?'' He stood in front of the wooden door with a dazed look and soon snapped out of it as he heard running footsteps from the other side. A lean young girl around 15-years-old opened the gate in excitement and soon frozen stiff for a second. After that, she took a step back and asked in a wary look. "Who are you?" Charles curved his lips upward and spoke in a caring female voice. "My name is Edith Oliver. I''m new to this city, so I came here to ask if there is any house nearby for rent." Upon hearing the pleasant female voice, the young girl looked more rmed and mmed the door shut instantly. Charles smiled wryly as he saw the other party''s response and then went towards a different house. He asked the same thing to multiple house owners, but nobody believed his words. After roaming in the slum street for an hour, he soon arrived in front of a single-storied brick house and then knocked it twice. A few secondster, a blonde-haired lean guy with amber eyes opened the wooden door while holding a unique candle in his right hand and stared at the woman in a daze. He first stared at her seductive red lips, moved his gaze towards her bulging chest for two seconds, and soon shifted his gaze towards her bright oval face. The blonde-haired guy wore a casual cotton shirt, brown trousers, and a unique red gem-embedded bracelet. He was none other than the Unlucky Star of Riverdale city, Jimmy Holmes! "Who are you?" Jimmy asked while staring at the beautiful ck-haired woman in surprise and soon froze as he heard Holem''s Crown''s warning in his mind. ''She is an anomaly! She has the blood of Nightwind family.'' Jimmy''s body instantly got stiffened up as he heard the artifact''s warning words and then stared at her warily. In the meantime, Charles casually activated the [Mark of Imagination] by touching it and said with a troubled tone. "My name is Edith Oliver, sir. I came here to ask if there is any house nearby for rent. You see, I have been roaming here for an hour searing for renting houses, but I can''t even find a single one." Jimmy''s lips twitched as he heard her words and soon shook his head. "I''m also staying in a rented house, ma''am. You can''t get any house in the Slum Street at this hour." Although her action showed that she really needed a house to stay in, he didn''t dare to let his guard down. He also clearly remembered the Holem''s Crown''s earlier words and became unsettled inside. ''Don''t be anxious, Jimmy. She might not have aware of my existence in this house. Do you still remember the consequence of changing one''s Fate?'' Holem''s Crown asked in his mind. ''Coincidences? Are you saying that she came here due to coincidence?'' Jimmy asked in surprise. ''Yes. It may be possible for more Nightwind members toe to this city and create variations in the Fate.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and soon added. ''A [Astrologer] series ss mystic is pulling the ''Fate'' strings from the shadows.'' ''Should I close the door and shoo her away?'' Jimmy asked while taking two steps into his house. ''Don''t do that. Help her and make her stay near your house. Only then can I monitor her movement all the time and find out more about her.'' Widening his eyes a little, Jimmy went silent for a second and soon suggested with a hesitant look on his face. "If you have no objection, you can stay in the backyard cottage now and search for a better house tomorrow, ma''am." Charles heaved a heavy sigh, making the sponge-like breasts bounce a little, and bowed his head. "You are a generous guy, sir. Would you please tell me your noble name?" He asked in a smooth voice. Jimmy wandered his amber eyes towards her bulging chest from time to time and replied with a stiff smile. "I''m Jimmy Holmes. Parting of being a person is about helping others, ma''am." Charles smiled lightly and nodded with an admiration look on his face. In the meantime, Jimmy locked his house door using a silver key and then asked Charles to follow after him. Letting out a relieved sigh, Charles lifted his ck iron suitcase and followed after Jimmy with light footsteps. When they arrived in front of another brick house, Jimmy took a step forward, knocked on that house''s wooden door thrice, and waited in dark candlelight. Within seconds, a slightly obese guy with multiple scars on his face opened the wooden door and started at the visitors in surprise for a second. "Jimmy? What are you doing here at this time?" He paused for a moment as his gaze swept past Jimmy and soonnded on Charles. "Who is she?" He raised his eyebrows in suspicion. "She is my friend, Henry." Jimmy coughed twice and soon added, "Can you give the Mud Cottage''s door key? She will be staying there tonight." Henry stared suspiciously at both of them and soon went inside. After two minutes, he returned and gave a rusty, old iron key to Jimmy. "Return it to me before tomorrow evening." After saying those words, Henry went back to his house and shut the door from inside. Meanwhile, Jimmy passed the old iron key to Charles and led him to an old mud cottage. As soon as they went near the cottage, Charles''s lips began to twitch uncontrobly. Because what he saw was not a cottage, but a hut! Although the surrounding stone walls looked sturdy, the top was actually covered in coconut and palm tree leaves! Jimmy went near the single wooden door, put the rusty iron key into the padlock, turned the key to the left, and opened the lock with a click. After that, he turned around and said with a smile. "You can stay here and rest, ma''am." Jimmy then gave him the candle and soon went towards his house, situated in front of the old hut. In the meantime, Charles let out a deep sigh, walked into the old hut, and then closed the wooden door from inside. After that, he ced the candle on the nearby broken table and looked at the hut''s interior. Inside, a single stone b at the center for sleeping, an emptyrge jug, few old clothes, and one woolen mattress was ced. ''Thankfully, I took the quilt, pillow, and bedsheet before leaving. Otherwise, I would have to endure the torturous cold night with a single thin cloth.'' He muttered to himself as he took out those things from his void pouch and then ced them on the stone b. At first, Charles thought of removing the disguise when staying inside the hut, but soon he gave up on that idea. He then arranged the bed for the next few minutes and soony on it while staring at the hut''s cone-shaped roof. ''I thought my n would go perfect. But I didn''t anticipate the Amber Church''s curse effect. From my earlier understanding, I can tell that theypletely restricted me from using any coin. If I didn''t find a way to lift this curse, I would face many problems in the future.'' Charles rubbed his smooth chin in frustration and soon sighed. In this magic world, Amber Church was the one who controls the Wealth. Without the Amber Church''s approval and their Goddess''s symbol, no nation had the guts to make a new currency without an ''Eye'' symbol on it. The only one who had done that was the former Arcane Empire''s rulers. But all of them had already disappeared from the ''Time'' itself. ''Is there still any alternative currency method avable in this world?'' He began to search for any useful information and soon thought of Fire Mage Helen''s book. In that book, Charles read something rted to currency and started to recall all the contents. If it were before, he would have faced many difficulties when recalling those minute matters. But the improvement in Wisdom points gave him a big boost and made him remember most of the things. He closed his eyes for a moment and started to recall the contents of the ''Crimson Eye'' book. After an hour of struggle, he soon recalled a word and then sat up with an exciting smile on his face. "Arcane points. In that book, he said something about buying a rare material from a roaming mage using a magic credit system." He stared at the almost vanquishing candle for three continuous seconds and soon mumbled. ''I have to ask Lady Emilia about this. She already helped me twice and seemed to help me improve my personal strength. At least, she hasn''t expressed any hostility towards me.'' He thought to himself and soon closed his eyes. ¡­ The next day morning, It was around 6.20 A.M. In Edith''s appearance, Charles woke up from the bed and brushed his teeth using a neem twig. After washing his mouth with the leather pouch water, he washed his face and started doing some makeup. After some time, Charles finished his disguising work and went out of the hut. Charles walked forward on the emptynd and soon stood at Jimmy''s brick house''s entrance. Showing a hesitant look on his face, he raised his smooth hand and knocked it twice. But soon, his eyebrows arched upward as he didn''t hear a single sound from inside and got puzzled. ''Is he not here?'' He made his face looked disappointed and then turned around. He then walked on the small alley path, went to the Slum Street road, and soon moved towards Main Street. In the meantime, Jimmy Holmes opened the door with a click and soon muttered. "I can''t tell if she is acting or not." "Even I couldn''t see through her real self." His red-gem embedded bracelet spoke in an eerie old-man voice and soon added, "Follow after her." Heaving a deep sigh, Jimmy nodded his head and started stalking her in the shadows. Chapter 41: Discussion Chapter 41: Discussion Hearing the Holem''s Crown''s suggestion, Jimmy nodded his head and started stalking her in the shadows. In the meantime, Charles walked on the muddy road with quick steps and soon reached Slum Junction. After that, he stood at the junction for a few seconds and then started walking towards Brook''s Street. After a few minutes of walking, he arrived in front of 112A Brook''s Street and stared at the two-storied building for few seconds. Charles then retracted his gaze, turned around, and started walking once again. In the meantime, Jimmy hid in the dark alley and watched the woman''s action in suspicion and puzzlement. ''Why did she stare at that building for a moment?'' Holem''s Crown asked in Jimmy''s head. ''How would I know?'' Jimmy grumbled inwardly in displeasure and soon saw a red-haired guy was walking out of the two-storied building. A secondter, the red-haired guy stopped on the muddy road and then stared in the direction where Charles went before. He then took out a gold coin from his pocket and tossed it upward. With a chink sound, the gold coin flew up while flipping continuously and soon fell on his palm. The red-haired guy stared at the coin for a second and soon creased his eyebrows. After staying like that for few more seconds, he nodded his head and went back to his house. In the meantime, Jimmy and the Holem''s Crown watched the red-haired man''s strange action and got more confused. ''Strange¡­ Hmm? Is he using some artifact to check if there is any variation in his Fate?'' The Holem''s Crown''s voice echoed in his head. ''What should we do now?'' Jimmy didn''t dare to stay near the Red-haired man''s house and asked while walking deep into the dark alley. ''Get back to the Slum Street now. I need to alter some changes in the n before I cast myst ''Miracle'' on Charles.'' Holem''s crown muttered solemnly. At this time, Jimmy suddenly thought of Edith and asked in curiosity. ''Why don''t you use yourst ''Miracle'' on that woman? She is also from the Nightwind family, right?'' ''No, that is a reckless idea. Although Charles is improving at a fast rate due to my previous ''Miracle,'' he doesn''t have the strength to interfere with my original n. He is the perfect target for my final ''Miracle.'' Once I did that, I will return to your house with the reward, take full control over your body, activate the runic formation circle, and then escape from this city before others notice my presence.'' Jimmy let out a cough as he reached the Gold Street and soon raised his brows in suspicion. ''You told me that there is a time limit to activate the ''Miracle'' ability, right? In such a short time, how do you n on getting that much luck power?'' Jimmy''s question made the Holem''s Crown vibrate in excitement. ''You are wrong. My miracle ability works by stealing my host''s luck. I put some time-limit before creating a ''Miracle'' because of harming others and putting myself in danger. But if I notice some variable likest time, I won''t hesitate to steal others'' luck to finish the Miracle. As long as I don''t kill anyone, the Churches won''te after me, and I will also get my full freedom.'' Jimmy went silent for a whole minute and then asked in a provocative tone, ''When are you going to reveal your presence to Charles? Are you afraid of being captured by the Life Church members?'' ''Tch, I''m not afraid of the Life Church members. If I reveal my presence to Charles now, multiple powerhouses will take some notice by seeing the drastic change in his Fate. At first, I thought that contacting him was the right choice. But when I saw that ''someone'' led him to your own house, I knew that ''someone'' is already aware of my presence in your house. The only reason he didn''t act against me must be due to other powerhouses hiding in this city. Although your family ancestor sealed my soul in a red crown, he didn''t put any seal to restrict my power in fear of losing any of my skills. Moreover, I''m not some weak artifact. If the other party attacked me to gainplete control over me, I will retaliate with my full power and attract everyone''s attention.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a calm tone. Letting out a deep sigh, Jimmy nodded his head and went back to Slum Street. In the meantime, Charles made a few turns after casting [Conceal] skill on himself and soon entered an abandoned house. After that, he removed the wig, facial makeup, breast pads, and dresses and changed into his original appearance. Two minutester, Charles wore hooded ck top, ck pants and waited for the Tan Skin potion''s effect to go down. After 30 minutes of waiting, he noticed that his color changed from tan color to olive one and soon went towards Ivy Street. While walking, he also started adjusting his tune once again and tuned it to the original Charles''s voice. After that, he made a few turns by concealing himself and reached 35 Ivy Street. He then walked into the Withering Shadows reception hall and waited for Emilia. Hours went by as he sat motionlessly on one of thedderback chairs and soon saw a gray-haired woman walking in from the outside. Upon seeing her face, he breathed out a sigh of relief and greeted her. In the meantime, Emilia arched her eyebrows, went near him, and sat on the chair next to him. Before she could ask about his arrival, Charles went straight to the point and told her about Amber''s Curse. "Amber''s Curse?!" Emilia shouted in surprise. "Am I in some serious trouble?" Charles wore an anxious look and asked her in nervous. "Yes, you are really in deep trouble this time." Emilia took a deep breath and then continued, "You should tell your mother about this and let her do all the financial works from now on." Charles''s face turned ugly as he heard her words. He then suddenly thought of the Red Mage Helen''s words in Crimson Eye book and asked. "Team Leader, do you know something about the Arcane Credit method? I read something about ''Arcane points'' in a mage''s book and thought of following that method." "It''s an unauthorized currency method mostly used by the mages. Due to the deep conflicts between the First Arcane Era Mages and Churches, the ne Alliance memberspletely banned this currency system and also prohibited other mages from using it. But there is one city still following this method." She deliberately paused for a second and was about to continue, but Charles interrupted her. "Are you talking about the City of Miracles?" Nodding her head, Emilia ced her finger on her nose tip and said. "Yes. It''s a city filled with all types of mystics and mages. Unlike other Kingdoms and Empires, this city has no Churches or any other religious temples and is filled with sphemers. They are still following the unauthorized Arcane Credit method and arepletely isted from the rest of the world." "Arcane Credit Method¡­Why the Lawful Churches put no restriction on them? Forcing them to summit to the ne Alliance is not a hard thing for Churches, right?" Charles asked in confusion. Emilia gave him an in-depth look and then said with a sigh, "Although the ''City of Miracles'' looks weak on the outside, many powerful mystics are hiding in that city. If the Lawful Churches uses force on them, they will definitely retaliate and cause massive destruction all over the world. Moreover, the City of Miracles is also the Home Town of the Sun God. So, Churches won''t send an inquisitive army to that city and force them to submit under them." ''Sun God¡­ He is an Irregr who killed three foreign Gods during thest nar Invasion.'' A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he thought of such a terrifying God. ''Is he also a transmigrator?'' He furrowed his brows and soon changed the topic. "Team Leader, what should I do now? Even to rent a house is impossible for the current me." Emilia also went silent upon hearing his words and began to ponder deeply. After a long silence, she stood up from her seat, went to the storage room, and soon returned with many silver and gold coins. But these coins didn''t look like the Arc Kingdom''s official currency and had no eye symbol on them. She went near Charles, sat beside him, and then passed those coins to him. "These coins are the official currency of Life Church and are rarely used in the market nowadays. You would only found these types of coins in Life Church Cathedrals and the Holy See. Although the Thirteen Gods formed an alliance and created a peaceful era in name, there are still some frictions happening in between the churches due to personnel benefits. So, all the Churches use their own currency systems to restrict the Goddess of Wealth from gaining full control over the Financial World. You can use these coins for now but don''t take change from others. If you did that, the coins will only turn into ashes." Charles nodded his head in seriousness and soon nced at the silver coins. Unlike the other currencies, these new silver coins had Wheel symbols imprinted on them and looked sacred with the power of life hidden in them. "Thank you, Team Leader." Charles turned his face towards the wrinkled olddy and nodded. "Don''t thank me yet. This is just a temporary measure. If you really want to solve the problem, you have to talk to the Amber Church higher-ups and resolve them yourself. If you had signed the contract after joining the Withering Shadows organization, we would have used some reason to force the Amber Church and made them remove the curse. Unfortunately, you signed this contract beforehand and we have no authority to intervene in this matter." Emilia rubbed her temple and said in a solemn tone. Charles also turned gloomy as he heard her words and began to think. ''Why the Amber Church is looking for trouble from me? Although I can solve this problem by talking with the higher-ups, would I be happy after that? If I did that, wouldn''t it look like I''m admitting defeat?'' He let out a wry smile and shook his head. ''I can now use other churches'' coins, so there is no need for me to go and lower my head to the Amber Church higher-ups.'' He thought for a moment and asked. "Team Leader, can you talk to our Branch Head and tell him to give me Life Church coins as a payment instead of the Amber Church''s logo imprinted one?" "I will go and talk to himter." Emilia nodded her head and soon changed the topic. "What about your mission? Did you find anything odd about Jimmy?" Charles thought for a moment and shook his head. "No. If I find something abnormal, I wille here and report it to you." Although Emilia was nice to him, he didn''t dare to say more information about the Holem''s Crown at all. "Then, you should go to Slum Street and do your job properly." Emilia paused for a moment and soon asked, "Is there anything you need for this undercover mission?" "Yes, I need 10 bottles of Tan skin potions, few packs of dry bread, anddies'' clothes for disguising," Charles said while blinking his eyes with an innocent smile on his face. Emilia rolled her eyes at his acting and then sighed. "Slum Street is a dangerous ce for a woman¡­ So, don''t get caught by some thieves and expose yourself to others. Don''t get banged by them." She then paused for a moment and soon added with a smile, "I do hear that some thieves have some unique taste about having sex with men and all, so you better watch your back." "Yes, Team Leader." Curling his lips upward, Charles nodded his head and then asked in a quiet voice. "Did you manage to find out about those two guys?" "Nope. They are very careful and didn''t leave any clues behind." Emilia shook her head and then talked about her search mission in the security department records. Suddenly, Emilia thought of something as she took out a pocket watch from her void pouch and clicked the crown area. A secondter, her eyes turned white for a moment and soon returned to normal. Noticing his questionable gaze, she shook her head and muttered with a frown. "Your life is in danger." She paused for a moment and soon continued with a sigh, "I will follow you in the shadows." After saying those words, she once again adjusted the pocket watch''s crown area and smiled. "You may go now." Emilia then waved her head and shooed him away. Chapter 42: Confrontation Chapter 42: Confrontation When Charles walked out of the Withering Shadows department, the sky was bright as silver, and the hot north wind was blowing the heat straight into his face. Inhaling the hot air, Charles walked on the muddy road and then went to the Life Church in deep thoughts. ''My life is in danger? Who is after me? Addie Baker?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and soon sighed. ''I just stared at his house for few seconds. But he seems to have sensed something¡­ Wait¡­ Is he the [Astrologer] ss Mystic? No, his skills seem to be mind-rted ones. He must be a [Dreamer] or a [Psychatrist] ss Mystic. Maybe a sub-ss? It is possible. If not, how did he find out about the change in his fate?'' He paused for a moment and soon thought of another possibility. ''He might have some ''Fate'' rted artifact. Earlier, Team Leader Emilia also used a strange artifact to peek into my future and finds out about the uing threat. Thankfully, Team Leader is following me from behind as a backup. From now on, I need to think twice before acting.'' He thought to himself and then entered into a dome-shaped building. As usual, he walked on the aisle with light footsteps, stopped in front of the Goddess Nira''s statue, pped his hand together, and then started muttering a strange ''Praising'' incantation. After a minute of long chant, he inhaled deeply and then bowed his head towards the statue. "Life is Eternal." He said in praise. After that, he turned around and then walked out of the Life Church. He went to Ivy Street''s end, walked into a small gloomy alley, found an abandoned house nearby, and then walked in. A few minutester, a ck-haired woman walked out of the abandoned house and then moved to another gloomy alley. She wore a pleated white shirt, red ck skirt, high-heeled ck shoes, and held a bell sleeve jacket in her right hand. She had deep-set jade eyes, an oval face, tan skin, and looked around 25-years-old. She was none other than Edith. After reaching the end of the gloomy alley, she stopped in front of the one-meter tallpound wall and jumped over. Her ck skirt fluttered in the air as shended on the other side and then started walking towards another dark alley. It was a shortcut route from Ivy Street to Gold Street. Within a few minutes, Charles, in Edith''s appearance, made a few turns and soon reached Gold Street. Unlike thest time, he noticed that Gold Street looked gloomier and showed an unsettling expression on his feminine face. At this time, there would be at least tens of citizens pass by his side, but today, there was none in the street. It was as if someone had already cleared the citizens and was waiting for her to walk through. While Charles was in deep thoughts, a silk-curtained luxurious carriage came from the opposite direction and soon stopped a few feet away from him. Wearing the bell-sleeved jacket over his white shirt, Charles turned his face solemnly and stared coldly at the carriage. A secondter, a rough hand opened the silk curtain and revealed a human''s face to Edith. In the meantime, Charles''s gaze swept past the opened silk curtain and soonnded on a red-haired man, who was looking at him in confusion. He looked around 30-years-old with a slightly obese body and had crimson eyes, an oval face, skinny eyebrows, and strange bluish teethes. He wore a tight blue suit and appeared very familiar to Charles. "Get in." The red-haired man stared at him for a moment and then ordered. Charles''s mind suddenly entered a half-conscious state at this time, and he felt that some invisible power was trying to control his emotions. Unlike thest time, Charles noticed that he could resist the other party''s ability for the next three to four seconds and went on a battle mode. ''Addie Baker.'' As he identified the red-haired man in an instant, he didn''t hold back any longer and cast [Burning Thoughts] on him. A momentter, Addie felt a sudden burning sensation in his mind and got puzzled by his current situation. He suddenly couldn''t understand why he came to Gold Street and became utterly clueless! Meanwhile, Charles woke up from the half-conscious state and got relieved. Grasping the opportunity, he pointed his finger at Addie Baker and cast the [Incinerate] spell. A condensed ray of red fire appeared from his forefinger and soon went towards Addie in a blink. At that moment, Addie''s crimson eyes suddenly shone in red color as he moved his hand a little and blinked his eyes twice. A heartbeatter, his body blurred for a moment and soon disappeared from there! It was his unique skill called Escape Danger. When the user was in danger, this skill would activate its own and forcefully teleport the user to another location. This skill would trigger even if the user were in an unconscious state. But there was a restriction, though. The distance of the ''Teleportaion'' would be based on the user''s understanding of this skill. Meanwhile, the ray of fire directly tore through the air and soonnded on the carriage seat. Within a second, the raging fire began to spread from the seat and burned the carriage fiercely. Unfortunate for the butler-suited coachman, the fire directly devoured him from behind andpletely absorbed him into the crimson me. In two seconds, the luxurious carriage burned, no! It disintegrated into ashes! Although the coachman cried to seek help from his boss, it fell into deaf ears. Charles, on the other hand, clicked his tongue and then looked around in wary eyes. ''Where did he go?'' He furrowed his brows and soon cast [Crimson Robe] spell on herself. As he cast this spell, a tangled fire symbol red robe suddenly appeared on his clothing andpletely enveloped him. Simultaneously, he took out the Starfall Codex Magic book from the void pouch and flipped the pages in a fast manner. He soon stopped his hand on the fourth page and started muttering few words in a Runal Language. Three secondster, he curled his lips upward as he locked his gaze on a particr area and smirked. It was a Rank-1 spell called, Spatial Sense! Once the user cast this spell, they would sense the surrounding areas for a brief moment. In a second, Charles''s look changed from a normal to a mysterious Fire Mage! Even Addie Baker, hiding thirty meters away from Charles in his concealed form, became stunned for a moment and soon got tensed up. Meanwhile, Charles took a step forward as he held a ck-covered book in his hand and began to walk in Addie''s direction while muttering another strange incantation. But whenever he took a step forward, some fire sparks would appear around his shoes and began to intervene with the spacew itself! Charles''s every step decreased the distance between him and Addie by a great margin! Addie also sensed the seriousness and took out a strange gold coin from his pocket. Before Charles could reach him, he tossed the coin upward and muttered a word in a strange tone. ''''*******.'''' A spatial ripple appeared behind Addie in the next moment and soon formed into a bluish vortex. After that, two bony hands suddenly appeared behind his back and began to pull Addie into the vortex. Of course, Charles wouldn''t allow him to escape. As the bony hand started pulling Addie into a void, a strange illusionary closed-eyelid appeared on Charles''s forehead as he ended his chanting and soon began to open the third eye! But this time, he didn''t aim at the Addie Baker, though. Instead, he locked the third eye''s gaze on the bony hand and opened the vertical ck eye! A momentter, a strange purple bolt of lightning came out from the illusionary eye and directlynded on the bony hand! The purplish lightning disintegrated the bony hand in the next moment and soon disappeared into the bluish void. Before long, the other bony hand also retracted into the bluish vortex and soon disappeared. Addie Baker also noticed the failure of the long-ranged teleportation method and grew solemn. But he didn''t lose his calm, though. Instead, he let out a coldugh and then pped his hand. With a slight vibration, a ck-lined icy spear began to form in front of Addie and soon moved towards Charles faster. Charles''s [Sixth Sense] skill also sensed the impending danger and warned him to dodge. ''It looks like [Crimson Robe] spell won''t be able to block this spear.'' He frowned for a moment and then took out an Arcane Card from his void pouch. "Addie Baker, you really have some guts to attack my team member." Before Charles could activate the Arcane Magic Card, a cold female voice came from the nearby dark alley, and soon a grey-robed female, around 40 years old, with a slightly wrinkled face, walked out from it. Simultaneously, hundreds of white icy threads popped out from the muddy ground and soon formed into a wall-like shield in front of Charles. A banging sound echoed as the spear crashed on the icy-wall-like shield and soon broke into many pieces. "Team Leader!" Charles breathed out a sigh of relief as he noticed Emilia''s arrival and soon warned her in a pleasant female voice. "He is a [Psychiatrist] ss Mystic, and also has the ability to created Ice spear, so be careful." "Heh, that''s interesting." Emilia arrived beside Charles as she locked her gaze on Addie Baker for a moment and then sighed. "A double ss Mystic, huh. He is really a troublesome opponent to face alone." After saying those words, she nced at Charles and said. "Save your strength for now." Once she finished those words, she took out a silver card from her void pouch and crushed it a little. A secondter, the space around Addie Baker began to fold strangely and soon sealed him in a cube-like space. On the other hand, Addie raised his hand a little, ced it on the cubic space''s interior, and then created a foggy mist inside the space. Before Charles and Emilia could understand the reason behind his action, the cubic space shook and soon broke into multiple pieces like grasses, creating a strange ck void in return. Upon noticing the appearance of the strange void, Emilia furrowed her brows and soon spoke gravely. "Be careful of any sneak attacks." After that, she controlled her Ice spell and moved those icy threads in different directions. Within two seconds, she curled her lips upward and pointed her finger in a random direction. In a second, a golden ring in her hand began to tremble slightly and then released a ray of pure white light. An instantter, the white ray of light traveled at an unimaginable speed and soonnded on an invisible shield-like thing. The white ray then divided into multiple rainbow-colored rays and soon attacked the invisible shield from all directions. Within two seconds, the shield couldn''t hold off those rainbow rays and then broke like sses while exposing the red-haired Addie to Emilia and Charles. But instead of smiling, both of them turned their faces solemnly and took a step back in unison. In the meantime, Emilia also controlled her ''Ice Net'' spell and made a wall-like shield in front of them. But before those icy web-like threads tangled together to form a wall, a chilling ray of ice came from Addie''s hand, directly tore through the Ice Net-like wall, broke the Crimson Robe, and soonnded on Charles''s shoulder! Chapter 43: The power of Time Chapter 43: The power of Time Charles felt pain as he stumbled a few steps and soon fell backward. Breathing heavily, he sat up hurriedly without minding the pain and soon noticed that a superficial wound appeared on his right side chest area. At the moment, some strange, chilling energy also started to invade his chest area and caused him to breathe harder. "Are you okay, Charle- youngdy?" Emilia teased Charles from his side and then sharpened her gaze on the red-haired Addie Baker. "Cough, I''m okay," Charles said while cing his hand on his shoulder area and cast [Crimson Cure] on himself. A momentter, the chilling energy began to disappear from his shoulder, and soon the superficial wound also began to heal at a visible rate. Charles then stood up from the ground and turned his gaze towards Addie. Unlike before, Addie was also wounded on his right shoulder and stood with a grim look. As for how he got injured, only Emilia would know the truth. Charles even heard rough breathing sounds from him and instantly acted. First, he cast the [Crimson Steps] as he ran towards Addie and pulled out the Ember Pistol from his void pouch. In the meantime, Emilia took out a small blue crystal from her void pouch and muttered a word in an unknownnguage. An instantter, Emilia disappeared from where she stood before and soon reappeared behind Addie. Before he could respond, she lifted her right hand and ced the palm on his back. But instead of smiling foolishly, a wicked grin appeared on Addie''s face as he raised his right hand and strangely wiped his mouth! Noticing his abnormal action, Emilia spoke another word in an unknownnguage and then disappeared from there. On the other hand, Addie shook his head and then returned his gaze towards Charles, who was running towards him at an abnormal speed. "Snake," Addie spoke a single word and then walked forward with a calm expression on his face. Meanwhile, tens of snakes made of ck water popped out from the dirt ground and soon tangled Charles''s legs. Within a second, those creepy snakes moved into his ck skirt and white shirt and started restricting his movements. After that, those snakes bit him in different areas and caused him to curse in pain and anger. At this time, Emilia reappeared a few meters away from Addie and was about to attack him using an Arcane Card but stopped. No, she suddenly forgot how to activate the Arcane Card and got confused! "Who are you, youngdy?" In the meantime, Addie asked as he arrived in front of Charles and then took the Ember Pistol from him before creating more ck snakes to immobilize himpletely. Within seconds, more ck snakes slithered around Charles''s body and covered him entirely, leaving his head, feet, and hands alone! In the meantime, Addie casually threw the Ember Pistol towards his right side and then stared at Charles''s feminine appearance in keen interest. "Why did you stare at my house for a few seconds? Why did your action cause a variation in my fate?" He licked his lips and was about to probe Charles''s mind but soon froze. He suddenly sensed a dangerous promotion from his right side and got confused. Turning his head to his right side, Addie stared at the strange Ember Pistol, which was now hovering in the air in puzzlement, and soon widened his eyes as he heard a hammer clicking sound. Before he could understand the situation, some invisible power controlled the Ember Pistol, aimed it urately at Addie''s head, and squeezed the trigger. At this time, Emilia suddenly appeared behind Addie, touched his back, and cast [Touch of Idiocy] skill on him! Addie couldn''t understand why she wasn''t affected by his [Mind Freeze] skill and got anxious. But unlike thest time, the power hidden in the [Touch of Idiocy] was three times stronger! Before Addie could even think further, Emilia''s [Touch of Idiocy] spell took effect and ultimately affected his mind. An instantter, a dense bullet made of pure fire energy came out from the muzzle and directly went towards Addie''s forehead! With a foolish smile on his face, Addie closed his eyes and waited. In the next instant, the condensed me bullet directly entered his head and exploded from inside. An instantter, Addie''s head exploded like watermelon and soon sent blood and brain matters in all directions! Then, all those creepy ck snakes on Charles''s body turned into a puddle of ck water and fell on the muddy road before absorbing into it. [Target Eliminated! 1350 Battle Exp Rewarded!] A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s mouth as he stared at the game interface for a second and then curled his lips upward. Meanwhile, Emilia wiped off the scarlet blood from her face and then stared at Charles''s face for three full seconds. "Sigh, you actually created six spell models in just one month. If I didn''t see it with my own eyes, even I wouldn''t think of such possibility." Emilia said with a dubious look on her face. "I was lucky-" Charles was about to put the me on the ''Luck,'' but Emilia cut him off. "Charles, I''m not a dumb idiot. Haa, if you don''t want to talk about it, leave it." She waved her hand before he could say anything and then changed the topic. "Now, what should we do with this current situation?" "Why not take his body into the void pouch and dump him somewhere?" Charles suggested as he stored the Ember Pistol into his void pouch. "No. Yesterday, I heard a piece of news from my brother. A Rank 4 [Historian] ss member had alreadye to this city and he seemed to be working with the security department to find more clues about the disappearance of three [Historians]." Emilia shook her head and spoke in a gloomy tone. "Why are you mentioning him now?" Charles got confused by Emilia''s words and asked. A sigh leaked out of Emilia''s mouth as she rubbed her temple and then spoke. "The upgraded version of the [Wonder Sense] skill has the ability to see a glimpse of the past incidents. So, if he came here to search for any clues about those three [Historians], our secrets will be exposed." Upon hearing her words, Charles blinked his eyes in surprise and soon asked, "What should we do?" In the meantime, Charles also thought of the Holem''s Crown''s another rumored ability and grew warier inside. ''It can see through past incidents¡­ Sh*t, if it uses that ability to watch this battle, wouldn''t it find something was odd about me? Moreover, Team Leader also participated in this battle¡­ The Holem''s Crown will definitely link my facial appearance with Charles Nightwind''s one and will see through my n¡­'' A grim look appeared on his face as he thought of that possibility. Meanwhile, Emilia thought for a moment and spoke. "Charles, hide in Slum Street and try to act like a real¡­" She paused for a moment as she had no memory of Charles''s new fake identity and soon asked. "What is your fake name?" "Edith Oliver, Team Leader." Charles covered his mouth to hide his emotion and replied. "Yes, hide in the Slum Street using that name and keep monitoring Jimmy for the next few weeks. You don''t have to worry about your fake identity''s rtionship with me. Because-" She purposefully paused for a second and continued with a mysterious smile on her face. "My existence during the previous battle will be erased from the ''Time'' itself," After saying those words, Emilia took out a sealed letter from her void pouch and passed it to Edith. "What is it?" Charles raised his thin brows and asked in suspicion. "It''s our next mission. It''s an escort mission to the outer area of the Unexplored Forest. Be sure to arrive at Withering Shadows on September 18th. That day will be the end of this search mission. If we found some clue before the escort mission, Muddy''s team will take over this search mission. Otherwise, this mission will be considered as a failure and we will lose some rewards." "Unexplored Forest? Whom do we need to escort?" Charles became confused by Emilia''s words and asked. "Our employer is a rare ss Mystic and I don''t have much information about him. But he seemed to be an important person to the Life Church higher-ups. There will be many people apany this escort mission, so be prepared for any unexpected situations during the escort." Emilia said vaguely, took out a silver pocket watch, pressed the crown twice, and then walked towards the dark alley. Meanwhile, a strange ripple came out from the stopwatch, went to the surrounding areas, and erased her appearance from the ''Past'' itself. Truthfully, she participated in the earlier battle, but her existence was reced with an invisible space. Unless a Divine or a Taboo Existence intervenes, nobody will find out that she had participated in the previous battle! They would only find that some mysterious power intervened and helped Edith during the battle! The strange ''Time'' power also entered Charles''s mind and was about to alter his memories, but the game system suddenly acted and nullified the ''Time'' power. Unaware of the actions that happened in his mind, Charles went near the headless corpse and then took the strange in gold coin, silver ring, and blue gem-embedded gold coin from his neck. After that, he cast his [Inspect] skill on the in gold coin and inspected it. [Name: Coin of the Helper Rank- Rare Effect: This coin has the power of ''Death'' hidden in it. When you activate this coin by saying the ''Change'' word in the Nether tongue, an undead will appear from the Underworld and help you or yourpanion escape by creating a Nether Portal. Caution: If you summon a high-ss messenger, run for your life; otherwise, it will enve your soul in return. This coin doesn''t have to power to control a high-rank undead. Usage: 1/week.] ''It''s a double-edged sword. Moreover, ''Nether tongue''? Is that a magguage like the Runal Language?'' He stared at the strange in gold coin for a moment and soon shifted hIS gaze towards the blue gem-embedded silver ring. [Name: Space Ring Rank: Rare Effect: This ring has ten cubic meters of space in it. By binding this ring with your soul imprint, you will be able to store your materials with much more protection. Unless you die, or someone with a high-level understanding of spacew came and broke your soul imprint, no one would be able to steal the things from you. Even if they stole this space ring, you would be able to find its location using your soul imprint.] The corner of Charles''s lips curled upward as he saw the information in front of his eyes. ''I heard that space rings are scarce in this Edhen World, but I didn''t expect Addie has one.'' He stared at the ring for a moment and soon got puzzled about the ''Soul Imprint'' thing. ''Looks like I need to check it using the hard way.'' He muttered to himself and soon focused his full attention on the ring. As he had expected, a strange suction came from the ''Space Ring'' and pulled a small part of his consciousness into it. Charles saw different types of materials hovering in the space a momentter and got stunned for a while. Although he was eager to explore the contents, he hid his curiosity and then shifted his attention towards another gold coin. Chapter 44: Rewards [Name: Watcher''s Coin Rank: Rare Effect: This coin has the [Prognosticator] ''s skill called [Fate Vision] skill was engraved in it. When you activate this skill by pressing the blue gem at the center, you will see the other''s or other ce''s destined future. Usage: 1/ Week.] ''Is he the one who caused the previous coincidences?'' Edith furrowed her thin trimmed eyebrows for a second and soon shook her head. She knew that it was not the right time to think, so she put the [Space Ring] on her ring finger and stored other things into it. After that, she went near Addie''s headless corpse and stored it in the space ring. ''It''s time for me to go.'' She muttered inwardly and then ran into the nearby dark alley. A few minutester, Edith stealthily walked out of Gold Street and soon entered Slum Street. After that, she acted like she was looking for a rent house for another three hours and finally went to Henry''s house to discuss her housing problem. Edith then asked him to let her stay in the old hut for the next two months and even acted seductively to make him agree to her request. Although Henry refused her request initially, he reluctantly agreed when she gave him extra two silver coins. ... In the meantime, Gold Street suddenly turned into a hotspot filled with security guards and Mystics. Although Edith managed to take Addie''s headless body from the mud road, the bloodstains and brain matters were still present all over the area, causing huge sensational news. Many mystics with different backgrounds arrived at the battle area and noticed many abnormalities about the fight. Jimmy also stood with a gloomy look on his face in the nearby dark alley and watched the battle area while talking with the Holem''s Crown in his mind. ''Why did you ask me toe here?'' Jimmy asked in a weak, helpless tone. If a high-rank mage looks at his soul, they will find that his soul was in a fragile state. ''Don''t look annoyed. The one who died during this incident is the Red-haired man. He is the one we saw him during this earlier morning.'' The Holem''s Crown lightly flickered as it spoke to Jimmy''s mind in an old man''s voice. ''Are you saying that Edith Oliver is behind this incident?'' Jimmy raised his eyebrows in suspicion and asked. ''I''m 100 percent sure about that. But I couldn''t guess about the other person''s identity. I also sense the power of the ''Divine'' in the surrounding area.'' It stopped for a moment and then continued with a sigh, ''Looks like I need to see it for myself.'' A secondter, Jimmy lifted his head and noticed that everything around him suddenly went quiet. No, he saw that the surrounding people, drainage water, flying crows, annoying bees, and the green trees suddenly froze. After that, the whole surrounding broke all of a sudden and was reced by a different scene. He saw a ck-haired woman in a white shirt, and ck skirt walked on the dirt road and soon stopped her footsteps as she saw a luxurious silk curtained carriage wasing from the opposite direction. "Edith Oliver." Widening his eyes, Jimmy watched the scene where the carriage suddenly stood in front of Edith and soon sharpened his gaze not to miss a single detail. He then saw how the Red-haired man tried to control her mind and how Edith retaliated with her fire magic spells. After watching the magical battle, he got astounded deeply. He also saw that a strange invisible power attacked the red-haired man and got confused. Moreover, he noticed that he couldn''t hear whatever the other party discussed with Edith Oliver and became more puzzled. The whole fierce battle came to an end in less than twenty seconds, causing Jimmy to widen his eyes in disbelief. Unlike other battles he saw in his lifetime, this battle appeared more mystical and confusing. ''Edith... Fire Mage... Something feels off about her...'' While Jimmy was staring at the headless Addie, the Holem''s Crown muttered in puzzlement. In a second, Jimmy woke up from the daze and asked, ''Why are there two Fire Mages of Nightwind Family appear here? What if-?'' He was about to imagine another possibility of her being disguised as Charles, but suddenly he forgot about it. With a clueless face, he coughed quietly and then asked, "Is she also after you?" ''I can''t predict her action. What worries me is not her presence but her backer''s identity. Moreover, that backer seems to be walking on the path of ''Divine''.'' ''Path of Divine?'' Jimmy got more curious and asked. ''A dying soul doesn''t need to know about that.'' The Holem''s Crown cut him off and then broke the realistic illusion. In a blink, the surrounding broke into multiple broken sses and soon reced it with a real scene. Jimmy let out a bitterugh and nodded while lowering his head in dismay. After that, he turned around and then went deep into the dark alley. ... Addie''s death caused confusion and panic among the Riverdale Citizens. Although the Rank-4 [Historian] ss mystic visited the incident area to get some clues, he found out that someone had already erased the evidence from the ''Past'' itself and became disappointed. Without minding the outside fuss, Charles returned to the single hut in Edith''s appearance and started checking the contents in the space ring. After separating the normal items like dresses, smoking pipes, loaves of dry bread, water can, and few gold coins from the space ring, Charles took out a red-covered book, two crescent-shaped earrings, a Pupil-Less eyeball from it and ced them on the stone b. First, he inspected the red-covered book and soon noticed it was just an ordinary book with some Blen words written inside a page. He looked at those characters for a moment and soon ced them inside the space ring to check itter. After that, he cast his [Inspect] skill on one of the crescent-shaped earrings and found out that it was a ritual material for contacting the God of Moon, Anos! ''Anos... A Lawful God that governs the domains of Moon, Cold, Water, and Ice.'' Charles stared at those earrings for a second and soon turned his gaze towards the strange pupil-less eyeball. [Name: Eye of Shadow Rank: Rare Effect: With this artifact, you can put a shadow mark on your opponents and spy on them from afar. Unless the target went 5 km away from the user, the shadow mark won''t disappear for the next three days. Cooldown: 2/ Week] ''Looks good.'' Charles nodded his head and then transferred all of his important things into the Space Ring. After that, he sneakily went out of Riverdale City at night and buried Addie''s body in the depths of the mangrove woods. After that, Charles stealthily returned to the city and isted himself from the outside world. He first took out the normal book from the space ring and stared at the inscribed words for a whole five minutes. It was just a single paragraph. But the one who wrote those characters arranged in aplicated manner like a bunch of code-words. The real Charles was an archaeological student, and he knew much about these secret code methods. If Charles had walked on the path of Explorers, it would have been very easier for him to decode the message hidden in the book. Unfortunately, the current Charles chose a different ss and was walking on a different path. ''Looks like I need to find an explorer and ask his help.'' He sighed as he put the book into his space ring and then started concentrated his attention on improving his strength. He used most of his time on understanding the spell models using the Runal Language knowledge and mastered the spell models one by one. asionally, he would sneak out of Slum Street, remove his disguise and go to El Street as Charles. He then stays in 45 El Street for a day and then returns to Slum Street to do his usual disguising. In a blink, four weeks passed. Aug 5th, Second Arcane Era, Year 6396. During the past four weeks, Charles mastered the [Fire Wings] and [Crimson Cure] spell models in his mind and was about to analyze his next spell model thoroughly. Moreover, he also entered the Dreamworld thrice and even gained 800 Exp points by killing many strange ck goblin-like creatures. When killing those creatures, he also found something odd about those dark goblins and started paying more attention to those creatures. Charles noticed that the ck goblins were different from other nightmare creatures, and they acted more like civilized creatures than the mindless ones. Furthermore, Charles saw that those creatures wereing from Riverdale City''s outer area and could evenmunicate with each other! Although those creatures'' actions piqued his interest, he didn''t dig further and continued analyzing the spell models. As for his current search mission, there was no progress at all. He also noticed that Jimmy also isted himself from the outside world and seemed to be preparing for something. Only Luke did some research and found something odd about Willy''s movement during the past few weeks. Except for him, none found an important clue about those three Historians'' disappearances. As usual, Charles sat on the stone b in the old hut and was deeply immersed in understanding his fourth spell model, [Burning Thoughts]. As he was about to finishprehending the twenty-sixth word, a sudden knocking sound came from the outside and woke him up from his deep meditation. He opened her jade eyes in annoyance, stood up from the stone b, went near the wooden door, and opened it from the inside. In front of him stood a lean man with blonde hair, amber eyes, and an oval face. He wore leather armor over his brown linen shirt, ck pants, and ck leather shoes and appeared around 25-years-old. He also wore a red gem-embedded bracelet in his hand and was staring at him... No, he was staring at her with a stiff smile on his face. He was none other than Jimmy Holmes! Seeing Jimmy''s appearance at the entrance, Edith turned her face into a smiling one and greeted in a soft female voice, "Good morning, Sir. Jimmy." Jimmy nodded at her in response and soon asked cautiously, "Are you also a Mystic, ma''am?" As he ended his words, the smile on Edith''s face vanished in an instant and was reced with a cold one. Before Jimmy could take a step back, Edith took a ck pistol from her new space ring and pointed it on Jimmy''s forehead. Chapter 45: History of an Intellectual Artifact Cold sweats dripped on Jimmy''s face as he shrunk back in fear and soon raised both his hands in surrender. "How did you know?" Edith asked as she moved her finger and turned the Pistol''s hammer with a click. "D-Don''t shoot me. I''m also a Mystic." He said in a hurry. Edith wore a surprised look on her face and then furrowed her brows. "Why are you here then?" She asked while not removing the Pistol from his forehead. Meanwhile, Jimmy breathed out a sigh of relief and started to speak. "I came here to ask if you are interested in joining a certain group mission." Edith''s thin eyebrows arched upward as she heard his words and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Mission? Why is he inviting me now? To learn more about me?'' Edith retrieved her Pistol and probed. "What kind of mission is that? Can you tell me more details?" Seeing that Edith was willing to listen to his words, Jimmy nodded his head with a forced smile and then spoke. "Two days ago, Underworld Boss of Riverdale issued a mission to explore the Unexplored Forest on September 18th. Boss Night-eye said that only Mystics will be allowed to participate in this mission and asked the seven Rowdy gangs to recruit new Mystics from the outside." ''September 18th... Unexplored Forest... Something is definitely suspicious going on here.'' "I''m not interested." Edith instantly refused to join in an unknown mission. Although Charles came here to monitor Jimmy and to find clues about A-035, he wouldn''t act rashly just to gain more information. Moreover, Eve also warned him to be more careful when joining the ''Ruin'' rted mission, so he didn''t ept the mission. As Jimmy was about to turn around in disappointment, Edith raised her hand and muttered. "Stop." Jimmy got startled for a moment and soon stared at her in puzzlement. In the meantime, Edith stared vacantly at the orange sky for a moment and soon sighed. In reality, she stared at the game interface and noticed a new mission suddenly popped out in front of her face. [Main Quest: Save the Intellectual Artifact and gain its full ownership. Quest Description: On October 2nd of the year 6396 of the Second Arcane Era, a big change will happen in the Unexplored Forest and would cause a massive change in the ''Fate'' of the Arc Kingdom. Participate in this mission and save Rh from being devoured by the Chaos Wanderer. Quest Reward: 8,450 Experience Points. Mission Deadline: October 2nd. Quest failure: Unknown ept/Decline.] ¡­ ''Intellectual artifact? That''s a new term. I also have an option to decline it? Hmm, the Mission Deadline¡­ It''s the exact date Eddie Nightwind mentioned in the prophecy. It looks like I won''t be able to avoid this ''Fateful encounter'' even if I decline it now.'' After encountering those strange coincidences, mystical effects, and all, Charles knew that escaping from the ''Fate'' was not an option. ''If I didn''t grow stronger and break these ''Fate'' like shackles, I will forever be yed around by the bunch of schemers. These mind tricking and manipting powers are nothing in front of pure strength. My main-ss is the best example of that.'' The corner of Edith''s lips curled upward as she stared at the mission icon for a second and soon spoke. "I will apany you in this mission." ''This mission is definitely dangerous... But the Quest Reward is quite tempting for me. Moreover, I have more than a month to prepare. Something is telling me that this mission has some connection with the Escort mission. If so, I can ask Team Leader and continue this undercover mission as Edith. If this mission has nothing to do with escort mission, I can just use an excuse and withdraw.'' She thought for a moment and then spoke, "Although this mission looks dangerous, I don''t think it will affect my personal mission. Moreover, if I find something good in the Unexplored Forest, I might quit my job and enjoy my life peacefully. I need to go out for a while and prepare something for this mission. Mr. Jimmy, you cane here on the 18th morning and pick me up." After saying those words, Edith turned around and shut the door from inside. In the meantime, Jimmy shook his head in a gloomy look, turned around, went near his house, and muttered in a creaky old man''s voice. "I didn''t expect such an oue." He then stared at the red-gem embedded bracelet for a moment and chuckled. "Jimmy, your time is nearing." "You will never seed." A solemn voice echoed from the red bracelet and soon died out. "Hehe, that''s not possible. When I cast the final ''Miracle'' on Charles, I will get his heart as a reward. It will be my final sess. Heh, after so many years of schemes, I''m almost seeded in everything and also gained full control over the body of the Holem family''s 65th descendant. Specifically, I almost gained control of your body. When your soul withers and enters the cycle of reincarnation, my soul will directly enter your body and will obtain full control over it as per the ''Ancient Agreement''. Along with the ''Heart'' of the Nightwind family descendant, I will finally obtain a real body and then rise as a true ''Origin Seeker''." "What a cursed life I have¡­ Holem''s Crown... Can you tell me your true name before my soul withers? What is your true goal? Why are you targeting us?" A weak solemn voice came out once again from the red bracelet. ''Name, is it?'' The Holem''s Crown in Jimmy''s body went silent for three full seconds and soon said in his mind. ''My real name is Rh, one of the fifty-seven Universal Explorers in the whole Universe. Long ago, I was ambushed by your ancestor and his friends and then sealed in an ''Eternal Prison'' for 20,000 years¡­ Well, the reason for their sess is mostly because of my weakened state, though. After my strength got entirely absorbed by the Nullifying Stone, the Holem family members captured my soul in a separate soul stone. They then created an intellectual Artifact with the help of an abdominal Divine. That''s how I was reborn as a Series-A Artifact. The Holem family then forced me to sign a ve-like agreement and started conquering multiple nes with the help of my ''Miracle'' ability.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused for three full seconds and then continued with a disdainful tone, ''But, they underestimated me. When I signed the ve-like agreement, I also used a trick and added few conditions for my freedom. I then altered those conditions little by little with the Holem family descendants'' help and started ying different tricks like forcing them to sacrifice their people''s luck. Finally, I made another gamble-like agreement with the seventeenth head of the Holem family. I forced him to give one of the Holem family members'' bodies a reward if I seeded in helping them escape from their homeworld. Regretfully, when I cast the big ''Miracle,'' someone interfered with my ''Fate'' and separated me from them.'' ''I then traveled in the void for hundreds of years while gathering luck powers to create another big miracle. That miracle is the result of meing to this Edhen world with the help of the Nightwind family elder, Eddie Nightwind. Well, I also fell for Eddie''s trick back then and once again signed a ve-like agreement. No, this incident happened due to my arrogance and overconfidence. After that, I started to look for Holem family members and then waited for Eddie''s contract to over. After 25,560 years of a long wait, I''m finally going to get my freedom and return to the Easica World.'' Upon hearing the Holem''s Crown''s long history, even Jimmy got stunned for a moment. ''You are the Unluckiest among all.'' He squeezed out those words and then went silent. "Hehe, in this Universe, everything has a price, Jimmy. Honestly, you are a good person, a very good one. Even though I''m an enemy, you didn''t hold any grudge against me and remained rational. That''s why; your life is going to end very soon." The Holem''s Crown, aka Rh, spoke out loud as he opened the wooden door with a click and then walked in. In the meantime, a dark shadow eye hovered above in the air for the next ten seconds and soon dispersed into smokes. A secondter, Charles opened his eyes inside the old hut and soon turned his face serious. Using the ''Shadow Eye,'' he watched Jimmy''s earlier actions and heard the unfamiliar old man''s voice. ''Holem''s Crown seems to have already gained full control over Jimmy''s real body and also appears to be nning to take my heart as a reward. That red-gem embedded bracelet... Is it''s the Holem''s Crown? Did the Holem''s Crown change into a bracelet instead of a crown using the imitation-like skill? Moreover, the ''Last Miracle,'' is it? I need to find a way and trick it to sign the Contract of Imagination before the ''Last Miracle.'' This artifact is indeed a dangerous one.'' Charles inhaled deeply and then stood up from the stone b. After that, he packed his belongings and walked out of the old hut in Edith''s appearance. Like thest time, he made few turns and soon found a dark alley to remove his disguise. After he removed his disguise, he changed his cloth into a formal one and then cast [Conceal] skill on himself. After roaming in the streets for an hour, he arrived in front of the Withering Shadows office building and then walked in. Once he walked in, he saw Emilia was seated on the receptionist desk and seemed to be in the middle of writing. He first went near her, cleared his throat, and spoke politely. "Good Morning, Team Leader." Although his word sounds like a teenager''s one, one could feel that his tone contains not a single emotion hidden in it. It was neither joy nor sorrow. Raising her head, Emilia stared at Charles for a second and pointed her hand at the oppositedder-back chair. "Take a seat." Nodding, Charles took off his long ck coat, ced it on his hand, and sat down. "I got some information about the Escort mission, Leader." He didn''t want to beat around the bush, so he went straight to the point. Emilia stopped her ck quill as she heard his words and soon asked. "What is it?" "Jimmy visited me this morning. He said that the Underground Boss Nighteye issued a mission and asked the seven rowdy gangs to recruit Mystics. He said that they are nning to go to the Unexplored Forest on September 18th and invited me to join this mission." "September 18th?" Emilia went silent for a few seconds and soon asked. "Did you ept his request?" "Yes," Charles nodded. "Smart move. I also felt something was off about this escort mission." She deliberately paused for a moment and then continued with a sigh. "Look like something big is going to happen in the Unexplored Forest. Charles, you will be ourst card so unless something big happens, don''t expose your real identity. Continue your disguise as Edith Oliver and stay hidden among the Slitherer''s Rowdy gang. Your secret identity lies with me, not even Andrew knew about this." Charles''s smile widened as he heard her words and nodded his head in approval. After exchanging few words about the escort mission with Emilia, Charles walked out of the Withering Shadows building and went to El Street. Chapter 46: Unexplored Forest Fifteen minutester, Charles reached his house and soon furrowed his brows as he heard an argument from the reception hall. To his surprise, he saw Bishop Reynolds, Lady Charlotte, Mr. Hunt, and Ethan Walker seated on the ornate sofa on the right side and were discussing something serious. To their opposite side, he saw a white-haired old man, whom he had met a few weeks ago; Saron White, two other old-looking men, sat on thedderback chairs and appeared to be listening to their discussion. In the meantime, Eve Nightwind held a ce full of ss bottles and served the orange juice sses. With light footsteps, Charles walked in and attracted others'' attention in an instant. "Why are they all gathering here?" Without minding their gazes, he stared at Eve Nightwind''s back and asked. "They are here to talk to you," Eve said as she turned around, took a few steps forward, and gave him a ss of orange juice. "Talk to me?" Charles took the ss with his right hand and then turned his gaze towards Bishop Reynolds. Noticing his gaze, Bishop stopped taking the sip and said in a casual tone. "I arranged this meeting, Charles." He paused for a moment as he took arge sip from the orange juice ss, gulped it down, and then added while cing his trembling hand on hisp. "All of them here are trusted members of Life Church and would help you obtain the Holem''s Crown at the cost of their own lives." "All of them?" Charles asked as his gaze swept past Bishop Reynolds and soonnded on the two old-looking men seated on two wooden chairs. One guy had blonde hair, a sharp nose, a lean body, a pale face, and emerald eyes, while the other guy had silver hair, a round nose, a slightly obese body, and pupil-less eyes. Both wore blue robes, strange wheel-symbolic badges, and strange tattooed shoes and looked more like wizards from a particr fictional series. "They are mages of Life Church. Both are Rank-2 mages with considerable battle experience. Blonde hair guy''s name is Logan Myth, and he is a Rank-2 [Lightning Man]. As for the silver one, his name is Leo Blue, and he is a Rank-2 [Spatial Blinker]." Charles greeted them with a nod and soon shifted his gaze towards Charlotte and Ethan Walker. "Ethan Walker is originally a member of Withering Shadows in the past. Due to some personal reasons, he and Charlotte stayed undercover in Riverdale City and is currently acting as husband and wife." Without waiting for Charles to ask more questions, Bishop said. "What about Mr. Hunt? Don''t tell me... Are Mr. Hunt and Lady Charlotte husband and wife?" Charles widened his eyes for a moment and soon nodded in understanding. ''Heh, so that''s why the Holy Knight always sneaked into Ethan Walker''s mansion and ends up gaining the title of Wife Stealer.'' "What about Lady Charlotte''s Rank?" Charles didn''t put much thought into their personal affairs and soon asked. "Charlotte is Rank-2 [Reader], a [Student] ss Mystic." Bishop Reynolds didn''t hide anything and responded in an instant. Even Charles became stunned by his words and soon asked another question. "What about Derrick''s father then? Why is he here?" He knew that Derrick''s father was not a member of Life Church and became puzzled. "Sir Carter is a Rank-3 [Seeker], a [Historian] ss Mystic. I asked him toe here and attend this meeting, son." This time, Eve interjected their talking and said in a solemn tone. "Because of his Rank-3 power strength, we also agreed to her suggestion." Bishop Reynolds also said with a nod and then took the opportunity to gulp the whole ss of juice in one go. After that, he took out a pointy-leaf from his pocket and stuffed it in his mouth. In the meantime, Hunt heaved a deep sigh and said. "To put it more simply, when the Holem''s Crown revealed its presence, we will work together and capture it before others do. After that, we will hand it to you as per the agreement and would help you to gain full control over it." Charles wasn''t surprised by their decision. He acted like he was in deep thinking, rubbed his temte for a moment, and then spoke. "Mr. Hunt, you are wrong about one thing. A-035 is not a normal Series-A Artifact and has the power to do miracles. Although I''m its sessor, it doesn''t seem to be willing to serve under me. So, do you think a bunch of Rank-2 and three Rank-3 Mystics have the power to force the Holem''s Crown to submit to us?" Without waiting for Hunt to respond, Charles shook his head and continued. "Moreover, I also heard from Father Reynolds that this A-035 could see the ''past'' itself. Using normal methods to capture this artifact would never work against it." "What do you suggest then?" Bishop''s stared at Eve with wide red eyes and asked. "I''m on your left side, Father. As for your question, I do have some ns. But to achieve that, I need all of your help." Everyone straightened their backs as they heard his words and waited for him to continue. "Before that, what do you guys know about the Unexplored Forest?" Charles wore a mysterious smile on his face and asked. "Unexplored Forest? It''s the treasure house for Explorers and Adventurers and has some connection with the Abyss ne. I heard that a total of 128 Chaos Rifts were hidden in the Unexplored Forest, and these Rifts are the main reasons for the previous nar Invasions. Some say that these Chaos Rifts are still connected to the Abyss and other Chaotic nes and would activate once in a millennium. As for the dark creatures hidden in the deep area, I knew nothing about them." Carter took the initiative and exined what he had known from his years of experience as an Explorer. At this time, another voice came. It was Bishop Reynolds! But Charles felt a sense of mystery and profoundness in his words. "Unexplored Forest has some deep connection with the Ancient Era. It''s an Era where Gods and Mages united and explored the cosmos together. There were no ss gems, nor do peoples have other methods to understand the secrets of the mysterious powers. Only Mages and Divines ruled the World... No, only Divines, Warlocks, and Mages ruled the Universe. But that soon came to an end when a mysterious ''Taboo Existence'' collected the 100 divinities of ''Luck'' and created the ''ss-Gem'' path by casting an Ultimate Miracle." Bishop Reynolds stared vacantly at the ceiling and said in a weird monotonous tone, causing everyone to stare at him in wonder. "Hush! His consciousness entered the Divine Kingdom of Life." Hunt stood up from his seat and muttered in shock. "Is that a rare urrence?" Charles was clueless about that part, so he asked with a frown. When Bishop said something about entering the divine kingdomst time, he didn''t put much thought into it. But now, he was a little surprised inside. "It''s a very rare urrence. It''s the third time Lord Bishop is entering the Divine Kingdom of Life in his whole life. Whenever he enters this state, his soul will be linked to the Goddess Nira''s divine kingdom, and he would be able to ask answers from one of the Goddess Nira''s incarnations." Hunt paused for a moment and soon added. "Ask another question before he awakens." Nodding his head, Charles folded his hands and asked. "What is going to happen in the Unexplored Forest?" "Tragedy. It will be an orchestrated encounter. You can''t escape from the ''Fate''." Bishop paused for a second and soon added with a weird creepy smile on his face. "Face it. Face the ''Fate'' and reborn as a new." Before Charles could utter a word in response, Bishop Reynolds gasped for breathing and soon slumped on the sofa. Upon seeing the strange incident, Charles closed his jade eyes and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Unexplored Forest... City Ruins... Orchestrated Encounter... Face the ''Fate''... Tragedy... Red-Hair... Red Prince... Fate... Fate... Someone is manipting the strings... Multiple Coincidences... Is this rted to the [Astrologer] ss Mystic? Arbiter Willy also said something about an Irregr...'' Multiple words whirled in his mind and soon connected to a single person in his mind. "[Watcher]" He muttered out loud and soon asked. "Do any of you know anyone with the title of [Red Prince] or [Watcher]?" Saron suddenly raised her hand, wiped the corner of her red lips, and said. "He might be a member of the ''Fate Rulers''. Most of the [Astrologer] ss Mystics are members of this ancient organization, while the rest are members of the Lawful Churches. Unlike other organizations, this organization is a secretive organization with no goal¡­ No, I would say that this organization was born to create disturbance in other''s Fates. The members of this organization are maniptors of Fates and would cause strange variations in everyone''s life. I once heard from the Wisdom Church Bishop that the Fate Rulers are lurking in every city and are manipting everyone''s life from behind the scenes. That''s the reason all the Churches put bounties on the entire Fate Rulers'' heads." "How many members are there in this strange organization?" Eve leaned her back on the granite wall and asked. Although she heard about the organization in the past, she didn''t know much about its information. "I have no idea about the numbers. But there must be more than thousands." "Thousands..." Charles sucked in a cold breath and soon understood the seriousness. ''If what Saron White said is true, then we are in serious trouble. But what can I do now? Watcher''s identity is still shrouded in mystery, and I knew nothing about him. Even if I found out about his identity, do I have the power to fight against him? I couldn''t even hold off against the half-baked Addie Baker. If not for Team Leader Emilia''s warning, I would have killed on that day.'' Charles thought for a moment and soon spoke. "If my guess is true, someone had already found a city ruin. They seemed to be nning to go alone, but I don''t think it''s possible. Within a week or two, someone will expose the city ruin''s location and reveal it to everyone. So, you guys should form a team with some explorers and go there. I will also go to the ruin in disguise and wait for the Holem''s Crown to show its presence. Till then, you guys should hide your strength and act as normal Mystics." At first, Charles nned something else in his mind, but Bishop Reynolds''s sudden prophetic words changed his whole n. After some discussion, the gathered Mystics walked out of their house one by one, leaving only Eve, Saron, Carter, and Charles in the reception room. Without minding Saron''s curious gaze, Charles sat on the ornate sofa and then turned his gaze towards the old man Carter. Noticing his gaze, Carter made a fake cough and said. "You have changed, Charles." "Everyone has their reasons, uncle." He purposefully paused for a second while taking out a book from his space ring and gave it to Carter. In puzzlement, Carter caught the book and opened it to see the content. He flipped the empty pages one by one in confusion and soon stopped in front of a handwritten page. As he stared at the content for a moment, Carter instantly understood the reason and started decoding those messy words. After five minutes of struggle, he let out a chuckle and read the content out loud. "Keep an eye on the target all the time and be careful of the Life Church members. If you met an anomaly, use your full force and kill the other party. To seek the truth, we need to make some sacrifices. ''For the True Fate.'' By- The Red Prince." Carter read the content with a solemn tone and then shifted his gaze towards Charles. ''Red Prince¡­'' He muttered the name and soon shook his head. "It''s nothing serious, Uncle. I just found this book on the road and became curious about these strange words. But I didn''t expect that this book is a secret letter." "It looks like a troublesome book. I don''t know what you are doing in secret, but be careful of this Red Prince. First, give this book to Bishop or some other person with high-authority; they will find use some artifact and might learn more information about this mysterious ''Red Prince.''" Carter felt something was not right about the contents and gave him a suggestion. Without even waiting for Charles to nod, he stood up from his seat and said to Eve in a solemn tone. "It''s gettingte. I''ll be leaving now, My Lady." After that, he bowed his head to Saron and then to Charles and walked out of the reception room in hurried footsteps. Chapter 47: Strange Vision Meanwhile, Charles leaned back on the sofa and fell into deep thoughts. ''First thing, I have to confirm that the Red Prince and the Watcher ss member are the same individuals or different ones. These strange prediction abilities are not to be messed with. I need to act more cautious and started researching about this [Watcher]... No, that''s the mistake I madest time. If I hadn''t gone to Brook''s Street, Addie Baker wouldn''t havee after me using the Watcher''s artifact... So, my job is not to search for Watcher. I will enter the Dreamworld often and try to gain more Exp points. After that, I will Rank-Up my both sses and apany Jimmy as Edith Oliver. When the timees, I will reveal myself as Marie Holmes and trick it into signing the contract... Nah, that won''t work at all. Hmm, which contract would do the trick? I need to find a reason to get closer to Jimmy and sign a normal contract with him... He is the one who invited me to this Mission. So, when I''m at a disadvantage during the Mission, I will argue with him for involving me in a dangerous task and force him to sign a contract topensate me for my loss. But I need to lose some precious artifact during the Mission to make my action feels real. Which one should I sacrifice? Ghost Dagger? Nope, it isn''t worth much. Starfall Codex? Nope, it''s a priceless treasure. Ember Pistol? Nope, it''s my only trump card... Should I lose any one of Addie''s artifacts?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and soon chose to lose the ''Coin of the Helper'' artifact. Although it was a rare artifact, Charles felt nothing in front of a real Series-A artifact. ''Once the Holem''s Crown signed the contract, I will take full control over the Holem''s Crown and would search for the [Watcher] with its help.'' He nodded his head thoughtfully and soon nced at Eve, who was still leaning her back against the cold concrete wall. She also seemed to be thinking about something and stared at the ceiling in a daze. "What''s on your mind, mom?" He raised his eyebrows and asked. Eve blinked her eyes as she heard her son''s words and soon straightened her back. After that, she walked two steps in front, sat on the opposite sofa, and spoke in an uncertain voice. "Something feels wrong, Charles. After the Kidnapping incident, our life seems to have changedpletely. Wherever we took a step, thorns seem to be popped out of nowhere and harming us. Shall we sell this house and go away from this city?" Charles got stunned by her words and soon widened his eyes. ''What happened to her? Did she see an anomaly in my Fate?'' "What did you see?" "I didn''t. But why should we destroy our peaceful life by involving in others'' business?" Eve inhaled deeply and said. "No, it''s the quiet opposite, mom." Charles deliberately paused for a second and then continued with a grave tone, "The reason for the variations in this City peoples'' fates are due to a certain individual. That certain individual might be the reason for my father''s assassination. He might be the one who manipted us toe to this Riverdale City and seemed to be plotting a big scheme." "Are you still clinging on to that possibility?" This time, Saron widened her eyes and stared at him in shock. Thest time when Charles mentioned those words to her, she didn''t take it seriously. But now, she also began to feel that it was possible as she had long sensed the coincidental anomaly in the Riverdale City. "Yes, My Lady." Charles didn''t say anything further and simply nodded. "If there really is a schemer after you guys, what is he after?" Saron became interested all of a sudden and asked further. "What''s there to think about? His target is the Holem''s Crown." Charles said as a matter of fact. "Oh, that''s right. I almost forgot about that artifact." Saron ced her hand on her forehead and nodded. Before Eve could say another word, Charles waved his head and said with a sigh. "Don''t put too much thought into it, mom. I will take care of it." After that, he stood up from the ornate sofa, went near the spiral stairs, and moved upstairs. He then reached the second floor, walked on the smooth tiled floor, and soon arrived in front of his bedroom door on his right side. He was about to ce his hand on the doorknob but suddenly stopped. He then took out a gold coin from his space ring and pressed the small blue gem at its center. It was the [Watcher''s Coin] artifact! A secondter, his vision turned blurry as he soon found himself standing above arge crater. He then nced at the surroundings and soon noticed that the crater was almost covered the size of Riverdale City. Sharp rocks, bounders, andvas spread all over the crater, causing Charles to stare at the vision in puzzlement. Before he could look further, his vision blurred once again, and soon he found himself standing in front of his bedroom door. He blinked his eyes twice, ced his hand on the doorknob, turned it a little, and opened the door. After locking the wooden door from inside, He went near his bed, sat on it, and then thought of the strange vision in confusion. ''Is that the future of Riverdale City? What caused that crater?'' Suddenly, he thought of Bishop''s earlier words and became gloomy. ''Looks like I need to speed up my n.'' He heaved a heavy sigh and then took out the ''Nightmare Stone'' from his space ring. He ced the stone in his pocket,y on the bed, and ced his head on the cotton pillow. As usual, he closed his eyes for a moment and soon fell asleep. ... After some time, Charles opened his eyes in the Dreamworld, sat up suddenly on the old dusty wooden bed, and took out the pupil-less eye from his space ring. At that time, the gloomy old house suddenly shook for a second and soon returned to normal. Charles raised his eyebrows as he heard window ttering noises, howling winds from outside, and grew solemn. With a frown stered on his face, he tapped the pupil-less eye twice and activated the ''Shadow Eye'' skill. A secondter, a cloud of dark smoke came out from it and soon formed into an eye-shaped shadow with two bat-like wings. Simultaneously, Charles also felt the connection from the shadow-eye and controlled it to move outside. Using the eye, he scouted the nearby rooms slowly and went downstairs. Once he made sure that no strange creatures were hidden in his house, he breathed out a sigh of relief and then looked outside. Unlike thest time, the whole city was filled with gusty winds and appeared to be in the middle of arge tornado! Widening his eyes, Charles stared at the dusty red sky, and soon his whole body went stiff. Up there in the dusty clouds, he saw a shadow of a dark lizard-like creature with wings hovering above the city and let out thundering roars from time to time. "Dragon." He squeezed out a single word and soon ran back to the second floor through the spiral staircase. After a few seconds, he entered his bedroom and soon exited the Dreamworld. Although he was curious to know more about that dragon-like creature, he didn''t dare to take the Dreamworld creatures lightly. ... After some time, Charles woke up in his bedroom and soon shook his head. He actually thought of using the ''Dreamworld'' to gain some experience points, but he didn''t think that a monstrous lizard would ruin his n in a second. Quietlymenting for a second, he let out a bitter smile and concentrated his attention on mastering his spell models. Days passed as he secluded himself in his room, and soon it was September 10th. During the past few weeks, he entered the Dreamworld thrice to try his luck and gained 1420 exp points by killing seven dark goblin-like creatures and two lizard-like creatures. Currently, he had 3709 Exp points in his Experience bar. But that was not his real achievement. Due to his hard work, Charles finally mastered his final [me Body] spell model today and was about to Rank-up! If he faced Addie now, he would have an easy time battling him. During the past few weeks, he also visited the Withering Shadows office once and learned some city ruin information. This time, Luke tailed Willy Pickton and found some clue about the City Ruins hidden in the depths of Unexplored Forest. He mentioned that Willy and many other mystics were gathering secretly for a while and seemed to be nning to explore the Unexplored Forest. As for those three [Historians] ''s disappearance? It was still shrouded in mystery. Casting those thoughts away from his mind, Charles stood up from the tiled floor and soon furrowed his brows as he saw the Rank-up question in the game interface. [Main ss Rank-up Quest: Sense the presence of your soul. Quest Description: Mages are masters of elements and mysteries. But to be one, you need to learn about your soul and the Inner-world. Find a guide and learn more information about the Inner-World. Once you obtain enough information, try to sense your soul. Quest Rewards: 500 Exp Mission Deadline: None.] ''Rank-up quest? Does that mean I don''t have to spend hundreds of Exp or consume a ss-gem to Rank-up?'' He got confused for a moment and soon thought of the ''Inner-World.'' ''I do read something about ''Inner-World'' in one of the library books. What book is that again? Soul of Mysteries? Nah, I think its name is Secrets of the Soul.'' He thought for a moment and soon decided to check it quickly. After changing his cloth into a casual one, he walked out of his bedroom and went to the Wisdom Library. It was around 11 A.M. The rising sunlight scorched his back from the east as he stepped out of his house and soon walked on the El Street road. Charles didn''t stop anywhere and soon reached Oliver Street. Charles then entered the Wisdom Library. He directly went to the fourth floor and started recalling his memories about where he put the book containing information about the Inner World. After searching for a while, he soon found the book called the ''Secrets of the Soul'' and started reading it. Chapter 48: Secrets of the Soul Charles opened the ck covered book and started to read, "Good Day, My dear fellow readers, I wrote this book to create some awareness about human souls and their secrets. What are these souls? Well, that''s a veryplicated question, and even I knew nothing about it. Who created our souls? For what purpose did they create us?... These questions would go on endlessly if you started to ask yourself. But there is something I can help you with. I will now share my knowledge about souls and their secrets in the following chapters¡­" "To feel the soul, you will need answers to various questions like who you are. Are you a being of Chaos? Are you a being of Law? Did you pass through the Eternal River of Life when you reborn? Were you a human being in the past life? And so on..." Charles raised his eyebrows for a moment as he read the contents and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Being of Chaos? Being of Law? No, I''m neither of those. I''m a neutral one. As for the Eternal River of Life, I think I didn''t pass through by normal means. Some maniac abducted me in the name of transmigration and even put some game-system inside my body¡­ So, I''m a soul from the outside.'' He organized his thoughts for a moment and then continued to read. "If you know the answer, then search for things like what our body is made up of? How this Universe created? All these answers will lead you to know what a real soul is¡­" ''Hmm? What is our body made of? That itself is aplicated question. If it is a biologist, he would say something like water, cells, within the cells are many molecr machines, bacteria, and so on. A chemist would say Oxygen, Carbon, and Hydrogen, and so on. Physicists would say ''Nothing.'' But each answer is correct in its own way.'' Charles rubbed his temte for a moment and soon began to think like a person from the Edhen World. ''The World itself is a magical existence. Unlike Earth, this world has a unique thing called magic or a kind of mystic power. I haven''t checked how the human organs are working. Do the Edhen People''s anatomy is simr to humans from the Earth? Are they different? Moreover, there is another thing called soul-rted questions like Inner-World, magical spell models, and so on¡­ What really is a human from this Edhen World made of? I would say that they are created by the supernatural thing called ''Mana.'' This mana might be something simr particle like ''Atom'' and must have some connection with the souls. So, when a ''soul'' gets mutated by gaining experiences, it might form some link with this so-called ''Mana'' and might gain extraordinary abilities. I also noticed that the game-system acts like an intermediate machine. If I''m not wrong, this game-system somehow steals the other party''s life power in the name of experience and strengthens my soul and body. Although these are just a hypothesis of mine, I can tell that the truth is not far from behind.'' Charles subconsciously came to a bold conclusion and soon turned his attention to the book. "Once you get the answer, you will start feeling the soul inside you. That''s the first step to be a true mage. After that, you have to study your soul for years and find a way to enter your Inner-World. Once you enter your Inner-World, you will connect yourself with your Inner-World and feel like you are the Creator of that world. You are the Creator; no, you are the only Creator of that World! Once you realized that, you would be able to control your own emotions and thoughts... If you manage to understand all the secrets of your Inner World, then you will be an omnipotent being in that world. I also heard that everyone has different types of Inner-World and each world is unique to one''s imagination... If you control your Inner-World fully, not even Gods will dare to enter into it recklessly. But for a normal mage to achieve that stage, it requires thousands of years..." As Charles read the content, the corner of his lips curled upward subconsciously. ''Sea of Consciousness... Damn, this ''Inner-world'' looks more like one''s Sea of consciousness. Hmm? Creation of this Universe? Is he talking about the Big-Bang?'' He furrowed his brows as he sat on the wooden chair and then closed his eyes. After that, he thought of trying out something interesting and soon muttered while imagining the scene of the singrity begins. ''Universe Omnipotent God Singrity.'' He tried different methods, but still, he failed to sense his soul at all. As he was about to give up, he suddenly thought of his ''Main-ss.'' ''Does this have something to do with my main ss? Wait... This is not Earth. I should think differently. This world has skills, magic, and there is also a power of Imagination that resides everywhere.'' He thought for a moment and started imagining a different scene. He thought of a single spark creating the Universe instead of a Big Bang singrity in his mind. "I''m the spark." He muttered loudly and then opened his jade eyes. A momentter, something exploded in the depths of his mind! Before he could understand the situation, all those seven fire-spell models brightened for a second and then calmed down. Puzzled by the sudden change, Charles closed his eyes again and perceived the changes. He saw an empty dark world appeared in his mind. No, it was not a dark world, but a small dark space! He saw seven types of spell models at the center hovered in the dark space and looked more like seven suns hovering in the void. ''Is this the soul? Or, an Inner-World?'' Charles raised his eyebrows in suspicion and soon guessed it must be the first step to enter into the strange ''Inner-World.'' After thinking for a moment, Charles let out a sigh and opened his eyes in the Wisdom Library. He also saw the missionpleted notification in the quest icon and breathed out a sigh of relief. [500 Exp points Rewarded!] But what made his lips twitch uncontrobly was another notification. [Host has met the requirement to Rank up!] [There are two avable methods for the Host to Rank Up 1. Host can consume a ''Fire Weaver'' ss-Gem and Rank up by normal method. Sess rate: 80% 2. Host can use Experience Points to Rank-up Main ss now. Exp needed for Rank-up: 3900 Exp. (3394 Exp for ss-Gem and 506 Exp for Rank-up.) Sess rate: 90%] ''Fire-Weaver ss-Gem? That''s troublesome. Can I ask the Withering Shadow organization to get that? Nah, I haven''t done enough merit to earn a Rank-2 ss gem. If I ask them now, they wouldn''t give it to me easily and might try to sign another contract with me. 3900 Exp... With additional 500 Exp points, I now have 4250 exp points. With this amount of experience points, I can Rank-up the Main ss at any time using the second method.'' Muttering inwardly, he closed the ck-covered book, stood up from his seat, went near the nearby shelf, and ced it in the corner. After that, he turned around, moved towards the staircase, and went downstairs. He then walked out of the Wisdom Library and returned to 45 El Street. When Charles reached his house, it was already 4 P.M. Once he stepped in, he noticed that Eve and Saron White were seriously doing some baking work in the dining hall, so; Charles didn''t disturb them and directly moved towards the second floor. After that, he took out the Watcher''s coin from his space ring and activated it. As usual, his vision still didn''t change, which made him smile wryly. ''There is still no change in the vision at all. I heard that the consequence of changing one''s fate will always end up into a veryplicated problem.'' Shaking his head, hey on his bed and entered the Dreamworld using the ''Nightmare Stone.'' ... After some time, Charles opened his eyes in the Dreamworld and noticed that he returned to the gloomy house. He skillfully took out the ''Pupil-less'' eye artifact and scouted his house using the ''Shadow Eye'' skill. Once he confirmed that there were no dangers nearby, he breathed out a sigh of relief and went out of the bedroom. After that, he directly went downstairs and then looked outside through the opened window. Thankfully, he didn''t saw any monstrous being in the sky, nor do near any dangerous creatures'' roaring voices from the outside. But the whole City looked dusty. Almost all the surrounding areas were covered in sand and looked like the City just escaped the wrath of an angry tornado! Breathing out a sigh of relief, Charles took out the ''Starfall Codex'' magic book from his space ring, cast ''Crimson Robe'' spell on himself, and walked out of his house. He looked around cautiously and soon zeroed his eyes on the northern corner as he reached the main street from time to time. This time, he saw an abnormality in that area. Two purplish mes hovered up to the sky and illuminated the whole street in a fierce purplish light. Those two mes looked more like eyes. As he focused his gaze on those two mes, he suddenly noticed that the space around those two mes began to distort slightly, and soon two bony hands appeared from the dark void. A secondter, a grey-robed skeleton walked out from the ck void and soon turned his gaze towards his direction. In that instant, Charles also recalled the strange bony hands from the earlier battle against Addie Baker and soon widened his eyes. ''Did he follow after me to the Dreamworld?'' He froze for a second and soon widened his eyes. ''Did my mind subconsciously create this being through the power of imagination?'' A chill crept up to his spines as he thought of another possibility. ''Dream is a scary thing. Thankfully, my mind didn''t create an army of Darth Vader or an army of futuristic psychic people.'' Cold sweats dripped down from his forehead as he took a step back in vignce and opened the Starfall Codex. Without even waiting for the grey-robed skeleton to act, he took the initiative and started to chant in the Runal tongue. In the meantime, the grey-robed skeleton turned its human-like skull and took out arge staff made of bone from the ck void. The skeleton then let out a wicked chuckle as itnded on the dirt road and mmed its staff. A secondter, skeletons started to crawl out from the ground! Tens, no, hundreds of skeletons popped out from the dirt ground and soon turned their skeletal heads towards Charles''s direction. ''What the hell? Do I have to fight against an army now?'' Charles cursed under his breath as he continued to chant and soon opened his illusionary third-eye. In a blink, a bolt of purplish lightning flew out from his third-eye and soonnded on the grey-robed skeleton''s forehead. To his surprise, the lightning attack didn''t inflict any damage on the skeleton at all! Chapter 49: Traveler Tree's Leaf Charles didn''t even have the time to think as he saw hundreds of skeletons with different appearances sprinted in his direction like mad dogs. Unlike the grey-robed skeleton''s eyes, these skeletons'' red eyes looked ruthless and maniac. Clicking his tongue, Charles took out the Arcane Card of Nature magic spell and activated it by crushing it a little. Like thest time, hundreds of vines popped out from the ground and started obstructing those skeletons'' paths. Each vine moved at Charles''s thoughts and slithered around those white bony skeletons. Some were turned into power instantly, while the other skeletons stood struggling like a dying animal. Using this opportunity, Charles started flipping the pages and soon stopped on the seventh page. Then, he cast [Fire Wings] spell on himself and soared up towards the gloomy dusty sky. Charles soon stopped soaring when reaching 20 meters high and then zeroed his gaze on the grey-robed skeleton. At that time, he also curled his mouth and started chanting a weird incantation in Runal Language. While chanting, he also cast [Inspect] skill on it and got confused in a second. He noticed that his [Inspect] skill wasn''t working on the skeleton at all! ''What is going on here...'' He didn''t dare to dy any longer and pped his crimson wings to fly towards the grey-robed skeleton while pointing his forefinger at it. A momentter, a crimson ray of fire came out from his forefinger and soon reached the skeleton''s chest area. To his shock, the grey-robed skeleton suddenly moved its bony staff and blocked the ray with it! For a moment, Charles felt that he should escape from this strange creation. He once again pped his wings to suspend in the mind air and grew anxious. Shaking the uneasiness from his heart, Charles continued his chant loudly and soon finished while turning his face solemn. After that, he closed the book with both hands and spoke two words in Runal tongue. "Crusade Strike!" It was a Rank-2 Light spell! A single long sword made of pure light gathered in front of him and soon flew towards the skeleton at an unimaginable speed! In a blink, the long sword tore through the air and appeared in front of the grey-robed skeleton''s forehead. A secondter, the ''Crusader''s Strike'' spell directly entered the skeleton''s forehead and exploded along with the grey-robed skeleton''s head! Upon seeing the scene, Charles''s lips curled upward subconsciously. But the next instant, his expression turned gloomy! ''Why didn''t I receive any battle experience?'' He nced around cautiously and soon noticed that the summoned skeletons also disappeared, leaving only strange vines behind on the battlefield. ''Does that mean I won''t receive battle experience when killing an imaginary creature?'' He stared at the ce where the grey-robed skeleton stood before in a daze and soon sighed. ''I still need to learn more about this Dream-world.'' He then let out a wry smile and noticed that three dark goblins were rushing towards the battlefield from the nearby street road. Squinting his eyes, Charles descended from the sky and soon dismissed the [Fire Wings], [Nature''s Hand], and [Crimson Robe] spells. ''It looks like my earlier battle drawn these creatures'' attention.'' He thought to himself and then brushed off the dust from his shirt. Following that, hebed his messy dark-blue hair using his hand and noticed that his hair had grown longer! ''I wonder where I can find the barbershop in this magic world.'' He muttered inwardly and then shook his head. Without waiting for the dark goblins to notice his presence, he cast [Conceal] skill on himself and stood near the streetlight post like an invisible statue. He almost turned invisible due to the concealment effect and soon blended with the shadow itself! Meanwhile, the three goblin creatures looked at the battled area in vignce and started discussing in an unknownnguage. One goblin went near the spot where Charles stopped before battling the imaginary skeleton and measured his footprints! After that, those three dark goblins started analyzing the skeletons'' footsteps, and one dark goblin even began to take some notes using a pen-like utensil. After some time, those creatures went to the nearby houses and began to search using various methods. Thankfully, Charles hid his tracks in the concealed form and started studying those creatures'' movements. ''They are well-equipped and even using some strange artifacts tomunicate. These goblins are not stupid. No, these dark goblins are exactly like humans from the Earth. They are not afraid of dangers and even would dare to explore other worlds without knowing the consequences.'' While he was in muse, he noticed that the dark goblin trio finally gave up on searching the nearby areas and started moving towards the east. Charles also stalked them and soon saw that one dark goblin separated from the other two after a few minutes and went in different directions. From his observation, Charles concluded that this dark goblin was going somewhere to send the observed details about Charles''s earlier battle. At this time, he also noticed something odd about these creatures. ''They are not using any skills or magic at all! What are these creatures doing here?'' He felt that he was missing some key information, so he thought of tailing the lone dark goblin instead of the other two. Moreover, he sensed that he would gain something if he follows after this dark goblin. It was the same future prediction-like feeling he had felt earlier. ''Does this have something to do with my Sub-ss? [Sixth Sense] skill?'' A question appeared in his mind. Hiding his curiosity, Charles carefully maintained a 20-meter distance and followed after the dark goblin. After a few minutes, the lone goblin walked out of Riverdale City and soon entered the nearby mangrove woods. When walking in the dark, gloomy forest, the dark goblin would sometimes change its direction and went in different directions like a clueless fool. But Charles knew that this creature was actually trying to observe if someone was tailing it from behind! ''This guy is overly cautious like an assassin.'' Charles thought inwardly and soon noticed that he actually forget to cast [Inspect] skill on this creature at all! Without alerting the goblin, he cast [Inspect] skill on it from the dark and waited patiently. A secondter, a row of data about the dark goblin appeared in front of his eyes. [Name: Theyr Darwn Race: Night Goblin Age: 9 years old Health: Normal HP: 80/80 Rank: 1 ss: Level 5 War Scout Sub-ss: None Attributes: Strength- 11 Dexterity-13 Constitution-12 Wisdom- 13 Charm- 0 ss Skills: Hiding nning Instant memory Tracking Sub-ss Skills: None Unique Skills: None] ''Night goblin? Hmm, looks like a subspecies of the goblin.'' Charles nodded thoughtfully and soon checked those four skills. Although they looked normal, he knew that they were perfect for scout-rted jobs. Dismissing the game interface, Charles continued to follow after it and soon noticed that this goblin suddenly stopped in front of arge mangrove tree. The tree stretched skyward in thece of silent bark, the brown wrapping each as the most beloved of skin. Dried ck leaves and flower petals fell from the sky as the dark-skinned Night goblin appeared in front of the tree trunk and muttered a few words in a weird singing tone. It looked more like a chant than a song! After ncing around the surroundings for a moment, the Night goblin then ced its w-like hand on the tree''s trunk and soon revealed its ugly yellow teeth. An instantter, a suction force came out from the gem-like green leaf and pulled the Night goblin into it! Charles was stunned by the strange scene and soon took a deep breath to calm his mind. He then went near the tree to take a closer look and circled it for a moment. He then carefully checked the tree''s trunk area and soon furrowed his brows. At the center of the trunk, he saw a strange leaf-like gem was embedded in it and got curious about the leaf''s origin. Without any dy, he focused his attention on the green-leaf and cast [Inspect] skill on it. [Inspect has been cast...] [Wisdom Check...] [Inspect is sessful] ... [Name: Traveler Tree''s leaf Item Rank: ??? Effect: This leaf can transport any living creature from its current location to its twin''s location.] ''Traveler Tree''s leaf.'' Charles raised his right hand, moved his finger towards the gem-like leaf, and tried to touch it. But to his astonishment, an invisible power came out from the leaf and blocked his hand from moving near it! ''Force-field? Why is it blocking me? Is there any passcode to travel to the other side? It seems these goblins are using this leaf to enter this Dreamworld. Does that mean those creatures are entering with their physical bodies?'' He thought of a possibility and soon noticed another notification popped out in the game interface. [Host has triggered the Hidden Quest!] [Hidden Chain-Quest] [Quest No.1: Find out the cause of this Twin-Leaf''s arrival] [Quest Description: Due to someone''s interference with the ''Time'', a Traveler Tree''s leaf traveled through Time and Space and appeared in the Woolgather World. Using the Traveler Tree''s leaf, an unknown civilization arrived at this Woolgather world in the name of exploration and seemed to be invading this ce. Find out the cause of the arrival of this Twin-Leaf and stop the civilization from invading this ne further. If not, they will conquer Riverdale City and might interfere with Riverdale citizens'' dreams.] [Quest Reward: A specific Fire-Elemental ne''s co-ordination.] [Mission Deadline: 7 months, 23 days.] [ept/ Decline] ... Charles stared at the quest window for a second and soon squint his eyes sharper. ''A specific Fire-Elemental ne''s co-ordination? This quest is not apulsory one.'' He thought for a while and soon chose to ept it. ''As I suspected, my [Sixth Sense] skill is a future prediction-rted skill.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment. After that, he sat on the nearby rock and waited patiently to farm more exp using this ce. Within a few minutes, another Night goblin in a weird ck robe appeared in front of the tree and nced around cautiously. In the meantime, Charles silently crept behind the Night goblin and wrapped his hand around its neck before it could notice his presence. Like a snake, he moved his other hand and swiftly stole its short sword using his [Magician''s Hand] skill. After that, he broke the Night goblin''s tiny arms and released it from his grip. In the meantime, the Night goblin stumbled forward as it wailed in pain, then turned around and red at him fiercely in anger and hate. Shrugging his shoulders, Charles stared at the dark creature for a moment and asked in Runal tongue, "Do you speak Runal?" A silence answered, and soon the Night goblin started shouting at him in an unknownnguage. "Looks like there won''t be any use in talking now," Charles muttered in a cold tone and directly plunged his dagger at the Night goblin. A wailing cry echoed from its mouth as it tried its best to dodge the dagger. Unfortunately, Charles''s dagger swiftly entered inside the Night goblin''s chest area and wounded it severely. After that, Charles neatly pulled the Ghost Dagger and swiftly sliced its throat area. Dark blood oozed out from its neck, and soon the Night goblin fell on the ground with a thud. [Target Eliminated! 150 Battle Exp obtained!] Nodding his head with a smile on his face, Charles leaned on the opposite tree trunk and waited for more goblins. After an hour, Charles killed four more Night goblins and began to contemte deeply about his next step. In total, he earned 700 Exp points and got tempted to stay here for another hour. But soon, Charles gave up on that idea and went back to Riverdale City. He knew that these creatures must have some way to contact one another, so he felt that staying near this strange tree wasn''t a good idea. After roaming in the woods for a few minutes, Charles soon arrived in front of the Riverdale City gate and entered. In the meantime, arge type of mutated Night goblin appeared in front of the tree and looked at the Night goblins'' corpses in silence. It then sniffed the air for a moment and soon followed after the footsteps of Charles. On the other hand, Charles already went back to his house and soon exited the Dream World with the help of ''Nightmare Stone''. ... Chapter 50: Birthday After some time, Charles woke up from the Dream World and soon frowned as he noticed some memories about thest dream appeared hazy. Shaking his head, he took the golden quill, notebook, and an ink bottle from the cab while cing the ''Nightmare Stone'' in it and ced them on the wooden table. Charles then opened the cupboard and took out the silver pocket watch in a hurry. He flipped open the outer case and checked the time. ''11.30 P.M. I slept for more than 7 hours.'' He put the pocket watch back into the cupboard and started writing all the incidents that happened in the Dreamworld. Once he rechecked everything, he safely put the book into the cab and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Thirty minutester, Charles walked out of the bathroom, changed his cloth into a casual one, and went downstairs to have something. To his surprise, Eve and Saron sat in the reception hall and seemed to be waiting for his arrival. Charles''s gaze swept past them as he walked on the tiled floor and soonnded on the wooden table ced in front of the dining hall. Meanwhile, Eve curled her lips upward as she nced at the pocket watch for a moment and then spoke while opening her arms wide. "Wish you many more happy returns of the day, Charles." Upon hearing her words, Charles wore a surprised look, took a step forward, and thanked her. "Thank you, mom." When Charles returned from the Wisdom Library earlier, he did notice them making a cake and already learned that today was the real Charles''s birthday. Nodding her head, Eve gave him a tight, reassuring hug worth millions of words and brought him to the wooden table. A cake was ced at the center of the wooden table. The cake was a perfect size, a sort of cupcake set upon a cookie, and all of its chocte on chocte. The arrival of this cake meant more than words could say. In his previous life, Charles, aka John, hadn''t celebrated any birthday parties and always envied others. It was a lonely life for him. John lost his parents when he was four and became an orphan kid. After getting his basic education from the government school, a particr criminal organization picked him up and started nurturing him as an assassin. From that day onwards, John never felt happiness or sadness. To him, there was only one thing that always on his mind. That was to kill a specific individual! Most specifically, he became an assassin to kill the guy who murdered his parents. As for why did the killer murdered John''s parents? Johnter found out that the killer killed his parents simply because he wanted to erase the witnesses! After years of training in the assassin organization andpleting many dangerous missions, John managed to find the culprit and murdered him ruthlessly. But when he vents all his anger on the murderer, he felt an emptiness in his heart. For the first time, John felt no desire to kill others. He felt that he finally finished his life mission and thought of moving on. After making some ns, John left the underworld criminal organization and started living an ordinary life. When ites to hiding trails, John was an expert. Even the underworld boss would feel helpless to track his location. So, he hid from the other organization members for years and spent his normal life working at a tea shop. During his free time, he would read books,ics and also yed all types of games. It was a peaceful life for him. But somehow, the underworld criminal organization members found him by bribing his best friend, Angele, and even killed him brutally. But now, this simple cake brought him real happiness, even though it was not meant for him but for the real Charles. Although he didn''t cry emotionally, his happiness was showed clearly on his face. "It took three full months for you to smile normally, Charles," Evemented from his right side and gave him a silver knife. A wry smile crept on his face as he took the knife and bent his waist down to cut the cake. He then precisely cut a square shape piece, took it with his right hand, and gave it to Eve. After that, he took another piece and gave it to Saron White. Meanwhile, Eve took out a small gift box wrapped in Kraft paper from the nearby chair and gave it to him with a smile. Charles took the box from her hands and raised his eyebrows. "Open it," Eve said while curving her mouth into a smile and then added. "It''s a bracelet." ''Why did you even ce it in the gift box if you are going to reveal it to me before I could open it?'' He went speechless for a moment. Shaking his head, he tore the outer cover and then opened the ck wooden box, which looked more like a gift than the real one. Inside the luxurious ck box, a silver bracelet rested on the red velvet-like cushion and soon red at the visitors with its single emerald gem-like eye. Without minding the bracelet''s sudden reflection ray that entered his eyes, Charles picked the silver bracelet and ced it on his palm. Out of curiosity, Charles zeroed his gaze on the emerald gem embedded bracelet and cast [Inspect] skill on it. [Name: Mother''s Wish Bracelet Rank: ??? Effect: Unknown] ''That''s new.'' Charles stared at the bracelet for a second and then wore it before his mother could startining. Charles knew that if he didn''t say anything, Eve would definitely misunderstand that he didn''t like the gift and would add extra salt in the morning food. Without any dy, he raised his head while showing a joyous expression on his face and said with a nod. "It''s so beautiful, mom." Her eyes twinkled as she heard his words, and she said with a nod. "I''m d you like it." After saying so, she took a piece of chocte cake and gave it to him. After eating the cake, Charles chatted with Eve for a whole hour and returned to his bedroom. He didn''t let his emotion overwhelm his heart andy on the bed silently. Within minutes, he closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep. Countless memories resurfaced in front of his mind. Some were filled with his nightmares, while the other memories were filled with sadness and loneliness. After a long sleep, Charles woke up around 6 A.M and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He freshened himself up, took a short bath in the cold water using a bar of soap, and then walked out of the shower. After that, he changed his clothes into a casual one before he went to the kitchen and took a loaf of soft bread stored on the kitchen shelf. He then took the peanut butter, a bottle of grape juice on the corner shelf and satfortably on the nearby chair. Charles first sliced the bread loaf into five pieces and put some peanut butter on it before taking a bite. He silent ate in the kitchen, drank a ss of grape juice, and then went back to the bedroom. Minutes passed as he immersed himself in doing exercises and soon noticed that the morning sun ascended from the east. ''It''s already 7.'' Charles looked at the outside street and then began to contemte deeply. ''Should I use those experience points and rank-up my Main-ss now? But that would create many variations in ''Fate'' and alert the enemy, right?'' He frowned as he thought of the troublesome enemy, Watcher. ''If I Rank-up the main-ss now, Life Church will also suspect that I already mastered a way to get the ss-Gem ''luckily'' and might interrogate me. I already used the ''Luck'' excusest time, so if I use it again, the higher-ups will definitely find something odd about me. Would they put me in some experimentboratory and search my soul aka Inner world?'' An ominous thought appeared in his mind. ''But I have to rank up my main ss before the escort mission. Unlike the sub-ss, the system needs some time to construct Rank-2 spell models. If I Rank-up my main ss at thest minute to surprise my enemy, it won''t do any good at all. I will only improve my body strength and would feel helpless to create new corresponding spell models. Moreover, I don''t even know how long it would take for me to create a Rank-2 spell model at all! If so, I also need to think of a way to fool these fanatics first. Should I go to the Withering Shadows department and Rank-up in front of my team members? No, they will question me about why I can rank-up without using the ss-Gem... That''s thest thing I want to hide from everyone.'' He massaged his temte in frustration and soon thought of a helper. ''Holem''s Crown... Miracle... Wait a sec. What if I put the me on the Holem''s Crown to Rank-up? Will they believe me? Yes, they will believe my words. But they must have already known that creating a ''Miracle'' needs the power of ''Luck'' from others¡­ If so, they will feel fear of losing their luck. Last time, many Mystics, including Bishop Reynolds, lost their luck and became victims. I have to make another lie¡­ Moreover, I also have to keep the information about my Rank-Up confidential. Hmm, it looks like I need Team Leader Emilia''s help again.'' Nodding his head, Charles changed his cloth into a formal ck one and walked out of his house. A frown crossed his face as he saw the dark clouds in the sky and then went back to the reception room. He then searched the umbre for a whole minute and then went to the dining hall to ask Eve about it. Knocking lightly, he opened the wooden door a little and noticed Eve was in the middle of cutting vegetables. "Mom, where did you put the umbre?" He asked in puzzlement. "Ask Lady Saron. She is the one who took it yesterday." Fixing her gaze on the carrot and the silver knife, Eve said in a silvery voice, causing him to nod his head subconsciously. "Got it," Charles said as he walked out and then went near the room on the other end of the reception room. Before he could knock on the wooden door, a clicking sound came from the other side, and soon a whirly blonde-haired woman in a ck long gown dress opened the door and gave him a ck-colored ssic umbre. Curling his lips up, Charles caught the handle and nodded his head. He then turned around, walked out of 45 El Street, and went to 35 Ivy Street, where the Withering Shadow Branch office was located. As he had expected, while he was walking on the dirt road, small raindrops fell from the sky and went fiercer in mere seconds. Letting out a heavy sigh, Charles gripped the handle, opened the umbre, held it above his head, and started walking. Chapter 51: Rank-Up Chapter 51: Rank-Up After walking for a few minutes on the muddy road, Charles arrived in front of the single-storied building and ced the umbre outside before he walks in. Once he entered the reception hall, Charles noticed that an unfamiliar guy sat on the reception seat and raised his eyebrows. The guest seated in the reception seat was a long brown-haired man in a blue surcoat and looked around 50 to 60 years old. He had emerald green eyes, thick eyebrows, olive skin, and a thin mustache on his face. Upon noticing Charles''s arrival, the brown-haired man looked up and soon smiled. "Charles! I''ve been waiting for you." Surprised, Charles stared at the brown-haired man for a second and asked in confusion. "Have we met before?" A chuckle escaped from the brown-haired man as he looked at Charles''s face and spoke in a casual tone. "I''m Archbishop Abel Wilson, and I''m also an older brother of your team leader, Emilia Wilson." ''Wilson?'' Charles quickly recalled Emilia''s family name and then nodded in understanding. "Greetings, Your Excellency." He said after a short deliberation and then asked, "Why are you waiting for me?" Although he asked politely, Archbishop noticed that Charles was different from other church members and got surprised. ''He is talking to me without showing any nervousness.'' Archbishop Abel admired his calm and unique character and then said with a smile. "No, I just came here to see the descendant of the Nightwind Family." He paused for a second and then added, "Please take a seat." Adjusting his full-sleeved red shirt, Charles pulled thedder-back chair and sat on it. "Your Excellency, what do you want from me?" He asked him directly. A troubled expression appeared on Abel''s face as he ced his hand on his chin and spoke after a short pause. "I heard from Emilia that you have a magic book in your possession. Can you lend it to me for a while? I will return it in a day or two once I take a look at all those spells." Charles didn''t reply to him. Instead, he wore a solemn look and then shook his head. "It''s impossible, Your Excellency. If I give my magic book to you, it will be like revealing one of my trump cards to an outsider." Archbishop Abel thought for a moment and soon nodded. Although he was eager to know more about such a rare magic book, he didn''t dare to use force on his sister''s teammate. "Okay. I will be on my way then," Abel said as he stood up from his seat and was about to go outside, but Charles suddenly asked a question. "Your Excellency, do you still remember that second request of mine?" Archbishop Abel stopped for a moment and soon revealed an understanding smile on his face. "Do you what the Life Church to protect your mother on October 2nd?" Charles nodded his head and spoke, "I want a Rank-4 or above rank member to protect her in the shadows." "A good decision." Archbishop Abel praised in admiration and then nodded. "I will ask a High-Rank Deacon toe here and look after your mother on that fateful day." Charles breathed out a sigh of relief as he also stood up from thedder-back chair, bent his waist a bit, and thanked him. After that, he suddenly thought of something and asked with a smile. "Your Excellency, do you want to see a ''Miracle''?" Abel''s expression hardened for a moment as he heard that noun. "What do you mean?" He turned his face serious and asked solemnly. Abel was well aware of the Holem''s Crown''s ''Miracle'' ability and began to search Charles using his mysterious soul power. Meanwhile, Charles adjusted his redshirt and said with a mysterious smile on his face. "Yesterday night, the Holem''s Crown paid me a visit when I was in half-sleep and told me that it could help me Rank-Up the Main-ss by creating a miracle." He purposefully paused for a moment to observe Abel''s facial expression and then continued with a sigh, "But I know nothing about the Rank-Up process, so I told the Holem''s Crown that I will need some time to think about it. Your Excellency, what do you think about that artifact''s suggestion? Is it possible for an artifact to help someone Rank-Up?" His questions made Archbishop Abel fell into deep thoughts. After a long ponder, Abel sat on the reception seat and said in a solemn tone. "Possible. Its ''Miracle'' ability might have such an effect. But I heard from Bishop Reynolds that it will take others'' luck to create a ''Miracle'', is that true? Also, would A-035 contact you again?" Upon hearing his question, Charles shook his head and said in a grim tone. "It told me that it will monitor me all the time from somewhere and if I agree to its suggestion by saying its name in my mind, it will cast the ''Miracle'' ability on me at any time. As for your previous question, It said that it will only steal my luck and create a ''Miracle'' for me to rank up. Once I Ranks up, the Holem''s Crown said that I will face series of bad luck for the next two months." "Are you sure about that?" Abel nced around suspiciously and asked. Even though Abel was a Rank-4 Archbishop, he still felt nervous when he thought of a troublesome Series-A artifact. A wry smile appeared on Charles''s face as he shook his head and said with a helpless tone. "I just ryed what that artifact told me when I was in half-sleep." Abel rubbed his temte for a few seconds as he heard those words and soon took out a ring from his pocket. After that, he recited a short chant and activated themunication-ring. An illusionary figure of a curly ck-haired woman with a slightly wrinkled face appeared in front of their sights before long. "What is it, Abel?" Emilia frowned and soon widened her grey eyes as she noticed the familiar background. "What are you doing here? Why are you cing your ugly ass on my favorite seat?" She barked in an angry tone. "Come here Emi, we have something important to discuss." Abel smiled amusingly at his younger sister''s shouting and said in a calm tone. "We?" Emilia raised her eyebrows as she looked around, and soon her gazended on Charles. "What are you doing here, Charles? Is there anything important?" She instantly turned her face serious and asked. "Yes, My Lady." Charles didn''t mention it in detail and simply nodded his head. "I will be on my way then," She said as she wore a grey robe over her chemise and cut off her virtual call. In the meantime, Archbishop Abel and Charles sat on their own seats in silence and patiently waited for Emilia. Thirty minutester, a grey-robed woman walked on the grassy yard and soon entered the single-storied Withering Shadows department building. Once Emilia entered the reception hall, she red at Abel, who was still seated on her favorite seat, and then shifted her gaze towards Charles. "What''s the matter? Did you find anything odd about Jimmy?" She went straight to the point. "No, My Lady. It''s about the Holem''s Crown." Charles''s words surprised her. "Holem''s Crown? What happened?" Asking, she pulled anotherdder-back chair from the nearby area and sat on it. "I will tell you," Abel interjected their conversation and started exining about the Holem''s Crown''s suggestion. As Abel finished those words, Emilia leaned her back on the chair and muttered in an envious tone. "Three months¡­ Only three months have passed but you are already going to Rank-up using an abnormal artifact." "If you had used the Blessing Stone''s function 10 years ago, you could have achieved that same result." Her brother Abel said from the side. "No, that will do no good for me. If I didn''t Rank-up using normal means, I will face failure in the future. Moreover, I don''t want to sign that ve-contract, brother." Emilia firmly shook her head and soon asked Charles in a suppressing tone. "Do you want this matter to keep it secret from others?" Charles subconsciously smiled as he heard her question and then nodded. "Good." She smiled lightly and then nced at Russell''s office door. "I send him off to deliver a message to the cathedral. It will take a day or two for him to return." Archbishop Abel replied in a casual tone. Upon noticing his casual expression, Emilia squint her grey eyes and asked in a deep tone. "Did you foresee this?" "It''s a pure coincidence. If I knew about it, I would have made some preparations and might catch that sneaky artifact using it." Abel instantly shook his head and said. "Let''s go to the underground basement then. I want to see if A-035 really has the ability to do ''Miracles''." Emilia stood up from her seat, went near the entrance, locked the door from inside, and then gestured Charles and her brother to follow after her. Meanwhile, both stood up from their seats and followed after her. Emilia walked past the storage room, arrived in front of the copsible steel door, and inserted an iron key into the locker. She then turned it a little, unlocked the door, and opened the copsible steel door with both hands. A gloomy staircase appeared in front of their eyes. While Charles watched the gloomy staircase in curious, Emilia took out a matchbox and fire torch from her void pouch and lit it. After that, she held the fire torch in the front and stepped downstairs. "This is the underground basement of Withering Shadows. Only Rank-2 and above members are allowed to enter inside." She exined as she reached the end of the staircase. She then went near a metal box and hit it thrice with the fire torch. A secondter, the metal box let out a vibrating sound and soon shone brightly. Simultaneously, multiple lights lit from every corner, illuminating the area and revealed arge underground basement to their eyes. In therge hall, different types of weapons, clothes, and even some steel armor were scattered all over the areas. If someone looks closely, they will find out that this underground basement was used for training for years. Multiple cracks appeared on the concrete floor and appeared very old. "Why is it looks like this? Why isn''t Russell let the young kids train here?" Abel looked around the underground basement for a moment and asked. "After he became the Branch Head, he prohibits the orphan kids toe here and train and also stopped sending funds to the Richie Orphanage. He said that it''s an order from above." "Order? Hmm, I will look into it when I have some free time." Abel creased his eyebrows for a moment and continued while ncing at Charles. "You can sit anywherefortably and try to Rank-up with A-035''s help." Once Abel said those words, he and Emilia sat on the concrete floor and then patiently watched Charles''s movements. Meanwhile, Charles walked ten steps on the cracked concrete floor and sat down. He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. But the game interface in front of his eyes didn''t disappear. Charles stared at the interface for a moment and directly sent 3900 Exp points into the Main-ss through his thoughts. [Host has chosen the 2nd method for Rank-Up!] [3394 Exp points deduced for ''Fire Weaver'' ss gem!] [506 Exp deduced for Rank-up!] [Fire Weaver ss Obtained!] [You are a Level-1 Fire Weaver now!] [2 Free Attribute points Rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom Obtained!] [10 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ Chapter 52: Preparation Chapter 52: Preparation Although it was just a small process, Charles felt some invisible shackle disappeared all of a sudden! His senses became heightened, and he even perceived the surrounding areas more clearly. Abel and Emilia also noticed some change appeared in his soul and became surprised. "He really is Ranking-up," Emilia muttered solemnly and then nced around to locate the Holem''s Crown. Meanwhile, Archbishop Abel scanned the surrounding area through his soul power and soon frowned. "I didn''t see the presence of A-035 nearby." He muttered and then shifted his attention to Charles. "There is nothing wrong with his body. He is ranking-up perfectly, and the possibility of him turning into a Distorted Shadow is less than 10 percent." His words caused Emilia to widen her eyes in disbelief. "What the hell do you mean by that? Are you saying that A-035pletely hide its presence from your scan and helped him rank-up already?" Emilia stood up with a serious expression on her face. Her face was now dripping in cold sweats, and she looked more nervous than ever. "Holem''s Crown might have the power equal to a Series-S Artifact." Muttering, Archbishop Abel also stood up and then added, "It must have some ability to hide its presence even from a Rank-5 Mystic." Emilia nced at Abel for a moment and then nodded with a sigh. Today, she had heard and even witnessed an absurd scene in her life, which made her lose her calmpletely. While the brother-sister due was chattering, Charles calmly added one free attribute to the constitution and another free attribute to Wisdom. A secondter, a change urred in his mind and his eyes. His mind began to think faster at a much faster rate, and his eyes started to analyze even the minute details like a machine! Charles instantly knew that his Wisdom attribute had already crossed a certain threshold and got stunned. Hiding his excitement, Charles looked at the ten skill points for a moment and soon thought of ranking up one of his unique skills. He knew that ranking up his subss was still not possible, so he instantly looked at his unique skills and soon fell into a dilemma. ''Hmm, should I increase my [Inspect] skill? Or [Conceal] skill?'' He thought for a moment and soon added ten skill points to [Inspect] skill. [Inspect skill has been upgraded!] ¡­ ''That''s it?'' He raised his brows for a moment and soon checked his ''status window'' bar. ¡­ [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human Rank: 2 (Umon) Main ss: Level 1 Fire Weaver (0/759) Sub-ss: Level 5 Trickster (0/506) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favorability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 131/131 Exp: 1050 Exp Attributes: Strength- 14 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 14 Wisdom-20 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 0 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Fire Wings- 50 Incinerate-50 me Body-50 Crimson Robe-50 Burning Thoughts-50 Blue Cure-50 Crimson Steps-50 Sub-ss skills: Magician''s Hand- 50 Clown- 50 Sixth Sense- 50 Unique skills: Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 60 Sharpshooting- 30] ¡­ ''Good.'' He curled his lips upward and opened his jade eyes. "Congrats, Charles." Emilia also woke up from the shock when he opened his eyes and congratted him with a smile. Meanwhile, Abel also nodded his head and said in a solemn tone. "Congrattions." "Thank you, Team Leader. Thank you, Your Excellency. If not for your presence, I wouldn''t have dared to think of ranking-up the Main-ss." Charles bent his waist a bit and thanked both of them like an honest kid. After that, he asked them some questions regarding his ''Elemental Heart Creation'' ritual and left the underground basement. He then opened the locked entrance gate, took the ssic ck umbre, and walked out of the Withering Shadow department before holding it above his head. ¡­ Mad House, 158C Amber Street, Nobles'' Borough, Royal Capital, Arc Kingdom. A three-storied mansion stood there as if the surrounding nature had embraced it, that the flora flowed within it as much as around it. The architect had loved the trees so much that there was a mighty oak tree in the center, centuries-old, and the great mansion had been built around it. Under the oak tree, there stood a man in histe 40s. He wore a blue robe, a long green pendant around his neck, and two unique tinum earrings. He had long wavy blonde hair, wide-set oceanic eyes, a lean body, and appeared around 184 cm high. If not for the slightly wrinkled face, he would have looked more like a handsome young man from the popr romance novels! While he was standing in a daze, a pebble-like stone flew from the sky and directly fell on the ss tumbler ced on the table. The ss tumbler faced the fierce enemy with a ting noise and soon revealed cracks all over its body. A secondter, the ss tumbler fell from the table and broke while spilling all the yellowish juices outside! A look of puzzlement crossed on the blonde-haired man''s face as he stared at the broken ss for a second and then narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He then suddenly took an ancient-looking book from the table and started flipping the pages. The white pages fluttered in the breeze and soon calmed down upon reaching a certain page. "Another variable? No, it''s not just a variable; it''s a big variation in the Fate itself," A frown hung on the man''s wrinkled face as he stared at the page for a second and then closed his eyes. A few secondster, he opened his oceanic eyes and showed a doubtful look on his face. "Charles ranked up? How did he do that?" He muttered loudly and soon grew solemn. "He ranked up in just three months. Hmm, leaving him alone will only trouble me further." He closed the book with both hands and then shook his head. "But killing him is an impossible task now. Tsk, nothing can be changed now. I can only send Daniel to lure the artifact away from the City and seal it in the 35th Chaos Rift for a day." After saying those words, the blonde-haired man sighed heavily and then sat on the nearby chair. ¡­ Meanwhile, Charles entered the dome-shaped Life Church, done his usual prayer, and purchased few things in the market street using 10 Life gold coins he got as a payment. He first went to a bread store called Dream Pie and purchased a few packs of dry bread, dried meats, and dried fruits for one gold coin and 50 silver coins! He spent a total of 150 silver coins on food and went to a dress shop. He then purchased few leather jackets, tent fabrics, a few inners, linen shirts, and leather shoes for one gold coin in the dress shop and then stored everything in arge leather bag. After that, he walked out of the market road, situated in Olive Street, and went to 45 El Street. Once he walked inside thepound gate, he tapped the space ring, stored the leather back into it, and then went into his house. In the reception hall, he saw Eve sat on the ornate sofa while holding a towel in her hand and seemed to be waiting for his return. "I''m home." He said as he ced the ssic umbre near the porch and walked inside. Upon hearing his words, Eve also stood up from the sofa, turned around, and walked in his direction with a smile on her face. Once she arrived in front of him, she gestured him to lower his head and started drying his hair using a white towel. Once she finished drying his head, she put the towel on the nearby rack and said, "Remove your shoes before walking in." Nodding, Charles removed his ck leather shoes, put them near in the corner, and then wiped his feet on the doormat. After that, he walked on the chilling tiled floor and moved towards the spiral staircase. After he climbed up the stairs, he went to his bedroom, took a long bath in the shower, and soon walked out while covering his lower body with a brown cotton towel. Charles then changed his cloth into short pants and a brown shirt andy on his wooden bed. He then ced his head on the spare pillow and then fell into deep thoughts. ''Everything is prepared. But it''s not time yet. The only worry in my heart is the [Astrologer] ss mystic. He will definitely show up on October 2nd and try to capture A-035. But he will most likely show himself by the end of the day¡­ Unlike other mages, I can construct my spell models quicker. So, I have a big advantage-'' While he was in muse, he suddenly heard Eve''s call from downstairs and sat up in a hurry. He then checked the time using the pocket watch and soon noticed that it was already 1.00 P.M. Shaking his head, he stood up from the bed, went near the wooden door, opened it from inside, and walked out. After that, he went downstairs and soon walked into the dining hall. Eve and Saron were already seated in their seats and waited for him to sit on his own seat. Once Charles walked near the chair, he pulled it a little and sat on it without making any loud noise. After that, he ced the napkin on hisp and then waited for Eve to do the serving. As usual, Eve stood up from her seat and started serving the foods like fried meats, fully fried eggs, roasted beef, and a bowl of vegetable soup. After serving those, she also took arge jug from the center of the table and poured white sparkling Champagne into three sses. Once she did all these servings, she returned to her seat, pped her hands together, closed her eyes, and started doing a usual ritual to thanking the Goddess Nira for giving the gracious food. Saron and Charles also followed her action and joined the prayer. But Saron didn''t utter the divine name of Goddess Nira when chanting and thanked the Wisdom God instead. After they have done the usual prayer, all of them skillfully picked the fork and knife and started eating. Charles sliced the roasted beef into three parts, stabbed his fork into one piece, raised his hand, and put it in his mouth. A mixture of spicy and salty taste entered his mouth and gave a unique taste to his tongue. Due to pepper powder sprayed on the well-cooked flesh, Charles sniffed two times to smell the unique aroma and took another bite. After munching it for a while, he gulped it down and took a sip of Champagne. "Awesome food, mom." Hemented in praise and soon asked, "Did you find anything odd during these past few weeks?" Eve paused her fork in mid-air, wiped her mouth using the napkin, and spoke, "Nothing unusual. I also noticed that abnormal coincidences are not happening these days." ''Now that she mentions it, I also didn''t encounter any familiar person often. Does Addie Baker is the one who caused those abnormal coincidences?'' A strange thought appeared in his mind. ''Am I thinking too much in the past few weeks?'' He took the napkin from hisp, wiped the corner of his mouth, and took another bit of roasted beef. He then turned his gaze towards Saron White and asked, ''''Lady Saron, you are not a Rank-2 Mystic, right?'''' After his Rank-up, Charles had already cast [Inspect] skill on Saron and saw that the inspect skill had been failed. ''It means her wisdom attribute is above 20.'' He raised his eyebrows and stared at her in suspicion. Chapter 53: Schedule Chapter 53: Schedule "Ask those questions after you finish the lunch, Charles." Eve interrupted his thinking and then started to eat slowly. Only then did Charles remember that Eve hated it when someone spoke when she was eating. Letting out a grunt, Charles nodded his head and continued to eat. After a few minutes, Charles finished eating the food and waited for Eve and Saron to finish their meal. Once they did, he stood up from his seat, took the te, and went to the kitchen room to ce the te on the sink. Eve and Saron also followed after him and then returned to the reception hall. As Charles sat on the ornate sofa with a rxed expression on his face, Saron let out a fake cough and spoke, "I''m a [Teacher] ss mystic. Rank-3 [Lecturer]." Charles widened his eyes a little and soon nodded his head. ''Looks like she has more secrets than I thought it would be.'' He thought for a moment and then asked, "Why are you staying here with us? Are you here to capture A-035? Or, are you here to protect me and my mother? Or, are you here to watch over us constantly?" Upon hearing his questions, Saron narrowed her eyes for a second, turned her gaze towards Eve, and then said with a sigh, "James Nightwind is my close friend and also a good ally to my family. I''m promised him once that I would protect his family members once to repay the kindness. That''s the reason I came here hurriedly when I received a message about the kidnapping incident." ''That exins everything.'' Charles nodded in understanding and spoke in a polite tone. "Sorry for doubting your kindness, My Lady." His polite speech surprised both Eve and Saron. After staying silent for a moment, Saron White curled his lips upward and said while waving her right hand. "You don''t have to apologize for that. If not for your mother''s request, I would have told you about my origin earlier." She suddenly paused for a second as she thought of something and asked in curiosity. "So what''s your n, Charles? How do you n on capturing A-035?" Aplicated expression appeared on Charles''s face as he heard Saron''s question. Although Saron told him that she came here to protect them, Charles didn''t wholly believe her story. After his transmigration, Charles believed only one person in the whole Edhen World. And that person was Eve Nightwind, aka the real Charles''s mother. As for Bishop Reynolds and Emilia Wilson, Charles knew that both were just acting on their own personal gains. If there were a life and death situation, they wouldn''t put their life on their line to save him at all. Casting those useless thoughts away from his mind, Charles raised his hand, ced it on his chin, and said with a cunning smile on his face, "I don''t have any n, My Lady. I will improve my strength constantly and leave everything to ''Fate.'' If I end up as a lucky one, I will definitely able to capture it before others." Saron''s lips twitched as she heard his excuse and then let out a heavy sigh. She knew that getting some information out of this smart kid''s mouth was an impossible task, so she gave up on probing him further and started walking towards her room. In the meantime, Eve suddenly nced at him with a smile and gave him a thumbs-up. Upon seeing her sneaky action, Charles left speechless for a second. ''It seems Saron really is not a trustworthy person.'' He thought to himself and then nodded his head. "Don''t worry about her, son." After saying those words, Eve turned around and went to the kitchen. ''Is she not a threat?'' Charles rubbed his chin in puzzlement and then spoke. "I will be going out for two weeks, mom." "Take care of your health, sweetie." Eve''s caring voice came from inside, causing him to be stunned for a moment. It was the first time she spoke to him in a caring tone! He felt that Eve''s voice also contains a hint of sorrow and loneliness. ''Is she worried about her son''s safety? Now that I thought about it, she is not even asking about myte arrivals and all. Did she put that much trust in her son''s personal strength?'' He pondered for a moment and then shook his head. ''Emotions will only obstruct your way. Thankfully, she is not like other overprotective mothers.'' He inhaled deeply and stood up from the ornate sofa. After that, he went to his bedroom and rechecked everything. Once he checked everything, he sat on the wooden bed and then shifted his attention to the game interface. ''Today is September 11th and I currently have only 1050 Exp remaining. It is not enough for constructing a single spell model or ranking up my sub-ss. It looks like entering Dreamworld again is the only choice for me to gain more Experience points now.'' He took a deep breath and thought of the problems when entering the Dreamworld. ''One''s imagination is their greatest enemy in the Dreamworld. Other dangers are the dark goblins and the dangerous nightmare creatures like Dark-wolf. Moreover, there is a ''Time'' anomaly appearing all over the area. So, I need to make some ns before I enter the Dreamworld¡­ First, I will enter the Dreamworld and stays there for 2 hours before waking up. Even if there is a ''Time'' anomaly, I won''t be staying in the Dreamworld for too long. Second, I won''t go out of Riverdale City. If I''m in Riverdale City, I can return to my house and can exit the Dreamworld at any time. The same thing can''t be possible if I went to explore the outskirts of Riverdale City. Lastly, I should never face my imagination creatures. Although I manage to kill the first one quickly, I''m not sure about that next time. Moreover, my imagination is very different from others. The possibility of me creating an overpowered evil character from the anime is also very high.'' He wore a grim expression and then took out the ''Nightmare Stone'' from his personal cab. He theny on the wooden bed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Soon, he felt that his consciousness pulled into a different world and noticed that he had already entered the Dreamworld! ¡­ Days passed as he explored the Dreamworld using the schedule, and soon it was September 16th. During the past five days, Charles entered the Dreamworld fifteen times and explored almost every city corner. Due to his better luck, he had encountered the dark goblins four times and earned 2400 Exp points! Although it just a measly amount for him now, Charles didn''t felt discouraged. Instead, he thought of how to use these Exp points properly and nced at the spellbook tab. Unlike thest time, only seven rows of spells appeared in the spellbook option, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. Soon, he noticed that each of those spells were corresponding spells of the previously created rank-1 spell models! He focused his eyes on the [Incinerate] spell name and soon saw six types of corresponding spells of [Incinerate] spell with detailed exnations. ''Anger''s Finger, Needle of Fire, Incinerate, Rage Touch, Destruction Arrow, Spear of Chaos.'' He stared at the Rank-2 attack spell models for a moment and soon noticed that the [Incinerate] spell model name was among them. ''Is it the upgraded version of [Incinerate] spell?'' He raised his eyebrows for a moment and soon nodded in enlightenment. ''3,250 Exp points. It''s worth upgrading it now. Moreover, I can only increase the offensive power of the Ember Pistol after constructing my attack spell model.'' He muttered inwardly and sat on the tiled floor in his bedroom. It was already 10 in the morning. Eve had already started doing her divination job in the reception hall, causing Charles a headache. If it was some other work, Charles wouldn''t have cared about her job at all and would have argued with her. Sadly, her job was divination. Due to that, she would shout the prophecy-like words and disturb him multiple times like an annoying neighbor. Heaving a deep sigh, Charles shook his head, zeroed his focus on the upgraded [Incinerate] spell model option, and poured 3250 Exp points using his thoughts. After that, his consciousness appeared in the small empty space, and he started watching the spell model creation scene. As his consciousness entered the dark world, he noticed multiple Runal characters starteding out from the empty void and merged with the Rank-1 [Incinerate] spell model. While the system was constructing the spell model, Charles also started to decipher the Runal characters andprehend the spell model. Time passed as he stayed in the same position and opened his eyes after a long time. He hurriedly took out the pocket watch, checked the time, and soon widened his jade eyes. It took 13 hours for the system to create a Rank-2 attack spell model! During the time, Charles also started gaining an in-depth understanding of the upgraded [Incinerate] spell model and became more confident about his fighting abilities now. He stood up from the cold floor, stretched his hands and legs, and then went near the table. Once he arrived in front of it, he flipped open the silver pocket watch again and nced at the hands. ''It''s already 1 A.M.'' He frowned for a moment and soon went downstairs to see if there was anything delicious stored in the Coolkit artifact. To his surprise, Eve stored a te full of roasted meat, grilled chicken, white bread toast, and bacon in it. Gulping his saliva, Charles took the te from the Coolkit and went to the dining hall. He then ced the te in front of the guest seat, took the utensils, sat on the seatfortably, and started eating it. He savored the food in silence and then cleaned the te and other utensils before going upstairs. Following that, hey on his bed and fell into a deep sleep. September 17th, As usual, Charles woke up early in the morning and began to get ready for his departure. Once he freshened himself up, he changed his cloth into a formal ck one and then started going through all over the n. Once he found out that everything was perfect, he went downstairs, moved to the kitchen, informed Eve about his departure, and left the house silently. After that, he walked out of Riverdale City, disguised himself as Edith Oliver in the woods, and then returned to Slum Street stealthily. He then moved to the old hut and patiently waited. After an hour, he heard a knocking sound from outside and smiled. ''He is here.'' Charles, aka Edith, activated the ''Mark of Imagination'' as he stood up from the stone b, went near the old wooden door, and opened it with a click from inside. Unlike before, He now wore a ruffled ck shirt with a pleated skirt, which covered up to his kneecaps, ck brogues shoes, and a unique emerald-gem embedded silver bracelet on his wrist. A creaky noise echoed from the door as he pulled it inside and stared at the blonde-haired man with a cold look on his face. In the meantime, Jimmy greeted the woman with a smile and said while peeking at the soft neck, "You came earlier than I expected, Ms. Edith." "I came earlier to get more information about this mission, Jimmy Holmes." Charles turned his face serious and said in a calm tone. "What information do you need?" Jimmy raised his eyebrows and asked cautiously. "I need information about the employer first. If possible, I want to know who all are apanying this mission." Charles answered. "Only our Slithering Rowdy gang leader knows about that information, Miss. If you really want to know, you can apany me and ask him yourself." Jimmy said after a short deliberation. "That would be really helpful." Charles nodded his head and waited for him to lead the way. Meanwhile, Jimmy turned around, took a deep breath, and moved into the nearby dark alley. Charles also followed after him with fast footsteps, and soon both arrived in front of a two-storied brick house. Chapter 54: Departure Chapter 54: Departure It was old fashioned building with a few thugs stood outside on guard. All of them appeared to be around 30-40 years old and looked stronger. With a single nce, anyone could tell that most of them were Mystics, and they appeared well-equipped. Charles and Jimmy arrived in front of the porch area and soon met a bald guy with a unique tattoo on his neck area. Unlike other thieves, he was an obese guy and had a bulging belly. A look of surprise appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at the strange fish symbol tattoo for a second and soon retracted his gaze. ''He is the believer of Storm.'' His action didn''t go unnoticed by the bald man, though. But he revealed his golden teeth, sized Jimmy up and down, and then asked. "Who is this booty, Jimmy?" His deep-blue eyes glued on Charles''s bulging chest as he asked that question. Noticing his gaze, Jimmy coughed twice and said in a solemn tone, "Boss Richard, she is also a mystic and came here to ask some questions about the ''Special Mission.''" "Mystic?" The bald man raised his brows as he still fixed his gaze on the fake melons and soon asked Jimmy in a suppressing voice. "Just staring at her makes me want to taste her body. How much is she for a single night?" Upon hearing Richard''s words, Jimmy was momentarily at a loss for words. Soon, he let out a fake cough and said wryly. "Don''t joke around, boss." Richard didn''t even respond to Jimmy''s words and asked Charles while licking his lips. "How much is your worth?" Upon hearing his words, Charles got stunned for a second and soonughed out loud. Thankfully, he controlled his voice and tuned it more like a woman''sughter through the artifact; otherwise, things would have gone in the wrong way. His suddenughter caused the nearby thugs to stare at their boss in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Richard felt something suddenly induced his desire to obtain this woman at all cost and stared at Charles''s feminine figure with a lustful gaze. Noticing this, Charles curled his lips up and teased him with a smile. "If you beat me one on one, I will think about it-." "Deal." Without even waiting for Charles to finish his sentence, Richard drew his long sword and sprinted towards her at a fast speed. Charles wasn''t surprised by Richard''s sudden action. He had already noticed his abnormal behavior and guessed that the Holem''s Crown must be using some weird skill to control his emotions. Charles made a swift hand movement as Richard arrived near him and moved it towards the iing sword. As Richard''s sword was about to bypass his hand and head towards Charles''s neck, an olive color coated dagger appeared out of nowhere in his hand and blocked the long sword with a ng. For a second, Charles felt that his hand was about to tear from the opponent''s brutal strength and grew solemn. He didn''t get anxious, though. Instead, he took a step back and parried against his sword attacks. In terms of strength, Charles was slightly below. But in terms of skills and battle experiences, he was way above him. Moreover, the abnormal dexterity gave a massive boost to his hand skills. Both continued to parry for a whole ten minutes and soon separated to take a long breath. "We are evenly matched," Richard said in a surprised tone. Charles also nodded his head and spoke highly of Richard. "You didn''t leave an opening for me to give you a shallow wound." "That''s because you are using a dagger. If I used a dagger against your weapon, I wouldn''t be able to hold off this long." Richard recalled his weakness and muttered solemnly. "Do you admit defeat?" Charles didn''t miss the opportunity and asked while curling his lips. "Yes. To show my sincerity, I will wipe your body during your bath and give you a satisfying night." He stated shamelessly with a grin. "Not going to happen," Charles said calmly, turned his face serious, and then added, "I''m here to know more information about the new mission." Upon hearing his words, Richard also turned his expression solemn and then gestured Charles to follow him. When he heard about Edith from Jimmy two weeks ago, he didn''t put much thought into it. But after he witnessed the woman''s battle strength, he knew that her strength would be beneficial during the uing mission. ''Now, our gang also has one abnormal mystic. Edith didn''t reveal her full strength yet. Boss Night-Eye said that multiple factions were nning to go to the Unexplored Forest region in a day and asked us to recruit anyone with abnormal strength even if there is a chance of betrayal.'' While thinking deeply, he walked past the porch pirs and soon entered his two-storied house. "We don''t know about our employer''s real name. But he goes by the nickname ''Red Prince,'' and he seemed to have some connection with Arc royal family." He said as he walked on the concrete floor. "Red Prince?" Charles asked in a surprised tone. If not for the [Trickster] ss''s clown skill, he would have exposed his shocked face! ''Red Prince¡­ I didn''t expect this at all. But why did he reveal his presence now? Who is he?'' Charles felt that he had forgotten something essential and began to recall all the past incidents. ''Whom did I miss?¡­ Wait a minute. Arc Royal family? Why haven''t I search for the Royal mage from the Royal Capital? Noah said that his employer might be a royal mage at that time. After I killed Noah on the execution tform, Ipletely forget about that matter. No, that''s not my character at all. Why did I forget about that important person? Is it a mind-rted ability?¡­'' A solemn look appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his hand like a curious person and asked, "Do you know how many Royal mages are there in the Arc Kingdom?" His sudden question surprised Richard. He then thought for a moment and replied with a nod. "There are five Royal Mages in Arc Royal Castle. All of them are above Rank-3 and have a high position in this kingdom. Among the five, Dark Mage Xander is the one who is loved by Citizens of Arc Kingdom and has a great reputation among the masses. If my memory is not wrong, he even came to this city thrice during the past six months and even donated arge amount to Slum Street''s Richie Orphanage." ''Hmm? A noble character?'' Charles furrowed his thin eyebrows and soon sighed. ''I need to be more careful during this mission.'' He thought for a moment and asked Richard. "Why is the Red Prince going to the Unexplored Forest? Do you know about his purpose?" Richard went near the iron stool, pulled it a little, sat on it, and then started talking, "Boss Night-Eye is the one responsible for such matters, Miss. We are just thugs who would follow his footsteps like a flock of sheep. But I do hear from a friend that the ''Red Prince'' had found an ancient ruin through divination, and that might be the reason he asked for Boss Night-Eye''s help." ''As expected, he is going to the ruin. Hmm, something feels off¡­ What is his n? Did he found an ancient city ruin through divination? Wait! Divination? It means he has a prediction-like ability. So, does that mean Red-Prince is the Watcher ss mystic? But why is he changing his n? Isn''t he after the Holem''s Crown? Did he already found out about Holem''s Crown? If so, why is he leading us to the Unexplored Forest? What did I miss?¡­ Wait a sec. The Red Prince must be the one who employed our team to escort him, and there is a high chance that he knew about me! If not, he wouldn''t have specifically asked ACES team members to be his guards!'' Charles''s heart skipped a beat as he thought of a possibility. ''If he ns to lead ''me'' to the Unexplored Forest, he will be disappointed. Although he can see Fate''s strings to make the predictions, he isn''t an omnipotent one in that field. My rank-up must have already startled him greatly and forced him to alter his ns a little. Currently, I''m not Charles, and with this ''Mark of Imagination,'' I already fooled Eve a few days ago by asking her to cast the Fate Reader skill on me. So, the chance of him seeing through my disguise is very slim. Hehe, the more I interfere with his n, the more he will leave clues behind. It won''t be long before I find out the real identity of this ''Red-Prince.'' Even a mighty elephant would stumble when a mere ant walks into its ears.'' Charles walked while showing his sexy back to Richard and sat on the opposite wooden chair with a charming smile on his face. At that time, hisrge fake melons bounced abnormally and caused Richard to cross his legs together like a tangled snake to hide a sneaky snake. Letting out a teasingugh, Charles also crossed his long smooth legs and then started asking questions about the remaining royal mages. He first asked him about their names, their backgrounds, and their unique appearances. Although Richard told him everything, Charles knew that the information was not enough to discover the real culpritpletely. After discussing with Richard for a while, he stood up from his seat, adjusted the ck skirt, and then said goodbye to Richard before walking out of the two-storied building. In the meantime, Jimmy waited at the entrance and soon followed after him. They then entered a dark alley and went to their own house. Charles also returned to the old hut and locked himself in. ¡­ On 18th September, A group of 30 Mystics from five different rowdy gangs gathered in front of the Riverdale City entrance and waited for the underworld boss to arrive. Charles, in Edith''s appearance, also stood among the group and nced at the gate with curiousness in his eyes. Unlike others, though, his deep-set jade eyes scanned everyone, and he gathered all the minute details about them. Meanwhile, Jimmy stood beside him while rubbing his tummy and seemed to be in deep thoughts. Even Charles couldn''t confirm that the one who possessed the body was whether Jimmy or the Holem''s Crown by his strange immature behavior. "Boss Night-Eye is on his way with the employer." While he was in muse, Richard raised his hand to attract other mystics'' attention and shouted, causing hisrge belly to shake slightly. "Are there any other team other than us?" A round-faced good-looking woman, who was in herte twenties, asked him from the crowd. She looked around 175 cm tall, perfect body with a round chest, olive skin, and eyes as dark as the night sky. Her long curly brown hair was rolled up and tied into a knot, and she wore a double-breasted satin blouse, skinny blue jeans, and brown leather shoes. "I have no idea about that, my dear Nicole. But there must be a secret team of any church apany our employer, so be careful if you want to look for troubles in the Unexplored Forest." Richard turned his voice into a caring one and said. "Aye aye, Richard," Nicole responded in a careless tone, and soon her gaze swept past the mystics andnded on a group of five members, who were moving towards them from afar. One was a woman in her 40s with curly ck hair and grey eyes, and she wore a grey-colored robe over with a hood attached behind it. Unlike others, she looked more like a confident leader and held a small silver pocket watch in her hand. The other four were men with different attires, and all of them looked around 30-50 years old. Nicole observed the group for a second and soon saw the underworld boss, Night-Eye. He was a man in his forties with long, loose curly silver hair and big hazel eyes. He had a cold demeanor, above-average height with a strong fit, and broad shoulders, unlike others. Night-Eye wore a red vest, long ck coat, and formal ck shoes and appeared more like a perfect gentleman than an underworld evil boss. Among the group, a long, messy red-haired man in histe fifties caught her attention. Raising her eyebrows, Nicole lifted her hand, pointed her finger at him, and asked, ''''Is he our employer?'''' Richard, Charles, and others also followed after her gaze and soon observed the red-haired man. He had almond silver eyes, a lean body, and appeared around 174 cm high. He wore a tight ck suit, a silver dagger in his waist area, and seemed very pale. Upon hearing Nicole''s question, Richard let out an embarrassing cough and said with an awkward smile, "He might be the one." "Might be? Are you not sure?" Nicole''s eyebrows arched upward as she red at him. "How do I know who is our employer?" Richard grumbled inwardly and then added, "I''m also staying with you guys all this time, right?" At this time, Jimmy let out a fake cough to attract others'' attention and spoke. "He is the employer." His answer surprised everyone. Before others could question him, Jimmy smiled lightly and said, "I know the other three members. They are from the Life Church and belong to the Life Church''s secret organization. That grey-robed woman''s name is Emilia, and she is the leader of that group. As for the Baldy and Muscr guy, both are herpanions, and all of them must be Rank-2 Mystics." "That''s a lot of information. How do you know about them, Jimmy?" Richard muttered in a surprised tone and soon asked. "They came to ask about my Unique ''Unluckiness'' a few times, boss. If I''m not wrong, there should be another member in that group, but I didn''t see him now." Jimmy said in puzzlement as he took out dry bread from his pouch and took a bite. Although he looked calm outside, he got deeply confused by the sudden turn of events. ''Why isn''t Charles here? Where did he go? Did his mother foresee something and ask him not to join? Heh, not bad. Thankfully, I expected these types of oues and came prepared.'' Smiling lightly, he nced at the star tattoo on his wrist and snickered inside. It was a forbidden spell tattoo called Mark of Destination. A few weeks ago, he already put a simr invisible mark on Charles''s body and became more confident about his n. Even if Charles went to hide in another dimension, Jimmy would be able to twist the void itself and pull him from there. Although it was a one-time-use spell, Jimmy felt that it was worth it. Casting those thoughts away from his mind, Jimmy turned his face grim and said. "We must be careful when they are around." "Don''t even try your thieving tricks on those guys, morons. If you get caught, even I wouldn''t able to save you guys." Richard also nodded his head in approval and shouted. Fortunately, all of them were Mystics and had some knowledge about the strength of Rank-2 Mystics, so they zipped their mouths and nodded silently. Before long, five members arrived in front of the thug groups, and soon Night-Eye invited Richard and the other four gang leaders privately and discussed a few words with them. After that, the Mystics took their luggage and set out under the order of the gang leaders. Charles also nodded at Richard''s orders and silently followed everyone. Chapter 55: Secrets Chapter 55: Secrets Within few seconds, the Mystic thieves group started walking on the dirt road and soon appeared on the city''s outskirts. After that, they made a turn and then went in the northern direction. If they were going to explore other regions like Death Swamps or Red Hills, the Mystics would have rented a few carriages earlier and might have gone leisurely. Unfortunately, this time the group had nned to go to a totally different region, Unexplored Forest. So, they had no other choice but to choose the primitive method. They knew that the forest''s outer area was filled with mutated creatures and nts of the Abyss and acted more carefully. "Walk faster morons, it would only take five to six days to reach there if we didn''t take too many breaks," Richard shouted as he led the group in the front and soon entered into dense woonds. Under the shadows of tall Blood Sycamore and Corrupted Maple, they walked on the wet path and soon disappeared into the millions of trees. While walking, Charles analyzed the Red-haired man from time to time and soon fell into deep thoughts. From his study, he found out that this Red-Haired man''s name was Daniel and became puzzled. He also heard from Richard that this red-haired man was not their real employer but just a servant! Not only that, but Charles also found out that the Red-Haired man seemed to be monitoring his movements and got shocked. ''Why is he looking at me frequently?'' Charles avoided his gaze and silently followed the others. As they went past therge green swamp, he suddenly overheard the conversation between Luke rk and the Red-haired man and got surprised inside. Not because of their conversation, but because of how Luke rk addressed the Red-Haired man. ''Daniel Baker? Where did I hear that Baker name? Wait¡­'' He squinted his eyes as he avoided the green vine and continued to walk on the small dirt path while thinking deeply. ''Red Hair¡­ Addie Baker¡­ Does that mean Daniel Baker is a family member of Addie Baker? Did he already find out about me? It seems so.'' A grim expression appeared on his face as he realized the situation he was in. ''I did expect that someone from Addie''s family woulde after me, but.'' He stopped thinking for a moment as he zeroed his gaze on Daniel and sighed. ''He seems to be a Rank-3 member. From the looks of it, he didn''te here to take revenge.'' He pondered for a moment and then shifted his gaze towards Luke rk. ''Luke is acting differently than before. Usually, he wouldn''t talk much, but now he is talking to Daniel Baker like a close friend.'' He thought of keeping an eye on him and then began to think of some emergency n. ''Although that guy is a Rank-3 member, I''m not a rank-1 mystic anymore. After I constructed my Rank-2 attack spell, my trump card ''Ember Pistol'' also upgraded already. With that as a backup, I won''t be pushed into a life-threatening position. Moreover, Team Leader is also there to help me during an unexpected situation.'' After that, Charles didn''t put much thought into his current situation and went near Jimmy. In the meantime, Jimmy stared at the different types of nts and muttered the nt names like a botanist. "How do you know about these nts? Have you been to this Danger zone?" He asked in a suppressing female voice. "Yes, I grew up in a vige that is not far away from these dense woods." Jimmy didn''t even nce at him and said motionlessly. "Then, do you know about those Chaos Creatures? Have you met them before?" Charles thought of getting closer with Jimmy to see if the Holem''s Crown had already taken over his body and started asking him questions. "Met? I was chased by a Shadow Rat once and almost got myself killed by that creature when I was five." He said while making a wry smile on his face. Overhearing their conversation, Richard, Nicole, and a few other mystics also became curious about the Chaos Creatures and moved closer towards them like a flock of sheep. In the unexplored area filled with dangers, information was a priceless treasure for any Mystics. There were times when Mystics died disgraceful deaths without knowing much information about the Unexplored Forest. So, they would never miss such an opportunity to get more information. Knowing that things wouldn''t go smooth if he didn''t continue his exnation, Jimmy let out a chuckle and started speaking, "The Chaos Creatures are simrly like Distorted Shadows. But they have both intelligence and extraordinary strengths. Small creatures like Shadow Rats, Devil Horn Rabbits, and Mad Cats are not a big threat for Rank-1 mystics. But if you identally bump into Evil Snakes, Blood Hounds, and Shade Goblins, run for your life. Those creatures have the strength of Rank-2 Mystics and would always roam in packs." He purposely paused for a moment to see the fear in hispanions'' eyes and then added with a chuckle, "Don''t be scared, guys. Those creatures would only appear in the deepest part of the Unexplored Forest. But we haven''t even reached the outer area of the Unexplored Forest, so you don''t have to think too much about it." "But they will appear when we reach the deeper region, right?" A ck-haired kid named Philip asked. If someone looks closely, they will notice that this kid''s hands were not callous at all. Truthfully, he was a newly recruited Mystic and had always been favored by Nicole. "Even if theye, those three will take care of them and protect us." Another brown-haired guy said with a wide grin on his face. "Dream on, they won''te to the interior area. I heard from Boss Night-Eye that they only came here to escort Lord Daniel to the outer region." Richard said in a cold tone. "It looks like we will be on our own then. Well, nothing''s going to change even if they apany us anyway." The same brown-haired guy muttered in a disdained tone. "Yes, we do have seven Rank-2 Mystics and our boss is already a Rank-3 Mystic, so we don''t need to rely on their strength anyway." Nicole suddenly opened her mouth and muttered, causing others to nod their heads subconsciously. They then moved while discussing for hours and soon reached a grasnd area. At that time, the sun also went to the west and started painting the sky with orange-red color. It was already 5 P.M. Without waiting for orders from Richard and the other four gang leaders, the thugs took out the tent fabrics and started building tents using the tree branches as poles. Although it was just a white cloudy sky, they knew that the atmosphere would change at any time in the dense woond regions. So, they even picked up few dry blocks of wood from the nearby areas and started to light the fire earlier. They then added some powder into the campfire and let the smoke spread in all directions. It was mosquito repellent power! In the woods, humans''mon enemy was the mutated mosquitoes and Insects. Although they wouldn''t cause any causality, they would spread disease and even make the Mystics sick! The dusk came as the sun hid from the orange sky and soon leaves the world to engulf in darkness. The campfire raged in the dark forest and illuminated the whole grassy surroundings. The thugs cooked different kinds of foods using the fire and ate while singing and dancing like foolish adventurers. Charles also built his tent, ate a few dry loaves of bread silently, and watched the dancing in amusement. Emilia Wilson, Luke rk, and Andrew Harris also built their tents a few meters away from his tent and started doing their jobs. Charles nced at them from time to time and soon noticed Luke suddenly stood up and went deep into the dark grasnd. ''Is he going to take a leak?'' Charles raised his brows and soon shifted his gaze towards Jimmy''s tent. Unlike him, he and his friend Henry were staying together in the same tent. After some time, the thieves got tired of dancing, went to their tents, and started resting. Only the escort team members stood on guard the whole night while changing shifts and then woke up the thieves around 6 A.M. Once again, they resumed the journey and continued to move closer towards the Unexplored Forest. They met a few nearby vigers when they on their way and silently walked past them like strangers. The mystics knew that would only alert the other party, so they altogether avoided making contact with the vigers and moved on. On the 4th day of their journey, their group finally saw the Unexplored Forest''s outer area beside therge M-shaped Mountain and became stunned by the scenario. Unlike the typical forest, the Unexplored Forest area appeared darker in color and gave off the feeling of anxiety and fear to everyone. Although the forest region appeared very far away, the Mystics still felt ufortable when seeing the shady dark area. Moreover, Charles noticed that Luke was acting very suspiciously during the nighttime in the past few days and became more curious about his secrets. Furthermore, he also got closer to Jimmy and finally confirmed that the person resides in Jimmy''s body was not the real Jimmy but the dangerous artifact! If he were a real Jimmy, he would have shown some instinctual reactions upon seeing a woman. But the current Jimmy was not a good actor. Although he often acted like a real Jimmy by staring at women''s chests, ncing at their buttocks, he still didn''t do his job correctly. When Nicole tried to seduce him from afar a few times and when she invited him openly to have sex, he justpletely turned her off by saying some random excuses. If not for them linking him with Charles''s fake identity, the other Mystics would have already assumed him as Eunuch! ''My [Inspect] skill also confirmed his real identity by showing question marks all over the status area.'' He mumbled inwardly. After confirming that Jimmy''s current was the Holem''s Crown, Charles began to think of a n to make the other party sign a contract. As usual, the group stopped near ake as the sky darkens and started building their tents. After building the tent, Charles sat inside it and patiently waited for everyone to go to sleep. An hourter, a human shadow walked out from the nearby tent and soon entered the dark woods. Charles also stood up from the mat and cast [Conceal] skill on himself. A secondter, his figure turned darker and darker and soon disappeared. Charles, in Edith''s appearance, walked out of his tent and then stalked the human shadow while maintaining considerable distance. He soon noticed that Luke was moving deeper into the forest while checking around cautiously from time to time and even erased his tracks like a skilled hunter! If not for the ''Pupil-Less Eye'' artifact, Charles would havepletely lost his trail. After 15 minutes of walking into the woods, Luke arrived near a gloomy bush and then took out a metal box from his void pouch. He then ced his bow and the box on the ground and drew a circle around it. After that, he recited a short chant and tapped the red symbol on the metal box twice. A few secondster, a monotonous cold voice came from the other side. "I''ve been waiting for your call, Devil." Chapter 56: Guesses Chapter 56: Guesses Charles''s eyes widened as he heard those words from the metal box. ''What is this situation?'' He stared at Luke''s back for a moment and soon heard Luke''s reply. "Charles is not here, Your Highness. I''m pretty sure that he is hiding somewhere in the City." Charles''s face went stiff for a moment as he heard those words. ''What the hell? Why is he searching for me? Moreover, who is the other party? Why did Luke mention him as Your Highness?'' Questions whirled in Charles''s mind as he hid his slim body behind arge tree trunk and patiently listened. "Impossible. Check again. If he is in the City, I would have known by now." The monotonous voice paused for a second and soon asked. "What about Jimmy? Did he show any abnormal reaction?" "He didn''t, Your Highness. Jimmy is acting very normal these days. I can''t even confirm if the Holem''s Crown is with him or not." Luke sat on the rock and said in a solemn tone. "Hmm, monitor them constantly and if you need any help, ask ''Twilight''. He will lend you a hand." The monotonous voice said. "What about the Escort Mission? Once our team reaches the Thirteenth Chaotic Zone, our job will be over, Your Highness." Luke said in a confused tone. "Worry not. I already gave one emergency sealed letter to ''Twilight'' before he went on this mission. When the timees, he will use that letter and shut Emilia''s mouth." The monotonous voice responded eerily. "Then I will proceed ording to our n, Your Highness," Luke said while curling his lips upward into a twisted one and soon muttered. "Holem''s Crown is already in our grasp. Once we led the Crown into the 35th Rift, Chaos Wanderer will take care of the rest." "Don''t be too happy. We need to find Charles first; he is the main problem now." The monotonous voice interrupted his talking and then continued after a short deliberation. "I will also send ''Evil'' to look for him in the Wind Vi. If Charles isn''t there, then we have no choice but to speed up the process. Nowadays, I can''t even predict his action using my power of ''Fate'' at all. Charles should have contacted the ''Holem''s Crown'' by now, but that damned [Historian] kid interfered and messed up our n." After saying those words, the monotonous voice heaved a deep sigh and then cut off the connection. Meanwhile, Luke stood in silence for a minute and then shook his head. After that, he stored the metal box in his void pouch and moved from there. In the meantime, Charles stood with a dazed face for a whole minute and soon turned his face into a gloomy one. ''Luke rk¡­ What is this situation? Is ''Devil'' his nickname? Then, who is this ''Highness''? Moreover, there seem to be two more persons in this group. Evil and Twilight. I didn''t expect that Luke would be a schemer¡­ Highness¡­ Hmm? Wait a sec. I once read in a book that people use this title only to call the princes¡­ Prince-'' Charles''s jade eyes squinted sharper as his lips trembled for a moment. ''Red Prince.'' That word suddenly appeared in his mind! ''Damn it, I should have noticed it. That really is possible. So, Luke rk might be just a pawn of Red Prince. Upon seeing Luke''s [Devil''s Heart] unique skill during the first mission, I didn''t doubt him at all. I actually thought of it as a cool skill at that time.'' Charles wore a wry smile and soon began to ponder. ''If what I''m guessing is right, then I can tell now that this Luke is just a puppet of the real mastermind. Then, that monotonous voice must belong to the real Red Prince. Now that I think about it, isn''t Luke the one who rmended me to join the search mission? Did Red Prince kidnap those three [Historians]? Did he do that just to create a search mission? Something is not right. Wait, he did mention about a damned [Historian] kid interfered with the Fate, right?¡­ Historian? Who is he cursing at?'' He frowned for a moment and soon recalled the fake Arbiter of Storm, Willy Pickton''s words. ''Yes, Willy Pickton also mentioned about a damned kid colluding with an underworld broker to ckmail him¡­ He is also our third suspect, John Wayne''s employer''s son. What is his name again?'' Charles rubbed his temple for a second and soon started recalling the conversation. ''I think his name is Max or something. He is an archeological student who got interested in Holem''s Crown and researched about it in Slum Street. But when he went near Jimmy''s house, a dark human shadow fell from the sky and kidnapped him along with his two other [Historian] ss friends. That''s what John Wayne told us when we asked about the disappearance of three [Historians].'' ''From the words of ''Highness,'' I can tell that this Max has somehow escaped and seemed to have changed the trajectory of Fate. But he is just a [Historian] ss member, right? Then, how did he escape? I''m missing some important information¡­'' Charles tapped the wooden bark lightly and soon began to think. ''Other than this, he also encountered multiple coincidences before he was kidnapped¡­ Wait¡­ Only Rank-2 and Rank-3 encountered those strange coincidences, right? Then, howe he encountered one?'' He suddenly stopped tapping the bark and soon curled his lips. ''What if Max is a Rank-2 or a Rank-3 Mystic? It is possible. Red Prince and his pawns must have thought of him as a normal Rank-1 mystic and tried to silence him off along with his friends. But this guy must have perceived the danger and escaped. As for the other two [Historians], they must have killed off by the dark shadow that descended from the sky. As for the identity of the dark shadow, it may be the Red Prince himself. From John Wayne''s words, this Red Prince seems to have abilities that could affect one''s senses like sudden Blindness, Deafness, Anosmia, and so on.'' ''That must be the reason Holem''s Crown didn''t contact me even when I went near him. It must have perceived that someone was checking its movement all the time.'' ''Damn, what a big scheme. If the Holem''s Crown had acted at that time and revealed its presence to me, Luke would have acted in time and captured it¡­'' Charles felt that the earlier puzzles seemed to be weaved together and formed into a gigantic spider. ''Hmm, I did feel something was off about our first suspect''s death. When Jeffery Dahmer was under Team Leader Emilia''s hypnosis effect, he suddenly cursed after he mentioned the word ''Red-Prince'' and detonated himself¡­No; I read in a book that those types of skills have a distance limit and are very hard to master. Which leaves with only one option, and that is an artifact. The enemy must have used some artifact on Jeffery to kill him. Still, that doesn''t exin why his body exploded all of a sudden when mentioning the ''Red Prince'' word¡­ I''m pretty sure that there is no passcode-like artifact avable in this world. Even if there was one, those artifacts shoulde under Series-type artifacts. The possibility of the enemy using a Series Artifact to kill Jeffery is almost none. It means the enemy must have monitored us all the time while hiding somewhere nearby and activated the ranked artifact when Jeffery was about to reveal more information¡­ And, that enemy must be Luke Carter.'' Charles organized his thoughts and soon nodded in understanding. He also remembered the moment when Luke rejected Team Leader Emilia''s order and asked him to monitor Jimmy. ''There seem to be more members in this group. Twilight. Who could it be?'' Doubt appeared in his mind as he raised his eyebrows and soon widened his jade eyes. ''It might be Daniel''s nickname or Night-Eye''s nickname. Yes, other than Daniel and Night-Eye, Luke isn''t closer to anyone. As for the ''Evil,'' there is no information about his real identity.'' Charles soon shook his head and then stealthily went back to the camping area. After returning to the camp, he stayed in his tent and then began to take some rest. The dark red night passed in a blink. In the early morning, the group packed their belongings and resumed their journey once again. They continued their journey in hot, burning daylight. When they stopped near the Night River to take some rest around the afternoon, Charles casually walked past Emilia and silently dropped a small piece of paper. After that, he turned around and went near the flowing river to refill her water can. In the meantime, Emilia became surprised by his action and picked up the paper before others could notice. She then went near a Sycamore tree to sit in the tree shadow and then opened the rolled paper. In it, she saw three words written in the Blennguage and became stunned for a moment. ''Beware of Luke? What does that mean?'' She furrowed her and soon stored that slip into her void pouch. After that, she leaned her back against the tree trunk and fell into deep thoughts. ''Looks like Charles found something about Luke but he seems to be afraid of alerting the enemy.'' In the meantime, Charles filled all his empty water cans and leather pouches and went near Jimmy, who was discussing something with Henry. "We need to talk." He said with a smile before he turns around and then went near arge rock. His feminine words implied other meanings to outsiders, which made them subconsciously turn their heads and stare at Jimmy with daggering eyes. All those male Mystics from Slitherer''s Rowdy Gang, including Richard, felt jealousy all of a sudden. They couldn''t understand when Jimmy got closer to Edith and started whispering like gossiping olddies. They want to find out whether those two were dating or not! Unaware of their inner thoughts, Jimmy went near the rock and soon asked cautiously, "What do you want, Miss Edith?" "I called you here to tell you an important piece of information, Jimmy Holmes." Charles purposefully paused for a second and then said with a suppressing tone. "During the past few days, I noticed that the bowman was acting very suspicious, so I followed him and found something very interesting. Do you want to hear it?" He asked with a sly smile on his face. Chapter 57: Acting Chapter 57: Acting Before Jimmy could respond, Charles raised his forefinger, ced it on his mouth, and continued, "I saw him talking to someone through a strange metal box in the woods and he seemed to be plotting something. And that plot might have something to do with you." "What do you mean?" Jimmy instantly became alert as he heard the final sentence and looked around cautiously. "He seems to be searching for someone named ''Charles''. He then told his employer that he couldn''t even confirm if the Holem''s Crown is with you or not." He stopped for a moment to notice Jimmy''s facial expression and soon asked curiously, "What is this Holem''s Crown?" In the meantime, the current Jimmy''s head went nk for a moment. Rh, aka the Holem''s Crown, suddenly became vignt and soon connected the dots. As soon as Jimmy noticed the situation, he calmed his mind and said with a nod, "You really helped me this time, Miss Edith. If not for your earlier warning, I would be still being in a clueless state without even knowing the imminent danger." "Ah! I forget to mention that he also said something like ''Chaos Wanderer'' is waiting in the Unexplored Forest to take care of you." Charles said calmly, causing Jimmy''s body to stiffen up for a second. Noticing his stiff smile, Charles turned his face solemn and asked in a quiet tone, "Is there anything serious? Do you need my help, Jimmy Holmes?" Doubt appeared in Jimmy''s mind as he heard those words. ''Why is she helping me now? Is she also after me?'' He took a step back and stared at the ck-haired woman in full of wariness. Although his mind became a mess after he became an artifact and caused him to make silly mistakes, he was still a 30,000-year-old soul! Noticing his wariness, Charles let out a heavy sigh and added, "I also need your help to deal with our employer, Jimmy. I killed his family member and I''m pretty sure that he already knew that I was the one who killed Addie Baker. When the timees, Daniel might attack me using some unreasonable excuse and would try to kill me." Upon hearing those words, Jimmy paused for a second and soon nodded in understanding. He felt that Edith was really telling the truth andpletely believed her story. Truthfully, the ''Mark of Imagination'' yed a crucial role here and intervened with Jimmy''s imaginations! "I see, that exins everything. Don''t worry, Miss Edith. Once I take care of that guy, I will help you dealt with Daniel." Jimmy said with a reassuring tone. A skeptical look appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at Jimmy for a moment and proposed an idea, "Why not take care of both matters at once? When we enter the Unexplored Forest, we can sneak out during the night camping and walk on our own. Then, we don''t have to waste our energy on them, right?" "It''s impossible. The dangers hidden in the Unexplored Forest are not something a Rank-1 and Rank-2 member can deal with. We might die in just a few minutes." Charles wore a surprised expression on his face and soon said, "If we want to stay alive, we need to protect each other. If Daniel made a move against me, you must intervene and stand beside me like a protective lover." He paused for a second and soon asked with a seductive smile, "Can you do it?" Noticing the woman''s seductive acting, Jimmy chuckled inside while nodding his head and then spoke. "Same goes for you. When Luke tries to attack me, you must protect me. You know, I''m a Rank-1 Mystic with no defensive artifact and I''m not strong enough to face Rank-2 member''s attacks." "Deal, but we must sign an official contract. Otherwise, we won''t trust each otherpletely." Charles added. Upon hearing the word ''Contract'', Jimmy stared at her for ten seconds and then sighed. He knew that Edith was not a threat to him, so he nodded his head and agreed. "We will sign the contract when the dusk arrives. There are too many eyes watching us now." He said before turning around and then went towards his gang members. Meanwhile, Charles made a fake blush on his face, covered his mouth to look like he was embarrassed, and went in a different direction while giggling. Upon seeing the blushing, embarrassed face, Richard almost went berserk and stared at Jimmy like he was his mortal enemy. After resting for another 30 minutes at Night River''s bank, the group once again set out and moved towards the gloomy forest. Unlike the past few days, they also encountered some mutated wolves and rabbits on their way and moved even slower. Once again, the dusk arrived as three red moons peeked at them from the east and shrouded the forest in dark-red color. Around 9 ''o''clock, Jimmy exited his tent after saying an excuse to Henry and went near Edith''s tent. He then nced around cautiously to check if someone was monitoring him and entered inside before closing the zipper. Meanwhile, Charles, in Edith''s appearance, sat in a cross-legged position and nodded at him. "Before we sign the contract, you can use this artifact on me and see if what I said is true or false." Charles said in a calm tone while taking out the ''Pupil-Less Eye'' artifact from her space ring and gave it to Jimmy. In truth, he knew that tricking the artifact was not an easy matter. To make the artifactpletely believe his words, he had to distract that artifact for some time. To his surprise, Luke gave him a big opportunity. While Charles was in muse, Jimmy caught the weird eye with his hand and checked it with his soul power. After confirming that this artifact was real, he nodded his head and cast the shadow mark on Charles. A cloud of dark smoke came out from the pupil-less eye artifact and soon marked on his wrist area. Before Jimmy could ask about this artifact, Charles smiled lightly and said, "I got this artifact as loot by killing Addie and am still clueless about its effective range. Once I started to follow Luke, maintain a 100-meter distance and follow after me. Even if I got found out by Luke, you will have an easier time escaping." After saying those caring words, he stood up and signaled him to get ready. Meanwhile, Luke walked out of his tent, nced around the surroundings, and went into the dark, gloomy forest. After two minutes, Charles and Jimmy also walked out of the tent and stealthily followed Luke''s foot trails. After walking for few steps, Jimmy stopped for a whole minute to maintain some distance between him and Edith and entered the gloomy woods. Meanwhile, Emilia, in her grey robe, sat up in her tent and squinted her eyes. "What is he scheming with Jimmy? Moreover, when did they get so close?" She wore a skeptical look on her face and then started muttering a weird incantation. After a long chant, she closed her eyes for a second and ended her chant. A secondter, two pitch-ck illusionary eyes appeared above her tent and moved towards the dark red sky. After reaching a certain height, those two eyes multiplied into hundreds of ck eyes and monitored Luke''s movement from the sky! Unaware of these things, Luke entered deep into the forest and soon found a suitable location for making contact with ''His Highness.'' After a minute of searching, he found arge bush area and went near to it. He then hung his bow near the tree branch, squatted down, and took out themunicated box. Like thest time, he made a short chant after making a small circle around it and then waited for the other party to respond. Today, it took more than five minutes for the other party to respond. "Anything important?" The same monotonous voice came from the other side. Luke felt that ''His Highness'' was in bad mood, so he spoke hurriedly. "Yes, Your Highness. Jimmy seems to be acting weirdly today. He talked more than usual with a girl named Edith and that girl even started flirting with him often. I have a feeling that something suspicious is going on." Luke''s words surprised everyone. Charles, hiding 20 meters away from him behind the tree, widened his jade eyes and soon turned his face solemnly. ''Damn, he is monitoring Jimmy like a legendary stalker.'' He soon shook his head silently and then started listening to the other party''s words. "Try probe her mind when you enter the Unexplored Forest and see if you can get some information. As long as Jimmy didn''t try to run away from this mission, you can just watch him from the sides and act like you are just an escort guard. We need to lead him directly to the 35th Chaos Rift and seal him there for a day with Chaos Wanderer''s help. Otherwise, my n will go boom in a second." "Acknowledged, Your Highness. I will follow your words." Luke nodded his head and said in a zealous tone. "Alright then, I will be out for a while to search for that sneaky rat, so don''t try to contact me often." After saying those words, the monotonous voice cut off the connection from the other side. Letting out a deep sigh, Luke stood up with a solemn look on his face and then stored the metal box into his void pouch. After that, he took the bow from the nearby tree branch and moved towards the camping area. In the meantime, Charles moved in a different direction and led Jimmy to the opposite side. He knew that Jimmy had no stealth skill, so he acted on his own and brought Jimmy to a different area. After few minutes of roaming in the woods, both circled the camp area and walked out of the woods from another direction. After that, both went into his tent and closed it. "Do you believe my words now?" Charles whispered in a solemn tone as he sat on the mat. Meanwhile, Jimmy also sat down and started to thinking deeply. After recalling the earlier scene for more than a minute, Jimmy wore a gloomy look on his face and nodded thoughtfully. To put it more simply, the Holem''s Crown sensed the presence of ''Fate Divine Power'' earlier in themunication box andpletely believed his words. ''He is the one who kidnapped those three [Historians] to put a me on Jimmy. No, he did that to make Charles meet me earlier.'' He already knew that some powerful Mystic was eyeing for him, but he didn''t expect the person already chose to walk on the path of Divine! ''Thankfully, this Edith girl has a backer and that person also seems to be walking on the path of Divine.'' He quickly organized his thought and nodded. Chapter 58: Entering the Unexplored Forest Chapter 58: Entering the Unexplored Forest A pleasant smile appeared on Charles''s face as he tapped his finger and took out an empty wheel-symboled contract paper from his space ring. Charles had already filled most of the contract rules and only left the contractors'' names, terms, and conditions nk. "Life contract? I thought you are a believer of Sun God." A chuckle escaped from Charles''s red lips as he took out the quill and Ink bottle from his space ring and said while dipping the quill into the ink bottle. "I''m the follower of Ancients. All these gods are just fake deities for me." His words contain a sense of mystery. "Those are dangerous words, Miss." Jimmy didn''t ask anything further about that topic and zeroed his attention on the contract. Even though it was a regr contract used for signing a simple agreement under the name of Goddess Nira, he still stared at it with wide-opened eyes and checked multiple times. On the other hand, Charles wrote the terms and conditions clearly, put his sign, and then presented the contract paper to Jimmy along with the golden quill and the ink bottle. Jimmy caught the contract paper, checked once again, and then dipped the golden quill into the ink bottle before signing it. A secondter, the contract started burning and soon disappeared from there. Once the contract disappeared, Jimmy noticed a small mark appeared in the depths of his Inner-World and shook his head. ''If I was a Rank-4 [Quest Finder], I would have easily erased these fake marks. Sadly, I can only abide by the rules for now and fulfill the contract on my own. Hmm, Jimmy''s soul is already in deep sleep. Within a week or two, hisst ''Will'' will also wither and then his soul will enter the cycle of reincarnation through the Eternal River of Life. That will be my first sess.'' While Jimmy was mused in thoughts, Charles noticed a different kind of mark appeared in his mind. After checking the mark, he found out that he could restrict the Holem''s Crown with his simple thoughts and became deeply astounded inside. ''But why did the Holem''s Crown acting as if everything was still in its control?'' He became puzzled for a moment and soon thought of a possibility. ''Is this the effect of the ''Contract of Imagination''? Heh, so even after signing the contract, this contract will make the opposite party believe in their own imagination, huh. Unless I restricted the Holem''s Crown using the mark, I think the artifact won''t suspect a thing.'' Charles''s lips curled upward subconsciously as he understood the ''Contract of Imagination'' effect and said. "That''s it, Jimmy. You can go back to your tent now." Meanwhile, Jimmy nodded his head, stood up from the ground, and walked out of the tent stealthily. Charles watched Jimmy in amusement and soony on the mat to get some rest. The next day morning, The group packed their things and started walking into the deep woods one by one. Unlike thest time, the group moved at a much slower pace while resting from time to time and saw a lone fortified castle near the summit of a small hill around dusk. As they went near the gloomy castle, all the Mystics unknowingly packed together like a flock of sheep and stared at the surrounding eerie tall trees cautiously. Amid the evening mist and the rising red moon, the stone walls seemed to hold a supernatural stillness. Some windows, illuminated by reflected firelight, seemed to observe them from up high. The causeway that crossed the moat was slick with moss and algae, painting it an eerie green. The portcullis was down but was stuck two feet from the stone floor. Though this seemed to invite the curious members, it brought caution to the rest of them. The Mystics'' torches reflected off the moat''s water that seemed home to dark things that swam just out of sight. The courtyard beyond the gate was dark except for a single fire brazier that burned atop an ancient fountain. Its dark water seemed to absorb all light and leave the Mystics'' mouths dry with fear. Daniel took the lead as he saw the half-stuck portcullis and went near the gate. After that, he lifted his head, looked at the interior area through the holes, and shouted. "Casten Rowley, I''m Daniel Baker, one of the seventieth Hignders, came here to explore the Unexplored Forest under the Order of the ''Royals''. Please open the gate." After a minute of long silence, a shadowy human figure surrounded by 14 well-equipped soldiers came from the other side and stopped near the gate. All of them held a unique type of long swords in their hands, and their ck eyes appeared motionless like dead ones. On the other hand, the shadowy human wore a ck hood andpletely covered himself with a ck robe-like cloth. If not for the fire torch he held in his right hand revealed his rough white-bearded face, others would have thought of him as a Necromancer! "Why are there so many visitorsing here from the south in the past few days?" The shadowy human asked in a calm voice and then removed his ck hood using his other hand. The shadowy human was a man in his fifties, and his face had multiple de marks. His eyes were sharp as cat''s ones, and his white beard almost knotted one another and formed into a bundle. He walked a few steps front, ced his hand below the portcullis, and pulled it up singlehandedly! "The lever is not working due to the rust." He exined as he fully opened the portcullis and turned around. "Is Orvin still alive?" He asked as he pped his hand to remove the rust. "Yes, My Lord." Daniel bowed his head lightly and responded with a polite tone. "Hmm, that''s a piece of good news. Now, those who want to explore the Unexplored Forest shall apany me. As for others, you can go back to your peacefulnd now." Without even waiting for Daniel to speak another word, Rowley cut him off and ordered. But, nobody moved a muscle. All of them, including Emilia, stood there motionlessly and patiently waited for Rowley to lead them inside. Luke rk and Daniel didn''t expect this oue and were at a loss for words. ''Why is she not backing down?'' Bothmunicate with their eyes, and soon Luke asked in confusion, "Team Leader, what are you doing? Our escort job is over, right?" Upon hearing his words, Emilia curled her lips upward and spoke with a mysterious smile on her face, "No, we actually have another secret mission." "Why haven''t you mentioned anything to us?" Luke raised his eyebrows and asked in a gloomy tone. This was not supposed to happen! "Hmm? Do I have to exin everything to you? If I didn''t exin, are you going to disobey my orders?" Emilia''s tone went cold as she stared at him with provocative eyes and asked. "Team member doesn''t have the right to disobey the Team Leader''s orders." Andrew suddenly raised his hand, rubbed his nose, and warned him. "Sorry for my rude behavior, Team Leader." Luke instantly noticed the change in Emilia''s action and apologized. "Follow me then," Rowley nced at Emilia for a moment and then turned around before saying those words. Other guards also followed his action and went around the gloomy castle. They first went near the ancient fountain, circled it once, and then walked on the grassy courtyard towards the Castle''s left side. At first, the Mystics thought that Rowley would allow them to stay in the castle for a day or two, but when they arrived at the other side, all of them knew that they were wrong. On the other side, a total of hundred guards stood above the stone wall and were continually watching the outside like hawks. "You can leave through the Exit Gate." Rowley didn''t wait for the mystics to raise any questions and said while pointing his finger at the dark wide opened Iron Gate. It was as if they had already expected their arrival and seemed to be waiting for them to walk out! Sighing heavily, Daniel nodded his head and then walked towards the Exit Gate. Other Mystics also followed after him, walked past the colossal stone wall, and soon appeared on the other side of the dark forest. The forest was primordial. Centuries-old mutated trees with sprawling limbs guarded the darkness, blotting out any sunlight. Their bark was mottled and splotched as if the bubbled soup had been frozen in time on its surface. Clumpybs of wet moss dangled from their rotten boughs. Underneath the moss, lethal mad Larkspur peppered the mulchy floor. A pungent tang oozed from every sentient being in the forest. Wailing sounds ghosted through the trees. Whether it was from victim or victor, only the forest could tell. It was indeed a ce to make one''s veins freeze over. Everything considered edible in another forest was nauseating here. It left the Mystics with the sickening taste of their own blood. It was a forest to be avoided. Before the Mystics could look around the dark forest, a creaky sound came from behind, and soon the guards shut down the Iron Gate. Daniel took the lead with no other choice and went deep into the Unexplored Forest while others followed after him silently. After walking for a mile, he stopped at a in-looking area and ordered the mystics to clear the woods, vines, and shrubs. Once they did that, Daniel made a ritual circle using different materials and started chanting in apletely differentnguage. After a lengthy chant, he knelt at the center and kissed the ground thrice. A secondter, an illusionary ss-like thing came out from the ground and began to expand. Within seconds, the illusionary ss went past the mystics'' bodies and soon covered the whole grasnd area like a force-field! "Chaos Creatures won''te near this domain, so you guys can go and take a rest now." Daniel stood up from the ground and said solemnly. Nodding, all of them went in different directions and started building tents. Chapter 59: Death Chapter 59: Death While others were building their tents, Charles nced at Emilia from time to time and got puzzled by her action. At first, he thought of staying with Emilia and others at the Castle, but he didn''t expect Emilia to say something about another mission and became surprised. While he was in confusion, strange words entered into the depths of his mind and startled him greatly. ''If we didn''t follow after them, something bad might happen to Riverdale City.'' It was Emilia''s voice! Widening his deep-set jade eyes, Charles nced at her and then nodded in understanding. ''She must have checked the future using some strange artifact.'' He instantly nodded his head in enlightenment and then took out tent fabrics from his space ring to build the tent. Three crimson moons showed up in the sky one after another and soon painted the night with dark red color. The next day, the Mystics group packed their things and once again started their journey. It was a tiresome journey for all of them. They would usually meet a few mutated animals from time to time and proceed further cautiously. It was around noon, When the group walked past a swamp-like area, their group suddenly encountered five red-skinned humans and entered into a battle mode. Meanwhile, those red-skinned humans simply stood on the ground like frozen statues and showed different kinds of facial reactions! But what made the Mystics to widened their eyes were the red-skinned humans'' facial appearances. All of their eyes looked pure ck and they even had horns protruded on their foreheads! One guy showed a dubious look, another guy showed a happy face, and so on. If not for their loud beating heart sounds, Charles would have thought of them as dead peoples and killed them on the spot to dispel his uneasiness! ''What happened to these guys?'' Charles and a few mystics also circled those five red-skinned humans and checked their body conditions. Charles noticed a symbol of the crow in their dress as he looked at their outer clothes and soon widened his eyes. ''They are from the Explorer Association! It looks like they came earlier than us but seemed to have encountered terrifying.'' He muttered inwardly and was about to cast [Inspect] skill on them, but a sudden rm echoed inside his head. It was the [Sixth Sense] skill''s warning! Without even thinking for a moment, he ducked his body and rolled from there. A secondter, a silver dagger passed through the area where he stood before and swiftly moved towards the frozen humans'' neck area like a boomerang! With a flesh-tearing sound, the dagger neatly cut those five red-skinned humans'' heads and soon returned to a silver-haired man! In the meantime, Charles also stood up from the ground, cast his [Crimson Robe] spell on himself, and then unsheathed his dagger while turning around. He then stared at the silver-haired man with cold eyes and soon turned around while warning in the woman''s chilling voice. "If you attack me on purpose again, it will be yourst moment." The one who attacked now was none other than the underworld evil boss, Night-Eye! Upon hearing her warning, Night-Eye simply snorted and went near Daniel for further orders. Under Daniel''s order, the group then trekked further into the forest and soon encountered mutated animals like Shadow wolves, Three-horned goats, and Poison tigers. If the group were just normal humans, they would have faced life-threatening problems. But the Mystics faced those mutated animals like skilled hunters and killed them in seconds. Days passed, and soon it was October 2nd! On this day, the group finally entered a dense mangrove swamp filled with poisonous snakes and insects and began to move very carefully. During the past few days, the Mystics encountered different kinds of toxic nts, mutated animals in the dark forest, and even lost seven Mystics! Although they were just Rank-1 thieves, they were still powerful people in Riverdale City! Losing one Rank-1 thief was equal to losing one elite guard''s protection. Meanwhile, Charles also used this opportunity and earned a total of 820 Exp points! Now, he had a total of 1870 Exp points. ''130 Exp points to rank-up my subss.'' He muttered inwardly and then sighed. ''Each mutated creature is only giving 20 to 30 Exp points. If not, I would have already Ranked-Up.'' But before the group could reach 500 meters into the mangrove forest, two thieves suddenly fell on the ground, and their bodies went motionless in an instant! They were walking on the open wet ground and appeared safer. But the current situation made the mystics think twice. "What happened?" Asking, Richard tried to get closer towards them but soon stopped as he heard Jimmy''s words. "Their eyes are turning pitch ck-" Before Jimmy could finish his sentence, those two Mystics'' bodies suddenly began to twitch. "Decapitate their heads now. They are turning into Chaos Beings!" This time, Emilia said in a hurry, took a few steps backward, and appeared right beside Luke. In the meantime, Richard and Nicolle unsheathed their swords and shed at those two Mystics'' necks in unison. Unfortunately, their reaction speed was too slow whenparing it to the transformation of Chaos Beings. In an instant, the corrupted mystics'' skin turned red, a red horn began to protrude in front of their foreheads, and they blinked their ck eyes rapidly. Upon noticing the iing sword attacks, those two former Mystics then rolled to the sides, jumped up nimbly, and then pulled out their weapons from their sheaths. Watching their extraordinary disy, Charles was momentarily stunned for a second and soon blurted out, "Aren''t these guys supposed to be mindless creatures?" Emilia nced at his feminine appearance for a moment and then responded, "Unlike Distorted Shadows, the Chaos Beings arepletely different. Technically, those two humans are still alive and their souls are also still attached to their bodies. But these thugs'' souls and bodies were already corrupted by the foul evilness and became eternal ves of their own emotions. From now on, they will side with the Chaos faction and would walk on the Path of Destruction. Sir Daniel chose to bring these thugs and thieves to this chaotic ce must be because of this reason. He wants to turn all these thugs into corrupted Chaos Beings and seems to achieve something in return." Her voice was so loud, which caused all the Mystics to stiffen up all of a sudden. "You knew about our n?" Daniel wore a surprised expression on his face as he turned around towards Emilia and asked. "Even a small kid could see through your n, Sir. Daniel Baker." Emilia curled her lips upward and cast her [Mind Fog] skill on the two Chaos Beings, who was about to jump into the swamp area to escape. An instantter, their bodies staggered weirdly, and soon they fell on the ck soil. Charles wouldn''t miss such an opportunity to gain free Exp points. Curving his lips up, he activated his [Crimson Steps] spell and sprinted towards them at an unimaginable speed, leaving fire sparks behind. In three seconds, he appeared beside them and swiftly decapitated their heads using his Ghost Dagger. [Target Eliminated! 230 Battle Exp Obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 195 Battle Exp Obtained!] "Shall we begin our hunt?" Turning around, Charles stared at Daniel with a cold look on his face and asked. Simultaneously, he opened his game interface and poured 2,000 Exp points into the subss section. [Host has chosen the 2nd method for Rank-Up!] [1,494 Exp points have been deduced for ''Disguiser'' ss gem!] [506 Exp has been deduced for Rank-up!] [Disguiser ss obtained!] [Host''s Body is undergoing a mutation change!] [¡­] [Mutation Completed!] [Host''s Race has been changed from ''Human'' to ''Human/???''] [You are now a Level-1 Disguiser!] [1 Free Attribute point Rewarded!] [20 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ [Skills Upgraded!] [''Sixth Sense'' skill has been upgraded to ''Prevision''] [''Clown'' skill has been upgraded to ''Disguise''] [''Magician''s Hand'' skill has been upgraded to ''Magician''s Hand +1''] ¡­ In a second, Charles sensed countless pieces of information about ''Prevision,'' ''Disguise'' and ''Magician''s Hand'' entered his mind and became started deeply. ''Prevision! My [Sixth Sense] skill really has a prediction-like ability. Although I can only see 0.5 seconds into the future with a cooldown of one minute and get some warning signs about the future, it is still a great skill. No, I would say that this [Prevision] skill is a legendary ability.'' He curled his lips upward and then added one free attribute point to his ''Strength.'' A change went through his body as he clenched his fist and nodded. Unlike thest time when he was ranking up the main ss, nobody noticed a change now. So, he silently ranked up his sub-ss without alerting the enemy in two seconds and silently watched Daniel''s movement. Meanwhile, Daniel wore a troubled look on his face as he heard the ck-haired woman''s words and took a step back. He then shook his head and said. "I''m going ahead, Night. Stay here for an hour and then bring all of them to the Ruin." After that, he turned around and soon started walking into the woods. Meanwhile, Night-Eye took a step forward and unsheathed two silver daggers from his waist! ''He is an assassin ss Mystic, Rank-3 Rogue!'' A surprised expression appeared on Charles''s face as he gripped his dagger tighter and moved. If it were before, he wouldn''t have dared to face a Rank-3 Mystic, but after he Ranked-Up both sses, Charles felt more confident now. ''Moreover, I''m not facing him anyways.'' He smirked inwardly as he suddenly changed his direction and dashed towards Emilia. In the meantime, Emilia suddenly raised her hand, ced it hand on Luke''s shoulder and cast [Touch of Idiocy] skill on him. An instantter, Luke revealed a foolish smile on his face and opened his arms wide to ept the opponent''s attack. Simultaneously, a dense ray of crimson fire appeared from Charles''s forefinger and flew towards Luke at an unimaginable speed! Their sudden action caused Daniel Baker to pause his footsteps in surprise! With a shocked face, he turned around and waved his hand. As the [Incinerate] spell was about to pierce through Luke''s head, an invisible ripple came out from his body and soon formed into a force-field-like structure! Bang! A collision sound echoed as [Incinerate] spellnded on the force-field and threw Luke a few meters backward while obliterating the force-field in return! But Charles had already expected this oue with the help of his new ''Prevision'' skill and pulled out his ''Ember Pistol'' from his space ring. He then turned the hammer using [Magician''s Hand] skill and squeezed the trigger. A condensed fire bullet came out from the muzzle, tore through the air, and soon appeared in front of Luke''s forehead! But just as the bullet was about to prate his head, Luke suddenly twisted his lips upward and muttered in a cold tone. "Change." At that instant, something extraordinary happened. Luke''s body suddenly became transparent and was reced with another figure! That figure was none other than Jimmy himself! The next instant, the fire-bullet tore through Jimmy''s forehead and appeared on the other side, leaving a bloody hole at the center. Jimmy''s body danced in the air for a moment and soon fell with a dumbfounded look on his face! Chapter 60: Battle In the meantime, Luke appeared beside Daniel Baker and muttered in a gloomy tone. "My identity is already exposed. Let''s go and release the ''Chaos Wanderer'' before the Crown escapes." "Who said I would let you leave after ruining my whole lifelong n?" A chilling old man''s voice came out from the red-gem embedded bracelet, and soon it began to shine in bright red color. A momentter, the wound on Jimmy''s forehead healed at an unimaginable speed, and soon Jimmy stood up with a twisted smile on his face. Noticing the strange situation, Luke and Daniel nced at each other and soon sprinted into the dark woods. Jimmy was about to chase after them, but Edith suddenly turned her face towards Jimmy''s direction and ordered in a cold tone, "Stop." When Jimmy heard those words, he subconsciously stopped his footsteps and stood there with a disbelieving look on his face. ''Why am I responding to her order? No, something is wrong.'' The Holem''s Crown instantly sensed a change urring in its inner world, so it concentrated its full attention on it. In the depths of the Holem''s Crown''s mind, the previous contract mark began to change its shape and soon formed into a reddish star! Within two seconds, three red stars appeared instead of two! The first and second stars were the marks of the abyssal contract he signed with Holem and Nightwind family members. But the Holem''s Crown felt that the third star was apletely different one! ''It''s not an abyssal contract¡­ But its power is on par with the other one¡­ Hell''s Sign? No, I haven''t sensed any devil''s presence in her. What the hell is this contract?!'' For a moment, The Holem''s Crown couldn''t be able to think properly at all! ''No! No! How did this happen to me? When did I sign such a ve contract? Wait a sec¡­ That Life contract I signed earlier¡­ Did she trick me to sign a different one? But I didn''t sense any anomaly at all. Why? Why? Why?!'' Holem''s Crown instantly knew that it got tricked once again and became furious! "Leave Jimmy''s body ande here." Without minding Jimmy''s ring look, Edith took a step forward and spoke in a cold tone. "NOOO!" An old man''s painful screaming voice echoed from the red-gem embedded bracelet, and soon the bracelet moved from Jimmy''s wrist. Simultaneously, Jimmy''s body moved backward while twitching and soon fell on the ground with a thudding sound. A secondter, the previous bullet wound also reappeared on his forehead area and dyed the ck sand in scarlet color. In the meantime, the red bracelet hovered in the air for a second and soon revealed its true form. The bracelet first expanded a little, and soon multiple red crystal-like gems appeared from the single red-gem. It was a tiara crown made of pure reddish gems and gold! The crown hovered in mid-air for a whole three seconds and soon moved towards Edith. Once it arrived in front of her, Edith picked the crown and ced it on her head. "Good." Edith was pleased by the Crown''s silent response and nodded her head. "Now, I want to ask some questions." She said coldly and then started walking towards Emilia. Once she appeared beside Emilia, she licked her lips and then asked with a frown. "Why are you in a hurry to go deep into the Unexplored Forest? Who is ''Chaos Wanderer''?" Although she just asked simple questions, those words struck deep into the Holem''s Crown''s soul like divine words, making it reply in a hurry. "I was in a hurry toplete a ''False Reincarnation Ritual'' and be a true human." "False Reincarnation Ritual?" Edith got startled deeply and then patiently waited for her second question. "As for your second question? No, I also don''t know anything about this so-called ''Chaos Wanderer''." The Holem''s Crown didn''t dare to y any tricks without knowing the consequence and answered her truthfully. "Why did you n to do this False-Reincarnation Ritual at the Unexplored Forest instead of Riverdale City?" Edith suddenly felt curious about the ritual and asked further. "Doing False-Reincarnation Ritual in the Riverdale City? That would be a suicidal task. False-Reincarnation Ritual is a taboo ritual and doing it openly will attract unwanted attention. Humph, I wouldn''t be surprised if Goddess Nira sends one of her Incarnations to stop the ritual in the name of justice and Harmony. But this Unexplored Forest is the good ce to do such ritual." ''Oh? Hmm, this strange ritual looks interesting.'' Edith took a note about the ritual and then changed the topic. "Do you know about the ''Watcher'' ss Mystic, Red-Prince? If so, tell me something about him. How did he found out more about you in the first ce?" "How do you know him-?" That instant, the Holem''s Crown suddenly thought of a possibility and becamepletely stupefied! "Charles?" It shouted in a shocked tone. "Haha, it took you long enough." Edith suddenly changed her voice tone and muttered in a male voice, startling the still dumbfounded thieves. Simultaneously, she removed her ck wig, fake pads with sponges and then deactivated the ''Mark of Imagination.'' An instantter, everyone felt that Edith suddenly disappeared and was reced with a male figure! They couldn''tprehend what was happening in front of their eyes and became utterly bbergasted! For a whole minute, nobody, not even Night-Eye, moved his muscle. Even the perfect gentleman became stunned silly for an entire minute and soon sighed. "I never noticed that there is such a pretty young man hiding in the slum street." Upon hearing those ominous words, Edith, aka Charles, felt chills all of a sudden. Now, he understood why Emilia warned him earlier and smiled helplessly. He had seen such people in his past life, so Charles simply took out afortable cotton shirt from his space ring and wore it. "DAMN IT! I Curse you, Charles! I curse your family! One day, I will break these shackles and make you a puppet for million years!" The Holem''s Crown suddenly started cursing upon realizing that Charles was the one who enved it. "Shut up! If you don''t want to lock up in Life Church''s Secret Chamber, stop your mumblings and obey my words from now on." Charles took off the crown from his head and then ordered, "Change your form back to the bracelet. Wearing a crown feels a little ufortable for me." Like a cute little pet, the Holem''s Crown let out a grunt and obeyed. In a second, it changed into a bracelet andy on Charles''s palm silently. Charles nodded his head with a pleasing smile on his face and wore it in his left hand. After that, he turned his head towards Emilia and asked with a smile, "What are your orders, Team Leader?" Emilia also somewhat understood the situation as she heard their conversation and soon fell into deep thoughts. After thinking for a moment, she took out a silver pocket watch from her void pouch, opened the outer case, adjusted the crown area, and then clicked it. The next instant, her eyes turned pure white for a millisecond and soon returned to normal. Emilia quickly stored the pocket watch into her void pouch and said. "There is no change in the current mission. We will follow after those two criminals and stop them before they release some monster or something. I also need to clean up the bad root of our ACES team." "What about these guys?" Andrew suddenly raised his hand, pointed his finger at the thugs, and asked. "We didn''t hire them, so it''s not our problem." Edith waved her hand and was about to walk into the deep forest but suddenly stopped. An instantter, she turned around, red at Night-Eye, and then asked in a cold tone. "What are you doing?" To others, it looked more like Emilia was the one who was looking for trouble with Night-Eye. But Charles knew that Night-Eye would have attacked her with full force if she had taken a step. "I''m sorry, Lady Emilia. My employer specifically asked me to not let you walk further into this forest." Night-Eye removed his surcoat, threw it towards the still dumbfounded Richard, and said in a calm tone. "Is that so?" Emilia turned her expression grave and nced at Charles, who already removed most of his disguise. "Do you think we can defeat him?" She asked. In truth, she had some methods to defeat Night-Eye, but that would reveal one of her trump cards to the outsiders. A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he thought for a moment and soon shook his head. "I can only use my other trump card to slow him down, Team Leader. As for defeating him, that will be an impossible task for us now." He said in a deep tone. ''I already used Incinerate and Ember''s Pistol earlier. The only thing I have is the ''Starfall Codex'' magic book, but I need time to cast those spells.'' He muttered inwardly and then shifted his gaze towards Andrew. Truthfully, he felt Andrew must have something up in his sleeve and became curious. ''Except for his over-thinking character, he is a normal guy in every way. But, Withering Shadow wouldn''t take a normal guy unless he has something up in his sleeves.'' Noticing his gaze, Andrew let out a fake cough and sighed. "Okay, Okay. If you guys made him immobile for two seconds, I can try out something-" Before he could finish his words, Night-Eye moved from where he stood before leaving blurry images behind and soon disappeared from everyone''s eyes. In a second, he appeared behind Andrew like a shadow demon and swiftly moved his daggers towards his neck to decapitate him! Sensing the uing threat, Andrew calmly bent his waist and muttered a word in Runalnguage. "Protection." A secondter, two illusionary shields appeared from his sides and blocked those two silver daggers, leaving nging sounds behind. A grim look appeared on Night-Eye''s face as he turned invisible in a second and withdrew his daggers before moving in a different direction. "He is not an idiot." Charles curled his lips upward as hemented on Night-Eye and then took out the Starfall Codex from his space ring. Simultaneously, Emilia tapped her grey-colored Queen''s robe and cast the ''Ice Net'' spell. An instantter, those icy webs spread to the surrounding areas andpletely covered the ground like an actual spider! Casting the [Crimson Robe] spell on himself, Charles hurriedly flipped the pages and soon stopped at the fourth page. After that, he took a deep breath and started chanting. In the meantime, in his concealed form, Night-Eye scanned the three people and ordered his subordinates. "You guys go and run in all directions." Although he was surprised by the web-like, he knew that Emilia wouldn''t have the power to concentrate her attention on every web, so he sent out those orders. In less than three seconds, those thieves entered the web under their boss''s order and started to jog like dumb idiots. Even Richard and Nicole followed Night-Eye''s words and entered the domain of the ice. "This is just a in and effective way to counter my spell." Emilia wore a dumbfounded look and then muttered with a surprised tone. But she shook her head and added. "Charles, it''s up to you now." After saying those words, she controlled the ''Ice Net'' spell and activated the hidden effect. An instantter, those who stepped on the web lines started to feel their legs numb and soon froze. No, the ice threads released dense ice-elemental energy and froze their bodies within few seconds. During the time, Night-Eye also tried different methods to get closer to Charles and Andrew. Still, to his astonishment, Emilia maintained her calm expression and protected them using those icy threads. Two secondster, Charles curled his lips upward as he ended the short chant, locked his gaze on a particr area, and then smiled. Seeing Charles''s strange smile, Night-Eye''s body suddenly stiffened up! He suddenly forgot how to maintain his concealed form and soon revealed his body to others! It was the effect of the Rank-1 Fire spell, Burning Thoughts! Usually, Rank-1 spells didn''t have the power to affect a Rank-3 Mystics. But there were exceptions. For example, Rank-3 Rogue was weak against mind-rted abilities because Rogues would primarily focus on improving their Dexterity and Strength! For them, improving wisdom was a waste of time. Meanwhile, Charles put most of his attribute points to the Wisdom attribute and already raised it to an extraordinary level! His wisdom power was already 20, which was above average whenparing to other Rank-2 mages! Even a Rank-3 Rogue would feel helpless in that situation and would be affected for a short period. Without wasting such good opportunity, Emilia suddenly teleported in front of Night-Eye and cast her [Gaze of Medusa] skill on him. She didn''t end it there, though. She then touched Night-Eye''s chest and cast [Touch of Idiocy], [Mind Fog], and [Hypnosis] skills simultaneously and then took a step back. Although she had low wisdom power, she used an artifact called [Sage''s Tear] when casting those skills and upgraded the skills'' effects before casting! Night-Eye''s mind wentpletely nk. He couldn''t move a muscle, nor couldn''t he think something. No, he felt that thinking was a terrible choice and epting the reality was a must! At this time, the baldy Andrew suddenly teleported in front of him and raised his right hand towards his chest. He then tried to clench his hand, but something invisible obstructed his fingers from closing together! Groaning, Andrew clenched his jaws for a second and finally squashed the invisible thing from his palm. The next instant, blood started toe out from Night-Eye''s mouth, and soon he woke up. But instead of calmness, anxiety and fear took over Night-Eye''s face as he ced his hand on his chest and staggered back and forth. "He became a heartless now," Emilia muttered in pity. Chapter 61: New information Charles''s eyes widened as he understood her words and soon went near them while staring at Andrew in confusion. ''Why couldn''t I see that skill in his status bar?'' He raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. ''Withering Shadow Organization knew what to hide from others,d. They aren''t fools.'' Suddenly, he heard an old man''s voice in his head and got startled for a moment. ''What are you doing in my head?'' Realizing who was taking in his head, he asked in annoyance. He hates it when someone reads his thoughts without his permission. ''Don''t worry; I''m justmunicating with you through telepathy. I can read the flow of your thoughts like a telepathist and canmunicate with you easily.'' Without minding the old man''s words, Charles appeared in front of Night-Eye, stared at him for a second. Suddenly, he thought of something, gripped his Ghost Dagger tighter, and then lunged forward. Although Night-Eye tried to dodge the attack, he didn''t even have the time to think about it due to immense chest pain. Meanwhile, not only Andrew and Emilia, even the Holem''s Crown became started by Charles''s action. On the other hand, Charles directly stabbed his dagger into the half-dead Night-Eye''s chest and pushed it harder. He didn''t stop there, though. Charles then pulled his dagger and then swiftly moved it towards his neck. Like a demon, he shed his Ghost Dagger multiple times andpletely decapitated Night-Eye''s head in less than four seconds. He then stood up, licked the scarlet blood that dripped down from the corner of his lips, and turned around. [Target Eliminated! 2574 Exp Rewarded!] A secondter, the notification appeared on the game interface, causing his lips to curl upward subconsciously. A devilish smile appeared on his oval face. ''It doesn''t matter who gave the fatal blow. All that matters is the final blow.'' He nodded in enlightenment and soon turned his attention towards Emilia and Andrew, who were now looking at him with slightly wary eyes. "Ahem, I got angry at him all of a sudden," Charles replied with an awkward smile and then wiped the blood on his face. "What should we do with these guys?" Asking, Emilia turned her attention towards the frozen thieves and narrowed her eyes. "Shall I kill them?" Charles''s jade eyes glowed in excitement. ''There are more than 20 Mystics here. Killing each of them will give me more than 200 Exp points. With those Exp points, I can construct my other spell models or Level-Up and improve quickly.'' Before he could jump towards them, Emilia shook her head and refused, "Don''t forget that these guys are the pirs of Slum Street. If not for them maintaining a peaceful atmosphere, the whole slum would have already filled with killers and evil cult members. If the situation didn''t force me, I wouldn''t have agreed to kill Night-Eye." A look of realization appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at those frozen thieves for a moment and then sighed in regret. ''Well, all I can do now is increase my strength using the current Exp points and progress steadily.'' He thought to himself and then shifted his attention towards the game interface. Meanwhile, Emilia dismissed the ''Ice Net'' spell and started chanting an incantation. Charles froze for a second as he heard those strange words and soon checked the real Charles''s memories. A few secondster, he creased his eyebrows and asked Andrew in a curious tone. "Whatnguage is this?" "It''s Goddess Nira''s Divine Language. Our team Leader is casting a divine spell by borrowing the power of ''Life'' from the Life Goddess. It will take more than 10 minutes for her to finish this type of chanting." Andrew said in a solemn tone and then started taking the two silver daggers, two rings, and one bracelet from Night-Eye and patiently waited for Emilia to finish her chanting. In the meantime, Charles thought for a second and asked the Holem''s Crown in his mind while leaning his back against a slightly tall ck mangrove tree. ''Hey, Holem''s Crown, what are your abilities?'' He was always curious about Series-A artifact''s other abilities. He knew it had ''Miracle'' and ''Past-seeing'' abilities, but he wasn''t sure about other abilities and their cool-down time or effects. Holem''s Crown went silent for a moment as it heard his words and then said in a cold old man''s tone. ''Just call me, Rh. Before I answer my question, when will you release me? I''ll be honest with you,d. If you don''t promise to release me without ying any other tricks, I willmit suicide by severing my link with the Crown and harm your Inner World before entering the Eternal River of Life.'' Charles became surprised by the artifact''s decision and soon frowned. He suddenly felt a danger premonition from the [Prevision] skill and knew that this artifact wasn''t bluffing. Although the contract mark in his mind restricted the artifact from acting against him, it wasn''t an omnipotent one topletely control the artifact''s soul. Even if the mark could control the soul, Charles wouldn''t do it unless he left with no other choice. He started to think in English. ''Forcing it to work for me will do no good. I need to make this artifact submit to me. Otherwise, it will simply scheme behind my back and might harm me in the future. Hmm, should I make a tempting deal? Yes, that''s a better way to control it. If my guess is right, the Holem Crown''s previous owners, including Eddie Nightwind, forced this artifact to work like a ve and became its sworn enemies. If they had made some equal agreement, they wouldn''t have ended up dead. Eddie Nightwind is a real example. He did achieve great things by using numerous miracles, but the real Eddie isn''t alive anymore. From my understanding, casting these miracles must have some consequences on the user''s body, but this artifact seemed to have hidden some important details. If not, Eddie wouldn''t have ended up meeting a very powerful foe in another dimension and got killed in return. He must have relied too much on this artifact and acted without knowing the consequence.'' After a short silence, Charles closed his jade eyes for a second and then said in mind while opening those two eyes slowly. ''Okay. I will release you after 100 years. But before that, you have to help me achieve my goal.'' He offered a deal. Charles didn''t even ask anything about strange miracles or any other abilities. What he needed now was a powerful helper. Although the fake Eddie Nightwind seemed to be an honest guy, Charles was still wary of his mind and imagination-rted abilities. Unlike him, this artifact had restricted abilities and appeared to be easy to control. Although 100 years looked like a long time, Charles knew that an average Rank-1 Mystic had a lifespan of 130 years, and for a series artifact, this much time would be like taking a nap. Upon hearing Charles''s words, Holem''s Crown, aka Rh, became surprised for a moment and soon asked, ''What is your goal?'' It had long already realized that it would be a futile attempt to ckmail the opposite party due to the new contract and chose to submit for now. Yes, for now. Charles maintained his cold look and said in deep thoughts. ''My goal is to stand above all. I want to reach the pinnacle in power and be a truly omnipotent being.'' The Holem''s Crown went dead silent for a whole three seconds and soon asked in an angry tone. ''Crazyd, you want me to be your eternal ve, aren''t you?'' Before it could curse at him in bad words, Charles interrupted the Holem''s Crown. ''I don''t need to rely on some artifact to survive in this world, Rh. You are just a tool for me, once I got powerful enough to face my enemies, I will just release you somewhere in the void. So, 100 years are more than enough for me to walk on my own. Now, what is your answer?'' It suddenly realized that this kid had some problem in his head and began to ponder deeply. ''Hmm, something is not right. From where did he get this kind of confidence?'' After some thought, the Holem''s Crown let out a dim light through the red gem and said in Charles''s mind. ''I will work for you, then. As for your previous questions, I have three main abilities. Before I tell you the details of those abilities, I will ask you a question.'' It paused for a second and then asked while organizing its thoughts, ''What do you know about the ss-Gem path?'' This question made Charles raise his thin eyebrows in surprise. But he didn''t put much thought into it and replied, ''I almost know nothing about this ss Gem Path. Actually, I nned to ask this questionter. Who is the ''Taboo Existence'' who created this ''ss-Gem'' Path by gathering 100 Luck divinities? Why did he do that?'' His sudden questions startled the Holem''s Crown. ''Are you a demon? You sure knew more about forbidden things. But you also knew nothing about themon knowledge of Mystics.'' Holem''s Crown said in a baffled tone and soon started talking. ''It''s not a time for you to learn about the Taboo Existences names. The more you learn about them, they will also perceive your existence and learn more about you. Now, I will tell you some basic things about the ss-Gem path. The ss-Gem path can be divided into four types. The first type is the Outer ss-Gem path. Thief, Warrior, Prisoner, Explorer, Deceiver, Shooter, Swordsman, and so on woulde under this section. This ss mainly involves strengthening one''s body. The second type is the Inner ss-Gem path. Psychologist ss, Corrupter, Dreamer, Astrologer, Seer, Learner, Teacher ss, and other mind-rted sses woulde under this section. This type of ss mainly involves strengthening one''s wisdom and mind-rted abilities. The third one is the Mage ss-Gem path. As you know, mages are seekers of truth in one aspect. Before the Era of New Time, I was an ancient mage. At that time, I was a powerful Tri elemental Mage and explored many dangerous High nes. But due to an ident, I lost my body and chose the ss-Gem path to rise using the ''False Reincarnation Ritual''. At that time, I chose the [Historian] ss Gem and started my journey to the void to understand the Origin of the Universe and everything. Tsk, I''m going off-topic. Let''se to the current discussion. This Mage-ss path includes Fire Mage, Darkness Mage, Necromancy, Water Mage, Wind Mage, etc. Unlike the above two paths, this Mage path is a different one. If a mage wants to rise in power, he needs to face too many obstacles, like creating spell models on their own, linking their Inner World with the corresponding elemental ne, traveling to the elemental ne to get more resources, and so on. But the reward will also be huge. A peak level single Rank-2 mage can have the power to toy with multiple same rank individuals of other sses. But sadly, there are no natural dungeons in this world. So, the chance of a normal mortal or low-level Mystics finding a corresponding Mage-ss gem is very hard here. Even if he did find one, he will be stuck in the same rank due to the Churches'' monopoly of Mage ss gems and would die early. Due to the severe restrictions, the current era mages now became tools for Churches and other organizations. The fourth one is the Fake Origin path. Except for the ancient existences and the foreigners, nobody knows about this path in Edhen World. This Fake Origin path is a unique one and was specially created for the Gods. In this path, the Mystics will borrow power from their favored Gods and battle their opponents. Well, there is a side-effect in this path, though. Unless their chosen God dies, the Fake Origin path Mystics will never be able to enter the Eternal River of Life, and those pitiful souls would forever be eternal ves for their chosen God. Then there is the Forbidden Path, but this one is totally different from the ss-Gem path. Forbidden Path mystics are Warlocks, Druids, Divines, and Ancient Mages and are rarely seen in Edhen World. It would be better not to learn any information about this one because this world''s Gods feared those who walk on these paths.'' The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a second and then continued in a solemn tone, ''Now, I will tell you more about the skills. My current skills are from the [Historian] ss. Except for the Mage path and Forbidden path Mystics, all other types of mystics will receive three main skills as a reward when ranking up. Ancients call this process gifts from the Creator. The [Historian] ss has three main skills. They are [Recall], [Knowledge Seeker], and [Wonder Sense]. And, yes. You can learn additional ss skills through various means, but it is a time-consuming process and lessens your progression. Next, when someone ranks up to a higher level, they will also improve their skills and get a deeper understanding. Take [Recall] as an example. Once you rank up a few times, this skill will also evolve and let you remember every minute of details about what happened in your whole life. For example, you will have an Eidetic Memory and wouldn''t forget about what you had for dinner on your 3,000th birthday. The second one is [Knowledge Seeker] skill. The evolved version of this skill [psed Time] is a very powerful one and has the origin divine power of Time. When activating this skill, you will be able to see the past itself. For an ancient mage like me who seeks the truth of the universe, this skill is a valuable treasure. I chose to walk on the path of [Historian] mainly because of this skill. Thest one is [Wonder Sense] skill. The reason Explorers dares to enter deep into devil''s den is mainly because of this skill. It can let you steal one''s luck and enchant your own. Same as before, this [Wonder Sense] will also evolve and will be [Miracle] in future ranks. Except for the [Recall] skill, I put a one-month cool-down on the [psed Time] skill and 45 days cool-down on the [Miracle] skill. Although I can activate this skill beforehand, the consequence will be severe. Moreover, constantly activating the [psed Time] skill will also harm my inner world and might erase some memory permanently, so I mostly activate these two skills only when the cool-down ends.'' Upon hearing the lengthy exnation, Charles nodded his head solemnly and then fell into deep thoughts. Chapter 62: Questions ''Mr. Rh, can you be able to cast a miracle now? Also, can you exin more about this miracle skill? Is there any specific amount of Luck need to cast a miracle? Will the user receives any side-effects? I want the truth, not the one you told your previous owners.'' Charles asked after a short deliberation. ''Tsk. You sure dock manners,d. Well, I already stole the Riverdale Citizens'' Luck to create the final miracle on you. But to cast a miracle, few requirements need to be met. First is the reason. Without any proper reason, the miracle won''t be sessful. The second one is the range of the miracle. I now have 540 peoples'' Luck. But with this much amount of Luck, I can be only able to do small miracles like fulfilling a mortal''s lifelong wish or something like that. For example, a farmer suddenly encounters a mutated wolf when he is doing some fieldwork. In this situation, the possibility of him defeating the wolf is almost zero. But if I made a change in the farmer''s Fate by boosting his Luck to an incredible level, the farmer might defeat the mutated wolf just by swinging his draw hoe. If possible, he might get a unique ss gem in return upon killing the wolf. It is basically a miracle for the farmer. But there is another possibility. The ''Miracle'' might fail if the farmer suddenly lost his courage and ran away from the mutated wolf. Next is about insufficient Luck when casting a miracle. It is the tricky part, and I faced such a problem when I cast the miracle spell on you. I have gathered a total of 50 thousand people''s luck powers in the past few decades, so I thought it would be more than enough to get you out of such a minor kidnapping incident. But something extraordinary urred when I cast the ''Miracle'' skill, and the gathered luck power disappeared in a blink. Left with no other choice, I made a swift n and borrowed the Riverdale Citizens'' Luck. Although I stole only their next two months'' Luck, it still affected them in many ways. So, you can never predict what will happen next when casting a miracle skill. And if I didn''t steal their Luck at that time, then thest miracle might not have happened at all.'' ''Oh.'' Charles nodded his head in enlightenment and soon thought to himself in English. ''My transmigration must be the cause of this extraordinary urrence. Still, what about the origin of the game system? It sure isn''t caused by a miracle. Then, is there any other third party involved in this?'' Doubt appeared in his mind. Casting those thoughts away, he took out the silver pocket watch from his pocket, flipped open the outer case, and checked the time. ''It''s 2.35 P.M.'' He nodded his head and soon muttered to himself. ''It''s been almost four months since I transmigrated into this magical world. So, the misfortune effect on Riverdale Citizens has gone, right?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and asked to study more about the Holem''s Crown''s character, ''Mr. Rh, if I end up in a simr situation, can you steal the Riverdale Citizen''s Luck once again and fulfill the miracle?'' ''No, if I further steal their luck power, the whole city will plunge into a great disaster. Many citizens will die.'' ''Oh, it seems you do care about the poor citizens'' lives. But if I didn''t trick you into signing the contract, you would have created a formality ''Miracle'' for me to fulfill the contract, stole my heart as a reward, and escape from others by casting another extraordinary miracle, right?'' Charles asked in a sarcastic tone. The Holem''s Crown went silent for a whole minute and soon sighed. ''It seems I ended up in the hands of a smart one this time.'' It paused for a moment and continued in a careless tone. ''Well, who cares about those mortals'' lives? Even if I didn''t kill them, they will age 50 to 100 years and die naturally anyway. So, there is no harm in stealing their luck power beforehand to cast a ''Miracle'' on you and get my freedom and a true body. Haa! If not for my impatience, ego, overconfidence, I wouldn''t have ended up signing another contract like a dumb fool and became a ve once again.'' A frown appeared on Charles''s face. ''This artifact sure is a troublesome one.'' He knew that if the artifact triggered something disastrous in the future, the wholewful Church organizations mighte for his head. He suddenly thought of Bishop Reynolds''s request and soon asked, ''Can you able to give back the stolen Luck to the people? If not, how many days will they be affected by the misfortune effect?'' The Holem''s Crown didn''t take much time to think and replied instantly, ''No, I can''t give back the luck power to the people whom I stole. The duration of the misfortune skill will depend on how much Luck I stole from their lifetime. Mostly, I won''t steal more than six months of their lucks in fear of changing their Fate. Luck is somewhat interlinked with one''s Fate. If I stole too much Luck from a particr individual, the particr individual might permanently lose his/her life and cause deep variation in the timeline. Let''s take this ruin mission as an example. A year ago, I made a n to do the ''False Reincarnation Ritual'' in Unexplored Forest and created a future mission by changing your Fate by manipting the power of Luck. That somehow attracted a certain individual''s attention, and he started manipting behind the scenes. He is the one Luke addressed him as ''His Highness''. If not for your warning and another individual''s interference, I wouldn''t have noticed this ''His Highness'' scheme and would still be in a clueless state. So, frequently using my miracle skill will cause too many variables in the Fate and attract unwanted attention.'' ''Another individual? Are you talking about the [Historian] Max?'' Charles raised his thin eyebrows in surprise. ''I don''t know about that guy''s name. But he seems to have interfered with the ns of ''His Highness''. You do remember about him cursing someone as damned [Historian] kid, right? That [Historian] Max might be that another individual.'' ''Heh, so that exins everything.'' Charles nodded his head and soon turned his gaze towards Emilia, who almost finished her long chanting. A few secondster, Emilia finally ced her right hand on the ground andpleted her long chanting. An instantter, an electric arc came out from her hand and spread in all directions, causing the ice on thieves'' bodies to melt at an unimaginable speed. Before long, all those Mystics gasped for breath and began to shiver due to the cold. Some stared around cautiously while gripping the weapons, while others started gathering together in a group. "BOSS?!" Richard was the first to notice Night-Eye''s body on the wet ground and called out in rm. Others, including Nicole, and Henry, also went near him and checked his body in a hurry. "He is dead." Before they could check his pulse, Emilia muttered coldly and then added after a short pause. "You guys should get out of this forest before something weird pops up and kill you all." After saying those words, she turned around and sat under the ck mangrove tree''s shadow. Unlike before, though, there was a sadness that appeared on her face. "It''s been five years since he joined the Withering Shadows organization and became a member of the Aces team. I didn''t expect him to betray and became a criminal at all." She muttered in a gloomy tone. "Why did he became someone''sckey?" Andrew sat beside Emilia and asked with a frown. "Did you forget about his lover''s death? That happened due to Jaxon''s mistake. He might have held some grudge against our team." Emilia rubbed her temte in frustration and said. "What if he became a member of Withering Shadows just for this moment? There is a possibility that he might be Red-Prince''sckey from the beginning itself! Team leader, haven''t you noticed another clue?" Andrew purposefully paused for a second and soon continued with a serious look. "It''s his house, Team Leader. He hasn''t moved to another street for thest five years and stayed in 134 El Street. He might have monitored Charles''s and his mother''s movements from the very beginning." Although his words sound absurd, Emilia felt that there might be some truth in his words and soon frowned. "It doesn''t matter now." She took a deep breath to calm her emotions and stood up with a stern look on her face. Then, she nced at the surrounding area for a moment and started walking in the direction where Luke and Daniel went before. Charles and Andrew nced at each other and then followed after her silently, leaving thieves alone in the dark, gloomy forest. Once they reached a certain distance, Emilia stopped near a swamp river and asked. "Charles, did you have any guess about Red Prince and hisckey''s goal?" Her sudden question made Charles pause in surprise. "Aren''t they after the Holem''s Crown?" He asked but soon frowned. Noticing his frown, Emilia nodded her head and spoke, "When the Holem''s Crown revealed its presence earlier, they didn''t even try to capture it. Instead, they ran away like cowards. Although they told Night-Eye to bring us to the ruin, Luke should have known about most of my trump cards. And, the possibility of Night-Eye defeating me is only 50 percent. So, I think that their main goal might be something else." Charles widened his eyes as he heard those words and soon thought of a possibility. "They want to lure us into the city ruin? Daniel also said something about releasing Chaos Wanderer before Crown escapes... What does that mean? Their goal is not to capture Holem''s Crown but then what is it?" He muttered out loud in a confused tone. ''Wait... Let''s think from the enemy''s perspective. If I''m the Red Prince, would I be happy about my enemy having an artifact that could create miracles? No. First, I would have made some ns and try to capture the Holem''s Crown. But capturing a series artifact is not an easy matter...'' He instantly halted his thought and soon asked the Holem''s Crown in Blen Language. ''Mr. Rh, what is the rank of Eddie Nightwind when he tries captures you in the void?'' Holem''s Crown became startled for a moment and soon replied without putting much thought into it. ''He is a [Dream Creator] back then.'' ''Dream Creator... That means this series artifact has the strength to battle against a Rank-5 individual. But why is it afraid of Rank-4 members?'' He furrowed his brows and soon asked the Holem''s Crown directly, ''Then, why are you afraid of Rank-3 and Rank-4 individuals now?'' ''I''m not afraid of facing a Rank-4 individual,d. But once I reveal my presence, there won''t be just one rank-4 member. Dozens of Rank-4 and even Rank-5 members wille from afar and try to capture me. That is thest thing I want to face in my life.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles nodded his head and then continued to ponder. ''So, let''s take that Red Prince doesn''t have the power to defeat that artifact. Then what will I do if I were in his shoes? Of course, I will try to separate it from my main target.'' A look of realization appeared on Charles''s face. ''Enemy wants to seal this artifact here? Then, therees another problem... Who is their main target?'' He organized his thoughts for a moment and spoke while pointing his finger towards the red bracelet. "Team Leader, the enemy might be nning to seal this artifact here." Emilia raised her hand, touched her chin, and soon frowned. "Can you tell me the reason?" Charles nodded his head and continued. "Enemy fears the Holem''s Crown''s ''Miracle'' ability. Although I''m not sure who their main goal is, I can vaguely guess that they might be targeting me. As for why they are targeting me, I have some guesses. It must be something to do with thest Miracle and my abnormal progression." "That still doesn''t exin why they are acting sneakily," Andrew said in a solemn tone. "Everything started on June 5th. It''s the kidnapping incident that caused me to change into an abnormal one. Moreover, I have a vague feeling that the kidnapping incident might be an orchestrated one. What if Red Prince orchestrated that kidnapping incident to lure this Holem''s Crown out from the shadows?" He suddenly shifted his attention to the Holem''s Crown and asked in a deep tone. "Why did you help me during the kidnapping incident?" Chapter 63: Strange Hypnotism Charles always felt something was amiss about the kidnapping incident, so he asked that question directly to the Holem''s Crown. In the meantime, Holem''s Crown got startled a bit and soon responded in the old man''s voice. "I acted due to the contract,d. If I hadn''t cast a ''Miracle'' skill on you, the abyssal contract would have activated on its own and harmed my Inner World. That will be the worst situation for me. When signing the Abyssal contract, Eddie Nightwind added a condition. That is when Eddie or his descendant''s life is in danger; I must use a ''Miracle'' skill on them and save them. Otherwise, the contract would go invalid, and I might face a severe bacsh. Ah, as for the kidnapping incident, I do feel something off at that time, but I didn''t put much thought into it." ''Yes, James''s action at that time was also odd. Why did he kidnap us if he wants to kill us? That leaves a big clue. Hmm, Red Prince must have nned to force me to face a life and death situation to lure this artifact out from the shadows.'' Charles''s lips curled upward as he heard organized his thoughts and then said with a smile. "From the Holem''s Crown''s words, I can guess that the Red Prince knew about the contract details, but he might not have known about where the series artifact was hiding at that time. Only when the Holem''s Crown cast ''Miracle'' skill on me did Red Prince might found its location using some skills. But what he didn''t expect was the sudden change in my character and strength. Still, Red Prince created multiple coincidences and tried to let us meet the Holem''s Crown directly during our search mission. As for why he did that, I have no idea about it. Maybe he knew about the Holem''s Crown''s real n?" He paused for a second and then continued. "But the Holem''s Crown sensing something was amiss about the whole situation and chose to stay silent." Upon hearing his exnation, Emilia went silent for a whole minute and finally opened her mouth. "Whether it is true or false, it doesn''t matter. What matters now is what to do with our current situation?" A frown appeared on Charles''s forehead as he thought of their current problem. ''What is our next move? Are we going right into the trap? Or, are we going back?'' Before he could speak, Emilia rubbed her fleshy nose and said in a deep tone, "Retreating is not an option, Charles. Moreover, there won''t be any Rank-4 membersing to this forest, and the possibility of us getting cornered is very slim. Moreover, we have a series-A artifact to back us up in difficult situations." She stopped for a moment and then asked, "Mr. Holem''s Crown, although it is very inappropriate to ask this, can you tell us more about your other skills? If we know more about your battle capabilities, we might have a big advantage." Actually, Charles had the same thought, but he knew that revealing the Holem''s Crown''s abilities to others was not correct. ''But if I didn''t ask the Holem''s Crown to reveal some of its battle abilities, we might end up in a bitter situation. Hmm, it seems like I don''t have any choice this time now.'' He pondered for a moment and soon agreed by nodding his head. At that time, he asked the Holem''s Crown to reveal its two or three abilities to Emilia and waited. Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown didn''t say any other word for a whole minute and finally spoke. "I was a Tri-Elemental Ancient Mage in the beginning, so I still have three spell stars in my Inner World. Although those three spell stars were damaged when the damned Divine and the Holem family members forced my soul into this crown, I can still borrow some power from those spell stars and cast low-level spells." "What are the spells'' names?" This time, Andrew folded his arms and asked. "One is a Travel star, and it can help me travel from one ce to another by creating a portal." "Spatial spell?" Charles raised his brows and soon through of the hidden quest he triggered earlier in the Dreamworld. ''That Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaf also has the simr ability... Did he know something about that tree?'' Charles pondered for a moment and chose to ask itter. While he was in muse, the Holem''s Crown let out a chuckle and answered in the old man''s voice, "It''s a different one, but this spell can manipte space elements but has some restrictions. Unlike before, I can''t exactly pinpoint the destination. So the possibility of reaching the right destination using this spell is almost zero." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then continued. "Second one is Mind Star, but this one is damaged heavily, and I can hardly use its ability. With my current restored power, I can make others'' bodies immobile for a short time, but I don''t have the power to stop their thoughts like your mind-rted skills. If I use this skill on a mage, he can easily cast his spell models without moving a muscle and attack me. Then, there is the Chaos Star. It''s the only attack spell I have in my Inner World and is rted to pure destruction. But there is a huge cool-down problem, though. Due to the connection rift with the previous Chaos ne, the ''Chaos imprint'' has long vanished. So, I can use this spell only once in a month." "Wow, the Holem Family members really did f*cked you very hard, aren''t they?" Even Charles felt pity for the Holem''s Crown. Without minding Charles''s pitying eyes, the Holem''s Crown simply let out a sigh and went silent. In the meantime, Emilia widened her eyes a little and spoke in an exciting voice. "Excellent. With this, we can have some advantages. Now, if I''m not wrong, there should be one or two Rank-4 members involved in the Red Prince''s schemes. If not, he wouldn''t have hidden his track from my brother''s divination. But even if they are involved, they wouldn''t dare to set their foot in the Unexplored Forest due to the fear of angering Castellon Rowley. At the very least, those Rank-4 members must have sent their incarnations in disguise to strengthen Luke and Daniel, and their strength won''t be above Rank-3. As for the Chaos Wanderer, we will see what it is when the right timees. Simply pondering about it won''t change a thing at all." She deliberated for a moment and soon added as she noticed the hesitation look on Charles''s face, "If you feel it is a reckless n, then how about this? We can search for an Explorer team and might ask their help to deal with the problem. Yes, with our official badge, it won''t be a problem for us to issue a mission at all." Charles''s eyes lit up as he heard those words and immediately nodded. The trio then discussed for a while under the tree shadow and soon went in a different direction. ... In the meantime, Richard took the lead and brought other thieves in a different direction. Other thieves also didn''t refute his words and simply followed his footsteps. During the previous battle, Richard and other gang leaders felt a great difference in their strength and lost their courage to enter deep into the Unexplored Forest. Although they were tempted by the treasure hidden in the ruin, they knew that their own lives were more precious than some scrap metals. They continued their walk for an hour in the wet forest and soon noticed something was odd about the surroundings. "Why are we still roaming inside the Mangrove Forest?" Nicole rubbed her smooth temte and asked in confusion. At that time, Richard suddenly saw a blurry stone wall-like structure through the dense tree woods and squinted his eyes. "Look, sister! It''s an old ruin!" Before he could utter a word to warn others, a ck-haired kid eximed in shock as he pointed his finger at the old stone wall and ran towards it in excitement. To thieves, old abandoned houses or ancient temples were the real treasure houses. These five rowdy gangs had explored different ruins in other forests in the past ten years and found many valuable things. So, when seeing a ruin, the reckless kid suddenly abandoned his cautious nature and ran towards it. "In one month, hepletely changed into a real thief. Don''t go too far, Philip!" Nicole shouted in worry as she remembered they were still in a most dangerous ce and soon sighed helplessly. "Why did I bring this reckless kid to this dangerous mission?" Shemented in distress. "Be careful of your surroundings, guys," Without minding Nicole''s distress words, Richard warned others before covering his face with a ck scarf and moved ahead towards the direction where Philip went before. Other thugs also followed after him and soon saw an old stone wall that stood around 3 meters tall. Mangrove trees and shrubs covered the wall in all directions, and a swamp river encircled the stone wall and wholly isted thend from the Unexplored Forest. "Philip?" After staring at the beautiful scenario for a second, Nicole suddenly noticed that her newly joined member was nowhere to be seen near the river bank and got startled. "Philip?" She and other thugs shouted in worry. But even after a long shout, no response came from anywhere, causing others to nce at each other in wariness. After entering the Unexplored Forest, they had already met different kinds of dangers in the past few days, so all of them went on a battle mode. A total of 17 Mystics stood on the river bank with solemn expressions on their faces. Gripping different kinds of weapons in their hands, they nced around cautiously and soon froze as they heard a melody voice from the other side of the stone wall. A secondter, the Mystics group suddenly noticed something strange. The surroundings went too quiet all of a sudden and sent eerie feelings to their hearts! Noticing the eerie atmosphere, Richard opened his mouth and said something to Nicole but soon widened his blue eyes. He couldn''t hear his voice at all! His lips trembled in fear as he nced at hisrades and soon noticed that other thieves also faced the same problem. Some even got panicked a little and showed agitated expressions on their faces. ''What the hell is happening?'' Richard''s face covered in cold sweats as he nced around for a moment and then signaled others to follow after him. At that time, he felt that something was calling him from the opposite side and moved his legs towards the river subconsciously. His heart thumped harder as he stared at the old yet sturdy stone wall for two continuous seconds, and soon he felt that the fear in his heart suddenly vanished. Not only him, but other thieves also felt sudden warmth feeling upon looking at the stone wall and got relieved. They subconsciously thought that this ce was safer than the outside! ''We need to check what is hidden on the other side.'' Simr thoughts appeared in everyone''s mind. Inhaling deeply, Richard first went near the muddy swamp river and soon moved towards therge wooden tree trunk, connected to the other side. He then nimbly climbed onto the wooden trunk and moved towards the other side like a circus magician. But to his surprise, he suddenly noticed that he could bnce his body at all! ''Is that due to my sudden deafness?'' He wondered. He tried to warn others, but his words ended up entering into the void. He danced on the wooden trunk for a second and soon fell into the muddy river water! Upon noticing the situation, others also stopped crossing the river using the wooden trunk and waited for Richard to reach the other side by swimming. Not even a single person stepped forward to help Richard and simply waited like it was the normal thing to do! In the meantime, Richard drank a mouthful of mud water and started moving his hands to swim. The water moved around his limbs in swirls, creating joy and a sense of relief. As he moved further towards the other side, the exciting feeling in his mind became stronger, causing him to push forward. Even though he perceived the strangeness, his greed destroyed his cautious thought. ''My intuition is telling me that something precious is hiding in the other side.'' Richard opened his blue eyes wider with a single thought in his mind and moved his hands in a hurry. After five minutes of long swimming, he finally reached the other side, then turned around and signaled them toe. Although his emotions interfered with his thoughts to go deep into the ruin, he somehow controlled his urge to walk further and waited for his gang members toe. At least, he felt that was safer than roaming alone in the new ce. Ten minutester, the Mystics group finally arrived in front of the stone wall and started searching for a way to enter the other side. Actually, most of them guessed that it must be the same city ruin that their employer was searching for and got delighted to find it earlier than them. As they went near the stone wall, they became entirely charmed by the unknown ruin and subconsciously started searching for a way in. After searching for another ten minutes, they soon found a half-broken area and climbed up hurriedly to move to the other side. A shocking gasp escaped Richard''s lips as hended on the other side. In the massive ruined city, he saw hundreds of broken buildings, a half-broken tent-roofed temple at the center, pirs, passages, stairways, and statues appeared all over the ces. Squinting his eyes, Richard zeroed his focus on the tent-roofed temple and felt odd about it. Palm trees and rainforest pressed against each side, pulling at the stone in an attempt to reim it, and the massive moat surrounding the temple shimmered orange and pink. Disease-carrying mosquitoes buzzed around Richard, but in his long-sleeved jacket, he paid no mind. Moreover, at that moment, he felt a change urred in his thinking... No, he suddenly woke up from the half-hypnotism! ''Something is wrong about this situation! Wait...Sh*t, we are in danger-'' That thought abruptly froze as he felt an uncontroble excitement entered the depths of his heart once again. Chapter 64: City Ruins Chapter 64: City Ruins Without even waiting for others to get ready, Richard patted the dust off and fastened his footsteps in a particr direction. Weather-worn stone pirs surrounded by dead clumps of grass appeared on the sides of the concrete roads. The half-crumbled ancient buildings, cracked blocks, and stones were broken up by meandering tree roots, pitted steps, and staircases were found all over the city ruins. Thankfully, the other Mystics hurriedly crossed the stone wall in few seconds and followed after their new leader with hurried footsteps. Except for the strange excitement to explore this new ruin and sudden attachment to this ruined city, somehow, their minds acted normally. While walking deep into the ruin, the Mystics also saw seven rectangr-shaped high-rise buildings stood in a particr area and got fascinated by the beauty for a moment. ''They are skyscrapers from the stories!'' A thought appeared in their minds. Beams of lights from the sun reflected on skyscrapers'' steel curtains and ignited the city pathways as if they were in the Divine city of Miracles! Unlike other half-broken buildings, those seven tall skyscrapers appeared in good condition and looked around 250 - 350 meters high. ''This looks like a real paradise.'' A strange thought etched in their minds. The Mystics even noticed some unknown inscriptions carved on the roadside pirs and became curious about this ancient city''s origin. Most of the ruins they found in the past decades were from just 1,000 to 2,000 years old. So, the presence of an unknown-ancient ruin city in the Unexplored Forest startled them greatly. "Is it belongs to the First Arcane Era?" Nicole asked out loud. But due to the strange deafness, no one responded to her question. ''Although I''m not an explorer, I read something about First Arcane Era in the Holy Book of Life once. In the book, the author mentioned that the Unexplored Forest Regions appeared long before the First Arcane Era. So, this city ruin might not belong to the Fire Arcane Era at all.'' She nodded inwardly and soon nced at the buildings. ''Moreover, the ones who created used different architects from normal ones. These buildings are very tall and appeared very straight in line. Those inscriptions in the stone pirs look more likeplex words used for writing secret letters. It looks more like a city from stories.'' Nicole mumbled inwardly and soon frowned as she stared at Richard in confusion. ''Where is he going?'' A thought appeared in her mind and soon disappeared like it never been there before. After noticing that their current leader was walking in a particr direction, other Mystics, including Nicole, instantly dismissed other thoughts and followed his footsteps. Richard and those thieves then walked on the rubble and broken concrete road through endless plies of dismembered buildings that sprouted smalls vines from the broken city wall. After walking for a while, they saw a path to the seven skyscrapers and fastened their footsteps towards it. One minuteter, they arrived at the center of the seven tall buildings and nced at the surroundings in curiosity and wonder. A pedestal built on the right side, and on it was a single human-like stone statue. It was also the area where Richard felt that something precious was hiding in there! Turning around, Richard arrived in front of therge ancient-looking statue of a long-ear man and stared at it for a few seconds. Unlike the humans, he saw a strange red horn protruded on the long-eared man''s forehead, and the man even had two ck metal-like wings. The man in the statue had long wavy hair, wide-set eyes, and he wore a simple robe, a long pendant around his neck, and two unique earrings. Although it was just a statue, the [Artisan], who created this statue, must have spent a lot of time and made this statue like a real person! Other thieves also followed after his gaze and soon fixed their gaze at the statue in awe. "Why this ce looks cleaner? Moreover, who drew these circles around this statue?" At this time, Nicole touched Richard and other thieves and pointed her finger towards the ground. Other thieves also startled by hand gestures and soon looked below. There, they saw strange writings were engraved below their feet and became puzzled inside. Due to Nicole''s sudden distraction, Richard became clear-headed once again and soon took a step back. He then touched his nose and started sniffing. The next instant, his expression turned strange. ''I couldn''t smell, I couldn''t speak¡­ Why did Ie to this ce?'' He then cast a wary look at the strange long-ear human statue and soon stiffened up. ''I need to warn others about this strange hypnosis-'' that thought instantly froze as Richard felt dizzy all of a sudden. Before he could think further, darkness covered his eyes andpletely blinded him! Not only him, all those thieves suddenly lost their vision and got panicked. They then tried to move near but couldn''t! Richard felt that he was going through the most dangerous torture and got frightened. He found himself standing in a void filled with nothing but darkness. He felt numbness, blindness, deafness, Anosmia, and so on! He even felt that something was affecting his thinking and got scared! He stayed still like a statue in the empty darkness world for a long time. Time passed slowly like a snail. He felt that he stayed in the dark world for years without doing anything and started to lose his sense. His mind turned nker, and his memories started to disappear one by one. After an unknown period, he suddenly started to question himself, like, who was he? What was he doing in the dark world? At that moment, the dark world started to crack a little and soon disappeared in front of his eyes. With a numb expression on his face, Richard finally saw a human face. The one who suddenly appeared in front of him was a red-haired man! He had messy, long hair, almond silver eyes, and appeared around 174 cm high. He wore a tight ck suit and looked very pale. Upon seeing the man''s face, Richard felt confused¡­ No, he just felt nothing but emptiness at that moment as he stared vacantly at the Red-haired man. Meanwhile, the Red-haired man''s almond silver eyes flickered as he looked into Richard''s eyes for a second and then sighed. "What a strong-willed thief." He said as he adjusted his ck suit and pulled out a silver dagger from his waist. Due to his lean body and average height, he looked more like a normal guy from the neighboring house than a powerful Mystic. A secondter, the corner of his mouth curved up and formed into a smile. That Red-haired man''s smile gave a sense of warmth andfort feeling to Richard''s nk mind. ''Master.'' Richard subconsciously smiled in return. His smile was one of happiness growing, much as a spring flower opens. In a second, Richard''s head suddenly began to bulge like a balloon and soon exploded, spreading blood, flesh, and brain matters in every direction! Following him was Nicole. One by one, simr things happened to all those thieves. All of them saw hope from the Red-haired man''s smile before their heads began to bulge and explode! A secondter, the headless bodies swayed and soon fell. The bodies then began to twitch for some time and theny motionless on the ground. Once all of their bodies went silent, the Red-haired man knelt on the ground, pped his hands together, and prayed in a strange ancientnguage. As his voice resounded through the lone city, the ancient-looking statue suddenly let out a dim red light from the crown area and illuminated the surrounding area. Then, all those scattered blood, flesh, and brain matter began to move in reverse and soon reattached to the headless bodies. In a blink, all those thieves returned to normal lively persons! But there was a change, though. Unlike earlier, the thieves'' skin turned redder, and their eye color also changed into scarlet ones. Moreover, there was also a strange reddish horn that protruded on their foreheads. "There are only 17 Chaos Beings. We still need 8 Mystics. These Chaos Beings are not enough to do the summoning ritual ceremony." The Red-haired man muttered with a frown as he stood up and soon asked. "Twister, how long will it take for you to lead the Explorers here?" As his voice fell, the silver dagger in his hand trembled for a moment and soon revealed a person''s illusionary image. That person was a male, who appeared to be around 18-years-old, had monolid eyes, and unique ck hair. His hair was done very nicely; he had some form of oil mixed in to give a short but noticeable wavy form to the ck strands. His forehead was almost square,rge, and imposing, but notughably so. A few lines wereid upon it, but they were dismissive as tricks of illusion. His eyebrows were impossibly straight, his eyes made of rich mahogany. Eyes that told many secrets but held them locked in a strongbox so vile that one wouldn''t dare to open in fear of what they might find within. The guy named Twister nodded his head and responded in a calm yet cold tone. "''Sea'' is leading a group of Mystics there now, so you don''t have to worry about the sacrifices. They are all specifically picked by him, and all of them done atrocious crimes in their life. Hehe, he will be there on time, so you can go and start the preparations now." He then raised his brows and asked while rubbing his temple. "Now, what are we going to do with the Explorers? If my guess is not wrong, quite a few powerful people are in this Explorers'' group, and most of them are from Life Church. One wrong move, our whole n will fail, Sir. Twilight." The red-haired man frowned deeply upon hearing Twister''s words and soon asked, "Where is ck''s Incarnation?" "He is with me. But I''m not too fond of that old foggy. I wonder why ''His Highness'' selected him as thest member of our group." Twister shook his head and said in a distrustful tone. "Although he isn''t a trustful person, we can use his strength in many other ways." The red-haired man stopped for a second and soon asked, "Did you contact ''His Highness''?" "No, he and Evil are searching for Charles in every nook and corner of Riverdale City. Damn, even I didn''t expect that he would grow at an unimaginable speed and would interfere with the ns of ''His Highness.''" An interesting smile crept on Twister''s face as he said those words. "At least we have an advantage." Suddenly, the Red-haired man took a deep breath and muttered. His sudden words caused the Twister to furrow his brows. Noticing the puzzlement, the Red-haired man let out a chuckle and said, "He didn''t know anything about your real identity. Even if his character ispletely changed, you''re his only best friend. Hehe, I wonder how he will react when he found out that his best friend is his main enemy." "It''s not funny, Sir. Twilight. He is growing into a dangerous person, which is not a good thing for ''His Highness''. Moreover, I haven''t contacted him after that kidnapping incident at all.''" Twister stopped for a moment as he suddenly thought of something and soon asked, "Did you avenge your son?" Upon hearing Twister''s question, a trace of anger swells upon the Red-haired man''s face, causing his nose to turn red. "No, that''s where the problem lies. That girl, ''Edith,'' is not a normal one, and she seems to have some connection with Abel''s sister, Emilia. When we entered the Mangrove woods, two thugs were somehow affected by the Chaos power earlier and turned into ''Chaos Beings.'' At that time, Emilia suddenly said about how these Chaos Beings are created and instantly saw through our n." "Did you finish her off?" Widening his mahogany eyes, Twister turned his face serious and asked in a hurry. "You are crazy. Don''t forget who Emilia is. Once you kill her, ten Rank-4 powerhouses will show up here in 30 minutes and wipe us out brutally. Humph, I don''t want to die like ''Mind'' and ''Coward''." Twister simply snorted coldly and then waited for him to continue. Meanwhile, the Red-haired man raised his hand, touched his chin, and ryed the whole scenery about how they ambushed Luke and almost killed him. "They even found out about Devil''s identity, huh! But why is that ''Edith'' helping the Life Church members? Something is not right¡­" Twister suddenly stopped for a moment and soon blurted out. "What if Charles disguised as Edith and monitored you guys all this time?" "Are you nuts? How can it be possible? No, there is no way that pretty girl is a Charles." The Red-haired man firmly shook his head and refused to believe those words from Twister. Meanwhile, Twister became stunned by the Red-haired man''s adamant behavior and soon felt something was wrong. "Where is Devil-" As he was about to ask further, Twister suddenly stopped for a moment and soon said with a smile, "Hehe, Emilia and others areing towards our camp area. Hmm? Oh? My guess is right. Charles is here with Emilia and others. From the looks of it, the ''Holem''s Crown'' is also with him. Quick, send this information to ''His Highness'' and tell him to start the n. It''s time to finish our long mission." Upon hearing Twister''s exciting words, the Red-haired man went wide-eyed and soon nodded his head in understanding. "You should do your job properly and led the ''Holem''s Crown'' here. Meanwhile, Devil and I will contact ''His Highness'' before awakening the Chaos Wanderer." After saying those words, Daniel cut off the virtualmunication by waved his hand, made the Chaos Beings sleep beside the winged man''s statue, and then disappeared from there. Chapter 65: Suspects Chapter 65: Suspects Ten minutester, a ck-haired kid named Philip, who was around the same age as Charles, walked on the concrete road and soon stopped in front of the red-skinned Chaos Beings. Although he entered the city ruin earlier than the thieves, he went in the other direction and luckily escaped from Daniel''s prying eyes. He wore a brown leather jacket, ck shoes, and ck leather pants and appeared well-equipped. He first arrived near the Chaos Beings and soon identified Nicole''s face among the newly created Chaos Beings. "What a pity." He said in an uncaring tone. "I thought of using these guys for another purpose. But that red-haired man-" He stopped for a moment and soon shook his head. "Thinking about the past won''t change the future. Only seeing it might give me more clues." He closed his emerald eyes and then muttered, "Past Seeker." A secondter, the surrounding image froze for a second before broke into multiple pieces and soon reced with another scene. It was the scene when Richard and other thieves arrived near the statue! The ck-haired kid soon saw the Red-haired man''s sudden arrival in the vision and watched him killing the thieves using a strange method with calm eyes. "Why is he changing them into evil monsters?" He asked himself in a t tone and soon squinted his eyes as he noticed that the Red-haired man was contacting another person. But once he heard their conversation and saw the other person''s face, the ck-haired kid''s pupil constricted as he soon muttered with a dubious look on his face. "Derrick? I heard a lot about him during myst semester, but I didn''t expect him to be a big schemer. Heh, it seems things will get interesting." The ck-haired kid waved his hand and broke the realistic ''past'' illusion after saying those words. "Twilight, is it? You shouldn''t have attacked me at that time, big nose. If I hadn''t entered my pocket dimension, you would have killed me like Landon and Conner. Humph, I will show you how a ''Seeker'' will take his revenge." He muttered in an icy tone and then disappeared from there¡­ ¡­ Somewhere in the Unexplored Forest, A few minutes ago, Aces team members roamed in the mangrove forest and soon stopped in front of a 100 feet tall pin oak tree while showing confused expressions on their faces. "Something is wrong. We walked past this tree 10 minutes ago." Emilia said while creasing her brows. She clearly remembered that they didn''t make any turns and got puzzled about how they got lost. At this moment, Charles took out a leather pouch, drank a few gulps of water, and asked a question as he thought of his progress in fire magic, "Team Leader, is there a way to get the ritual method so sooner?" After he ranked up to a ''Fire Weaver'' ss mystic, Charles asked some questions about ''Elemental Heart Creation'' to Archbishop Abel and learned that there were two ways to get the ''Elemental Heart Creation'' ritual method. The first one was signing another contract with Life Church. If he signed such a contract, the Life Church itself would provide ritual materials, Elemental ne co-ordinations, sacrifice material, and so on. They would even send a Rank-3 mage to help himplete the ritual. But Charles knew that it was just a ve contract, so he instantly refused. The second one was bypleting missions. Abel said that once he earns enough merit bypleting dangerous missions, Charles can request the Church and get the ritual method as a reward. But Charles was still clueless about how many missions he needed toplete to get a ritual method. Emilia raised her right hand upon hearing his sudden question, rubbed her slightly wrinkled cheek, and said in a thoughtful tone. "It''s not about the number, Charles. It''s about the gain. By giving you a ritual method, what will Life Church get in return? Once you get the ritual method, would you choose to stay in the Life Church, or would you go on your own? Think carefully. There are different methods out there to break the Life contracts. So, the higher-ups won''t give those methods so easily." Charles''s eyes narrowed as he heard those words, and he soon fell into deep thoughts. ''She is right. But if I didn''t get the elemental ritual method, I won''t be able to rank up at all.'' He suddenly stopped for a moment and soon asked the Holem''s Crown. ''Mr. Rh, do you know any ritual method to create an ''Elemental Heart'' for a Fire Mage?'' ''No. But I have another way to summon the Will of any elemental Fire ne.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly said in a tempting old man''s voice. ''But you won''t tell me unless I alter some changes in the contract, am I right?'' Charles clicked his tongue in annoyance and soon shook his head. "Don''t put too much thought into it, Charles. You already gained full control over the Holem''s Crown, which itself is a big merit. Once they learned that you are already in possession of the Holem''s Crown, they will definitely step down and give you that ritual method." She deliberately paused for a moment and soon said, "Now the bad root has been cut off from our team; I will ask you a question directly. Do you know why my brother asked me to go deep into the forest?" Confusion appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his eyebrows and soon went silent. Upon noticing his silence, Emilia smiled lightly and said. "It seems you have no n to tell us about Divine One''s warning." At that moment, Charles''s jade eyes widened. ''So, that exins her action! How could I forget that? I''m still a member of the Withering Shadows, so in others'' eyes, I''m still a firm believer of Goddess Nira, and I would definitely follow the Goddess''s words. In other words, Emilia''s secret mission is to lead me to face the ''Fate'' and make me reborn as a new!'' A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face. ''Sh*t, isn''t that what Goddess and my opponent want? Damn you, fanatic woman.'' He cursed at her silently and said with a forced smile on his face. "No, I thought that involving the team members in this matter is not a good option, Team Leader." Actually, his main goal was to gainplete control over the intellectual artifact. Although hepletely tricked it into signing the ''Imagination Contract,'' the quest about saving the Holem''s Crown still hadn''t beenpleted. If he somehow managed toplete it, he will get 8,000 Exp! For him, that would be the real treasure. "Nah, it''s okay. Bishop Reynolds visited me before you ranked up and told me about everything. Heh, although I don''t know much about this Fate and all, I can tell that it is possible to change one''s Fatepletely." While he was in muse, Emilia waved her hand and continued. "Bishop Reynolds got a revtion from the Goddess herself, which is not something we should casually brush it off. Take your new artifact as an example. When your ancestor made a prophecy, he mentioned that Holem''s Crown would show its appearance on October 2nd. To our surprise, the Holem''s Crown indeed revealed its presence to the world today. Did you understand why I lead you here?" Upon hearing her question, Charles thought for a moment and furrowed his brows, "Are you saying that I won''t be able to change My Fate?" "That itself is a sophisticated question. What is ''Fate''? In my opinion, Fate is nothing but a twisted future, and it will restrict the mortals from deviation to a dangerous path. If you try to change your Fate, it will not only affect you; it will also cause harm to your family members and friends. That''s why the Astrologer ss Mystics always pays close attention when changing one''s Fate. Everyone''s Fate has one single destination, and we all work hard in our life to reach that particr destination. Then, in the end, it''s all up to us to decide whether to walk on it or not. If we give up earlier, then that destined Fate will also fade away while creating a totally different one." "What about the Red-Prince? Isn''t he creating multiple coincidences and changing the whole city''s Fate?" Charles asked with a frown. At this time, Andrew suddenly sat on the nearby rock and posed a question. "What if he is correcting others'' Fate? What if the one changed the others'' Fate is another person, and he is trying to change it to a normal?" This question caught both Charles and Emilia off guard. ''Now that I think about it, it is possible. What if someone interferes with Red Prince''s n and constantly breaking others'' fates?'' At that moment, Charles subconsciously thought of the Game-system hidden in his body. ''Did my Game-Interface started all this? Wait¡­ The fake Eddie Nightwind also said something about me being an Irregr¡­ So, what if whenever I use the Game-Interface to level-up, I''m also creating a variation in the ''Fate''? It is possible!'' A look of realization appeared on Charles''s face. ''So the Game-Interface in my body is the real culprit, huh.'' He was momentarily at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Emilia took out her star watch and muttered in an understanding tone. "It may be rted to the power of ''Time.''" Upon hearing those words, Charles raised his head and stared at her in puzzlement. Noticing his gaze, Emilia ced the ''Star Watch'' back to her void pouch and shook her head. "I also know nothing much about the ''Time.'' And, I never even heard of someone with abilities to see futures other than Astrologers." At that moment, the red bracelet on Charles''s wrist shone in dim red light, and soon an old man''s voice came out from it. "Ancients call them as ''Seers,'' and they are the opposites of ''Astrologers.'' Although I don''t know why there were no ''Seer'' ss Mystics appeared in this Edhen World, I can vaguely guess that these fake Gods must be the reason." Without waiting for Emilia to say something in anger, the Holem''s Crown let out a chuckle and continued. "Time and Fate are two different things,ds. No, I would say that those two are pr opposites. For example, Astrologers always try to control someone in the name of ''Fate'' and improve themselves by twisting someone''s Fate in their own way. Although they let the mortals move to their destined Fate, they are still restricting the mortals in many other ways. Now, this ''Time'' is a unique thing. They break the Fate strings and create a unique future. Unlike Fate, Time is differentiated into three types. The first type is Past Time. My Historian ss''s [psed Time] skill is the real example. The second type is Present Time. Irregrs, Taboo Existences, and Divines are the ones who mastered this Present Time. With Present Time, they can change the future at any time, and their actions will be always unpredictable. As far as I know, the Fallen Time God Udnir and the newbie Time Angel Abium from my world are the only ones who delve deep into this Present Time. The third type is Future Time. Seers, Tricksters, Time Mages, and some forbidden path Mystics like Warlocks, Divines, and Ancients explore deep into this one. Unlike Astrologer ss Mystics, these Mystics will see countless futures when understanding the full nature of Time Law. But there are always some disadvantages, though. Except for the forbidden path Mystics, the ss-Gem path Mystics are weak in many other ways. Even if they can see the future, if they don''t have enough power to stand on their own, then their enemies will squash them to death in seconds. Even if they watch their death countless times and y countless tricks using future visions, they won''t be able to save themselves at all. So, if you want to stand above all, you need the real strength." Upon hearing those words, Charles widened his jade eyes. ''Finally, I have some information about the ''Trickster'' ss.'' He subconsciously nodded his head and then soon understood everything. ''Moreover, my game system has some Present Time ability which itself is a big clue for now. At first, I knew nothing about my sudden transmigration. But in few months, I already gather so much information about the real culprit behind my transmigration. My first suspect is the ''Taboo Existence'' who created the ''ss Gem'' itself. That possibility is very slim because my soul is not worth catching a big shot''s attention. My second suspect is Life Goddess. I''m joining the Life Church''s organization member, and her warning about the uing danger through Bishop Reynolds''s mouth; these two reasons made me feel something is off about that goddess. My third and final suspect is the Sun God. The only reason is he and I are both irregrs.'' When he was pondering, he suddenly heard a voice from afar and soon looked around. Chapter 66: Derrick Chapter 66: Derrick As Charles was about to ask further about the Trickster ss, he heard a human noise from afar. In an instant, the trio went on battle mode and moved stealthily into the woods. They walked on the wet soil while avoiding the dense, muddy areas and soon noticed that the dark clouds had already starting to gather above their heads, blocking the sun in return. "We can''t even hide our foot trails in this wend," Emiliamented casually and took the lead as she noticed that they were nearing the area where the human sound came from. The trio walked for five more minutes while avoiding the strange round leaf nts and soon saw a few camp tents ced on in ground, covered by a protectiveyer shield. Due to the presence of dense round-leaf nts, nobody from the camp noticed their presence yet. Charles''s gaze swept past those tents and soonnded on a single g, ced above the farthestrge tent. A ck crown symbol was drawn on the g, giving a sense of mystery to the trio. "Explorers!" Both Emilia and Charles muttered in unison. At that time, the scout from the Explorers'' suddenly noticed some presence nearby and alerted everyone by blowing a whistle. Within seconds, a group of twenty members walked out from all those tents and soon gathered in the center. Unlike thieves, these Explorers wore different types of suits and robes and looked rather professional. There were even two blue-robed, and one golden-robed old man stood with a solemn look on their faces in the group and appeared different from the rest. After casting their search-type skills, all of them looked around for a few seconds and soon turned their heads towards a particr direction. Due to vines and small nts, they couldn''t see the visitors'' physical appearance and only saw some human shadows. "Who is it?" A lean, white-haired old man, around 70-years-old, walked ahead and asked in a cold tone. He wore a in ck shirt and pants and appeared very simple. His ck eyes flickered in the gloomy forest as his gaze swept past those darkish green nts and soonnded on those three human-like figures. Upon hearing a familiar voice, Charles curled his lips upward and smiled, "Uncle Carter. It''s me, Charles." Charles shouted, and at the same time, moved his hand towards his waist area. On the other side, Carter also identified his voice and responded with a smile, "Charles? Is that you? Come out." Nodding, Charles excluded the nts and vines and walked towards the group slowly while cing his right hand on the dagger sheath''s grip. "Why are you gripping your dagger?" Andrew sensed that Charles''s heartbeat was beating faster than usual and became confused. "Something dangerous is hiding in that group. I feel the gaze of a poisonous snake." With a smile stered on his face, Charles muttered in a low voice and walked ahead. His words surprised both Andrew and Emilia. It was not a skill but his lifelong experience in studying the humans'' characters. Charles''s eyes wandered for a second and soonnded on a ck-haired guy with mahogany eyes. He looked around 18-years-old, had impossibly straight eyebrows, and wore a simple linen cloth under the leather armor. ''His face¡­'' Charles instantly felt some familiarity upon seeing the ck-haired guy''s face and soon widened his jade eyes. In a second, information about this guy surfaced in Charles''s mind. Upon finding that this guy was real Charles''s close friend, he got stunned for a second. ''This moron is the real Charles''s best friend?'' Without any dy, Charles cast the [Inspect] skill on him and waited. ¡­ [Inspect has been cast¡­] [Wisdom Check¡­] [Inspect sess!] ¡­ [Name: Derrick Dewbringer (Twister) Race: Human ss: Lv5 Explorer (Rank 2) Sub-ss: None Title: None Health Points: 118/118 Attributes: Strength- 14 Dexterity- 16 Constitution- 13 Wisdom- 17 Charisma- 8 ss skills/ spells: Full Recall, Wonder Vision, Lucky Treasurer, History Recorder. Unique Skills: Devil''s Eyes.] ''He is Rank-2 Mystic? But Carter said that he is just a [Historian] ss Mystic, right? Moreover, Devil''s Eyes, is it? This sure gives me a big clue.'' A surprised expression appeared on Charles''s face as he shifted his attention to the title area and soon made up his mind. "Team Leader, be careful of the kid with ck hair and mahogany eyes. If possible, use some random excuse and arrest him with your ''Ice Net'' spell and make him immobile." Charles didn''t even think for a second and said in a cold tone. With their status as members of the Withering Shadow Organization, they had the full rights to arrest anyone from Riverdale City. Although these guys were Explorers, even they had to abide by the rules of Church organizations. When Charles saw those vile eyes, he knew that guy had ill intentions against him and became more careful. If it were before, he wouldn''t have noticed those ill intentions hid in those eyes. Thankfully, his current [Prevision] skill also activated earlier and alerted him about the impending danger. "Ice Net is a limited spell, and I already used it earlier." Emilia stopped for a second and soon added, "I can use ''Touch of Idiocy'' and ''Mind Fog'' and make him immobile for three seconds." Charles thought for a second and nodded. ''If I use the dark magic spell from the Starfall Codex book, I can restrict him in that time.'' "Are you sure about this? He is your close friend, Charles." Andrew said with a clueless look on his face and soon widened his eyes. "Don''t tell me-" He stopped for a second and soon muttered in shock, "What a pervert. You have to be more careful, kid. I don''t know why these men are eyeing your body." Upon hearing those ominous words, both Emilia and Charles were at a loss for words. "I didn''t mean it like that. He might know something about Luke''s background and the so-called mastermind ''Red Prince.'' He clearly has some ill intention against us." Charles whispered in a helpless tone. "Ill-intentions?" Emilia raised her eyebrows and soon followed after Charles. After crossing the muddy area, the trio soon appeared in front of the group of twenty and greeted them with a nod. At that time, Charles''s gaze scanned those twenty-plus explorers and soon widened his eyes a little as he was two familiar faces. He then hurriedly turned his face normal and shifted his attention towards Carter. "Why are you here, Charles? Your mother warned you about the dangers hidden in ruin-rted missions, right?" Carter took the initiative and asked. "Behind every fortune lies a great danger, uncle. If I want to push forward, I have to face these types of obstacles." Charles suddenly paused for a second as he felt a slight abnormality in this thinking and got stunned. ''From when did I start speaking like a philosopher?'' In fact, he was surprised by his own quotes for a second and soon changed the topic, "You should concern more about Derrick''s safety, uncle. He is the one who is in a dangerous situation." "Haha, that''s why I came along with him to this mission," Carter said with an awkwardugh and soon nced at Derrick, who wasing towards Charles while excluding the crowd. "Good to see you, my dear friend," Derrick said with a smile as he arrived right in front of him and deliberated for a second before continuing. "You sure have changed in the past few months. Heh, look at those biceps, you even starting to work out, huh." "Derrick, can we talk in private? I need to tell you something." Charles suddenly raised his right hand, pointed his forefinger towards therge lone tent, and asked. Derrick''s smile disappeared in an instant as he heard those words, and soon he nced at an old-looking man in the crowd before curling his lips upward. "Don''t worry; these guys are all ourrades. You can say it in the open." Derrick was not an idiot to fall for such a trick, so he instantly refused to go alone. ''So there is another pawn hiding here, huh.'' A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at Derrick for a moment and then asked, "Then, do you know anything about ''Devil''?" Upon hearing his words, Derrick''s body went stiff for a moment, and soon he cast his ''Devil''s Eyes'' skill on Charles. At that moment, Charles felt an invisible power was trying to invade his mind. But he simply used the dark space andpletely blocked it from entering! A momentter, shock appeared on Derrick''s face as he took a step back in anxiety and nced at a particr white-haired old man. The old man looked around 90-years-old, full of wrinkles on his pale face, had cial blue eyes, a sharp nose, straight eyebrows, and a rough square face. Unlike other explorers, he wore a golden robe and gave off a sense of ancient aura! In the meantime, Emilia followed Derrick''s gaze and soon froze, "Chief Deacon? What are you doing here? Why are you in your incarnation state?" She asked in a surprised tone. Earlier, she entirely focused her attention on Derrick, so she didn''t even check who was hiding in the Explorers group at all! At that time, Charles also turned his gaze towards the old man and soon noticed a difference. His face looked slightly dimmer than others'' faces, and he appeared more like an illusion. ''Is this the Incarnation form? Mr. Rh, can you guess how strong he is?'' He asked in his mind. ''His strength should be around Rank-3.'' The Holem''s Crown replied honestly. In the meantime, the old-man moved his gaze towards Emilia and then raised his eyebrows. "Emilia Wilson, right? I heard a lot about you from my grandson, Russell. What are you guys doing here?" Even after Emilia revealed his identity, the old man didn''t even flinch a bit and responded calmly. At that time, sudden realization dawn on Charles''s face. ''Wait¡­Russell? Is he the Anderson ck? Why is he here? Could it be¡­Is he also ackey of the ''Red Prince''? Wait a minute¡­ Something is wrong here. If he is the pawn, then he should have known about the Holem''s location, right? Then, why did he send the [Shadow Guard] Mystic, Ian Adams, after my head during the unofficial mission? Did he send Ian to test my strength?¡­ No, I don''t think so. At that time, I also felt puzzled about why Anderson sent a foolish loud mouth on such a mission¡­ But seeing him here is not a mere coincidence! He must havee for the Holem''s Crown! Did he purposefully send Ian Adams to leak some information about the Holem''s Crown to me? Now that I think about it, I knew nothing about the Holem''s Crown back then. All I knew about was its name, and it is a series artifact.'' He suddenly felt that Anderson ck might have deliberately asked Ian Adams toe after his head and got stunned for a second! ''It is possible.'' Charles nced at the calm-looking white-haired man and soon furrowed his brows. ''Then, why did he give ''Starfall Codex'' to Ian? Hmm, was he that much confident in Ian''s strength? Nah, that''s not possible. Starfall Codex is an extraordinary artifact, so not even Anderson would give up on such an artifact¡­ That leaves with only one answer, and that is Anderson knew nothing about the ''Starfall Codex'' magic book at all. Instead, it might be Ian''s trump card. So, there is no way Anderson ck knew about the ''Starfall Codex''!'' He instantly made a guess. While Charles was in muse, Emilia curved her lips upward and said with a smile, "My brother personally gave a secret mission to me before leaving and asked me to go deep into the Unexplored Forest with my teammates." Her words surprised Anderson. Truthfully, he thought of using his status as an excuse and asked her and her teammates to follow after him to the City Ruins. But now, he instantly dismissed that idea. ''Archbishop Abel¡­ Why did he ask his young sister to go deep into the Unexplored Forest? Did he foresee our scheme? Then, there is a high chance that he might have his own motives.'' Aplicated look appeared on his face as he thought the most troublesome person and soon sighed. But that sigh made Emilia, Charles, and Andrew take a step back in unison. They instantly tensed up and went on a battle mode! "You guys shouldn''t havee here. Sadly, you and your team members already learned too much about us, so I can''t let you live any longer. Moreover, it''s already the right time to start our n. I want to see if the ''Holem Crown'' really can save you guys by creating a ''Miracle.''" He said in a mocking tone and conjured a long crystalline sword out of thin air. Chapter 67: Kidnap Chapter 67: Kidnap "Sir. ck, wait." Suddenly, Derrick remembered Twilight''s warning and shouted in a hurry. But Anderson didn''t even listen to Derrick''s words as he narrowed his blue eyes and directly shed the crystalline sword at Andrew''s neck! But to other''s surprise, he stopped his sword in a mid-way and then turned his gaze towards the dense woods. In the meantime, other Explorers, including Carter, got stunned by the sudden change and stared warily at Anderson ck and Derrick. Anderson''s action was too sudden, which caught thempletely off guard. Carter was the first to wake up from the shock as he unsheathed his long sword and pointed at Anderson in a hurry. "Sir. Ande, what is the meaning of this? You said that you would never attack anyone without my permission!" Carter bellowed in anger. "I lied." Anderson didn''t even turn around as he said those words and soon squinted his eyes while locking his gaze into the deep woods. "Sir. ck, you are supposed to capture them, not kill them." This time, Derrick also woke up from the shock and said in a gloomy tone. "I won''t take order from a mere servant." Anderson coldly snorted and then frowned. Meanwhile, a male human figure walked out from the dense nts and revealed a bewildered look on his face. The figure was a curly white-haired man with few wrinkles on his face, and he looked around 40-years old. He had deep-set amber eyes, a square face, thin eyebrows, and a long hawk nose. In his golden line embroidered white robe, that man looked like a sacred being descended from heaven itself. He was none other than Bishop Reynolds! A few minutes ago, he went to take a leak, but before he could return, things escted very quickly, causing him to stare at everyone in bewilderment. Shaking his head, he wore the white beret and took out a unique golden pocket watch from his void pouch. He then walked on the wet sand and soon appeared beside Charles. "You sure do love to create trouble." He muttered in a dissatisfied tone and then turned his gaze towards Anderson. "Bishop Reynolds." Anderson''s expression went cold as he stared at the Bishop for a second and then narrowed his eyes. "Do you think you can stop me from killing him?" Asking in an icy tone, he moved his sword and pointed the crystalline sword tip at Charles''s chest. To his surprise, Bishop shook his head and smiled. It was a simple smile with a mixture of helplessness and tiredness hidden in it. But that simple smile made Anderson''s heart beat faster all of a sudden. ''What is he plotting?'' A question arose in his mind as he tilted his sword and moved the sharp edge towards Bishop Reynolds. He felt that it was necessary to kill this man if he wanted to kill the other three. At that time, Bishop suddenly stretched his hand into his pocket at an unimaginable speed, took out a green-colored pointy leaf from it, and stuffed it into his mouth before closing his eyes. His sudden action startled everyone greatly. It took only 0.1 seconds for him to put the weird green leaf into his mouth! ''Why are you eating a marijuana leaf now?'' Even Charles wore a baffled look on his face and soon widened his jade eyes. At that moment, an illusionary green sword appeared in front of Bishop Reynolds and blocked Anderson''s sword on its own, leaving a nging sound behind! Before Anderson could take a step back in shock, Bishop Reynolds opened his eyes and stared deep into Anderson''s eyes. "I''m indeed powerless against your incarnation, Mr. Anderson. But I have an omnipotent Goddess behind me." Bishop said in a calm tone and gripped the illusionary sword. ''Humph, a fool who doesn''t even know where he got the power to create an imaginary sword.'' The Holem''s Crown retorted in a sarcastic tone in his mind. ''Inner World?'' Charles asked in surprise. ''Yes. Fake Origin ss members always have an easy time perceiving their inner world and can borrow the power from it. Although their Gods indeed help them shorten the distance between their body and their inner world, it is still their power.'' Charles frowned as he heard the Holem''s Crown''s words. ''Why do I feel that this artifact is revealing too many secrets about the ss system?'' After thinking for a moment, he shook that thought away from his mind and then shifted his attention towards Bishop Reynolds. ''Did hee here to fulfill the Goddess''s prophecy? Or, is he after something else?'' In truth, Charles hadn''t put much trust in Bishop and Ethan''s words at all. But as he saw his arrival, he felt rxed inside and breathed out a sigh of relief. In the meantime, a blue-robed old man from the Explorers'' group suddenly took a step forward and pointed his fingers at Anderson. An instantter, an arc of blue lightning came out from his fingertip, stuck Anderson from behind, andpletely caught him off guard! It was a simple Rank-2 lightning spell, Thunderbolt! As the blue lightning arc contacted Anderson''s body, it spread all over his illusionary body and paralyzed him on the spot! Bishop''s lips suddenly arched upward as he took a step back and spoke. "Leo, do it now." Upon hearing those words from Bishop, another blue-robed man nodded his head and took out a blue gem embedded staff from his void pouch. It was a simple 2 feet long stick with a blue crystalline gem embedded on the top of it. The blue-robed man named Leo then blinked right next to Anderson ck, pointed the staff at him, and smirked. Then, the space around Anderson began to twist and soon formed into a circr void. After that, a suction force pulled him, Bishop Reynolds, Anderson ck, and the Lightning Mage into the void, and then the void disappeared like it never been there before. At this time, Carter finally woke up from the shock and red at his son. "What the hell is happening here?" His cold voice echoed in the gloomy forest, causing Derrick''s face to stiffen up. Although he was a big schemer, he was still an 18-year-old kid who was always afraid of his dad. Upon noticing his dad''s cold gaze, he subconsciously gulped his saliva and then broke into cold sweats. ''An opportunity.'' Curling his lips upward, Charles took a step forward towards Derrick and kicked his balls. Before Derrick could shout in pain while covering his manhood, Emilia also acted on her own and cast ''Mind Fog'' and ''Hypnosis'' skills on him. She then went beside the confused Derrick, ced her hand on his shoulder, and cast another skill. It was her ultimate skill, Touch of Idiocy! A foolish smile appeared on Derrick''s face as he opened his arm and waited for Charles to finish his chanting. "What are you doing to-?" Carter stared fiercely at Emilia and questioned her. "We will take care of him, Mr. Explorer." Before Carter could finish his question, Emilia cut him off while showing her Withering Shadows department badge and signaled Charles to proceed. On the other hand, Charles had long opened the Starfall Codex book and started his chanting. But unlike before, his lips moved at an impossible speed and vocalized the runic words faster. He closed the Starfall Codex book in less than three seconds and waved his hand like a trickster. Then, three eerie ck metal chains popped out from the wet ground like snakes, slithered around Derrick''s legs, and soon shackled Derrick''s body in a blink. It was a Rank-2 Darkness spell called Chain Curse! This spell not only imprisons the opponent''s body, but it also could bind one''s soul itself! Upon seeing those eerie ck chains, Carter''s eyes widened into a shock, and soon he stared at Charles in rage and hatred. "You are colluding with the Destiny Conquerors?" At that moment, other Explorers also shifted their gazes and showed their hostility openly. ''Not good¡­ Did they take me as a Dark Mage?'' Charles was momentarily stunned by their behavior for a second and soon nced at their faces. When Charles saw fear and rm in their eyes, he knew that taking wouldn''t solve the problem and made a swift decision. In an instant, he activated the [Prevision] skill and took out a silver card from his space ring. Before Carter could question him further, Charles first crushed the card a little and activated the Arcane card''s Nature Spell! But he didn''t end it there, though. Instead, he signaled Emilia to get ready and then cast [Crimson Wings] spell on himself. At this moment, hundreds of creepy ck nt vines popped out from the ground and started moving around those Explorers like snakes. Without even minding the furious dad''s re, Charles grabbed the chains on Derrick''s body and flew upward while pping his wings forcefully. Simultaneously, two illusionary wings appeared behind Emilia as she also grabbed Andrew''s shoulder with both hands and followed Charles''s action. The sudden turn of eventspletely stupefied the Explorers. ''How did she manage to lift that baldy easily?'' Such thoughts crossed everyone''s mind. By the time Carter freed himself from those creepy ck vines, Charles and Emilia flew far away and soon disappeared from their eyes! Up in the sky, Charles surveyed the Unexplored Forest while pping his wings constantly and soon saw seven skyscrapers deep in the Unexplored Forest. "Charles, maintain a 50-meter distance from the ground and move in that direction. If we flew too high, it would expose our location to the enemies," Emilia also saw the unusual ruin-like area far ahead and spoke in a loud voice. Nodding his head, Charles pped his crimson wings and flew towards the ruin while avoiding few taller trees on his way. Meanwhile, Emilia held Andrew''s shoulder with both of her hands like carrying a baby and followed after him. In truth, she used an artifact and lessened Andrew''s weight using a skill called [Feather Body]! While Charles was moving, he stared at the city ruin from the sky and got awed by the beautiful architecture. The seven skyscrapers stood imposing at the center and seemed to be overseeing the Unexplored Forest itself. Surrounding that ruined city was a swampy river, making the city looks more attractive from the sky. Charles focused his attention on the ruin for a while and saw a tent-roof temple-like structure near the skyscrapers. Out of curiosity, he zeroed his focus on the particr broken temple-like structure and soon sensed a sudden abnormality within his mind. ''Why am I looking for danger? Was this mission worth risking my life? Although Quest reward is good, why am I risking myself and entering deep into the Unexplored Forest?'' Such thoughts surfaced in his mind. But as he shifted his gaze from the temple, another thought appeared. ''No, behind every fortune lies a great danger. If I want to push forward and be a powerful being, I need to face these types of obstacles.'' Unlike the previous thought, this one stood firm in his mind. Charles suddenly perceived a change in his previous thinking and narrowed his eyes. ''Why do I feel d¨¦j¨¤-vu? I also felt this type of different thinking when battling against the Dark Wolf¡­ Am I over-thinking now?'' He pondered for a moment and then shook his head before he pped his wings to rise higher to avoid bumping into arge pointy-leaf tree. Chapter 68: Servants of the True Fate Chapter 68: Servants of the True Fate Charles then thought of Anderson ck''s incarnation and asked, ''Mr. Rh, can you tell me more about Incarnations? How is a Rank-4 Mystic able to create incarnation?'' After he saw Anderson''s illusionary image, he suddenly felt curious. How could such an illusion have the strength to battle against a Rank-3 Mystic? He was indeed surprised inside. The Holem''s Crown also seemed to be enjoying the flight ride as it let out a weird shout and answered, ''Hoo, an Incarnation is basically a pure form of energies with some consciousness of a true soul fused with it. Although they don''t have a true physical body, they have their own consciousness. To put it simply, they are more of a condensed memory with some will of the true soul and energies.'' ''Can you tell me how strong these incarnations are?'' Charles asked with keen interest. ''If the real body has the strength of Rank-4, their incarnation should be around Rank-3. But unlike the true bodies, the incarnations have some weaknesses. If you grasp the weaknesses correctly, you can even kill a God''s Incarnation.'' The Holem''s Crown said in an exciting voice. ''Do you have some life-long grudge against these Gods? Ah, never mind.'' He suddenly remembered how this Holem''s Crown was created and changed the topic. ''Then, can you able to kill an Incarnation of God?'' ''If my Dark Spell star is in a recovered state now, I might kill a God''s incarnation using some underhand methods.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a proud tone. ''But I''m asking about your current Dark Star spell''s strength.'' Charles clicked his tongue and asked while holding the chains on Derrick''s body with both hands. ''I can kill a Rank-4 incarnation without much difficulty. But against a Rank-5, I will face some difficulty.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused for a second and soon added. ''Although killing a Rank-5 Incarnation is difficult, it''s not an impossible thing for me.'' Without waiting for Charles to ask more questions about it, the Holem''s Crown took the initiative and continued. ''If I attack my opponent sneakily, the chance of me assassinating a Rank-5 incarnation is very high.'' Charles nodded his head and then asked another question in his mind. ''Are you able to enchant my Luck? I have a feeling that I''m might not make it out alive if I don''t take the necessary precautions.'' Actually, Charles felt that his [Prevision] skill was warning him about the impending danger. The Holem''s Crown didn''t reply, though. It pondered for a whole ten seconds and then said. ''I have a way to enchant your luck using the ''Luck Divinity.'' But-'' It purposefully paused for a moment and asked, ''What would I get in return?'' Charles instantly knew that this sneaky old man had already started to scheme and asked in annoyance. ''What do you want?'' The Holem''s Crown didn''t take too much time to reply, though. ''I want to see the real content of the contract I signed earlier.'' Before Charles could refute, the Holem''s crown spoke solemnly. ''Lad, the contract is already signed. Even if I see the contents now, I can''t change anything in the signed contract. Although you are my real owner now, if someone yed some trick on the contract before we sign, the chance of getting into trouble is very high. A mere illusion even tricked me, so it would be better to check the contract for our own good.'' The Holem''s Crown''s sudden words made Charles furrow his brows in suspicion. ''I already checked the contract with my [Inspect] skill, so there should be no loopholes in it.'' He thought for a moment and soon made a decision. ''I will show it to you once wend. But you have to do the ''Luck Enchantment'' on me now.'' Charles didn''t dare to dy any longer as he sensed the urgency from the [Prevision] skill and said. ''Hehe, so be it then. For the next 24 hours, you will be a lucky guy. But be careful. When the ''Luck'' ends, you will face unlucky retribution for the next two months, and that will be one hell of a ride. You once again altered your fate now.'' The Holem''s Crown''s words made Charles almost lose his concentration on pping the wings. ''You stole my luck to enchant for a short amount of time?'' He red at the red-gem embedded bracelet. ''Humph, do you think that''s a simple matter? Changing one''s Luck itself will cause some deep variation in the future, and I will also receive some bacsh in return.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone. ''Then, why did you enchant my ''Luck'' now? Moreover, what is the bacsh?'' Even Charles couldn''t understand what this old man was thinking and asked in doubt. ''If I didn''t enchant your ''Luck,'' the chance of you surviving this absurd mission is almost none. Humph, you are now walking into a dragon''sir, so how could I let you die so easily and face a huge bacsh?'' Upon hearing those words from the Holem''s Crown, Charles suddenly widened his eyes and soon felt a change in his emotions. As he was about to think further about his abnormal behavior, he felt an aching feel from his shoulders. ''Damn, this is my limit. I can''t fly any longer while carrying this *sshole.'' He slowed down his speed by pping forward and paused in mid-air. "Team Leader, can wend now?" He then asked while turning his head towards the right side. Meanwhile, Emilia also nodded her head and spoke. "We shouldnd near the bank of the swampy river. After interrogating Derrick, we can follow the river and directly reach the City ruins in an hour or two." She said before flying in a circle and then descended towards the Swampy river bank. pping the wings, Charles and Emilia slowly reached the sandy ground andnded on it with light footsteps. After that, Charles threw the chained Derrick on the river bed sand and started panting heavily, "I didn''t expect that casting a single darkness spell would cause them to show that much hostility towards us." In the meantime, Andrew freed himself from Emilia''s hands like a sneaky cat and said while shook his head. "After the unruly Mages destroyed a kingdom using a curse spell, those curse spells became forbidden in any kingdom. So, when you used a curse spell on Derrick, it''s not surprising for them to show such hostility. It''s not the dark mages that masses hate; it''s the curse spell. If a Dark Mage didn''t learn any curse spell, the masses would treat them nicely. Even one of the Arc Kingdom''s Royal Mages is a Dark Mage, and he is a noble character with the highest reputation among the masses." Emilia also nodded her head in approval and added. "These types of curse spells not only harm one''s body, but also harm one''s souls, Charles. If you harm one''s soul severely, then that soul might get rejected by the Eternal River of Life and would perish for real. It means that they won''t be able to reborn in this Universe and disappear permanently." "It''s not. Who said this kind of nonsense to you?" The Holem''s Crown instantly disagreed and continued as an expert historian. "These curse spells really can harm one''s soul, but when the injured soul enters the Eternal River of Life, it will go into a hibernation state and would reborn only after healingpletely. Humph, even chaotic souls will get purified by the Eternal River of Life, much less some injured souls." Charles got stunned by the Holem''s Crown''s words and soon nodded. Although he knew that the dark mages had a bad reputation in this world, he hadn''t thought that the churches had altered the basic information about dark mages and their spells. In the meantime, Emilia was also stunned by the new information and soon chose to check further when returning to Riverdale City. "Thankfully, you made a swift decision otherwise; things would have gone in a different direction," Emilia turned her attention towards Derrick and said in a solemn tone. Unlike before, Derrick''s mahogany eyes were wide opened, and tears could be flowing out constantly from the corner of his eyes. Although he was still smiling foolishly, one could see that the [Touch of Idiocy] skill''s effect was almost over. "It''s already more than five minutes. Release the chains now; otherwise, Derrick''s soul might be damaged permanently." Emilia said while taking out a wooden stick from her void pouch and shed at his buttocks. A secondter, Derrick woke up suddenly, cried out in pain, and then started crawling towards the opposite side. If it were before, he would have used his full strength to escape from this situation. Unfortunately, his body had already weakened, and he trembled all over due to some unknown pain in the soul. He didn''t even have the time to shout out a word as he sensed the tearing pain from his buttocks. After a few minutes ofshing, Emilia threw the broken stick and cast [Hypnotism] skill on him. After that, she made him kneel on the sandy ground and cast [Discern Lies] skill before questioning him. "What is the name of the organization you are working for?" Her slightly wrinkled face turned cold as ice as she asked that question. Derrick instantly turned his face serious and uttered three words. "It''s Devils'' Lair." Confusion drawn on Aces Team member''s faces as they heard the new organization name and became more interested. "How many members are there in Devils'' Lair?" This time, Charles took the initiative and asked. "Including our boss, there are still seven members," Derrick said truthfully. "Who is your leader?" Charles nodded his head and questioned him further. "He is the Devil of Fate." Upon hearing Derrick''s words, the trio nced at each other and soon grew solemn. "Devil? Why did he call him the ''Devil of Fate''?" Charles questioned. A strange smile appeared on Derrick''s face as he raised his hand towards his mouth and tried to wipe his mouth¡­ His action startled them greatly. When Charles and Emilia were battling against Addie Baker, Charles remembered that Addie also made a ritual sign and tried to wake up from the [Hypnosis] skill effect! Noticing the seriousness, Charles instantly grabbed his hand and stopped him from finishing the ritualistic sign. At that moment, Derrick''s face showed unwillingness as he bit his lips and spoke in a rough voice. "He is the ''avatar'' of Devil Lord of Fate." ''Avatar? Does he has multiple personality disorder, or is he really a Devil Lord''s avatar?'' Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and soon asked. "Can you tell me the names of yourpanions?" Upon hearing his question, Derrick nodded his head and said in a calm tone. "We usually call ourselves as servants of the True Fate. The first servant is ''Evil,'' but most of us knew nothing about him. He is a blonde-haired old man and always looks mysterious. The second servant is the ''Devil,'' and he is your former teammate ''Luke rk.'' The third servant is ''Twilight,'' and his name is ''Daniel Baker.'' He is also your current escort mission employer. The fourth servant is ''Sea,'' and his real name is ''Willy Pickton,'' the fake Arbiter of Storm. The fifth servant is ''Twister,'' and that is ''me.''" He stopped for a moment and suddenly raised his other hand to wipe his mouth! Thankfully, Emilia caught his hand in mid-air and swiftly twisted it back to break it. Even after hearing a cracking noise, Derrick made no sound and continued with the same unwillingness look on his face. "After the death of ''Mind'' and ''Coward,'' Sixth servant''s and seventh servant''s seat remains empty." "Mind and Coward?" Emilia raised her voice and asked in confusion. "''Addie Baker'' is ''Mind,'' and ''Jeffery'' is ''Coward,''" Derrick said in a t tone and then continued. "The eighth servant is ''Night,'' and he is the underworld boss, ''Night-Eye.'' The ninth servant is ''ck,'' and his name is ''Anderson ck.''" Charles became stunned for a moment as he realized that he had met almost all of them in the past few months. ''It seems Derrick still didn''t know anything about Night-Eye''s death. Moreover, Evil and Red Prince, huh¡­ Except for their nicknames, I knew nothing about them.'' He pondered for a moment and soon frowned as he recalled Jeffery''s death, "But when we interrogated Jeffery Dahmer, he hadn''t said anything about him being as the servant of a Devil¡­ Why is that?" "Because of his cowardice nature, he always relied on Addie Baker''s ability to change his real memories in fear of exposing our secrets." ''Heh, so that''s why they named him coward, huh.'' Nodding, Charles looked into Derrick''s eyes and then asked another question. "Why did you try to kidnap the [Historian] Max and his friends?" Chapter 69: Loophole Chapter 69: Loophole Upon hearing Charles''s question, Derrick spoke in a heavy voice. "Max tried to search for more clues about the Holem''s Crown. At first, we didn''t consider him a threat. But after some time, we felt that it was necessary to pluck the root before it spouts into a big tree. So, we asked Jeffery to request Max''s help to find the Holem''s Crown. But after Max agreed to Jeffery''s request, he sold the information to the ck-market leader, Silver Knife, and even ckmailed Jeffery. Not only that, he even went to visit Willy Pickton and asks him for protection. Even we didn''t expect that someone woulde to our doorstep and ask us to protect him. At that time, we also needed a scapegoat to make a search mission, so we made a n." He deliberately paused for a moment and then continued with a heavy sigh, "We led him and his two other friends to Jimmy''s house and asked Daniel Baker to finish them off by hypnotizing. To our surprise, not only Max didn''t get hypnotized, he even attacked Daniel in return. Only then did we know that Max Fireborn is not a Rank-1 [Historian], but a Rank-3 [Seeker]! Before Will Pickton arrives there to help Daniel to finish him off, Max used some strange methods and disappeared from there. Till today, we heard no news about him." As Charles heard those words, he subconsciously thought of the word ''Irregr.'' ''Is he the irregr?'' He raised his brows in suspicion and soon asked the most important question. "What about Chaos Wanderer? Who is he?" Upon hearing those words, Derrick''s mahogany eyes suddenly turned pitch ck, and soon purplish me crept out from the center of his pupils! At that moment, Charles''s [Prevision] skill activated on its own and showed him a blurry vision of what was about to happen! "Back away," Charles shouted in a hurry as he cast [Crimson Robe] and [Crimson Steps] on himself and then moved backward at a fast speed. Meanwhile, Andrew and Emilia also noticed the abnormality, hurriedly ran towards the nearbyrge rock, and hid behind it. By the time everyone went far away, Derrick''s body had begun to bulge like a balloon and soon exploded while sending blood, flesh, and bones in all directions! An instantter, all those flesh, blood, and bones bathed in a purplish me and soon disappeared altogether. Charles stood 20 meters away from the almost vanquished purplish me and became stunned for a moment. ''He died same like Jeffery Dahmer.'' He stared at the area where the purplish me was zed before and soon saw Emilia and Andrew walked out from their hiding spot. "It really did bring back memories. With this, we can confirm that enemy must have some ability to control their servants from afar." Cleaning the dust off from her grey robe, Emilia said with a thoughtful look on her face. "There are still 6 members remaining, and we still don''t know about their exact goal," Charles said in a solemn tone. "Once we capture those two members from the City Ruin, we can think of a way to extract more information about them," Andrew responded with a smile. Emilia also nodded her head and said. "This Devil''s Lair organization seems to be created just to achieve a certain goal, and the possibility of them after Charles and this Holem''s Crown is very high. And, if Red Prince really did know about this artifact''s skills, he might have already made preparations. Even if we try to hide, they might have some other backup ns to lure us out." She deliberated for a moment and then added with a calm tone. "The longer we wait, the more the danger, so why not strike first? We can also fulfill Goddess''s Prophecy at the same time." Upon hearing those words, Charles went silent for a second and soon checked the quest icon. ''Why do I feel some clue is hidden in this quest icon? It''s a Quest to save the intellectual artifact from the Chaos Wanderer and gain its full ownership¡­ Wait¡­ Does that mean I still haven''t gained full control of this artifact?'' He subconsciously thought of the Holem''s Crown''s earlier words and soon closed his eyes. In an instant, a spark appeared in front of his chest, and soon it turned into a reddish me ball. Within seconds, a scroll came out from the me and thennded on his hand. Without minding Emilia and Andrew''s puzzled looks, Charles opened the scroll and revealed the true content of ''Contract of Imagination'' to the Holem''s Crown. Upon seeing the real contract, the Holem''s Crown stayed silent for a whole ten seconds and finally spoke in his mind. ''So this is the Contract of Imagination, huh. It''s the first time seeing it with my own ey- Eh, never mind. Let''s see if there are any tricks ced in this one.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment to check for clues and soon continued with an exmation. ''Ho, I guessed right. Lad, who is Xander Nightwind? Have you heard of this name from your mother?'' Upon hearing those words, Charles narrowed his jade eyes and soon frowned. ''Did the real Charles know about him?'' As he was about to think further, another thought reced his previous one. ''No, I never heard of that name. I''m damn sure about it.'' Nodding his head, Charles quickly organized his thoughts and asked, ''Why are you asking about him now?'' ''His name is in the contract,d. If Charles Nightwind, the real owner, ends up dead due to some unnatural cause, then Xander Nightwind will have the full rights to be its next owner. See the contract rule no-13.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a casual tone. Squinting his eyes, Charles hurriedly focused his gaze on the 13th rule and soon saw that the Blennguage words in the contract scroll began to twist and soon reshaped into apletely different sentence! "What the F*ck?!" He cursed out-loud in English, startling Emilia and Andrew, and soon turned his face gloomy. ''Why would the fake Eddie do something like that?'' Confusion dawn on Charles''s face as he stared at the contract scroll for a few seconds and asked in his mind, ''Is there any other loopholes?'' ''Nope. But with this single rule, this Xander canpletely gain full control over me after your death.'' The Holem''s Crown answered honestly. Upon hearing those words, another thought urred in his mind. Charles felt that Eddie might have put this name as a backup. ''It is possible. What if I ended up dead in the Unexplored Forest? He knew that capturing this Holem''s Crown again will be an impossible task, so he must have made some preparations and put this guy''s name in the contract scroll. Well, I can''t deny the fact that Eddie Nightwind might have another n in his mind, but that is unlikely. Thankfully, I showed the contract to Holem''s Crown earlier; otherwise, I would still in a clueless path.'' He hurriedly burned the contract scroll with his thought and turned his attention to the current enemy. ''I still have some time to deal with Eddie Nightwind. First, I need to learn more about this Chaos Wanderer.'' ''From Quest Icon and through spying Luke''s conversation with Red Prince, I have gathered some information about this Chaos Wanderer. First, this being must be some kind of demon or devil. Second, the Chaos Wanderer ns to devour the Holem''s Crown. But why did it want to devour an intellectual artifact instead of using it?'' He raised his thin eyebrows and asked Holem''s Crown in Blennguage. ''Mr. Rh, do you know how the intellectual artifacts are created?'' ''Why did you call the artifacts as ''Intellectual artifacts'' instead of ''Series Artifacts''?'' Holem''s Crown instantly noticed the difference and asked, Of course, Charles wouldn''t reply to that question. Instead, he smiled mysteriously and said in his mind. ''If you tell me some information about the ''ritual method,'' I might give you some clues.'' ''Forget it.'' The Holem''s Crown instantly refused it and then answered his previous question. ''Intellectual Artifacts are mostly created by Divines and have extraordinary abilities. An artifact that has a considerable amount of divine power or divinity with its own will or soul is called an Intellectual artifact. Take me as an example; although a true divine didn''t create my current crown and my soul, I still have the ability to cast divine skills like Miracle and psed Time. Under normal circumstances, a body-less soul won''t be able to cast these skills. But with the help of the Divinity of Luck and Divinity of Time, I can make these things possible.'' ''Divinity?'' Charles raised his eyebrows as he heard an interesting word and probed further. ''Hehe, if you release me from this cursed crown, I might give those two precious divinities to you in return.'' Charles went speechless for a moment. ''It sure knows how to tempt others.'' He chuckled inwardly and then made a guess. ''The Chaos Wanderer might be after those two divinities.'' He thought for a moment and soon began to ponder about how to deal with it. ''First, I need to know more about this Chaos Wanderer-.'' At this moment, his [Prevision] skill triggered all of a sudden and warned him about the danger. With a startled face, he nced around warily and soon saw drops of rainwater fell from the dark sky. Those droplets then sshed on his face and soon vaporized into thin air! A secondter, his thoughts suddenly froze, and his mind became foggy¡­ He suddenly forgot how to think! He then turned around and tried to say something to Emilia and Andrew, but soon noticed that no sound wasing out of his mouth at all! In the meantime, Emilia and Andrew also became confused, and soon their faces turned into expressionless dolls! After a few seconds, they returned to their senses and soon looked at each other in confusion. But this time, all three of them felt that something was calling them from the direction where the city ruin was located! "I smell the essence of Chaos in those rain droplets. Grey-robed girl, use your hypnosis skill and eliminate your current thoughts." The Holem''s Crown suddenly spoke. "I have a name." Emilia red at the red-gem embedded bracelet and hurriedly cast the ''Hypnosis'' skill on Charles and Andrew. She then ced both hands above her head and then cast ''Hypnosis'' skill on her own mind. The trio stood there for a whole ten seconds and soon woke up from the strange hypnosis. At this moment, all three of them felt that their thoughts became clearer, and soon Emilia spoke. "Let''s go." Charles subconsciously ced his hand on his chin and felt it was necessary to visit the city ruin. ''But why my [Prevision] skill is warning me constantly?'' He frowned for a moment before he shook his head and then started walking on the riverbed sand. Chapter 70: Awaken Chapter 70: Awaken After following the swamp river for an hour, the Aces team members arrived in front of an old ind-like city and stared at the 3 meters tall stone wall in awe and astonishment. "How should we cross this river?" Andrew asked while zeroing his gaze on the swamp river that encircled the whole ruin city. "There is a natural wooden trunk bridge over there. We can use that," Emilia said as she pointed her fingers at their right side and started walking with hurried footsteps. Charles and Andrew also followed after her and soon arrived right beside the wooden trunk. ''Hmm, I detect two different types of divine powers from inside.'' As Charles was about to step on the wooden trunk, the Holem''s Crown suddenly spoke in his mind. Charles subconsciously halted his footsteps and asked in surprise. ''What are those?'' ''It''s the Corruption and Morality.'' The Holem''s Crown responded before making a short pause and then added in a confused tone, ''Something is not right.'' ''What is it?'' Charles raised his thin eyebrows and asked. ''Be careful of any sudden-'' At this moment, Charles suddenly felt quietness appeared around his surroundings and became stunned. He then realized that he also lost the sense of smell. ''What the h-?'' Before he could even curse inwardly, his closed lips opened all of a sudden and let out a few words. Although he couldn''t determine what he was talking about, he somehow guessed a single word that came out of his mouth. ''Miracle? Why did I mutter that word?'' He gotpletely bbergasted. Before he could understand, he somehow gained full control over his body and got relieved. ''What happened?'' Charles furrowed his brows as he unsheathed his Ghost Dagger and looked around in confusion. Emilia and Andrew also went took out their weapons and nced around the swamp river, wooden forest, and the other side city wall in puzzlement. ''Nothing is abnormal. But why did we lose our hearing all of a sudden? Why did I even speak those unknown words?'' Charles first nced at Emilia, then at his red-gem embedded bracelet, and soon called out in his mind. ''Team Leader? Mr. Rh? Can you guys hear my thoughts?'' To his shock, the eerie silence remained. ''What is happening here?'' He instantly halted his thought and soon looked up at the 3-meter city wall on the other side. ''We might find answers from the other side.'' A strange thought appeared in his mind. In the meantime, Emilia and Andrew climbed up on the wooden trunk and moved towards the other side. Charles also joined them and started crossing the swamp river through the wooden trunk. Although they faced difficulty walking on the wooden trunk due to the sudden deafness, they somehow managed to cross it after long unsteady walks. Then, the trio appeared in front of the 3 meters tall ancient-looking stone wall and started searching for a way in. Ten minutester, the Aces team members finally found a half-broken area in the stone wall and hurriedly went to the other side by climbing. Once they arrived inside, the trio looked around at the city ruin and soon widened their eyes in astonishment. They saw hundreds of broken buildings, stairs, pirs filled with green mosses, passages, and statues that appeared all over the ces. Without even looking at the surroundings, the trio stepped on the broken concrete passage and soon started walking towards the skyscrapers. As they moved deep into the city, the trio suddenly heard a bang sound from the direction where the half-broken ruined temple was located. Charles subconsciously turned his gaze towards the temple and soon widened his jade eyes. In that instant, his mind became clear-headed all of a sudden! He felt that some fog suddenly disappeared from his mind and caused him to think clearer. ''What the-? Sh*t! We are in danger! Something is not right. Why are we roaming here openly?'' ''What the hell are we doing here in the first ce? Why do I even walk deep into this Unexplored Forest? Did someone manipte my thoughts? Are we under some mind control?'' Questions whirled in his mind as his face stiffed up all of a sudden, but he still maintained his gaze on the particr half-broken temple and walked forward. ''Mr. Rh? Can you hear my voice?'' Calming his mind a little, Charles first tried to contact the Holem''s Crown, but he couldn''t. He felt that the strange powerpletely blocked him from reaching the outside world and grew anxious inside. ''Something is affecting my thinking. It''s the same as the time when I battled with the Dark Wolf in the Dreamworld. If things go on like this, I might die here.'' His heartbeat raced, and soon he noticed something odd about his previous actions. ''I already have thousands of Exp, right? Then, why haven''t I leveled up? Is this due to the strange abnormality in my thinking?'' He didn''t dare to dy any longer, so he directly opened the Game-interface and checked the Exp amount. ''I currently have 3909 Exp points.'' He muttered inwardly and then poured 3606 Exp into the main ss. [759 Exp deduced for Leveling-up!] [You are a Level-2 Fire Weaver now!] [2 Free Attribute points Rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom Obtained!] [10 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ [1139 Exp deduced for Leveling-up!] [You are a Level-3 Fire Weaver now!] [2 Free Attribute points Rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom Obtained!] [10 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ [1708 Exp deduced for Leveling-up!] [You are a Level-4 Fire Weaver now!] [2 Free Attribute points Rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom Obtained!] [10 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ A bang echoed in his mind, and soon Charles noticed that the small dark space had suddenly expanded twice the size as before! But the strange deafness still appeared in his mind, causing him to frown a little. Charles thought for a moment before he poured all the six skill points into the ''Wisdom'' attribute and increased it in one go. Once he increased the wisdom to 29, another bang echoed inside his head. But this one was ten times greater than before! The dark space also expanded to an unimaginable level and appeared more like a big empty world. In a second, Charles''s sense heightened to an unimaginable level, and he also noticed some strange power was covering the outeryer of the dark space. ''I can even perceive the surroundings clearly and absorb the ''mana'' from the outside world. No, I can extract fire elements from the ''Mana'' and refuel the spell models. With the current absorption rate, I can refill my Rank-1 spell models in 5 to 10 minutes. Hm?'' He suddenly narrowed his eyes and soon noticed that everything around him was also moving slightly slower than usual. ''No, I think I''m thinking faster than before and even perceiving the surroundings like radar. Moreover, I''m also sensing another connection from somewhere. No, it ising from my soul. Wait, is this dark space a link between my consciousness and my soul?'' Such thought crossed his mind. Hiding his curiosity, Charles first focused his attention on the strange power covering his mind, aka the dark space, and directly broke it with a single thought. "Hey, why is your voice breaking?" A secondter, Charles heard an old man''s shouts from his bracelet and breathed out a sigh of relief. ''Don''t shout. We seem to have been affected by some mind-rted ability.'' He said in a gloomy tone and then turned his gaze towards Emilia. ''Can my ''Burning Thoughts'' spell wake her up?'' He halted his footsteps and was about to cast the spell but stopped. At this time, he heard a breaking female voice in his head. ''Charles¡­Hide and act¡­Then, kill the [Mesmerist].'' She deliberated for a moment and then added. ''Then¡­wake me up¡­My thoughts are deviating¡­'' She spoke in a low voice and soon went silent. Meanwhile, Charles got stunned for a moment and soon frowned. ''Mesmerist¡­ Is this the corresponding ss of a Telepathist? But how did she manage to resist the strange hypnosis this long? Did she also wake up from the broken temple''s effect? How did she know that I would wake up? Is it due to her prediction watch?'' He kept his face motionless and followed after Emilia and Andrew. At that time, he suddenly thought of his earlier action and asked the Holem''s Crown. ''Did I say something about ''Miracle'' earlier? Upon hearing his question, the Holem''s Crown went silent for a moment and soon said with a deep sigh. ''Yes. And, you also asked me to cast the ''Miracle'' skill on you.'' A startled expression appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his eyebrows in suspicion and asked, ''What do you mean?'' ''I don''t know, but I also felt that it was necessary to cast the skill on you, so I did what you have told me to do.'' The Holem''s Crown also said in a somewhat puzzled tone. ''You also manipted by the mind-magic?'' Charles asked in a shocked tone. ''It''s is a simr type. Mind-Magic can alter one''s thoughts and it has the ability to confuse us outside. But this one made me subconsciously believe your words from the bottom of my mind.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles''s face stiffened up. ''But why did the enemy wants to cast the ''Miracle'' skill on me? Moreover, the earlier ''Miracle'' seemed to be no effect on me. What the hell is happening?'' Charles was bewildered. While he was in muse, the Holem''s Crown continued. ''Although you are the one who cast this ''Miracle'' spell, the effect seems to have gone to someone else. Even I couldn''t understand our current situation.'' Charles''s heart sank. ''Not a good sigh. Although I woke up from the strange hypnosis, I''m still in danger, and the helping ''Miracle'' effect also appears to have gone already. There are few things I still don''t understand. Does the enemy have the ability to manipte my thought from afar? During the past few days, I''ve been acting very strangely. My first question is: Why did I agree to Emilia''s request to fulfill the Goddess''s strange prophecy? Wait. At that time, I subconsciously believed that Quest reward is more important than my own life. Yes, subconsciously¡­ Then, what did I say to Carter when he asked me why did Ie here? Ah, yes, ''behind every fortune lies a great danger. If I want to push forward, I have to face these types of obstacles.'' That isn''t my style. Did someone really manipte my thoughts and engrave this quote into the depth of my mind?!'' An absurd thought appeared in his mind, causing his heart to race faster. ''Damn, everything is possible in this magic world. But when did they do? I never came across any terrifying enemy, right? I never imagined-¡­ Imagined¡­ Imagination¡­'' Charles suddenly squinted his jade eyes as he thought of a possibility and soon nced at the ''Mark of Imagination''. ''Could it be Eddie''s doing? Is he the one who manipted my mind to cast the ''Miracle'' skill and obtained its effect through strange power? Wait, he also said something about an ultimate miracle, right? Then, why is he acting now?'' Doubt appeared in his mind. ''Is that why Eddie wants me toe to this damned ruin? Something still doesn''t feel right. If Eddie Nightwind is the one who manipted my mind, why didn''t he attack me when I went to the Dreamworld and tookplete control over my soul? If he did that, he could have an easier time capturing this artifact, right?'' ''Wait! Maybe he isn''t powerful enough toplete control over one''s mind?'' Charles then suddenly thought of Eddie''s trick in the ''Contract of Imagination,'' and soon his pupil red. ''When the Holem''s Crown told me about the loophole in the contract, I didn''t doubt Eddie at all. I felt that Eddie Nightwind might have done that as a backup. That definitely wasn''t me. I would never believe anyone to that level. Moreover, the Contract of Imagination itself looks more like a tricky one. Then, what was the other guy''s name in the contract? Xander Nightwind, is it? Hmm? Wait¡­ Xander¡­ Xander¡­ I definitely heard that name somewhere¡­'' Charles racked his brain as he stepped on the broken path and soon widened his jade-eyes a little. ''Yes, I heard it from Richard 13 days ago! When I asked him about the Arc Kingdom''s Royal mages, he told me about a dark mage. I think his name is Xander, and he is the one who is loved by the citizen of Arc Kingdom and has a great reputation among the masses. At that time, I also noticed that somehow I forget to search for the ''informer.'' Richard also said that Xander also came to Riverdale City thrice during the past six months and even donated arge amount to Slum Street''s Richie Orphanage!'' ''This¡­ Is he also a family member of the Nightwind family? Now, my main question is, why did Eddie put his name in the contract? What did I miss? Think Charles¡­ Think¡­'' As he was about to shift his attention to the current problem, Charles suddenly felt something was not right about the Nightwind family from the very beginning. Charles then nced at the Holem''s Crown and asked. ''Mr. Rh, why did you choose me as your sessor?'' Chapter 71: Schemes Chapter 71: Schemes The Holem''s Crown stayed silent for a moment and then spoke in Charles''s mind. ''I always chose a mortal as my inheritor,d. That way, I had an easy time finishing the 1000 miracle mission by manipting them from behind. Otherwise, it would have taken more than one or two millenniums for me to fulfill the Abyssal contract. But what I didn''t expect was your scheme and thest abnormal miracle. If not, I would have already on my way to the City of Miracles.'' ''Oh?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and then asked, ''Did you encounter any Nightwind family ''Mystic'' in the past few months?'' This time, the Holem''s Crown deliberated for a second and responded. ''Yes. I saw a Nightwind family member once in the city, but it was just a pure coincidence. That man appeared around 40 to 50 years old, had long wavy blonde hair, a lean body, and ocean-like blue eyes. I saw him entering Slum Street''s orphanage, and he looked more like a mage because of his blue robe.'' ''Coincidence?'' Charles snorted inwardly and fell into deep thoughts. ''This Xander Nightwind might be the ''Red Prince.'' But why is his hair blonde instead of red?'' He froze for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''Did he purposefully use that title to confuse me? Now that I think about it, he did manipte my mind first to believe Addie as the Red Prince, right? If Richard didn''t tell me earlier, I might have believed Daniel as the ''Red Prince.'' Why do these guys are after me?'' While he was in muse, the Holem''s Crown suddenly continued. ''If I''m not wrong, there was also another blonde-haired old man tagging along with him. At that time, I even wondered why a Nightwind family member tagging along with a normal mortal. Why are you asking about him now?'' ''Blonde-haired man¡­'' Charles''s face instantly turned serious. He clearly remembered that Derrick said that the First Servant ''Evil'' was a mysterious blonde-haired man and became surer about his guess. ''Wait¡­ A mortal, is it? We also encountered a blonde-haired old man near our third suspect, John Wayne''s room. At that time, John also said that a blonde-haired man was stalking him for some time¡­ Is it also a coincidence?'' Charles blinked his eyes in surprise and soon made a guess. ''This blonde-haired old man must be the First Servant'' Evil. Fireborn Family sent John Wayne to protect the [Historian] Max. Still, due to some irregrity, John found out the hidden secrets about the Holem''s Crown and started researching his own¡­ When Max and his two other friends searched for Holem''s Crown in Slum Street, John also stalked them from behind, saw a shadow descended from the sky, and kidnapped them. At that time, he felt full-body numbness, deafness, blindness, and even smell blindness¡­ It looks exactly like our current situation. So, Daniel''s ability must be simr to pulling someone''s consciousness into a strange illusion. No, this doesn''t look like pulling one''s consciousness. It seems more like interfering with one''s thoughts and senses. Hmm, does that mean Daniel is the [Mesmerist]?'' Charles raised his thin eyebrows in suspicion. ''Devil''s Lair''s members are indeed terrifying. Most of them have mind maniption-like abilities and are well hidden.'' Charles was deeply impressed by the Devil''s Lair organization members'' scheme. ''What a n. Although the Devil''s Lair''s organization members did everything perfectly, they still left some clues behind. Otherwise, I wouldn''t havee this far. My next problem is Xander Nightwind and Eddie Nightwind. I can tell now that they might be after the Holem''s Crown. The current Eddie Nightwind has no true soul, but he needed a trustworthy ally. But that reliable person is definitely not me. Although I don''t know much about Red Prince, I can tell now that he must be a partner of Eddie Nightwind. Otherwise, Eddie wouldn''t have mentioned his name in the contract. Then, why did he bring me here? That''s a very tricky question¡­ Eddie deliberately leaked many clues like making a prophecy, cing a ''Nightmare Stone'' in the Wind Vi''s study room during this time, and so on and lured me into the Dreamworld to look for clues about A-035¡­ Think, Charles. Even if he isn''t a genius, would a 500-year man make these kinds of silly mistakes? No! Then, why did you believe his stupid excuse at that time?'' At that moment, Charles''s jade eyes suddenly squinted as he recalled something. ''No, something was wrong at that time. When I was in the Dreamworld''s Wind Vi, Eddie almost made me believe his story with the power of ''Imagination'' and even helped me by upgrading the Ember Pistol. At that time, he even said that he used the power of ''Imagination'' on me to listen to his words.'' He suddenly halted his thought and nced at the ''Mark of Imagination'' once again. ''Now that I think about it, this ''Mark'' can trick others, right? If what I guessed is true, Eddie might have put this mark not only to fool the Holem''s Crown but also to fool me! Moreover, I''m feeling something was off about those chaotic double thoughts. Yes, when I first saw the Dark Wolf, my thoughts went disarray all of a sudden. One thought told me to act rationally, while the other thought urged me to kill that Nightmare Creature. At that time, I actually believed that it was the Nightmare Creature''s work. But now that I think about it, I''m started to feel suspicious of Eddie. Did he manipte my thoughts to check whether he can control me or not? Then, I also sensed a simr d¨¦j¨¤-vu feeling when I kidnapped Derrick. At that time, I subconsciously saw this temple from afar and became a clear-head. But when I tried to question why I was acting recklessly, that damned quote stood firm in my mind¡­ F*ck, I need to erase this mark from my hand first. Eddie almost changed my character in the past few months.'' He sucked in a cold breath and grew extremely vignt against the ''Mark of Imagination.'' ''With this ''Mark of Imagination,'' he must have aware of all of my actions. Damn, he might still be watching us using this mark!'' A chill went up to his spines as he controlled his facial muscles using the upgrade [Disguise] skill and finally shifted his attention to the Quest mission. ''Now, my question is who this Chaos Wanderer is? Why would he want to devour this artifact?'' Charles suddenly recalled the earlier ''Miracle'' and got suspicious. ''Did they n such grand scheme for just one miracle?'' Charles asked the Holem''s Crown in Blen''snguage. ''It is possible. But why would the schemers manipte you toe here? Did they lure you here to finish you off andpletely gain full control over me?'' The Holem''s Crown muttered. Charles also thought of that possibility and became solemn. ''Things became moreplicated. First, I need to think of a way and get out of this situation.'' He stopped his thinking for a moment and soon asked. ''Mr. Rh, do you want to make a deal?'' Simultaneously, Charles opened the game interference, stared at the Quest Mission, and began to think. ''Should I ce my trust in this game system for once? Although a psychopath did force me into this world, he seems to have ced this system to help me grow stronger. The Quest did say to save this artifact and gain itsplete ownership, right?'' Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown got startled a bit by his words and asked in an uneasy tone. ''What is it?'' It had already noticed that it was going to hear something dangerous and got anxious. ''Do you want your freedom?'' Charles asked. If the Holem''s Crown had eyes, it would have already wide opened them now! ''What are you plotting?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a skeptical tone. Instead of answering, Charles chuckled inwardly and asked a strange question. ''Who is your current owner?'' The Holem''s Crown took some time to think and then responded. ''There are three owners for me. The first one is the Holem family, but I alreadypleted the contract, and I will be able to erase the Abyssal Mark once I reach Rank-6. The second one is Nightwind Family. There is still one ''Miracle'' left toplete this contract, and once I did that, I will not be controlled by Nightwind Family members. Then, my third one is the ''Contract of Imagination.'' Unlike the other two, this one is a ve contract, and currently, you are my only owner.'' Charles controlled his facial muscle to hide his smile and said. ''If I''m your owner and I have absolute control over the contract, I can undo the signed contract, right?'' While asking, Charles zeroed his attention on the ''Mark'' of ''Imagination Contract'' and confirmed that he indeed could undo the contract with a simple thought. In the meantime, the Holem''s Crown went silent for a second and soon replied. ''Yes, you can.'' ''Now, I want you to prepare a single Dark Star spell attack. It may be against Eddie Nightwind or this so-called Chaos Wanderer or the Red Prince. When the right timees, you can act on your own and kill anyone you want.'' Charles said in a calm tone. ''What are you nning?'' The Holem''s Crown couldn''t even understand his train of thoughts, so it asked in a confused tone. Smiling lightly, Charles used his consciousness to look at the ''Mark'' and then erased it with a single thought. A secondter, the Contract of Imagination scroll appeared in his mind and began to turn into powders¡­ No, it turned into ashes! The Holem''s Crown also noticed a drastic change happening in its inner world and got utterly stupefied. ''You erased the contract mark?!'' It shouted in shock and soon turned its full attention towards its inner world. Among the three red stars, two appeared dimmer instead of one. Not only that, the Holem''s Crown soon saw that the Imagination Contract star began to turn darker and soon disappeared in seconds! ''Do you know how hard it is for a Mystic to get an Intellectual Artifact? You are crazy!'' The Holem''s Crown said in disbelief. Without even minding the Holem''s Crown''s voice, Charles calmly followed after Emilia and soon noticed that they had almost reached the city center. ¡­ A few minutes ago, Mad House, 158C Amber Street, Nobles'' Borough, Royal Capital, Arc Kingdom. A blonde-haired man in histe forties sat under the shadow of a big tree and was looking at an ancient-looking ck covered book with a solemn look on his face. He wore a blue robe, a long green pendant around his neck, and two unique tinum earrings. He had long wavy hair, wide-set oceanic eyes, a lean body, and appeared around 184 cm high. "Another variable¡­ Hmm, the Sess Rate is only 1.2%." He muttered as he leaned his back against thedder back chair and sighed. "I should have taken things slowly." As he was about to flip the page, he halted his movement, stared at the northern sky for a second, and stood up with a smile. "The Miracle effect is here." He said before closing the ancient-looking book and then waved his left hand. A secondter, his figure turned blurry and soon reced with the figure of an olddy. In the meantime, the blonde-haired man appeared on the outskirts of Riverdale City and soon started walking towards the city. But as he walked near the city entrance, he suddenly halted his footsteps and frowned. "Why am I feeling uneasy now?" He stood there with a nk expression on his face for a moment and soon continued to walk. ¡­ Chapter 72: Assassination! Chapter 72: Assassination! Meanwhile, the Aces team members arrived at the area where the winged man''s statue was located and saw a gruesome scene around it. Tens of dismembered corpsesy in front of the statue, and their eyes were dug out from the sockets. The blood scent was so dense that it made Charles frown a little. ''Hmm, the blood scent is not thick and looks like they were all killed recently.'' Charles thought to himself and soon nced at the clothes on their bodies. Upon seeing their torn dresses, Charles confirmed that some belong to the Explorers Association, which had a special crow symbol embroidered on it. In contrast, others'' clothes looked more like normal ones. ''Why do their faces showing smiling expressions instead of fear and anxiety?'' He was surprised inside. In his past experience, even a trained person will break down during thest moment of his death and would never show a smiling face. So, when he saw such a scene, Charles felt that something was wrong with this situation. ''Mind control? Hmm, Daniel must have the ability to probe others'' thoughts and alter them somehow. Thankfully, even if he tried to probe my mind, he will only hear some strange words. The next one is the upgraded version of the ''Touch of Idiocy'' spell. Their strange smiles must be because of this reason. I need to kill him before he could suspect anything; otherwise, I will be in deep sh*t.'' Turning his head a little, he also saw a total of 25 red-skinned humans danced around the statue in a circle, and each one seemed to be holding different types of organs in their hands. Some held eyes, some held hearts, and there were even a few headless red-skinned humans who held their own brains in their hands! But what made Charles stare at them in confusion was the dance that they were performing. All of them stepped uniformly and seemed to be dancing around the statue while singing verses in an ancientnguage. ''This looks more like a folk dance from the Earth.'' At that moment, Charles''s eyes darted towards the ground and soon saw weird letters were inscribed all over the ce. ''Is this a magic ritual circle? I do read a lot about them in books, but I have never seen them upfront. Why did the enemy lead us here?'' His jade eyes scanned the weird ritual circle for ten seconds and soonnded on the winged man''s statue. The statue appeared to be made of some precious stone, and it gave off the feeling of creativity. Charles also saw an azure gem on the forehead area. Unlike before, he felt a sense of greed appeared in his heart. If it was before, he might have affected by this strange power. Thankfully, it was just another feeling for him. ''Greed?'' Charles frowned a little and then turned his gaze towards the winged man''s eyes. His eyes and the winged man statue''s emerald eyes met! At that moment, the winged man statue''s two emerald eyes blinked twice! ''What the f*ck-?'' Before he could even shift away from the statue''s gaze, something strange force began to invade his mind! It was so fast that he couldn''t even notice it! Suddenly, a severe headache assaulted him, causing his face to contort a little. Tears flew out from his jade eyes as he took a step back and soon shifted his gaze away from the weird statue. ''Kill! Kill! Kill!'' A strange melody of slogans echoed in his mind, causing him to nod subconsciously. In seconds, John''s previous memories surfaced in his mind one by one and started to corrupt his mind! Charles felt that it was necessary to kill and plunder the weak! He recalled the moment when he first murdered a bunch of tribal peoples. It was the first mission that the Ghost organization leader forced him to do it. On that day, he tasted the first blood! Then, the demon within him woke up and ultimately turned him into a maniac. He started killing for joy! The feeling of taking one''s life gave him immense pleasure and joy. He became a fully-fledged assassin. No, he turned into something else! He turned into a psychopath who would kill just to see the fear in others'' eyes! ''Damn it, what the hell is happening? Just staring at a statue caused my past memories to upy my mindpletely. Is it the power of Chaos Wanderer''s statue?'' An ominous thought appeared in his mind. Although his ''Inner-World'' was affected by his own dark thoughts, he still controlled himself. ''These memories are not strange ones. I did not regret killing those innocents, nor do I felt happiness for my past actions. Their sacrifices were necessary at that time. If I didn''t kill them, I would have died for not even meeting the Leader''s requirement. Although I became addicted to the killing, I already walked out of the path of darkness.'' His breathing grew heavier as he organized his thoughts and soon calmed down. In the meantime, the Holem''s Crown already woke up from the earlier shock and said in a solemn voice. ''The guy in the statue looks more like a devil from the First Hell.'' ''First Hell?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and asked. ''Yes, among the Seven Hells, Winged Men only live in the First Hell due to harsh, chaotic atmosphere and always a thorn to all the devils. These devils are known for keeping the grudges for a lifetime, so be careful.'' ''Hehe, I do keep grudges, though.'' He smirked inwardly. ''Should I cast my ''Incinerate'' spell and stop the ritual now? Hmm? I feel someone''s gaze from behind, and that person seems to be monitoring our movements.'' He pondered for a second and soon chose to stay silent. At that moment, he recalled Eve''s strange prophetic words. ''Red Hair¡­ She said something about a monster. No, it is neither monster nor a human. There is only one human who has Red-Hair, and that one is Daniel. Could it be that he is a vampire or something? But there is no memory of vampires in the real Charles''s memory, right? But I can''t rule out the possibility. It looks like I need to assassinate him swiftly; otherwise, things will get out of my hand.'' Although he could stop this ritual now, he felt that it was necessary to kill Daniel first. Simultaneously, his eyes darted towards the front of the winged man''s statue, and soon he saw an obese man was sitting in a cross-legged position. Unlike the read-skinned humans, he looked more like an average human and seemed to be in the middle of doing some ritual thing. He had long ck hair, and he wore a white lined ck-robe. Whenever the red-skinned humans stop their movements, he would also stop his incantation, pour some oil into the fire that was burning in front of him, and continued to sing. Even though he was showing his back against him, Charles instantly identified this guy. ''Willy Pickton¡­ A famous artist from the south and also imed himself as the Arbiter of Storm Church.'' After that, Charles''s gaze swept past him, and soon his eyesnded on the winged man''s statue''s right''s side. There, he saw another human figure standing with closed eyes. That human figure was a muscr man, around 50-years-old, and had blonde hair, an oval face, and pale skin. He wore a neat ck surcoat, ck pants, and leather shoes. ''Luke rk.'' Charles muttered inwardly and patiently observed their every movement. ''Someone ising towards us from the right side.'' After some time, he perceived someone''s presence through the strange invisible wisdom power and moved his gaze towards the ce. At that moment, Charles also ced his hand into the pants pocket, stealthily took out the Ember Pistol from the space ring through his thoughts, and let it stay there. Although his pants pocket suddenly turned abnormallyrge, his slightly long ck overcoatpletely hid the pistol from other''s eyes. After confirming that he had sessfully taken out the ''Ember Pistol'', he moved his hand away from the pants pocket and started controlling the pistol with his [Magician''s Hand] skill. He stood with a solemn look, moved his fingers from time to time, and finally adjusted the muffle to point at an angle of 130¡ã. At that moment, a long messy red-haired man in histe fifties walked out from the nearby skyscraper and soon arrived in front of them. He had almond silver eyes, a lean body, and looked around 174 cm high. He wore a tight ck suit, a silver dagger in his hand, and his face appeared very pale. He first raised his hands as he stopped two meters away from the trio and pped his hands twice. During the first p, Emilia and Andrew heard no sound at all. But during the second p, they suddenly felt some invisible power hit their ears and made them cover their ears subconsciously. An instantter, the deafness feeling in their minds suddenly disappeared! Before they could wake up from the shock, they saw that the Red-haired man arrived in front of Charles and sighed. "You guys sure love how to cause troubles." A cold voice came out from Daniel''s mouth. Emilia finally woke up from the half-hypnosis state and soon took a step back in vignce. Her grey robe fluttered in the wind as she instantly took out a pocket watch from the void pouch and held it in her palm. A chuckle leaked out of Daniel''s mouth as he moved his silver dagger and skillfully gave a shallow wound mark on her cheek. "Do you think I won''t kill you because of your family background?" He purposefully paused for a moment and soon revealed his white teeth before he swung his dagger towards her left chest, "This is for killing my son." His cold voice echoed as the silver dagger tore through the air and directly moved towards her heart. As his dagger was about to pierce through her chest, Daniel suddenly felt an intense pain in his heart. Simultaneously, a burning sensation also appeared in his mind! Although it was just a slight burning feeling, he still got affected by it and halted his hand for a moment. Before Daniel could think about the cause of these two abnormalities, he heard a bang sound from the front. No, it directly came from Charles''s right thigh region! If he had a skill like [Sixth Sense] or [Prevision], he would have dodged the bullet. Sadly, he had none of that. What''s more ironic was that he appeared right in front of Charles and gave him a big opportunity. In a second, Daniel saw a crimson bullet tore through Charles''s pants pocket, then the surcoat and soon appeared in front of his right eye! "Sh*t!" He cursed loudly and then tried his best to dodge the bullet. But the crimson bullet pierced through his right eye in a blink and soon entered deep into his head! Even at that moment, Daniel took a step forward, raised his hand, and moved it towards Charles''s chest region. Charles grinned as he unsheathed his Ghost Dagger from his waist and pushed it towards Daniel''s neck area. Simultaneously, he raised his other hand and moved towards his face. He knew that a Rank-3 Mystic wouldn''t die that easily, so he became firm on giving him more fatal blows and even prepared for an anomaly in advance. With a swish sound, his sharp dagger tore through the air and was about to stab him, but suddenly Charles''s stopped his hand! At that moment, Daniel''s raised hand had already touched Charles''s chest! In a second, a foolish smile appeared on Charles''s face! It was the upgraded version of [Touch of Idiocy] skill! But before Daniel could rejoice, Charles''s other hand touched the corner of his lips and moved it towards the other corner! In that instant, Charles''s foolish smile turned into a normal one! Before Daniel could wake up from the shock, Charles stabbed the dagger into his neck area. No, Charles moved his Ghost Dagger directly at his right side carotid artery and pushed it deep into his neck. Blood spattered in every direction as Daniel staggered backward while gripping his neck and soon moved towards the ritual circle in a half-conscious state. His face was filled with despair and panic as he gasped for air and kept his gaze locked on Charles. Upon seeing the sudden change outside the ritual circle, Luke rk and Willy Pickton opened their eyes wide and hurriedly moved towards their direction. Earlier, they didn''t even consider them as a threat due to the group being entirely controlled by Daniel Baker. But as they saw the current scene, both became utterly shocked inside. "Daniel can''t die now; save him quickly." Willy Pickton said in a hoarse voice and then uttered a strange short incantation. A secondter, the Winged Statue''s eyes let out a dim eerie red light and pulled Daniel towards the ritual circle through an invisible force. Upon noticing this strangeness, the corners of Charles''s lips turned up as he raised his hand, pointed his forefinger at Daniel''s head, and smiled. An instantter, a ray of crimson fire came out from his fingertip and directlynded on the bloodied right eye socket! Daniel''s head burst open with a bang, and soon the headless body fell on the ritual circle, painting the stone-like floor in red color. [Target Eliminated! 3,430 Exp Rewarded!] Nodding, Charles then turned his head towards the winged man statue, looked directly at the mouth area, ced his middle finger on his left side forehead area, and moved it smoothly towards the right side. "F*ck you." He said with a grin. Chapter 73: Inner-World Chapter 73: Inner-World At that moment, the dancing red-skinned chaos beings also stopped their movements and soon let outraging roars like he had ruined their important meal. Then, they turned their gazes towards the Aces team members and soon locked their eyes on Charles. Meanwhile, the winged man''s statue''s head also burst open and soon crumbled into multiple pieces. Then, a shadow of a red-skinned winged human with pointy ears appeared at the center of the ritual circle and then turned its gaze towards Charles. ''It''s just a memory fragment of the Winged Devil.'' The Holem''s Crown said coldly in his mind. But the mere gaze made Charles''s heart thump fiercely! It was the gaze filled with a mixture of terror, pain, fear, and madness! "I don''t know who you are, Irregr. But I will make you pay for your mistakes." That wicked being said in an eerie, cold tone. Upon hearing those words, Charles turned his face serious and said with a nod. "I''ll be waiting." Saying so, Charles stealthily moved his fingers like he was ying a musical instrument and then stared at the foggy humanoid figure with a calm look on his face. Simultaneously, the azure gem began to roll from the ritual circle and started moving on its own towards Charles! He then nced at the gem and cast the [Inspect] skill on it. ¡­ [Item name: Divinity Extractor Rank: ??? Effect: This stone has the ''Will'' of a Devil and has the power to steal Divinity under certain circumstances.] Although some pure evil power tried to control his mind when he stared at the azure gem, he simply used his wisdom power andpletely blocked it from entering the dark world. Charles then directly pulled the gem towards him through the [Magician''s Hand] skill and soon caught it in his hand. After that, he sneakily moved it near his space ring and stored it inside. Unaware of his sneaky actions, the shadowy devil-like figure turned into a cloud of dark smoke and soon appeared beside Daniel''s headless corpse. Then, the dark smoke entered into the corpse and disappeared! At that moment, the surrounding 25 red-skinned Chaos beings returned to their position and continued their chanting! ''Oh? Not giving up?'' Charles raised his thin eyebrows and saw a notification appeared in the corner of his eyes. ''Hmm? Quest ispleted? Then, why is he trying to possess the headless body?'' He was confused for a moment. ''The devil is nning something else-.'' The Holem''s Crown responded but soon went silent. ''What happened?'' He asked, and that the same time, he turned his attention to the Quest notification. As he was about to dismiss it, Charles suddenly noticed a change. He saw that everything around him began to freeze! ''What is this? Is this the Present Time effect Rh told me earlier?'' A surprised expression appeared on his face. A secondter, Charles turned his attention towards the notification and became stunned. ¡­ [Main Quest: Save the Intellectual Artifact and gain its full ownership. Quest Description: On October 2nd of the year 6396 of the Second Arcane Era, a big change will happen in the Unexplored Forest and would cause a massive change in the ''Fate'' of the Arc Kingdom. Participate in this mission and save Rh from being devoured by the Chaos Wanderer. Quest Completed! Quest Reward: 8,450 Experience Points.] ¡­ [System is analyzing the Intellectual Artifact called the ''Holem''s Crown.''] [Intellectual Artifact''s True Soul is heavily injured!] [Repairing¡­] [Error¡­ Abyssal ne''s marks are detected.] [Borrowing the power of ''******'' ne¡­] [Removing the Marks¡­] [Removal takes time, please stand-by¡­] [Repairing the Intellectual Artifact''s soul¡­] [Insufficient Life Energy¡­] ¡­ [Hidden Chain-Quest Trigged!] [Quest Description: The soul hidden in the Holem''s Crown Intellectual Artifact is severely injured, and it needs the Host''s help to solve it.] [Rewards: Based on the progression.] Current Progression: 0%] ¡­ Charles stared at the notifications for a while and soon saw that the strange ''Time Freeze'' effect was still active. He tried to move his muscle and soon noticed that he couldn''t! Only his thoughts were flowing in this ''Time Freeze'' effect! Although Charles felt ufortable by this situation, he knew that it was a blessing in disguise. ''Wow, the Game-System can stop the ''Time'' itself? No, that shouldn''t be possible. I guess that the system must have used the power of ''Time'' on me and made me think multiple or a hundred times faster than others. That way, it can speed up the process andpletely remove the Abyssal marks. Although it was just an assumption, this one looks possible whenparing with the other one. Now, every second is precious for me.'' Charles instantly stared at the battlefield and began to think of his following action. ''From the looks of it, the system needs some time to remove the ''Abyssal Marks'' in the Holem''s Crown''s Inner-world. Before it ends, I should concentrate on other things. What I need right now is an offensive spell attack. But due to the less absorption rate, I can only cast these spells once every five minutes. That''s not an option for me now¡­ Wait! When I improved my ''Wisdom'' attribute a few minutes ago, I felt a connection with the ''Mana'' from the atmosphere itself. Although it was just a vague feeling, I might decrease the cooldown time if I increase my Wisdom attribute once again.'' Such thoughts crossed through his mind. He hesitated for a moment and then poured 2,536 Exp points into the main ss. ¡­ [2,536 Exp deduced from the Host¡­] [You have leveled up!] [You became a Level-5 Fire Weaver!] [2 free attributes points are rewarded!] [1 Wisdom point rewarded!] [10 Skill points rewarded!] ¡­ As the notifications appeared one by one, Charles felt a tearing sensation from the deepest part of his soul. In an instant, he perceived a strange world appeared in his mind. He moved his consciousness to that ce and soon found himself standing in a gloomy dark world filled with trees and shrubs. The forest was filled with hundreds of corpses, trails of blood, and weapons. He first lowered his gaze and soon noticed that his consciousness was just an illusionary form of himself. ''This¡­ Is this my soul form?'' He asked himself in shock. Although he did expect such a scene, he was still stunned by it. He then nced around his surroundings and soon saw trees, blood-stained grasses, and different kinds of insects appeared deep in the surrounding forests. Some looked illusionary, while others seemed to be original. If not for his earlier knowledge about the ''Inner-World,'' he might have thought of it as an illusion! ''This ce looks familiar¡­'' He muttered inwardly and soon saw a 16-year-old teen among the corpses. He wore a dark leather suit and held two sharp daggers in his hand. His eyes were dark as abyss, and he stood on those corpses with a twisted smile on his face. ''This is a part of my childhood memory. After my two years of training, I was forced to kill a group of tribal people for training and became a full-fledged killer. That was the first time I tasted the joy of killing and became addicted to it sooner.'' Realization appeared on Charles''s face as he stopped there for a moment and soon moved further deep into the forest. Like before, he saw his previous life''s dark memory scenes one by one and soon understood that this must be the ''Inner-World.'' ''That strange devil''s statue must be the cause of this mess.'' He sighed heavily. At that moment, Charles suddenly felt that the surrounding turned somewhat brighter and soon halted his footsteps. BANG! An earthshaking explosion came from the sky! Widening his illusionary jade eyes, Charles looked up and soon got perplexed as he saw seven red-colored stars were hovering above in the sky! Each of them looked simr yet different at the same time. ''Spell models?'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face as he stared at the stars for a second and soon squinted his eyes. Within seconds, Charles saw that fire-sparks fell from those seven stars like small asteroids and soon fell onto his Inner-World! No, fire sparks came from six stars, not the seventh star! Before he could understand, the crashed fire sparks ignited the gloomy dry trees, and the fire started to spread in every direction! The fires slithered towards the dry nts and trees and tangled with one another like snakes before devoured everything on its way. Within seconds, the gloomy dark world itself shone brightly in yellowish red color! At the same time, Charles sensed a strange sensation from the seventh spell model. He zeroed his eyes on the peculiar seventh star and noticed that it connected his consciousness to the outside world! ''This is the [me Body] spell model!'' He instantly identified it. Earlier, Charles felt that constructing this spell model was a wrong choice. But now, he understood something. ''This spell model not only helps me deepen the connection between my consciousness and the ''Inner-world,'' but it also helps me borrow power from this strange imaginary ''Inner-world'' directly!'' Charles also felt that he could manipte the fire elements from the outside world, pull them into this strange ''Inner world,'' and even weave them into different shapes! At that moment, he suddenly thought of something and soon nced around the dark world. ''What if the Game-System is hiding in my ''Inner-world''? A question appeared in his mind. ''It is possible. Although I somehow entered the Inner-world, I can vaguely tell that entering one''s Inner-world'' at my current rank is almost impossible. Then, what caused this? Is it because of the system? Or is it because I raised my Wisdom above 30? Or, is it because of the devil''s statue that induced my previous dark emotions and memories?'' More questions whirled in his mind. ''Tsk, raising questions is easy. But finding the right answer is always a hard task.'' He heaved a heavy sigh and then thought of his current problem. ''Outside world has less fire-elemental energy so I need to find a way to get the co-ordination of Fire Elemental ne and created my elemental heart first.'' He instantly understood the seriousness. ''If I created the elemental heart, I might have cast the ''Incinerate'' spells simultaneously andpletely wiped the enemies out in seconds. At least, I can absorb the ''Fire elements'' quicker from now on. Although I can''t absorb the ''Fire Element'' due to the ''Time Freeze'' effect now, I can make a rough estimation about the absorption rate. Hmm, it should be around 10 to 30 seconds. Although it is still long like chanting an incantation, it''s much better than before.'' He nodded his head. He then closed his eyes for a moment and soon left the Inner-world with the help of the [me Body] spell model. An instantter, he stared at the battlefield and then started to n his following action. After another 5 minutes of long waiting, another notification appeared in front of his eyes. ¡­ [Removal processpleted!] ¡­ A momentter, the ''Time-Freeze'' effect also resumed! Nothing changed except for the calm look on Charles''s face. Before Daniel''s headless body could regenerate a new head, he took a step forward and dashed towards the ritual circle. At the exact moment, he added one skill point to ''Strength'' and another skill point to the ''Constitution'' attribute. A secondter, Charles felt that he had unknowingly broken through an important shackle and entered into a new phase. In a blink, he realized that it had something to do with him raising ''Strength,''''Constitution,'' and ''Dexterity'' above 15! At that moment, something extraordinary happened! His running speed doubled all of a sudden, causing others to widen their eyes in shock! ''You entered the realm of Experts?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a bbergasted tone. ''Realm of Experts?'' Charles got stunned by the new term and asked in surprise. ''When you enter this phase, your strength will be on par with Rank-3 Mystics. Only a few enters this phase in an earlier stage, so it is a great achievement.'' The Holem''s Crown responded calmly and then started feeling something was off about its inner-world. Meanwhile, Charles nodded his head, held one dagger in his hand, and moved around the ritual circle with a bloody smile on his face. Although he was eager to walk into the ritual circle andpletely rip the headless Daniel''s body, he controlled his emotions and acted cautiously. He had a vague feeling that it was a trap to lure him into this strange bloody ritual circle! ''Even if this headless Daniel reborn into a new kind of demon, I have Holem''s Crown to back me up now.'' Nodding his head, he crouched down a little and aimed his dagger at a Chaos Being''s neck area. Due to that being concentrated its attention on some weird ritual chanting, Charles sneakily appeared behind it, cut its throat, and sliced its head away from the body! Without minding the rotten blood that sshed on his face, Charles yed with the dagger and moved towards his next target. Whenever he went near a red-skinned chaos being, he would swiftly sh his dagger and decapitated their heads. If it were before, he would have faced some difficulty. But after his body entered the phase of Experts'' stage, he turned into a beast! [Target Eliminated! 100 Exp Obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 140 Exp Obtained!] ¡­ Like a reaper, he held his dagger, tore through those Chaos Beings'' fleshes one by one, and made their heads dance in the air. His ruthless action surprised everyone! Chapter 74: Devil's Memory Fragment Chapter 74: Devil''s Memory Fragment "Our guess is right. Charles is a shadow Guard series ss Mystic." Willy Pickton finally said in a loud voice. Nodding, Luke took out an elegant-looking green bow from his void pouch and took out a metal arrow from his quiver. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown finally sensed the anomaly in its inner world and soon shouted in his mind. ''What the f*cking hell did you do to my Inner World?'' A while ago, the Holem''s Crown saw a massive crystalline star appeared in the deepest part of the inner-world and becamepletely stupefied. From the crystalline star, multiples strings spread towards its inner-world and appeared to be controlling its every movement! Not only that, it even noticed that the other two Abyssal marks also nowhere to be seen! ''This is not an equal contract¡­ Hmm, I smell the presence of ''Time'' in it. An absolute contract?!'' Upon hearing those words from the Holem''s Crown, Charles froze for an instant and soon revealed a mysterious smile on his face. ''Hehe, do you understand how powerful I am?'' He teased with augh. Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown''s mind went nk for a moment. ''The strangenguage you spoke from time to time is not from this world¡­Abnormal rise in strength¡­ Are you a ne Traveler? No, you didn''t choose the Space Observer ss¡­ A reincarnated soul! Are you a reincarnated soul? How did you manage to trick the Eternal River of Life when reincarnation? Transmigration? Is that due to the ''Last Miracle''? No, that shouldn''t be possible. You know nothing about the ss system¡­Who are you? Are you an ancient mage from the Era of Primordial Beings? Or, a Fallen God?'' Even Charles went dumbfounded as he heard a lot of new terms and soon said mysteriously. ''Only the ''Time'' will answer your questions. But don''t worry; I will definitely release you after 100 years.'' Without even waiting for the Holem''s Crown to start nagging him, Charles nced at Emilia while decapitating another red-skinned Chaos Being and asked. "Do you have any n to-?" He stopped his talking in the mid-way as he saw a blurry future vision and ducked his head. A secondter, an arrow made of silver metal tore through the air, passed through the area where his head was before, and soonnded on another Chaos Being''s forehead! Before Charles could move to the next target, another three metal arrows passed by andnded on three Chaos Beings'' foreheads! ''What is he doing?'' He got deeply angered by Luke''s action and soon saw that Luke had already released another five metal arrows in different directions! Charles instantly realized his n and spoke. "Team Leader, they are yours." Saying so, Charles hurriedly cast [Crimson Robe] and [Crimson Steps] spell on himself and started walking towards Daniel''s twitching body at an unimaginable speed. Unlike before, Charles also saw a small fleshy thing began to protrude out of the neck region and seemed to be growing into a fleshy head! Although there were still eight Chaos Beings standing on the battlefield, he didn''t even nce at them andpletely turned his attention towards Daniel. He felt that it was necessary to finish off the twitching body now. In the meantime, Emilia didn''t respond to Charles''s words. Instead, she heaved a deep sigh, put her hand into the void pouch, and disappeared from where she stood before. An instantter, she appeared behind Luke rk. "You made a mistake, my friend." She whispered in his ears as she took out a scarlet knife from her void pouch and directly thrust it towards his back! Noticing the dangerous situation, Luke wore a solemn look and activated his force-field defensive shield. But soon he realized that something was wrong. An instantter, the scarlet knife directly tore through his superficial skin and entered deep into his abdomen from behind. Shock and confusion dawn on Luke''s face as he couldn''t understand why his defensive artifact went inactive! At that moment, strange energy filled with pure evilness entered his bloodstream and soon started invading his heart. "What is this!?" He cried out in shock. A secondter, Luke''s body trembled all over, and soon he fell on his knees! His face then soonnded on the stone floor with a thudding sound! Emilia didn''t stop there, though. She turned her face towards Willy Pickton and started walking without minding the broken stones with an icy look. Although Willy became stunned by Luke''s sudden defeat, he swiftly made a decision and directly ced his hand on his chest. An instantter, his figure suddenly turned watery and soon disappeared from there, leaving a barrel of water to fell on the concrete floor. "He escaped?" Andrew ran towards the area where Willy stood before with a regretful expression on his face and soon asked. "It appears so. Well, we captured our friend, so let not bother searching the fake believer." Emilia waved her hand, turned around, and soon locked her gaze on Daniel, whose head was now grownpletely. But unlike before, a single horn was protruded on his forehead, and he appeared more maniacal. At this moment, Charles also appeared in front of him and directly cast [Incinerate] spell. The ray of crimson fire directlynded on Daniel''s chest and directly tore the flesh. But Charles saw that the wound on Daniel''s chest began to heal at an unimaginable speed and grew heavy. "Futile." An unfamiliar hoarse voice came out from Daniel''s curve-like mouth as he patted the dust on his ck suit and shifted his gaze towards Charles. A secondter, Charles noticed that something was invading his mind! No, not only that, he even saw that the surroundings suddenly turnedpletely dark! ''Daniel''s skill? He can use Daniel''s skills now?'' A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face. At that moment, Charles felt deafness, smell blindness, blindness, and numbness. He felt that the time seemed to be stopped for a moment! "Do you fear the dark?" An eerie voice filled with malice suddenly reached his mind. Upon hearing those words, Charles used his wisdom power and stopped the mysterious power from blocking his sense. Although he was still in the dark world, Charles instantly regained his senses. Then, the corner of his lips suddenly rose as he let out a chuckle and spoke in a calm tone. "The one in daylight fears dark, Devil." He paused as he searched the surroundings through the wisdom power and soon added, "But I lived in the dark, and this was my home ground once." Saying so, he waved his hand and broke the dark world with a smile on his face. This time, it was the possessed Daniel''s turn to be surprised! "You already entered your soul realm?" Daniel said in the same hoarse voice. Charles chuckled. "You ask too many questions," He appeared right next to the possessed Daniel after saying those words, stabbed his dagger below the sternum, and rammed him to the ground. Although the Winged Devil''s memory fragments possessed Daniel''s body to take revenge on him, it didn''t have any other skills other than Daniel''s ones. Without minding''s its futile attempt, Charles then ripped his abdomen wall muscles open and plunged the dagger towards his heart. He didn''t stop there, though. Gripping his Ghost Dagger, he then ruptured both of his lungs, liver and even tore the diaphragm! After that, he made a vertical line above the sternum, opened the rib cage, and then studied the human body''s internal structure with a calm look on his face. ''Oh? Humans'' internal organs look the same as humans from the Earth. But why is he still alive?'' "Howe his body is still twitching?" He asked out loud and soon noticed a strange tattoo above the right lung. Only then did he saw that Daniel''s right lung''s outer pleura was emitting a strange green light, and that light seemed to be spreading to the nearby organs, including the heart, left lung, and even moving below! Frowning, Charles then ripped the rib bones and directly extracted the right lung by cutting the bronchial tube. At that moment, a cloud of ck smoke came out from the right lung and soon formed into an illusionary figure of a Winged Man. No, it was a Winged-Man Devil! Upon seeing the shadowy figure, the corner of Charles''s lips curled upward. "Is this your original body''s lung?" His tone was cold as ice as he squeezed the organ a little and soon widened his smile. He saw pain and agony on the Devil''s face. "Mortal, return my organ to where it belongs." An ancient voice filled with pure rage echoed in the gloomy city center. Charles didn''t even nce at the shadowy figure, though. Instead, he stared up at the dark cloudy sky and asked in a gloomy voice. "What is your rtionship with the Red Prince?" Simultaneously, he squeezed the lung organ and returned his deadly gaze at the shadowy figure. "Is he your servant?" He probed. In the meantime, the shadowy Winged Man groaned a little and soon said with a wicked grin on its face. "I''m his servant." As the words ended, the green-colored lung filled with strange viscous fluids suddenly bulged a little and soon exploded, sshing the viscous liquid on Charles''s face. "You are a mere worm in ''His'' presence." The shadowy Winged Man''s figure suddenly paused for a second and soon added with a devilish grin on its face. "Run and hide like a worthless worm." After saying those words, the shadowy figure turned blurry and soon disappeared into a cloud of smokes. "Hide?" Charles paused in surprise as he wiped the viscous liquid off his face and then turned his attention towards the remaining Chaos Beings. Charles then stepped forward towards the nearby Chaos Being and stabbed his dagger into its neck. ¡­ Two minutester, the ritual ceremony area returned toplete dead silence. ''I got a total of 2340 Exp from these Chaos Beings. Not a bad reward.'' He nodded with a pleasant smile on his face and soon turned his gaze towards Luke rk, who was already woken up from the unconscious state. But unlike before, Emilia and Andrew squatted beside him and even shackled him in iron chains. Heaving a deep sigh, Charles went near the headless Winged Man''s statue and looked at the ritual circle in puzzlement. ''Mr. Rh, can you decipher these words and tell me what is written in this circle?'' He asked. The Holem''s Crown replied by emitting a dim light and soon started to speak. ''It is written in the Devil''s tongue. Hmm, they were nning to summon the ''Will'' of Hell ne and appeared to be doing some sacrificial ceremony.'' ''Sacrificial Ceremony? For what?'' He suddenly thought of the azure gem and soon widened his eyes. ''So, they nned to steal the Holem''s Crown divinity using the Azure gem and then sacrifice it to the ''Hell'' ne, huh. For what purpose?'' Puzzlement appeared on Charles''s oval face. ''Once you sacrifice something valuable to a ne, it will fulfill your wish.'' The Holem''s Crown seemed to have already startedprehending some English words and said in a deep tone. ''What the f*ck? You already started deciphering the meanings of English words?'' Shock appeared on Charles''s face, and soon he realized that this artifact had the [Recall] skill! Groaning slightly, he used his wisdom power to shield the dark space and soon checked whether the Holem''s Crown could hear him or not. After getting no response from the Holem''s Crown, Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and started to think about the current situation. ''So, they created this ritual ceremony to get a wish, huh.'' Charles instantly thought of Eddie''s request about creating an ultimate miracle and soon guessed. ''That exins everything.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment. ''But where is Eddie Nightwind? If this ritual ceremony is for him to form his true soul, then why didn''t he appear here even after the failure?'' Puzzlement crossed on Charles''s face and soon widened jade his eyes. ''Could it be that he can''t enter this world willingly? Now that I think about it, he never did show his appearance in Edhen World, right? When he told me about the real Eddie''s death, he said that Eddie''s other incarnations and avatars started to disappear one by one, and he survived by absorbing the other creatures'' memories. Wait.'' ''Memories can even form into physical beings with the power of ''Imagination'' in the Dreamworld. But that wouldn''t be possible once he left that area. But that doesn''t add up about his appearance when he released the prophecy¡­ Was there another helper? No, there must be something else.'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and soon made a bold conclusion. ''When he made that prophecy, he solely isted himself in the Wind Vi and never went anywhere. Could it be that he made a gateway to connect the Wind Vi and our house to the Dreamworld? Could it be that there is a time limit for him to stay in the Edhen World?'' The more he thought about it, the more he became certain of that possibility. ''If my guess is right, he must have known about the failure of this ''ritual ceremony.'' But due to some circumstances, he couldn''t enter this world.'' He nodded his head in understanding and soon thought of the robed skeleton that appeared in the Dreamworld. ''Did it create through my Imagination? Or, is it also summoned by Eddie to probe my strength?'' Doubt appeared in his mind. ''Does that mean Eddie won''t appear here? No, l can''t let him live any longer. He is a very dangerous person.'' Charles''s face turned serious. Chapter 75: Co-operation Chapter 75: Co-operation Upon hearing Charles words, the Holem''s Crown let out a dim red light and spoke in his mind, ''Look at the ''Mark of Imagination,''d. It is shining for a while, which means the other party is now using this mark to locate you. It wouldn''t long before hees here.'' Charles pressed his lips together as he nced at the ''Mark of Imagination'' and soon widened his jade eyes. ''It looks like escape is not an option for me now.'' A grim look appeared on his face. ''Don''t wait for the opportunity, Charles. Create one and assassinate him here and now.'' A reckless idea appeared in his mind. He knew that it was the only chance to get out of this predicament. ''I also have a vague feeling that he woulde earlier if I activate this Coin of Helper.'' He froze for a second at the unusual feeling and soon shifted his attention towards the Coin of Helper. Charles then took a deep breath and asked the Holem''s Crown in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, do you speak Nether tongue?'' His sudden question greatly startled the Holem''s Crown. ''Where in the hell did you hear about this ''Nether Language''?'' It paused for a second and then answered. ''It''s themonnguage of the ''Underworld.'' And, yes. I do speak the Nether tongue.'' ''Oh? Tell me more about it. Why is it very rare in this world?'' He asked. The Holem''s Crown instantly replied. ''The Nether Language is same as Runal Language. But unlike Runal Language, which is used to decipher the magic spells by mages, this Nether Language mostly used to decipher the power of Life, Death, and Soul by the Necromancers. If you ever n on visiting the undead ne, you must learn thisnguage.'' ''Heh, does that mean only the person from the Death Church knew thisnguage?'' He posed another question. ''The Gods of this n are not that dumb,d. If the Lawful Gods of the Edhen allowed the Nether Language and Rune Language to spread freely here, there wouldn''t be able to gain full control over this ne. Many Necromancer ss Mystics and Mage ss Mystics would have born and ruled many kingdoms instead of Gods. Their main goal to eradicate the Arcane Empire off this world is because of this.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone. Charles frowned when he heard those words and soon showed the ''Coin of Helper'' to the Holem''s Crown. ''Can you guess how this coin ends up in the hands of Addie Baker?'' The Holem''s Crown went silent for a few seconds to organize its thoughts and then responded. ''I smell the power of Dream in it. I''m damn sure Eddie''s incarnation is the one who gave it to Addie.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles nodded his head as he flipped the coin and asked. ''How to say ''Change'' in Nether Tongue?'' ''So, you are nning to lure him first, huh.'' The Holem''s Crown heaved a deep sigh and then told him how to pronounce the word ''Change.'' Once he got the answer, Charles nodded his head and was about to activate the ''Coin of Helper'' but stopped. ''Will you be able to assassinate him sessfully?'' He asked in doubt. Charles knew that once he activated this ''Coin,'' there will be no going back. ''I''m 70% sure. Only if Eddie sensed the danger earlier and created an illusion to hide, I won''t be able to lock on him and assassinate him. But you don''t have to worry too much about it because his strength might not be above Rank-4 Mystic.'' A troubled expression appeared on Charles''s face. ''A Rank-4 Mystic is still a powerful man in my eyes. If not for your ''Dark Star'' spell, I would have already given up on facing him and ran away from here.'' He firmly shook his head. ''I should return to Riverdale City and get the hell out of this kingdom. Once I grew strong enough to face a Rank-4 Mystic, I wille and deal with him myself.'' Charles felt that was the right choice. Before he could say another word, the Holem''s Crown spoke in disdain. ''Do you think that he won''t be able to track you down? Humph, you are his descendant, and he must have countless ways to track you down. Although you manage to erase the Abyss Marks in my Inner world, I can see that you are still weak against Rank-3 Mystics. You are simply using underhand methods to kill your enemies.'' ''I know.'' Charles closed his eyes and started to ponder deeply. ''If I had some powerful allies, I wouldn''t be in this state. Wait¡­ What is Life Church''s aim?'' He felt that something was very odd about them. ''Bishop Reynolds and other two Life Church mages¡­ They must havee here for another purpose. Although they helped me when Anderson was about to kill us, I still felt something was off about them. Humph, even Gods sometimes finds it difficult to do good deeds; they are human after all.'' He didn''t have any n to put his hope on them from the beginning. ''They are just a bunch of fanatics who would betray me at any time. I should concentrate on how to deal with my current situation.'' He rubbed his temple in frustration and soon nced at Emilia ''Why is she so calm?'' He suddenly recalled the moment when Emilia told Anderson about her secret mission and soon squinted his eyes. ''Could it be that she has a backup n?'' A strange doubt appeared in his mind as he wandered his gaze towards the surroundings and then narrowed his eyes. ''Archbishop Abel¡­ That man''s appearance during my Rank-Up¡­Him sending her sister to a dangerous mission in the name of fulfilling the prophecy¡­ Church''s strange actions¡­'' He subconsciously turned his gaze towards the headless winged man''s statue. ''Something is wrong¡­ The Holem''s Crown is already in my hands, and they knew that I agreed to hand it over to the Church if I didn''t reach Rank-5 in the next ten years. So, why would they risk their lives toe here?'' He suddenly zeroed his focus on the headless Winged Man''s statue and asked, ''Mr. Rh, can you tell me what is more precious than a series artifact for the Life Church?'' ''It''s another above rank series artifact or divinities. They are the precious treasures for Gods.'' ''Is that so?'' Charles soon appeared near the winged man''s statue and soon kicked it with full might. He vaguely felt that something was wrong with this statue, so he thought of checking it out first. Due to the earlier damage, the statue trembled and soon crumbled into multiple pieces. No, the one crumbled into multiple pieces was just an outeryer of the winged man''s statue. Before long, Charles saw what was hiding within the statue and soon widened his eyes. Because what he saw was not a box or something; instead, it was another statue! This one was a small female statue with a lotus petal-like thing embedded on the forehead area. The woman in the statue had long straight hair, a round face, a slim, curvy body, half-meter tall, and the statue appeared to be made of wood. Charles scanned the statue for a moment in shock, and soon his eyes glued on the forehead area where the strange petal was embedded. With a curious look on his face, he took the petal with his right hand, ced it on his palm, and cast [Inspect] skill on it. To his surprise, he only saw question marks all over the ce! "What happened?" Noticing his strange actions, Emilia stood up and asked while she started walking towards him. In the meantime, Andrew also stood up and followed her footsteps. "This is it!" He muttered in an excited tone as he arrived next to Charles and hurriedly took the white petal from his hand. "Team Leader, we need to store this thing; otherwise, others might sense it." Emilia nodded her head, took the petal, and hurriedly stored it in her void pouch. She then took two steps back and then said in a calm tone. "This is the Divinity of Morality." ''Divinity? Why would it appear in this statue?'' Charles asked the Holem''s Crown in confusion. ''These type of Divinities holds mysterious power,d. You can find these types of divinities in all the Gods'' and Goddess'' statutes. I once heard that this has something to do with gathering divine powers from the masses.'' Charles creased his eyebrows and soon turned his face towards Emilia. "Team Leader, you led me here in the name of Goddess''s Prophecy for this thing?" He asked. "No, that prophecy thing is real. But getting this Divinity is our main goal. Now, what should we do with our guest here?" Emilia simply waved her right hand and soon turned her gaze towards the opposite side. Upon hearing those words, Charles raised his eyebrows and soon sensed another presence nearly. He followed her gaze and soon looked at the area where the broken temple was located. In a few seconds, he saw a human figure was walking in their direction. He was a male kid, who looked around 18-years old, wore a brown leather jacket, ck shoes, and ck leather pants, and appeared well-equipped. His ck hairs were slightly long and somewhat messier, and his wide-set emerald eyes seemed to hold deep secrets behind them. He walked on the stone-like floor with quiet footsteps and soon arrived outside the ritual circle. Emilia moved her hand towards her void pouch as she watched the ck-haired kid and took out a ck dagger from it. ''He is the [Historian].'' The Holem''s Crown said in Charles''s mind. "Max Fireborn?" Charles sized the ck-haired kid up and down and asked. Meanwhile, Max curled his lips upward and nodded in the affirmative. "I''m here to make a deal with you, Charles." Max went straight to the point. "You are not here for Divinity?" Emilia asked him in a bbergasted tone. "Who would fight for that scary thing?" Max nced at her weirdly and soon shook his head. "What is it then?" Charles stared at him in confusion. "I will help you deal with the fake Eddie now. In return, you have to help meplete a mission in the near future." Before Charles could refute, Max raised his hand and interrupted him. "That ''Mark'' on your wrist will activate in a few minutes, and he wille out to take revenge on you for ruining this sacrificial ceremony." Max said in a t tone. Charles and his teammates nced at each other in confusion. ''This guy knew more about Edde.'' A surprised expression appeared on his face. "How should I trust you? Wait¡­ Are you the one who created the earlier noise to distract us?" Charles''s eyes widened as he recalled the moment when he got the opportunity to level up. In the meantime, Max let out a chuckle and nodded. "I vaguely felt that you need an opportunity, so I created it for you." He paused for a moment and soon asked, "How is it? Do you want to co-operate?" Charles stayed silent for a moment and soon asked, "Before that, can you tell me more about the future help you needed from me? What do you mean by the near future? Can you tell me the exact date?" ''If not for this guy''s interference, I wouldn''t havee this far. Moreover, he seems to have known more about me and Eddie. But the problem is his goal. What is he after? Is he after the Holem''s Crown?'' While he was in muse, Max started to speak. "I''m no longer after your Holem''s Crown, nor do I have any ill intention against you, Charles." He deliberated for a moment and soon added in a deep tone. "A while ago, I sensed the presence of the ''psed Time'' on your body, and I knew that you are not a normal existence. Moreover, I don''t n on dying just for an Intellectual artifact or some Divinity." "He is telling the truth," Emilia said from his left side. ''[Discern Lies] skill? No, he is irregr and appears to have some hidden motive. It looks like I have to take a gamble now.'' Charles pondered. ''This is a godsend opportunity¡­ No, it might be due to the enchantment in my ''Luck.'' Tsk, this guy sure has some hidden motive. But do I even have a choice now?'' He organized his thoughts in three seconds and soon nodded. "I agree." In the meantime, Max''s smile widened as he threw a silver bullet towards Charles and soon said. "I have abnormal physical strength, and I''m very resistant to mind-rted abilities. If nothing abnormal happens, the Holem''s Crown and I will be able to hold him for more than 20 seconds. When that time rightes, I will give you a signal. Use this silver bullet and paralyze him with the Ember Pistol. Then, your Holem''s Crown will cast its [Dark Star] spell on the fake Eddie and finish him off." Charles got stunned inside as he caught the silver bullet with his right hand and took out the Ember Pistol from his pocket. ''Where can I put this bullet?'' He checked the Pistol with a frown. Noticing his frown, the Holem''s Crown let out a chuckle and said in his mind. ''ce it near the grip. The silver bullet will do the rest.'' Nodding, Charles moved the silver bullet towards the grip area and soon widened his eyes. At that moment, he noticed that the silver bullet suddenly turned illusionary and soon disappeared into it! ''Is this due to the power of Inner-world?'' He asked in curious. ''Yes. Max''s other ss might be [Artisan] series ss.'' The Holem''s Crown guessed. In the meantime, Max walked into the ritual circle and gave two scrolls to Andrew. After that, he turned around and then stared at the ritual circle. "Hmm, this ce is good." He nodded his head and gave a signal. Nodding his head, Charles moved his lips as he tossed the coin towards the center of the ritual circle and said in Nether tongue. "Change." Chapter 76: Eddie Nightwind Chapter 76: Eddie Nightwind A bluish vortex appeared at the center of the ritual circle and soon formed into a portal. Then, a gray-robed skeleton with purplish me eyes walked out from it. Unlike thest time, the skeleton already held a wooden staff in its right bony hand and stared intensely at Charles. Meanwhile, Charles saw another two fleshy hands from the other side and got tensed up. ''He is here.'' He muttered inwardly. "You made a terrible mistake, Charles." A cold, gloomy voice filled with a bone-chilling aura came from the void, and soon a white-robed man walked out from it. He hadbed straight ck hair, monolid blue eyes, square face, and looked around 187 cm tall. As he stepped out of the bluish portal, the surrounding suddenly turned gloomier, and even the clouds in the sky turned red-in color! Upon seeing the changes, Charles''s body stiffened as he showed a shocking look on his face and then stared deeply at the white-robed man for two continuous seconds. He also loosened his grip and dropped the Ember Pistol. But in secret, he stealthily moved it towards the Goddess Rodia''s statue using his [Magician''s Hand] skill and patiently waited for the opportunity. Still, he didn''t take his eyes off the white-robed old man and asked him cautiously while taking the Starfall Codex book from his space ring. "Ancestor? Why are you here? Why did youe from along with that skeleton? You-!" Eddie Nightwind felt amused as he saw Charles''s behavior. ''Humph, where is your calm andposed character now?'' He snorted inwardly. "Don''t be afraid, Charles. The reason your ancestor became angry at you is mainly because of your rash action." He paused for a second and soon took a step forward. "Now, hand over the Holem''s Crown." A weak smile appeared on Charles''s face as he took a step back and shook his head. At the same time, cold sweats dripped from his forehead continuously. ''Damn it, man. I need to act like a timid one and make him believe my acting.'' He muttered to himself. Actually, Charles was indeed scared of this old man. Although he was a transmigrated soul with years of experience in the assassination, he was still an infantpared to this old guy. He might have a system to rank up faster, but Charles knew that he couldn''t rely on it too much. But what an assassin need was not only a cautious character but also a decisive character. A slight hesitation during an assassination mission wouldpletely turn one''s life upside down. ''My job here is to lure him from the Dreamworld and wait for the opportunity toplete my job.'' He made a forced smile as he turned his gaze towards Max and asked. "Mr. Historian-." Before he could call Max, Emilia''s shadows twisted for a moment and soon formed into a human figure. The figure was a long brown-haired man in a blue surcoat, and he looked around 50 to 60 years old. He had emerald green eyes, thick eyebrows, olive skin, and a thin mustache on his face! Upon seeing the new guest''s arrival, Charles, Max, and even Andrew became stunned. Emilia was the only one who showed a calm face! ''What the f*ck? Abel Wilson? So, that''s why she showed calm attitude, huh.'' An understanding expression appeared on his face. "An Archbishop?" Eddie also stopped his footsteps and soon zeroed his gaze on the brown-haired man. After looking at his face for a second, he nodded his head as he crossed his arms together and smiled. Indeed, he had expected that someone with the same rank would be waiting for him on the other side, so he wasn''t surprised at all. "Who else is there?" His cold voice echoed in the gloomy city ruin. Abel also narrowed his eyes for a moment and asked with a frown. "Are you Eddie Nightwind?" Abel tagged along with his sister to search for the Divinity of Morality in the broken temple. Moreover, this was a rare opportunity for him to venture deep into the Unexplored Forest. He knew that this Unexplored Forest would turn into aplete danger zone once the First Red moon disappears, so he thought of giving it a try. If he misses this opportunity, he knew that Devils and Demons woulde from the Chaos Rifts andpletely upy most of these city ruins. In truth, the city center areas were the Chaos Rifts! It''s a ce where the density of the space was very less! But what he didn''t expect was Charles''s actions and Max''s arrival. Not only did they make an agreement, they even summoned a troublesome person from the Dreamworld! If it were other members, he wouldn''t have shown his presence. Unfortunately, the one who was with Charles was his own sister. If he hadn''t acted now, he knew that consequence would have been much more disastrous. Casting those useless thoughts away, Abel stared at Eddie for a moment and ced his hands on Emilia and Andrew. A secondter, both of them turned illusionary and soon disappeared from there! "This is not a battle they should participate," Abel said in a solemn tone and then teleported. A momentter, he appeared right in front of Eddie, grabbed his neck, and directly broke it! To others'' astonishment, Eddie''s figure suddenly distorted and soon disintegrated into millions of pieces. Abel seemed to have expected this, so he clicked his tongue in annoyance and soon searched the surrounding through the power of the soul. ''Hmm? Why there are five members still on the battlefield?'' Puzzlement appeared on his face. He then turned around and soon squinted his eyes as he noticed that Emilia and Andrew were still standing near the Goddess Rodia''s statue! At that moment, he blinked his eyes and soon noticed that the one who was staying beside Emilia was not Andrew but Eddie Nightwind! Before Abel could even understand the situation, Eddie took out an eerie ck dagger from his void pouch and directly plunged into his own chest! A secondter, his face once again distorted and soon formed into a bald warrior''s one. Shock and fear appeared on Andrew''s face as he looked at his own chest and soon widened his eyes. "F*ck," Cursing out loud, he staggered back and forth for a second and fell while facing the gloomy dark-red sky! "Andrew!" Emilia also shouted in shock as she caught him in mid-air and hurriedly poured a vial into his mouth. Even Charles became stunned by the sudden assassination and grew warier. ''What the f*ck was that? He can even appear like this?'' He nced around the surrounding in vignce and soon noticed that Eddie Nightwind was nowhere to be seen! "Our consciousnesses are already pulled into his Dream Domain. No, it''s not. He created a realistic illusion and is ying with us to weaken us psychologically." Abel carefully analyzed the surroundings and said in a cold tone. He then let out a heavy sigh and appeared right next to Emilia. A secondter, he looked at Emilia and Andrew, and then his face grew solemn. "I can''t even tell whether they are real or illusions." "We are real." Emilia red at her brother fiercely and then turned her gaze towards Andrew. In the meantime, Andrew gulped down the liquid and started breathing heavily. He then raised both hands and soon showed an anxious expression on his face. "T-This¡­My blood?" At that moment, Charles noticed a big difference. Instead of red color, the blood that came out of Andrew''s chest appearedplete ck! Cough! "When he possessed me, Ipletely lost focus and even I thought of myself as the enemy," Andrew said in a raucous tone as he started breathing heavily. Charles raised his eyebrows in suspicion and soon cast [Inspect] skill on him. A secondter, confusion appeared on his face. ''My inspect skill is not working on him¡­'' He suddenly thought of something and cast his inspect skill on the Starfall Codex magic book. ''It is working on my artifact¡­ Does that mean these two are illusions?'' He furrowed his brows as he squatted down and then directly plunged his dagger into Andrew''s chest! An instantter, Andrew''s body turned into a puddle of ck smokes and soon disappeared from there. "He is an illusion," He said in affirmative as he didn''t get Exp for killing him. "Aren''t you little ruthless?" Even the Holem''s Crown couldn''t understand his trains of thoughts and asked out loud. Meanwhile, Emilia''s face suddenly distorted and soon formed into a face of an ugly old woman! In a second, both of her cheeks were torn open, worms and saliva filled with blood oozed out from both sides and painted her grey robe. "Kekeke," An eerieugh came out from her mouth as she made a twisted, creepy smile and leaped towards Charles at an unpredictable speed! Charles only saw a blurry shadow as he cast [Crimson Steps] on himself and backed away with fast footsteps. ''Eddie must have found out about our n, otherwise, he wouldn''t have created this illusion to hide.'' The Holem''s Crown calmly analyzed the surroundings and gave him a possible answer. Charles barely managed to dodge the dagger in fake Emilia''s hand with a grim look and started flipping the pages. Two secondster, he stopped on the 17th page and started chanting slowly. If it were before, he would have killed by this ugly woman-like creature. But after his body entered into an Expert level stage, he gained some confidence. While he was battling against the ugly-looking old woman, Abel and Max started to focus on the surroundings. "Max Fireborn," Max introduced himself as he bent his waist, took Luke''s greenish bow, and then stood up straight. He then stepped on Luke''s neck and broke it neatly. "I really hate these types of characters." He nced at the twitching body for a second and then took out an arrow from his space ring. Unlike the other metal arrows, this one had multiple runal characters engraved all over it and appeared to be made of simple wood. "Rune Smith?" A surprised expression appeared on Abel''s face as he stared at the arrow for a moment and then started to chant in a strangenguage. Whenever hepletes one verse, his voice changed into a different one and gave off the ancient feeling. Ten secondster, Abel''s eyes turnedpletely white as he ended the reciting and then looked around. Soon, he zeroed his gaze towards their left side skyscraper''s entrance, raised his hand, conjured an illusionary spear out of thin air, and tossed it at full speed. The spear made a whooshing sound as it created a sonic boom and appeared at the entrance in a blink! But before it could collide against the porch pir, it hit against something invisible. An instantter, a shock wave appeared from the spear and broke the illusion around it. The surrounding air molecules fluctuated fiercely due to the immense vibration and soon revealed a white-robed old man. Meanwhile, Eddie gripped the spear''s tip with his right hand and seemed unaffected by the strong force. He then tilted his head at an abnormal angle and curled his lips upward. "Impressive." He said with a nod and soon broke the illusionary spear with his hand. At this moment, Max already ced the wooden arrow on the greenish bow, pulled the string, and locked his aim on Eddie''s forehead. Then, he released the string, took out a small palm-sized white orb from his space ring, and held it between his fingers. When the wooden arrow was about to pierce Eddie, he suddenly broke the orb and spoke in a weird yet ancient tone. "Var''mt." At that moment, the wooden arrow exploded all of a sudden! But that was not the surprising thing. Abel saw that Eddie''s movement suddenly turned sluggish and became stunned! "Time maniption?" He asked out loud and soon shook his head. He knew that was an impossible task even for irregr and soon thought of another possibility. "It looks more like manipting the earth elements¡­ Gravity control?" Stroking his chin, he waved his other hand, conjured tens of arrows made of pure light, and threw it towards the sluggish Eddie. Upon seeing the uing arrows, Eddie simply let out a chuckle and smirked. A secondter, tens of weird monsters like horned foxes, goblins, and kobolds appeared before him and blocked those arrows from reaching him like loyal dogs. ¡­ On the other side, Charles evaded the ugly-faced woman''s dagger attacks and soon turned his face grave as he saw a futuristic vision from the [Prevision] skill. In a blink, he bends his knee a little and suddenly leaped upward towards the sky. If it was before, he couldn''t have reached 27 inches. But now, his high reached an extraordinary level as he shot towards the sky like a bird and backflipped. At that moment, a ck, eerie de came from the other side, tore through the area where he stood before, and directlynded on the ugly woman''s mouth. With a flesh-tearing sound, the eerie ck knife prated deep into her throat, and the tip appeared on the other side! With a disbelieving look on her face, she gasped for air and soon fell backward. The next instant, her body turned into a puddle of ck viscous things and then directly vaporized into thin air. Chapter 77: Devil's Smile Chapter 77: Devil''s Smile Meanwhile, Charlesnded two meters away from where he stood before and turned around. His gaze was cold as ice! He then recalled his previous battle in the Dreamworld as he zeroed his gaze on a lone-robed skeleton and finished his chanting. A secondter, a thin ck needle-like structure came out from the Starfall Codex book and then flew towards it with a whooshing sound. A momentter, it directly appeared in front of the grey-robed skeleton''s forehead and collided against it! BANG! The skeleton''s skull tilted upward due to the collision, and soon the skeleton stumbled backward. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown watched the other fight and suddenly spoke in his mind. ''This Eddie looks totally different,d. He doesn''t have a physical body nor has a soul. No, he does have something that resembles like a soul, but it''s not.'' ''Fake soul? Yeah, he did mention that he created a fake soul and is nning to turn it into a true one after capturing you by creating an ultimate miracle.'' Charles swiftly evaded the uing bone spear and responded. Oh? That''s why he is borrowing power from the Dreamworld through this skeleton and the ''Mark of Imagination'' to fight against those two, huh. Lad, kill this skeleton and find a way to remove the ''Mark of Imagination.'' Once we did that, we mightpletely restrict him from borrowing energy from the Dream-world and kill him here.'' Charles instantly raised his hand as he heard those words, pointed his finger at the grey-robed skeleton, and cast [Incinerate] spell on it. In a blink, a crimson ray appeared from his forefinger and soon reached its skull! But as it was about tond on its skull, the grey-robed skeleton moved its wooden staff and tried to block it like thest time. But unlike thest time, this [Incinerate] spell was an upgraded version. As it made contact with the skeleton''s wooden staff, the ray instantly disintegrated it and thennded on the area where the sternum bone was located! Charles ced the Starfall Codex in the space ring and started walking towards the skeleton. In less than three seconds, Charles arrived in front of the skeleton, curled his lips upward, and gripped the skull-less bony skeleton with both hands. After that, he twisted it with full force and ripped it from the skeleton along with spinal bones! He then threw the skull on the ground and smashed it with his right leg! In a second, the whole skull turned into a ckish viscous thing and then vaporized. ''Next is this mark.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon turned his gaze towards Eddie, who was still moving sluggishly due to the strange gravity force. At this moment, Eddie also noticed the sudden weakening of his connection with the Dreamworld and stopped ying around. He first took a deep breath and broke the gravitation effect by pping his hands and sharpening his gaze towards Abel. Abel also sensed the meaning behind his gaze, so he turned his face serious and waved his hand. One, two, three¡­ No, tens of humans made of pure white light appeared from his body one by one and dashed towards Eddie at an incredible speed while gripping different kinds of weapons in their hands! But whenever an attacknded on Eddie, his figure would distort, disappears for an instant like an illusion, and then reappears in another area. Watching this scene, Max shook his head. ''We are no match for his illusion abilities. Although he doesn''t seem to have other ss abilities, he is still way above us in terms ofprehending the power of Dream.'' He rubbed his chin, took out an old blue-colored scroll from his space ring, and tore it into two. An instantter, the space around the surroundings suddenly began to twist and soon locked into arge cube-like structure! It was a Rank-4 space spell, Spatial Folding! Upon seeing the strange scene, Eddie finally turned his attention towards Max. "You are the irregr?" His tone went cold. If Max didn''t appear in Riverdale City, he knew that things would have gone much smoother. "It seems I need to take things seriously." He muttered as he stepped forward towards Max and snapped his fingers. An instantter, the surrounding area turned dimmer, and soon Eddie''s figure started to growrger. Multiple heads with distorted figures appeared over his neck region, and he appeared more like a real nightmare Lord! Some heads appeared humanoid, while other heads looked like strange animals'' ones. Upon seeing the strange humanoid figure with different distorted heads, Abel and Max felt pain in their chest. No, their heart started to beat very faster! Not only that, he even felt that something so evil was trying to invade his inner world. "Something is wrong with this guy." Max frowned a bit as he ced his hand on his chest and then took out another spell scroll. He then locked his gaze on Eddie''s original head and directly tore it. A weird magic circle filled with multiple runal letters appeared in front of him and soon expanded to an unimaginable size. "Thought Curse." He spat a mouthful of blood as he said those words and then tapped his space ring twice. Another two spell scrolls appeared in his hand as he tossed them upward and made them open on their own. After that, he directly tore those scrolls using invisible soul power and smiled. One was a spell enchantment scroll, while the other was a reverse spell scroll! He knew that hisst scroll doesn''t have much power, so he strengthened the spell effect using the enchantment spell scroll. As for why he cast this ''Reverse spell'' scroll, he felt that it might help them in the future. Yes, Reverse spell was not an instant effective spell. Like the ''Miracle'' spell, requirements were needed for this spell to activate! It might take a minute or an hour or even a day. But when it happens, it would definitely catch the enemy off guard! At that moment, Eddie felt that he couldn''t think properly from time to time and got confused. He didn''t get anxious, though. Instead, he zeroed his gaze on Abel and cast his ss spell [Dream Invasion]. It was a spell to pull one''s consciousness into a separate world and make them experience despair and fear! Eddie knew that battling against two of them would only put him in a more dangerous position, so he instantly made a decision and chose to eliminate the weak-willed person. An instantter, Abel''s face froze, and soon he started showing confusion, anxiety, then panic and finally fear! In such a short amount of time, he entered into a strange world filled with barrelnd and battled against Eddie countless times. But soon, he realized the difference in strength and started to lose. He first lost to Eddie after one hour of battling. Then, he lost in 50 minutes. Days passed as he lost countless times against the white-robed old man and finally felt despair! As he was about to lose his mind, he suddenly saw that the surroundings started to break like sses and soon noticed that he returned to the earlier battlefield! ''Is that a nightmare?'' Fear gripped his heart as he cast a wary look at Eddie, who was still showing a calm expression on his face and finally sighed. ''Fighting against him will only make things worse for me. Although I could use one of my trump cards and kill him, I think it is unnecessary in this situation.'' Then, he didn''t even think twice before he cast a teleport skill on himself and disappeared! "He escaped?" Even Max became bbergasted at the sudden turn of events and moved his lips. "Edth''wft," Another strange word echoed from his mouth as he stared deep into Eddie''s eyes and raised his hand. "This is all I can do for you, Charles." He said before he pointed his finger at Eddie and cast a spell. Eddie initially showed a confused expression on his face, but soon he let out a strange cry using all those distorted faces and fell on his knees. He suddenly started to lose those memories he absorbed from other Nightmare Creatures! Shock appeared on his face as his figure also reduced to normal size, and soon he started breathing heavily. He staggered due to the sudden, shocking blow in his mind and finally stopped in front of the statue. He then recalled the moment when the real Eddie died in a strange dimension, and the current ''him'' desperately tried many methods to save himself in the Dreamworld. He was not the ''real'' Eddie Nightwind. If he were one, he wouldn''t be in such a state. In the meantime, Max took a few deep breaths and felt fatigued. He knew that casting high-level spells using spell scrolls would always give a huge mental burden, but he felt this was worth it. "This is my limit." He said as he took two steps back and soon disappeared from there. On the other hand, Eddie stood up while cing his hand on the Goddess Rodia''s statue to support him and stared at Charles, who was standing at the center of the ritual circle with a stunned expression on his face. ''Haha, I won.'' He subconsciously smiled. Although Eddie did lose all of his previous strength, he still won against them and pushed them back in the end. ''I need to return to the Dreamworld-'' That thought instantly froze as he felt that the connection with the Dreamworld cut off all of a sudden! He instantly zeroed his gaze on the red-gem embedded ring and soon realized that it must be the artifact''s doing. But he didn''t lose his calm, though. Instead, he took a small white paper out of nowhere, ced it on his forehead, and then spoke in a cold tone. "Rh,e and help your real owner." At that moment, Charles subconsciously believed that the one who appeared in front of him was the real Eddie Nightwind and widened his eyes in shock! Even the Holem''s Crown felt that the one who appeared was the real Eddie Nightwind and became stunned inside! But that shocksted for just a moment, though. Charles quickly calmed his mind and gave a new order to Rh. ''Go to him and wait for my further orders.'' Saying so, he used his [Magician''s Hand] skill, controlled the ''Ember Pistol'' which wasid near the Goddess Rodia''s statue, and adjusted the muzzle to 125¡ã angle. Meanwhile, the red-gem embedded bracelet in his right hand moved on its own and soon came out from his hand. After that, it hovered in the air for a moment before changing itself into a reddish gem-embedded crown and then moved towards Eddie Nightwind! Upon seeing the Holem''s Crown, Eddie heaved a heavy sigh and muttered in a depressing tone. "If they had done their job right, I wouldn''t need toe here now." After that, he caught the Holem''s Crown with both of his hands and ced it on his head. At this time, Charles sat on the stone-like floor with cross-legged position and asked in a tired tone. "Why would you pull me into this mess? Why did you lead me here if you want just the crown?" Eddie turned his face towards Charles as he heard those words and blinked twice. He then pointed his finger at the ritual circle and spoke with a mysterious smile on his face. "It seems you finally figured it out. Hehe, but you are still wrong about one thing. This sacrificial ritual is not to sacrifice the Holem''s Crown, Charles. It is to summon the will of ''Hell'' ne and seal both you and Holem''s Crown in this city ruin for a day. Although I could request the ''Hell'' ne to help me form the true soul in exchange for a divinity, I don''t want to be a devil." He purposefully paused for a second and then asked with a grin, "How do you want to die now?" Upon hearing those words, the corners of Charles''s lips suddenly started to go upward and formed into a smile. It was the smile of a real Devil! ''I got you now.'' Charles muttered inwardly and squeezed the Ember Pistol''s trigger using his [Magician''s Hand] skill. From the beginning, Chares solely focused on assassinating him, so even after Eddie mentioned something about sealing them in the city, he didn''t even focus his attention on his words and patiently waited for a perfect opportunity like this! Eddie suddenly heard a bang sound from behind and got startled! ''A sneak attack?'' He coldly snorted and cast ''Double Thoughts'' skill on Charles. An instantter, he suddenly felt that his thoughts turned messier and couldn''t be able to think properly! No, he suddenly noticed that he was affected by his own spell! Now, the Reverse spell activated on its own and attacked Eddie. At that moment, a bullet made of pure silver came out from the muzzle and soonnded on his back. An instantter, Eddie''s whole body turned stiff! He couldn''t move, nor could he able to think properly! ''I''m feeling thirsty¡­A nned attack¡­ Why would I need to drink?'' Double thoughts continuously appeared in his head as he tried to move his hand, but it turned into a futile attempt! "Do it now." Suddenly, he heard a cold voice from Charles. Then, the Holem''s Crown on his head suddenly began to vibrate, and soon he heard a familiar old man''s mockingugh in his head. A momentter, Eddie''s mind suddenly turned foggy all of a sudden! His memories then started to disappear one by one, and soon he felt that some invisible power was devouring them like a World Eater! It was the Holem''s Crown''s Dark Star spell, Erase Existence! Within a second, the white-robed old man suddenly turned into a fog and soon disappeared from Charles''s sight. No, he was erased from the universe itself! Chapter 78: Communication Chapter 78: Communication "What a powerful spell," Charles muttered out loud. "Everything has a price,d. My inner-world is damaged further due to the bacsh and for the next forty-five days, I will be in a weakened statue." The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a moment and then added, "If I hadn''t enchanted your luck, you would have died much earlier." The Holem''s Crown then moved near him and soon turned itself into a red-gem embedded bracelet. Nodding his head, Charles took the bracelet and wore it in his right hand. He then leaned his back on the stone-like floor and stared at the sky in confusion. Unlike a few moments ago, the sky looks very brighter, and white clouds were scattered all over the ce. He even saw the ring sun at the angle of 135¡ã and frowned. He hurriedly took out his silver pocket watch from his space ring, opened the outer case with a click, and checked the time. ''October 3rd, 9.30 A.M.'' ''It''s been a day already? Did he manipte the time with the power of Dream? What a scary old man.'' He let out a heavy sigh, stored the pocket watch back into the space ring, and then started to ponder about Eddie''s earlier words. ''Why would Eddie want to seal me and the Holem''s Crown in this city for a day?'' At that moment, an absurd thought appeared in his mind. ''Could it be that their main goal is not us? But why did they controlled my mind earlier and forced me to cast a ''Miracle'' on someone else? Could it be they are after something else? If they are after something else, why would they want to lead us here and try to seal us?'' At that moment, Charles suddenly noticed that the silver bracelet in his left hand suddenly started to shine brightly! ''Hmm, isn''t that the bracelet Eve gave me as a present for the birthday?'' He raised his eyebrows and soon turned solemn as he sensed a strange eerie silence. His heart thumped harder all of a sudden! A secondter, thunder resounded from the sky. Without any hesitation, Charles stood up, leaped towards his right side as he also received the warning from his [Prevision] skill, and hid behind the Goddess''s statue. A strange silence remained for a second, flowed by a sh of light. In shock, Charles looked up at the bright sky, saw a blue arc of lightning made a turn from the white clouds, and soon moved towards their direction! "F*ck! How can this world be so messed up? Lightning from the white clouds?" He cursed out loud as he saw that lightning directlynded on the chained Luke''s body and bathed him in purple fire. In seconds, the fire even burned his flesh and bones, leaving nothing behind! "What the f*ck? Did someone cast some ultra-level spell or is it really a bolt of lightning?" Charles asked in a dumbfounded tone. "No, there is no presence of elements." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and soon added. "That lightning is a pure coincidence." "Coincidence?" Charles''s face stiffened as he took a step back and showed a worried expression on his face. "What now? Is this it?" He first ced his hand on his chin and then fell into deep thoughts. ''Goddess''s prophecy hasn''t beenpleted yet.'' He closed his jade eyes. ''Tragedy. It will be an orchestrated encounter. You can''t escape from the ''Fate.'' Face the Fate and reborn as anew. These are the prophetic words I heard from Bishop Reynolds.'' ''Tragedy. There is no tragedy urred to me yet. Does that mean I already changed the ''Fate''? Or, is there still more? As for the orchestrated encounter, this absurd scheme might be the orchestrated encounter.'' "Are you saying that there will be more enemies?" The Holem''s Crown asked in a startled tone. Upon hearing his words, Charles shook his head and said in a confused tone. "I have no idea about that. But I have a vague feeling that we missed something important." Sighing deeply, Charles looked at his left hand and then puzzled. ''Why is it shining all of a sudden?'' He was about to touch it but halted his movement. Because Charles felt some suction force was pulling his consciousness from the silver bracelet and got stunned! ''Projection-typemunication? No, this one looks like a Consciousness Pull.'' The Holem''s Crown also noticed the anomaly and said in Charles''s mind. ''Consciousness Pull?'' Charles asked in surprise. ''This skill allows you to pull one''s consciousness from afar and make them appear in front of you. You can stop projection-typemunication methods using some artifacts, but not this one. This is an imitation of Astral Projection skill and is very rare-.'' Before the Holem''s Crown could finish answering, Charles noticed that his consciousness began to travel through space, and soon he saw a mirage of stars clusters and nebs. ''What the f*ck? Interster-space?'' He was beyond speechless by the sudden change and soon felt a pulling sensation from the other side. An instantter, he felt dizziness assaulted his head as he bent down and soon noticed that he was in a familiar reception hall. Then, Charles''s jade eyes widened. ''My home? Am I already in Riverdale City?'' He blinked his eyes twice and soon frowned as he saw his arms and legs. They looked more like illusions! At that moment, he heard a familiar female voice in his head. ''It seems you didn''t face much problem.'' Turning his head around, Charles saw a long, deep-blue-haired woman was standing two meters away from him and leaned her back against the smooth granite wall. She had wide-set blue eyes, short eyebrows, fleshy nose, and olive skin and wore a full-sleeved ck jacket, long skirt, and her hair appeared a little messier. Although she seemed to be aware of Charles''s presence, she didn''t show it on her face at all! After taking a deep breath in the illusionary form, Charles straightened his back, stared at her for two seconds, and asked while pointing his finger at the other bracelet. ''How did you pull my consciousness here, mom? Is it due to the silver bracelet?'' ''Yes, I gave that bracelet as a present specifically to contact you frequently. It''s like a long-rangemunication device, but a more secured one.'' Eve''s voice suddenly echoed in his head. ''In this form, none can see you or hear your voice other than me.'' She added. ''Oh?'' Charles was surprised by the strangemunication method and soon looked at the corner of the reception room. There, a ck-haired woman in a ck robe sat in a cross-legged position, and she appeared to be in the middle of deep meditation. She was around 35 to 45 old and looked slimmer. ''Who is she?'' Charles asked in curious. ''Hmm? You don''t know? She said that you are the one who asked the Life Church to send someone to protect me, son.'' Eve slightly showed a shocked expression as she said those words and soon returned her face to normal. At that moment, the ck-haired woman suddenly opened her silvery eyes, stared in their direction for a second before closing it. ''Her perception is sharp.'' Charlesmented and nodded. ''Yes, I''m the one who asked Life Church to protect you.'' He paused for a moment and then asked, ''Why did you call me here through this strangemunication method?'' ''I just want to see my son''s face. Also, I want to tell you something important.'' She said in his mind, then turned her gaze towards the right side corner room. Charles also followed her gaze and soon saw a 25 years-olddy in a v-neck blue shirt and dark blue skirt walked out from the room. She had monolid-hazel eyes, barely visible eyebrows, a duchess nose, wiry blonde hair, and an upper lip with sharp philtrum. ''Saron White?'' Charles retracted his gaze and then asked, ''Something important? What is it?'' Eve didn''t answer instantly. Instead, she went near her favorite ornate sofa, sat on it, and then started to speak with a solemn look on his face. ''Due to some unexpected situations, I signed an agreement with Life Church and promised them that I will sell this house and Wind Vi for 2300 Arc gold coins after six months.'' ''Why?'' Charles questioned her as he couldn''t grasp her intention and waited in silence. Noticing his gaze, Eve let out a heavy sigh and spoke. ''Don''t get disappointed. There is some secret hidden in this house and Churches seemed to have found out about it.'' ''Is it a link to the Dreamworld?'' Charles raised a question. Eve''s eyes widened a little as she heard those words and soon nodded her head in understanding. ''That must be it. After some long bargain, the Life Church agreed to buy ournd and this house for 2300 Arc gold coins.'' ''The value of our property should be around 10,000 to 15,000 gold coins.'' Charles said with a frown. ''Our life is more precious than this, Charles. Moreover, I also got something big from the Life Church, so it''s okay. Once you return from this mission, I will tell you more about it.'' Eve suddenly turned her face serious and then shifted her attention towards Saron. Meanwhile, Saron greeted her with a smile and sat on the oppositedder back chair. Eve also nodded her head and then asked. "Ms. Saron, what do you want to talk to me?" Her tone contained a hint of confusion. Saron nced at the ck-robed woman for two continuous seconds and soon spoke. "I received important news from the Holy See of Wisdom." "What is it?" Eve leaned her body forward, ced her right hand on the arm of the sofa, and asked in interest. "It''s about the people who are after the ss gem-" Saron was about to finish the sentence when she suddenly sensed a presence from outside and stopped her talking. ''ss gem?'' Charles raised his brows and followed her gaze. At that moment, the ck-haired woman also opened her silvery eyes, stood up, and started walking near Eve. "A guest seemed to be waiting at the entrance." She said as she turned her face towards the entrance and asked in a loud tone. "Who is it?" A silence answered for a while, and soon a man in histe 70s walked inside. He wore a ck surcoat, white pants, white shirt, brown leather shoes, and held a small sheathed dagger in his waist region. He had short wavy blonde hair, deep-blue eyes, a square face, fair skin, and straight eyebrows. ''Why does he look familiar?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and was about to ask Eve but stopped as he heard harsh words from her mouth. "What brings you here, Martin Nightwind?" A chuckle leaked out of Martin''s mouth as he strolled on the carpeted floor, arrived near adder back chair, ced next to Saron, and sat on it. ''Martin Nightwind? Is he the one who sent James and his son?'' Charles pressed his lips together and silently observed him with cold eyes. "You appeared to be already aware of my arrival, Eve?" Meanwhile, Martin leaned his back against the wooden chair and asked in amusement. Eve stared at the old man for a second and then shook her head. On the other hand, Charles''s face froze. Not because of her sudden action, but because of the blonde-haired old man. ''Martin Nightwind¡­ Blonde-haired old man¡­ I had seen him somewhere in this city. Wait¡­Yes, he is the one who appeared outside John Wayne''s room! He must be the blonde-haired old man, Evil!'' Charles''s jade eyes widened. ''Mom, be careful of him. He is a dangerous one.'' He instantly warned her. Upon hearing his words, Eve raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. "I''m just here to get the ss gem," Martin said in a calm tone and then turned his gaze towards the ck-robed woman. Meanwhile, the ck-robed woman appeared behind the sofa and stared at Martin with an emotionless look on her face. Upon noticing her gaze, Martin smiled wryly. Before he could open his foul mouth to greet her, a shadowy hand appeared on Eve''s right side. A secondter, the shadow erged into a humanoid one and formed into a ck-cloaked man in histe 30s. He had deep blue hair, a lean body, and looked around 187 cm tall. He wore a ck mask with an eye symbol engraved on the forehead area and looked more like a skilled assassin. Upon seeing the assassin''s arrival, Martin became more surprised. "An assassin from the Amber Church?" He sized him up and down and asked. "No. I''m from the Collins family." The assassin responded in a cold tone, turned into a cloud of dark smoke, and then disappeared! ''Collins family? Who are they?'' Charles frowned and became puzzled by the current situation. At that moment, Martin''s smile also disappeared in an instant, and then he turned his gaze towards the entrance. "It''s time." He said in a cold tone, causing the room to turn gloomy all of a sudden. From the entrance, another two old men walked in. One was a white-haired old man, while the other was a blonde-haired one. The white-haired old man looked around 90-years-old, full of wrinkles on his pale face, cial blue eyes, and a rough square face. He wore a golden robe and looked very domineering. Upon seeing the man''s appearance, Charles''s face went icy. ''Anderson ck? Why is he here?'' He stared at Anderson in confusion for a second and then shifted his gaze towards the long wavy blonde-haired one. He was a man in histe 40s and wore a blue robe, a long green pendant around his neck, and two unique tinum earrings. He had wide-set oceanic eyes, a slightly wrinkled face, a lean body, and appeared around 184 cm high. But what caught Charles''s attention was the unique ck-covered ancient-looking book he held in his right hand. ''Why is he staring at the book from time to time?'' He frowned a bit and soon turned his attention towards Eve. From her facial appearance, he felt that she was still hiding something from him and became utterly clueless. ''Why do I feel Iike they are about to make some illegal transaction?'' He frowned a bit and then shifted his attention towards the three uninvited guests. Chapter 79: Failed Chapter 79: Failed "So, you are the one who is after the ss-gem, huh," Eve said in a gloomy voice and then showed a confused expression on her face. "But we don''t have any ss-gem, Martin." Meanwhile, Charles was also puzzled by the current situation and asked her. ''What about this ss gem, mom? Why are they here?'' Eve paused for a moment to organized her thoughts and spoke in her mind. ''I saw a vision four weeks ago. In that vision, I saw some blurry humans visited our house and took a red-colored ss gem from here. Other than that, I''m also in a clueless state.'' Charles went silent for a moment as he heard those words and then said with a sigh. ''Tell them to search the house if they want, mom. We don''t need to get involved in trouble anymore.'' Eve raised her head in surprise and then nodded. She then stared at Martin Nightwind for a second and said calmly. "If you want to search for any ss-gem in this house, go on. I won''t stop you guys." At that moment, Saron White stood up from her seat, went near the ornate sofa, and stood beside Eve like a faithful bodyguard. Meanwhile, Anderson and the other blonde-haired guy also sat on thedder back chairs, ced on the opposite side, and waited silently. Their strange action caused Eve, the ck-haired woman, Saron, and even Charles to frown in displeasure. As Eve was about to ask about their purpose, the blonde-haired man suddenly opened the ancient book, flipped the pages, and said in a cold tone. "87." He then shook his head as he closed the book and went silent. ''87? What does that mean?'' Charles and others got more puzzled. At this moment, Martin cleared his throat and asked Eve with an awkward smile on his face. "Eve, can you give us some drinks? You know, it''s not etiquette to not giving some drinks to the guests." Anger appeared on her face as she stared at Martin with a cold gaze and said in an icy tone, "I wouldn''t forgive you for trying to kill my son, Mr. Martin. Now, shut your mouth and get out of this ce once you find this so-called ss-gem." Martin didn''t get angry, though. Instead, he shook his head and leaned his back against thedder back chair. Two minutester, the blonde-haired man opened the ancient-looking book once again, nced at it, and muttered. "94." ''Why is he counting numbers?'' Charles became dumbfounded by the blonde-haired man''s sudden action and soon thought of a possibility. ''Could it be him?'' He suddenly recalled the Holem''s Crown''s words. ''Mr. Rh said that he once met the member of the Nightwind Family in this city¡­ He said that the Nightwind family member appeared around 40 to 50 years old, had long wavy blonde hair, a lean body, and ocean-like blue eyes. He also saw him entering Slum Street''s orphanage, and looked more like a mage because of his blue robe.'' Charles instantly turned his gaze towards the blonde-haired old man and then froze. ''He is Xander Nightwind! Red Prince¡­ Watcher ss Mystic!'' As he was about to warn Eve, Charles suddenly noticed that Xander was looking in a particr direction! A momentter, his lips curled up abnormally and formed into a wicked grin. "98." He said in an eerie voice. The next instant, Martin suddenly raised his hand, pointed his finger towards that direction, and uttered a word in a strangenguage. "Zue''at." Then, the right side space began to twist into a strange way and folded into a cube-like structure! But what caused Charles and others to widen their eyes was not the spell but the one who appeared in the cubic space. It was none other than the assassin who revealed his presence a while ago! "What are you doing?" The ck-haired woman sharpened her silvery gaze towards Martin and asked in a threatening tone. Although she was a Rank-4 Head Deacon of Life Church, she was still surprised by the mortal''s action and got warier. Martin didn''t reply, though. Instead, he opened a vortex-like portal by saying another word and threw the cube into it through his thought! At this time, Anderson stood up from his seat and asked the ck-haired woman with a solemn look on his face, "Lady Rachel, would you please go outside for a moment?" For a moment, rage appeared in her silvery eyes as she raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A secondter, a thin bolt of lightning came out from her forefinger and moved towards Anderson at a fast speed! On the other hand, Anderson didn''t expect her to attack him without warning and hurriedly created a shield made of white light. Just when the bolt was about to collide against the shield, the lightning suddenly made a slight turn, went directly to the blonde-haired man, and hit him on his chest! In an instant, the bolt of lightning entered his body and paralyzed him on the spot! "He can''t move a muscle for the next 15 minutes." The ck-haired woman named Rachel said in a confident tone and then zeroed her focus on Anderson. "It seems you already made a deal with a Devil, Anderson." Her words caused Anderson''s facial muscles to stiffen up. He stood in silence for a whole two seconds, then conjured a slim illusionary sword out of thin air and asked with a wary look on his face. "How did you find out?" "How?" Rachel tilted her head as she pointed her finger at Martin and then added with a smile. "I do know something about the Devil''s Tongue, Anderson. If I''m not wrong, the word ''Zue'' means ''Space'' and ''at'' means ''Lock'' in the Devil''s Language. When he spoke earlier, he not only pronounced correctly, he even said in a Devils'' unique style. That means the possibility of him being the reincarnation of a Devil is very high." A look of astonishment appeared on Anderson''s face as he stared at her for a moment and then smiled forcefully. "It seems I don''t have a choice now." A momentter, he sprinted towards Rachel at an unpredictable speed and soon appeared in front of her. "Na?ve." Swirls of lightning covered her whole body in an instant as she said in a cold tone and then disappeared. Before Anderson could understand the situation, he suddenly felt that his whole body went stiff all of a sudden! "Although I''m just a Rank-4 Lightning Mage, I once killed a Rank-5 Metal Dragon alone, Anderson. Do you think you have enough strength to stand against me?" An icy voice came from behind as he stared at the granite wall in horror. Due to the sudden stiffness, the old man couldn''t control the momentum and directly smashed on the granite wall! With a bang, the whole house shook for a second! A secondter, Anderson''s body fell backward, and his eyes stared at the ceiling in shock and disbelief. In seconds, he tasted a salty liquid that entered his mouth and soon noticed that it was his own blood! ''She is powerful!'' He tried to speak a word, but he couldn''t. In the meantime, Rachel directly appeared in front of Martin and moved her lightning-covered hand towards his cheek. A loud pping sound echoed in an instant! In a second, Martin''s left cheek torn open, and soon his teeth started to fell one by one, along with blood! Martin couldn''t even have the time to think as he felt that the world around him started to move strangely. In the meantime, Rachel gripped Martin''s head with herrge hands, turned it around with a snap, and made it face in an abnormal angle! She killed him in a second! ''She is ruthless.'' That was the first word that came to everyone''s mind! As she was about to turn her attention on Xander Nightwind, a cold voice echoed in her mind. "100." No, everyone heard that word in their minds! "What are you doing-?" Rachel suddenly felt some invisible power appeared in her mind and stopped her from thinking further! Before she could understand the situation, the space around her began to twist and soon pulled her into the void. Her mind went chaos in a second. A momentter, she found herself standing on the outskirt of Riverdale City and became dumbfounded! "Forceful Teleportation?" She didn''t even think for a moment before she covered herself with full of lightning sparks and sprinted towards the city at an unpredictable speed! Meanwhile, a strange silence remained in the reception hall. A secondter, Saron White took a dagger out of nowhere and plunged into Eve''s chest! Yes, she plunged into Eve''s chest! Even Charles didn''t expect her sudden betrayal and became shocked! "HAA-!" Meanwhile, Eve cried out in pain and soon widened her deep-blue eyes. "Betrayer." A weak voice squeezed out of her mouth, and soon her gazended on Charles. Even at that moment, a weak smile appeared on her face. ''Take care of yourself, son.'' She said in his mind and then coughed out a mouthful of blood. In the meantime, Saron pulled the dagger from her chest and once again plunged it into Eve''s heart! She didn''t stop there, though. She continuously stabbed her chest and tormented her chest area in seconds. Upon watching this brutal scene, Charles''s eyes went icy cold. He gripped his illusionary fist and stood with a grim look on his face. He had seen many brutal assassinations and even done these types of missions himself. But this was apletely different one. ''I failed to protect her.'' Finally, a bitter smile appeared on his face. He knew that even if he were here with his physical body, the chance of saving her would be almost zero in this situation. ''Moreover, why is she smiling like this?'' He stared at her smiling face for a moment and got confused. ''Only those who won something big would smile like this.'' His heart thumped harder. ''Did she foresee this incident and already aplished something big?'' A strange thought appeared in his mind. While he was racking his brain, the emotions left behind by the real Charles started acting up. The years of memories appeared in front of his eyes one by one like a video recorder! In the meantime, Eve''s body shook uncontrobly for a whole ten seconds and soon went motionless. But the smile on her face didn''t fade away at all! She died with a smile on her face. Chapter 80: True Goal Chapter 80: True Goal A secondter, a thumb-sized red gem came out from Eve''s chest area and then fell on the blue carpeted floor. "The ''Miracle'' worked, Your Highness." A grin appeared on Saron''s face as she bent down and took the red gem from the floor. Meanwhile, Xander suddenly blinked his oceanic blue eyes twice and then nullified the paralysis effect ced on his body through some unusual method. After that, he stood up from his seat, went near Saron, and took the reddish gem from her hand. "This is our 20 years of hard work. Hmm, I finally got the Rank-4 [Fate Warden] ss gem." He said with a nod and then added, "Martin, you can stop your acting now." A secondter, a cracking noise was heard from Martin''s neck area, and soon his tilted head rose. Then, the wound on his face began to heal, and soon Martin''s body was restored to his former state in seconds! Then, an eerie smile appeared on Martin''s face as he stood up from thedder back chair and made a suggestion. "We should escape before the Head Deacon returns, Your Highness. Even If we attacked her together, it will be very difficult to defeat her." Upon hearing those words, Xander Nightwind nodded his head and said in an affirmative tone. "Yes, we also need to get the Holem''s Crown and kill Charles before he bes a real threat." He deliberated for a moment and then added. "You guys should wait for a month or two and then proceed further. Be careful of that Lady Deacon, though. I have a feeling that she will definitely chase us from now on." This time, Saron raised her eyebrows and asked in puzzlement. "I already told you guys about their whole n, right? Why is Charles still alive?" A heavy sigh leaked out of Martin''s face as he arrived near the paralyzed Anderson and shook his head. "Something went wrong when they executed our n and most of them died in the Unexplored Forest. We did expect that Archbishop Abel would apany them, so we even asked the fake Eddie to intervene if something went wrong with the n." He stopped for a moment as he squatted down, took out a short sword from his space ring, and continued in a grave tone. "But the other irregr Max seemed to have found out about it and screwed everything up. That powerful fake Eddie Nightwind also died in the final battle." Saying so, Martin raised his sword and shed it towards Anderson''s neck region. In a second, the sword cleaved his head and even made a deep scratch on the carpeted floor. Anderson''s headless body twitched for a few seconds, sttering blood in all directions, and then went motionless. Meanwhile, Xander turned his gaze towards the motionless Eve and spoke in an impressed tone. "She is indeed a good mother. After knowing her uing death, not only did she bribe Bishop to say a fake prophecy, she even manipted her own son to go to the Unexplored Forest with the power of ''Fate'' and made many ns to save him. In the end, she did seed in saving him and give us huge trouble." "Well, we also leaked information about the Holem''s Crown to Charles in many ways. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have seeded at all." Saron paused for a moment and then added. "That Bishop''s acting is the one that made everything possible. If he hadn''t used some drug to make his tone monotonous and said that eerie prophecy, the Life Church members wouldn''t have believed his words and led Charles directly to the City Ruin. If I am not a core member of Devil''s Lair, even I would have believed his prophecy. Also, Charles seems to have some good luck." Xander shook his head and spoke in a calm tone. "It must be the Holem''s Crown''s doing. Although I got the ss gem, I did lose many things. Even after her death, she won the real battle." He then turned his gaze towards the entrance and went out of the reception room. Martin and Saron also nced at each other and soon followed after him, leaving Charles alone in the reception hall. Meanwhile, Charles went near Eve''s motionless body, sat in front of the ornate sofa, and muttered with aplicated expression on his face. ''She knew about her death; otherwise, she wouldn''t have gifted me that silver bracelet and summoned my consciousness through it at this exact time. She must have anticipated such an oue. Why am I feeling angry? Is it my own emotions? Or, Charles? I haven''t done anything for her, but she even gave her life for me.'' He bit his lips in anger. He then closed his eyes for a moment and then calmed down. He knew that emotions would only get in his way and steeled his heart to move further. ''Haa, no use in thinking deeply about the past. I should focus on how to deal with the current situation.'' He shook his head and then started to think about her past actions. ''Eve even showed her wariness towards Saron White when she asked me about the Holem''s Crown and even gave thumps up for evading Saron''s question, right? Did she really foresee this incident?'' He pondered for a moment and soon shook his head. ''Then about the Life Church''s main goal. From the looks of it, they indeed after the Divinity of Morality and they also used Eve''s offer as an opportunity to gain more.'' ''Next is the Bishop''s prophecy. Was that aplete lie? That indeed surprised me¡­ Wait¡­Now that I think about it, Bishop Reynolds even refuted Eve''s words when she warned him about something, right? At that time, he even asked her coldly that he should take those words as advice from a predictor. I should have noticed that earlier. He never believed in prophecies. Damn, he even used an unemotional voice¡­ No, wait¡­ That prophecy might be real. Yes, he revealed some confidential information about the Unexplored Forest at that time¡­ Could it be that he revealed that confidential information to make me believe his wordspletely?'' Charles got more confused. ''No, that''s not the main thing. That sly fox might have gotten something from Eve, otherwise, he wouldn''t have agreed to join in this plot-'' At that moment, he suddenly recalled Eve''s earlier words. ''This house! That exins everything. They agreed to help her not because of pity, but because of this house!'' He finally understood why Eve signed an agreement to sell this house for 2,300 Arc gold coins. Shaking his illusionary head, he stood up from the carpeted floor and thought of Red Prince and others. ''Red Prince really outsmarted me. Well, he indeed did a grand scheme for 20 or so years after all. I never thought that his main goal was the ss Gem. That earlier ''Miracle'' I cast unknowing appears to have shifted to Saron White and then she seemed to have used that ''Miracle'' to get this ss-Gem by killing Eve. But how did they know that they will get a ss-Gem as a reward for killing her?¡­ Moreover, why Saron? Not Xander himself? Wait¡­ Yesterday, Mr. Rh told me that to create a miracle, some requirements needed to be met. Hmm, Red Prince''s strange countdowns¡­'' ''Tsk, I''m gonna let them know the pain of losing something precious.'' He red at the entrance for a second and soon turned his gaze towards his left wrist. There, he saw a silver bracelet still shining in bright light and zeroed his attention on it. A momentter, he once again felt the pulling sensation from the bracelet, and soon he found himself lying on the center of the ritual circle in the city ruin. ''Oh? You are back? Kid, your luckiness ended a few minutes ago, so be careful from now on.'' Holem''s Crown''s voice echoed in his head, and soon he saw the red-gem embedded bracelet was hovering above his body. ''My ''Luckiness'' ended a few minutes ago?'' Charles suddenly thought of the strange countdown and soon widened his eyes. ''Could it be that he waited for my ''Luckiness'' to end?'' His heart skipped a beat as he thought of such a possibility. Shaking his head, he then sat up with a solemn look on his face, took the bracelet, and asked while wearing it in his right hand. ''Mr. Rh, can you able to cast the ''Travel Star'' spell now?'' His words startled the Holem''s Crown greatly. It went silent for a whole ten seconds and then asked in a solemn tone. ''Where would you want to go? Although I can''t pinpoint the exact destination, I can vaguely teleport you near the destined area.'' Charles stood up and soon frowned as he sensed the foul smelling from the corpses. He hurriedly covered his nose and then walked away from the city center. Simultaneously, he thought of his current situation and fell into deep thoughts. ''I have two options now. One is to use the Holem''s Crown''s ''Travel Star'' spell and hide from Red Prince and others for the time being. But even if I hide, Red Prince might have some other methods to track me down¡­'' ''The second one is to return to Riverdale City and rank up with Life Church''s help¡­ Nah, from Emilia''s earlier words, I can tell that those bastards won''t give those ritual methods to outsiders that easily. Leaving the Withering Shadow Department is an easy job because they already failed to protect my mother, so I have full rights to walk away anytime. But, where can I get the ritual method to summon the ''Will'' of a Fire Elemental ne? Moreover, where can I get the co-ordination of a Fire-Elemental ne?'' He furrowed his brows for a moment and then turned his gaze towards the red-gem embedded bracelet. ''Mr. Rh, do you know anything about the ''Traveler Tree''s Leaf''?'' He suddenly remembered the hidden quest mission and asked. ''Where did you hear about that leaf,d?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in surprise. Charles thought for a moment and revealed everything he encountered in the Dreamworld. Upon hearing his exnation, the Holem''s Crown went silent for a moment and then spoke, ''Traveler Tree¡­ It''s a World Tree of a Higher ne,d. This Traveler Tree''s leaves alwayses in pair and those two leaves always have some connection with one another. Moreover, they are very rare.'' It paused for a moment and then added, ''Once we went back to Riverdale City, we can enter the Dreamworld and explore further.'' A troubled expression appeared on his face. Charles then let out a sigh and said in a gloomy tone, ''Red Prince and hisckeys already killed my mother, Mr. Rh. I witnessed the murder with my own eyes.'' ''Oh¡­ I''m sorry for your loss. But why did they kill your mother?'' Even the Holem''s Crown became puzzled by their action and asked in surprise. Letting out a deep sigh, Charles exined everything to the Holem''s Crown in detail and then added, ''They are also nning to kill me in a month or two. Red Prince appears to be afraid of the Lightning Mage now. But once he ranks up, he will definitelye for you and me. But it will take a month or two for him topletely stabilize his rank. This will be the biggest opportunity. For now, I''m nning to go and meet the powerful Lightning Mage and make a deal with her.'' Upon hearing his words, the Holem''s Crown also agreed and said in his mind. ''I think you should disguise yourself as another person before you meet her. That way, even the Red Prince couldn''t find out about you.'' Charles also agreed with that idea and said in a solemn tone. ''Cast the ''Travel Star'' spell now.'' Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown shifted its attention to its ''Inner-World'' and then activated it. "Travel Leap." A secondter, Charles''s figure blurred and soon disappeared from the city ruin. ¡­ End of the Volume-1 [Hello, Readers! I hope you could give me an honest review or ament about this volume. It might be very helpful for me to realize what are the mistakes I made in this first arc.] ¡­ Chapter 81: Return Chapter 81: Return October 3rd, around 10.00 A.M, Somewhere in the woods near Riverdale City. A sudden ripple in space appeared near a tall sycamore tree and formed into a vortex. Then, a male figure walked out from it. An instantter, the bluish vortex shrunk and soon disappeared from there. Meanwhile, the male figure straightened his body and looked around. He wore a slightly long ck surcoat, ck pants, and leather shoes and wore a unique red-gem embedded bracelet. He had slightly long deep-blue hair, deep-set jade eyes, short eyebrows, fleshy nose, an oval face, and olive skin. After confirming that no one was nearby, he ced his hand on the trunk and leaned his body against it for the next few seconds. "Long-distance Teleportation always causes dizziness,d. You should get used to it from now on." The Holem''s Crown said in the same old man''s voice. Meanwhile, Charles nodded his head solemnly and sat down on the soft ground. After taking 2 minutes rest, he closed his eyes and activated his [Disguise] skill. After he ranked up the sub-ss, he hadn''t even used the other skills much, so he thought of using them now. ''With this Disguise skill, I can change my hair color willingly and can even change my facial muscles to an old wrinkled one. Hmm, I can even change my eyes'' pupil and iris colors, eyebrows lengths, and so on¡­ Except for my height and my skin tone, I can pretty much change everything and even control my facial emotions.'' Charles was deeply astounded inside. After checking the information, he opened his jade eyes and then nced at the red gem embedded bracelet. ''Mr. Rh, can you change your form into a ck cane?'' He asked. The Holem''s Crown instantly moved on its own from his hand and soon began to expand. ''As long as it isn''t something soplicated like these magic pistols, I can change myself into anything. But don''t use me to hit other objects, because I will also feel pain in my soul.'' Simultaneously, the Holem''s Crown gave a short exnation. Within seconds, a ck-coated cane with a red gem embedded on the handle area appeared in front of Charles''s eyes. Charles silently ced the ck cane near the wooden trunk and took out a small mirror from his space ring. He then stared at his reflection and started using [Disguise] skill to change his smooth skin. His smooth skin started to change within seconds, and soon his face turned into a wrinkled one! If someone saw his appearance now, they would definitely think that he was an old man! ''What the hell is this?!'' Even the Holem''s Crown became stunned for a moment and soon blurted out. "Are you also a [Trickster] ss Mystic? Wait¡­ That exins why you always perceive the uing dangers like a [Seer] ss Mystic. This is indeed a big surprise." Charles didn''t say anything and quietly started changing his Iris color from jade to an amber one. Then, he touched his head, and the next instant, his slightly long deep-blue hair started to turn paler and paler and soon formed into aplete white! "Can the Red Prince identify my appearance now?" He asked in a cold voice. "No. Moreover, even if he uses some blood to track you now, he won''t get any results." The Holem''s Crown responded in a mysterious tone. Upon hearing those words, Charles raised his brows and soon checked his status. ¡­ [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human/??? Rank: 2 (Umon) Main ss: Level 5 Fire Weaver (0/3844) Sub-ss: Level 1 Disguiser (0/759) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favorability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 181/181 Exp: 12,167 Exp Attributes: Strength- 16 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 15 Wisdom-30 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 60 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Fire Wings (Rank-1 spell- Completed1) Incinerate (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) me Body (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Crimson Robe (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Burning Thoughts (Rank-1 spell-Completed) Blue Cure (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Crimson Steps (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Sub-ss skills: Magician''s Hand- 51 Disguise- 53 Prevision- 54 Unique skills: Conceal- 50 Dark Vision- 44 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 60 Sharpshooting- 30] ¡­ ''Hmm, there are question marks in the race tab now¡­Yes, I do remember the notification about a change in the race when I ranked up my subss. Is it simr to gic modification?'' He pondered for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards the skill points. ''How many skill points do I need to spend to reach the second rank-up requirement? 80? Or, 100? This is going to be a huge problem for me.'' He frowned. ''If it is 100, then I need around 150 skill points to rank up. Then, there are the unique skills.'' He rubbed his chin and fell into deep thoughts. ''From the looks of it, the skills appear to be improving on their own. It must have something to do with my previous actions.'' He nodded his head and then shifted his attention towards the spells. ''From now on, I shouldpletely focus on improving my main ss and construct the remaining spell models. But to do that, I need a safe ce. Moreover, I must find a way to get the ''ritual method'' from the Life Church or other third party, andplete the elemental heart ceremony.'' He paused for a second and then took out the azure gem he got from the winged man devil''s statue. ''Divinity Extractor¡­ Although this gem looks like an awesome treasure, this stone has the ''Will'' of a Devil is hidden in it. I need to get rid of this thing before some devil or Red Princees after it.'' He suddenly thought of the ck-haired woman named Rachel, and soon his amber eyes shone. ''From my earlier observation, I can tell that she is not a smart one. Although she appeared powerful, she was easily angered by Anderson earlier and acted impulsively. She also looked more like a blind fanatic. During the morning incident, she didn''t even observe her enemy''s real strength and rashly attacked them with full power. That indeed ended up as a very big problem. If she hadn''t appeared near Red Prince and acted more cautiously, the oue would have been totally different.'' He stopped for a moment and soon shook his head. ''Thinking about that won''t bring Eve back. Hmm, that Rachel is my right target. If I manipted her a bit using sympathy and emotions, I can use her strength to protect me for some time and achieve many things. Moreover, she also knew some information about the Devils and might be interested in this stone.'' He nodded his head and soon thought of another problem. ''It''s about my ''Unluckyness.'' It will act up one way or another, so I need to act quickly and get out of this city once I achieve my goals. These ''Fate'' and ''Mind'' rted skills are unpredictable, so there will be a chance that I might bump into Red Prince, or Saron, or Martin. Last time, I underestimated them too much and was manipted by them like a fool. But I do understand a few things about how these ''Fate'' skills work. If I''m not wrong, Addie Baker came after me only when I stared at his house for few seconds. At that time, he didn''t know my real identity and even asked me about it. From the looks of it, these ''Fate'' rted skills have some restrictions. With it, finding a disguised person''s real identity must very hard. Wait¡­ It might have something to do with one''s thinking. Yes, when I disguised myself as ''Edith,'' I almost thought of myself as Edith and even manipted others to believe it with the help of the ''Mark of Imagination.'' But why didn''t Eddie revealed my identity to Addie at that time? No, if he had revealed my true identity, there is a possibility that I might found out that something was off about that Mark. So, he must have observed me from the sides.'' He nodded his head and prepared another identity for himself. ''Oswald Raven, Eve''s father''s name. I should take his identity and proceed with my n.'' He made a swift decision. He then hurriedly stored all of the things into his space ring and then took the handle of the new ck cane. Like a real old man, he used the cane and started walking towards Riverdale City''s direction. 30 minutester, Charles arrived in front of the city gate and entered after giving some Life Church''s silver coins to the guard. He then made a few turns and soon arrived in front of the Life Church entrance. After that, he walked on the aisle and soon arrived in front of the Goddess Nira''s statue. Unlike the other day, the temple appeared a little gloomier, and there were only a few nuns and some guests seated on the third pew. Without minding their presence, Charles arrived in front of the Goddess Nira''s statue, pped his hand together, and started to pray. Once he finished his prayer, he turned around, walked out of the dome-shaped building, and stood in the entrance. Minutes passed as believers gathered in front of the church one by one, and soon the whole entrance filled with murmurs and whispers. Charles knew that the reason they were gathered here was to attend Eve''s funeral ceremony, so he also mingled with the crowd and waited. When a believer of Life dies, Life Church members must do a funeral ceremony and then seal their body in a coffin and bury them in the northern cemetery. Although Eve was a foreigner to Riverdale City citizens, the citizens, especially some people from El Street, still consider her as their own family member. So, her sudden death was a huge shock to the whole street. Two hours went by, and soon a group of pdins in silver armors carried a coffin from the southern direction and soon ced it at the entrance. Meanwhile, a blue-robed priestess walked out of the Life Church and ced four candles on each corner of the ck wooden coffin. Then, she opened the head panel and looked at the smiling corpse that was ced inside. The priestess then knelt in front of the coffin and started to sing the funeral song. A voice filled with sacredness came out from her mouth as she took a vial and poured the holy water on Eve''s forehead drop by drop. Simultaneously, her loud voice echoed in the entrance as the believers also joined in the rhythm and sung in unison. Life Church members believe that death was just an invitation from the Goddess Nira and the ones who died were gifted ones to enter the cycle of reincarnation! Followers of the Life Goddess believe in eternal life. Thus the church strongly emphasized a positive oue in death ¡ª that the deceased was still alive with themselves. While death was the separation of the soul (the spiritual dimension) from the body (the physical dimension), they believe that the soul would be once again reborn in this world with a simr physical appearance in another part of the world and continue to live on like eternal life. They believe that the body was merely a cloth. When a person dies, they merely think of it as changing clothes. In the old man''s appearance, Charles sang along with them and searched for someone in the crowd. After searching for a while, he soon locked his gaze on a ck-haired woman and nodded inwardly. The funeral ritual continued for about another two hours, and all the believers started presenting the deceased with flowers, dresses, and even a few gold coins. Charles also followed others'' actions and ced her ''Mother''s Wish Bracelet'' inside the coffin. "May you reborn in a good family, my child." He said in an ancient tone and then stared at her with trembling hands. His action attracted everyone''s attention. Not only the priestess, even the ck-haired woman and other high-ranked Mystics like Ethan, Hunt, and Charlotte also turned their gaze at him and stared at him in curiosity. They felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the old man''s face and soon widened their eyes. They soon looked at Eve''s face and instantly thought that this old man must be her father! Upon seeing his face, the ck-haired woman went pale. She was none other than Rachel, the Head Deacon. A sense of guilt arose in Rachel''s heart as she gripped her fists tighter and swore to kill those three members. In the meantime, Osward showed a face that was filled with pain, sadness, and anger and then walked away. On the other hand, a ck-haired woman appeared in front of the coffin and ced a red rose flower above Eve''s chest. "I-" She was about to say I''m sorry but soon stopped. She then let out a heavy sigh, turned around, and went in the direction where Amber Street was located. I changed theprehension of spell models from numbers toplete or iplete. If readers find it difficult, you canment below and I will change it back to the previous state. Chapter 82: Cautiousness Chapter 82: Cautiousness A few minutester, Rachel arrived in front of a single-storied house, surrounded by a blue paintedpound wall, and walked in. Soon, she came in front of the entrance, opened the wooden door with an iron key, and then locked it from the inside. "I messed up pretty bad this time." She said out loud and then went towards the bathroom. She took a long bath in the cold water for 30 minutes and then walked out in a ck gown. Rachel then went towards the bed, ced it on the main hall, and sat on it. As she was about to take some rest, she heard a knocking sound from outside and soon frowned. ''Who?'' She raised her eyebrows in suspicion as she stood up, adjusted her dress, and then went towards the entrance. She then ced her hand on the handle, turned it towards the left side, and opened the wooden door with a click. Soon, she saw a white-haired old man in amber eyes standing outside and narrowed her silvery eyes. He had a wrinkled oval face, thin eyebrows, and wore a slightly long ck-colored surcoat. "You are?" She arched her eyebrows upward and instantly recognized that he was the one who appeared in the funeral ceremony. Meanwhile, the old man stared at her for a second and spoke in an ancient tone. "I''m Eve''s father, Oswald Raven." Rachel''s heart sank as she heard those words. She felt that hundreds of needles were stabbing at her heart when she saw the painful look in the old man''s amber eyes. She didn''t say a word and quietly stood there for three continuous seconds like a frozen statue. Finally, she regained her senses, took a step back, and invited him in. "I''m sorry, Mr. Oswald. I couldn''t able to protect her in time." She bit her lips and said while lowering her head in shame. In the meantime, Oswald walked on the red-carpeted floor and soon reached the main hall. He then went near a wooden chair, brushed the dust off from the chair with his right hand, and sat on it. "It''s not your fault, child." He paused for a moment and then spoke. "I came here for another purpose. Do you mind hearing it?" Rachel widened her eyes as she heard his question and soon nodded. "I came here to seek some help from you." He straightened his back and said in an old voice. "Help?" Puzzlement appeared on her face as she also sat on the opposite chair and stared at him in confusion. Oswald nodded his head and spoke. "I want you to protect me for a day." He stopped for a moment and continued with a serious look on his face. "The one who killed my daughter''s name is Xander Nightwind and he is also a member of the Nightwind family. Although I don''t know why they killed my daughter, I''m afraid they might try to kill me once they found out about my real identity. So, I want you to protect me for a day." Rachel noticed helplessness in his voice and soon fell into deep thoughts. In truth, she wanted to go after the guy named Xander and kill him brutally now. But she refrained herself from acting rashly and nodded. "I will do it." Her sense of Justice and the former guilt made her say those words subconsciously. "Thank you," Oswald nodded his head, took out an azure stone from his space ring, and passed it to her. "I also need you to help me with something. This is the payment." Although Rachel got puzzled by Oswald''s action, she moved her hand and took the gem-like azure stone. "This is called ''Divinity Extractor'' and it also has the ''Will'' of a Devil reside in it." He purposefully paused for a moment to observe her facial expression and soon added. "I want to get a ''Ritual Method'' to link one''s soul to a fire elemental ne in exchange for this gem. Can you help me with that?" Upon hearing those words, Rachel suddenly turned solemn and then frowned. Before she could ask any more questions, Oswald cleared his throat and said in a grave tone. "Although I lost my daughter, I still have one grandchild left. If I didn''t protect him and make some preparation for his future advancement, I won''t die in peace at all." An understanding expression appeared on her face. Rachel saw that exact resolution she had seen on Eve''s face and became touched emotionally. "Getting a ritual method is not a hard thing for a Rank-4 Mage like me." She waved her hand and then asked. "Is there anything else, Mr. Oswald?" A weak smile appeared on Oswald''s face as he shook his head and said. "That''s it." "Okay." Nodding her head, Rachel stood up from her seat and continued. "Wait here for a while, sir. I will go and get ready in a minute." Saying so, she turned around and went to the wardrobe room. She then locked the door from inside and took off her ck gown. After that, she took a sleeveless white shirt, ck tights, brown leather shoes, and a Carlyle id jacket and started wearing it. In two minutes, she finished her dressing and then walked out of the wardrobe room. "I''m ready, Mr. Oswald." She said in a polite tone. "Then, please follow me," Oswald said as he stood up from his seat, held the ck cane with his right hand to support him, and then walked out of the single-storied house. In the meantime, Rachel took a small sword from the nearby shelf and followed after him silently. Both soon walked out of Amber Street and then went to 45 El Street. Although a few town security guards stood at the entrance, they didn''t dare to block Oswald as they noticed Rachel''s presence and let them in. Oswald opened thepound gate, walked on the yard, and soon arrived in front of the entrance door. He then pushed the opened door and walked in. To his surprise, the security guards seemed to have cleaned the bloodstains, and the reception room already turned good as new. "Not even seven hours have passed, but Life Church is already nning to take this house for their believers." Rachel said in anger. "Take?" Oswald halted his footsteps and asked in surprise. "Yes, before Eve''s death, she signed an agreement with Life Church. In the agreement, she mentioned that if the Life Church protected her son during the city ruin mission, the Life Church will have the full rights to take this house and the Wind Vi after six months." Rachel exined with a solemn look on her face. "But why are they taking this house now? There are still six months left, right?" Oswald''s tone went cold. He clearly showed his dissatisfaction towards Life Church like a real father of Eve. "It''s an order from above. Moreover, Life Church higher-ups also said that Charles might have died in the city ruin, so Eve''s property should belong to Life Church from now on." Rachel said in a low voice. "What if Charles is still alive? What if hees back and uses them of forcefully taking over his property?" Oswald wasn''t surprised by their greedy action and raised questions. "If he reallyes back, then the Church will give him some money inpensation and might let him stay here for the next six months." Rachel paused for a moment and then added with a solemn look on her face. "By some luck, if he is really alive, then please take him away somewhere safer. Also, tell him that he has the full rights to walk away from the Withering Shadows department from now on." A look of astonishment appeared on Oswald''s face as he nodded his head and then went towards the spiral staircase. With great difficulty, he stepped on thoserge stairs and soon reached the second floor. Then, he arrived in front of Charles''s bedroom, opened the door with a click, and walked in. Rachel also followed his footsteps and looked around the room with a curious look on her face. "I already contacted Charles and he told me to get something from the Dreamworld for him. That''s the reason I came here and requested your help, child." He took out a grayish-ck pebble from his space ring as he said those words,y on the soft bed, and ced it in his coat pocket. After that, he took out the Starfall Codex from his space ring, flipped the pages, and soon stopped on thest page. But instead of chanting, he cast his gaze on the Holem''s Crown and said in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, it''s your turn.'' An instantter, he moved his lips and started to act like he was the one who was chanting. From Rachel''s perspective, Oswald Raven was the one who was chanting a strange spell. But in truth, the Holem''s Crown was the one who was chanting this spell. Unlike other spells, this one was a Rank-4 spell called Sun''s re! It was a Fire spell that could repel any spells, skills, and weapons and protects the user for two consecutive days. Due to his less wisdom, casting a Rank-4 spell through chanting would be an impossible task for Charles. But the Holem''s Crown was different. Although it was an artifact with limited abilities, it does have arge amount of wisdom power, so Charles thought of putting it to good use. The chanting continued for a long time as Charles moved his lips like an expert mimicker and then ended the chant. It took almost 15 minutes for the Holem''s Crown to finish the chanting! Once the Holem''s Crown ended the chanting, a dense amount of fire elemental energy came out from the Starfall Codex magic book and formed into a protectiveyer around his body. A secondter, the protectiveyer turned transparent and soon disappeared from the outsider''s eyes. Upon seeing such a spell, even Rachel became stunned for a second and soon realized that even she would need more than an hour to break these types of protective spells from the outside. ''He didn''t trust me a single bit. Well, I did end up not doing my job properly and caused his daughter to die, so it''s not a surprising thing.'' She let out a disappointing sigh and then sat on the floor in a cross-legged position. Meanwhile, Charles ced the ck cane over his chest area and spoke. "Protect me for a day from now on. If something abnormal happens outside, notify me in advance by touching this shield. Also, don''t leave this room from now on." After saying those words, he took a deep breath and closed his amber eyes. ¡­ After an unknown amount of time, Charles opened his eyes in the Dreamworld and instantly turned serious as he heard a rumbling noise from the sky. At the same time, he noticed that he was not in the old man''s appearance and became surprised. ''Oh? This Dreamworld can even distinguish between true face and false face?'' He raised his thin eyebrows. He then took the red crown from his chest and stood up. Yes, it appeared that even the Holem''s Crown imitation skill couldn''t fool the Dreamworld. Shaking his head, he then went near the window and checked the situation. "This room is filled with runic words." The Holem''s Crown said in an old man''s voice and soon turned itself into a red bracelet. "Runic words? You mean Runal words?" Charles raised his eyebrows as he caught the hovering bracelet and asked before wearing it. "Runic is the right term,d. Like othernguages, the future generations changed the real name and modernized it. There is a legend in my world that thisnguage was actually created by High Humans and High Elves to understand the secrets of magic and then passed down to their descendants." "High Elves? High Humans?" Charles became more curious about those new races and asked in curiosity. "They are the true ancestors of Elves and Humans. Long ago, a devastating battle urred in my world, and most of the High Elves and High Humans died while the remaining ones were left to search for more power to seek vengeance. Well, let''s talk about them another time." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then continued in an impressive tone, "Eddie must have created this ce to link Dreamworld and Edhen world. Otherwise, simply entering this Dreamworld would be an impossible task for other ss mystics." Charles looked around the walls and then raised a question. "Mr. Rh, can you tell me about this strange Dreamworld?" "Hmm, there are many theories about this world, but no one can tell which one is right, which one is wrong. Before I tell you more about my own thought, do you have any idea about how life is created?" The Holem''s Crown asked in a serious tone. Chapter 83: Origin of the Dreamworld Chapter 83: Origin of the Dreamworld Charles silently walked out of his bedroom and went downstairs while talking slowly. "I can guess. Atoms can create life if they are given enough time. It also depends upon their luck like when they would be able to form molecules that are necessary for life.-" Before Charles could speak further, the Holem''s Crown interrupted him and asked in confusion. "What is an atom?" Upon hearing the question, Charles froze for a moment and soon widened his jade eyes. ''Damn, I almost forgot that these guysck scientific knowledge.'' He rubbed his forehead and gave a short exnation about atoms. "An atom is a colorful collection of energy and matter, which are both made of tiny particles. The most basic elements in the universe are atoms." "You mean Mana? Your description of this atom looks more like Mana." The Holem''s Crown said in surprise. Charles went silent for a second as he stepped down on the spiral staircase and continued to exin. "Okay. Atom can create molecules and molecules can create life-." Once again, the Holem''s Crown interrupted his talking and asked in annoyance. "What is this ''Molecule''?" On the other hand, Charles showed an irritated look on his face and responded in a vague tone. "Molecule is a substance with two or more atoms bonded together." "Oh? Do you mean the elemental energies? Or, is it another thing?" The Holem''s Crown raised another question. Upon hearing the strange linkings, Charles gave up on saying further and started talking about life. "I''m not sure either. The creation of life is not that simple. If it were so easy, life would have been created on every. Certain environmental conditions are also required. So what we require are atoms, optimum conditions, luck, and a long time. Atoms will create molecule and one such molecule is DNA.-" "DNA?" "DNA is the chemical name for the molecule that carries gic instructions in all living things. If you see the structure of DNA, it is made up of non-living things but DNA is always associated with living things. DNA can do things that a simple atom couldn''t do. Simrly, molecules- bigger molecules like polymers with high molecr masses can be formed." He suddenly stopped for a moment before checking if there was an anomaly in the yard and then continued to walk. "Polymer is basically thousands/millions of monomer units or single repeating unit connected in long chains. Anything that is made up of the same type of Chemicalposition which is repeated numerous times can be considered as a polymer. Now, the DNA, along with other molecules and chemicals, enzymes, etc can make different structures, organelles, and ultimately a cell. These cells are the smallest units of life." "Your exnation made me realize that we need to do more research at an elemental level." The Holem''s Crown said in a dumbfounded tone. "Now, let''se to the current topic. Your exnation made some sense, it doesn''t answer fully. There is no luck when ites to creating life on a,d. Everything has connected to the Eternal River of Life and the mythical World Trees. These two are the main cause of the creation of life on any." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then continued in a profounded tone. "Before the birth of Time, a single entity existed and he was the one who gave birth to this universe. He goes by the name ''Creator''. Some ancient mages assumed that he came from another universe, while others say that there was no ''Creator'' to begin with. But this mysterious ''Creator'' has some connection with this strange Dreamworld. I once heard from an undead Lich King that this Dreamworld is actually a real dream of this ''Creator'' and is already formed into a physical ne. He said that whenever the ''Creator'' woke up, this strange Dreamworld would disappear even from the ''Time'' itself and would appear as apletely new one. Our strange dreams that have some links with past, present, and future must be due to this." At that moment, Charles stopped in front of El Street junction and blurted out. "Don''t tell me that this ''Creator'' is the universe itself?" "Hohoho, you figured it out very soon. Yes, that''s why we haven''t seen him yet¡­ No, I heard a rumor that there is one Taboo Existence woke up the ''Creator'' himself and changed a great mess." The Holem''s Crown said in a mysterious tone. "You mean the one who created the ''ss-Gem'' path?" Charles instantly linked the mysterious Taboo Existence and asked. "Yes. The Eternal River of Life and the links with the World Trees also indicate that the Creator''s real body must be the universe itself." The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused for a moment and then added. "There is also another theory circled among the mages that this universe is actually that Creator''s Inner-world and we were just a part of him. But without enough proof, we can''t say anything for sure." Even Charles felt somewhat affected by hearing those scary words and grew more resolute on bing a pinnacle-level existence. He swore to himself and soon noticed that he already reached Riverdale City''s entrance gate. ''But where are those strange dark goblins?'' He furrowed his brows and soon went towards the direction where the strange leaf was. After walking out of the city, he soon halted his footsteps and saw a strange watchtower in the outskirts. No, he saw two more broken watchtowers and a strange broken building-like structure in the outskirt and became surprised. ''These dark goblins seem to have encountered a troublesome creature. Without knowing the dangers hidden in this world, they did try to explore this strange world too openly, so it''s not a surprising thing.'' He let out a chuckle and then zeroed his gaze towards the non-broken watchtower. Up in the tower, Charles noticed a total of three dark goblin-like creatures stood on guard and appeared to be observing the surroundings like hawks. "Oh? Are these creatures from the fire-elemental ne?" The Holem''s Crown also noticed their presence and asked in surprise. "How did you find out that these creatures are from a fire-elemental ne?" Charles widened his eyes and then asked. "What''s there to be surprised about? Look at their skin color. Due to the long exposure to heat and sunlight, their skin pigmentation turned darker. Hmm, they look much like Night Goblins, but these creatures'' skins are darker whenparing it to the real Night Goblins. A sub-race of Night Goblin? It is possible. Although Night Goblins love dark and underground ces, they do have a unique tendency to eat fire-elemental fruits and creatures. Due to the long exposure of heat and fire elemental energy, these Goblins must have mutated and be a sub-race. Moreover, I also sense dense fire-elemental energy in the atmosphere." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then added in a solemn tone. "These goblins must have found the Traveler''s twin leaf in their native Fire-Elemental ne and came here through it. That must be the reason for such dense elemental energy in the surroundings." Charles instantly concealed his presence while hiding near the entrance gate and observed the watchtower from afar. ''Does that mean I can get the elemental ne''s coordination through this Traveler Tree''s leaf on this side? Wait¡­ Now that I think about it, when I came to the Dreamworldst time, I noticed that I can cast the magic spells at a much faster rate here. At that time, I thought that it has something to do with this strange Dreamworld. But it seems this Traveler''s Tree''s leaf is the main reason for the fire elemental density around this area.'' A realization appeared on his face as he zeroed his gaze on the three dark goblins and made a decision. ''I need to kill these scouts before they could send a signal to their higher-ups. Moreover, I don''t have any time.'' With that thought in his mind, Charles took a deep breath and stealthily crept towards the tower in his concealed form. As he reached 50 meters away from the watchtower, his ''Unluckiness'' effect activated. Although he cast the conceal skill on himself, one of the goblins somehow sensed the anomaly and acted. An instantter, his [Prevision] skill triggered as he perceived the uing arrow in an instant and ducked his head. At the same time, he cast [Crimson Steps] on himself and sprinted towards the watchtower. In the dark, gloomynd, his figure moved like a bolt of lightning while igniting the dried weeds and soon reached the wooden watchtower''s summit. At the same time, he cast [me Wings] on himself and flew upward. Due to his quick action, he soon reached the top and hovered outside the watchtower. In the meantime, one of the three dark goblins suddenly took out a strange metal box from its leather pouch and was about to press the blue button but stopped. No, the dark goblin suddenly forgot how to press the button at all! Before it could wake up from the strange state, it saw a ray of crimson light appeared from the front and directlynded on its face! In a second, Charles killed the dark goblin and turned his gaze towards the other two. At that moment, both of those dark goblins'' bodies went stiff, and soon they copsed due to deep fear. ''Was I that scary?'' Charles pped his wings as hended on the watchtower with an amusing smile on his face and soon noticed a change in his [Incinerate] spell model. ''This¡­ Did it already absorb the fire-elemental energy to cast next time?'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face as he pointed the finger at one dark goblin and killed it. ''Damn, now I understood why I need to create the elemental heart. Once I create the Elemental Heart, I can cast rank-1 magic spells instantly.'' His eyes lit up. Upon noticing his action, thest dark goblin went scared sh*tless and started to shiver all over. It tried to shout, but Charles swiftly decapitated its head using his Ghost Dagger and then jumped from the watchtower while opening the crimson wings widely. He thennded on the dried weeds and dismissed the wings. After that, he checked the surroundings for a moment and moved towards the direction where the Traveler''s tree leaf was located. On the way, he met a few dark goblins and some weird animal creatures, but he didn''t face any difficulty and killed them before earning a total of 502 Exp points. After some time, he soon reached the area where the Traveler''s tree was located and soon saw a small outpost was built near the tree. The surrounding trees were cut down neatly, formed into arge fence, and the outpost appeared more like a small vige. A few tent-like structures were built around a single tree and appeared to be guarded by a total of 30 dark goblins. ''Oh? It seems they didn''t put much investment into exploring this strange dream world. Well, that has to be expected from civilized goblins after their first failure. Without understanding the strange ce, no civilization would dare to send more peoples at all. These goblins must have thought of understanding the nature of this ne before exploring further.'' He nodded his head in understanding and soon walked out from the woods. After knowing that these goblins'' strength was too low, he felt that it was unnecessary to hide any longer. His presence instantly alerted the nearby goblins, and soon those dark goblins moved towards him at a fast speed while aiming different kinds of weapons. Watching their acting, Charles coldly snorted and swiftly pointed his finger at them. A crimson ray came out from his forefinger and flew towards one of the goblins. In a mere second, the ray killed the goblin by disintegrating and even burned the tent. If he had used the Rank-2 [Incinerate] spell, it would have taken some time for him to replenish the elemental energy in his spell model. Thankfully, he only used the Rank-1 spell, so he didn''t even take a breath and cast the Rank-1 [Incinerate] spell once again! Against his powerful spells, those dark goblins stood no chance at all! He killed them all in less than a minute and soon went towards the area where the Traveler Tree''s Twinleaf was attached. But before he could take a step closer towards the old tree, his [Prevision] instantly triggered and gave him a warning. Chapter 84: Leaving Chapter 84: Leaving Charles didn''t even think before he pulled out the Ember Pistol from his space ring, turned the hammer, and aimed at the strange leaf. An instantter, the space twisted for a moment, and soon a humanoid figure appeared in front of the tree. Unlike those previous goblins, this goblin looked taller, and two red horns appeared on the forehead area. It was 190 cm tall, muscr and red lines appeared all over the body. Before the goblin could realize the situation, it heard a bang sound. A momentter, a crimson bulletnded on the forehead area, entered deep into its head, and killed it on the spot. [Target Eliminated! 350 Exp obtained!] ''Hmm, I gained a total of 1,360 Exp.'' Charles became surprised. "I''m wondering if my ''unluckiness'' is affecting my enemies instead of me," Charles spoke out loud as he arrived in front of the tree and stared at the strange gem-like leaf in curiosity. "That might be due to your ''Trickster'' ss''s [Prevision] skill. It can change one''s Future from time to time. So, even if the ''unluckiness'' acted up by creating dangers, this skill can warn you and help you in advance. Do you know what would have happened if the [Prevision] skill didn''t activate earlier? This Night Goblin would have instantly attacked you instead, and you would have injured or lost something in return. I also have a suspicion that you finding this Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaf here might be due to someone''s interference in ''Time'' or ''Fate''." The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment as it noticed an indifferent look on Charles''s face and soon asked in suspicion, "It seems you already aware of this strange anomaly?" Meanwhile, Charles let out a heavy sigh and nodded. But he didn''t say further and quietly observed the Traveler''s Tree Twin Leaf. "Do you have a method to extract the ne coordinate from this leaf, Mr. Rh?" Charles asked. "I have a method, but it will take some time." The Holem''s Crown responded vaguely. "How many minutes?" Charles was well aware of his current situation and asked in a hurry. In the meantime, the Holem''s Crown went silent for a moment and said in a low voice. "3 months." Charles froze for a moment and soon frowned. "It seems my unluckiness still has some effects on me." ''Wait¡­ I can just cut the tree trunk into pieces and then take the ''Twin Leaf'' along with a piece of the tree trunk, right? Although the leaf will create a defensive force-field upon sensing the danger, that doesn''t mean it is an intelligent nt. The leaf will try to protect itself, but I think it won''t try to protect its Host tree. It is indeed a good method to fool its instinct.'' He nodded his head and soon took arge ax-like weapon from the nearby dead goblin. Then, he didn''t waste any longer and started cutting the trunk. Due to the enchantment in his body strength, it took only 5 minutes for him to cut off therge trunk. Then, he again cut the wooden trunk into pieces, took the gem-like leaf attached to a wooden piece, and ced it on the ground. "Good thinking, now we have to seal the space; otherwise, the dark goblins from another side might pop out at any time." The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone and asked Charles to take out the Starfall Codex book. Charles also took out the magic book and started flipping the pages. Soon, he stopped on page no.12 and started to chant a spell called ''Space Seal''. Once hepleted the chanting, a runic circle appeared under the wood and soon enveloped it. A momentter, Charles saw that the sliced wood was etched with runic words and nodded. "Done." He said in a low voice and stored it in his space ring. Then, he didn''t dare to dy any longer and returned to Riverdale City at a fast speed. If it was before, Charles might have taken 1 to 2 hours, but after his rank up, he killed all those low-level creatures in seconds and returned to 45 El Street within 20 minutes. In total, Charles took only 90 minutes in the Dreamworld toplete his job! Once he returned to his bedroom, he checked everything and closed his eyes. A momentter, his figure turned blurry, and soon he disappeared from the Dreamworld. ¡­ After an unknown amount of time, Charles opened his amber eyes and sat up in the old man''s appearance. He nced around the room with wary eyes and soon noticed that Rachel was still sitting in the cross-legged position on the floor. Meanwhile, Rachel also opened her ck eyes and wore a surprised look on her face. "How many hours have passed?" Charles felt something was off about her expression and asked in curiosity. "22 Hours 38 minutes." A short reply came out of her mouth as she stood up, gave a golden-covered notebook, and then added. "I contacted my friend when you were in sleep and already wrote down the whole procedure to do the ritual ceremony to summon the will of a Fire-Elemental ne, Mr. Oswald." A weak smile appeared on Oswald''s face as he stored the notebook in his space ring and stood up with the support of the ck cane. "Thank you for helping me, Child." He said in a polite tone and soon asked in suspicion as he smelled a blood scent in the room. "Did anything happen when I was asleep?" A gloomy expression appeared on Rachel''s face as she nodded her head and spoke, "A few hours ago, two Rank-3 [Shadow Stringer] ss Mystics sneaked into this room and tried to search for something in the dark. Although I killed them on the spot, I have a feeling that something is wrong with their actions." "Shadow Stringer ss Mystics?¡­ Aren''t they from the Divine Order?" Charles raised his eyebrows and soon nodded his head. ''The Divine Order organization seems to have some rtion with the Red Prince. As for their strange action, Red Prince might be trying to find my purpose in visiting the Dreamworld. No, he might have sensed something abnormal about my current action.'' A heavy sigh leaked out of his mouth as he stepped towards the bedroom gate, opened it from the inside, and walked out. "It''s time." He said in a calm tone and looked at the sky, which was filled with dark clouds. After staring at the sky for two seconds, he went downstairs and silently walked out of 45 El Street. Meanwhile, Rachel also followed his footsteps, and soon both arrived at the market street, filled with thousands of people. "Thank you for protecting me, Child." He said in an ancient old voice and soon mingled with the crowd. Before Rachel could say something, the crowd separated them apart, and soon Oswald Raven was nowhere to be seen. Rachel stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face and soon shook her head. After that, she turned around, went in the opposite direction, and soon disappeared from Market Street. Two minutester, a woman in wiry blonde hair appeared in the corner of Market Street and soon frowned. She had monolid hazel eyes, barely visible eyebrows, and wore a tight ck suit. A momentter, another blonde-haired old man walked out from the crowd and spoke in a confused tone. "Did you find him, Miss Saron?" Saron shook her head and said in a troubled tone. "He might be Eve''s father and looked powerful. We have to find this guy before Charles arrives from the Unexplored Forest." A grim look appeared on Martin''s face as he nodded his head and soon went into the crowd to search for him. Although he was a Nightwind Family member, he never went to Eve''s and Harry Nightwind''s wedding ceremony and knew nothing about Eve''s father''s appearance at all. So, when he saw that old man''s appearance, he didn''t even suspect a thing and became sure of that possibility. Saron, Martin, and few otherckeys searched for Oswald in every corner of the city and soon started to get anxious. ¡­ It was around 9 P.M, October- 4th. A slim human shadow climbed on the tall city wall using ropes and soon appeared on the other side. Then, in old man''s appearance, Charles erased his tracks and stealthily moved into the dark woods. ''I only have 8 Life Church''s gold coins remaining in my space ring. Hmm, this money will disappear in a blink if I didn''t spend it carefully.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon reached an earthen road. Although it was dangerous to walk in the dark for a normal mortal, Charles didn''t put much thought into it and started his journey. He mostly ate the dry bread he stored in his space ring and went in the western direction. Although he met some wild wolves along the way, they didn''t pose much threat to him at all. On the second day at noon, he stopped in front of a rural vige, rented a small house for one gold coin, and started to construct the [Fire Wings] spell''s corresponding spell model. Usually, he could only maintain the [Fire Wings] spell for 5 to 10 minutes. But after he raised his wisdom to 30, he entered the Inner-world and managed to store fire-elemental energy inside it. Due to that, he now could maintain this spell for more than an hour! ''But it''s not enough. If I want to travel to another kingdom by walking, it will take a week or two. There is also a possibility that I might leave some clues behind unknowingly. But if I upgrade this spell model, I will have an easy time.'' He locked himself in a wooden hut and opened the game interface. After some thought, Charles spent 2,450 Exp points and chose a spell model called [Red Wings]. Except for the color of wings and time duration, this spell was almost the same as the previous [Fire Wings] and Charles could use this [Red Wings] to fly for 6 to 7 hours continuously. If he managed to understand the meaning behind those Runal letters, he might even maintain the spell for up to 12 hours. Once he spent the Exp, he took a deep breath and closed his amber eyes. A secondter, his consciousness was pulled by the [me Body] spell model and soon appeared in his Inner-world in his illusionary form. Hiding his excitement, Charles nced at the surroundings and soon saw that the whole ce has still appeared darker. He looked up at the sky and noticed that his illusionary body was rising on its own! No, he was flying towards those seven spell models at a fast speed. In seconds, he appeared in front of the seven star-like spell models and soon noticed one star was ten times brighter andrger than the other six. ''Incinerate spell model?'' He raised his eyebrows and soon perceived a sudden anomaly from afar. In the Inner-world, his senses were heightened to an unimaginable level, so it was not surprising that he noticed such changes in the deepest part of the inner world. ''This world appeared more like my own mind.'' He turned around and soon widened his illusionary eyes as he saw red-colored sparks were flying from afar and soon started to merge with another spell model! With wide eyes, Charles observed those sparks and soon understood that those sparks were Runal letters. ''My guess is right. The game system is indeed hidden in my Inner-world.'' The corner of his illusionary lips curled upward as he made a right guess and formed into a smile. Chapter 85: Affinity Chapter 85: Affinity Once he noticed what was happening, Charles used his thoughts and directly flew towards the area where those fire sparks wereing from. The further he went into his Inner-world, the more he saw his previous life memories. ''This world is filled with my memories in the name of illusions.'' He continued to fly towards the sparks'' origin and arrived in front of arge red-cubic crystal after ten minutes! Around the cube were countless Runal letters hovered in longitudinal andtitudinal lines, and it appeared very mysterious and sacred. He tried to move near the cube, but he felt some invisible force was obstructing him and became surprised. ''Is this the game system?'' Charles stared at the cube-like structure and soon squinted his eyes as he saw a total of 9 gems hidden in it. Four were red in color, while the remaining five were ck. "ss Gems?" A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at those gems for a moment and soon turned solemn. ''The one who created this system is not omnipotent. From the looks of it, this system somehow manipted me to choose the Fire Mage and Trickster ss. If not, why are there only two types of ss gems in the cube?'' Then, he shook his head, marked the location in his mind, and then quietly observed the inner world. Meanwhile, the mysterious Runal letters came out of the cube-like sparks and flew towards the sky one by one. Unlike the Rank-1 spell models, the construction of this Rank-2 spell model took 6 hours! Charles continued to observe his memories one by one and also learned a secret that he could even alter his memory illusions in this Inner-world. ''Heh, so this is how high-level [Psychologist] ss mystics invade one''s Inner world and manipte others'' memories, huh.'' He muttered inwardly and soon noticed that the construction of the spell model was already over. Nodding his head, Charles moved his consciousness to the [me Body] spell model and left the Inner-world. A momentter, he opened his eyes and noticed that it was dark outside. In the meantime, the ck cane suddenly rose on its own and soon muttered in an old man''s voice. "Hmm? Something is changed¡­ Why the fire-elemental fluctuations appear denser all of a sudden?" It suddenly stopped for a moment and soon asked in surprise. "Lad, did you construct a spell model now?" When he sat in a cross-legged position, it actually thought that Charles was doing meditation to strengthen his soul. But now it became suspicious. In the meantime, Charles smiled and said with a nod, "Yes. It took more than 6 hours this time." "F*ck! Did you really construct a spell model in this short amount of time?" The Holem''s Crown couldn''t hide its shock and asked in a deep voice. Charles suddenly noticed something was amiss and revealed a confused look on his face. "Damn it; you must have a prodigy-level fire affinity." The Holem''s Crown said in a startled tone. "Prodigy level fire affinity? What is that?" Although Charles knew about affinities from real Charles''s memories, he was still clueless about it. "Hmm, elemental affinity allows you toprehend the secrets of elements. If you have prodigy-level fire affinity, it will take only 5 to 6 hours to construct a Rank-2 spell model. But if you have an average level fire affinity, it might take days for you to construct the spell models. Mostly, Churches and Royals would only pick those who have good affinities and nurture them to be loyal mages." The Holem''s Crown responded in a calm tone. Meanwhile, Charles became more curious about the affinity levels and stared at the ck cane to exin further. Noticing his gaze, the Holem''s Crown let out a sigh and said. "Affinity levels are ssified as Low, Average, High, Good, Genius, Prodigy, and Divine. You must have noticed why some take years or even decades topletelyprehend the skills and spells while others take only months." It purposefully paused for a second and then added in an affirmative tone, "Yes, if you don''t have a high-level affinity, you are bound to lose to those with those who have above affinities." Upon hearing those words, Charles suddenly raised his head and asked. "Do you have a way to check my affinity level?" The Holem''s Crown suddenly became excited and responded in an instant. "Yes. And, I''m also curious to know that. Close your eyes and perceived the mana first. In the meantime, I will check the process and give you a correct answer." Charles narrowed his eyes for a moment and soon closed his eyes with a nod. A secondter, he used his wisdom power and concentrated his attention on the surrounding air. To his astonishment, he couldn''t sense anything at all. But he didn''t give up, though. Instead, Charles rxed his mind and focused his full attention on the surroundings to perceive something. After ten minutes of a long search, he finally managed to sense something in the air and soon turned serious. At that moment, he finally sensed minute amounts of fire elements and some ck-colored elements in the surroundings and became surprised. "Strange¡­ You have only High-level fire affinity and average darkness affinity. But how could you construct the spell models in a short time?" Even the Holem''s Crown couldn''t understand how the hell did Charles achieve that and got confused. But the Holem''s Crown was not a dumb one, though. In few seconds, it ruled out many possibilities and made a bold guess. "Could it be¡­? Do you have some artifact to fasten the process?" Upon hearing those words, Charles''s lips twitched uncontrobly. ''As expected of an intelligent one, this artifact indeed is a problem. Thankfully, I have full control over this artifact; otherwise, It would be too difficult to silence it.'' But Charles didn''t reply, though. Instead, he nced at the Holem''s Crown and asked in a serious tone. "Am I able to increase my Fire Affinity?" He felt that he needed to strengthen his Fire Elemental affinity sooner orter. ''Otherwise, I might end up in a bad situation.'' Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown coldly snorted and said in disdain. "You think that is an easy matter? To increase one''s elemental affinity, you need a help of a Divine or an elemental ne. But would a Divine or the ''will'' of an elemental ne help you without getting anything in return?" A bitter smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled face. ''It looks like I need to postpone this and search for a way to increase my affinity in the future.'' With no other choice, Charlesy on the stone b, rested in the vige for the next few hours, and stealthily left the vige before the dawn arrives. But the worry about his future started to increase. After walking away from the remote vige, he chose a suitable open space and cast [Red Wings] and [Crimson Robe] on himself. Then, he pped his wings forcefully and soared up in the sky like a bird. Unlike the previous one, this upgraded version of [Red Wings] spell strengthened his concentration on flying and moved under his thoughts like they were his own. He knew that some people might notice his action, but he didn''t care. He rose higher and higher and soon reached more than 5,000 meters high. From that height, his legs started to get chill, and even he felt nervous inside. ''Thankfully, this world has no monstrous birds like dragons, wyverns, and so on. Otherwise, I might die in seconds.'' He looked at the almost tiny houses and nearby viges and soon zeroed his attention in a particr direction. ''Go in that direction,d. Chester City is the safest ce for you now.'' The Holem''s Crown said in his mind. ''The Moon Kingdom?'' He raised his eyebrows, pped his wings wide, and soon flew towards the city at a fast speed. Hours passed as he continued to fly at a 400 km/ hr speed and soon saw the Moon Kingdom''s Capital City around noon. After that, Charles slowed down his speed and descended from the sky. But instead of choosing tond on the city''s outskirts, he chose a lone mountain hill and stealthilynded on the peak. If he flew at night time, he might have attracted the attention ofmoners. But in daylight, no one noticed his arrival at all! Unlike the Arc Kingdom, which was filled with greenery, the Moon Kingdom appeared dry and hot and looked more like shrunds. He only saw rocky mountain ranges and nts like dogwood, alder, Vebrnum, pin cherry, and palm trees all over the ce. ''I thought the Moon Kingdom would be a snowy ce.'' He made a disappointing sigh and started climbing down from the mountain hill. As he reached the ground, he met a few shepherds and asked them about which route was the best to reach Chester City, the capital city of Moon Kingdom. Once he got the answer, Charles didn''t stop anywhere and started walking in the right direction. Chapter 86: Chester City Chapter 86: Chester City As Charles walked near the city, he saw some greenery from time to time and soon realized that they were farnds. Charles knew that it would be impossible for an aquifer to appear in the earth''s outeryer in such a dry area. On Earth, farmers would use bore well drilling machines and take water for irrigation propose while drying the underground water in return. But he was well aware of the technology gap in this world and became surprised when he saw wells in such dry areas. Unlike bore wells, digging a well was a challenging task even on Earth. In curious, Charles went near a well and soon widened his eyes as he saw that the well was deeper than the normal ones he had seen in his previous life. Not only that, he even saw a magic motor pump system attached to it! After his transmigration, he never went to farm fields and knew nothing about these mechanisms. Out of curiosity, he took a closer look at those pumps and got startled deeply. ''They are using some liquid to run the motor¡­ No, it''s not a motor, but it looks more like an artifact filled with weird letters.'' While he was in muse, the Holem''s Crown started to speak. ''Artisan ss mystics are indeed good at producingplicated mechanical artifacts. Hmm, they are using condensed mana liquid as fuel.'' ''Oh? They can even do that?'' Charles was indeed impressed by these magical engineers. ''Yes. But it is a very costly procedure. Moreover, the owner of this seemed to have invested so much money to dig this well.'' The Holem''s Crown stopped for a moment and soon added. ''The Moon Kingdom citizens must be wealthy whenparing with others.'' Charles also nodded his head in approval. Then, he didn''t stay any longer near the farnd and started walking towards Chester City. Around 5 P.M, Charles finally managed to arrive in front of Chester City''s entrance gate and waited in the queue to get in. Unlike Riverdale City, the outer walls of Chester City appeared to be made of shining rocks and gave off the feeling of ancient and old. It was 7 meters tall, and the entrance gate itself looked more majestic and appeared to be made of pure silver! Not even the four Empires would dare to build something like this, but this Moon Kingdom did it grandly. Charles''s gaze swept past the tall stone walls and soonnded on a single tower that appeared at the center of the city. Even though the stone wall was blocking his vision, he saw the tower''s top very clearly and became stunned by the height. ''Damn, this tower should be higher than Burj Khalifa. What is that tower? Why would these guys build something like that at the center of the city? Moreover, how did they construct this?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and asked those questions in confusion. ''That one? It must be the Tower of Elements, a magic tower. Although the building looks grand, it is nothing whenparing it with real ones.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a cold tone. ''Magic Tower?'' Charles suddenly thought of those towers from fantasy novels and became more curious. "Next." While he was in muse, a cold voice came from the front in Laka Language and woke him up. Charles raised his head a little and saw a man in silver armor was waiting for him to show his Id. Charles nodded his head, took out the Withering Shadow department''s Life-symbol sealed batch, and showed it to the blonde-haired man. Although he could vaguely understand the Laka Language, he felt that it was necessary to learn more if he ns on settling in this kingdom for a year or two. ''Mr. Rh, you know thisnguage, right? I only know a little so If I made some mistakes when conversing, correct me.'' He said in his mind and then stared at the guard. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired man caught the badge, checked it using an artifact to see where it was original or duplicate, and gave it back to him. Thankfully, the blonde-haired man didn''t ask his name or other information and simply let him in. Even Charles became surprised by the guard''s behavior and silently walked in. ''This badge sure is useful.'' Charles curled his lips and soon walked on the main road. Even the entrance area appeared crowded, and hundreds of peoples roamed here and there like bees. Some wore regr linen cloths and ornaments embroidered silk cloths, while the remaining ones wore leather armor-type dresses. But he also saw some people in different colored robes and got curious. Charles''s eyes flickered as he analyzed them one by one and soon narrowed his eyes. ''All of them are mystics. Hmm? Almost 90 percent of the robed ones are mages, but why have the mages have some question marks in their status?'' ''Oh? That''s must be servitude marks. That''s because Churches and Royals were the ones who run this Tower of Elements, and these guys are just workers. Each Kingdom''s Capital City must have one or two Magic Towers, and these mages'' job is to protect the Royals when an invasion urs.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone. ''Invasion?'' Charles knew very little about neighboring kingdom invasions and became curious. ''Although Gods signed an agreement not to cause arge-scale war in the name of religion, that doesn''t mean mortal kingdoms can''t start a war on their own. Wars between kingdoms would often happen due to grudges and greed, but the Gods and the Churches wouldn''t interfere due to agreement.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and soon added, ''In this world, these mages are used as tools by Royals and Churches,d. That''s why you need to be careful when signing agreements with them. If you entered their circle, they will find a loophole and restrict you in many ways.'' A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s mouth as he rubbed his wrinkled old face and soon moved towards the Slum Borough. Unlike Riverdale City, Chester City was divided into four districts. They were Nobles'' Borough, South Borough, Slum Borough, and Mystic Borough. And each section was maintained by a different group of security guards. ''I heard that this city has a poption of 2 million, so it''s not a surprising thing.'' Charles quickly found a signboard and read out loud in Laka Language. "Hmm, Slum is in the west." ''That is east,d. See the first character; there are two strokes instead of one.'' The Holem''s Crown corrected him and then added. ''Slum is not a safe ce.'' A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he turned around in the nearby junction and started walking towards the east. ''Nowhere is safer for a foreigner in any kingdom, Mr. Rh. If you made one single mistake, they will trap you, rob you, and even kill you brutally in the name ofw and order.'' Charles shook his head and continued to walk. After a few minutes, he entered the Slum Borough and became surprised once again. ''As expected of a wealthy kingdom, even the Slum Borough looks a little cleaner and these people appear a little bit healthier than Riverdale City''s slum people.'' He nodded his head and started searching for Inns. In Slum streets, Inns were always a little cheaper. ''But the problem is food, water, and safety. Well, I have to adjust with these for now.'' He hurriedly chose an Inn called Wheat Inn in 50A Harpy Street and rented a small room for a month. Although it cost him five gold coins, he felt that it was worth it. ''I need to find a way and remove this Amber Curse; otherwise, I really might end up in huge trouble.'' He recalled the suspicious look on the Inn owner''s face when he gave the Life gold coins and soon arrived in front of the newly rented room on the ground floor. He then ced the iron key in the keyhole, turned it towards the left, and opened the wooden door with a click. It was a 10ft x 13ft room, and one foldable cot was ced at the center. Charles walked in, turned around, closed the door, went near the cot, and sat on it. Even though he was less weight, the cot still made a screeching noise and caused him to cover his ears subconsciously. ''The Inn owner said that they would provide meals, but I wonder if they provide enough to fulfill my stomach.'' He mumbled inwardly and soon took out a ck gem from his space ring. ''I should sell this Rank-3 [Phantom Stringer] ss gem in this city. But selling it to the merchants will definitely attract attention. Not only that, but I also need to exchange this gem for other churches'' gold coins instead of Amber Church''s ones.'' A frown appeared on his face. He pondered for a moment and soon found a way to solve the problem. ''I need some loyal pawns, but Slum Street peoples are not trustworthy. Next are the middle-ss people. No, most of them would go on their own. Hmm, my only option is the people from the outside.'' He yed with the ck gem and asked, ''Mr. Rh, how much can this gem worth?'' The Holem''s Crown didn''t reply for ten seconds and then said in a solemn tone, ''It should be around 1500 Gold coins. But if you ask the dealer to give you in other Churches'' currency, they would reduce 100 to 200 gold coins.'' ''It doesn''t matter.'' Charles waved his hand,y on the cot, and soon closed his amber eyes. Chapter 87: Searching Chapter 87: Searching The next day, Charles woke up early, had breakfast in the inn, and went out. His first objective now was, of course, to find some loyal helpers. After some thought, he moved towards Main Street. From his knowledge and experience, Charles knew that many kids from viges and rural towns woulde to cities for better jobs, so he chose them as his target. He found a suitable roadside bench, sat on it, leaned his back against the wood, and started to observe the people. At the same time, he also started paying more attention to others'' conversations and started asking doubts about the Larknguage to the Holem''s Crown. Hours passed as he continued to search for suitable candidates and sighed in disappointment as he saw the setting sun. He didn''t get discouraged, though; instead, he stood up with some difficulty, supported his body with the ck cane, and slowly returned to 50A Harpy Street. Then, he went to his room and locked the door from inside. ''I should construct the remaining spell models in the free time.'' He sat on the concrete floor in a cross-legged position and opened the game interface. ''Hmm, which spell model should I construct first?'' He pondered for a moment and soon chose to construct the corresponding spell of [Burning Thoughts] spell. [Mind Burn (3,000), Fire Seed (3,600), Burning Web (2,050)¡­] Among the corresponding spells, a spell model named [Fire Seed] piqued his interest. Unlike Burning thoughts, this fire could hide in one''s consciousness, burn one''s memories slowly, turn them into information, and send them to the user''s mind! It was almost like a simr version of Mind Reading skill! Not only that, the user could even control the Fire Seed from afar and burn their opponent''s current thoughts! Once he saw the effects, he didn''t hesitate any longer and chose to construct it. Same asst time, he entered the Inner-world through the [me Body] spell model and watched the constructing process. Unlikest time, constructing this spell model took almost 8 hours for the system! After that, Charles opened his eyes and rested for a few hours before going to the main street around 8 A.M. Due to his unluckiness, he didn''t find a suitable candidate on the second day too. In thest two days, he saw more than 100 rural kids entering the city. But most of them appeared too naive due to illiteracy, so Charles strikes them out from his list. He returned to 50A Harpy Street and shifted his attention to the game interface. He then pondered for a whole minute and chose to construct the corresponding spell of [Blue Fire] called [Soul Heal] spell model first. It cost him around 2,500 Exp points. Once the system finished constructing the spell model, he once again turned his attention to the Game interface and checked the Exp bar. ''I still have 4,977 Exp remaining.'' He thought for a moment and chose to construct the upgraded version of [Crimson Robe] spell for 3,420 Exp points. By the time the system finished constructing the spell model, it was already morning, so he skipped the day to search for suitable helpers andy on the cot to get some rest. Hours went by, and soon the dusk arrived. Charles woke up around 8 P.M and went to the reception hall to have some food. Like he had expected, the Inn owner only gave him a bow of vegetable soup, peas pottage, and a few slices of bread. Charles first stuffed the pea pottage in the bread and started to eat slowly. Once he finished the dinner, he drank the vegetable soup slowly and felt better. After that, he returned to his room, took out a wooden trunk piece from his space ring, and ced it on the cot. ''Mr. Rh, how long could this space seal spellst?'' He asked in a serious tone. ''It should take a month or two. Before that, find a way to earn some money and buy a house in a safe area. Then, I will tell you a method to subdue the Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaf.'' Upon hearing the Holem''s Crown''s answer, Charles''s wrinkled face turned gloomy. ''That''s where the main problem lies.'' He let out a heavy sigh, stored the wooden trunk into the space ring, andy on the cot with a solemn look on his face. The cold night passed slowly. For the next few days, Charles visited the main street multiple times but returned to 50A Harpy Street in disappointment. He finally realized how dangerous the unluckiness effects would be! After some thought, Charles postponed the search mission and concentrated his attention onprehending the Rank-2 [Incinerate] spell model. Thankfully, the unluckiness couldn''t find a way into his ''Inner world'' and obstruct his improvement. Although he met misfortunes like drawn into some random thugs fight, bumped into a mad person, entering into a wrong room while the other person was changing their dress, etc., he somehow managed to solve all those troubles after apologizing constantly. Soon, it was November 3rd. Charles sat in a cross-legged position and opened his eyes around 9.30 A.M. During the past few days, not only did he finishprehending the [Incinerate] spell model up to 80%, but he also learned to speak Lark Language. "Finally." He took a deep breath and stood up with a rare smile on his face. Then, Charles walked outside, asked the Inn owner to give him a bucket of water, took a bath in the public bathhouse, and returned to his room while wearing a single towel below his waist. After that, he closed the wooden door, wore a pleated linen shirt, grey pants, and leather shoes, and then went to Main Street. Like before, he sat on the park bench and silently watched the passerby like a jobless old man. It was around 11 A.M. While observing the passerby, Charles suddenly saw a few rural kids entering the city and soon squinted his eyes. It was not their cautious behavior that caught his attention, but a Rank-3 Ring in a ck-haired girl''s hand. ¡­ [Item Name: Ring of Frost Rank: Rare Effect: This ring has a spell called ''Ice Land'' engraved in it. When activating, this spell would send out ice elements and freeze the surroundings. Caution: To use this ring, the user must have a minimum of 15 Wisdom Points. Cooldown: 2/ Week.] ¡­ ''This girl is not a normal one.'' He frowned. At that moment, the group of four kids, who were around 12 to 15 years old, walked on the street road and started at the city in curiosity and wonder. Two were male kids, while the other two were female kids. They first went near a dressing shop and purchased a hat for a chubby-faced male boy. Then, they moved to the nearby shops and started to inquire about many things like the cost of the dresses, shoes, etc. Once they gathered enough information from various shopkeepers, they discussed it secretively and started moving deep into Chester City. The one who led the group was a long, whirly blonde-haired girl. She looked around 14-years-old, had emerald-green eyes, a round face, and a lean body, and wore a in sleeveless white shirt and brown leather pants. The other girl was a ck-haired one, and she looked more like a foreigner because of her pale white skin. She wore a long brown skirt, full-sleeved shirt and she appeared to be around the same age as the blonde-haired one. "Titus, watch your footsteps." The blonde-haired girl suddenly pulled a straight brown-haired kid''s old linen shirt as they walked past Charles and warned him while pointing her finger below. Meanwhile, the brown-haired kid named Titus stumbled due to her pull and turned his gaze towards the front. "Gold coin?" His deep-set brown eyes widened as he stared at the wheel-symbol engraved gold coin for a moment and then looked around. Instead of taking the coin, he maintained his vignce and checked if anything was abnormal in the surroundings. His gaze firstnded on few thugs, who stood there in the corner of the main street, then on the opposite side store''s owner, and soon moved towards the white-haired old man, who sat on the roadside bench. A secondter, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed that the old man was staring right back at him! Chapter 88: Pawns Chapter 88: Pawns On the other hand, a slightly obese chubby face kid instantly squatted down, picked the coin, and then stood up with a foolish smile on his face. "This is mine." He said in a proud tone. "Drop that thing now, Noel. This doesn''t belong to us." The whirly blonde-haired girl refuted in a cold tone. At that moment, Titus raised his eyebrows and whispered. "Big Sis Jessie, that white-haired old man is still staring at us." Upon hearing those words, the brown-haired girl named Jessie turned her head and stared at the old man in curiosity and puzzlement. Then, she hurriedly snatched the gold coin from Noel''s hand and started walking towards the old man. Meanwhile, the ck-haired girl, brown-haired Titus, and the chubby-faced Noel nced at each other and silently followed her. Charles watched their action in amusement and soon straightened his back as he saw that they arrived in front of him. "Is this coin yours, old man?" Jessie asked in a cold voice. Charles didn''t respond to her, though; instead, he checked her information through the [Inspect] skill and asked while sharpening his gaze towards Jessie. "Why do you think that this coin is mine?" Noticing his gaze, Jessie raised her eyebrows and responded vaguely. "Moon Kingdom citizens rarely use Life Gold Coins as currency and you are the only one who is a foreigner in the surroundings." She paused for a moment and then added in a low voice. "And, you have been watching us the whole time." Her tone contains a hint of hostility. Charles nodded his head in approval and asked. "Then, you should have noticed others'' prying eyes, right?" Upon hearing those words, the ck-haired girl suddenly pulled out a dagger from her waist and gripped it tighter. "Calm down, Rhea. He is not one of them." Jessie raised her tone a little and spoke calmly. Then, she nced around for a moment and soon asked in vignce, "What do you want, old man?" She felt no hostility from the white-haired old man and became more suspicious. Charles maintained his face expressionless and said a serious tone. "You guys seemed to be well aware of those thugs'' movements. Yes, they are thugs from Slums and already ced their eyes on you guys. If you walk into the Slum Borough, they will take you as their gang members by force and make you work for them as beggars or thugs." He deliberated for a second and then gave a warning, "If you don''t want that to happen, you guys should go back to your vige and live with your parents." At that moment, Titus''s face turned gloomy as he clenched his fist and said while gritting his teeth. "We are orphans and we don''t belong there." "Then, are you guys willing to be ves for those thugs?" Charles silently observed those kids'' facial expressions and asked. "We won''t. Rhea''s water element affinity level is ''Good,'' so we are nning to go to the Tower of Elements and ask the mages to take her in. Once she bes a mage, we don''t need to be afraid of those thugs-." The chubby-faced Noel said as he turned his gaze towards Jessie and soon shut his mouth as he met with her sharp re. Charles''s eyes squinted a little and soon returned to normal. "What a foolish hope." Charles heaved a heavy sigh and continued in a cold tone. "Once the mages took her in, they won''t even let her see you guys again." "W-What do you mean?" This time, Rhea started showing a nervous expression and asked in confusion. From the information she gathered from vigers and merchants, she learned that mages would rise to be noble and haveplete freedom. "You will indeed rise to be a fully-fledged mage in few years and would live a happy life." He purposefully paused for a second and then continued with a smile, "But until you be one, you must abide by the rules of Kingdom and stay in the tower. During that period, you won''t be able to leave the tower at all." Upon hearing his words, the ck-haired Rhea''s eyes suddenly turned watery. ''Heh, there are indeed pure-hearted souls. If nurtured properly, they will indeed be good pawns for my future n.'' Charles nodded inwardly and waited. "I don''t want to go to the tower." Meanwhile, Rhea squeezed those words out, and tears started to fell. At this moment, Titus''s and Noel''s faces also turned gloomy. They suddenly felt that they had made a wrong choice and began to show hesitation. The only one who showed a calm expression was Jessie. She ced her hand on Rhea''s shoulder and said. "I know that already. That''s why I''m nning to let her be a mage." This time, it was Charles''s turn to be surprised. "Then, how are you going to live after that? What if the mages didn''t take her in? How are you going to deal with those thugs?" Charles felt that this girl must have prepared for the worst and asked in curiosity. Meanwhile, Jessie shook her head and stared back at him in silence. ''She is good at hiding her secrets.'' Charles''s eyes flickered. "Then, I won''t stop you guys." He knew when to back down, so he stood up with much difficulty and gripped the ck cane handle for support. After that, he turned around and started walking in Slum Borough direction. "Wait." This time, the brown-haired Titus took a step forward and asked. "Why did you put the gold coin on the road? Is it to test us?" Charles instantly halted his footsteps and smiled. He turned his head, stared at the kid for a moment, and nodded. "I actually thought of making a deal with you guys." "Deal?" Jessie''s ears perked upward as her face shed in surprise. "I will take you guys as my disciples and protect you from now on. In return, you guys have to listen to my every word and work for me for the next three years." Charles said in a calm voice. "You don''t look strong." The chubby-faced Noel pointed it out. At that moment, the ck hat on his head suddenly flew upward, circled the area like a kite, and soonnded on Charles''s head. "What do you think?" A mysterious smile appeared on Charles''s face as he stared at Jessie and returned the hat to her. "Y-You are a Mystic!" Her emerald-green eyes widened in shock and amazement. Meanwhile, the other three also got stunned for a moment and soon began to feel nervous. Jessie soon hid her shock and hurriedly spoke. "We need some time to think about it." Saying so, she hurriedly dragged others and soon went towards Mystics'' Borough. That''s where the Tower of Elements was located. Meanwhile, a sly smile crept on Charles''s face. ''Except for the foolish chubby face kid, all of them are perfect targets.'' The Holem''s Crown said in approval. ''No, all of them will be useful in many ways.'' Charles replied in a mysterious tone. From his earlier observation, Charles noticed that the chubby-faced Noel kid appeared somewhat odd in the group. But Charles knew that these types of peoples'' actions were always unpredictable and thought of putting him to good use. ''Not only that. The Thugs seem to have already noticed Rhea''s ring. Hehe, before getting that artifact, they would never let them move inside the Mystics'' Borough.'' He muttered inwardly, returned to the park bench, and sat on with a calm expression on his face. Chapter 89: A Slap Chapter 89: A p Meanwhile, the group of four kids walked past many road junctions, streets, alleys, shops while showing a unique red symbol badge to soldiers, who blocked their way from time to time, and soon arrived in front of a stone wall that obstructed the path to the Mystics'' Borough. Once they appeared in front of the wall, Jessie stared at the five-meter tall wall and sighed. ''Thankfully, Blood Priest gave a badge before we left the vige; otherwise, it would be impossible for us to get here.'' She thought to herself. She knew that if they want to enter the Mystics'' Borough, they need permission from a Noble or a Church member. Not only that, but they also need to pay ten gold coins per person even to walk in. Shaking her head, Jessie let the other kids and soon arrived in front of an iron gate. Unlike the entrance gate, this one appeared smaller and was already opened. But two muscr blonde-haired guards in silver armor stood at the entrance and blocked the path with their spears as they noticed the kids'' arrival. It was their first warning not toe near towards the Mystics'' Borough. Upon seeing their cold gazes, Titus, Noel, and Rhea stopped their footsteps and hesitated to walk further. On the other hand, Jessie took out a half-moon symbol badge from her luggage bag and went near the guard on the left side. "This is not a ce for peasants," The blonde-haired man didn''t even nce at the badge and responded in a cold tone. "Blood Priest told us to show it you the mages." Jessie didn''t even flinch a bit and replied calmly. A look of surprise and astonishment appeared on those guards'' faces as they nced at each other and soon nodded. "Show me the badge." The blonde-haired guard took a step forward as he retracted his spear and showed his palm towards Jessie. Although Jessie felt uneasy, she didn''t put much thought into it and gave it to the guard. The blonde-haired guard''s eyes squinted sharper as he saw the badge and said while waving his head. "It will take a few hours to check if this badge is real or not. So,e back here tomorrow." He lied without even flinching. Although their higher-ups ordered them to let those with Moon Church or other Church badges in, he didn''t put much thought into it. He knew the value of this badge, so he instantly thought of selling it to the ck market and earns some gold coins. Even if these kids went back to their vige and told the Blood Priest about what had happened here, the guard knew that nothing would change. That''s because he and his partner were Rank-2 Soldier ss Mystics and had equal strength as the Blood Priest. Even if the Blood Priest personally came here, they would only give him an apology and send him off with some money. If this badge were given by a Moon Bishop or a higher rank Moon Church member, they wouldn''t have dared to block her path. But when they realized that a mere Blood Priest gave this badge, they instantly changed their n. As she heard those words, Jessie immediately knew that the guard was lying and stared at him in anger. She clearly remembered that the Blood Priest mentioned that this badge''s worth was higher than 50 gold coins and cursed at herself for rashly showing it to the guards. "Give back our badge." She took a step forward and moved her hand to snatch it. Seeing her bold action, the blonde-haired guard got infuriated and gave a sharp p on her face. Although he held back a little, his strength was way about normal mortals. An instantter, a pping sound resounded at the entrance, and soon Jessie''s body circled a few times before she fell on the ground. A huge bloody palm imprint appeared on her smooth cheek, and blood oozed out from her broken mouth! She felt that her head began to spin and tried to open her mouth but couldn''t. Saliva dripped down from her mouth and soaked the sand in return! In seconds, her body started to shake uncontrobly and soon went silent! "Take her and scram." The blonde-haired man didn''t even nce at her motionless body and said with an indifferent look on his face. Tears started to flow from all three others'' eyes as they frozen in shock for a whole three seconds and soon ran towards Jessie while crying loudly. Even in such a situation, Rhea and Titus somehow regained their senses in few seconds and checked her pulse in a hurry. "My sister is still breathing," Titus red hatefully at the blonde-haired guard and picked her upon his shoulder. He knew that these guys wouldn''t even hesitate to kill them if they stayed any longer, so he decided to take his sister away from here first. Meanwhile, Noel and Rhea supported him from the sides and soon moved towards the opposite direction while sobbing. The change was too sudden, which caused them to weep in panic. Hundreds of citizens watched the scene from afar, but none showed concern or worry. No, they didn''t even pity them and acted like nothing abnormal has happened. Rage and helplessness appeared in three kids'' hearts! "Her breath is fading." Rhea checked Jessie''s body and said with watery eyes. ''It''s my fault.'' A strange sense of guilt appeared in her heart as she unsteadily walked on the road. They wandered aimlessly on the streets while asking robed mages and priests for help, but no one showed any response. They even gave them the cold shoulder, and some even raised their hands to shoo them away! While walking, Rhea suddenly noticed that they already arrived at the area where they met a mysterious old man, and soon her eyes wandered on their own. In a second, she found the mysterious white-haired old man still sitting on the roadside bench and ran towards him with teary eyes. Although they just met him a few minutes ago, he was the only one who showed concern and worries. So, her soft legs moved subconsciously. Her sudden action also startled Titus, but soon he realized why she was running and cried. Although he acted cold and tough before, he was still a child after all. He and Noel also followed after her, and soon they arrived in front of the roadside bench. Meanwhile, Charles was utterly stunned by their return. He did expect that the guards would send them away with some warning. But he didn''t expect that the guards would be this ruthless. Charles actually nned to save them only when they were taken forcefully by the thugs, but the current situation waspletely out of his expectation. After some thought, he realized that the mortals'' lives were not much worth in this world and shook his head. ''Well, this is also a good thing for me.'' He muttered inwardly. On the other hand, Titus and the other two ced the barely breathing Jessie in front of him and knelt on the ground. "P-Please save her, old man. We will follow you forever and listen to your every word." Rhea cried loudly and lowered her head to the ground. Meanwhile, Titus and Noel also broke down emotionally and cried for help. Upon hearing their sudden outburst, the passerbymoners, a few robed mystics, patrol soldiers, and even a group of merchants got stunned and soon showed different kinds of emotions. Some showed pity, some showed concern, but none took a step forward to help those kids. A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s face as he gripped the ck cane and stood up with some difficulty. He then took two steps and squatted down near Jessie''s body. "Call me as your teacher from now on." He said in an old voice and ced his callus palm on Jessie''s cheek. An instantter, strange energy came out of his callus palm,pletely bather her body in greenish-blue me, and started reconstructed her body at a cellr level. Her swollen, torn cheek healed in a blink, broken cheekbones also reattached, and soon her breathing began to stabilize. Upon seeing such a grand scene, even the robed mystics went stunned for a moment! In truth, they never heard of a me that could heal one''s injuries and became shocked to the core! "He is also a Mage." Among the robed Mystics, a blue-haired woman said in a solemn voice. "Light Mage?" Another mage asked in curious. "Nope, Light Magic only dispels diseases and burns the curses. But this one ispletely different." The blue-haired woman paused in surprise for a second and added in a solemn tone. "We should inform our Teacher." Other robed mages also nodded their heads and started observing the old man''s movements. In the meantime, Charles stood up with the support of the ck cane and spoke in a calm voice before he started walking. "Follow me." The trio instantly nodded their heads as Titus picked up his elder sister and ced her behind his back. Meanwhile, Rhea and Noel supported him from the sides, and soon they followed the mysterious old man''s footsteps. But unlike before, they felt warmth when they walked under the shadow of the white-haired old man. Chapter 90: Minor Troubles Chapter 90: Minor Troubles A few minutester, the group arrived in front of 50A Harpy Street and soon met a middle-aged woman. She stood there at the entrance, blocking their path, and stared intensely at Charles and the kids. She was none other than the Inn owner. She looked around 35-40 years old, had curly ck hair, a lean body, and brown eyes, and wore a simple linen gown. "If they want to stay here, each needs to pay 10 gold coins." She crossed her arms together and said in a cold tone. "Is that so?" Charles narrowed his amber eyes and soon shook his head. At first, he thought of hiding his mage identity, but now he dismissed that thought. ''Why should I need to hide when there are hundreds of mages roaming in this city? Strength is all that matters.'' "They will stay here for free from now on." He spoke coldly in a Lark Language and raised his old wrinkled hand. A momentter, a small yellowish me appeared above his forefinger and soon erged into a human-sized one! The fire moved under Charles''s thoughts and soon turned denser. Not only that, but the heat emitted from the fire also raised higher, which caused the customers to step back in anxiety and fear. After Charles continuously explored his ''Inner world,'' he also learned to borrow the fire elements from it, manipte it to some extent, and gained a deep understanding of Fire Magic. Although this fire didn''t have the power of the Rank-1 [Incinerate] spell, it was still a fire that could harm mortal bodies to a certain level. Upon seeing such terrifying fire magic, the ck-haired woman gulped down her saliva and wiped the sweat on her forehead. A momentter, she nodded her head and backed away. Shaking his head, Charles let out a heavy sigh and walked in. Within two minutes, Charles brought the kids to his room and told Titus to ce Jessie on the foldable cot. "Let her take some rest here." He said as he brought them outside and continued while leaning his back against the wall. "You can call me teacher or Mr. Oswald from now on." He deliberated for a moment and continued with a smile, "Introduce yourself one by one." Meanwhile, the trio nodded their heads solemnly and started introducing themselves. Except for Rhea, the other three were Sweet Vige residents and were raised by a Blood Priest from childhood. The Blood Priest not only taught them how to read and write, but he also taught them closebat skills, swordsmanship, marksmanship, stealth skills, and so on. Although the kids didn''t learn those skills, Charles felt that they might really learn them if they were given enough time. As for their families, Charles found out that none had any memory of their family members and got confused. ''Something is not right¡­ Did the priest erase their memories about their parents? It is possible. It looks more like that priest raised them for some purpose. If not, why would a rural priest teach thosebat skills to some kids? Hmm, too bad, these kids end up in my hands.'' He grinned inwardly and soon turned his gaze towards the ck-haired girl. Noticing his cold eyes, Rhea hid her nervousness and responded in a polite tone. "Around two years ago, Blood Priest came to the Iron Kingdom and save me during an incident. Hmm-?" Suddenly, she wore a confused look on her face and muttered in a puzzled tone. "I think it is an assassination incident. For some reason, I can''t recall anything about the ce or my close family members. Except for my mother''s and dad''s faces, I couldn''t remember others'' faces. After he saved me, Blood Priest brought me to Sweet Vige and raised me along with Jessie and others." Charles blinked his eyes in surprise and soon nodded his head. ''Their memories were indeed manipted. But what is his purpose?'' He thought for a moment and soon shook his head. ''It doesn''t matter to me. These kids are educated, intelligent, and appeared very honest and they are my perfect targets. I can''t lose a single pawn.'' He instantly made a decision and spoke. "Go and ask the Inn owner to allocate two rooms to stay for the next two weeks." He paused for a moment and then added with a solemn look on his face. "After that, go and take some rest." After saying those words, he dismissed those kids and began to think deeply. ''Those thieves might not be after Rhea''s ring. The Blood Priest might have sent these four kids for other purposes and those thieves must have some link with him. If not, why would theye to Main Street on that specific day? Yes, I have never seen a thug entering Main Street to look for targets in the past 30 days. Why did theye today?'' ''To their worst luck, these kids ended up catching my attention. If my guess is not wrong, the Blood Priest might have already aware of my actions and might be sweating about how to deal with me. Hehe, will they send a thief to lure me out and finish me off stealthily?'' He let out a chuckle and soon changed his attention to his main problem. ''It''s been already a month since I left Riverdale City. Red Prince must have realized that I escaped from the Unexplored Forest and might have started his search. But he doesn''t have much influence in this kingdom and doesn''t have any clue about my whereabouts. Even if Red Prince searches for me using the Nightwind family''s blood, he won''t get a single clue. Once he noticed that something was wrong with my disappearance, he will turn his attention to Charles''s grandfather, Oswald Raven¡­ Hmm, if Charles''s memory is not wrong, Eve once mentioned that Oswald is also a high-rank Mystic¡­ Hmm, the Red Prince might go to the Herald Kingdom and look for Oswald Raven to know my location. That will be quite a show. Moreover, it won''t be easy for Red Prince to get information from Eve''s father. There is also a possibility that Oswald Raven might have already learned about Eve''s death and started his search on his own¡­ Oswald and Red Prince would be bound to face each other in the near future. Then, I also created another enemy for the Red Prince. That Lightning Mage will never give up on avenging Eve. So, I''ll be safer for more than six months in this city. Even if Red Prince arrives here earlier, it will definitely alert one of the Five Tower Masters, Destiny Lady. I also heard that she is Rank-4 [Fate Warden] and has a deep hatred towards the Arc Kingdom.'' He halted his thought for a moment and soon frowned. ''But she will also be a big obstacle for my n. Although regr crimes and anomalies won''t alert her, if I n to create something extraordinary, she will definitely see a variation in the Fate of this city¡­ Hmm, I already exposed myself as a Mage, so I should stick with that and find a way to enter the Tower of Elements. I heard that the kingdom ced several old treasures- No, I should stop thinking about it in the open.'' He instantly halted his thought. ''Mr. Rh, can be thinking about certain things change a variation in ''Fate''?'' Charles clearly remembered Addie''s action before he was killed and felt suspicious. ''It looks like you indeed started to learn quicker on your own. Yes, thinking outside of your inner world will definitely cause a variation in your ''Fate'' because your consciousness already entered the mortal body. This human body is not a powerful one to block the Fate strings. But in the Inner world, it is entirely different. In a sense, you are a God of that inner world, so ''Fate,'' ''Luck,'' ''Time,'' or any other supernatural forces doesn''t have the power to enter it. Well, there are exceptions, though. If a powerful person seized the control of your inner world with the help of the ''Will'' of a ne, they would have a chance to learn everything about you.'' Charles could feel the bitterness in its tone, but he simply shrugged his shoulder and nodded in understanding. ''It seems I need to be careful when thinking about my future n. Wait¡­ Does that mean the game system also learns everything about me? Hmm, looks like I need to find a way and take full control over it or eliminate it in the future.'' Although the game system constantly supported him to grow stronger, Charles felt that this artifact was not under his control and felt troubled. While he was in muse, Titus and the other two kids returned with two keys and went to the nearby room. After that, they moved Jessie to the nearby room and started talking rest in the allotted rooms. Charles also returned to his room and entered the ''Inner world'' through the [me Body] spell model. A momentter, his illusionary figure floated in the dark world, and soon he cast his gaze on his illusionary memories. ''From now on, I have to be very careful and think about my true goals only in this Inner world.'' He nodded his illusionary head and soonnded on the ground. He then stood in the same gloomy forest and started to think. ''First, I need to find a suitable sacrifice. Buying a sacrifice with money is out of the question. That leaves me with one other option, and that is to steal it. But stealing in this well-secured city is not an easy matter. But with these kids'' help, I might have an easy time. Before that, I need information.'' He thought to himself as he flew towards the spell models and startedprehending the [Incinerate] spell model. Chapter 91: Blood Priest After some time, Charles suddenly perceived a foreign presence from the nearby room and opened his amber eyes in the real world. ''Did they finally send someone to lure me out?'' He arched his eyebrows upward, gripped the ck cane''s handle area, and stood up with a solemn look on his face. Then, he went near the slider window and soon looked up at the three ominous red moons. ''It should be around 1 A.M,'' He muttered inwardly and soon ordered the Holem''s Crown to change into a bracelet. After that, he stealthily opened the window, wore the red-gem embedded bracelet, and moved outside. Simultaneously, his wrinkled face started to change into a young one, and his hair also returned to its original deep-blue color. Charles soonnded on the other side, moved to the next room window, and peeked inside. He saw a human walking near the cot and soon raised his hand to cast [Incinerate] spell on him at any moment. In the meantime, the thief sat near Rhea, took the silver ring from her finger, and then stood up. ''Is he stealing her ring?'' Charles narrowed his eyes for a moment and soon smirked. ''He is not hiding his presence at all¡­ It looks like he was sent here to lure me out.'' He muttered inwardly and soon blended himself in the darkness. On the other hand, the thief silently opened the window, jumped out from inside, and started walking stealthily towards the yard. He appeared around 178- 180cm, covered half of his face with a ck scarf, and wore a tight ck suit. Once the thief appeared near a tree, he checked the surroundings, ce the silver ring in his pocket, and walked out of the Inn''spound gate with hurried footsteps. ''Wait¡­ How did he know about her room number?'' Charles instantly thought of the Inn owner and soon furrowed his brows. ''It looks like she sold the information about us to the thugs.'' He made a guess and silently followed him from behind. After following him for a while, Charles suddenly noticed that he passed through something invisible and halted his footsteps. ''Is this some kind of barrier to iste the space?'' He frowned a bit. ''It''s a barrier to nullify the sound.'' The Holem''s Crown replied in an instant. ''Oh? Are they that confident about killing a mage?'' Upon hearing Charles''s question, the Holem''s Crown coldly snorted and refuted in disdain. ''In their eyes, you are just an old man with some ability to heal others using magic.'' A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he tapped the bracelet twice and continued to stalk the thief. Meanwhile, the thief made a few turns and soon stopped as he reached a dark, gloomy alley. At that moment, another hooded figure came out from the opposite direction and stopped ten feet away from the thief. "I know you are following him, old man. Come out." A cold female voice came from the hooded figure as she removed her hood and turned her gaze towards the trash bin, ced farther away from them. A look of surprise appeared on Charles''s face. ''Is her perception that strong?'' He raised his eyebrows and soon walked out from his hiding spot. Although the three ominous moons illuminated the alley a little, the surrounding building shadows blocked most of the lights and made the street looks still darker. In the dark night, Charles stepped on the earthen road and walked towards them. He then changed his voice through the voice-changing artifact and stealthily cast [Fire Seed] spell on the ck-haired woman. An instantter, a purplish me appeared in the woman''s inner world and burned a piece of memory. At the exact moment, Charles received some information about how she joined a gang called Poison Flowers and curled his lips upward. ''This spell is really good.'' "Who are you?" Meanwhile, the ck-haired woman squinted her eyes as she sized him up and down and asked in a cold tone. She thought that an old man woulde out from the shadows, but when she saw a young boy, she got confused. Even though it was dark, Charles saw her appearance clearly due to [Dark Vision] skill and raised his right hand. She was a woman in herte 20s and appeared 180 cm tall. She had curly hair, brown eyes, and her face seemed paler. ''Hmm? She is also a foreigner, huh. Wait¡­ Her face has a simr appearance as Rhea... Is she also from the Iron Kingdom?'' Raising his eyebrows, Charles pointed his forefinger towards his right side and spoke a word in a Lark Language. "My name is Ghost." At the exact moment, he cast [Incinerate] spell towards a particr area and dashed towards her. Meanwhile, a ray of reddish fire came out from his forefinger and directlynded on a cloaked man, who was hiding in the nearby shadow! Charles''s attack was too sudden, which caught the other party offpletely guard. Before the cloaked man could move his body, the ray of fire touched his chest and incinerated him in an instant! "Harry!" The ck-haired woman shouted in fury and threw multiple knives at Charles. Meanwhile, a hood-attached crimson robe covered Charles from head to toe andpletely protected him from the knife attacks. Simultaneously, another two shadows moved from the nearby alleys and sprinted towards him while throwing weapons at him in an aggressive manner. "It looks like my guess is right," Charles spoke casually as he also cast [Crimson Steps] on himself and moved towards the ck-haired woman at an unpredictable speed. Along the way, he raised his dagger, swiftly decapitated the dumbfounded thief''s head, and soon appeared right in front of the ck-haired woman. At that moment, another piece of information appeared in his mind. ''Aurora Grand¡­ She killed the previous Poison Flowers leader using a strange poison called Blue Tear and became a new leader¡­'' Noticing his sudden arrival, the ck-haired woman named Aurora became shocked inside and soon moved her hand towards the waist. But in that second, she suddenly forgot how to take out her sword from the sheath and stood there with a confused look on her face! "Be a good girl and go to sleep." Charles raised his hand, moved it behind the ck-haired woman''s nape, and knocked her unconscious. At that exact moment, a dagger appeared in his right hand. Charles then turned around, sharpened his gaze towards the other two hooded humans, and moved towards them like a ghost. Crimson fire alsopletely enveloped his body and made him look like a terrifying fire diety! Before they could turn around and run for their lives, Charles arrived in front of them, killed them on the spot, and burned their bodies, leaving two charred bodies behind. ''Hmm, with the [me Body] spell, I''m almost immune to fire.'' He nodded in a pleasant smile and then nced at the Exp bar. ''Only 120 Exp? Tsk, these thieves are just Rank-1.'' He clicked his tongue and soon arrived in front of the unconscious Aurora. At that moment, a drop of liquid fell from the sky and sshed on her forehead. Charles got started by the sudden raindrop and soon squinted his eyes. Because what he saw was not a rain droplet, but a drop of dense red-colored liquid! Blood! Simultaneously, his [Prevision] skill also triggered on its own! With wary eyes, Charles moved two steps backward and then dodged an invisible de, which appeared from above. Then, he continued to back away while looking up at the three ominous moons and soon opened his mouth subconsciously. Up in the sky, he saw a human shadow blocked the center red moon! ''No, he is falling from the sky!'' He stared at the shadow in surprise. With an unpredictable speed, the human shadownded in front of Aurora and turned its face towards Charles. Meanwhile, Charles saw a brown-haired man in a red robe and instantly guessed the other party''s identity. "Blood Priest?" He saw the half-moon symbol on the robe and soon frowned. ''He looks strong.'' Chapter 92: Princess Chapter 92: Princess Charles took a step back, took out the Starfall Codex Magic Book from his space ring, and started flipping the pages at a fast speed. In seconds, he stopped on the 15th page and spoke in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, it''s your job.'' Meanwhile, the Blood Priest stared at the surroundings, then towards the unconscious Aurora, and finally zeroed his gaze on Charles. "Who are you? Why did you interfere with our n?" His tone was cold as ice. "What are you talking about? I should be the one who needs an exnation and an apology." Charles blinked his eyes innocently and responded with a smile. Veins popped out of his forehead as Blood Priest looked up at the ominous three moons and started muttering an incantation in a foreignnguage. He didn''t even dy a second as he noticed that the enemy was simply ying with him and made a swift decision. "O Lord of Undying, please guide your faithful servant to seek revenge!" As he ended the first verse, drops of blood started to fell from the sky and soon circled the brown-haired man like bees. A momentter, the droplets gathered together and formed into two scarlet wings made of pure blood. "O Lord of Blood, please protect your faithful serv-" At that moment, the Holem''s Crown finally finished its chanting and spoke in Charles''s mind. ''Blind.'' A secondter, the Blood Priest''s vision turned blurry and soon went ck! Due to the sudden blindness, the Blood Priest almost lost his cool and stopped chanting. "Curse Magic!" He gritted in anger and moved his hand towards his pocket. ''Steal his lifetime luck.'' On the other hand, Charles ordered the Holem''s Crown coldly and pulled out the Ember Pistol from his space ring. In the meantime, an invisible ripple came out from the red-gem embedded bracelet and soon absorbed the Blood Priest''s luck madly. With a calm face, Charles turned the hammer, aimed the pistol at the Blood Priest''s forehead, and squeezed the trigger. Bang! A bullet made of pure fire came out of the pistol and soonnded on the confused man. A bloody hole appeared on Blood Priest''s forehead in a blink, and soon he fell on the ground. [Target Eliminated! 450 Exp rewarded!] "He talks too much," Charles said as he tossed a ball of fire on the twitching corpse and shook his head. ''Chanting during a battle is the dumbest idea.'' ''Unlike other ss mystics, these Fake Origin Path Mystics mostly rely on their God''s power during battle. Without chanting, borrowing the power from their God is impossible. If Blood Priest had made some connection with the inner world, he might have a chance against you.'' The Holem''s Crown responded calmly. Charles nodded his head in understanding and soon turned his gaze towards the unconscious Aurora. ''Hmm, it looks like it will take more than an hour.'' In the past few seconds, the [Fire Seed] spell already burned tens of memories and already sent the information to his mind. In those memories, Charles also received a piece of important memory about a man named Leo and soon widened his eyes. ''An information broker, is it?'' Charles nodded his head and soon went near the decapitated thief''s body. Then, he took Rhea''s silver ring, went near the unconscious Aurora, and picked her upon his shoulder. After that, he walked into the right-side alley and soon disappeared from there. ¡­ A few minutester, Charles arrived in front of a lone hut in the farther end of the alley and opened the wooden door with a kick. From one of her memories, he learned that this hut actually belongs to the thief. He then ced her on the concrete floor and silently waited for his spell to absorb more memories. One by one, the purple fire burned those memories inside Aurora''s inner world and sent countless pieces of information to his mind. Charles skimmed through those memories one by one. He soon learned most of her memories about the Chester City, Moon Kingdom''s nobles, Slum Borough''s gang leaders, information broker''s real identity, secretive cult organizations, and so on. After an hour, Charles suddenly noticed that the memories about her teenage appeared in his mind. Among those memories, he learned that Aurora''s father was actually a Duke of Iron Kingdom! But due to some conspiracy, he was thrown into prison by the king andter killed in secret. After that, the King of Iron Kingdom banished their family and sent them to exile. But before they could escape from the kingdom, tens of assassins came after their heads and killed her family members one by one. With the help of a butler, Aurora hid in a bush and escaped the assassination. She then came to this city and became a member of the Poison Flowers gang. Charles also read the information about her link with Blood Priest and soon learned that Priest was actually the butler who saved her. After the assassination incident, the butler went of his own and became a Blood Priest. But what shocked him more was the real identity of Rhea! ''2nd Princess of Iron Kingdom, is it?'' He was indeed surprised. The butler kidnapped Rhea during another assassination incident in the Royal pce, manipted her memories using an artifact, and stealthily brought her to Sweet Vige. He also picked three talented kids from the vige that he was appointed to take care of and raised them as Rhea''s future vessels! They were Jessie, Titus, and Noel! ''It appears they nned on kidnapping Rhea from the very start.'' Charles was indeed impressed by their life-long n. Aurora''s and Blood Priest''s main goal was to let Rhea be a mage and turn her against her own family by controlling her mind. ''What a foolish goal. Their n has too many ws.'' He simply shook his head and dismissed the [Fire Seed] spell from Aurora''s inner world. He then took out a water pouch from his space ring and sshed the water on her pale face. In a moment, she opened her deep-blue eyes and soon screamed in fright. "W-Who are you?" She crawled backward as she stared at him with a terrified expression on her face and soon started to shiver uncontrobly. "MOM! THIEF!!" She shouted for help. Even Charles became dumbfounded by her sudden outburst and soon thought of a possibility. ''Could it be that my spell can burn the memories permanently from one''s inner world? Now that I think about it, it is burning their memory, right?'' "Don''t panic." He raised his voice a little and soon asked few questions about her gangs. Although Aurora panicked at first, she finally calmed down a little and answered all those questions with a confused look on her face. Once he heard those words, Charles stared at her for a second and nodded his head in understanding. ''So, this spell''s main weakness is that it can permanently erase one''s memory, huh. Moreover, she does recall vague memories of Chester City, but those memories seem like leftover memories.'' He muttered to himself, then raised his hand and pointed his finger at Aurora. A momentter, a crimson ray came out from his forefinger, arrived in front of her, and soon incinerated her body into ashes! [Target Eliminated! 384 Exp rewarded!] Chapter 93: Loots Chapter 93: Loots ''The only suspect remain is the Inndy. But if I kill her now, it will create unnecessary suspicion. Hmm, should I cast my [Fire Seed] spell on her and erase all her memories?'' Charles thought for a moment and soon shook his head. ''That will give others some clues about this [Fire Seed] spell. Wait¡­'' At that moment, he suddenly realized that he was in Slum Borough and soon chuckled. ''This is awlessnd and killing someone in the Slum Borough is not a big deal. Moreover, Charles is the one who killed these thieves, not Oswald. Still, I need to put a Fire Seed in her Inner world for my own safety.'' He silently walked out of the alley, went to Aurora''s house, and soon arrived in front of a two-storied building. ''Aurora had a habit of writing down most of the important information in a diary.'' He opened thepound gate as he strolled in the yard and soon walked in. He directly went to her bedroom, took an iron key from the cupboard, opened the nearby cab with the key, and unlocked it with a click. Inside, Charles saw a diary, three umon artifacts, one blue gem, a bag full of gold coins and soon frowned. ''Amber Church''s currency. How should I take this?'' He knew that the Amber Curse would act even if he didn''t touch the coin and fell into deep thoughts. ''Should I try taking out with [Magician''s Hand] ''s skill?'' A thought appeared in his mind. But he didn''t act rashly. ''That skill is still a part of me, so there is a possibility of failure.'' He nodded thoughtfully and moved the bag out of the cab using a stick. Following that, he used the same stick to flip the bag to the side and moved one single gold coin from it. Then, he used the [Magician''s Hand] skill and touched it. As soon as the invisible string touched the gold coin, it suddenly trembled and soon turned into ashes! Watching this scene, Charles was stunned. ''So, even using my skill has some effect, huh.'' A grim look appeared on his face. After some thought, Charles first went near the cab, stored the diary, artifacts, and the blue gem into his space ring, and then turned his attention to the leather bag. ''What should I do now? Should I have to carry it with this stick?'' He once again tried to take the bag with the stick, but soon his eyes widened. In a second, he saw all those gold coins began to turn into ashes! ''F*ck!'' He gritted his teeth in anger and soon took a deep breath to calm down. ''Why did the gold coins turn into ashes?'' Confusion appeared in his eyes. ''Now that I think about it, the same thing happened with Ian''s two silver coins. After I took his void pouch as loot, I hadn''t touched the gold coin in his void pouch. Still, those two silvers disappeared when I checked itter¡­'' ''Is this curse active when the coines to my possession instead of touching it?'' He felt that was the possible answer. ''Haa, I thought things would go smoother from now on, but I didn''t expect this. Thankfully, I already found the suitable pawns. From now on, I should refrain from touching these gold coins and let the kids take care of the financial problems. But the problem is the possibility of their betrayal. Although I saved those kids, they are still lived in hardship and their minds might be corrupted in the future days. Any man can satisfy his needs, but not his greed. These kids are no exceptions.'' ''But it can be controble. If I satisfy their necessaries, they will not think much about money and will cast their attention on something else. In this magic world, there is something else that can make others go mad. That is strength. If I show them a way to enter the Mystic world, I can control them easily. From Aurora''s memories, these kids are exceptionally talented in different subjects. Even that chubby face Noel has some innate affinity for swordsmanship. Then, Jessie and Titus are somewhat intelligent and might suspect if I show too much kindness. I need to take things carefully.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and soon walked out of the two-storied house. He then took a few turns while erasing his trails and soon returned to 50A Harpy Street. Then, he stealthily entered Rhea''s room and put the ring on her finger. After that, Charles jumped out of the window and returned to his room. ¡­ The next morning. Charles sat on the cot while the kids stood in front of him with nervous looks on their faces. He wore a white linen shirt, a surcoat, ck pants, and ck leather shoes. "How is your health?" He stared deeply at Jessie and then asked. "I''m perfectly alright, Teacher," Jessie said with a solemn look on her face. After she woke up, Rhea had told everything about how the white-haired man saved her and took them as his disciples. Although Jessie felt something was amiss, she didn''t say anything and simply followed them. Charles could feel the wariness in her eyes, but he felt that was reasonable. "Good. Then, let''s discuss about what to do next." Charles purposefully stopped for a moment, turned his gaze towards Rhea, and asked. "Rhea, do you want to be a mage?" Upon hearing his words, all four of them froze for a moment and soon widened their eyes. "But we lost the badge to those guards, right?" Noel asked in confusion. A chuckle escaped out of Charles''s mouth as he rubbed his wrinkled chin, took the ck cane from his cot, held the handle area tightly, and stood up with its support. "Come on. I''ll take you to a ce." Then, he opened the wooden door from inside and soon walked out of the room. In the meantime, the kids nced at each other in confusion and soon followed after him. Charles walked past many guests on the corridor with slow footsteps and soon reached the reception hall. After that, he turned his gaze towards the Inndy, who sat on the reception desk with a nervous look on her face and stealthily cast [Fire Seed] spell on her. A secondter, a purple fire appeared in the depths of her mind and soon shrunk into a tiny seed-like structure. Unless Charles activated it with his thought, the fire would stay like this in her Inner world and would never devour her memories. Once he cast the spell, Charles didn''t even nce at her and went out of the Inn. Then, they walked on the earthen road and moved out of the Slum Borough. Along the way, Charles also overheard others'' talking and soon learned about the death of Purple Flowers gang leader and herckeys. ''Hmm, gang fights will happen for the next few days to take control over Twilight Street, so I should stay away from the area.'' He nodded in understanding and soon noticed that they reached the Slum Borough Junction. He ced his left hand on Titus''s shoulder and said calmly. "Guide me to the Mystics Borough, kid. I want to meet and have some chat with the one who almost killed your big sister." A look of surprise appeared on all those kids'' faces! "He is a Powerful Mystic, Teacher." Jessie squeezed out those words and soon trembled in fear as she recalled the moment of her life and death situation. The corner of his lips curled upwards as Charles stared at the Tower of Elements for a moment and said. "Don''t worry; I''m just going to take the badge from him." He deliberately paused for a moment and added, "Let''s go." In the meantime, Titus nodded his head as he took the lead and started walking towards the Mystic Borough. ¡­ Chapter 94: Mystics' Borough Chapter 94: Mystics'' Borough A few minutester, Titus made multiple turns and brought Charles and others kids to the Mystics'' Borough entrance. Unlike thest time, two more guards in silver armor stood near the entrance gate and appeared to be chattering among themselves. In the meantime, Charles took few steps forwards and soon arrived in front of the entrance. His arrival also attracted their attention. The blonde-haired guard with a rough face instantly identified Titus and others and soon curled his lips upward. He had prominent ck eyes, fair skin, and looked around 170 cm tall. "Oh? You brought an old man to take revenge?" A mocking smile appeared on his face as he gripped his spear and took a step forward. Upon seeing his action, all the kids'' faces turned pale! ''Haa, what a waste of time.'' Charles let out a heavy sigh and silently waved his ck cane. A momentter, the blonde-haired guard felt that his whole body stiffened up all of a sudden. He couldn''t move a muscle, not he could blink his eyes. A chill went up to his spine as he felt the gaze of the old man! ''What the hell?!'' He was utterly terrified inside. It was the same skill that Holem''s Crown used on Charles and asked him to find its location shortly after his transmigration! Curling his lips upward, Charles took two more steps forward and spoke in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, you can dismiss the [Freeze] skill now.'' At the exact moment, Charles conjured a small ball of me on his fingertip and spoke in a cold tone. "This is yourst warning." He pushed the guard away as he said those words, gestured the kids to follow after him, and walked inside. In the meantime, the blonde-haired guard''s whole body started to tremble uncontrobly, and soon cold sweats appeared on his forehead. The other three guards also noticed the sudden change and soon gripped their swords. "STOP!" Another guard said in a cold tone and was about to unsheath his sword but stopped. No, the blonde-haired guard stopped him. He then wiped the sweat on his forehead and spoke in a grave tone. "Let them in." A shock appeared on other guards'' faces as they nced at each other in suspicion and puzzlement. Once the blonde-haired man noticed that Charles and the kids had gone inside, he let out a sigh of relief and said in a bitter tone. "Be grateful that he didn''t kill us here." He deliberated for a moment and soon added with a heavy sigh. "When he waved his cane, Ipletely lost my control over this body. If he had wanted me dead at that time, nobody could have stopped him." "High-Rank Mystic?" A ck-haired guard asked in vignce. "It appears so." The blonde-haired guard responded with a nod and soon added. "We should give him an apology when they return. If I didn''t apologize, I wouldn''t be able to sleep peacefully." After saying those words, he gripped his spear to support his trembling legs and sat on the ground while panting heavily. Meanwhile, Charles let the kids into the Mystic Borough and looked around the buildings with calm eyes. In the Mystic Borough, street roads appearedrger than normal ones and were clean. They saw mansions, two-storied houses, high-ss Inns, dress shops, and even artifact shops appeared on both sides of the street and got stunned. ''Most of the buildings are built with granite rocks and even the roads are concreted.'' Robed mages, nobles with luxurious clothes, merchants, servants, and guards were the only ones roamed in the street. Moreover, all of them wore some type of red badge on their chest. ''Unlike outside, the peoples here all look more like well-trained officers.'' Charles muttered to himself and analyzed them one by one. After ncing around for a moment, he turned his gaze and then locked his eyes on the ck circr Tower that almost reached around 900 to 1,000 meters tall! It was built perfectly without even a slight misshape. Charles soon focused his gaze on the conical dome-shaped tower peak and soon frowned as he noticed a dense amount of energy emitting from there. ''That''s must be the tower room. It''s a special ce where only the Tower Masters are allowed to walk in.'' The Holem''s Crown said in his mind. ''Aren''t they real owners?'' Charles retracted his gaze and started walking towards the Tower. ''Nope. The Tower owner should be the King of Moon Kingdom and only he has full control over it. The Mages are temporary masters of the Magic Tower.'' The Holem''s Crown responded. ''What about Churches? I heard that Moon Church and Amber Church are the ones who mostly control the Kingdom nobles.'' Charles raised a question. Those were the information he took from Aurora''s memories. ''They do control the kingdom, but not in the open. For example, Amber Church has full control over the kingdom''s wealth. Take this street as an example. The Shade Merchant Company, Purple Wine shop, All Product grocery shop, Tangled Woman''s Auction House, Evergreen Artifacts, and the other smallpanies are all under the control of the Amber Church. So, one way or another, the citizens'' money would end up in the hands of this Church. I even heard that they own ayer in the Tower of Elements. As for Moon Church, they haveplete control over Moon Kingdom citizens, mages, and half of the nobles. In a sense, the Royal Family is just a puppet ruler.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in his mind. ''Whose control are these five Tower Masters?'' Charles asked as he walked on the near concrete road. ''How do I know? But the majority of them should be under the Moon Church''s control.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles nodded his head and soon stopped his footsteps as he saw a few guards were blocking their way. But unlike the guards at the entrance, these guys didn''t act arrogantly, thought. "Mister, can you show me your identity or rmendation badge?" A tall, muscr guard, who was in the lead, asked them in a polite tone. "We don''t have any identities." Charles paused for a moment as he conjured a me in his fingertip, made it dance on its own, and then added with a smile. "But I think this should be enough, right?" Upon seeing the scene, the muscr guard stunned for a moment and soon bowed. "I apologize for our rude behavior, My Lord. I didn''t know that you are an Ember Wizard." ''Ember Wizard?'' Charles felt puzzled by the new term and asked in his mind. ''That''s the corresponding ss of [Fire Weaver] ss. Only after promoting to the Ember Wizards, Mystics can enter the inner world and can create normal mes without the help of the spell models.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles got puzzled inside and soon raised his eyebrows. ''But I entered the Inner world earlier than others, right? Wait¡­ It must have something to do with wisdom power. If the mages also mistook me as an Ember Wizard, then my n might go smoother.'' He nodded inwardly and then waved his hand. "It''s alright." He said and then dismissed those guards. After that, Charles continued to walk, and soon all of them arrived in front of a tall Tower. "Tower of Elements." He muttered as he turned his gaze towards the interior and soon led the kids inside. Although the kids'' messy dresses attracted other mages'' attention, they didn''t say a word and simply distanced themselves from them. On the other hand, Charles stepped on the smooth staircase and then walked into the firstyer of the Tower. ¡­ [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human/??? Rank: 2 (Umon) Main ss: Level 5 Fire Weaver (0/3,844) Sub-ss: Level 1 Disguiser (0/759) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favorability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 181/181 Exp: 2,511 Exp Attributes: Strength- 16 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 15 Wisdom-30 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 60 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Red Wings (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Incinerate (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) me Body (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Crimson Robe (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Fire Seed (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Soul Heal (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Crimson Steps (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Sub-ss skills: Magician''s Hand- 52 Disguise- 58 Prevision- 56 Unique skills: Conceal- 51 Dark Vision- 45 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Inspect- 63 Sharpshooting- 35] Chapter 95: Affinity Test Chapter 95: Affinity Test Once Charles stepped into the tower, he nced at the vast hall for a moment and soon zeroed his focus on his right side. There, he saw a woman in a grey robe sat behind a wooden desk and appeared to be in the middle of writing something. She had silver hair, monolid blue eyes, fair skin, an oblong face, and seemed around 25 years old. Although she didn''t look like a receptionist, Charles felt that she might have some simr job. Nodding his head, he first adjusted his surcoat, held the ck cane''s handle tightly, and started walking with slow footsteps. In the meantime, the kids looked around curiously and soon followed him obediently. Soon, he arrived in front of the wooden desk, cleared his throat, and asked in a polite voice. "Little girl, can I have a minute?" Upon hearing his old voice, the silver-haired girl looked up with a surprised face and soon nodded her head. "Please have a seat, sir." She said, and soon her charming blue eyes moved towards the four kids. In a moment, she made a possible guess and asked in a curious tone. "Are you here to take the affinity test?" Meanwhile, Charles pulled over the wooden chair, held the cane''s handle tightly, and sat on the chair with much difficulty. "Yes. These kids are my disciples." He said in an affirmative tone. "Disciple?" The silver-haired woman wore a surprised look as she ced the quill on the table and soon raised her eyebrows in suspicion. In this magic world, only a handful of mystics would take some slum kids as their disciples, and that was only after checking their affinities. But when she heard the old man''s words, she was indeed stunned inside. At that moment, she also felt skeptical about his real identity. Within a second, she turned her face to normal and asked in interest. "What is your ss, sir?" A chuckle leaked out of his mouth as he raised his hand and spoke. "Call me Oswald, and I''m a roaming mage. As for my ss, this should give you some answer, right?" Saying so, he conjured a red me on his palm, controlled it to the shape of a human, and then let it dance. ''Real Ember Wizards can do much better, so don''t show off too much and expose your real Rank. Although you can fool Rank-3 mages with this trick, Rank-4 Mages are a troublesome bunch, and they always have some unique way to distinguish one''s real Rank.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a cold tone. ''I know that.'' Charles grumbled inwardly and silently observed the other party''s facial expressions. Upon seeing the dancing me, shock and awe appeared on the woman''s face as she instantly stood up from her seat and bowed her head. "Forgive my rudeness, My Lord." She said in a very polite tone. "Hoho, you didn''t say anything rude, my child." Charles waved his hand and added with a smile. "Sit down and tell me more about the procedure about how to take the affinity tests for my disciples." Upon hearing his calm words, the silver-haired woman nodded her head and sat down with a hint of nervousness on her face. "What''s your name?" Charles took the initiative and asked. "My name is Reba, and I''m a Rank-1 [Apprentice Wind Mage], My- Mr. Oswald." She paused for a moment and soon added while standing up from her seat. "As for your previous question about where to do the affinity test, it is in the Alchemy Laboratory, so please let me guide you there." ''Alchemy Laboratory?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and slowly stood up before nodding his head. In the meantime, Reba first closed the ink bottle and then put the quill and the ink bottle in a separate box. After that, she closed the notebook which she was writing and led them deep into the hallway on their right side. Along the way, Charles also saw some ssrooms, spell practice rooms, reading rooms, and so on and felt that this wholeyer looked more like a school. "What are they teaching?" While they were walking, Noel overheard a teacher''s lesson and asked in curiosity. "The students are having a ss about the Theories of Mana and Soul. It''s is Professor Milton''s ss." Reba gave a short reply and soon moved towards the staircase that led to the second floor. Due to Charles''s slow walking, they took some time to reach the second floor and then went to the Alchemy Laboratory at the other corridor''s other end. A few minutester, the group entered a gloomy hall filled with different kinds of equipment like alembics, retorts, strange and rare ingredients in vials and jars and soon turned their attention to a particr blue crystal. ''That''s the Element affinity checker.'' The Holem''s Crown also said in his mind. Nodding his head, Charles walked towards the blue crystal which was ced on the wooden table, and soon arrived in front of it. "Rhea, you should go first." He said in a solemn tone. "Yes, Teacher." Rhea nodded her head in enthusiasm, took three steps forward, and then ced her hand on the blue crystal. A momentter, strange energy invaded her soul, and soon words appeared on the outer part of the crystal. "Water affinity- Good, Wind affinity- Average." A surprise expression appeared on Reba''s face and soon turned into an understanding one. She felt that this old man might have checked their affinities using other means. "Noel." Charles nced at the chubby-faced kid and gestured him to step forward. Nodding, Noel arrived in front of the crystal ball and ced his right hand on it. "Hmm, Low metal affinity," Reba said in disappointment. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown spoke in his mind. ''Ask her if they have a Complete Affinity Checker.'' Charles squinted his eyes and soon nodded. "Do you have a Complete Affinity Checker?" He asked in a solemn voice. "Y-Yes, I will bring them in a minute, Mr. Oswald." Saying so, Reba hurriedly ran off to the right side storeroom and soon returned with another head-sized crystal in her hands. But unlike the other one, this was red and had various runal letters inscribed all over it. Reba then went near the wooden table and ced it beside the Elemental Affinity Checker. "Try it in this one, kid," Charles said. In the meantime, Noel took a deep breath to calm his mind and then ced his hand on the red-colored crystal. A momentter, the red crystal shone brightly, and soon words appeared on the surface. "Wow, his sword affinity is Genius level!" Shock appeared on Reba''s face. Even though it was just a sword affinity, Genius level affinities were very rare in any kingdoms that caused her almost to lose her calm self. Even Charles became surprised by this and soon nodded his head in understanding. ''The Blood Priest must have picked the best ones for his ns.'' He thought to himself and soon waited for the other twos'' result. Titus had ''High'' level affinity in shadow affinity, and Jessie had a ''High'' level affinity for a unique affinity called ''Knowledge.'' Although they were just okay, Charles felt that if these two kids work harder, they might find a way to break through this affinity shackle in the future. "Mr. Oswald, these three kids are more suitable to walk on the other ss-gem paths." Charles also thought of the same, so he simply nodded his head and posed a question while pointing his finger at Rhea. "What about her?" "She has ''Good'' affinity in water elements, so she has the full qualification to be a mage of the Tower of Elements." She paused for a moment before looking around and then continued with a suppressing voice. "But to get the ss gems for free, she needs to sign the contracts and be a member of Moon Church or Amber Church. I would suggest buying the ss gem with your own money and let her be a non-contracted mage." Chapter 96: Shade Merchant Company Chapter 96: Shade Merchant Company "Oh, it seems you don''t really like to stay here as a contracted mage," Charles asked in a surprised tone. A bitter smile crept on Reba''s charming face as she shook her head and remained silent. In the meantime, Charles also nodded his head in understanding and asked about study fees. "We usually collect fees once a year and it should be around 400 to 500 gold coins for a first-year student. If she ns to stay in the Tower hostel, the fees will increase above 800 gold coins." ''Too expensive.'' A frown appeared on his face. ''Well, it can''t be helped.'' He let out a deep sigh and said. "She will be a day schr then." He paused for a moment and soon asked. "I''m also nning to work as a teacher during my free time. Can I get a job here?" "Which department are you specialized in?" She asked in interest. ''Departments? Mr. Rh, do you know anything?'' Charles was totally clueless about such a thing, so he instantly asked the Holem''s Crown. ''Tell her that you know Ritual Creation, Divination, History of Elements and its link with the Universe, Void Secrets, and Inspection.'' The Holem''s Crown spoke in a casual tone. ''You sure know a lot. Moreover, you knew Divination?'' Charles was startled inside. ''No, but you will have an easy time perceiving the futures if you concentrate on learning through Stars. It''s the same as Fate Vision skill.'' The Holem''s Crown stopped for a moment and soon added. ''I will tell you how to study the futures byprehending the secrets behind the constetions.'' Meanwhile, Charles grumbled inwardly and soon spoke with a nod. "I''m good at creating ritual circles and Inspect materials." Although the Holem''s Crown told him that he could also see future visions, he knew nothing about the constetions and thought of skipping that department. Moreover, he felt that studying the constetions and telling one''s future through it might not be a simple task for him in the current situation. ''It might take years for me to learn about this strange astrology.'' He thought. On the other hand, Reba thought for a moment and soon said with a hesitant look on her face. "It is possible to get a job in those two departments, Mr. Oswald. But I need to get permission from Head Administrator." She deliberated for a moment and soon added with a smile, "I will go and discuss your job with the Headter and let you know if there is any job avable." Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. After that, Reba brought them back to the firstyer and told them more information about other departments. Then, she told him to bring Rhea for official registration tomorrow and even gave an official badge for her. "Keep it with you all the time. If you end up in any troublesome situation, press the red crystal in the center of this badge thrice and guards or mages wille for your rescue." She paused for a moment as she turned her gaze towards Charles and said with a polite tone. "I will also tell the Head Administrator about your request, Mr. Oswald." Charles wasn''t bothered too much about it because he knew that Rank-3 mages were very rare in this Tower, and the possibility of them rejecting his request was almost none. That would only happen if a specific person noticed an anomaly in the ''Fate,'' but Charles already found a way to counter it. After asking few more questions, Charles bid farewell to the silver-haired woman and brought the kids out of the magic tower. Once they walked out of the Mystics Borough, the guards at the entrance gate apologized for their earlier mistakes and even returned the badge to Jessie. On the other hand, Charles silently waved his hand and moved towards their next destination. The group made a few turns and soon reached a street called Shady Street in South Borough. ''Hmm, ck market¡­'' Charles''s gaze swept across the nearby buildings and soonnded on an old three-storied building located on the furthest corner of Shady Street. Nodding his head, he swiftly took out the ck gem from his hand and asked, "Who is good at bargaining?" All the kids nced at each other and soon pointed their fingers towards Jessie. "Good," Charles smiled as he tossed the gem towards her and added. "Selling this Rank-3 [Phantom Stringer] ss Gem is forbidden in the Moon Kingdom, but they are very rare and countless peoples would fight for it. Use your skill and sell this for a better price. And, you can''t sell it for less than 1,300 gold coins." In the meantime, Jessie caught the gem and asked in curiosity. "Why it is forbidden to sell here, Teacher?" "Well, I got this gem by killing a demon-worshipping member. So, of course, these kinds of things are forbidden to sell in the open. That''s why I''m asking you to sell this gem at the ck market. If you manage to sell it for 1,500 gold coins or above, I will get you a [Learner] ss gem." He said with a smile. In truth, he nned on letting them walk on the path of mystics and use their skills for his next n. But he knew that if he gives them too much without expecting much in return, they would feel suspicious. Although a Rank-1 ss gem would onlye around 100 gold coins, it was still arge amount in the kids'' eyes. Jessie nodded her head with a serious expression on her face as she heard his words and took a step forward towards the three-storied building. At that time, Noel suddenly felt that he also needed to achieve something if he wants to get his own ss gem in return and asked in excitement. "Teacher, what should I need to do to be a Mystic?" A chuckle escaped from Charles''s mouth as he stepped on the earthen road and said in amusement. "You already have a ''Genius'' level sword affinity and if I didn''t give you a ss gem, it will be like wasting your potential. I will give you a [de Wielder] ss gem in advance, but you have to show your worth to me in 2 months." "Show my worth?" Noel''s ear perked up as he heard his words. "Yes. Once you be a [de Wielder] ss Mystic, your first mission is to go to the Tower of Elements and be a tower guard within the next two months. If you don''t achieve that, I will strike you off. Losers don''t have the qualifications to be my disciple." Charles said in a sharp tone, causing the kids to clench their fists subconsciously. After a long silence, Noel finally took a deep breath and said. "I will not disappoint you, Teacher." "Good." Charles nodded and soon saw that they had already arrived in front of the three-storied building. ''It''s a branch of Shade Merchant Company.'' He muttered inwardly and soon entered. They walked past some customers and soon arrived at the main hall. Candles lit all over the corners while the chandelier hung up in the ceiling and illuminated the grand hall like daylight. Multiple ss boxes were ced on the tables along with the materials locked inside, anddies in ck uniforms stood there with a polite smile on their faces. Meanwhile, tens of customers, including mages in different colored robes and other mystics, stood everywhere, and some even argued with the staff over the prices. With a single look, anyone could tell that the materials ced in the boxes were for sale. Charles''s gaze swept past those goods and soonnded on the other end of the hall. There, he finally saw the seller''s way and stepped forward. Chapter 97: Bargain Chapter 97: Bargain Charles''s group walked on the smooth hardwood floor, turned towards the right side, and soon arrived in front of a wooden panel door. After that, Charles raised his ck cane and knocked on the door twice using it. ''Damn it, that hurts.'' A cursing old man''s voice echoed in his head, causing him to curl his lips upward. After a minute of the long wait, a ck formal suited, messy red-haired woman with slightly exposed cleavage walked out of the room and soon went towards the nearby room while adjusting her coat. At the exact moment, they heard a woman''s voice from inside. "Please,e in." Nodding, Charles raised the ck cane, opened the door using it, and entered in. Then, his gaze swept across the wooden table and soonnded on a long brown-haired woman, who sat on the office chair behind it. She wore a white shirt, which almost turned transparent due to the unusual sweat on her body, a half-opened ck coat, and two long earrings. She was a woman in herte twenties and had seductive jade eyes, a beautiful oval face, a pear-shaped body, plump lips, and big half-visible melons. Upon noticing the two young boys'' gazes, the woman made a mischievous smile and soon buttoned the coat. Then, she lifted her head and looked at the white-haired old man. "Why did you bring the kids to this shady ce, old man?" She asked with a cold look on her face. Charles smiled lightly and then spoke while pointing his finger at Jessie. "These kids are here to sell something. She is your customer." Confusion appeared on the brown-haired woman''s face as she sized Jessie up and down for a moment and then nodded. "I''m Margaret Carley. What is your name, kid?" "Jessie." Jessie gave a short reply. "What do you want to sell?" Margaret narrowed her eyes and asked. At that moment, Jessie hid her nervousness, arrived near the wooden chair, ced in front of the table, and sat on it. She then took the ck-colored ss gem from her pocket and gave it to Margaret. "Inspect it and name the price, ma''am." She said in a calm tone. Upon seeing her calm attitude, Margaret picked up a small lens-like ss from the drawer and started inspecting the gem. After a few seconds, she ced the lens on the table and frowned. Then, she ced her hands on the arm pads, leaned her head against the headrest, closed her jade eyes, and spoke in a deep tone. "It''s a forbidden item, child. If we buy this, we need to transport it to the Iron Kingdom or Herald kingdom and sell it in the auction house. Suppose, if the transport cart got caught by any Church''s Inquisitors'' Team on the way, we have to face the consequence and give a fine amount of 500 gold coins or more." She paused for a second while slightly opening her right eye and added with a calm voice. "I can give you 800 gold coins for this piece. Any more than this, you can go and look for other shops. But be warned that they might take this gem by force." Meanwhile, Jessie wore a troubled look for a moment and soon squinted her emerald-green eyes as she felt that this woman was saying excuse to lessen the price. "Why not use your space ring or void pouch? Would church members dare to check others'' personal things? This gem is just a thumb-sized one and its weight should be less than 200 grams. So, hiding this thing from thosewful believers is just a piece of cake for you guys, right? Then, why are you making such silly excuses? Are you nning to snatch this at a low price by scaring us?" Her face turned colder. Upon hearing those words, surprise shed on Margaret''s face as she opened her eyes, raised her head, straightened her back, and stared at Jessie in interest. "So, you are a literate child, huh." She clicked her tongue and soon added. "1,200 Gold coins. This is the final price I can give it to you for this gem." "1,700 Gold coins, ma''am. My teacher said that this gem is a very rare one and we can sell it in the Secret auction house for more than 2,000 gold coins. Due to some personal matter, we are in a hurry and we need extra gold coins for another purpose. Otherwise, we wouldn''t havee to this old ce." Although Jessie spoke politely, the words thate out of her mouth appeared sharp as knives. "Old ce? Do you know how many treasures and gold coins are hidden in this old ce?" An angry voice echoed in the small room as Margaret mmed her fist on the wooden table, causing Jessie to shrink in shock. At the exact moment, Margaret activated one of her ss skills and released an invisible pressure to the surroundings, causing the kids to lower their heads subconsciously. Even Charles became startled by her sudden outburst and soon narrowed his amber eyes. ''Is it a skill to intimidate others? Hmm, she is trying to scare these kids and let them realize who the boss here is.'' An amusing smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled oval face as he zeroed his focus on her for a moment and cast inspect skill on her. ''Oh? Rank-3 Mystic?'' For the first time, Charles felt that he needed to intervene. Although he was just a Rank-2 Mystic, he had much more advantages in battles than normal Rank-3 Mystics. Moreover, he had no n on starting a worthless fight at all. ''Wait, I''ll take care of it,d. She is a Rank-3 [Guardian] ss Mystic. Although I can''t freeze her body for more than two seconds, I think that skill should be more than enough to scare her.'' The Holem''s Crown spoke coldly in his mind. In the meantime, Jessie felt suffocated all of a sudden, and her legs started to tremble on their own. "Enough." Letting out a heavy sigh, Charles tapped the cane''s heel on the floor and spoke in a cold tone. A momentter, the Holem''s Crown activated its skill and at the same time released a bit of its soul power to the surroundings. For the first time, shock and anxiousness appeared on Margaret''s face as she felt that her whole body began to freeze up all of a sudden! Although she could see and think clearly, she couldn''t move her muscle at all! ''Sh*t! He is a Mystic! And, he seems to be a powerful one!'' Realizing the grave situation she was in, Margaret instantly dismissed her [Intimidation] skill and soon breathed out a sigh of relief as she noticed that she could move her body. Cold sweats dripped on her forehead as she stared at the old man in wariness! At that moment, Jessie and other kids also noticed that the sudden pressure had disappeared and soon held their hands together in anxiety. Then, Jessie raised her head, stared at Margaret in anger, and spoke before standing up. "We will sell this to other shops, ma''am." Meanwhile, Margaret wore an awkward smile on her face and spoke in an anxious voice. "1,400 gold coins. This is my final price to show my respect to your guardian." A look of surprise shed on Jessie''s face as she nced at Charles for a moment and soon gritted her teeth. Earlier, she clearly felt the invisible power and knew how dangerous this woman was. But after seeing how this powerful woman got scared of her teacher, she got amazed. At the same time, she realized that she had failed to meet his expectation and grew solemn. ''No, I can''t give up like this.'' She bit her lips and said while shaking her head. "1,400 gold coins and one [Learner] ss Gem." Margaret wore a troubled expression on her face for a moment and soon let out a deep sigh. She could feel the stubbornness in Jessie''s face, so she gave up on arguing with a kid and agreed to her request. Although [Learner] ss Gem would cost around 80 to 100 gold coins, she didn''t put much thought into it. ''This old man seems to be a powerful mystic. Offending him just for 100 gold coins is not worth it. Moreover, he might be interested in purchasing more items from ourpany in the future.'' She instantly made up her mind and soon took out a wooden chest from her space ring. Chapter 98: Disciples Chapter 98: Disciples Margaret then took out 14rge pouches, filled with gold coins, and ced them inside the wooden chest. Once she was done, she nced at the white-haired old man and spoke in a polite tone. "You can take this amount, Sir." On the other hand, Charles took out a void pouch from his space ring, passed it to Jessie, and said in a solemn tone. "You have the potential to be a great merchant,ss. This pouch and the money in the wooden chest will be yours." He paused for a moment and soon added, "You''ll be the one who is responsible for doing all the financial words from now on." His simple words shocked both the kids and Margaret. ''Did he n to teach her about how to spend money and make her an assistant?'' Margaret soon thought of such possibility and nodded in approval. She had seen many mages given their other works to their disciples and concentrated their full attention on improving their strength. On the other hand, Jessie''s mind went nk for a moment. "T-Teacher, that''s-" Words stuck in her throat as she stuttered in anxiety and confusion. "That''s my final decision." Charles interrupted her and spoke in a firm tone. Jessie''s emerald-green eyes widened, and soon she nodded her head in determination. At that moment, Margaret made a call through amunication ring and soon spoke few words to the opposite side. After that, she turned her gaze towards Charles and spoke politely, "Please wait here for a while, Sir. Ourpany staff member will bring the [Learner] ss gem." Charles raised his eyebrows and then nodded his head in approval. A few minutester, the blonde-haired woman in a formal ck suit came inside after knocking on the wooden door and gave him a thumb-sized jade gem. "This ss-Gem belongs to her." Charles shook his head and pointed his finger at Jessie. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired woman got stunned a bit and soon apologized for her mistake. Then, she turned her attention to Jessie and gave it to her. At that moment, Jessie took the gem from the staff member and fell into deep thoughts. ''Why did our teacher give me this much money? Is he testing? Wait¡­'' She suddenly recalled Noel''s earlier conversation with their teacher and soon widened her emerald-green eyes. She instantly raised her head, stared at Margaret for a moment, and spoke. "We also want [de Wielder] ss-Gem, ma''am." She suddenly paused for a moment as she thought of something and soon turned her gaze towards Charles. "Teacher, do I also have to buy ss-Gems for my little brother and Rhea?" She asked in an eager tone. "You are indeed a sharp one. Hmm, I already have a [Apprentice Water Mage] ss-Gem, so you don''t have to buy one for her." Charles stopped for a second as he rubbed his wrinkled chin and soon added. "Buy one [Thief] ss-Gem for Titus. He has the qualifications to be an assassin." Charles was indeed surprised by Titus''s patient behavior and thought of nurturing him into a skilled assassin. Unlike Noel, he didn''t let his mouth run wild and keep observing his surroundings all these times. In a sense, he had all the qualifications to be a top-level assassin in the future! "[de Wielder] ss-Gem is a rare one, so the cost is 155 gold coins. As for [Thief] ss-Gem, It is 120 gold coins, Jessie." Organizing her thoughts, Margaret said and soon signaled the blonde-haired woman to go and get those two ss Gems. At this moment, Jessie went near the wooden chest, which was still ced on the wooden table, and took out three big pouches from it. Then, she took 25 gold coins from one pouch and gave the three pouches to Margaret. After that, she took the void pouch from her waist and moved it near the wooden chest. Upon watching her action, an amusing smile appeared on Margaret''s face as she let out a chuckle and spoke, "That''s not how you use a void pouch, girl. First, focus your full attention on the void pouch and let it absorb a part of your soul power. Then, you will see a link between your mind and this pouch. Once you finish this process, you will have an easy time storing the materials with a simple thought." Jessie''s face flustered in embarrassment as she heard Margaret''s lecture. She quickly returned her face to a calm and cold expression and focused her full attention on the void pouch. Although she didn''t sense any soul power, she indeed noticed a link appeared between her mind and the void pouch. Nodding her head, Jessie stored the wooden chest with a simple thought and bowed her head towards Margaret. "Thank you, ma''am." Meanwhile, the blonde-haired woman also returned with two other ss-Gems and passed them to Jessie. Jessie caught the gems with her tiny hand and soon wore a clueless look as she couldn''t distinguish the difference between the two ss Gems. "Green one is [de Wielder] ss Gem and the grey one is [Thief] ss-Gem." Noticing her puzzlement, Charles used his [Inspect] skill on those gems and said in an old man''s voice. Jessie nodded her head and gave the green one to Noel and the grey one to Thief. Once Noel caught the green gem, he opened his mouth, ced it on the smooth tongue, and swallowed it in an instant, causing other kids to stare at him in shock! A momentter, a throbbing pain appeared in his head, and soon he gripped his head tighter. Noel''s eyes started to turn red due to the pain, and soon he began to shed tears. But he didn''t cry, though. Instead, he gritted his teeth and endured. "Impatience is not a good thing, kid." Charles frowned at his behavior and spoke in a solemn tone. But he knew that changing one''s behavior was not an easy task, so he simply sighed in helplessness, took out a blue gem from his space ring, and passed it to Rhea. "You guys also take your ss-gems now. It will only take a minute or two anyway." Saying those words, he pulled the wooden chair and sat on it with a calm look on his face. In the meantime, the other three kids also nodded their heads in unison and soon swallowed the gems. Like before, all of them felt intense pain appearing in their heads and soon started to cry in pain. Margaret watched the kids in silence for a moment, then turned her gaze towards Charles and asked. "May I know your name, sir?" "Oswald." Charles maintained his cold look and responded shortly. ''Oswald¡­ It looks like he is not telling his real name.'' She narrowed her eyes for a moment and soon turned her gaze towards the kids. Two minutester, all four of them calmed down and soon noticed that something had changed in their bodies. "Stealth," Titus instantly tried to activate his skill but soon noticed that nothing changed at all! "To activate this skill, you need to choose the right ce and time, kid. This skill will show its full capability when you are under a shadow or during nighttime." Charles paused for a moment and soon added in a solemn tone. "You can activate the skills just by thinking. And, never reveal your skill names to others." At that moment, Rhea wore a confused look and asked in anxiety. "Teacher, I didn''t receive any skill at all." "That''s because you need to learn them on your own. The reason mages need to attend the school in Magic Tower is to broaden their knowledge about basic elements and learn spells on their own through enlightenment. That''s why mages are very rare all over the Edhen." This time, Margaret exined in a serious tone. Nodding his head in approval, Charles cleared his throat and spoke before standing up. "Let''s go. We still have a small work to do in South Borough." After that, he nodded his head at Margaret, turned around, and soon walked out of the small room. Meanwhile, other kids also bowed their heads towards her and soon left the room one by one. Watching their departure, Margaret blinked her eyes twice and then said with an exciting smile on her face. "Investigate their background. I want to know the real identity of this old man." "Yes, My Lady." The blonde-haired woman nodded her head and soon walked out of the room. ¡­ Chapter 99: Weakness Meanwhile, Charles and other kids left the Shade Merchant Company and soon went to Maple Street. After roaming in the street for a while, Charles soon stopped in front of a Rental Management Company called Easy ts and rented a house in Orchard Street for one year at the cost of 550 gold coins. Whenparing it with other areas, this house was way cheaper in this street. As usual, Jessie was the one who did all the procedures and soon got the house key from the staff member. After that, Charles didn''t stop anywhere and brought them to 11C Orchard Street. Thirty minutester, the group arrived in front of a two-storied concrete brick house, which was surrounded by a one-meter tall wooden fence, opened the iron gate, and walked in. The ridge was elevated at the center, and the sides were packed with roof tes. They walked on the concrete path and soon arrived under the porch. After that, Jesse went near the steel entry door, put the iron key in the key cylinder, and turned it towards the right side. Once she heard the nging sound, she ced her other hand on the handle, moved towards the opposite side, and opened the door with a screech. It was arge house with a kitchen room, dining hall, a reception hall, two bedrooms on each floor with attached bathrooms, one study room on the second floor, and arge underground basement. Except for Rhea, the other three kids hadn''t seen such arge house in their lifetime and started to shout in joy and excitement. "You can y all you wantter. First, we need to clean the house and buy furniture, and utensils for cooking." Charles said in a calm tone while damping their mood and dragged them out. For the next few hours, they spent their time cleaning the house, brought new furniture like chairs and tables from the nearby shops, and then returned to 50A Harpy Street to get their belongings. On the way, they also bought cooking utensils like a magic stove, cooker, silver pots, spoons, tes, and so on. By the time they finished settling everything in the new house, it was already around 7 P.M. In fatigue, the kids went to the bedrooms on the first floor and soon fell into a deep sleep. ¡­ On the other hand, Charles went to the second floor, arrived in front of the bedroom, and opened it with a push. He walked in with quiet footsteps, hung the ck cane on the cane holder, removed the surcoat, ced it on the study table, and started removing his clothes. Then, he took out a ck nightgown from his space ring and wore it. After that, he went near the cotton bed, sat on it, and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Everything is going ording to my n. The next thing is about getting information from the informer Leo. Should I use my [Fire Seed] spell on him and learn forcefully? No, I shouldn''t. If I did that, I have to kill himter and also have to erase all the clues...'' ''This city is not Riverdale, and there is also a possibility that killing him might attract a Historian ss Mystic or Mages. If they use any skill to see through the ''Past,'' things will get difficult for me. Killing a slum thug or a gang leader won''t attract much attention. But if I kill an informer, I might attract some big shots'' attention. Yes, I once heard that these informers are always precious treasures in the eyes of nobles...'' ''Moreover, I need to find a way and extract one''s particr memory instead of extracting randomly. And, stealing one or two memories from one''s mind also won''t leave any clue.'' Charles suddenly halted his thought as he recalled the moment he met Emilia. ''Wait¡­ At that time, she asked a question and directly learn an answer from me¡­'' His amber eyes suddenly squinted as he made a possible guess. ''Yes, whenever someone asks a person about ''something,'' his/her mind will directly think of that ''something'' even it is important information. If I use this method, I can actually get the important information from Leo without killing him. This is actually a good idea.'' He nodded with a pleasant smile on his face and soon frowned as he thought of another problem. ''What if someone like ''Destiny Lady'' appears in front of me and asks me about my main goal to enter the Tower of Elements? Sh*t¡­ If she asks such a question, my mind would think of my main goal instead of other ones and expose my real goal to her in an instant!'' His lips trembled in shock as he missed such an important loophole. ''Damn it, this is indeed dangerous. Although I can block my thoughts from leaving the dark space, I''m not sure whether I can block a Rank-4 member''s skills from entering the dark space. Truthfully, the dark space is neither in my body nor in my inner world. It is actually a bridge that connects the body and soul and its strength is purely based on one''s wisdom power. In a sense, this bridge is the main weakness for everyone.'' A grim look appeared on his face. He soon turned his gaze towards the ck cane and asked in confusion. "Mr. Rh, can I able to hide a particr memory from a Rank-4 Mystic if they ask any question about it?'' ''Hmm? You already found out about that loophole?'' The Holem''s Crown went silent for a moment. ''Dark Space is not your Inner world,d. It is the link between your soul aka the inner world and your physical body. There is no shortcut to strengthen it. But-'' It purposefully paused for a moment and said in a sly tone. ''I do know of a method that could help you hide a particr thought.'' Charles felt something was off about its tone and soon raised his eyebrows in curious. ''What is it?'' He asked. ''You have to split a part of your consciousness, hid it in your inner world, and let it guard the particr memory. Once you did that, even your true consciousness wouldn''t know about that particr memory and can easily fool a Rank-4 Mystic''s skills. Humph, even Rank-5 Mystic would feel helpless against such method.'' ''Will there be any side effects to my soul? Will it affect my progression?'' Charles instantly thought of side effects. On the other hand, the Holem''s Crown let out a chuckle and said in a calm tone. ''If you want to achieve something, you need to be prepared for losing something in return.'' Charles''s face went cold in a split moment, and soon he asked in a solemn tone. ''What do I have to sacrifice?'' He felt like he was really dealing with a devil. ''Haha, I''m just kidding. In truth, you would gain an extra bonus in this. Once you split a part of your consciousness, you can strengthen it continuously and create an incarnation in a year or two.'' A surprised expression appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his hand, ced it on his chin, and nodded his head in enlightenment. ''So, that''s how a Mystic creates his/her own Incarnation, huh.'' ''Can you tell me how to split a part of my consciousness now?'' Charles then curled his lips upward and asked in a grin on his wrinkled old face. Chapter 100: New Consciousness Chapter 100: New Consciousness ''It''s not a simple thing,d. Before I tell you about how to separate a consciousness, I will ask you a question.'' The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a moment and asked. ''Do you know how one''s consciousness is formed?'' ''No.'' Charles instantly shook his head. He searched about the mysterious ''consciousness'' on the inte even in his past life, but he knew that those pieces of information were just imaginary nonsense of some random spiritualist. ''Haa, I will tell you in detail, so listen carefully. Let''s take a newborn male baby as an example. After his birth, his mind will be wholly filled with emptiness. Although he could express his basic emotions, he wouldn''t remember anything and only observe the surroundings curiously. Later, he will gather information in the name of memories, and these memories sooner form into memory fragments.'' ''Those memory fragments started to gain more knowledge and experiences through seeing, hearing, smelling, and sensing and soon mature into a basic consciousness form. That''s how the babies will be aware of their own selves. Now, if you want to split a part of your consciousness, you need to replicate most of those memories through your inner world''s power and create artificial consciousness. That''s how you separate a part of your own consciousness.'' A look of realization appeared on Charles''s face. ''That exins everything.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment and soon sat on the bed in a cross-legged position before closing his eyes. A secondter, his consciousness traveled through the dark space and soon appeared in the Inner world. In his illusionary young form, Charles opened his eyes and soon looked around the gloomy dark forest filled with his past life memories. First, he went near an illusionary memory and soon got confused about how to copy this memory. ''Wait¡­ I''m a God in this Inner world, right? Hmm, I want to try something interesting.'' He curled his lips upward as he zeroed his gaze on the first memory of his killing and pped his hand. At that moment, another illusionary replica of that memory appeared on his right side! "Shrink." He spoke coldly. In a second, the whole memory illusion shrunk into a small pebble-like red stone and thennded on his illusionary palm! ''It worked.'' A smile crept on his face. ''Now, I have to replicate the most important memories and thenbine them to form a consciousness.'' He nodded his head and started to work. Whenever he thinks of a specific memory, it would appear in front of him in the form of illusion. Then, he would replicate them and turn the replicated memory into a pebble-like red stone. Like an almighty God, his illusionary form hovered in mid-air and started doing this process at a fast speed. He explored all his childhood memories, training memories, assassination memories, and so on and started picking up the important memories. More than 60 years'' worth of memories were scattered everywhere in the form of illusions in his inner world. Among those memories, Charles only chose the basic and important ones and assembled them into a single fragment. Once he was done, he concentrated his attention on it and started to weave it into the form of a human shape. More than five hours had passed as hepletely focused his attention on weaving the memories and soon smiled as he saw that memory fragment turned into a clone image of his illusionary self. ''This is the final touch.'' He muttered to himself and soon put another memory about his first memory of the killing. As hepletely weaved the final memory into the clone form, a change urred in it. Those memories started to fusepletely, and soon the clone image of him opened his illusionary jade eyes. "Who are you?" Charles asked with a grin. Confusion appeared on the clone''s face and soon widened its jade eyes. "Incarnation?" The clone ''Him'' titled his head in puzzlement and soon started to grasp the situation. But Charles knew that he needed more time to turn this consciousness form into a mature one entirely, so he simply shook his head. "Stay in the inner world and gather more information from my memories. Although you can''t absorb those memories without my permission, you can see them for yourself." After saying those words, Charles pulled his consciousness from the inner world with the ''me Body'' spell''s guidance and soon opened his eyes. ''Good. Next is about my disguise.'' He thought for a moment as he opened the game interface and poured 1898 Exp points into the Sub-ss option. [759 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You are now a Level-2 Disguiser!] [1 Free Attribute point Rewarded!] [20 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ [1139 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You are now a Level-3 Disguiser!] [1 Free Attribute point Rewarded!] [20 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ ''Hmm, I now have 100 free skill points.'' He thought to himself and checked his body status. ''Oh? Did my [Disguise] skill increase on its own? Hmm, it must be due to my current disguising.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon put 22 skill points on the [Disguise] skill. ''The skill hasn''t reached the peak level. Looks like 100 skill points is the peak level for skills.'' Charles instantly noticed the difference and soon put another 20 skill points on the skill. [Disguise skill has reached its peak state!] A momentter, a change urred in his body. ''What is this? I can even control the strength of my body?'' Charles muttered to himself in shock and soon widened his eyes. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown also noticed the change and spoke in a confused tone. "Why do I feel like you really turned into an old man?" "Did you feel any difference?" Charles raised his head, stared at the ck cane, and asked with an interesting smile on his face. "No. Wait¡­ Kid, did it have something to do with the [Trickster] series ss''s skill? Now, that exins a lot." The Holem''s Crown spoke in an understanding tone. On the other hand, Charles simply shook his head and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''From my understanding, I can tell that my sub-ss skills are improving on their own. Currently, I have 58 free skill points. If I level up my sub-ss twice, I will also receive another 40 skill points. But that won''t be enough to increase other unique skills.'' He paused for a moment and soon turned his attention to the unique skill tab. ''Conceal, Inspect, Intermediate dagger arts, Inspect, Sharpshooting. Among these unique skills, only [Inspect] skill is helping me these days. Although [Sharpshooting] skill is helpful during assassinations, I don''t think I need to waste my skill points on this skill. As for the conceal skill, I will think about it.'' He nodded his head, and soon spent those two attribute points on ''Strength'' and ''Constitution.'' He then thought for a moment and closed the game interface. After that, he took out the pocket watch from his space ring, opened the outer case, and checked the time. ''It''s 12.30 A.M. Can I go out and check the informer? If I''m not wrong, he is living four streets away from this Maple Street, right?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and soon shook his head. ''Aurora knew very little about that guy''s personal strength. But he knew about Rhea''s background and even ckmailed Aurora with that information. To silence him, Aurora and the Blood Priest paid more than 200 gold coins. Hmm, this type of guy is not someone I should take lightly. He might be a wolf hiding in sheep''s skin.'' After thinking for a moment, he ced his head on the cotton pillow and closed his eyes to sleep. Chapter 101: Personal Missions Chapter 101: Personal Missions The following day, Charles woke up around 6 A.M, took a long bath in cold water, and wore a tight-fitting, calf-length ck frock coat and a red double-breasted waistcoat. After that, he took the ck cane, held the handle in his right hand, and walked out of the bedroom. Then, he went downstairs, moved to the reception hall, sat down on the chesterfield sofa, and waited for those kids to wake up. Thankfully, they didn''t take too much time and soon walked out of their rooms around 7 A.M. "Go and get ready. Today, I will assign your daily duties." He said in an indifferent tone. "Yes, Teacher," All of them said in unison and soon return to get ready. Thirty minutester, Titus and Noel walked out of the bedroom on the right side of the reception hall and soon arrived in front of Charles. Both wore velvet jackets with corresponding breeches, buttoned boots and looked good as new. Yesterday, Charles took them to a dress shop after purchasing necessary things for the house and brought these new dresses for these kids. He knew that they didn''t have any good clothes, so he didn''t hesitate to spend money on their clothing. Charles nced at Titus for a moment and then spoke, "Titus, you have to awake during the night and sleep during the daytime from tomorrow. And, your sleeping time should be no more than seven hours. Sleep is the first enemy for every assassin, so you must control your own sleep at all times." A startling expression appeared on Titus''s face, and soon he nodded his head in confusion. "Next is about your training. From today onwards, I will teach you about physical exercise, extra assassin skills, disguising tricks, and so on. A thief or an assassin must learn to deceive others, otherwise; you will get caught easily." Charles continued to exin about few things and soon stopped as he saw Jessie and Rhea walked out of the bedroom from the left side. Jessie wore a long blue dress with flue sleeves, while Rhea wore a button-down white shirt and cardigan with navy blue pants. "I will give you an exnation about itter." Charles paused and soon asked while ncing at everyone''s facial expression. "Who is good at cooking?" "We all know how to cook, Teacher," Titus said in a solemn tone. ''Oh? That''s a good thing.'' He nodded inwardly and soon spoke while organizing his thoughts. "Jessie and Titus will be responsible for cooking during the first 15 days. Meanwhile, Rhea''s and Noel''s job is to clean the house and buy groceries from the nearby shops. Once this schedule ends, Rhea and Noel will take over Jessie''s and Titus''s jobs while those two will take over yours. For the next six months, you guys should follow these schedules and do your work properly." "What about you, Teacher?" Noel asked in a serious tone and soon froze as he met with res from every direction. On the other hand, Charles let out a fake cough and asked while waving his hand. "I''m an old guy. Do you think it is appropriate for an old man to do these types of works?" A silence filled the hall, and soon all of them nodded their heads in unison. "Next is about your personal missions. I already gave one mission to Noel, so he is out of this list." Charles paused for a moment, raised his cane, pointed the heel at Jessie, and added. "You are a [learner] ss Mystic. From now on, your job is to make a detailed map and learn all the houses'' numbers and locations in Chester City. Hmm, when going to the Mystic Borough and Slum Borough, you must be very careful. Wait, take Titus with you when going to those two ces, so you don''t have to worry about your safety. You must finish this job in five months." ''Well, I wouldn''t be surprised if shepleted this mission in 4 months, though. Her [Fast memory] skill sure will be useful in many ways.'' Charles muttered inwardly and soon moved his gaze towards Rhea. "Rhea, although you became a student of the Tower of Elements, you still have to do this personal mission. Your job is to create three spell models within the next five months. Even top most students will find it difficult toplete this task, but you must do it. If not-" He purposefully paused for a moment and asked in a cold tone. "I think you know the consequence, right?" "Yes, Teacher." Rhea instantly nodded her head and replied while clenching her fists tighter. A pleased smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled face as he nodded his head and shifted his gaze towards Titus. "Titus, your personal mission is to be a Rank-2 assassin in five months. No, you must do it." Charles said in a steady tone as he moved the cane and stood up with its support. He then nced at the outside yard through the opened steel door and spoke. "Rhea, Jessie, and Titus, you three will being with me to the tower of Elements." He stopped for a moment to organize his thoughts and then added. "Noel, you can go to the market street and buy groceries from there. Hmm, also buy a few wooden short swords and daggers for practice lessons. Jessie, give him some money." Nodding her head, Jessie instantly took two gold coins from her pouch and gave them to Noel. "Don''t lose it." She added with a stern look on her face. She knew that Noel was always careless about keeping money and got worried inside. In the meantime, a smile appeared on Noel''s chubby face. "I won''t lose it." He said before he went to the kitchen and took the grocery bag. After that, he put those two gold coins into his pocket and soon walked out of the house. Watching his action, Charles felt amused. ''He is the only na?ve kid in this group. But that na?ve character is what I needed most.'' He nodded inwardly and soon walked out of the room. Meanwhile, Jessie locked the house door with an iron key before they went towards the Tower of Elements. Twenty minutester, the group arrived in front of the Tower of Elements and soon walked in. Once they entered the firstyer, Charles nced around the surroundings and soon moved his gaze towards their right side. Then, he zeroed his focus on the lone table and noticed Reba was seated on her seat and seemed to be conversing with someone in a red robe. "Let''s go." He said while moving ahead, excluding the crowd of blue-robed mages using his cane, and soon went towards the direction where the lone table was located. Although those blue-robed mages got angry at the old man''s rude behavior, they restrained themselves from acting impulsively and watched him and the kids in confusion and puzzlement. At that moment, Reba also noticed their arrival, so she quickly stood up from her seat and greeted Charles with a bow. Her action surprised not only the person who sat on the opposite chair but also the blue-robed mages! Although Reba was just an apprentice mage, everyone knew that she would not give this much respect to a mere Rank-2 mage. So, they got more curious about the real identity of the white-haired old man. At that moment, they subconsciously thought of a possibility and soon nodded their heads in understanding. Meanwhile, Charles arrived in front of the lone table, tapped the cane on the tiled floor twice, and asked in an old voice, "Shall we do the registration now?" Chapter 102: Leo Chapter 102: Leo "Please wait a minute, Mr. Oswald." Reba adjusted her messy hair with her hand, turned her gaze towards the front, who sat on the opposite chair, and gave a file folder towards the guest. The guest was a blonde man in histe 20s and wore a grey robe. He had short, whirly hair, fair skin, monolid hazel eyes, and a heart-shaped face. Once he got the brown color file folder from Reba, he stood up from his seat and went towards the exit with fast footsteps. Charles felt that man was a little bit familiar and at the same time unfamiliar. ''Who is he?'' He furrowed his brows and soon cast [Inspect] skill on him. ''Inspect failed?'' He got startled a little and then shook his head. ''I should do my regr work.'' He muttered to himself and turned his gaze towards Reba. Meanwhile, Reba put the books in the drawers before closing them with a small key and soon led Charles and the kids to the thirdyer of the Tower of Elements. That''s where the Main Administrative Department of Elemental Studies was located! They walked past the alchemicbs, ritual chambers, scrying chambers, and experimental rooms for dark arts and soon reached the thirdyer. Unlike the other twoyers, amodation rooms and office rooms were the only rooms that appeared in their eyes. Reba made a few turns in the maze-like corridor and soon arrived in front of a runal letters inscribed wooden door. Then, she tapped on a particr character on the left side corner of the door and patiently waited. Two secondster, the runal letters shone brightly for a moment and soon made a metal clicking sound. The next instant, the door opened with a screech and soon revealed a small office room to others'' eyes. A table full of documents, amp on the corner, and a few wooden chairs were the only things ced in the small room. Reba took the lead, went near the table, took an application paper, and started to fill it using a grey quill. Once she finished the process, she gave it to Rhea and asked her to put signs in a few ces. Then, she folded the application paper and locked it in a wooden cab. "That''s it, sir. The process will be over once Head Administrator returns from her mission and sign this application." Reba said with a smile and soon added. "Next is about your job, Mr. Oswald. Thankfully, we have one ce vacancy in Ritual Department, so you can go to the head department and ask Professor Robert about your schedules tomorrow." A bright smile appeared on Charles''s face as he nodded his head and asked. "What about the fee payment?" "If you have the right amount, you can finish the payment here now," Reba said in an instant. Nodding his head, Charles asked Jessie to pay the right amount and then asked few more questions about where to buy theory books, robes, and so on for Rhea. "We also want to get the Official Mystic Badges. Where can we get that?" Charles suddenly recalled that they don''t even have any official identity badge and asked. Reba paused in surprise for a moment and soon responded politely. "You can get those badges in the First Layer, and each badge is only 14 gold coins. If you guys don''t mind, I will show it to you." "That would be helpful." Charles nodded his head. After that, they returned to the firstyer, brought the necessaries like badges, uniform dresses, and books for 60 gold coins, and bid their farewell to Reba before they walked out of the Tower of Elements. "Titus, you and Jessie can go and do Jessie''s personal mission now." Charles paused for a moment as he recalled that they hadn''t had any breakfast yet and soon added. "Buy something to eat on the way. Start in the Mystic Borough. If the security guards stop you and ask questions, show your Official Mystic Badge." "Yes, Teacher." Both said in unison and soon separated from them. On the other hand, Charles and Rhea silently left the Mystic Borough and returned to 11C Orchard Street. But to their surprise, they saw five muscr men and one short man were waiting for them at the entrance and became stunned. ''Where is Noel?'' Charles nced at the locked steel door and soon frowned as he inspected their strength. ''Five Rank-2 Mystics? And, this short guy seems to be a Rank-3 member¡­'' His wrinkled face turned gloomy as he stepped on the concrete path and soon asked in a cold tone. "Who are you guys?" Upon hearing his voice, all six of them turned around in unison. Then, the short man took a step forward and greeted him with a smile. He had a slightly obese body, straight ck hair, a round face, and wide-set dark-blue eyes. Unlike others, who wore regr clothes and leather armors, he wore a ck vest, worn over a white linen shirt, ck pants, and leather shoes. "Greetings, Mr. Oswald. My name is Leo Grant, and I came here to talk to you about something interesting." The short man deliberated for a second and asked with a sly smile, "Do you want to hear it?" Meanwhile, Charles tapped the cane on the concrete floor and asked in an emotionless tone. "Did you kidnap the chubby face kid?" Leo''s face went stiff for a moment, and soon the smile on his face disappeared. "It seems you already aware of our arrival." He said coldly, took out a bloody human''s finger from his space ring, and tossed it on the ground. "I heard that you are a mage from myckeys. This one is that kid''s finger, and you can check whether it is real or fake." He paused for a moment and soon asked with an evil grin on his face. "Shall we talk in private now?" Meanwhile, Charles bent his waist with the ck cane''s support, picked up the bloody finger, and gave it to Rhea. "Keep it with you,ss. If we want to heal Noel''s handpletely, we need this finger." He said in a gloomy tone, walked past the muscr men, and soon arrived in front of the steel door. In the meantime, Rhea also followed after him closely, and soon both walked into the two-storied house. "Go upstairs and wait there till I call you," Charles said in a low voice and soon added as he saw the panic in Rhea''s eyes. "Don''t worry. I will take care of these guys." With an anxious face, she nodded her head and soon went upstairs with hurried footsteps. On the other hand, Charles turned around, pointed the cane''s heel at Leo, and said in a calm voice. "Only you are allowed toe in. Yourckeys have to stay outside." Surprise shed on Leo''s face as he frowned a bit and soon raised his cold voice. "Old man, it seems you still didn''t understand the position you are in." Upon hearing those words, Charles shook his head and said in an indifferent voice. "If you are that much afraid toe and talk to a 75-year-old man, then you can scram. As for Noel, I can rescue him on my own." Leo''s face went cold as ice as he heard those words and soon stepped forward while ordering hisckeys. "Wait here and stop anyone who wants to enter inside. In the meantime, I will teach some manners to this foolish old man." Once Leo said those words, he walked into the two-storied house and soon entered the reception hall. Meanwhile, Charles closed the steel door, locked it from the inside, and moved to the reception hall with a gloomy expression on his face. He then went near the Chesterfield Sofa, sat on it with the support of his ck cane, and fixed his gaze on Leo, who was already seated on the opposite Settee Sofa. Chapter 103: Important Information Chapter 103: Important Information Charles stared at Leo in silence and soon started to ponder. ''Why did he kidnap Noel?'' He was still confused by Leo''s action. In truth, he already nned to visit him in a day or two and steal his memory using the ''talking'' method. ''Moreover, I actually thought of letting him live after stealing the selective information and stay hidden for the next few months. I know that killing him without any reason will cause unnecessary suspicions. There is also a possibility that Leo''s supportive nobles might take it to the extreme and asks for the Tower Mages'' help to find the real culprit. I may have some ability to fool normal Mystics, but I''m not sure about those Mages from the Tower of Elements. Thankfully, this fool did a great job and came here to give his life and memories.'' "Why did you kidnap Noel?" Charles asked in a puzzled tone. At that moment, Leo curled his lips upward and asked with a wicked grin on his face. "Do you know the real identity of Rhea, old man?" Upon hearing those words, Charles instantly understood the other party''s intention. ''He is here to ckmail me.'' As Charles had expected, Leo ced his hand on the sofa''s arm and said in a cold tone. "She is the second princess of Iron Kingdom. Two years ago, Aurora and that Blood Priest kidnapped her from the Royal Pce, erased most of her memories, and turned her into a puppet ve. I got this information from one of my snitches, who is working in the Sweet Vige as a clerk, and earned some money by ckmailing them." He purposefully paused for a second to see the change in Charles''s facial expression and continued with a grin. "But the amount they gave to me was too little, and I always felt dejected whenever I thought of that transaction. I know that Rhea''s worth is way more than a few hundred gold coins, so I racked my brains to think of a n to get more money using her intel. To my surprise, you actually killed those two mystics and took her as your disciple. Now, what would happen if I told the Royal Family that you are the one who kidnapped her and manipted her memories to turn her into your ve?" Upon hearing Leo''s words, Charles wore a shocked expression and soon asked in an anxious tone. "What do you want?" A mischievous smile appeared on Leo''s face as he leaned his back against the settee sofa and said. "Simple. I want 10,000 gold coins before dawn. I also heard that mages are always wealthy individuals, so it shouldn''t be a problem for you to arrange this much amount, right?" Upon hearing those words, Charles became dumbfounded! ''This guy is too daring.'' He let out a deep sigh and said with a nod. "I will give you more than 10,000 gold coins." Saying so, Charles stood up from the seat and curled his lips upward. At the exact moment, Leo saw that the old man''s wrinkled face started to turn into a smooth one and got stunned inside! ''What-" He tried to shout in surprise, but soon widened his eyes as he noticed that his whole body was starting to turn stiff! He tried his best to move his muscles, but it was futile! He couldn''t even able to blink his eyes! ''What the f*ck is happening?'' He became utterly horrified by the sudden change and soon saw a deep-blue-haired kid, around 19 years old, appeared in front of his eyes. Before he could think further, he felt another type of invisible hand gripped his throat and started to pull him up towards the deep-blue-haired kid! In the meantime, Charles clenched his fist tighter and punched him in the face. After that, he grabbed his hair and mmed his head on the concrete floor. ''Kid, my skill''s effect will be over in a second.'' When the Holem''s Crown finished its words in Charles''s mind, Leo suddenly regained control over his body. Unfortunately, Charles didn''t give him any time and directly mmed his head on the concrete floor! If Leo was against an ordinary Rank-2 Mystic, he might have stood a chance. But Charles was a totally abnormal one and also had Expert level body strength. In less than ten seconds, Charlespletely ruined Leo''s face and made him lose consciousness. Charles knew nothing about Leo''s ss, so only after losing his consciousness did he loosen his guard! After that, he cast [Fire Seed] spell on Leo and tied his body using a tight rope. At that moment, the guards from the outside also heard themotion and started banging the door while asking anxiously. "Boss, are you okay?" A mischievous smile appeared on Charles''s face as he cleared his throat, attuned his voice into Leo''s one using the voice-changing artifact, and spoke with a grin. "I''m alright." He paused for a moment as he obtained the precise information about one of the guards'' names and added loudly. "It looks like I need some time to make this old man submit to mepletely. Den, go and bring that chubby kid. For the next two hours, don''t disturb me, morons." "Yes, boss." One of the guards responded, and soon Charles heard running footsteps. ''Hehe, this voice-changing artifact sure is useful. Although it fooled Leo''sckeys now, I can''t dy more than 2 hours. They might get suspicious if I take too much time.'' Charles instantly changed his appearance into an old man''s one and started controlling the [Fire Seed] spell to burn more memories. Memories about thieves'' secrets, Slum''s Borough gang leaders'' secret treasures or weapons, their skill information started appearing one by one in the depth of Charles''s Inner-world. As he was absorbing the memories, he soon heard footsteps from above and soon saw Rhea was running down the stairs with a panicking face. In the mid-way, she halted her footsteps and soon froze as she saw the unconscious Leo. Meanwhile, Charles ced his finger over his lips and signaled her to go upstairs. Widening her eyes, Rhea instantly wiped her tears, turned around, and moved upward. ''She must have heard my fake voice and got panicked.'' Charles wasn''t angered by her decision toe downstairs. If he were in her position, he would have done the same thing. Shaking his head, he turned his attention on the unconscious Leo and sat on the floor in a cross-legged position. Although Leo tried to regain consciousness from time to time, Charles smacked his head all the time and silently absorbed his memories. After 15 minutes, Charles suddenly gained information about a Fire Field''s heart''s location in the Tower- ''1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ¡­Damn it, I almost screwed up.'' He instantly counted numbers to distract his thought and soon moved his consciousness into the Inner World. In a second, his original young form hovered in the air, and soon he moved attention towards the new information. ''Fire Fiend''s heart- It is mostly used as a sacrifice to please the will of Fire Elemental ne. There are always tens of hearts stored in Layer 5, Secret Chamber number 356 in the Tower of Elements.'' A smile crept on Charles''s face as he finally found the information he needed most. His illusionary jade eyes wandered the gloomy forest and soon found the newborn clone ''Him'' in the farther corner of the inner world. Charles instantly waved his hand, shrunken the memory about the ''Fire Fiend''s heart'', and turned it into a red pebble-like structure. After that, his figure disappeared from there and soon reappeared in the farthest area. At this moment, the clone ''Him'' was watching a memory of his real parents near a volcanic mountain. The clone ''Him'' stood at the edge of the volcano mountain and watched the moment when an assassin was entering their house. Suddenly, the nearby rock shook for a moment and soon turned into a figure simr to the clone''s appearance! "Charles." The clone ''Him'' turned his face towards Charles and said in an expressionless tone. Charles could feel that his new consciousness was actually trying to greet him and smiled. "You are improving-" He stopped for a moment and soon added. "Absorb this stone into your body, and don''t let the memory escape from this Inner world." After that, Charles concentrated his attention on the [me Body] spell model in the sky and soon left the Inner world. A secondter, he opened his eyes in the reception hall and soon wore a confused look on his face. ''Why did I enter the Inner World? Wait¡­ I gave something important to my clone, but I couldn''t recall what it is¡­'' In an instant, Charles''s eyes widened. ''Did I receive some important information about the Tower of Elements and gave it to my clone to bypass the power of ''Fate''?'' ''It appears so.'' He nodded his head in understanding and then continued to focus his attention on absorbing the memories from Leo''s Inner world. Chapter 104: A Blood Droplet Chapter 104: A Blood Droplet One hour passed in the blink of an eye. Charles sat in the same cross-legged position while digesting pieces of information like nobles'' treasure locations, knights'' secret skills, merchants'' weaknesses, churches'' secret organizations'' locations, and so on. He even received information about the Moon Kingdom Queen''s secret love affair and became stunned! ''This guy sure knows a lot.'' He let out a deep sigh and soon frowned as he received another piece of information about a Series artifact hidden in the Tower of Elements. Thankfully, he wasn''t interested in that artifact, so he directly skimmed through it. ''As long as I didn''t put my eyes on stealing that artifact, it won''t cause any variation in the ''Fate.'' Still, I need to ask my incarnation to guard these types of memories.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and soon received another piece of information. But unlike the previous ones, this information was a dangerous one! Charles didn''t dare to think for a second before closing his eyes and entering the Inner World. On the edge of a volcanic mountain, his figure suddenly appeared beside the clone ''Him.'' Soon, Charles opened his illusionary jade eyes and focused his attention on the new information. ''Blood of a Divine¡­ It''s about the blood of a Divine! F*ck, this guy is crazy!'' Charles wore an rmed look on his face and soon calmed his mind. After that, he focused his attention on the new information and started to read. ''There is a droplet of Ancient Light God''s blood hidden museum of the Seventh Layer. During thest nar war, the first King of Moon Kingdom found his way into a fallen divine kingdom and got his hand on this ''drop'' of Divine''s blood.'' ''In the old tales, these types of divine blood droplets were used to enchant one''s strength at arge margin by consuming it directly. But the person will receive side effects like abnormal mutations in their bodies and souls. There is also a possibility that the person''s body might get destroyed by the divine power.'' ''But if somehow the person seeded in digesting the blood droplet, he might enter a deep state of enlightenment andprehend the power hidden in the droplet. There is a possibility that his body might enchant to arge margin and would reach the level of Legendaries!'' ''When the first king of the Moon Kingdom got his hand on the blood droplet, he didn''t consume it directly in fear of consequences and started to study it in secret.'' ''But Amber Church and Moon Church somehow grasped this secret and asked him to hand over the droplet of blood. Due to the pressure from both sides, the first king made a secret deal with the two churches and then ced it at the museum center in the Tower of Elements. No one knew what they discussed in secret, but those two churches didn''t force the first king to hand over the droplet after that. To this day, except for some high-ss nobles, Tower Masters, and the Royal Family members, none knew about this secret.'' ''Leo learned this information when working as a servant in Duke Arina''s household around 20 years ago. This information is one of his deepest secrets¡­ Wow, this guy sure has the full qualification to be an information broker.'' Charles raised his eyebrows and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''Does that mean the ''Destiny Lady'' is already aware of Leo''s knowledge about the blood droplet? No, it shouldn''t be possible. The ''Fate'' power works solely based on one''s strength, thinking, and information. If a guy knew certain information about a material, he even had enough strength to obtain it, but he didn''t think it is worthy enough to steal the material, then there won''t be any variation in the ''Fate.'' So, to make a variation in the ''Fate,'' these three requirements are needed. What I''m doing now is just hiding the information and bypassing the power of ''Fate.'' But I need to be extra careful, though. Even the slightest anomaly might attract the Destiny Lady.'' Charles nodded his head, turned this memory into a pebble-like stone, and gave it to the clone ''Him,'' who was still standing next to him. Then, he rubbed his chin and started to ponder deeply. ''This information is a priceless treasure. But this is also a ticking time bomb. Should I try to steal this blood droplet? Even if I did steal it, how can I use this? Wait¡­ Maybe I can strengthen my fire affinity! Yes, if I sacrifice this treasure to the ''Will'' of the Fire Elemental ne, I might be able to strengthen my affinity to the ''Genius'' level!'' ''In the past month, I met many obstacles whenprehending the [Incinerate] spell model and still haven''t fullyprehended it yet. If this continues, it might take more than a year for me to be an Ember Wizard.'' ''Although Game-System is helping me by creating spell models for me, it still has its own limitations. Moreover, there is already a powerful enemy is after my head. If I didn''t find a way to enchant my affinity, I might get stuck in Rank-3 for years toprehend the spell models. There is also a promise I made with Bishop Reynolds to return the Holem''s Crown to Life Church¡­'' ''Nah, even if I didn''t rank up in due time, I''m not nning on handing it over to them at all. To getplete ownership of the Holem''s Crown, I lost many things, so there is no way in hell that I would hand over this artifact to them. They might send multiple legendary powerhouses after me. But so what? Humph, in the worst-case scenario, I will just destroy it with a thought. Yes, this Holem''s Crown knew too many secrets about me¡­'' ''Haa, now I have to steal two treasures from the Tower of Elements instead of one. Stealing the ''Fire Fiend''s Heart'' is also not a simple matter. I need to make a perfect n and steal them in one go.'' Nodding his head, Charles directly collected all the secret information about the Tower of Elements, turned them into pebble-like stones, and gave it to the Clone ''Him.'' After that, Charles stared at the [me Body] spell model and left the Inner World. A momentter, Charles opened his eyes in the reception hall and soon heard a muffling noise. At that moment, he also heard shouts and banging sounds from the outside and sighed. ''Looks like I need to end this now.'' He knew when to stop, so he instantly stood up, took out the [Ghost Dagger] from his space ring, and soon arrived beside the ring Leo. After that, Charles gripped the hilt tighter and shed it towards his neck at full force. Due to his extraordinary strength, the dagger cleaved the smooth skin and instantly separated the head from the body! [Target Eliminated! 1,707 Exp points Obtained!] Curling his lips upward, he went near the head, grabbed Leo''s hair using his left hand, and picked up the wide-eyed Leo''s head. At that moment, the headless body started to twitch uncontrobly and sprayed blood on the tiled floor! "Tsk, it''s time to finish this farce," Charles muttered as he picked up the ck cane using his right hand and went towards the steel door. He then hid the bloody head behind his back, kicked the door harder to make others stop knocking, unlocked it from inside using [Magician''s Hand] skill, and opened it with a screeching noise. At that moment, five muscr men had already drawn their weapons and were pointing them towards him with anxious expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, Charles''s gaze swept past those muscr men and soonnded on the chubby-faced kid, who stood ten meters away from them, with tears on his face. A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he moved his left hand from his back, showed the wide-eyed Leo''s head towards those muscr men, and threw it towards them. Upon seeing the wide-eyed Leo''s head, all of their expression froze, and soon their whole bodies trembled. They knew how powerful their leader was and became utterly shocked! "Take this guy''s body from the reception hall, clean the house neatly, and then scram," Charles said in a cold voice and then gestured Noel toe towards him. Chapter 105: Investigation Chapter 105: Investigation At that moment, Noel also regained some courage upon seeing his teacher''s face and soon ran towards him. Although one of theckeys tried to move his sword towards the running Noel, Charles instantly used his [Magician''s Hand] skill and gripped his neck with invisible strings. "Don''t think I wouldn''t kill you now," Charles said as he dismissed the skill and then looked at Noel. The right half of his face was swollen, and a thin white cloth was wrapped around his left hand to stop the blood. ''They seem to have put some ointment on the wound.'' As Noel arrived in front of him, Charles patted on his shoulder and spoke. "Come on. I will heal your hand." Saying so, he turned around, returned to the reception hall, and added in a loud voice. "You cane down now." Within seconds, running footsteps were heard from the second floor, and soon a ck-haired girl in a button-down white shirt and cardigan with navy blue pants stepped down with hurried footsteps through the curved stairs. Once she reached the floor, she instantly ran towards them, and soon her eyes zeroed on Noel''s wounded hand. "Give that severed finger,ss." Without minding the headless corpse, Charles said as he went near the chesterfield sofa, and sat on it. Covering her nose, Rhea took out the finger from her small leather pouch and gave it to Charles in trembling hands. "Good." Nodding, Charles removed the wrapped white cloth on Noel''s hand and soon furrowed his brows as he saw burn marks. ''They used the cauterization method to stop the bleeding.'' He waved his right hand, conjured a greenish-blue me on his palm, and applied it on the wound. At the same moment, he took the severed finger and attached it to Noel''s wounded hand. A momentter, the blood-drained finger started to get revitalized by the mystical greenish-blue me, and soon tissues and blood vessels started to grow. Charles then focused his full attention on the me and patiently reattached those severed blood vessels and tissues using his thoughts. After ten minutes, he retrieved his hand and nodded. "It''s good now." Then, he asked them to go upstairs and patiently waited for the five muscr men to move Leo''s headless corpse away. With a gloomy look on their faces, they walked in, stored Leo''s body in a void pouch, and started cleaning the house in helplessness. On the other hand, Charles leaned his back against the sofa and patiently waited for thempletely clean the blood. Once they have done their job, he quickly shooed them away and stood at the entrance. After an hour, a group of guards in silver armor came to his house and inquired about Leo''s death. Charles told them that Leo kidnapped his disciple and threatened him to give money. He also conjured a ball of me and indirectly showed the Head Guard that he was an Ember Wizard! Upon seeing the dancing me, those guards instantly understood that Leo had provoked someone he shouldn''t have and silently went back on their way. But Charles knew this was just the beginning of the investigation. ''Mr. Rh, I want you to erase the past event.'' Charles spoke in his mind and went back to the reception hall. ''How did you know that I can erase the past?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a shocked tone. ''Humph, do you think I wouldn''t know about the time when you erased my battle against Addie Baker? I know that you erased that incident from the ''past'' to gain more information about Edith''s fake identity. Unfortunately, your action gave me a clue that you possess the ability to see past incidents and erase them. If not you, then who has the ability to keep things hidden from a Rank-4 Historian ss Mystic?'' Charles mocked inwardly. ''Alright, I will erase this in a moment.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in obedience. A momentter, an invisible ripple went through the surroundings, and soon Charles saw the past event like the holographic video! After that, another ripple came from the ck cane and soon broke those videos into pieces. "Done." An old voice came out from the ck cane. Charles wore a pleased smile as he nodded his head and patiently waited for the next investigation squad. As he had expected, a team of five members in ck robes came to his house and did another investigation. Charles instantly knew that they belong to the Moon Church''s secret organization, Undying Moons, and silently observed their movements once they entered his house. Unlike the previous time, a Rank-3 [Seeker] stepped forward, used his [Wonder See] skill, and searched for clues like an expert. Unfortunately, he only saw an empty reception room in the vision and got confused. After some time, he finally realized that this old man already erased the past ''Time'' and became startled. But he didn''t even say a word about it and brought his otherpanions out of the house with a helpless look on his face. He knew that even if they report it to the organization higher-ups, no one will take action against this old man! ''This man is a powerful mystic! Moreover, it was the information broker''s fault to go and threaten a monster.'' He sighed in sympathy and then exined the situation to hispanions in detail. ¡­ Meanwhile, Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and started to ponder about his next n. ''No, I need to reseal the Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaf first and think about how to extract the coordinates.'' While he was in muse, Rhea and Noel came from the second floor and soon stood beside him in silence. After some time, Charles stood up from the chesterfield sofa, informed the kids that he would be in the underground basement for the next few hours, and went towards the metal shutter door on the other side of the reception hall. He then opened the door with much difficulty, walked in, and then shut it from the inside. At that moment, darkness enveloped the area andpletely blinded his sight as he cast his gaze on the front. In the darkroom, Charles curled his dry lips, conjured a ball of orange fire, and illuminated the room. Stone stairs appeared in front of his sight and went down to the underground basement. With a calm look on his face, he lit the fire torches ced on the walls. Then, he took a step forward and went downstairs with loud footsteps. Soon, he arrived at the vast empty underground hall and lit the fire torches, ced all over the corners. After that, Charles went towards the center of the hall and took out the sliced wooden trunk from his space ring. ''Hmm, the spell hasn''t ended yet.'' Charles nodded his head and soon asked. ''Mr. Rh, can you tell me about the method to extract the coordinates of the Fire Elemental ne from this Traveler Tree''s Twin-leaf?'' ''Hmm, that''s very simple.'' The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a moment and added in a calm voice. ''You have to kill the real owner of this leaf and be its owner.'' Confusion appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his eyebrows for a moment and frowned. ''How can I find the real owner?'' ''You don''t have to find him. He will send one of hisckeys from the other side to learn more about the current situation of this leaf. You see, the Traveler Tree''s leaves are Twins and they always choose one person as their owner. I think a Night Goblin obtained the other leaf by some dumb luck and became the real owner of these twin leaves. If you want to obtain the coordinates of the Fire Elemental ne, then you have to go to the other side and assassinate him. After that, you can put a drop of your blood on the ownerless leaf and be its owner.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a serious tone. Chapter 106: Fire Elemental Plane Chapter 106: Fire Elemental ne ''Assassination, is it?'' A smile crept on Charles''s face as he thought of a daring n. In an instant, he released the space seal and waited for the other party to send a scout. Precisely forty-five minutester, the unique emerald-gem-like leaf began to shine, and soon a humanoid figure appeared in the center of the underground basement! But unlike the other Night Goblins, the goblin that appeared was more ferocious and gave off the feeling of superiority! It was around 2 meters tall, with shade skin, a huge belly, and two red horns on the sides of the forehead. The moment itnded on the floor, it took off the red-painted metal scythe from its back, gripped it tighter, and swiftly shed it towards all the surroundings! Fortunately, Charles had already perceived the danger and backed away. ''Oh, they sent a very powerful one this time.'' He was indeed startled by the other party''s swift decision. ''Mr. Rh, seal the leaf.'' He took out the Starfall Codex magic book from his space ring, flipped it to the 12th page, and ordered. At the exact moment, he cast [Fire Seed] spell on the creature and checked its status. ''Oh? It has War Guard ss andbat-rted skills.'' The corner of his lips curled upward as he crouched down a little and dashed towards it at a fast speed. Although the other party sent a powerful brute goblin to tackle him, Charles wasn''t afraid of a mere goblin. A cruel smirk appeared on the ugly Night Goblin''s face as it twisted the scythe and raised it. When it was about to sh it towards the enemy, suddenly it stopped its hand. No, it forgot how to sh the scythe! Without missing such good opportunity, Charles appeared right beside the shade-skin goblin, gripped his dagger hilt tighter, and smacked it on its nape with a full force! Due to the sudden attack, the creature stumbled forward, regained its sense a little, and tried to move its hand again. Meanwhile, Charles raised his hand again and smacked the hilt on the creature''s nape. At that moment, the monstrous Night Goblin''s eyes turned darker and darker, and soon it fell on the floor, leaving a thudding sound behind. In two seconds, he defeated the monstrous goblin! Meanwhile, Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and started binding it with a robe. After that, he controlled the [Fire Seed] spell and started burning its memories. ''Lava Sea¡­ Twilight Land¡­ Miners'' Den¡­ Volcanoes¡­ Magma Fiend¡­Crimson Birds¡­ves¡­Language of Scars¡­ Night Shaman Lexer¡­ Secret reciting method to pass through the Traveler Tree''s Leaf¡­'' Pieces of information about the Fire Elemental ne and other things appeared in Charles''s mind. ''So, the real owner is a ve goblin, huh. He found the other leaf when he was mining and became its owner. At first, he didn''t tell anyone and explored the Dreamworld on his own. But somehow, his secret got exposed and he was brought to his n head. After some trials and errors, the Night Goblin Leader found out the secrets of Dreamworld and even thought of snatching the leaf from the ve goblin. But he feared that the strange leaf might disappear permanently if he kills the ve goblin and thought of using him as a tool. Under the order of the Rank-3 Goblin Leader, this ve goblin helped the other Night Goblins to explore the Dreamworld and eventually became a freed goblin.'' After skimming through the information, Charles swiftly killed the muscr goblin creature, gained 650 Exp points, and soon frowned. ''Did the goblins not know anything about mind-rted abilities? If they knew, they wouldn''t have sent a brute goblin, right?'' Shaking his head, Charles discussed his problem with the Holem''s Crown and asked a question. ''Mr. Rh, what would happen if I use the special chanting method to go to the other side?'' He felt that there must be some restrictions in inteary space travel and became more cautious. ''You will face nar restrictions in a minute or two and will feel difort and pain. You might also face difficulty when casting spells. No, you haven''t created the elemental heart, so I think you wouldn''t be able to cast your magic spell at all.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a serious tone. ''One or two minutes¡­ If I still couldn''t kill the owner at that particr time, I might get locked in that ne forever. Moreover, I would be in enemy''s den.'' Charles instantly dismissed that reckless idea from his mind. But at that moment, the Holem''s Crown made a coughing noise and revealed one of its secrets to him. Charles patiently listened to its words for the next two minutes and soon grew confident. ''Hehe, it seems I have to go alone this time.'' He nodded his head, ced the ck cane on the ground, changed his appearance into his young self, and started to recite the secret incantation. ¡­ Moris Fire Elemental ne, Twilight Land. In this Moris Fire Elemental ne, many powerful races like Magma Fiends, Lava Giants, Magmins, Ember Gnomes, Crimson Birds, and Red Lizards stood on the top food chain. They ruled the different parts of the world by dividing the territories. In suchnd, there was one ce that had constantly been bathed by blood and fire. Large-scale battles and invasions were alwaysmon in thisnd. Some call it Death Zone, while others say it was a Forbidden Land. But the creatures who live in thisnd gave thisnd a unique name, Twilight Land. Thisnd was so beautiful yet so sad. At the edge of the Twilightnd was filled with tall volcanoes and beyond that was a red ocean filled with purevas! Between the volcanic mountains and the ocean ofvas, there stood a city. It''s called Miners'' Den. It was a ce filled with inferior races and ves. Volcanic ashes constantly spew out from the nearby volcanic mountains'' mouths, rose to the sky, and soon descended to the area where the small city was located. In this Miners'' Den, Night Goblins, Lava Orcs, and Red Humans were thergest group and had some strong backgroundspared to other races. The people in this city mainly spent their life in the mines and lived their everyday lives. Yes, most of them were ves of a particr Magma Fiend! Sixty years ago, a Rank-1 Magma Fiend was exiled from its homnd called Fiery Desert and was sent here to repent its mistake of being born with three eyes. This Twilight Land epted this young Fiend named Garath and gave him a new future. There was also a rumor spreading all over the ce that this young Fiend was the Twilight Land''s blessed child! Due to the blessing of thend, he rose from a Rank-1 Fire Imp to a Rank-4 Ember Shadow in just 50 years. In those years, Garath fought many battles, killed thousands of Lava Orcs, and even gained the title of Elemental Demon! He was the ruler of this Miners'' Den City! In the small city, there stood a small mansion in the northern part. Unlike other hut-like houses and stone mansions, this mansion was entirely built by moltenva. It belongs to one of Garath''s subordinates called Maris. In the isted secret chamber deep under theva mansion, tens of goblins in different armors stood there silently and stared at a single emerald gem-like leaf attached to a small gate. Although the bright fire stones illuminated the chamber, the secret chamber still looked gloomier due to the darkness. "Why there hasn''t been any response from the other side?" A one-meter-tall Night Goblin in a ck robe-like dress stood twenty meters away from the small gate and asked in an impatient tone. It had crimson eyes, short ears, red-lined skin, and appeared very old. Although it was the shortest among all the goblins in the yard, no one dared to look into its eyes. It was Maris''s most trusted ve, Lexer! After a short silence, a tall ck-armored goblin spoke in an anxious tone. "Did something happen to Brother Gield?" "He has been on the other side for more than two hours. It looks like we need to wait for Lord Maris''s further orders. As long as I''m the owner of this leaf, no one can enter from the other side." The short goblin named Lexer said in a confident tone. At the exact moment, Lexer suddenly saw that the green leaf started to shine in dim light and curled its ck lips into a wicked grin. Chapter 107: Escape Chapter 107: Escape "Gield is back." The ck-robed Night Goblin Lexer spoke in a loud tone and patiently waited for the other party to appear. In the meantime, Charles saw a myriad of star clusters and soon found himself standing in some secret chamber, surrounded by tens of goblins. Unlike other times, he had long activated his [Conceal] skill and went on a full assassin mode. At that moment, Lexer raised its sharp eyebrows in puzzlement and soon squinted its crimson eyes. "Something feels off¡­ I clearly sensed someone transported through the Twin leaves." It muttered in a confused tone and soon noticed that a strange ck shadow was moving towards him at a fast speed. Its pupil shrunk in shock as it instantly gripped the wooden staff and waved it. Tens of fireballs conjured from the tip of the wooden staff and moved towards the humanoid shadow at a fast speed. Upon seeing the tens of fireballs, Charles cursed inwardly and rolled towards the right side. Loud explosive sounds echoed as those crimson fireballs collided on the nearby walls and illuminated the whole hall in bright light, blinding everyone in return. Meanwhile, Charles pulled out the Ember Pistol from his space ring and stealthily slid it towards the robed goblin. Due to the dim darkness, nobody noticed his stealth action and concentrated on attacking him. The armored goblins also unsheathed their weapons and dashed towards him at a fast speed. ''My spell models are in an unstable state due to the news, and I''m also starting to have a headache.'' He wore a grim look and soon saw an armored goblin already appeared in front of him while aiming its short sword at Charles. But as it was about to sh the sword towards his neck, it suddenly noticed that an olive-skin human was smiling back at him. Upon seeing the strange smile, fury appeared on its face, and it gripped the sword tighter¡­ No! The goblin suddenly noticed that there was no weapon in its hand at all! Charles curled his lips upward, held the Ghost Dagger in his right hand, and stabbed it towards the goblin''s chest. At the exact moment, the goblin''s short sword also mysterious appeared in his other hand and moved towards the defenseless goblin''s neck at a fast speed. In a second, the ugly goblin''s head flew up towards the ceiling and crashed on it, leaving a headless body to dance in the gloomy hall! Charles instantly moved towards the right side to evade another fireball from the goblin shaman and killed another goblin. ''I need to kill the goblin shaman.'' A grim look appeared on Charles''s face as he reduced the distance between him and the goblin shaman. At that moment, a small me came out from the wooden staff and soon formed into a terrifying fireball which was around a one-meter radius! Charles''s heart sank as he witnessed the scene! ''Even my Crimson Robe spell would be damaged if it faced it head-on.'' Although he felt the dense explosive power hidden in the abnormal fireball, Charles wasn''t afraid at all. Whenever someone uses their trump card, they would focus on the enemy and their trump card. ''This is what I want.'' A cold glint appeared in his eyes. At the same time, Charles used the [Magician''s Hand] skill on the Ember Pistol, manipted it to face the tip of the muzzle at an angle of 120¡ã, and squeezed the trigger. BANG! A loud explosive sound echoed in the gloomy dark chamber, and the next moment, the goblin shaman''s head exploded! Using the invisible string, Charles pulled the Ember Pistol towards his direction and then dashed towards the green leaf at an unimaginable speed! Meanwhile, the terrifying fireball turned unstable due to the sudden loss of the connection with the owner and soon began to expand in size! It devoured the nearby goblins and also released a sharp wave of dense red me in every direction. Thankfully, Charles''s [Prevision] skill triggered on its own, so he instantly evaded the wave by ducking his body, opened his palm, and swiftly gripped the Ember Pistol that flew from behind. Meanwhile, the sharp wave moved in every direction and killed most of the armored goblins in seconds! ''F*ck! This fireball is going to explode in a few seconds.'' Charles once again rose up and sprinted towards the metal gate where the green-gem-like leaf was embedded. In three seconds, he arrived in front of it, sliced his finger using the dagger, and put a drop of his blood on the gem-like leaf! In an instant, Charles felt a connection towards the leaf on the other side and got ted. Not only that, but he also received two coordinates in his mind. ''One is the coordinate of this Fire Elemental ne, and the other one is the Edhen ne''s coordinate.'' With a thought, he erased the previous long chanting method, made a new short one in English, and started to chant. By the time he finished reciting the short chant, the terrifying fireball had exploded on its own and devoured everything, including his body. Charles felt a sudden intense burning pain and grew pale. The next instant, his figure began to distort and soon disappeared from there! ¡­ Edhen World, Moon Kingdom, Chester City. In the underground basement of 11C Orchard Street, the green gem-like leaf on the sliced wooden trunk suddenly started to shine, and soon a human figure appeared in the hall. Charles gasped for breathing and soon felt a burning sensation all over his body. Although he managed to escape, he was still affected by the explosion, causing his skin to turn redder. Gritting his teeth, he ced his hand over his chest and cast his [Soul Heal] spell. A greenish-blue me came out of his hand andpletely enveloped his body. Then, the me started to soothe his skin and soon begun to heal the superficial burns slowly. A few minutester, Charles sat up on the concrete floor and curled his lips upward. ''I finally got my hands on the coordinates of a Fire ne.'' He nced at the missionpletion notification of the hidden quest and nodded his head. ''It appears the one who created this system wants me to choose this ne, but I still have no idea about his exact motive. Thankfully, he or the system in my Inner World didn''t pull me into any unnecessary trouble yet. No, the system is helping me to grow stronger in many ways. Still, I need to take some precaution measures after bing an Ember Wizard.'' Charles took the ck cane, stood up with some difficulty, and changed himself into an old form. ''How many seconds have passed?'' He asked in curious. ''30 seconds.'' A swift reply came from the Holem''s Crown, causing Charles to arch his eyebrows upward. ''I think I stayed in the Fire ne for more than 50 seconds.'' ''That''s not a surprising thing. Variations in the time flow are normal between nes.'' The Holem''s Crown responded casually. Upon hearing those words, Charles nodded, stored the Twin Leaf into his space ring, and soon fell into deep thoughts. ''I didn''t rely on the Holem''s Crown''s help to return from the Fire Elemental ne. Then, I also gained full control over the Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaves. But if I go to the other side again, I might get bombarded by formidable spell and killed in seconds.'' A frown appeared on his face. At that moment, he also felt a strange intuition from the depth of his mind that he needed to rely on this Fire Elemental ne in the future and got perplexed. ''Mr. Rh, can you give me some exnation about this Fire Elemental ne? Why do Fire mages seek to enter the Fire nes even at the cost of signing the ve-like contracts with churches and Royal families?'' He directly asked. Although resources hidden in the Fire Elemental ne might be a good excuse for Fire Mages to swarm into the Fire ne, Charles didn''t believe it at all. He felt there must be another reason for it. Chapter 108: Steal The Holem''s Crown didn''t take too much time to organize its thought and spoke. ''If you want to Rank up further, you need to understand the secrets of Fire andprehend thempletely. Before exining more aboutprehension, I will tell more about the different types of Fire in this universe. Fire can be divided into seven types. The first one is the Law Fire. This type of Fire symbolizes Protection and Law, and most of these Fire Elemental nes are filled with the power of Law Fire. The second one is Hell-Fire. As the name suggests, this Fire appears only in the Hell ne and is filled withplete wickedness and evil. It can even turn a pure angel into a wicked being. So, it would be best if you stay away from it at all costs. The third one is False Fire. Unlike the other two, this Fire can manipte other basic elements and make you cast other elemental magic. If youprehend this Firepletely, you can indeed manipte all other elements to some extent. Your movement spell is due to the presence of this Fire. But as the name suggests, this Fire is just a false one, and it has its own limitations. The fourth one is Chaos me, and this Fire was originated from the Abyss ne. It has the power of destruction and Chaos, soprehending this Fire should be very helpful when constructing an attack spell model. The fifth one is Soul Fire. This Fire originates from the Underworld and can heal, and at the same time, destroy souls. Your healing spell has a minute amount of this Soul Fire, so you should be very careful when using this spell. It is a double-edged sword. The sixth one is Mind Fire. It is one of the mysterious fires, and even I knew nothing about it. Some say that this Fire originated from the strange Dreamworld, while others say that this Fire is born from the False Fire, but there is no actual proof of its origin... Wait, I have always felt something was off about your mind-rted skill... Could it be that you also constructed this mind fire spell?'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly stopped its talking and asked in suspicious. ''Yes.'' Charles smiled wryly. He knew that he couldn''t hide this secret for too long from the old man, so he quietly nodded his head in approval. ''Oh? It looks like the secret artifact is helping you construct different types of fire spell models. Anyway, let''s get to the topic. Thest one is called Rebirth me. Except for its name, I knew nothing about this Fire.'' The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a moment and soon continued. ''Most of the Fire Mages in the Edhen chooses to walk on the path of Law Fire. So, this Fire Elemental ne is a treasure for them. If theyprehend the Law Fire spell models in a Fire Elemental ne, they will have an easier timepleting them.'' Upon hearing the lengthy exnation, Charles frowned for a moment and soon squinted his eyes. ''These seven fires... Why do I feel that my every spell model has some connection with each type of these fires?'' A chill went up to his spine. ''It is not an impossible thing. But there is still one thing I couldn''t understand. It''s about the me Body spell model... Unlike other spells, I chose to construct this spell only after hearing advice from Bishop Reynolds. Something feels off... Could it be that he is also a pawn of the system''s real owner?'' He shuddered at the thought. ''No, I might be overthinking.'' He closed his eyes to organize his thoughts for a moment and soon heaved a heavy sigh. ''It doesn''t matter whether the system manipted my mind to choose these spell models or not. I need to increase my Rank and then find a way to take full control over the system. Only then I would feel safe.'' Charles silently went near the corner of the underground hall, sat in a cross-legged position, and soon entered his Inner world to make a detailed n. ... After another two hours of nning, Charles left the inner world and soon opened his eyes in confusion. At that moment, he couldn''t even remember anything about the n at all! ''No, I have some memories to achieve something, but I couldn''t remember my real goal. Strange... My first job is to steal the famous Rainbow Crown from the Duke Milton''s Mansion and expose myself as a Fire Magician? Wouldn''t that make the Tower Mages suspicious of me?'' He pondered for a moment and chose to believe in his n. ''There must be a reason for this strange mission. But the unluckiness effect is still there for another 30 days. I have to dy my n. Although I learned that requirements are needed for the unluckiness to take effect on me, I don''t want to take a risk.'' Charles nodded his head and soon stood up. In the past few days, he activated his [Prevision] skills a few times and learned that his anomaly skill could nullify the unluckiness for a day or two. Although it wasn''t able topletely nullify it, Charles felt that this was much better than the past month''s unluckiness effect. ''But frequently using this skill would also change variations in my fate and might catch big shot''s attention.'' He was always warier of the Destiny Lady, so he only used this prevision skill for small dangers. If he had used this skill to avoid any unexpected danger, it might have attracted Destiny Lady''s attention. Thankfully, there was no dangerous situation that appeared to him yet. Letting out a deep sigh, he left the underground basement hall and soon met Titus and Jessie in the reception hall. "How is the mission?" Charles halted his footsteps and asked in an old man''s voice. "Teacher." Both stood up from the sofa in unison and greeted him. After that, Jessie took the initiative and responded. "I memorized a total of 150 houses'' exaction location, numbers, and even learned some house owner''s name, Teacher." "Hmm, continue your mission during daytime." Charles nodded his head, shifted his gaze towards Titus, and asked. "Did Noel and Rhea go to market?" "Yes, Teacher," Titus replied in a solemn tone. "Good. Come on; I will teach about the true arts of disguise." Saying so, Charles stepped towards the stairs and went upstairs. Till evening, he taught him the basics of disguise and tricks and then went to the yard to teach him about dagger arts. Thankfully, Noel and Rhea brought tens of wooden daggers and short swords, making his job easier. Charles then made Noel and Titus to battle against each other and pointed out their mistakes one by one. Time passed slowly, and soon it was around 7 P.M. ''It''s time.'' Charles stood up from his wooden chair and spoke. "Continue your practice till 10. After that, you three can go to sleep." He suddenly paused for a moment as he pointed his finger at Titus and said. "Practice those disguise skills and stealth skills in the yard. I wille around midnight and check your progression." Saying so, he turned around, returned to the second floor, and soon went to the study toprehend the [Incinerate] spell model. Chapter 109: Summoning Ritual Expert Chapter 109: Summoning Ritual Expert The next day, Charles woke up early, took a long bath in hot water, and soon walked out of the bedroom after changing his cloth into a formal ck one. Then, he went downstairs and soon smiled as he saw Titus and Jessie were cooking earnestly. ''Not bad. Hmm? Titus still hasn''t gone to sleep yet. I need to give him an exact schedule for sleeping and training, otherwise; things will go in an unpredictable way for him.'' Charles sat on the Chesterfield Sofa and waited for them to arrange breakfast in the dining hall. They finished their cooking in less than 30 minutes and invited him and the other two kids to the dining hall. Once everyone was seated in their respective seats, Jessie took the lead and served the food. Although she knew nothing about noble etiquette and all, she tried her best and did her work seriously like a true maid. Nodding his head, Charles took the fork and had small pieces ofmb chop, a few sticks of bread, and drank the thick vegetable soup. After that, he ced the napkin to the left side of the te, then stood up from his seat, and left the dining hall. Then, he checked the timer and soon went to the Tower of Elements. Unlike Rhea, he needed to be in the thirdyer before 8 A.M. to meet the head of the Ritual Chambers department. He didn''t stop anywhere and soon reached the thirdyer. Thankfully, professor Robert was in his office room, so he instantly got the appointment. Charles entered the room and soon saw a deep-blue-haired man in histe forties seated on the office chair and seemed to be in the middle of ying with a pencil. He wore a red robe, had a slightly wrinkled rough face, thin mustache, monolid blue eyes, and pale skin. Noticing his arrival, he raised his head and greeted him. "Wee to the department of Ritual Chambers, Mr. Oswald." Charles walked in with slow footsteps, nodded his head at Robert, and soon arrived in front of the wooden table. "Please have a seat, Mr. Oswald." Robert smiled slightly and gestured him to sit on the wooden chair. Meanwhile, Charles pulled the chair, held the ck cane''s handle to support his body, and sat down with some difficulty. "What are your qualifications for this job, sir?" Robert turned his face serious and went straight to the point. A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he raised his left hand, ced it on the wooden table, and spoke in a serious tone. "I''m specialized in summoning ritual ceremonies." His simple words made Robert''s expression freeze in shock for a moment. Unlike other ritual methods, the summoning ritual method was apletely different and abnormal one. During the Arcane Era, Mages used this type of ritual method specifically to summon creatures from a particr ne with the help of coordinates and study them before making a nar invasion. But this one contains great risk. A few thousand years ago, a group of low-rank arcane mages tried to summon a low-level creature from a Hell ne but ended up summoning a Devil Lord! That was a Demi-God-level Existence! Thankfully, the First Era Arcane Mages at that time were powerful enough to face such a monster and were powerful enough to seal it in a Time crystal. If not, the whole Arcane Empire might have destroyed by the devil. After that incident, nobody dares to take this summoning ritual method lightly and used it in extreme caution. So when Robert heard his answer, he was indeed shocked inside. "I''m well experienced in this field, so you don''t have to worry," Charles added with a grin. A forced smile appeared on Robert''s face as he didn''t dare to take the risk, so he instantly thought of sending this old man to the teaching section. "Mr. Oswald, would you mind if I ask you to pass down your knowledge to our department students? You know, this summoning ritual method is a very dangerous path and we currently have no expert in that field. So, it would be very helpful if a master like you could pass some knowledge to our students." ''And, we might also observe your knowledge in this field.'' Robert added inwardly. Charles thought for a moment and soon agreed. In truth, he actually feared that Robert would ask him to do a small summoning ritual ceremony as a sample and always sat there in anxiety. ''Fortunately, he didn''t. Otherwise, things would have gone in an unpredictable direction due to my strange unluckiness.'' He muttered to himself and soon waited for him to give the ss schedule. Robert didn''t take too much time, though. After some checking, he wrote down his lecture timing on a white paper and passed it to him. ''Monday- 1.00 P.M to 3 P.M., ssroom no- 304 Wednesday- 8 A.M to 11 A.M, ssroom no- 218 Sunday- 9 A.M to 1 P.M., ssroom no- 311.'' Charles nced at the paper and soon nodded. "I will take my leave then." He stood up with the support of the ck cane, said in a solemn tone, and soon walked out of the room. Meanwhile, Robert sat on the wooden chair silently and soon raised his eyebrows. "I should have asked him to do a sample ritual ceremony. I heard that most of these ritual masters are very lucky and even able to summon some precious elemental creatures from other nes. If he really is a master in that field¡­" His voice trailed off as he soon felt a vibration from his pant pocket. He frowned a bit, took out a small silver ring, and soon touched the red crystal on it. "I''ll be there in a minute, Teacher," He spoke in a hurry, stood up from his seat, and then walked out of his room. ¡­ Tower of Elements, 8th Layer, A ck-haired woman in herte 20s stood on the balcony and stared at therge city with a frown. She wore a jade robe, had scarlet eyes, an oval face, and a small nose. "Something is wrong¡­ Why did I felt a sudden premonition a while ago?" Tilting her head, she asked herself, closed her eyes for a moment, and soon noticed that change already disappeared from her mind. ''Did someone change their own fate?'' She raised her eyebrows in confusion and soon cast that thought away from her mind. ¡­ On the other hand, Charles walked out of the Tower of Elements and soon returned to 11C Orchard Street. After that, he went to his study room and started his concentration onprehending the [Incinerate] spell model. One month passed in a blink of an eye. During the time, Charles acted cautiously and concentrated his full attention on imparting assassin knowledge to Titus, and at the same time,pletelyprehended the [Incinerate] spell model. Moreover, he didn''t forget his job in the magic tower and started teaching basics about summoning rituals under the Holem''s Crown''s guidance. To his surprise, the Holem''s Crown knowledge about the summoning ritual ceremony surpassed all the ritual masters and caused a greatmotion in the Ritual Chambers Department! By doing this job, Charles also made some progression in the ritual study! Not only him, but Rhea also made a significant progression in her personal mission by constructing her first water spell model in 24 days and gave him a huge surprise. In the meantime, Jessie hadpletely graspedplete information about the houses and streets of Mystics'' Borough and already moved to Nobles'' Borough. ''Only Noel is showing no progression in his personal mission. Although he already started training his body and sword skills and even participated in a few tests to be an official Tower Guard, his strength is still far from enough. Hmm, I need to give him a slight push.'' Sighing deeply, Charles leaned his back against the wooden chair, took out a silver pocket watch from his space ring, and soon opened the outer case to check the time. ''It''s time,'' He stood up from his seat, took a hooded ck jacket from his space ring, and stealthily walked out of his study room. After that, he cast [Conceal] skill on himself, asked the Holem''s Crown to change its form into a bracelet, and wore it. Then, he wore a hooded jacket, went near the balcony, and silently climbed down towards the backside of the house. Once hended on the ground, he covered his head with the ck hood and started moving towards the Orchard Street Junction. Chapter 110: The Power of Knowledge Chapter 110: The Power of Knowledge Two hourster, Charles, in his original appearance, entered the Nobles'' Borough in the dark red night and went to a particr four-storied mansion. Although he was new to this ce, he didn''t face any difficulty in finding Duke Milton''s mansion at all. ''Leo''s memories are useful in many ways.'' He muttered inwardly, cast [Conceal] spell on himself, and soon appeared near the two-meter tallpound wall. ''Let the game begin.'' The corner of his lips curled upward as he ced his hand on the rough wall and jumped towards the other side. Like a feather, his body nimbly flew upward and soonnded on the other side. He slowly stepped on the grassy yard, went towards the right side of the mansion building, and started climbing up using the iron pipe. Once he reached the second floor, he silently crept towards the balcony on his right side and quietlynded on the smooth velvet mat-covered floor. At that moment, crimson mes suddenly conjured from his forehead and soon formed into a mask-like appearance! After ncing around for a second, Charles went towards the ss door, unlocked it using his [Magician''s Hand] skill, and entered the master bedroom. The main focal point in this room was the bed. That canopy frame was absolutely stunning and definitely one of the staple designs of the Second Arcane Era. Each one of the poles features that fancy curved design and scrollwork on the footboard. The rest of the furniture throughout the room was that chunky gold-colored style that even King Balder would probably love and appreciate. Although the room appeared bright due to multiple candles in every corner of the room, there was no one in it, making Charles breathe out a sigh of relief. He then went near a naked woman''s painting on the wall and pressed his finger on her right melon area. With a rattling sound, the wall suddenly moved on its own and soon revealed a dark underground passage. In the meantime, Charles waved his hand, conjured two balls of fire above his palm, and made it hover in mid-air. Then, he entered deep into the passage with quiet footsteps and soon found himself standing in front of a room filled with countless gold coins, artifacts, and tens of wooden treasure chests! ''There are quite a number of rm-type artifacts installed in every corner.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a serious tone. Although it couldn''t understand his intention, it didn''t try to probe him at all. ''Thisd sure is scheming something big. Hmm, he must have entered the Inner world and made a detailed n inside.'' The Holem''s Crown thought inwardly. On the other hand, Charles coldly snorted, raised his hand, and activated his [Magician''s Hand] skill. The next instant, a fist-sized rainbow-gem embedded cor crown rose from the mountain of gold and soon flew towards his direction. Upon seeing the crown, even the Holem''s Crown couldn''t keep itself calm and eximed in his mind. ''This is Rainbow Heart! Lad, this gem''s worth should be more than Fifty thousand gold coins!'' ''So what? Do you think I could steal this casually and sell it in another ce without being exposed? There are countless divination spells out there that could track down its location in a week or two. Not only that, the Mages must have additional methods to track down a thief.'' Charles said in disdain. ''Then, could you please enlighten this old man about your current action?'' This time, the Holem''s Crown asked in a sarcastic tone, causing Charles''s lips to twitch. ''Mr. Rh, turn this crown into a gold coin. Don''t try to lie to me. I already read about the [Mimic] skill in detail, and I knew that you could turn any metal into any shape. I also have some doubt that this mimic skill must be the reason for you to evade all other church diviners'' eyes.'' He watched the hovering crown coldly and spoke in his mind. ''You sure know a lot about me. But this skill''s actual name is Sorcerer''s Mimic, and it indeed can evade diviners'' search.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in helplessness and soon changed the crown into a gold coin. Meanwhile, Charles caught the gold coin, stored it in his space ring, and spoke with a smirk. "The name is Ghost, Good Luck." Saying so, he turned around, returned to the master bedroom through the gloomy passage, and soon disappeared from there! ¡­ Two hourster, Charles stealthily entered 11C Orchard Street, climbed up to the second floor with the support of an iron pipe, and soon walked into the right side bedroom. He then sat on the soft bed in a cross-legged position, closed his eyes, changed his appearance into an old man''s one, and soon entered the Inner world. ¡­ A few minutester, he opened his eyes and soon frowned. ''My next job is to visit the Tower Museum on December 6th and memorize all the materials'' locations in section 49? Not only that, but I also have to go to Slum Borough and steal Golden Eye''s precious dagger? Why the hell do I need to steal his weapon?'' He waspletely confused by his n. At that moment, a quote appeared in his mind. ''To fool others, first, you must fool yourself.'' ''Hmm, visit the museum, huh. I heard that the tower museum opens to outsiders only once a month. Moreover, there is also an entrance fee of 10 gold coins to move to the seventhyer.'' He wore a troubled expression on his face. ''Looks like I need to take Jessie with me.'' He nodded his head, stood up from the bed, ordered the Holem''s Crown to change it into a ck cane, gripped the handle with his callus hand, and walked out of the bedroom. After that, Charles went downstairs and soon heard a sword-ttering noise from outside. ''Titus?'' He raised his eyebrows, went near the steel gate, and smiled as he saw two shadows parried in the yard, leaving multiple fire sparks behind from time to time. Within a second, he identified that the other shadow was Noel and nodded in appreciation. He then turned his gaze towards the right side and soon saw Jessie was staring intensely at the three red moons while leaning her back against the porch pir. At that moment, her face showed different kinds of emotions like confusion, hesitation, helplessness, and unwillingness. Charles''s eyes flickered as he instantly noticed that something was wrong with her and became serious. He walked towards her with hurried footsteps, appeared beside her, and ced his hand on her shoulder. ''Red Moons are known for inducing one''s deepest emotions.'' At that moment, the Holem''s Crown''s voice echoed in his head. ''Inducing emotions?'' Charles asked as he blocked her sight with both his hands and soon made her return to her usual self. ''Yes, this has something to do with the God of Anos.'' The Holem''s Crown added. ''Moon God?'' Charles furrowed his brows and then turned his attention towards Jessie. "Teacher," In the meantime, Jessie woke up from the strange state and soon said in a startled tone, causing Titus and Noel to stop their movements. "Do you feel something different in your mind?" Charles stared deep into her emerald-green eyes and asked. A hesitant look appeared on Jessie''s face, and she soon nodded her head. "What is it?" He asked. "I feel confusion, Teacher. Unlike others'' ss, I can tell that my ss is not suitable for battle. What can my [Learner] ss skills do? Would I be able to help others during dangerous situations? Or, would I be a burden to them? What exactly would this ss do other than gathering information?" ''This girl¡­'' Charles stared at her innocent face for a second and soon sighed. "Yes, your ss is not suitable for battle. But that doesn''t mean your ss is useless." His words caused Jessie to tilt her head in confusion. On the other hand, Charles let out a deep sigh and spoke. "You are a [Learner] ss Mystic. Your strength is the knowledge itself. With enough knowledge, you can make countless ns and can even predict your opponents'' futures like a God. If you use the [Learner] ss skills properly, you can toy with your enemies using the power of knowledge and make them submit to you. Don''t get drowned by these useless thoughts and emotions,ss. You have the power to learn faster than others, so use it properly and increase your knowledge and wisdom. One day, you might even surpass me." His words caused Jessie to open her mouth subconsciously. She hurriedly closed her mouth and soon nodded her head in enlightenment. The more she thought about his words, the more she became serious. "I''m deeply sorry to doubt your decision, Teacher." She instantly bowed her head and soon ran into the house with hurried footsteps. ''You sure do have the ability to spout believable nonsense and even change one''s mind in a minute.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a shocked tone and soon added, ''But your words are not wrong. Every ss is unique in its own way after all.'' Chapter 111: Teachers Duty Chapter 111: Teacher''s Duty ''Who cares about the [Learner] ss? The only reason I chose that ss for Jessie is to learn more about the skills, Mr. Rh. Saron White is a [Learner] ss Mystic and also a member of Wisdom Church. She hid too well and even fooled me. If I want to deal with her in the future, I need to learn more about this ss; otherwise, I might get myself into deep trouble.'' Charles said in a deep tone. Although Eve''s death didn''t affect him much, he was still disturbed a little and already started to n on dealing with the group in the future. While he was in muse, Titus and Noel appeared in front of him and bowed their heads in greeting. In the meantime, Charles cast his [Inspect] skill on Titus and soon astounded. ''His [Stealth] and the [Uncanny Dodge] skills are already improved a lot. The only thing that hasn''t improved a bit is his [Snatch] skill¡­'' Charles''s brows arched upward before forming into a knot. "From tomorrow onwards, you have to steal ten silver coins daily frommoners." He stared at Titus for a moment and said in a t tone. "Steal?" A surprise expression appeared on Titus''s face and soon turned his face serious. ''As I expected, if I want to improve myself, I need to be a real thief.'' He clenched his tiny fist and spoke in a solemn tone. "I will not disappoint you, Teacher." "Good. You can go back and practice on your own for a while." Charles paused for a moment and soon said as he focused his eyes on Noel. "In the meantime, I will have a little chat with Noel." Titus nodded his head and soon went to the yard to practice on his own. Meanwhile, Charles cast his [Inspect] skill on Noel and soon furrowed. ''Sword Aura, sh, and Thrust¡­ Aren''t these skills look normal? Hmm, I know too little about the [de Wielder] ss.'' He pondered for a moment and soon asked. "Can you use the [Sword Aura] skill?" A look of astonishment appeared on Noel''s chubby face as he nodded his head, gripped the short wooden sword, and activated his skill. A momentter, a thinyer of white light appeared around the edges of the wooden sword and soon formed into a sharp line! "Use this aura to cut a tree branch." Charles pointed his finger towards the small neem tree on his left side and said. Nodding his head, Noel went near the neem tree, tilted his sword, aimed it at the side branch, and shed. A thinyer of cut appeared on the tree branch, but that''s it! "Again, use your [sh] skill this time," Charles added. Meanwhile, Noel turned his face serious, activated the [sh] skill, and once again shed his aura-coated sword at the tree branch. At that moment, Charles saw Noel''s hand moved faster, and soon the sword entered deep into the branch wood. Still, the sword stopped in the mid-way, causing Noel to sigh in disappointment. "Did you understand why you haven''t improved yet? Simply parrying with someone won''t make you improve your skill,d. You need to focus on those skills and hone them separately." Noticing his disappointing look, Charles said in a calm voice and soon started to think. ''This still isn''t enough.'' He instantly searched Leo''s memories and soon found a solution. "Tomorrow, go the second street in Slum Borough and search for a man named Larry. Once you appear in front of him, show him some of your sword movements and skills. He will definitely show you a path. If you are lucky, he might take you as his student and teach you how to improve these skills further." Upon hearing his words, Noel became dumbfounded for a moment and soon nodded in puzzlement. "You can go back and practice with Titus." Charles waved his hand and shooed him away. After that, he returned to the reception hall and soon noticed Rhea was studying alone in the dining hall. ''All of them are working hard.'' He nodded his head and soon returned to the second floor. ¡­ The following day, Nobles'' Borough, Duke Milton''s mansion. A group of three Mystics in ck robes stood in front of the naked woman''s portrait in the master bedroom. One was a whirly blonde-haired female with deep blue eyes, while the others were a brown-haired man and a short blonde-haired man with round ck eyes. All three of them appeared around 30 to 40 years old and had native fair skin tone. Behind them stood an obese man in histe 50s, and he wore a silk linen ck jacket with breeches. His eyes were swollen due to theck of sleep, and gritting teeth noise could be heard from time to time. He had a chubby nose, a rough face, and looked around 175 cm high. He was none other than the master of the mansion, Duke Minton! At that moment, the whirly blonde-haired woman ced her finger on the portrait woman''s right side melon area and soon said with a frown. "Someone must have ced a metal rod on the other side. Otherwise, the door wouldn''t have stuck like this." "Other side? Are you saying that the darned thief is still inside, Julia?" Duke Milton''s voice turned cold as freezing ice. ''Then, why hadn''t the rm artifacts activated yet?'' He was still puzzled by this. If someone touched any of the artifacts or gold coins, the rm would activate on its own and alert everyone in the mansion! ''But none heard an rm sound for the past 12 hours.'' A frown appeared on his forehead. Yesterday evening, Duke Milton went to attend a banquet at one of his faction member''s mansions. Due to some important meeting after the banquet, he came back around midnight. During regr days, he would usually go to the master bedroom sooner and do a routine checking. Yes, whenever he walks into the master bedroom, he had a habit of entering the secret room and checking if everything was in the right ce. But when he tried to open the secret door yesterday, he found out something was wrong with the door! Not only he couldn''t open the door, but he also heard metal nging noises whenever he tries to open it! In few seconds, he got anxious, tried various methods, and even sought help from his trusted servants. Some tried to use force, while others used their skills. Unfortunately, all of their attempts went futile. Some servants even proposed an idea to break the wallpletely, but Duke knew it was not easy. Unlike other wooden doors, this door was unique and had some secret explosives hidden in it. If some use more force to know or break the secret door, theplex mechanism hidden in the door would activate on its own and would explode! With no other choice, Duke Milton made a decision and sent a letter to the Undying Moons organization''s help. They were the ones who supplied this door to him, so he instantly thought of relying on their help. Thankfully, the organization epted his request due to his high position in the kingdom and sent an elite team to help him. They were the ck-robed Mystics who were standing in front of him! Shaking his head, Duke took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down his emotions. "Yes, My Lord. If not, how could the thief lock the door from outside?" At that moment, the blonde-haired woman named Julia answered his earlier question. ''Yes.'' A look of realization appeared on Milton''s face as he nodded his head and ced his hand on the hilt to draw his sword at any moment. Chapter 112: The Mysterious Thief Chapter 112: The Mysterious Thief "Jeff, it''s your turn." Without minding Duke Milton''s solemn look, Julia took a step back and said to the brown-haired man. In the meantime, the brown-haired man named Jeff took out few artifacts from his space ring and started to unlock the door using different methods. "You are right. The thief indeed ced a metal rod on the other side to make the door stuck." After a minute of long silence, Jeff said with a nod. Then, he used different methods and finally unlocked the door after fifteen minutes of a long battle. The door soon made a clicking sound, causing others to curl their lips subconsciously. Simultaneously, they heard another metal nging sound from the other side and soon breathed out a sigh of relief. Before others could say another word, Duke Milton took out a silvermp from his void pouch and lit it with a match stick. Then, he pushed Jeff away, kicked the door with a bang, and bargained into the secret room like a mad man. Although Jeff got angry at the Duke''s rude action, he didn''t show it on his face at all. He had long known that this Duke Milton was a greedy old man and understood his current emotions. Patting the dust off from the ck robe, Jeff straightened his back and heaved a heavy sigh. "Darned thief, where are you?" Soon, they heard a raging voice echoed from inside. "The thief is not inside?" Julia said in a shocked tone, and soon the Mystic trio entered the gloomy passage. In a few seconds, they reached the other end of the stair and soon widened their eyes in shock. Because what they saw was not some treasure chests, but a small mountain of gold coins! "I have never seen this much gold in my life," Jeff muttered loudly and soon frowned. "There really is no thief here¡­ Could it be that the door stuck on its own?" "No. Why would Lord Duke ce an iron rod on the other side of the door?" The blonde-haired man refuted in a cold tone. At that moment, Duke Milton searched if there was an artifact missing and soon sharpened his gaze towards the top of the mountain of gold coins. There, he saw an empty space instead of a crown! "The Crown is missing." His voice turned rough and solemn. "Crown? You mean the Rainbow Crown?" Julia''s expression also turned dead serious as she heard his words and asked. Although it was just a gem-embedded costly crown, she knew that a unique crown had a long history with the third King of the Moon Kingdom, and itter became an important treasure to the Duke''s Household! Not only that, this crown was the symbol of Milton Household! "Mr. Brooks, I need your help." Duke Milton turned his gaze towards the blonde-haired man and turned his tone into a polite one. The blonde-haired man named Brooks furrowed his brows a bit as he heard those words and soon shook his head. "I''m just a Rank-3 Mystic, Lord Milton. Although I can see the glimpse of the past, I can''t pinpoint the exact time." "I''m paying 10,000 gold coins." Duke Milton raised his hands and spoke. In a second, the corner of Brooks'' lips curled upward and soon formed into a grin. "Deal." Julia and Jeff weren''t surprised at all. They knew that their team leader was a Rank-3 [Seeker] ss Mystic and was always confident about finding the thief''s true identity. ''This Duke really knows how to tempt our team leader.'' Julia chuckled inwardly. In the meantime, Brooks let out a deep sigh and squatted down. He first took out a small chalk piece from his space ring and started to draw a unique ritual circle. After that, he took out some materials like ghost weeds, Dream nt seeds, and unique purple gems and then ced them in different corners of the small ritual circle. Then, he took a small silver knife from his space ring, made a small wound on his finger, and let the blood droplets fall on the corners of the ritual circle. Following that, he took twelve candles from his space ring, ced them on the twelve corners, and started lighting them one by one. Once he finished arranging everything for the ritual ceremony, he took a deep breath and started to chant an incantation in a foreignnguage. In the meantime, Jeff, Julia, and Duke Milton took few steps away from the small ritual circle and patiently waited for him to finish the recitation. His voice echoed in the gloomy treasure room and caused the candle fires to turn into human-shaped ones. They danced under the rhythm of his beautiful voice and soon started to shine even brighter! In few seconds, Brook ended the chanting and then pped his hand together. A sudden window ttering noise came from the upstairs! Then, an invisible force appeared in the secret treasure room, causing themplight to dim a little! At that moment, Duke''s footsteps turned abnormal, and soon he fell on the mountain of gold coins with a thud. A secondter, others in the secret treasure room suddenly noticed that the whole surrounding started to freeze and soon broke into multiple ss pieces! Then, only ckness remained everywhere! "What happened?" Jeff asked in an anxious tone and soon squinted his eyes as he saw the light from the underground secret room''s passage entrance. In a second, the trio saw a humanoid figure in a ck hooded jacket open the secret treasure room''s door! The figure then casually waved its hand, conjured two fireballs, made it hover in mid-air, and started walking inside. But what made Jeff and others stiffen up was that its face was covered entirely in strange crimson fire and appeared eerier! "What is this creature?" Jeff took a step back subconsciously and asked in anxiety. Although he heard of the Fire Mages, who could manipte mes to some extent, he had never seen anyone like this! Meanwhile, the fire-masked figure appeared in front of the mountain of gold coins, scanned the area for a second, and soon raised its hand. A secondter, they saw that the rainbow-gem embedded crown, which was ced at the top of the mountain, suddenly rose in the air and soon moved towards the crimson fire-masked figure! Then, it stopped in front of the mysterious figure and changed into a gold coin! "This is absurd! How can he turn thisrge crown into a freaking small gold coin?" Jeff couldn''t evenprehend what the hell was happening and asked in a baffled tone. "It must be a Mimic skill." In the meantime, Julia said in a solemn tone and focused her attention on the mysterious figure. "Who is this guy?" She stared at him for a moment and asked in interest. At that moment, the mysterious guy suddenly caught the gold coin, stored it in his space ring, and turned his gaze towards them. No, they saw his gaze zeroed on Julia! Upon seeing the strange scene, everyone''s heart began to thump harder! Then, they heard an eerie monotonic voice. "The name is Ghost, Good Luck." For a moment, everyone felt eerie chills appeared in their hearts! Meanwhile, the mysterious figure turned around and soon disappeared into the gloomy passage! Chapter 113: Strange Red Gem Chapter 113: Strange Red Gem "What the f*ck did I witness just now?" Even Brooks got stunned for a second and muttered in a shocked tone. After a second, he waved his hand, broke the past vision illusion, and soon returned to the current time. "That guy is not normal at all." Jeff wiped the sweat on his forehead and said in a nervous tone. "Let''s get the hell out of here." Julia also nodded her head in agreement and said. Then, they hurriedly woke up the Duke, told him about the past incident, and soon walked out of the secret treasure room! ¡­ Meanwhile, in the old man''s appearance, Charles walked out of 11C Orchard Street and went to the Mystic Borough. He walked past many robed mages, security guards and soon arrived in front of the entrance gate of the Tower of Elements. He then walked on the smooth stairs with the support of the ck cane, went to the secondyer, and arrived in front of room number 218. After that, he raised the cane, opened the entrance door using the heel area, and walked in. At that moment, the ssroom suddenly turned eerie quiet, followed by whispers. Without minding the students'' whispers, Charles walked inside, took out a ck-covered book from his space ring, ced it on the ssroom table, and sat on thedder-back chair, ced behind it. Then, his gaze shifted towards the students, who were sitting in their respective seats, and spoke. "Today, we are going to talk about the Material Summoning ritual." He paused for a moment and soon frowned as he saw a single seat was empty. "Where is Joseph?" His tone turned solemn. A silence appeared in the lecture hall, followed by a young female voice. "He didn''te to the Tower for the past three days, Teacher." "Oh, when he returns to the Tower, tell him to go and meet Professor Robert," Charles responded coldly, opened the book, and started to speak. "Let''se to the topic. Unlike the soul summoning ritual method, this Material summoning ritual method is a different one and is much safer. During the First Arcane Era, this Material Summoning ritual method has been used constantly during nar wars to probe the other party''s strength and was given great importance to this method." He paused for a moment and soon asked, "Does anyone still remember what are the materials used to create a normal summoning ritual circle?" At this moment, he focused his attention on a familiar ck-haired girl and said, "Rhea, tell me the names of those materials." "Yes, Teacher." She hurriedly stood up from her seat, straightened her back, and started to exin. "Twelve blue honey droplets- It can cause the ritual circle to stabilize when summoning a foreign material or being. Twelve mutated Astral Hawks'' eyes- These Hawks'' eyes have some kind of element that could widen the connection with the space element. A unique exchange material- This is to bait the will of the element¡­" Charles listened to her exnation for a whole two minutes and soon said with a nod. "Impressive." He then turned his gaze towards a male student and asked another question about their previous ss lesson. Hours went by as he asked questions, then exined the procedure to do the material Summoning Ritual ceremony and soon ended the ss around 11.A.M. Then, he stood up, went near Rhea''s seat, and gave the ck cane to her. "Keep this cane with you for a while,ss. I wille here and take it once I return from the exhibition." "Yes, Teacher." Rhea instantly took the cane from his hand, ced it near her chair, and nodded her head. In the meantime, Charles smiled lightly, turned around, and started to walk towards the front table with unsteady footsteps. Once he arrived in front of it, he stored the ck-covered book into his space ring, walked out of the ssroom, and soon smiled as he saw Jessie, who was waiting for him at the entrance. Noticing his unsteady footsteps, she hurriedly ran towards him and then grabbed his callus hand to support his walking. "Where is your cane, Teacher?" She asked in a confused tone. "My cane is made of a special metal and outsiders aren''t allowed to take their artifacts and unique metals during the exhibition." He paused for a moment and soon asked with a smile. "Shall we go now?" A look of realization appeared on Jessie''s face as she nodded her head, causing the ponytail to dance in the air. Today morning, Charles specifically asked her to apany him to the Tower Museum and even gave her a small mission to memorize every material in the museum. Not only that, but he also told her to picture the exact size of those materials to increase her thinking capacity! Charles and Jessie moved on the lone corridor while talking about various subjects and continued to move upwards towards the seventhyer. After an hour of the long walk, both finally arrived at the tightly securedyer and soon shifted their gaze towards therge museum hall entrance. Unlike the otheryers, Charles saw tens of silver-armored tower guards at both sides of the entrance and appeared well-equipped. ''All of them are 3rd Rank Mystics.'' He also saw question marks in their statuses and started to slow down his footsteps. "Go and buy two entrance tickets for us. Also, get an artifact storage box." He said in a low voice. Nodding her head, Jessie first went near the ticket counter on their right side, brought two entrance tickets from the receptionist. Then, she went near a nearby counter and soon returned to Charles''s side with a head-sized box in her hand. This box was actually a small dimensional box to store materials and even space rings and void pouches! Charles first removed his space ring and ced it inside the box. In the meantime, Jessie also took out her void pouch from her leather bag and put it inside. After that, she took the head-sized metal box, gave it to the receptionist at the other counter, and returned with a white token. "Your mission starts now," Charles said and took a step forward towards the museum entrance. Once they stepped into the hall, Charles sensed multiple invisible waves scanned them from different directions! ''They sure are careful.'' He simply relied on Jessie''s support and started walking into the grand hall, filled with different kinds of artifacts, weapons, crystals, armors, and dresses. There were more than fifty sections in this museum, and each area holds countless rare treasures and relics of ancient times! Charles first scanned the surroundings and saw only a few peoples roaming here and there inside the museum. He then zeroed his gaze in a particr direction and started walking deep into the museum hall. ''Section-49 should be in that direction.'' Although it was just oneyer, the hall was separated into tens of small sections, making it harder for them to locate their destination. Along the way, Charles stopped at many ces and read the descriptions about the materials'' origins in interest. In the meantime, Jessie used her extraordinary memory skill and started to memorize everything in the depths of her mind. After two hours of roaming in the seventh Layer, Charles and Jessie finally entered section no. 49 and started their mission. First, Charles went near a long sword sealed up in a crystalline box, then memorized the name, picture, and description in his mind and started to walk towards the next crystalline box. The material sealed in the next crystal was a red-gem-embedded pendant and appeared very beautiful. "Oh? Is it a fire-type artifact?" Charles muttered slowly and started to read the description below the crystalline box. ''Helen''s Wrath- This pendant is an Extraordinary Artifact and has some mysterious abilities to manipte the atmosphere. A few hundred years ago, this pendant was excavated from the Mahill Archaeological Excavation ground and waster brought by the First King of Moon Kingdom during an auction.'' ''Oh? This artifact looks good.'' He nodded his head and soon shifted his gaze towards the other crystalline box. They checked every box and soon appeared in front of a strange ss cube. Inside, they saw another small ss cube and soon zeroed their gazes on the material stored inside it. It was a tiny pebble-like red gem, hovered in mid-air, and appeared to be not affected by the gravity at all! ''What gem is this?'' Charles''s amber eyes shone in interest as he moved his gaze and started to read the description. ''Avarin Gem- It is a rare type of gem only found in very few chaos nes and has the power to create burning sensations in one''s mind. Caution: Staring at it for too long can cause dizziness.'' Charles took a deep look at the description, then turned his gaze towards the red gem, stared at it continuously for more than ten seconds, and started to move. But soon, he saw Jessie''s legs started to move inconsistently, and she began to fell! Chapter 114: Problems Chapter 114: Problems On the other hand, Charles caught Jessie before her body hit the floor in reflex and ced it on the concrete floor. ''Did she already get affect by the red gem?'' A frown appeared on his face as he scanned the surroundings and soon saw a pottery jug was ced at the entrance of section 49. Let out a relieved sigh, Charles stood with much difficulty, went near the entrance, and soon returned with the jug in his right hand. Then, he tilted the jug, poured some water in his hand, and sprinkled it on her face. Jessie''s face started to show some movement in seconds, and soon she opened her emerald-green eyes. "Teacher!" She then sat up with a confused expression, touched her face, and soon looked around in anxiety. "This must be due to the strange red-gem." Charles paused for a moment and soon added, "Let''s go." In the meantime, Jessie nodded her head, stood up from the floor, and both started to move towards the next crystalline box. For the next two hours, they spend their time in section 49 and finally moved to the other one. They spend another three hours in the museum and then returned to the firstyer. When they walked out of the Tower, it was already around 7.30 P.M. With no other choice, they rented a horse-drawn carriage and soon returned to 11C Orchard Street. After that, Charles took his ck cane from Rhea and soon turned his gaze towards Noel, who seemed to be eagerly waiting for him. "Did you receive Larry''s guidance?" Charles asked in interest as he appeared near the sofa in the reception hall. "Yes, Teacher. That beggar asked me to stay and train with him for the next six months." Noel responded in an ufortable tone. ''Heh, as expected of themander of Moon Kingdom.'' The corner of Charles''s lips twitched. From Leo''s memories, he had learned that Larry was a formermander of Moon Kingdom, and his mission was to pick talented kids from the Slum Borough and nurture them for the Kingdom''s army squad. Charles had already expected that the other party must have a skill or artifact to see one''s affinity strength and thought of using him for Noel''s growth. ''Oh armymander, you thought it would be very easy to snatch my treasure from me? You are too naive.'' He simply grinned inside and spoke. "No. Slum Street is dangerous during nighttime. Before dusk, you have to return to our house." Charles said in a firm tone. Without waiting for Noel''s reply, he gripped the ck cane''s handle tightly, moved towards the stairs, and went to the second floor. Then, he arrived in front of the wooden door, unlocked it using a small iron key, and entered the bedroom. Following that, he went near the soft cotton bed, sat on it in a cross-legged position, and closed his amber eyes. ¡­ The next second, Charles opened his illusionary jade eyes in the inner world and soon noticed that he was standing in front of a gloomyke. The surroundings were shrouded entirely in dense trees and shrubs and appeared very darker. Although the seven spell models illuminated the inner world, the surrounding areas still looked gloomier. He also saw his incarnation stood on the left side, and he appeared to be enjoying the beauty of nature. ''Hmm, he is progressing at a fast speed. In a few months, he might start thinking on his own.'' Charles nodded and soon received information about his original n from the incarnation. ''Hmm? Avarin Gem? It looks like they put a fake description to fool others.'' His face turned solemn. ''The biggest problem now is how to steal the Ancient Light God''s blood droplet from the well-secured ce.'' He suddenly thought of the moment when the real Jimmy got himself killed by some mysterious swapping skill and got an idea. ''If I get an artifact simr to that, I could create a fake gem, and swap it with the original through the artifact¡­ No, that''s where the main obstacle is. The security inside is very tighter and there is also the strange scanning mechanism at the entrance to detect special metals and artifacts¡­'' A grim look appeared on his face. ''Next is about the Fire Fiend''s heart. The sacrificial material is ced in the fifthyer and I heard that ce is guarded by a Rank-3 Spatial Mage. Stealing it without alerting others is an impossible task. I might get caught by the Tower Masters if I made a slight error.'' He started to think about various ns in the inner world and soon made a reckless n. ''But to get this done sessfully, I need to create a ''Miracle.'' But stealing one''s luck will also cause variation in fate and might expose my real identity. Although I''m not sure how Red Prince found the location of the Holem''s Crown, I can''t act carelessly. It looks like I have to solely rely on my own abilities. Hehe, how can there be a free lunch? If I want to gain something in this world, I need to be prepared to pay the price.'' He let out a bitterugh, hid the most important details in his incarnation, and left the inner world through the [me Body] spell model. ¡­ A momentter, Charles opened his eyes in his bedroom, stood up from the soft bed, took out a ck hooded jacket, and wore it. Then, he appeared in front of the wooden door and asked. ''Mr. Rh, do you know any swapping skill or spell? I''m talking about the one that killed Jimmy.'' ''It''s a Rank-1 Divine spell called Fate Swap. Why are you asking about this now?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a confused tone. On the other hand, Charles wore a troubled look and asked. ''Can I get a Fate Swap ability artifact in the ck market?'' Upon hearing his words, the Holem''s Crown went silent for a whole five seconds and soon said with a sigh. ''These types of divine spell artifacts are very rare to find in the ck market. Even if you find one, they wouldn''t sell it to outsiders.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused for a moment and soon added in a solemn tone. ''But I do have a method to create a one-time use artifact. Do you want to hear it?'' Charles narrowed his eyes for a second and nodded his head. ''It''s called Spell Matrix or Magic Array circle method. During the old times, Rune Masters used this method to inscribe a spell model in empty scrolls, coins, or other materials and created one-time spell artifacts. Although it is a money-consuming process, it is safer than other methods.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles suddenly recalled when the Historian Max used some scrolls to restrict Eddie Nightwind and widened his eyes. ''Spell Matrix method, is it? What are the materials needed to create this one-time artifact?'' Charles asked in interest. Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown thought for a moment and spoke. ''I already know the Fate Swap spell model, so you don''t have to search for it in the ck market. All you only need to buy is a few spell scrolls¡­ No, you should buy some metal tes instead. Once you inscribe the Spell Matrix method on a te, I can convert it into other material through Sorcerer''s Mimic skill.'' The corner of his lips twitched as he felt that the Holem''s Crown had already seen through his n. Letting out a heavy sigh, he nodded his head, ordered the Holem''s Crown to change itself into a red-gem embedded bracelet, and walked towards the balcony. Then, he climbed down from the second floor and stealthily left 11C Orchard Street. Following that, he entered the main street, went towards a particr direction, and soon reached the Slum Borough. He then found a narrow dark alley, changed his appearance into his original young one, and started reading the information about his target. ''Golden-Eye¡­ He is the gang leader of Grove Street and also a subordinate of the Slum Lord, Tyler.'' Nodding his head, he covered his head using the hood, lowered his head, and started walking towards Grove Street. Chapter 115: Lydia Chapter 115: Lydia When Charles was about to enter the Groove Street Junction, he suddenly saw a human figure walking from the opposite side. Unknowingly, he felt an uneasy feeling in his heart. ''Premonition? Who is this person?'' His jade eyes squinted sharper as he focused on the other party''s face and soon froze. Even in the darkness, he clearly saw the person''s appearance due to the [Dark Eyes] skill. The human figure was a blonde-haired man in histe 20s and wore a grey robe. He had short, whirly hair, fair skin, monolid hazel eyes, and a heart-shaped face. ''He looks familiar.'' He slow downed his footsteps as the blonde-haired man walked past him, and soon a frown appeared on his face. ''Did I mistake him for someone else?'' The frown on his forehead deepened as he made a swift decision and cast [Inspect] kill on him. ¡­ [Inspect Failure!] ¡­ ''He is not normal!'' A grim look appeared on Charles''s face, and soon he recalled the moment when he cast [Inspect] skill on a blue-robed guest in the Tower of Elements. ''He is the same guy!'' Charles''s eyes shed in surprise. Before he could organize his thoughts, the blonde-haired man went in a different direction and soon disappeared from his eyes. ''Damn it, I should have put my skill points to this [Inspect] skill.'' He thought inwardly and soon checked the Exp points. ''Oh? There is still 2783 Exp remaining. Hmm, Is it due to killing the goblin shaman in Fire Elemental ne?'' He thought for a moment and soon nodded his head in enlightenment. Then, he directly poured 1708 Exp into the sub-ss icon. ¡­ [1708 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You are now a Level-4 Disguiser!] [1 Free Attribute point Rewarded!] [20 Skill points Rewarded!] ¡­ He stared at the screen for a moment and put one free attribute point to the constitution. Then, he put 35 skill points to [Inspect] skill. A momentter, a change appeared in front of his eyes! ¡­ [Inspect] skill reached its peak level and has been upgraded to [Cryptic Analysis]! [Host''s eyes are undergoing a mutation process!] [¡­] ¡­ ''Argh.'' Charles suddenly felt a severe itching sensation from the depth of his eyes and almost cursed out loud. The itching sensation was so deep which caused him to stumble for a second. Gritting his teeth, he stealthily cast [Conceal] skill on himself, went near the street side, and patiently waited for the itching sensation to go down. Two minutester, another notification popped up in front of his eyes. ¡­ [Mutationpleted!] ¡­ ''Finally!'' He breathed out a sigh of relief as he noticed that strange itching sensation also started to disappear and checked his status. ¡­ [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Inflected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Human/??? Rank: 2 (Umon) Main ss: Level 5 Fire Weaver (0/3,844) Sub-ss: Level 4 Disguiser (0/2536) Title: Serial Killer (- 20 Percent favorability of Riverdale Citizens) Health Points: 211/211 Exp: 1075 Exp Attributes: Strength- 17 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 17 Wisdom-30 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 43 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Red Wings (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Incinerate (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Completed) me Body (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Crimson Robe (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Fire Seed (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Soul Heal (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Crimson Steps (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Sub-ss skills: Magician''s Hand- 53 Disguise- 100 Prevision- 57 Unique skills: Cryptic Analysis- 100 Conceal- 52 Dark Vision- 46 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Sharpshooting- 35] ¡­ ''Hmm, I need to upgrade the subss skills on my own.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon checked the new [Cryptic Analysis] skill. Unlike the previous [Inspect] skill, this one would help him observe others'' strength, true facial reactions, and even see through others'' disguises to some level! Not only that, it could even help him decipher any unknown codes or newnguages quickly. ''Can I able to use this skill toprehend the spell models?'' A thought whirled in his mind. ''It might be possible.'' He nodded his head. At that moment, he heard the Holem''s Crown''s voice in his head. ''What happened to your eyes? Why did it look like someone threw chill power in it?'' ''Nothing.'' Charles''s lips twitched as he shook his head and soon asked. ''Did you sense something odd about the person who just walked past me?'' ''Y-You mean the blonde-haired one? Other than his delicious abnormal luck power, he is normal in every way.'' The Holem''s Crown''s words caused Charles to raise his eyebrows in surprise. ''Delicious abnormal luck power?¡­ Wait. Mr. Rh, did you just steal his luck?'' He asked with a re. ''Don''t worry. I just steal his abnormal luck. Although he would rarely face some unluckiness effect, it won''t make him suspicious that someone stole his luck. He would only think that his luck power was used for something else.'' The Holem''s Crown said casually. A helpless smile appeared on Charles''s face as he shook his head and soon started to move towards the area where Golden-Eye was staying. ¡­ In the meantime, the blonde-haired man went to the nearby street and entered deep into a narrow alley. Then, he made a few turns and soon arrived in front of a small single-storied brick house. After that, he took out a rusty iron key from his pocket, put it in the keyhole, moved it towards the right side, and opened the lock with a click. A secondter, he ced his hand on the wooden panel door, pushed it open, and entered inside. Once he walked in, he turned around, locked it from the inside, and spoke in a female voice. "Zerath." A momentter, the magicmps lit from every corner of the darkroom and soon revealed a small room with a kitchen on the right side and a bedroom on the left. "Haa, acting as a male is so hard." The blonde-haired man spoke as he arrived in front of a mirror, ced his hand on his chick, and soon pulled his skin. The next instant, a human-masked skin came out of his face! The blonde-haired man''s face appeared prettier in a second, and his chest area began to bulge! Then, he ced his hand over his head, gripped the short blonde hair, and quietly took out the wig. He then took ab from the nearby shelf and startedbing the long curly blonde hair. In mere seconds, hepletely turned into a female! Afterbing her hair, the blonde-haired woman entered the bedroom, took out a wooden suitcase, and opened it with a click. A momentter, she took out a small cubic metal box from the suitcase, ced it at the center of the room, and drew a circle around it. Then, she also wrote unique characters all around the circle using chalk and started to chant in a strangenguage. Once she finished the short chanting, she took a step forward and clicked the red-colored button in the cubic metal box. She then went near the bed, sat on it, and patiently waited. ¡­ A few momentster, a monotonous voice came out from the cubic-metal box. "It''s been a while, Lydia White." "Greeting, Your Highness." Lydia instantly stood up from the bed and soon said with a bitter smile on her face. "I still hadn''t found a clue about the guy named ''Charles'' in this kingdom." "There is nothing strange about it. The Series-A artifact is with him, so the possibility of him revealing his real identity is very slim. He is also good at disguising, Lydia. So, you have to be careful." The monotonic voice paused for a moment and soon added. "He is definitely lurking in the Herald Kingdom, or the Moon Kingdom, or the Ember Kingdom. So, we must find him and kill him before he grows into a dangerous enemy. Otherwise, your elder sister will be the first one to die in his hand. Keep the Destiny Coin with you all the time. It has the power to create a fixed coincidence. So if Charles is nearby, he will definitely appear in front of you one way or another." A solemn look appeared on Lydia''s face as she nodded her head and asked in a deep tone. "Did you find some clues about the whereabouts of the other person, Your Highness?" "Oswald Raven? I''m going to meet him in a week or two. Is there anything else?" The monotonous voice asked. In the meantime, Lydia wore a thoughtful look and soon asked. "How is Saron, Your Highness? Where is she now?" "She is in a very safe ce." The voice responded in a deep tone and went silent along with a click sound. A heavy sigh leaked out of Lydia''s face as he sat on the bed, took out a crystalline red coin from her pocket, and stared at it with a yful smile on her face. "Where are you hiding, Charles?" She flipped the coin in between her fingers and soon tossed it upward. The coin flew up at a fast speed and then stuck in between the crack on the ceiling! "Damn it!" She ced her hands on her head and soon stood up on the bed to get the coin. Chapter 116: Urgency Chapter 116: Urgency As Lydia was about to pick the coin, Lydia suddenly saw a crimson face from the opposite building through the opened window and soon squinted her eyes. ''Crimson mask?'' It was the first time she had seen someone using fire magic to cover one''s face and steal! No, she saw that the person was not stealing but seemed to be doing something bad to the house owner! At that moment, a thought appeared in her mind. ''Could it be ''him''?'' She recalled the information she got from the Red Prince and soon shook her head. ''Although ''Charles'' has some extraordinary luck, he is still a Rank-2 Fire Weaver from the information. There is no way a Rank-2 member could control fire element like this.'' She instantly dismissed that thought and soon turned her gaze towards the Destiny Coin. In the Slum Borough, these types of crimes were alwaysmon. So, she didn''t put much thought into the crime and directly pulled the coin from the cracked ceiling with her tiny fingers. Crack! As the coin separated from the ceiling, the crack also expanded, causing her face to turn pale! Thankfully, the crack soon stopped. ''I need to change my house.'' She wore a grim look and soon went near the opened window to close it. ¡­ At the opposite two-storied house, In his crimson masked appearance, Charles arrived in front of the wooden bed and soon zeroed his gaze on the sleeping middle-aged man. His short brown hair appeared messy and had a rough face. Charles first took out a small vial from his space ring, opened its cap with his finger, and threw it towards the middle-aged man. But it didn''t fell on the middle-aged man, though. Instead, it floated in the air and soon appeared above the sleeping man''s face! It was the effect of the [Magician''s Hand] skill! Once the vial appeared above the middle-aged man''s nose, a strange purple smoke came out of the vial and soon entered his nostril. Within seconds, the sleeping man started to twitch and soon went silent. Charles knew that the Golden-Eye always ced his precious dagger in his void pouch from Leo''s memories. But to get the dagger from his void pouch was not an easy matter. First, the void pouch was imprinted with his soul mark. To bypass this mark without alerting the other party, he needed to be an expert in that field. Charles clearly knew about his own skills, so he thought of another method. That was to make the other party unconscious and then steal it without any worry. Charles silently went near the sleeping middle-aged man, took the void pouch from his waist area, and soon put his hand into it. After a few seconds, he finally caught a dagger, pulled it out from the void pouch, and breathed out a sigh of relief. It was a silver dagger with a jade hilt! ''Sess!'' The corner of his lips curled upward as he stored it in his space ring and took a step back. Then, Charles silently waved his hand as he extinguished the candlelight that was ced on the nearby table, and soon walked out of the bedroom. In a few seconds, he walked out of the two-storied building and soon went towards the direction where the Slum Borough''s main road was located. ¡­ An hourter, Charles stealthily returned to 11C Orchard Street and entered his bedroom. ''Although I manage to pull this off smoothly, I''m feeling uneasy inside.'' A frown appeared on his old-looking wrinkled face as he sat on the soft bed and closed his amber eyes. A momentter, his consciousness entered deep into the dark space and soon appeared in the Inner world. He then opened his illusionary eyes and soon noticed that he was still standing in front of the small gloomyke. At that moment, the hidden memories, including his n to get God''s Blood, also appeared in his mind. ''A familiar face? Who is that blonde-haired man?'' He furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion. The suspicion was not because of meeting the familiar-looking man, but due to the coincidence! He was well aware of Red Prince''s methods and soon grew serious. ''Am I thinking too much?'' He thought for a moment and soon shook his head. ''I need to be extra careful. Unlike Riverdale City, this Chester City was a veryrge one with more than millions of residences. This is possibly the power of Fate!'' A grim look appeared on her face. ''Next, who is the culprit? Is it Red Prince? Or, Destiny Lady?'' He thought for a moment and soon frowned. ''He appeared somewhat familiar yet at the same time unfamiliar.'' At that moment, Charles suddenly thought of the ''Mark of Imagination.'' ''Could it be the Red Prince already found out about my location? Impossible! I didn''t leave a clue.'' He got confused inside. ''This Red Prince¡­ I still underestimated him. Do I have to give up my previous ns? No¡­ Something is wrong. If he really did found out my location, he would have killed me already. Then, who is this familiar face?'' He suddenly recalled the blonde-haired man''s face and soon squinted his eyes. ''His face somewhat resembles more like Saron''s one!'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face. ''Heh, so that''s why I felt the familiarity, huh. Is he Saron''s younger brother? Aren''t they afraid that I would found the familiarity in his face?'' He suddenly froze for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''Could it be that they have very few numbers in their organization? It is entirely possible. Moreover, they seemed to have put more trust in the ''Mark of Imagination'' ability.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding. ''Does that mean the other party has a way to find me using the power of coincidence?'' A troubled expression appeared on his face. At first, Charles deduced that it would take six months for the Red Prince to deduce his exact location. ''But to think that he would find my location in mere two months, he is indeed a worthy opponent.'' Although the situation looks grim, Charles wasn''t anxious at all. ''This city is not Riverdale. Even Red Prince personallyes here, he would not act rashly.'' Charles knew that the Destiny Lady was watching the city from the Tower of Elements and grew confident. ''Although the other party has been searching for me all this time, my disguise had already fooled him. But what would happen when I appear too frequently? That blonde-haired man would definitely get suspicious of my identity! In this city, I currently have only two identities. One is the Crimson Mask thief while the other one is Oswald Raven. Wait¡­ There is one more w here. My current name might also give some clue to the enemy.'' His face turned gloomy. ''What should I do now?'' He subconsciously thought of his subss. ''Disguise skill! Yes, the upgraded version of my [Disguise] skill might give me a good surprise. Not only that, but the [Prevision] skill''s corresponding skill will also give me a huge boost during battles.'' At that moment, Charles suddenly felt that his main ss and his sub-ss appeared to be a perfectbination. ''This [Trickster] ss series has one big weakness, and that is the attack power. In the meantime, the Fire Mage ss series also have weaknesses like it doesn''t have any prediction spells, disguising spells, and so on. But whenbing these two sses, the result would be extraordinary. Even though I''m just a Rank-2 Mystic, I still got many benefits from these two sses.'' He nodded his head and soon made up his mind. ''I need to Rank-Up my sub-ss! But to rank up, I need thousands of Exp. Where can I get this much exp in a short time? Killing thieves from the Slum Borough? That would be a stupid idea.'' Charles knew that killing too many thieves and criminals would definitely attract the Nobles'' and Mages'' attention, so he instantly dismissed the idea. Then, he thought of the Fire Elemental ne. After he became the Traveler Tree''s Twin Leaves owner, Charles had always kept his eye on the other side and knew that the goblins hadn''t sealed the other leaf using space spells! ''That means they must have ced a big trap for me to jump in.'' He instantly saw through their n. ''Moreover, there is a nar restriction. Once I set my foot on the Fire Elemental ne, I would feel dizzy, and I would also lose the ability to cast magic spells. In a minute, I will also face a severe nar restriction and might be pushed into a very dangerous situation. The enemy must have known about these effects, so they must have made some n to trap me. But there is one thing I can still rely on. It''s the strength of artifacts. Yes, artifacts won''t be restricted by the ne and I have extraordinary artifacts like the Holem''s Crown, Ember Pistol, and Starfall Codex Magic Book. With these artifacts, I can sessfully take back the other leaf and escape from there using the Holem''s Crown''s travel spell! Then, I can choose a safe location to ce the Twin Leaf and then execute my n.'' A smile appeared on Charles''s face. ''It is a dangerous gamble. But it is better than being killed by the Red Prince.'' After creating a detailed n, Charles instantly closed his illusionary eyes and left the inner world. A secondter, he opened his eyes in his bedroom, stood up from the bed, and soon walked out of the bedroom. Then, he went downstairs and soon turned his gaze towards the entrance to the underground basement. Chapter 117: Vision A few minutester, Charles stood at the center of the illuminated underground hall and was staring deeply at the gem-like leaf that was ced in his palm. Unlike before, he had long changed his appearance into a young one and wore a red gem-embedded bracelet in his hand. He then went towards the left side, made a small marking, and attached the leaf to the concrete wall. Then, he took out the Starfall Codex magic book from his space ring and started flipping the pages. ''Even if you cast supportive spells or defensive spells on you beforehand, it will vanish when you arrive at the other side,d.'' The Holem''s Crown said in his mind. ''I know.'' Charles nodded his head and soon stopped at page 16. Then, he took a deep breath and started to chant in the Runal Language. His cold voice echoed in the bright underground basement, and soon the candles began to flicker in every corner of the room. He continued to chant as his eyes started to turn white and finally ended the chant. "Seer''s Vision." He spat out those two words in Runal Language and soon saw that the whole surroundings started to distort before forming a different scene. Charles instantly looked around and noticed that he was in an open area! No, he was in an open garden with only a few red-leaf nts. The bright red sky illuminated the whole ce in dazzling red light and gave an eerie feeling to his heart. Soon, he frowned as he heard war cries from all directions and soon widened his eyes. Because what he saw was not a group of people, but an army! They appeared to have surrounded him from the very beginning. Soon, he focused his attention on his own figure and soon noticed that the future ''Him'' was also staring at the army with dumbfounded eyes. At that moment, a horn sound resounded, followed by rains of arrows and weapons poured down from all directions! Countless silver-armored Night goblins, red-skinned humans, and even some strange humanoid creatures with different types of horns were sprinting towards his direction while holding various weapons! But what attracted Charles''s attention were not the different race peoples, but a unique 3-meter tall humanoid being. Lava-like droplets dripped down from its red body skin, and smokes were constantly spewing out from its nostrils. The tall being''s face appeared neither like the wicked-mouth goblins nor link ugly pig-headed Orcs. It had a face simr to humans, but at the same time, its nose was slightly longer. It only wore a small undergarment made of some skin and held arge War Scythe! ''It''s the Magma Fiend!'' That was the first thought that appeared in his mind! At that moment, the Magma Fiend squatted down a little and leaped towards the future ''Him'' at a first speed. Before Charles could see the conclusion, the surrounding trembled for a moment and soon broken into multiple pieces like broken sses! A momentter, his consciousness had already returned to the underground, and he wore a grim look on his face. ''The enemy appeared to be well prepared. Could they also have someone with prediction-like abilities?'' ''It seems so.'' Charles took a deep breath to calm his mind and took out the Ember Pistol from his space ring. Then, he muttered the short recite and disappeared from there! ... Moris Fire Elemental ne, Twilight Land, Miners'' Den. Unlike other days, hundreds of well-equipped Night Goblins, Rock Golems, Lava Orcs, Red Humans stood in the Vermillion Garden. They were staring warily at a particr metal door, ced at the center of the garden. "Are you sure about your prophecy, Dawn Child?" A three-meter tall, muscr Magma Fiend named Garath asked the small red-skin human kid, who stood next to him, in a rough voice. "Yes. The Strange Human will definitely invade our home and would cause great chaos." A pleasant girlish voice came out from the kid''s mouth as it nodded its tiny head and said. Although this girl appeared weak and fragile, she was a 200-year-old being. Not only that, but she also could read the stars and predict the future through prophecies! "Humph, he is nothing but a puny weakling in front of me, I." Garath got annoyed by the girl''s words and said in an annoyed tone. Although he was a Rank-4 being, he knew his strength was nothing in front of this girl''s power. In truth, she was the main reason for his rapid grown in the Twilight Land. As he was about to ask her about the enemy''s arrival, he suddenly saw that green-gem-like leaf on the metal gate started to shine in dim green light! Garath''s crimson eyes shone in excitement as he gripped the War Scythe and inhaled. Thick air filled with fire-elemental power entered his nostril and soon came out in the form of smoke. At that moment, space started to twist in front of the metal gate and soon formed into a blurry shadow. A momentter, everyone saw a deep-blue-haired creature with two legs, and two hands appeared in front of them. It held an eerie ck-covered book in its right hand and a weird metal scrap in its left hand. "Except for his skin tone, his appearance looks the same as us," I said in a solemn tone. In the meantime, Garath let out a cold snort and raised his War Scythe. "Move." He spat out a single word and leaped towards the enemy. Although he was a brave warrior, he was still fearful of this unknown creature, so he instantly thought of capturing it alive while it was in the weakened state. In the meantime, Charles took a moment to snap out from the dizziness and soon moved his hand towards the Twin Leaf. To his astonishment, he saw some invisibleyer appeared out of nowhere and blocked his hand from moving near it! ''As I thought, they are indeed well-prepared.'' He let out a deep sigh and spoke in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, It''s your turn.'' Charles said as he opened the Starfall Codex magic book, flipped the page at an unimaginable speed, and soon stopped at page no.17. At the exact moment, he raised his other hand, turned the Ember Pistol''s hammer, aimed it at the three-meter-tall creature''s right eye, and squeezed the trigger. Bang! "Dodge!" I''s shout echoed in the battlefield as the crimson bullet came out from the pistol''s muzzle, tore through the air, and appeared in front of Garath''s right eye in a blink! At that moment, Garath''s crimson pupil shrunk into a minute dot! He instantly knew that it was impossible to dodge this attack and ducked his head. A momentter, a bang sound resounded in the garden as the bulletnded on his forehead! The next instant, a sharp pain appeared on his forehead as he stumbled backward and soon stopped with wide eyes. Blood dripped down from his forehead and soon painted his face in scarlet color. For a second, the whole battlefield froze in shock and disbelief! Chapter 118: Escape Chapter 118: Escape ''My Ember Pistol is insufficient to give a heavy wound to a Rank-4 Existence.'' Charles shook his head and concentrated his attention on the enemy. A while ago, he aimed at Garath''s eye to give him some fatal injury, but the red-human girl foiled his n. ''Still, it is quite effective.'' Charles curled his lips upward and once again aimed his hand towards the opposite side. Nobody moved a muscle for a whole three seconds. Even Garath wore a cautious look on his face and made a swift decision. Garath raised the War Scythe, aimed it at Charles, and threw it at all full force. Meanwhile, Charles''s [Prevision] skill triggered on its own and showed Garath''s next move. With a terrifying speed, the War Scythe tore through the air and moved towards Charles. But to others'' astonishment, Charles casually took a step towards the right side and evaded the War Scythe. The War Scythe swept past his shoulder and collided against the invisible space lock spell! Even Charles stumbled due to the shockwave and stood unsteadily. Although he looked calm on the outside, he started to get anxious. As he was about to urge the Holem''s Crown, he heard an old man''s voice in his head. "Spatial cut." It was a Rank-3 spatial elemental spell! In a moment, the invisible lock suddenly started to break, causing the War Scythe tond on the metal door. "Sess." He shouted in joy as he moved his hand and instantly took the other Twin Leaf from the metal gate. Then, Charles nced at the red-gem embedded bracelet and soon focused his gaze in a particr direction. From the scout goblin''s memories, he learned that it was the safest direction and instantly ordered in his mind! ''Go in that direction.'' In the meantime, the Holem''s Crown instantly obeyed his words and spoke. "Travel Leap!" In a second, his figure turned blurry and soon disappeared from the garden! ¡­ Savage Forest, Twilightnd. In the dense forest, filled with unique red-leaf trees and shrubs, Charles suddenly teleported in front of a tall tree and looked around the surrounding tree in cautiousness. Unlike Edhen, the ground appeared hard and rocky. Once Charles noticed that he was in a safer ce, he instantly looked up at the sky and soon widened his eyes in astonishment. ''There really are two suns.'' Although he learned basic information about this Moris Fire Elemental ne from the goblin scout''s memories, still he got baffled upon seeing two suns in the red sky. ''Which way is safer?'' He furrowed his brows and soon chose to walk in a random direction. But as he took the fifth step, he felt an invisible pressure appeared all over his body! ''It''s the nar Restriction.'' He instantly realized the situation and checked his body and mind. ''Hmm, my spell models are acting very abnormally.'' A frown appeared on his oval face. ''It would take at least a day for the spell models to stabilize,d. After that, you will be able to cast Rank-1 spells.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in his mind. ''What about the Rank-2 spells? Can I able to use them too?'' He asked in eagerness. ''Unfortunately, you won''t be able to cast Rank-2 spells for more than a month. If you want the break these shackles sooner, there are two ways. The first one is to create an elemental heart. But in this current situation, it is almost an impossible task for you. The second one is familiarizing your body and soul with the current atmosphere and breaks the restriction sooner. It is the most effective method.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles''s expression turned solemn. ''What Ick now is time.'' He shook his head and continued to walk deep into the forest. He saw many rocky ins,va pools, and evenrge volcanic mountain range from the left side and got overwhelmed. ''Thisnd ispletely bathed in fire andvas.'' He muttered inwardly and soon felt a dangerous premonition from the depths of his heart! He didn''t hesitate for a moment before he ran towards the right side and hid under arge broken tree trunk. At that moment, his body shuddered all of a sudden. No, he felt apletely different invisible pressure assaulted from above! Then, he felt that the hot wind began to assault from above and even broke some trees! With an rmed look on his face, Charles looked above and soon widened his eyes in horror. ''Dragon! It''s a freaking Red Dragon!'' His body trembled as he fixed his gaze on the monstrous lizard-like bird that was flying up in the sky. It flew in circles while blocking the two suns and soon caused the whole surroundings to shroud in darkness and shadow. In that second, Charles felt another kind of power affecting his body. This power not only made his heart beat faster, but it also subconsciously influenced his mind to lower his head! ''That''s the power of the Domination,d. Only ''Rulers'' can get this mystic power.'' The Holem''s Crown said in his mind. Nodding his head, Charles lowered his head and waited for the monstrous Red Dragon to go away. Thankfully, the Red Dragon only circled in the sky two more times and soon flew in a different direction. Meanwhile, Charles waspletely soaked in sweats. He silently stayed in the area for a few more minutes and soon started to search for a suitable ce to ce the Twin Leaf. After a few moments of roaming, Charles finally found a small cave near avake and walked in. ''Although I managed to snatch this Twin Leaf from the enemies, this ce is still not safer. Dangers are lurking everywhere in thisnd.'' He subconsciously thought of the Red Dragon and got chills all over his body. ''I need to grow stronger.'' He muttered to himself and started walking deep into the cave. In a few seconds, he arrived at the cavern''s edge and ced the gem-like leaf on the cave wall. Then, he sat on the ground in a cross-legged position and started to take a deep breath. At that moment, he suddenly felt a warm feeling appeared in the depth of his soul. ''These fire elemental energies are entering my inner-world.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and then continued to familiarize himself with the surrounding elements. Hours passed by as the brightness started to fade a little and soon turned to dim darkness. On the other hand, Charlespletely immersed himself with the surroundings and soon started to perceive the fire-elemental energies! ''I sessfully broke through the first restriction!'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face as he conjured a small ball of fire and soon smiled. ''I can cast my Rank-1 spells now. Moreover, I don''t need to take some time to refill the spell models in this fire-elemental ne.'' As he was about to continue his words, he felt a sudden tremor from below. ''Earthquake?'' His expression changed in a serious one. In a moment, he heard a water sshing noise, followed by a deep roar! ''Something ising towards the cave entrance!'' Charles instantly stood up from the ground and moved towards the entrance cautiously. Chapter 119: Drake Chapter 119: Drake In a few seconds, Charles arrived near the entrance, and soon his pupil shrank as he saw a five-meter long frilled red lizard! Even in the dim darkness, the surrounding appeared brighter due to the presence of Lava Lake and exposed the lizard''s location to him. The lizard''s body was covered entirely in small shell-like skin and appeared enormous. Not only that, its tail itself appeared very sharp as a de and was moving on its own like a poisonous snake! Upon seeing the strange lizard creature, Charles used [Cryptic Analysis] skill and soon got some information about the lizard creature. ''Heh, it''s a Rank-3 Frilled Drake, huh. This indeed looks like a scary thing.'' He also saw Drake''s innate bloodline spells like [Lava Spit], [Speedy Movement], [Red Armor], and became solemn. ''This thing is a very dangerous one.'' He quietly observed the lizard, which was quietly walking back and forth near the shore of the Lava Lake for a moment, and stealthily took out the Starfall Codex magic book. ''Should I attack?'' He hesitated. ''This lizard is not a normal monster. Moreover, my body is also in a weak state.'' Charles knew that a single mistake might lead to a severe consequence. ''But If I back off now, that blonde-haired man might find out my true identity and inform the Red Prince.'' He thought for a moment and chose to kill this creature. But he didn''t act rashly, though. Instead, he hid his presence using the [Conceal] spell and stayed near the cave wall-like a statue. He watched how the Drake catches a fish-like creature from the Lava Lake using its tail and waited for an opportunity. In the meantime, Drake continued to catchva creatures from time to time and started eating. ''These Lava creatures'' skin seemed to be hard as a rock. If not, how could they survive in the liquidva? Even with my Expert level body, I''m feeling difficulty in staying here. The hot atmosphere is both good and bad for me. The good thing is that this hot atmosphere actually strengthens my connection with the spell models. If I try toprehend the spell models in this Fire Elemental ne, I might only take 4 to 6 months.'' ''But the bad thing is actually rted to my body. Unlike these creatures, my body is a slightly mutated human one and I''m notpletely resistant to fire. So if I stay here for too long, my body might get mutated on its own due to the heat and radiation. Although this is a magical world, I''m not sure that staying here is safer or not. With my current understanding, I can only stay here for two more days. Any more than that, it might not be a good thing for my body.'' Charles let out a deep sigh and soon noticed that the Drake started toy down on the rocky shore. The Drake ced its rough red-skinned head on its left front leg and started to sleep in a minute. Upon seeing the opportunity, Charles silently opened the Starfall Codex and started flipping the page. Soon, he stopped at page no. 9 and started to chant in a low voice. A few secondster, an illusionary eye appeared on his forehead, and soon a bolt of purple lightning came out from it. It was a Rank-3 Bloodline Spell, Eye of Destruction! The thin bolt of purple lightning flew towards the sleeping Drake andnded on its forehead area in a blink. The next second, the purple bolt of lightning spread towards its body and paralyzed the Drake on the spot! Charles instantly raised his hand, pointed his finger at Drake, and started casting [Incinerate] spell! But unlike before, rays of crimson fire flew out from Charles''s forefinger continuously andnded on its face one by one. No, those crimson rays preciselynded on its right side closed eye! If Charles had faced this Drake in Edhen, he wouldn''t have made such a decision to kill it. But it waspletely different here. In this Moris Fire Elemental ne, he wouldn''t need to wait for the cooldown to cast Rank-1 spells because this whole world was filled with fire-elemental energies! In seconds, tens of crimson rays flew from Charles andpletely burned Drake''s right eye! But there was no happiness on Charles''s face, though. ''It is no use. My Rank-1 attack spell is not enough to give a fatal wound. Moreover, this creature''s skin is too tough.'' Charles also noticed that the Drake was starting to regain control over its body and grew solemn. He instantly used his [Magician Hand''s] skill to flip the Starfall Codex book page and soon stopped at page no.10. ''Mr. Rh, I need your help now.'' Charles spoke inwardly, took two steps forward towards the half-paralyzed Drake, and continued to attack it with his Rank-1 spells. In the meantime, the whole Drake''s body shook due to the pain! It tried its best to open its mouth, but those crimson rays entered deep into the burned right eye and started damaging further. On the other hand, Charles heard an old voice in his head and got more confident about killing Drake. With an icy look on his face, he moved his forefinger towards the left eye and continued to cast the Rank-1 [Incinerate] spells. By the time the Drake got released from the paralysis effect, it had long turned into a blind creature! At that moment, the Drake raised its bloody head and gave a deep roar towards the sky! It then turned its lizard head sharply towards Charles and took a step forward. A momentter, Drake''s whole body began to shine in bright yellow light and it sprinted madly towards him at an unimaginable speed! ''It must be the [Speedy] bloodline spell!'' A thought appeared in his mind. Upon watching the speed, Charles''s heart skipped a beat! ''It can sense my presence?'' He instantly went on an alert mode, cast Rank-1 [Fire Wings] spell on himself, and flew up towards the sky. At the same time, Drake suddenly stopped its movement and raised its head towards the sky. No, it raised his head towards the direction where Charles was hovering and opened its mouth. For a moment, Charles''s felt a chill in his heart! ''This creature can even locate me when I''m flying?'' He waspletely stunned. Meanwhile, a tick ball of crimsonva came out from its mouth and moved towards Charles quickly! ''F*ck, I can''t dodge in time!'' Hispletion went pale as he tried his best to p the crimson wings. At that moment, Charles heard the Holem''s Crown''s voice. "Wind de." In an instant, a sharp invisible de appeared in front of his hand and moved towards the uing fireball. It soon split the Lava ball into two andnded on Drake''s wide-opened mouth. A miserable shriek echoed in the shore of the Lava Lake! Scarlet blood oozed out from Drake''s mouth and painted the brown rocky shore. Meanwhile, the splitva balls alsonded on Charles''s fire wings and made holes on both sides of his wings! ''I need tond now.'' Charles''s face went grim as he pped the torn wings to move closer towards the ground and soon fell on the ground. Thankfully, he didn''t get any injury, so he instantly stood up and took out the Ember Pistol from his space ring. Then, he turned the hammer, aimed the pistol at the bloodied Drake''s wide-opened mouth, and squeezed the trigger. Chapter 120: Mischievous Man Chapter 120: Mischievous Man BANG! A loud sound echoed in the shore, followed by a thud. Then, the five-meter-long Drake finally fell! [Target Eliminated! 3,103 Exp points obtained!] Charles became stunned by therge amount of Exp for a second and soon groaned. In a second, waves of pain assaulted his body and mind. ''My left knee and right toes are injured.'' He panted heavily and then thought of casting a Rank-1 Fire-type Healing spell. But the next instant, his expression changed into a gloomy one as he heard multiple roars from the nearby red forests. ''More Drakes seems to being here. It must be due to this Creature''s earlier warning cry.'' He nodded thoughtfully. Then, he went near the fallen Drake corpse and tried to store it inside his space ring. Thankfully, the space inside the ring wasrge enough to store more than one Drake, so the corpse instantly disappeared from there. After looking around the surrounding for a second, Charles turned around and went into the dark cave in unsteady footsteps. In few seconds, he arrived at the edge of the cave wall and recited a short chant. Two secondster, his figure turned blurry and soon disappeared from there! ¡­ C Orchard Street, South Borough, Chester City, Moon Kingdom. In the gloomy underground hall, the gem-like leaf attached to the concrete wall suddenly started to shine, and soon Charles appeared from it. Once he noticed that he returned to Edhen, he conjured two balls of me and made them hover in the air. After that, he looked below and soon saw blood was gushing out from his left feet. The big toe was wholly bent in a weird angle and was half torn. ''I actuallynded on a sharp stone.'' He squatted down to take a deep look at the wounds on his left feet and soon cast his [Soul Heal] fire spell. Greenish-purple me came out of his palm, enveloped his left feet, and started to heal the wounds at a fast speed. He then ced his hand on the right knee and healed it. A few minutester, he removed his half-burned leather shoes and dresses and wore a neat nightgown. After that, Charles opened the game interface and focused his attention on the Exp bar. ''Hmm, I currently have 4178 Exp points.'' He thought for a moment and hurriedly poured 2,536 Exp to the Sub-ss option. ¡­ [2,536 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You are now a Level-5 Disguiser!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 Skill points rewarded!] ¡­ ''Good.'' He nodded his head with a pleasant smile and put one skill point to Strength attribute. Then, he checked his skill points and soon furrowed his brows. ''I have only 63 skills points. This is not enough to raise my sub-ss skills.'' He nced at the subss skill section and rubbed his chin. ''I need a total of 90 skill points to raise the [Prevision] and [Magician''s Hand] skills to the peak level.'' After pondering for a while, he made a decision and chose to raise the [Prevision] skill first. In a blink, the remaining skill points went to 20! ''I should practice my [Magician''s Hand] and raise it to maximum.'' He nodded his head and then thought ofying lowkey till he Rank-Up the [Disguiser] ss. While he was in muse, he changed his appearance into an old man''s one and ordered the Holem''s Crown to change its form into a ck cane. Following that, Charles gripped the ck cane''s handle, walked out of the underground basement, and soon noticed that only a few hours had passed in Edhen. ''It''s still dark outside.'' He silently went to the second floor and walked into the bedroom. ¡­ Three weeks passed in a blink of an eye. December 28, Second Arcane Era, Year 6396. In the underground basement hall, Charles sat on the cold concrete floor, held a sharp needle in his hand, and was inscribing runal words on a circr metal te. On the other hand, he also used his [Magician''s Hand] skill constantly and manipted the inscribed metal tes to hover in the air. In the past three weeks, he went to the Moris Fire Elemental ne five times and earned 10,400 Exp points by killing three Frilled Drakes and two Lava Fiends near the Lava Lake. Not only that, but he also raised his [Magician''s Hand] skill to 79 points and was waiting for thest skill point. As for why he was inscribing runal characters on weird metal tes? It was the Holem''s Crown''s suggestion. A few days ago, he asked the artifact to teach him how to create a one-time Spell Matrix or Magic Array circle method. To his astonishment, the artifact suddenly took over the role of a teacher and started teaching him about how to creating a Spell Matrix. At first, he thought it would be an easy task for him. But now, Charles realized how difficult it would be to create an artifact using the ancient method. While he was in muse, he suddenly made a slight error when inscribing and instantly threw the disk towards the opposite side. The metal disk flew towards the wall at a fast speed and started to tremble. Simultaneously, the runal inscriptions on the metal te started to shine, and soon the metal disk disappeared from there! A secondter, it appeared right beside him and detonated! But there was no sound came from the explosion at all! Thankfully, Charles had long predicted the sudden ident due to my [Prevision] skill and backed away with the help of [Crimson Steps] spell. He then stared at the exploded area, used his [Magician''s Hand] skill, and tried his best to stop the broken metal scraps from spreading in all directions. Soon, the fire disappeared from the hall, leaving only a dense smoke behind. Letting out a heavy sigh, he moved towards the wooden table, took a metal te ced on it, and went back to the center to continue his inscription. But soon, he stopped his footsteps and then curled his lips upward as he saw a change in the Game Interface. ''My [Magician''s Hand] skill rose by two points!'' He blinked his eyes in surprise. Without any hesitation, he put all the remaining 20 skill points into the [Magician''s Hand] skill and raised it to the maximum level! ¡­ [Magician''s Hand skill has reached its peak level!] [Requirement has been met for [Disguiser] ss advancement!] [You can Rank-Up by consuming the [Mischievous Man] ss gem or by spending Experience points!] [Experience points required for Ranking-Up the [Disguiser] ss: 10,600 Exp] ¡­ ''Oh? [Mischievous Man], is it? This ss title looks good. Hmm, I have a total of 12,042 Exp points.'' He thought for a moment and put 10,600 Exp points to Rank up the Sub ss. Once he spent the exp, an electric shock went inside his mind and paralyzed him on the spot! A momentter, he felt a sharp pain assaulted all over his body, causing him to groan in pain. The pain continued to increase for a while, and soon Charles''s felt an itching sensation. After that, a strange stick green liquid started to ooze out from all over his body through sweat pores and soaked him. ''What the hell is happening to my body?'' He got shocked for a moment and soon checked the interface. ¡­ [Host has chosen the 2nd method for Rank-Up!] [6,756 Exp points have been deduced for the [Mischievous Man] ss gem.] [3844 Exp points have been deduced for Rank-Up!] [Mischievous Man Cass obtained!] [Host''s body is undergoing a mutation change!] [¡­] [Mutation Completed!] [Host''s Race has been changed from ''Human'' to ''Half-Shifter''] [You are now a Level-1 Mischievous Man!] [1 free attributes point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded!] ¡­ [Skills Upgraded!] [''Prevision'' skill has been upgraded to ''Vision''] [''Disguise'' skill has been upgraded to ''Face-Change''] [''Magician''s Hand'' skills has been upgraded to ''Hand of Mystery''] ¡­ Charles''s eyes widened as he saw the racial change notification and soon squinted his eyes as he also sensed another change in his Inner World. Without any dy, he sat on the ground in a cross-legged position and soon entered the Inner World. A momentter, he found himself standing in front of the mysterious cubic box, which was covered inyers of runal words. In second, countless information about the [Mischievous Man] ss skills came out from the red-cubical box one by one and assimted into Charles''s illusionary form! Chapter 121: Half-Shifter Chapter 121: Half-Shifter ''[Vision]¡­ It''s an upgraded version of prevision skill and can allow me to see the most possible future in the next ten seconds. The next one is [Face-Change]. As the name implies, this skill can allow me to change my face into any other person. But to do that, I need to perfectly copy the target''s image in my mind. Otherwise, there would be many defectives appear when activating the skill.'' ''Then, thest one is [Hand of Mystery]. Hand of Mystery has many functions like it can allow the user to move materials from afar through the same invisible string, and then make things invisible. Not only that, it can even bypass the space and allows the user to take things from another side¡­ Wait. Isn''t this skill looks almost simr to Fate Swap spell?'' Charles''s illusionary jade eyes widened as he read the information. ''It seems I don''t need to learn the Spell Matrix¡­ No, I think this Fate Swap spell matrix can help me in the future. There are two materials I want to steal in the Tower of Elements. But stealing two materials at the same time would be an impossible task for me. But if I use the kids'' help, I might achieve my goal without any difficulties.'' He nodded thoughtfully. After giving onest look at the mysterious game system cube, Charles turned his attention to one of the seven red stars and soon left the Inner World. A secondter, he opened his eyes in the underground basement and soon groaned. The foul smell assaulted his nostril as he covered his nose and soon squinted his eyes as he saw his own hands. Unlike before, ayer of green sticky substances covered his skin and appeared slimy. ''What is this? Is it due to the mutation that happened in my body?'' He instantly checked his body and noticed that he could change his facial structure, shapes, skin tone, and even his voice. ''Except for gender, I can change myself into any man.'' A look of astonishment appeared on his face. ''Next is about my race. Half-Shifter¡­ Is it simr to the shape-shifter race from the fiction world? Possible. Moreover, the Trickster ss series appeared to have some rtion to bloodlines and its abilities.'' ''Hmm, this is also a good thing, anyway.'' He paused for a moment and soon shifted his attention to his current problem. ''Let''s think about how to deal with the blonde-haired man. First, he must have some artifact to create a coincidence, and this coincidence artifact ability appears to be only working on me. In the past two weeks, I already met him five times in the Tower of Elements. If not for my quick action, he might have already found out about me.'' ''But I also learned something in return. That is, this coincidence ability only works when I got closer to the other party. Moreover, there also appear to have some restrictions ced on this artifact. From my earlier calction, I can assume that this artifact must have a cooldown of four days. Hmm, I''m in the dark, while the enemy is in the open. I can use this as an advantage andpletely counter this coincidence ability.'' He made a small n and then stood up from the ground. Then, he left the underground basement and directly went to the second floor. Then, he opened the bedroom door, went to the attached bathroom, and took a long bath to clean the sticky substance. After that, he walked out of the bathroom and then changed his cloth into a ck formal one. ''Hmm, I''m nning to teach more about the drawbacks of the Summoning Ritual ceremony in today''s lecture.'' He went near the bed, took the ck covered book ced on it, and stored it inside his space ring. ''After the lecture, my mission is to go to the fifthyer and get an appointment to meet professor Warren. He is the one who has full control over all ritual materials and sacrificial materials.'' While thinking deeply, he went downstairs through the spiral staircase and met his disciples in the reception hall. Like him, they also worked hard during the past three weeks and improved their abilities to an unimaginable level. Although Charles helped them from time to time and gave many pointers, they did their work perfectly and showed their worth to him. ''The one who surpassed everyone is Noel. Not only did he improve his sword skills to peak levels, but he also became an apprentice Tower Guard with the help of the formermander''s rmendation letter. Rhea also constructed her second spell while surpassing other students and already began toprehend them. As for Titus and Jessie, both arepletely focusing their attention on their personal missions and are progressing at a fast speed. If my calction is right, all four of them might reach their peak level in two months. Then, it is up to their ability to buy their own ss gems.'' An amusing smile appeared on his face as he saw them working hard to do their daily work. ''I already told them to not rely on my help to get the Rank-2 ss gems. Let''s see how these kids going to earn money and rank up without my help.'' He chuckled inwardly and went to the dining hall. At that moment, Jessie and Rhea already ced the dishes on the dining table and waited for his arrival. With the ck cane''s support, Charles arrived right beside the guest seat, pulled it a little, and sat on it before cing the napkin on hisp. In the meantime, Rhea took the initiative and started to serve food for everyone. Once shepleted serving others, she went to her seat and put a scoop of stewed mutton, a grilled steak, mashed potatoes, and wheat bread. Then, she also took arge jar and poured a cup of lemonade. After that, she sat on her own seat, pped her hand together, and thanked the Moon God for the food. Meanwhile, others also followed her action and then started to eat slowly. Once the breakfast was over, Charles bade farewell to the kids and left 11C Orchard Street. Then, he entered the Tower of Elements, went to the thirdyer, and soon arrived in front of Room number 311 around 8.30 A.M. He walked into therge hall, went near thedderback chair that was ced behind the work table, and sat on it. After that, he opened the book about summoning ritual methods and started to go through today''s topic. Soon, students with different colored robes entered the hall one by one and sat on their own chairs. On the other hand, Charles closed the book around 9 A.M, went near the ckboard while taking out a chalk piece, and wrote the title of today''s topic. "Drawbacks of Summoning Ritual Ceremony." He then turned around, cleared his throat, and started his lecture in an old voice. First, he talked about the major mistakes one would make during the ritual creation. Then, he gave a detailed exnation about the bacsh of ritual failure. Following that, he also exined various types of failure and effects that were caused due to one''s luck. "Summoning Ritual Ceremony consumes many space elemental stones, precious materials, and also sacrificial materials. It is basically like a gamble. If you managed to summon a hybrid and powerful elemental creature using these precious materials, you will be the winner. If you then use the Envement Trinket on it and subdue the elemental creature, you would also get a trustworthy ally. Most of the nonbat mages, necromancers, and other nonbat mystics use this method to increase their strength and would go on missions to gather materials, artifacts from ruins, and so on." Charles paused for a moment and soon added. "But if you end up summoning a small imp using these precious materials, then all you can do is me on your own luck." His words caused the whole hall to turn dead silent. Soon, some robed students raised their hands and asked different kinds of questions. In the meantime, Charles listened to their questions one by one and gave correct answers. The lecture continued for hours, while he exined every drawback in a very detailed manner and ended the lecture around 1 P.M. Following that, he cleaned the board using a chalkboard eraser and walked out of the lecture hall. ''Hmm, I need to get the appointment letter.'' He thought to himself and soon went to the second floor to get an appointment letter to meet Professor Warren. A few minutester, he went to the Ritual Chamber''s reception room and got a sealed letter. Then, he walked out of the room and started walking towards the fifth floor. Fifteen minutester, Charles finally reached the fifth floor and soon went towards the right-side corridor. Although many wooden panel doors appeared on both sides, he didn''t stop anywhere and continued to walk. After another five minutes of walking, he finally appeared in front of arge metal gate at the end of the corridor, raised his ck cane, and knocked on the door using it. A few secondster, he heard a nging sound from the other side and smiled. Chapter 122: Selling the Loot Chapter 122: Selling the Loot The metal gate opened with a screeching noise, and soon a ck-haired man in histe forties appeared in front of Charles''s eyes. He had monolid blue eyes, a round face, and looked around 180 cm tall, and wore a white-lined red robe. "Greeting, Professor Warren," Charles said with a smile. "You are?" The ck-haired man raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "I''m Oswald, the newly appointed Summoning Ritual Teacher," Charles responded. Upon hearing his words, a look of understanding appeared on Warren''s face as he took a step back and invited him in. Then, he turned around, walked into the storage hall, and asked. "What are the materials you needed for the summoning ritual, Professor Oswald?" In the meantime, Charles followed his footsteps and started to speak. "I''m nning on summoning a fire-elemental creature from a Fire-Elemental ne. I have coordinates of a Fire Elemental ne, but I don''t have sufficient ritual materials and sacrificial material to summon the ne''s will." He paused for a moment and soon added. "I need twelve Fire Stones, twelve Red Fruits, and twelve types of Fire-Elemental herbs." "You don''t need the blood of a Fire-Elemental Creature?" Warren asked in a surprised tone. A hesitant look appeared on Charles''s face as he pondered for a moment and soon spoke after heaving a long sigh. "Three weeks ago, I used my own materials and did a sample summoning in my home''s underground basement. Unfortunately, an ident urred during the ritual ceremony and the fire elemental creature died before the ritual could end. But luckily, the corpse didn''t get destroyed. So, I extracted a few bottles of blood from it." A look of helplessness appeared on Charles''s face as he said those words. In the meantime, Warren suddenly halted his footsteps and soon turned around in surprise and shock. "You have the elemental creature''s body, Professor Oswald?" Although Warren knew that Charles was a summoning ritual expert, he didn''t put him in high regard. Moreover, he always thought that this old man was simply bluffing. In the past two hundred years, no summoning ritual expert appeared in the Tower of Elements. So, when Warren heard that Charles almost seeded in summoning a fire-elemental creature, he got shocked and suspicious. Soon, he thought that this old man might be a real expert and became serious. Unlike other materials, elemental creatures'' corpses were valuable in any Magic Tower. Although the Tower of Elements owns a separate pocket dimension, it originally belongs to an earth mage. The resources hidden in the pocket dimension were also limited, and most of them were rted to earth magic. So, when he heard Charles''s words, he instantly thought of buying the elemental creature''s corpse. Without any dy, he took a step forward and asked in excitement. "Can you sell that corpse to the Tower, Mr. Oswald?" ''He took the bait.'' A cold light shed in Charles''s eyes as he turned his face into a solemn one and spoke with a nod. "If the price is good, I''m willing to sell it." Then, he touched the space ring and took out the fire-elemental creature''s corpse with his thought. A momentter, the five-meter-tall Drake''s corpse fell on the concrete floor with a loud thud. But unlike before, the whole corpse was sealed in an ice cube and appeared fresh as new. It was due to a Rank-3 spell from the Starfall Codex Magic book! Although Charles killed more than five fire-elemental creatures, he didn''t take the other corpses at all. He knew his own limit. If he got greedier and tried to sell other materials on the ck market or to the Magic Tower, everyone would get suspicious of him. Summoning one Fire-Elemental creature from a fire-elemental ne would be a rare thing. So, what would happen if Charles sold five corpses? Everyone, including Tower Masters, would feel suspicious and might try to search him forcefully. That would be the worst oue for him! Meanwhile, Warren widened his eyes in shock and soon started to inspect the corpse using different artifacts. Once he was done inspecting, Warren ced his hands on his hip and spoke. "Although it is a Rank-3 Drake, youpletely ruined its head, Mr. Oswald. Moreover, you also ced this corpse in the ice cube for more than three weeks, so its true worth had already diminished by 20 percent. If you didn''t sell it in a few days, the corpse might get polluted due to ice elemental energy." Upon hearing those words, Charles coldly snorted and spoke. "It''s not a normal ice spell, Professor Warren. I used [Zero Seal] spell." This time, a look of astonishment appeared on Warren''s face. "Sorry for not noticing that." He rubbed his chin to hide his embarrassment. Without waiting for Charles to ask anything further, Warren spoke in a hurry. "Then, along with the ritual materials, I will give you 5,000 Moon Gold coins, Mr. Oswald," Hearing his words, Charles became stupefied. ''He is buying the corpse for five thousand gold coins?'' In truth, he expected that the corpse would sell for around 1,000 to 2,000 gold coins. ''What do you know? That''s a Rank-3 creature,d. Even its blood can be useful for refining artifacts, and potions. Not only that, the fire creature has a Rank-3 fire-elemental crystal hidden in its heart. That single crystal is more than enough for you to get 1000 Moon Gold coins.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in a cold tone. ''Why haven''t you told me about this before?'' A trace of annoyance could be seen in Charles''s face. ''You never asked me,d.'' Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown evaded his question and went silent. Shaking his head, Charles took a deep breath and spoke to Warren. "I want to exchange this corpse for a Fire Fiend''s heart." "Impossible." Upon hearing his request, Warren instantly shook his head and spoke in a firm tone. "Fire Fiend is a pure-blooded chaos elemental creature and its heart''s value is more than 10,000 gold coins, Mr. Oswald. Moreover, we are forbidden to sell the Fire Fiends'' hearts to roaming mages like you." ''As I expected, these guys are indeed troublesome to deal with.'' Charles shook his head in disappointment and spoke in a solemn tone. "Then, along with 5,000 Moon Gold coins, I want two badges of ritual materials." On the other hand, Warren pondered for a moment and finally nodded his head. "Deal." Hiding his excitement, Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and spoke. "I will get the ritual materials now. As for the gold coins, I will send my disciple to get it from you." Nodding his head, Warren waved his hand and brought him deep into the hall. Meanwhile, Charles looked around in curious and soon saw different types of unique elemental creatures'' corpses, organs, various types of blood, unique elemental crystals, and even herbs appeared in crystal boxes. He also saw the Fire Fiends'' hearts stored in crystalline sses and sighed in helplessness. ''The churches and royalties are really restricting mages in many other ways.'' He soon shifted his attention to Warren and followed after him silently. A few minutester, Charles got the materials and walked out of the storage hall with a pleasant smile on his face. He then started walking on the empty corridor and soon halted his footsteps as he felt a sudden heartache! At that moment, he also felt a strange eerie feeling from his right side. ''What is it?'' Charles turned his head to the right side with an rmed face and soon squinted his eyes as he saw another metal gate. But what shocked him was not the tall double gate but the symbol engraved on therge gate. One door had a symbol of Eye engraved in it, while the other door had a portrait of a lean woman with a crown on her head and a ck snake around her neck. ''Goddess of Wealth, Zephine. Amber Church''s room? '' A cold glint appeared in his eyes as he stared at the gate for two seconds, then turned his head and resumed his walk. Charles then silently left the Tower of Elements and returned to 11C Orchard Street around 3 P.M. Then, he went to the second floor and stayed in his bedroom for the next few hours. The evening sun descended to the west around 6.30 P.M, followed by dim darkness. Within 30 minutes, the whole city turned darker. "It''s time," Charles spoke in a rough voice as he sat up from the bed and touched his face. Simultaneously, he pictured a person''s face in his mind. The next instant, his wrinkled skin started to diminish and formed into a slightly wrinkled one. Then, his skin tone also turned into a pale one, and his face also turned a rough-looking one. Not only that, but a thin mustache also appeared on his face. ''Next is my hair color and eye color.'' Charles thought inwardly and soon changed his face using the [Face-Change] skill. The next instant, his white hair turned into a deep-blue one, and then his amber eyes also changed into a blue one. In a few seconds, his face changed into apletely different person! Moreover, his current appearance was none other than the Ritual Chamber department head, Professor Robert''s appearance! ¡­ Chapter 123: Framing Others Chapter 123: Framing Others In Professor Robert''s appearance, Charles stealthily walked out of 11C Orchard Street while covering his head with a ck hood and went to the South Borough''s Main Street. Following that, he made a few turns and soon entered the Slum Borough. His next destination was Groove Street! That''s where he ''coincidentally'' met the blonde-haired man! Within a few minutes, Charles soon arrived at the ce where he saw the blonde-haired man a day ago and noticed that the street was bustling with life. Many roadside stalls were still open, and the shopkeepers were selling packed foods, fruits, and dresses while shouting here and there. Charles even saw some customers arguing with shopkeepers over the price and felt amused. He watched their arguments in a daze and soon bumped into a grey-robed man. He had short whirly blonde hair, fair skin, monolid hazel eyes, and a heart-shaped face! Charles''s heart skipped a beat for a moment! ''He came so soon?'' He hurriedly gave an apology and started walking in the opposite direction while averting his gaze. In the meantime, in male appearance, Lydia flipped the ''Destiny Coin'' continuously and searched the surrounding areas like a hawk. She only nced at the red-robed old man in confusion and then turned her attention to the surroundings. ''Where are you, Charles?'' Her eyes darted towards the nearby fruit shops, then towards the food stalls, and soon moved towards the passers-by. She continued to walk on the street and soon stopped at the street junction. ''It seems this ''Charles'' really hid very well. Hmm, His Highness also told me that he is good at disguising.'' She felt a headache as she realized how tricky this guy was. ''It has been two months since I came to this City. But I haven''t found a single clue about the target.'' She heaved a heavy sigh and soon frowned. ''Should I ask those lunatics'' help?'' She thought of the Divine Order members hiding in the Chester City and soon shook her head. ''No, those guys are not trustworthy.'' After thinking for a moment, she soon turned around and returned to her home. ¡­ In the meantime, Charles made a few turns and soon went towards Mystics'' Borough while leaving a few trails. Once he entered Mystics'' Borough, he directly went to Hope Street andpletely erased his trails. ''Hehe, poor professor, please take the position of the sacrificial pawn.'' Charles muttered to himself as he stared at a particr three-storied house for a second and soon went in a different direction in his concealed form. Following that, he made another few turns and left the Mystics'' Borough. Then, he directly went to Nobles'' Borough and went to Cedar Street in his original appearance. ''Hmm, my today''s target is Baron Greyson''s wife. But unlikest time, I have to shave her head and make her bald.'' Even Charles felt sorry for this unknown Baron''s wife. ''But to create a strong enmity between two nobles, I need to do this job.'' He said to himself. A few months, a big quarrel happened between Viscount Austin''s daughter and Baron Greyson''s wife when they were in a banquet. At first, the argument was mainly about who had more beautiful jewels and dresses. Then it came to their personal beauty. Unfortunate for Viscount''s daughter Caroline, Baron''s wife Maria was a renowned beauty in the whole nobles'' circle, so most of the nobledies sided with Maria and agreed that she was prettier than Caroline. Angered by the sudden turn of events, Austin''s daughter Caroline made a challenge in front of everyone that she would take something precious from Baron''s wife Maria one day. After that incident, both noble houses'' rtionship became distant, and various odd rumors started to appear about Caroline''s challenge. ''Hehe, who cares about her challenge? As long as I fuel the enmity, both houses will start fighting in secret.'' He let out a chuckle and started walking towards 56D Cedar Street. That''s where Baron Greyson''s mansion was located. Once he arrived beside thepound wall, he ced his hand on the wall and skilfully jumped to the other side. Then, he hid his body in thepound wall''s shadow and waited patiently. Three hourster, he saw themplights began to vanish one by one in the mansion and started to move towards the mansion. Although a few guards stood outside at the entrance, he didn''t face any difficulty at all. He leisurely walked past those guards in his concealed form, entered the red-carpeted reception hall, and went to the second floor through the bifurcated stairs. He then moved to the right side corridor and soon appeared in front of the master bedroom. In a few seconds, he stealthily unlocked the door and soon saw a couple was sleeping nakedly in a four-poster bed. One was a curly blonde-haired woman in herte twenties, while the other was a fat brown-haired man in histe fifties. Charles''s gaze soon moved towards her plump buttocks and then towards her medium-sized round melons. ''She is indeed beautiful. No, beautiful should be an understatement.'' Envy appeared on his face. It was understandable. Even in his previous life, he never touched a girl and died a virgin. But when seeing a 60-year-old man sleeping with a gorgeous woman, Charles felt shame and embarrassment. But that envy emotion appeared only for a moment and soon disappeared from his heart. ''I should focus on my job. Humph, how could this mere beauty obstruct my path to be an omnipotent one? In twenty years, wrinkles started to appear on her body and she will turn into an old woman.'' He snorted inwardly. Then, he took out a potion vial, opened the tap, and tossed it towards them. The vial flew towards their heads at a fast speed and soon stopped in mid-air. In a second, a purplish smoke came out from the vial and soon entered their nostrils. Charles soon heard snorting sounds from the couple and grinned. ''Time to act.'' He went near the bed, took out a small de from his space ring, start shaving Maria''s head. Ten minutester, he finished his work and soon shifted his gaze towards the fat naked man. A mischievous smile appeared on his face as he zeroed his attention on his straight brown hair. Twenty minutester, Charles stealthily walked out of the bedroom, leaving a bald head naked couple inside. He then stealthily went to the first floor and soon walked out of the mansion. After that, he once again made a detour and went back to 11C Orchard Street. ¡­ The next morning. A man''s raging voice and a woman''s screech echoed in Baron''s mansion! In an hour, rumors about Baron Greyson and his wife losing their hair started to spread like wildfire. No one knew who did such a cruel thing to Baron and his wife, but all of the nobles turned their attention towards Viscount Austin''s daughter! Even Viscount began to suspect his daughter! But even if his daughter had done such a shameful act, Viscount would never agree to it openly. With no other choice, he made a statement iming that he or his daughter were framed and told Baron not to suspect them. His rash announcement instead brought more suspicions from all other sides! Nobles,moners, even mages began to feel suspicious about his announcement! Viscount Austin''s household reputation went down in one statement, and he and his daughter became despicable and a petty person in everyone''s eyes! On the other hand, Baron and his beautiful bald wife became aughing stock in the nobles'' circle! ¡­ Unaware of themotion happening in Nobles'' Borough, Charles went to the underground basement hall and started his work to create a Fate Swap spell matrix. To his surprise, he managed to create the first Fate Swap spell Matrix by the end of the day and got relieved. After that, he started to act on his own n. First, he went to Groove Street and soon found out more secrets about Lydia. Then, he made a detailed n and acted ordingly. Once in a week, Charles changed his appearance into Professor Robert''s one and started to appear in front of Lydia ''coincidentally.'' At first, Lydia got confused. Because Charles''s and Professor Robert''s appearances, skin tone, body size were theplete opposite, so she thought that it might really be a coincidence. But as time passes, she also began to suspect Professor Robert''s identity! On February 20th, she contacted the Red Prince and made a detailed report about her discovery. She told him that Charles might have killed Professor Robert in secret and took his identity! On the other hand, Charles spent most of his time stealing different artifacts from nobles, merchants, gang leaders and turned the important item into gold coins! By the end of February, Charles finally finished his ''stealing'' task and stole a total of 150 precious materials from different persons. Among the materials, there were even two extraordinary artifacts and five precious materials! All these artifacts were very precious to their owners and held some great history. Not only that, but he also did some scheming and created conflicts between few more noble houses! Although Charles mange to finish his task, he also started to feel uneasy these days. Chapter 124: Progression Chapter 124: Progression March 4th, Second Arcane Era, Year 6397. It was evening, around 7.P.M. In his formal ck suit, Charles sat in the reception hall and appeared to be in deep thoughts. ''My ''Ghost'' nickname started to spread among the masses like wildfire. No, it changed to ''Crimson Ghost'' now. Nobles, gang leaders, and mages also started their search to find more clues about me. Not only that, but most of the nobles even started to invite some high-rank mages and mystics to search for their lost artifacts.'' He ced his hand on the Chesterfield Sofa''s arm and then looked at a blood droplet-like gem-embedded silver ring. A frown appeared on his wrinkled old-looking face. If someone looks closely at the blood droplet-like gem, they will find countless runal characters inscribed on the gem''s surface. Not only the gem, but even the silver ring had some minute runal magic circles appeared all over the ce. The blood-droplet-like gem was the Fate Swap Spell Matrix! As for the silver ring? It was a supportive spell matrix, which Charles created to conceal the magic aura. After sessfully inscribing the array circle on the metal disk, he inscribed a Fate Swap spell model inside the circle and created the Fate Swap Spell Matrix. Following that, he ordered the Holem''s Crown to change the metal disk into a simple blood droplet-like gem. Then, he brought a non-decorated silver ring from a fancy shop, inscribed a few runal characters on it, and then attached the gem in the silver ring. After staring at the red gem for a second, he let out a deep sigh and then turned his gaze towards the front. In the meantime, Jessie, Rhea, Titus, and Noel stood in lines with a solemn expression on their faces. Without minding their gazes, Charles leaned his back against the Chesterfield Sofa, ced his right hand on his chin, zeroed his gaze on the ck-haired girl, and spoke in a cold tone. "You failed your personal mission, Rhea." Upon hearing his sharp dagger-like words, Rhea''s body trembled on its own. Although she tried to maintain her calm self, tears started to appear from her eyes like an opened dam. On the other hand, Charles quietly turned his gaze towards Titus and sighed in disappointment. "You too,d. Your snatch skill hadn''t improved a bit." Titus lowered his head in embarrassment. ''I''m not qualified to be his disciple.'' An aching feeling appeared in the depth of his heart. He suddenly felt that he was going to lose something and sobbed in his mind. Although Titus promised his teacher that he would steal money frommoners to improve his skill, he hadn''t stolen a single coin at all. After he received the personal mission, he went to the Slum Borough in excitement and nned various methods to steal money. But when he tried to activate the [Snatch] skill, he suddenly felt a pang of strange guilt. He felt that it was wrong to steal money from others! The righteous self took over his weak-willed one and stopped him from progressing further. ''Teacher Oswald gave me many opportunities and even trained me personally. But I failed like a pathetic idiot.'' His eyes started to turn watery as he thought of his foolish actions. Meanwhile, Charles turned his face towards Noel and spoke with a light smile on his face. "Congrattions,d. You did a good job." "Thank you, Teacher." Noel''s eyes shone in excitement, but he soon calmed his mind and nodded his head. Noel trained under a mysterious beggar during the past few months, progressed at a great margin, and officially became a Tower Guard! Not only that, but he even participated in a few fightingpetitions and won multiple rewards like medals, gold coins, etc., Even Charles got astounded by his rapid progression. "This is your reward, Noel." Saying so, Charles casually took the silver ring in his hand and tossed it to Noel. On the other hand, Noel widened his eyes and soon caught the silver ring in shock. "This is my gift to you. Wear it all the time." Charles added. Noel nodded his head and bowed his head in respect. "Thank you, Teacher! I will never lose it." He stated proudly, then straightened his back like a true soldier and wore the silver ring in his left hand. "Good." Charles smiled lightly and finally turned his gaze towards Jessie. "How is your progression?" He asked. "I already memorized all the house names, and their locations in the Chester City, Teacher." A confident look appeared on her pretty face. "Oh? Then, it''s good." Charles nodded his head as he gripped the ck cane''s handle and spoke in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, change your form into a red-gem embedded bracelet.'' A strange silence appeared in his head. ''Are you sure about your n?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a solemn tone. ''Yes.'' Charles nodded his head and patiently waited for the Holem''s Crown''s response. A secondter, the ck cane suddenly rose in the air and soon transformed into a small red-gem embedded bracelet. In the meantime, all four of them stared at the newly transformed bracelet with dumbfounded eyes and soon turned their gaze towards Charles. Curiousness and puzzlement appeared in their faces. At that moment, Charles casually caught the bracelet and soon tossed it towards Jessie. "Wear it," He ordered. Although Jessie got dazed for a moment, she quickly snapped out of it and caught the bracelet with her tiny hands. Then, she nodded her head and wore it on her left hand. Meanwhile, Charles thought for a moment and spoke. "This bracelet is not a gift,ss. This artifact has some protective spells, so whenever you are in danger, it will activate on its own and protect you." "Protect me?" Jessie tilted her head in confusion and soon asked in suspicion. "Are we going to do some dangerous mission, Teacher?" "Hoho, you are indeed a sharp kid." Charlesughed out loud and nodded his head in agreement. Then, he touched his space ring and took out a bunch of 150 sealed letters. Noticing the confusion on the kids'' faces, Charles smiled lightly and spoke. "Titus, this mission is especially for you to improve your [Snatch] skill. If you seed in this mission, you will have the qualification to be my disciple. Now, there are 150 letters in my hand and each letter has a different house address. Your mission is to ce these letters in the right houses." He suddenly paused for a moment and then added with a smile, "But there is one condition, though. Your action must be well hidden and no one can find out that you are the one who ced the letter in their house. You have to put these letters stealthily ande back to our house before 12 Noon. And, your mission will start tomorrow at 9 A.M," Upon hearing about the new mission, hope emerged on Titus''s face. Soon, he nodded his head and took the package of letters from Charles''s hand. Then, he checked the address one by one and got puzzled "But I don''t know any of these house addresses, Teacher." He said in a nervous tone. At that moment, a look of realization appeared on Jessie''s face. "Do I have to apany him, Teacher?" She took the initiative and asked. "Yes." Charles''s smiled widened. ''Could it be-? Did our teacher n this all along? Or, did he already predict that Titus will fail in his personal mission?'' Absurd thoughts appeared in Jessie''s mind! In a second, she quickly organized her thoughts, took the bunch of sealed letters from Titus''s hand, and stored them in her void pouch. Chapter 125: Questions Chapter 125: Questions At that moment, Charles turned his gaze towards Rhea and asked. "Do you know why you failed to construct your third spell model?" Hearing his question, Rhea thought for a moment and soon shook her head. "Youck wisdom power,ss. You need to improve your wisdom before you start constructing your next spell model." Charles said in a calm tone. "Wisdom power?" Rhea raised her head and asked in anticipation. "How should I increase it, Teacher?" ''How would I know?'' He refuted inwardly, but on the surface, he maintained a calm face and looked up at the ceiling to think for a suitable answer. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath and spoke. "Wisdom power is nothing but a power of one''s soul. When we gain new knowledge about something, it will enter deep into our soul and strengthen it. So, what you have to do now is to learn new things, gain enlightenment, and improve your wisdom." "Do I have to go and read books from Tower Library?" Rhea asked. In the meantime, Charles frowned for a moment and soon shook his head. "That will only give you a shallow knowledge. Why not try experiencing new things? For example, you can go to the Tower museum tomorrow and study the origin of those old artifacts, ancient dresses, and other things. When we went to the museumst time, Jessie benefitted from a strange gem and even raised her wisdom to arge level." Upon hearing his words, even Jessie got startled a bit and asked in a dumbfounded tone. "When did that happen, Teacher?" At that moment, the corner of Charles''s lips curled upward and formed into a smile. "Don''t you remember the moment when you suddenly lose consciousness for staring at a strange gem for few seconds?" He asked in a sly tone. "Are you talking about the Avarin gem in section 49, Teacher?" Surprise shed on Jessie''s face as she asked that question. ''Now I think about it, I indeed finished my mission earlier than others.'' An understanding expression appeared on her face. In the meantime, Rhea instantly engraved Jessie''s earlier words and thought of checking it out. Before she could ask more about the strange gem, Charles waved his hand and spoke. "If you are nning to check on the Avarin gem, take Noel with you. That strange gem has some mystic power to make one unconscious. Noel is already a Tower Guard, so you don''t need to go through the scanning procedures." He suddenly paused for a moment as he thought of something and soon added. "I have something important to discuss with you all tomorrow. So, all of you muste back to our house before 12.00 Noon." "Yes, Teacher!" All of them nodded their head in unison. ''I hope everything will go ording to my n.'' He thought in his mind and soon furrowed his brows. "Jessie, did you get the money from the ritual storage hall?" He asked in a solemn tone. "Yes, Professor Warren already gave me the full amount, Teacher," Jessie replied with a nod. ''That''s good.'' Charles stood up from the sofa and spoke. "Go and take a rest. Titus, you too take some rest." All of them nodded their heads and soon started discussing among themselves. In the meantime, Charles took out an ordinary brown handle cane from his space ring and started walking towards the spiral stairs. In a minute, he went to the second floor and soon walked into his bedroom. Then, he went near the bedroom and nced at his game interface. ''I still have one unused Attribute point. Where should I spend it? My Wisdom is already on par with Rank-3 Mages. The same goes for Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. But I have a vague feeling that raising my Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution up to 20 would give some big surprise¡­'' His eyes glinted. ''But raising my wisdom power will lessen the burden when gathering the fire elements from the atmosphere. Wait¡­ From now onwards, I should put my sub-ss free attributes to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution while the Main ss free attributes to Wisdom.'' He paused for a moment and soon shook his head. ''That will directly cripple my body strength. Sub-ss only gives one fire attribute per level-up. Meanwhile, Main ss gives one extra wisdom point and two free attribute points. Moreover, I observed these mages during the past few months and confirmed that most of the Rank-3 Mages have wisdom power from 20 to 29. It means my wisdom power has already surpassed the Rank-3 Mages!'' ''But here is the big problem lies. To be a Rank-2 Mage, one''s wisdom power seemed to be above 15. And to be a Rank-3 Mage, I think 20 wisdom power should be enough. But that changes when ites to Rank-4 Mage. If my guess is not wrong, one''s wisdom power must be above 30. It''s double the amount of wisdom power! Then, what about Rank-5? Do I have to raise it to 40? 45? Or 50?'' ''Looks like I also need to gather more information about how normal mages increase their attributes. Hmm, Mr. Rh was an ancient mage once; I think he should know many things about this.'' He thought for a moment and soon chose to add it to the Strength attribute. After that, he changed his cloth into a red-robed one and used [Face Change] skill. In a few seconds, his appearancepletely changed into Professor Robert''s one. ''It''s time to go to Lydia''s house and ce this letter on her bed.'' A calm smile appeared on his face as he went to the bedroom balcony and skilfully climbed down from the second floor. After that, Charles silently walked out of Orchard Street, and roamed in the streets, and finally crossed the Groove Street junction. During the past three months, Charles visited this street dozens of times and already knew all information about Lydia. Moreover, he even managed to see ''status'' with the help of [Cryptic Analysis] skill and learned that she was also a Dual-ss Mystic! ''She is a Rank-3 Mystic and her main ss is Rank-3 [Spatial Mage]. But what surprised me most is her unique sub-ss Rank-3 [Swindler]. From Mr. Rh, I learned that this ss is a [Deceiver] series ss and has a skill rted to the power of Fate. Although it won''t be as much powerful as [Astrologer] ss skills, it would indeed alert them about the uing danger.'' ''But to fool the Fate, I already sealed my memories about what I wrote in this letter. Everything is going ording to the n. But I have a vague feeling that many variations started to appear from now on.'' He suddenly halted his thought and soon furrowed his brows. ''Interesting, it means someone already started to pay attention to my actions. Lydia? Nah, she isn''t bright as her sister. Then, is it Red Prince? Did he alreadye to Chester City? Impossible. A few days ago, I spied when Lydia contacted the Red Prince and learned that Oswald Raven and the Lightning Mage are chasing after him. He will onlye here after Lydia confirms Professor Robert''s real identity. Then, it means someone else is started paying attention to my actions.'' A cold glint appeared in Charles''s eyes. ''I need to be extra careful.'' While he was in muse, Charles entered Groove Street and started walking towards Lydia''s house. Chapter 126: Real Identity Chapter 126: Real Identity A few minutester, Charles stood in front of an old house and soon furrowed his brows. ''She is not here.'' He took out a nk white card from his space ring and casually threw it towards the sky. The card tore through the air and soon reached more than fifty meters high. A momentter, the card changed its direction, started falling in a curved angle, and soon entered the house bedroom through the opened window! Then, it made a circle in the bedroom and directlynded at the center of the soft bed. Meanwhile, Charles took a deep look at the house and then started to walk towards the Groove Street Junction while covering his head with a hood. ¡­ In the meantime, a young blonde-haired man entered Hope Street and started walking towards the end of the street. He appeared around 20 years old and wore a grey robe. He had short, whirly hair and a heart-shaped face. The young man was none other than Lydia in her disguised form! She moved with steady footsteps and soon appeared in front of a three-stored house. The architecture designed the three levels of the house in a perfect shape. The yard surrounding the building appeared neat and full of greenery. Lydia soon appeared next to thepound gate entrance and stared at the building for three seconds, The outer building appeared shiny and neat. Polished wood floors and a graceful banister that curved up toward a soaring second-floor gallery. At level 2, there were two bedrooms with a view and looked bright and airy. And atst, at the 3rd level was a rooftop, followed by a patio. Velvet drapes framed the windows; the inner curtains remained drawn, allowing the street light to enter while rendering the heart-stopping view over the city a blur. Furrowing her round brows, Lydia unlocked the metal gate and started walking towards the house on the concrete path. But whenever she took a step, her body would suddenly disappear for a moment and reappear 10 feet in the front! In two seconds, she appeared in front of the building entrance door and pulled the thread hung on his left side. A momentter, a bell sound rang from inside, followed by fast footsteps. Then, the wooden entrance door opened with a creaking noise and revealed a deep blue-haired man in histe forties. The blue-haired man wore a grey nightgown, had a slightly wrinkled rough face, thin mustache, monolid blue eyes, and pale skin. He was none other than Professor Robert! Upon seeing the blonde-haired young man, a smile appeared on Robert''s rough face. "How did you find my house, Pierce?" He asked in surprise. In the meantime, Lydia curled her lips upward and responded in a male voice. "Miss. Reba told me about your house address, Professor. I heard from her that you got sick and didn''te to the tower for the past two days, so I just thought of checking up on you." Hearing those words, Robert let out a chuckle, opened the wooden doorpletely, and invited her in. "Come in," Then, he turned around and started walking to the reception hall. In the meantime, Lydia nodded her head, followed after him with fast footsteps, and soon both appeared in the reception hall. Small with clean white walls, two sofas at the center, a desk with a nk blotter on the corner, and a coffee table in-between the sofas. "Please take a seat," Robert gestured her to sit on the camelback sofa and then asked. "Would you like to drink something?" "Soft drinks, please." Saying so, Lydia satfortably on the sofa and let out a rxing breath. On the other hand, Robert went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of champagne and two empty sses. Then, he ced them on the coffee table, poured the champagne in two of those sses, and gave one to Lydia. Meanwhile, she took the ss from Robert''s hand, leaned her back against the sofa, and took a sip. At that moment, Robert also sat on the opposite sofa and asked with a frown on his face. "Why did youe here?" Upon hearing his question, Lydia didn''t reply, though. Instead, she moved the ss towards her mouth, took arge sip, gulped it down, and spoke while cing the ss on the table. "Before I tell you the answer, could you please give me answers to some of my questions?" For a second, confusion appeared on Robert''s face. Soon, he didn''t put much thought into it and spoke while waving his hand. "Go on." Nodding her head, Lydia took out a small trinket from her void pouch and asked with a mysterious smile on her face. "Do you know Eve Nightwind, Professor Robert?" But to her surprise, she only saw confusion and puzzlement on Robert''s face! ''Why is he acting so calm? Did he already learn about me?'' She raised her eyebrows and soon changed the question. "Then, do you know anyone named Charles Nightwind?" "I don''t know any of them." Robert shook his head and soon asked in concern. "Are they your family members? Are you searching for them?" The next instant, the smile on Lydia''s face disappeared! ''Why is he reacting like he really didn''t know anything about them?'' An uneasy feeling appeared on her face. Soon, she shook her head and took out a blue crystal ball from her void pouch. ''Hehe, you can fool me, but you can''t fool this artifact, Charles. ''His Highness'' personally created this artifact and it has the ability to distinguish your real identity by analyzing your unique soul power. As long as you appear in a 100-meter radius, this crystal ball will directly shine in red color.'' A twisted smile crept on her face as she ced it on the wooden table and waited. But to her astonishment, the crystal ball didn''t produce any light at all! She sat there dumbly for a whole ten seconds and soon squinted her eyes. ''Sh*t, I forgot to activate it.'' She ced her hand on her forehead and hurriedly activated it with the other hand. The next instant, the crystal made a dim red glow and soon started to shine in a bright red color! ¡­ In the meantime, Charles finally reached 78 Hope Street and stared at the three-storied building with a smile. Then, he took out another nk card and was about to throw it inside but stopped. At that moment, he heard an arrogant young man''sughter from inside. "Haha, you can''t fool me now, Charles." A momentter, a sudden ripple appeared in the surrounding, formed into arge cubic structure, andpletely sealed the area around a 100-meter radius! ''Space Lock.'' A shock appeared on Charles''s face. Before he could think further, his eyes turnedpletely white, and soon tens of images appeared in front of his eyes! ''Future Vision!'' Charles instantly skimmed through those images in a second and squatted down as he understood his current situation. A momentter, an invisible de-like spatial shockwave appeared from inside and cleaved the whole building, thepound wall, the surrounding trees, and the nearby streetmps into two! If he were one stepte, his body would have sliced into two! The shockwave even went to the nearby buildings and cut them like butter. Charles didn''t even dare to dy any longer as he dismissed his [Face Change] skill and returned to his original appearance. Following that, a small ball of fire came out of his forehead and soon formed into a crimson mask! Then, he rolled down from where he squatted before and evaded the falling streetmp posts and thepound wall. Rumble! Creak! ng! Continuous creaking and rumbling noises echoed all over the area, and soon the half sliced three-storied building flipped on the other side, revealing three humanoid figures. Robert''s face appearedpletely pale, and he was staring furiously at the blonde-haired man. On the other hand, Lydia licked her lips and stared at the third figure with a surprised expression on her face. The humanoid figure wore a pitch-ck cloak and held arge ck scythe in its hand. But what made Lydia''s eyes squint sharper was the bony hands and skeleton face. "Necromancer?" She muttered out loud as she tilted her head in puzzlement. Soon, the smile on her face widened as she took a step back and spoke in a female voice. "You are indeed a tricky opponent, Charles. If not for the crystal orb, I would still be in confusion." "Who are you?" An icy voice emerged out from Robert''s mouth as he stared at her with daggering eyes and took out a long ck sword from his space ring. Then, he waved his hand and chanted in ahernguage. Whenever he finishes a verse, a mysterious magic circle would appear on the broken floor, and humanoid skeletons would crawl out from it! Upon seeing his action, Lydia''s mind went nk for a moment! ''Wait¡­ How the hell is he summoning skeletons from Underworld? His Highness said that Charles is a Fire Mage ss Mystic, right? Then, what is happening in front of me? Wait¡­ Could it be he is also a dual-ss Mystic like me?'' An understanding expression appeared on her face. "Interesting. It seems you hid this other ss even from His Highness." A sinister smile appeared on her face as she snapped her finger and then disappeared! The next instant, she directly appeared behind Robert, ced her hand on his back, and muttered in a chilling tone. "Fate Change." Chapter 127: A Troublesome Enemy Chapter 127: A Troublesome Enemy Upon hearing those words, Robert suddenly felt an uneasy feeling. "What did you do?" He asked in an anxious tone. "Are you an idiot? Why would I tell about my spell effect to the enemy?" Lydia said in disdain. Before Robert could ask further, Lydia smiled widely and spoke in a cold voice. "Space Bind." In a second, the space bend at a weird angle, formed into invisible chains, and started restricting his movement. But Robert didn''t get anxious, though. Instead, he let out a deep sigh and started tough. But thatughter gave a chill to both Lydia and Charles. It was a burst ofughter, filled with pure evil and wickedness! Robert''s face suddenly started to even paler and appeared more like a dead body''s one! ''He must be one of those four chaotic churches'' members!'' Charles''s face turned cold as he hid his body behind the debris and started to think. ''What is the name of the chaotic church organization that specialized in necromancy? Hmm, I think it''s called Grim Verdicts. They are specialized in soul capturing, curses, and undead summoning. I also read in a book that they have some rtion with the Destiny Conquerors, but it hasn''t been confirmed.'' Charles recalled the information about the Grim Verdicts and soon turned his gaze towards the battle. "Kill her." At that moment, a bone-chilling voice emerged from Robert''s face as he turned around and smiled wickedly. Simultaneously, the ck-hooded skeleton suddenly raised its scythe and shed it towards Lydia''s head at a fast speed. ''Danger!'' Lydia hurriedly cast her teleportation spell on herself with an rmed look on her face as she disappeared from there and soon appeared twenty feet away from Robert. In the meantime, the scythe''s tip made a whooshing noise, split the space itself, and soon appeared behind Lydia. Before she could understand the situation, a sharp pain appeared behind her back, followed by a flesh-ripping sound! sh! The scythe made a clean horizontal cut above her waist. Although it was just a superficial cut, that wound was more than enough for the scythe to corrode her flesh! "Argh." She let out a muffling noise and then stared fiercely at Robert. "Very good, Charles." She said in an icy tone, raised her hand, pointed her forefinger at the ck-cloaked skeleton, and then cast her attack spell. This time, the space around her began to bend before forming into an invisible knife and soon moved towards the cloaked skeleton''s skull. In a blink, the invisible knife''s tip appeared in front of the skeleton''s forehead area and directly collided with it! A momentter, only the headless skeleton stood beside Robert and started to trip. Then, the headless skeleton fell on the ground and disappeared from there. But there was no happiness on Lydia''s face at all. ''I''m starting to feel numbness from my backside.'' She touched her back in a hurry and felt no sensation at all. Not only that, but some ck energy also entered her bloodstream through the wound and started to weaken her movement! ''How did he be a Rank-3 ck Wizard in such a short amount of time? Moreover, where is the Series-A Artifact? Why isn''t he using his fire magic?'' Questions whirled in her mind. Soon, Lydia dismissed those thoughts as she saw more skeletons started to pop out from the surrounding debris like worms and were gathering around Robert. ''This is troublesome.'' A grim look appeared on her face as she took out a small white pebble from her personal storage space and was about to throw it at Robert but stopped! No, she suddenly forgot how to throw the pebble! At that moment, a purplish fire appeared inside her Inner World and started to devour her current thought! On the other hand, Robert also noticed the sudden anomaly and acted. First, he took out a grey-colored gem embedded bone staff from his space ring and pointed it towards Lydia. A momentter, a bang sound echoed as a ck ray of light came out from the bony staff and directly appeared in front of Lydia''s forehead. But before the ck ray pierces through her head, she regained her sense and moved her left-hand''s forefinger in a hurry. The next instant, the space in front of her forehead began to bend in a curve-like angle and deflected the ck ray towards the nearby debris! It was also the ce where Charles was currently hiding! ''F*ck!'' He cursed at his damned luck and instantly rolled away from there. At that moment, Robert and Lydia froze for a second and turned their heads towards the crimson-masked figure in confusion and puzzlement. ''Who is this guy? Why is he hiding here?'' Lydia frowned a bit and soon noticed that her thinking ability started to degrade. At that moment, a thought appeared in her mind. ''Could it be him? Is he the real Charles?'' But before she could think further, another purple me appeared in her Inner World and erased her current thinking! In the meantime, Charles stood up from the ground, raised his hand, and cast [Incinerate] spell on Lydia. In a moment, a crimson ray appeared from Charles''s forefinger and moved towards her chest at a fast speed. At that exact moment, Lydia regained her thinking ability and used her spatial spell to deflect the attack! Due to her interference, Charles''s [Incinerate] spell suddenly made a U-turn and flew towards Robert! Seeing this, both Charles and Robert became dumbfounded! Thankfully, Robert''s skeletons appeared in front of him and blocked the fire spell. Once the incinerate spell disintegrated the skeletons, silence appeared in the area! "She is using Space Deflection spell." Charles hurriedly warned Robert and then stared at Lydia warily. ''She is so strong. When I cast my [Fire Seed] spell on her, she managed to erase it from her Inner World. How did she do that?'' He got confused. ''Did she already enter her Inner World?'' He soon nodded his head as he thought of such a possibility. ''No wonder my mind spell didn''t work on her. No, my [Burning Thought] spell is still working properly. Yes, when I cast the [Burning Thought] spell, it directly entered her mind and burned her current thought. But when I cast the [Fire Seed] spell on her, it did burn her current thought. But the [Fire Seed] spell suddenly disappeared.'' A solemn look appeared on Charles''s face as he fell into deep thoughts. On the other hand, Robert controlled his undead skeletons and let them move near her. At that moment, Lydia suddenly turned her gaze towards Charles and soon squinted her eyes. She suddenly felt that this guy might be the real Charles! ''Moreover, that purple fire attacked my Inner World is not a normal one.'' She instantly made up her mind and turned her full attention towards Charles. Upon noticing her gaze, an ominous feeling appeared in his heart. Without any hesitation, Charles activated his [Vision] skill and saw the future images of the next ten seconds. Within a second, hepletely grasped the future and directly took out the arcane card from his space ring. ''If I didn''t act now, I will die!'' Determination appeared on his face. At that moment, he also dismissed his crimson mask and stared at her coldly. "You are the real Charles!" Lydia''s voice turned eerie as she stared at in intensely and disappeared from there. The next second, she directly appeared in front of him, raised her hand, and was about to cast her spatial spell. But to her astonishment, hundreds of strong vines popped out from the ground andpletely bound her body! At that moment, Charles had already pulled out his Ember Pistol, turned the hammer, and squeezed the trigger. BANG! A crimson bullet appeared from the muzzle and instantly destroyed her head like a watermelon. "What a terrifying enemy," Charles muttered in a grave tone and soon froze. At that moment, an unimaginable miracle appeared in front of his eyes! He saw Lydia''s left hand suddenly rose upward and gave him a thumbs-up! ''What the hell-? Why did the vision skill show me different images?'' His whole body stiffened upon watching this strange creepy scene. ''No, I think I missed something important. If I''m not wrong, those future vision images mighte from the same timeline. Wait¡­ Could it be I changed the timeline when I killed her using the Ember Pistol and created a new future in a short amount of time?'' Charles got goosebumps as he thought of such a possibility! While he was in muse, he heard another gun sound from his right side! With a wary look on his face, Charles turned his head and soon widened his eyes. Shock appeared on his face! Because what he saw was not a living Robert, but his headless corpse. The headless Robert made an awkward dance and then fell on the ground with a loud thud! A chill crept up to his spine as he took two more steps backward and turned his gaze towards the headless Lydia. At that moment, the whole surroundings went silent. The next instant, Lydia''s sttered brain matters, bones, flesh, blood, eyes, teeth, ripped tongue started to move back from the debris and soon attached above her headless body! Then, new flesh began to grow and soon formed into a familiar feminine face. She opened her hazel eyes and soon looked at Charles with a twisted smile on her face. "Nice to meet you, Charles," She said in a cold tone and touched those green vines. At that moment, those green vines started to move on their own and started slithering towards Charles at an unimaginable speed! ''I lost control of those vines!'' Charles turned his face solemn, cast the [Crimson Steps] spell on himself, and backed away. Chapter 128: Probing Chapter 128: Probing Lydia''s face turned colder as she took a step forward and disappeared from there. The next instant, she appeared in front of Charles and was about to cast her spell but stopped. At that crucial moment, she suddenly forgot which spell to use! On the other hand, a smile appeared on Charles''s face. Instantly, he took a step forward, gripped her neck, and mmed her head on the nearby debris. If it were before, she would have resisted at a faster pace. But when Charles killed her earlier using the Ember Pistol, she also received a huge bacsh. Moreover, the wound on her back also started to act and started restricting her movement and thinking. Before Lydia could wake up from the sudden daze, Charles first cast [Fire Seed] spell on her to probe further. At that moment, he sensed another foreign energy was trying to suppress his [Fire Seed] spell from her Inner World! ''As I thought, she is also affected by the Red Prince''s purple fire. If I''m not wrong, this must be some kind of precaution spell to block others from learning information from her.'' ''Humph, but can this me do two works at the same time?'' He coldly snorted as he cast [Burning Thoughts] spell on Lydia at the same time and asked. "What is Red Prince''s real identity?" At that moment, a piece of information about Red Prince appeared in his mind. ''Oh? He is actually a top member of a mysterious powerful organization and is backed by Lawful Church members, huh.'' A frown appeared on his oval face. ''It seems this Red Prince is also nning something big.'' Shaking his head, Charles then cast the [Burning Thoughts] spell once again and asked another question. "What is his rtionship with the devils?" A momentter, another piece of information appeared in his mind. ''Hmm? He is a former devil and knew much information about the Hell ne. Other than this, she is also clueless about his origin, huh.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and soon asked another question while casting the mind spell. "What is the name of this Mysterious Organization?" ''Edhen''s Children?'' Confusion appeared on his face. ''Why would a devil get interested in joining an organization that seems to have a connection with this world? Hmm, Edhen''s Children organization''s name really appears more like a Lawful one.'' He thought for a moment and soon asked another question. "Who is the leader of this Edhen''s Children Organization?" ''Hmm? She knew nothing much about that organization, or about its location, huh.'' He nodded his head and soon frowned as he sensed that the mysterious purple me was starting to break his [Fire Seed] spell in her Inner World! Charles instantly cast another [Burning Thoughts] spell and asked. "What is Red Prince''s true goal?" As Charles asked that question, he threw her on the broken debris and backed away at a fast speed. Simultaneously, he received another piece of information in his mind. ''His goal is to help the organization toplete the Project Destiny and snatch the-?'' Before Charles could obtain the valuable information, the mysterious purple me finally broke his [Fire Seed] spell and interrupted his [Burning Thoughts] spell! Simultaneously, Charles saw that Lydia''s whole body suddenly started to burn in a purplish me! Within seconds, the fire got fiercer and finallypletely burned the whole body, leaving nothing behind! ''From the looks of it, this purple me also has some rtion with the mind fire. But whenparing with my own mind spell, this one is very destructive and powerful.'' Charles nodded his head with a thoughtful look on his face and soon went near Robert''s headless corpse. Then, he picked up his space ring from his hand, erased the broken soul mark, and reced it with his own. Following that, he conjured a ball of me and burned the corpse and other blood marks. At that moment, the space-lock spell also broken downpletely, and soon the surroundings citizens, Royal Guards, and even mages started toe towards the broken house from all directions! A secondter, a mischievous smile crept on Charles''s face as he touched his face and started changing his face into Professor Robert''s one! Due to the less light from the nearby streetmps, he got an opportunity and hurriedly changed his look. ''Next is the acting part.'' He muttered inwardly, took out a small red capsule from his space ring, and ced it in the corner of his mouth. Then, he adjusted his dress and appeared more like an injured man. By the time the Royal Guards and Mages appeared in front of the broken house, hepletely turned into a new person and stared at the sky with a vacant expression on his face. "Professor Robert, are you alright?" A tall, muscr guard in silver armor asked in a shocked tone as he nced at the surrounding debris. His silver hair flow like a waterfall and almost reached his shoulders and looked beautiful even in the dim street lights. His face was as rough, and he had sharp yellow eyes. He stood in front of the group of guards and appeared domineering. "Guardian''s Light." He then said in a cold tone. Soon, a cloud of yellow light appeared from his palm and flew towards the sky. After that, the cloud started to expand and illuminated the whole area in yellowish sunlight! The next instant, everyone became serious as they saw the destruction of the house and soon turned their gaze towards the lone figure. The silver-armor guard could tell that the enemy was a formidable one with a simple look and became pensive. Although he was a Rank-3 [Guardian] ss Mystic, he knew that even he wouldn''t hold off for more than 10 seconds against this type of enemy. "Are you alright, Professor Robert?" Upon getting no response from the other party, he got worried inside and asked again in a concerned tone. At that moment, Charles nodded his head, turned around, and showed his face to the surrounding people. They saw anger, helplessness, and disappointment on the ck-suited man''s face. Without minding their gazes, Charles nced at the surrounding area and asked in concern. "Is everyone alright? Did this unnecessary fight cause any damage to the neighbors?" Upon hearing his concerning voice, all the citizens, mages, and even Guards got moved. "Nobody got injured in this fight, Professor." The silver-armored guard answered and soon asked. "If you don''t mind, can you please tell us who the culprit behind this incident is?" Upon hearing the question, a weak smile appeared on Charles''s rough face as he waved his hand and said. "Don''t worry about the culprit. I already killed him." He paused for a moment and added while coughing. "''Cough'' he seems to be after my teacher''s inheritance. Thankfully, I found out his scheme while we were talking and managed to kill him after a short battle." At that moment, a trail of blood appeared from the corner of his mouth. Soon, Charles ced his hand over his chest, coughed violently, and started to vomit a mouthful of blood! Upon seeing this, the silver-armored guard and others became anxious and hurriedly helped him. On the other hand, Charles took a napkin from his space ring, wiped the blood on his mouth, and started to speak while moving towards the street road. "Take care of this matter and report this matter to the security department. Meanwhile, I will go to my other house in Second Street and heal my internal injuries. I will pay a visit to the Security Department tomorrow evening and exin the situation in more detail." Saying so, Charles excluded the crowd, appeared in Hope Street, and soon went in the Second Street direction. Chapter 129: Red Prince Chapter 129: Red Prince The Herath Kingdom, In the unknown forest region. Two figures hovered in the sky and were staring at each other with cold looks on their faces. One was a long, wavy blonde-haired old man in histe forties, while the other was a ck-haired woman. The blonde-haired man''s hair appeared messier, and the two bat-like wings on his back were covered with wounds and dusk. He wore a blue robe, a long green pendant around his neck, and two tinum earrings. On the other hand, the ck-haired woman appeared normal, wore a ck robe, and her whole body was covered with lightning arcs. She had silvery eyes, average height, and a few wrinkles on her round face. "You are nowhere to go, hideous Devil. Surrender now!" She spoke in a sharp tone. At the exact moment, a golden light came from their left side at a fast speed like a shooting star. Upon seeing this, the blonde-haired man''s pupil contracted! In two seconds, the golden light appeared in front of them and turned into a white-haired old man with golden wings on his back. He had amber eyes, thin eyebrows, and a wrinkled oval face, and he wore a slight long blue surcoat. "Oswald Raven." The blonde-haired man''s face turned gloomy. He saw pure hatred in the old man''s eyes and sighed deeply. In the meantime, Oswald took a deep look at Rachel, nodded his head, and then locked his gaze on the bat-winged blonde-haired man. "Do you have anyst words, Red Prince?" He asked in a cold tone. Almost at the same time, Red Prince suddenly felt that his connection with Lydia got severed and became stunned. Although he suspected that Charles might have gone to Chester City, he wasn''t entirely sure of his whereabouts at all. ''But Lydia''s earlier report and her sudden death indicate that the possibility of Charles hiding in the city is high. There is also another possibility. Did she get caught by the Tower Mages? No, I only gave an order to find whether that professor was a real one or fake. Moreover, I have no idea about Charles''s other ss. Could it be he really has an ability simr to shape-shifters?'' A grim look appeared on his face. The reason Red Prince sent his subordinates alone to different cities was also a part of his n to lure Charles and the Holem''s Crown out from the shadows. He instantly closed his left oceanic eye and checked the unique purple marks in the depths of his mind. A secondter, he opened his left eye and muttered in a grave tone. "She really is dead." Once he confirmed that Lydia was dead, he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. A secondter, he waved his hand, and soon his figure turned blurry all of a sudden! "He is trying to escape," Rachel shouted as she raised her hand, conjured a lightning sword, and dashed towards him like a bullet! Oswald Raven also pointed his finger at Red Prince and cast a [Wind de] spell. But a momentter, both of them squinted their eyes in shock as they saw another person reced Red Prince''s position! The one who reced Red Prince''s ce was a fifteen-year-old girl in a blue-colored gown. Before the girl could understand the situation, Rachel''s sharp lightning sword and Oswald''s [Wind de] spell appeared in front of her body. "Oh, no!" Both cried out in shock and tried their best to halt their actions, but it was toote. In a blink, the lightning sword pierced through the blonde-haired girl''s chest while the [Wind de] spell decapitated her head from her body! A momentter, blood sprayed from the sliced neck, and soon the body fell. Upon seeing the falling headless corpse, both of their faces turned unsightly. Soon, they shook their heads and went towards the direction where Herath Kingdom''s capital city was located. ¡­ At the exact moment, Red Prince suddenly appeared in the outskirts of the Arc Kingdom''s Royal City and stood on the grassy in with a solemn look on his face. He then took out the ancient-looking book from his space ring, flipped the pages, and soon began to make a deduction using the strings of Fate. Two minutester, he closed the book and nodded his head in understanding. "Hmm, this is not a trap set up by the Destiny Lady. From the gathered information, the probability of Charles hiding in Chester City is increased to more than 70 percent." A cold light appeared in his eyes. "I finally found you, Charles." He curled his lips upward and then stored the mysterious ancient-looking ck covered book in his space ring. "I need to finish him faster. Otherwise, the Holem''s Crown might create some ancient formation to trap me." Letting out a deep sigh, Red Prince opened his batwings wider and shot up towards the dark sky like a bullet. He then made a circle in the sky and flew towards the Moon Kingdom at a fast speed. He only stopped two times along the way to take some rest and soon saw Chester City around 6 A.M. He silentlynded on the outskirt of Chester City and went to the entrance gate. If it were any other city, he would have directly used his [Fate Shift] skill and entered inside stealthily. But he didn''t dare to take risks. He waited in the queue for half an hour before entering the city. Then, he started gathering information from others and began to walk towards Hope Street. By the time he found Professor Robert''s broken building, it was already 8.00 A.M! He stared at the debris with a solemn look for a moment and soon furrowed his brows. ''Hmm? Why do I sense Death energy in the surroundings?'' He asked himself in confusion and turned his gaze towards the two silver armored guards, who stood in front of the broken house. He first went near them and asked in a confused tone. "What happened here?" In the meantime, one of the silver armored guards gave him a suspicious look and then spoke in a solemn tone. "Yesterday night, a reckless roaming mage tried to kill Professor Robert to snatch his teacher''s inheritance, but ended up dead." Upon hearing those words, Red Prince''s oceanic eyes shined. "Can I take a look at the battlefield?" He asked. Although those two guards felt confused by his request, they didn''t put much thought and let him in. On the other hand, Red Prince walked past those guards, stepped on the brokenpound wall, tree stems, andmp posts, and soon arrived at the grassy yard. He touched the left side tinum earring and muttered under his breath. ''Reveal.'' A momentter, the surroundings started to freeze up, broke into millions of pieces, and revealed another scene. In a second, Red Prince found himself standing in the dark, gloomy yard. He soon saw a blonde-haired man in histe twenties opened thepound gate, used [Blink] spell, and appeared in front of the wooden gate. "Lydia." Red Prince instantly identified her. Within seconds, he also saw the deep-blue hared man in histe forties and squinted his eyes. "He is not Charles." He followed after Lydia in confusion, walked into the reception hall, and patiently listened to their conversation. But as Lydia took out the crystal ball and activated it, even Red Prince got stunned and then stared at Robert in confusion and puzzlement. Before he could wake up from the confusion, he saw Lydia suddenly attacked Robert and demolished the house using her spatial magic spells. But as the fight progress, Red Prince soon learned that Lydia got tricked by the real Charles and nodded his head in understanding. He then saw how Charles used his Ember Pistol to blow Lydia''s head, how the [Fate Change] spell took effect and killed Robert, and even watched Lydia''s head grow back usual. At that moment, the whole surrounding suddenly started to freeze. A frown appeared on Red Prince''s face as he saw that the past vision started to shake and soon broke into many pieces. A momentter, his left side tinum earring made a cracking noise and soon fell on the ground! But he didn''t even nce at the broken earring, though. Instead, he wore a confused look on his face and soon creased his eyebrows. ''Hmm? Professor Robert already died in the vision¡­ Does that mean Charles is using his identity now?'' A look of understanding expression appeared on his face. Chapter 130: Jessies Guess Chapter 130: Jessie''s Guess After standing there for a moment, Red Prince went near the two guards and asked. "Do you guys know where Professor Robert went?" Both silver-armored guards nced at each other as they heard his question and soon nodded their heads. "He should be in his other house. It''s in Second Street and the house number is 13S." One of the guards responded. "Why are you searching for him?" In the meantime, the other guard gave him a suspicious look. "I''m an old friend of Professor Robert." Red Prince replied in a vague tone and started walking towards the right side. In the meantime, the guard didn''t find anything odd as he nodded his head and added. "If he isn''t in the Second Street, go to the Tower of Element and ask the Tower Guards." "Thank you." Red Prince halted his footsteps for a moment, nodded his head, and started walking towards 13S Second Street. After twenty minutes of walking, he reached Second Street and soon went near a single storied house. But as he walked closer, he also noticed that the door was locked from outside and stopped his footsteps. ''He is not here.'' Red Prince''s face hardened. ''Does that mean Charles already went to the Tower of Elements? What is his n?'' A solemn look appeared on his face. After thinking for a moment, he took out the ck-covered book from his space ring and started deducing the exact location of Charles. Three secondster, a cold glint appeared in his eyes. ''He really is in the Tower.'' But Red Prince knew that if he directly barged into the Tower, he would face the wrath of Destiny Lady. So, he first took out amunication ring from his space ring and contacted the branch head of the Divine Order in Chester City. In few seconds, a young woman''s voice came from the other side. "Greeting, Your Highness. How may I help you?" "Daisy, I need you to gather all the members in few hours and create a bigmotion in the city." Red Prince said in a deep tone. Meanwhile, Daisy got startled from the other side and then asked in a cautious tone. "What sort ofmotion, Your Highness?" Upon hearing her question, the corner of his lips suddenly rose upward and formed into a grin. "I want you guys to do the Divine Cleansing in this city. It is for the sake of achieving the true Destiny." The other party went silent for a whole three seconds. Then, she let out a deep sigh and responded. "This servant will not disappoint you, Your Highness." "Good." Red Prince nodded his head, directly unlocked thepound gate, and started walking in. ¡­ C Orchard Street, South Borough. It was around 8.30. Jessie and other kids walked out from the dining hall and entered the reception hall. Jessie wore a ck and white pinafore dress, while Rhea wore a sleeveless white shirt and tight ck pants. On the other hand, Titus wore a normal linen shirt and pants and held a small dagger in his waist. The only one who stood unique was Noel. He wore a red-lined white uniform-like shirt and pants and ck leather shoes and appeared more like a true guard. "Did you see our teacherst night, Titus?" Jessie picked up her two-strap sandals from the shoe rack as she asked the question and wore it. In the meantime, Titus shook his head and responded. "No. Our teacher told me to sleep earlier, so I also went to sleep around midnight." "He might be in the underground basement." Noel suddenly thought of a possibility and said. "Haa, I wonder when your brain will start to work like normal kids." Rhea heaved a deep sigh and asked in a sharp tone. "Do you think we would forget to check the underground basement before concluding? Look over there, the basement is locked from outside." Upon hearing her harsh scolding, Noel scratched his head awkwardly and then muttered. "Our teacher must have gone to attend his personal matter. Before he returns, we should focus on our current mission and return to our house before 12 noon." "Noel is right." Jessie also nodded her head and added. "Let''s go, Titus. We don''t have enough time." In the meantime, Rhea also nodded her head and dragged Noel out of the house while speaking. "We also have to go to the Museum and check if the gem can increase my wisdom." She suddenly paused for a moment and soon added. "Good luck, guys." On the other hand, Jessie locked the house with an iron key and nodded her head. Then, four of them walked out of thepound gate, and soon Jessie and Titus went in the opposite direction. While walking on the dirt road, Jessie first took out a dozen letters from her space ring and spoke in a solemn tone. "Our destination is Slum Borough." "Slum Borough?" Titus ced his hand on the dagger hilt and asked in vignce. "Yes. I already checked all the letters and ced them in order wise. First, we will finish our work in the Slum Borough, then to South Borough, and then to the Nobles'' Borough." Jessie said in a calm tone. "What about Mystics'' Borough?" Titus asked with a frown. "No. There is not a single letter for the Mystics'' Borough residence." Jessie spoke in a confused tone and soon turned her gaze towards the red-gem embedded bracelet in her waist. At that moment, Titus moved closer towards Jessie and asked in a suppressing voice. "Sister, do you have any clue about the content of these letters?" A grim look appeared on Jessie''s face as she shook her head and spoke in a grave tone. "I too have no idea. But it might contain some dangerous information." Titus''s body shook as he heard those words. Both went silent as they moved towards Slum Borough with a gloomy expression on their faces. As they reached the Slum Borough''s junction, Jessie suddenly looked up at the sky and spoke in a deep tone. "Does it matter to us, Titus? All we had to do isplete our mission and move on under our teacher''s guidance. Although we are now living without any worry about money, can we go on like this forever? We need toplete our personal mission and find a way to be a Rank-2 Mystic soon. Then, we have to find a good job like Noel and take good care of our Teacher during his final days." "Final days? Do you mean our teacher is going to die soon?" Titus''s eyes widened. "Humph, do you have some problem with your eyes? Our Teacher looks like a 70-year-old man and even using the cane to walk. He is an old man, Titus. Although I heard that mages live longer than normal humans, they are not immortals. If my guess is not wrong, he might have taken us as his disciples to pass his inheritance for the future generation." Jessie said in a soft tone. "So, that''s why he took us as his disciple, huh." Titus nodded his head in understanding and soon noticed that they had already entered Groove Street. In an instant, Jessie took out a red-sealed letter from her hand, gave it to Titus, and said. "ce this letter in house No. 75D." Chapter 131: Magic Letter Chapter 131: Magic Letter Nodding his head, Titus caught the letter from Jessie''s hand and started walking towards the house entrance casually. As he was about to walk past a two-storied house''s entrance, he suddenly raised his hand and threw the sealed letter towards the door at a fast speed. Meanwhile, the letter flew towards the wooden door and soon stuck on the gate between the door and floor. On the other hand, Titus turned around, started walking towards Jessie hurriedly, and soon both entered the narrow alley. Within a minute, they arrived in front of another two-storied house and saw a bald man at the entrance. He looked around 50-years-old, had a rough face, and leaned his back at the house wall. "I will distract his attention," Jessie said as she stealthily gave another letter to Titus and started walking towards the rough-looking man. "Uncle, do you know where the Wheat Inn is?" In the meantime, the rough-looking man gave her a curious look and responded with a nod. "You are searching for it in the wrong street,ss. The Wheat Inn is on Harpy Street and it is three streets away from here." Jessie wore an embarrassing look on her face and nodded her head. Titus also stealthily threw the letter towards the entrance, and both went towards their next destination. On the other hand, the bald man stood at the entrance for another five minutes and turned around to go back inside the house. At that moment, he saw a red-sealed letter and soon squinted his eyes. He clearly remembered that no letter was at the entrance when he walked out of his house and became serious. Suddenly, he thought of the girl who asked him about the right address of Wheat Inn and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Shaking his head, he went near the wooden door and picked up the letter. The next instant, his ck eyes widened as he saw strange engravings on the red seal. "Is it a magic letter?" He asked out loud in shock. The bald man knew that only mages used these types of letters and became stunned inside. He then tried to open it, but he couldn''t! At first, the bald man thought of using a scissor to cut the cover, but soon he dismissed that idea. Then, he turned his attention towards the outer cover and soon read the address and the caution line. "The letter will open itself at 12.30 P.M?" He stared at the letter for a while and went inside his house. In the meantime, Titus and Jessie continued their work and finally managed toplete their work in Slum Borough around 10. A.M. "Let''s go to the South Borough," Jessie said as she took the lead, and both walked out of the Slum Borough. ¡­ Tower of Elements, Seventh Layer. After walking on the stairs for a long time, Rhea and Noel finally reached the seventhyer and went to the nearby counter to buy entrance tickets. Then, Rhea went to the nearby counter, brought a Dimension Box, ced her silver ring in it, and gave it back to the receptionist. After that, both went towards the heavily guarded Museum entrance and walked in. "Where do you want to go?" Noel gave his short-sword to the nearby guard and asked Rhea. In the meantime, she thought for a moment and soon looked around the grand hall filled with different types of antiques. After a while, she noticed that section 30 to section 50 were on their right side and started walking in that direction. Both silently moved towards the right side direction and watched different artifacts, dresses, weapons, crystals, and ornaments in curious. After some time, Noel got bored and started to yawn from time to time. On the other hand, Rhea began to read the descriptions carefully and started memorizing the contents. She continued to move deep into the museum hall while dragging Noel and soon reached section no.49 around 11.15 A.M. "This is it," Noel suddenly spoke in excitement. "Wait. Our teacher warned us that the Avarin gem has some mystic power to make one unconscious. So, we have to be very careful." Saying so, Rhea first went near the pottery jug, took a silver cup on it, and took a cup of water from the jug. Then, she gave the silver cup to Noel and spoke. "If I lose my consciousness, wake me up using this water." Once she said those words, she stepped forward and went towards the nearby sealed ss box. After standing there for a moment, she moved towards the following box and started reading the description and the artifact''s history. On the other hand, Noel gripped the silver cut in his right hand and followed after her footsteps. Five minutester, they finally stopped in front of a strange ss cube. "Avarin Gem." An excitement appeared on Rhea''s face as she stared at the hovering red gem for a second and soon turned her gaze towards the description area. While she was reading, she suddenly noticed Noel started to fall backward while waving his hand pathetically. At that moment, the water in the silver cup sshed on her face, and then the cup fell. A secondter, Noel also fell on the floor with a loud thud! "This idiot." Rhea cursed in a loud tone as she picked the silver cup, checked if he was injured or not, and then started running towards the pottery jar. Meanwhile, the red-gem embedded ring in Noel''s right hand started to shine! Simultaneously, a small waved of invisible energy came out from the silver ring and scanned the surroundings. After that, the ''Fate Swap'' spell matrix engraved on the red gem activated on its own. A secondter, the red Avarin gem inside the cubic ss suddenly turned transparent and then returned to normal! The silver ring also stopped shining and returned to normal. A few secondster, Rhea returned with a cup of water and sshed on his face while scolding angrily. Rubbing his eyes, Noel opened his deep-set brown eyes and sat up. "What happened?" He asked in a confused tone. Upon hearing his question, the corner of Rhea''s lips twitched uncontrobly. She took a deep breath to calm her mind and spoke while turning her attention towards the red gem. "Go and take a look at the red sword." Without minding Noel''s question look, she stared at the gem for more than 20 seconds and soon got confused. ''Why am I not feeling dizzy?'' ''Wait¡­ Did the mystic power go to Noel and increased his wisdom?'' An absurd thought appeared in her mind. She then subconsciously nced at Noel and smiled bitterly. ''It looks like today is not my lucky day.'' She shook her head and started walking towards Noel. "Did you seed?" He asked as he patted the dusk on his back. Shaking her head, Rhea gave a deep look at Noel''s face and spoke. "Let''s go back. It''s already 11.30." "What about your personal mission?" Noel got surprised by her words and asked in a hurry. "Screw it." She said in a sharp tone, grabbed his cor, and dragged him out of section no.49. Then, they didn''t stop anywhere and started walking out of the museum hall. After that, they took their belongings from the Dimension Box while Noel took his short sword from the Tower Guard and went downstairs from the seventh floor. Chapter 132: An Omen Chapter 132: An Omen At that moment, Jessie and Titus alsopleted their work in South Borough and already entered Nobles'' Borough. "How many letters are still there?" Titus asked in a tired tone. "We are almost done. There are only 40 more letters." Jessie said and started walking towards arge mansion. Once she arrived in front of the three-storied mansion, she gave him a sealed letter and continued. "That''s the Duke Milton''s mansion. The guards will get suspicious if you went near the entrance, so just throw it in the yard. Those guards or the servants will definitely find it in the next few minutes." Nodding his head, Titus stealthily went near thepound gate, threw the letter towards the green yard, and then joined Jessie. After that, the duo stealthily went towards Baron Greyson''s mansion area. Time flew by, and soon they arrived in front of a lone two-storied mansion at the farther corner of Elm Street. "This is the final one." Jessie gave the letter and took out a small pocket watch from her void pouch. In the meantime, Titus caught the letter, went near the mansion, and threw it in the yard. "What are you doing,d?" At that moment, he heard a cold voice from behind. With an rmed look, Titus turned around and soon squinted his eyes as he saw a tall, muscr man, who was about 190 cm tall, stood behind Jessie. "You haven''t answered my question,d." The muscr man said and ced his hand on Jessie''s shoulder. In the meantime, Jessie''s body quivered in fear. ''We are doomed.'' That thought appeared in her mind. ''Why are you anxious over a simple thing,ss?'' Another old man''s voice echoed in her head. "Who is it?" She shouted in an rmed tone while startling the muscr man and escaped from his grasp. ''Don''t shout. I''m Oswald''s Cane and I''m here to help you.'' The red-gem embedded bracelet let out a dim light and responded. Shock appeared on Jessie''s face as she nced at her bracelet and then at the muscr man. In the meantime, the muscr man unsheathed his broadsword from his shoulder and curled his lips upward. "I''m this mansion''s head guard,ss. Now, tell me what are you doing here?" His cold voice made Jessie and Titus tremble unconsciously. At that moment, Jessie heard the same old man''s voice in her head. ''Hoho, let me take care of this.'' As the old man''s voice ended, an invisible power spread out from her bracelet and freezes the muscr man''s body on the spot! The next instant, the tall figure dropped his broadsword. Not only that, but he also started to pant heavily and soon fell backward! Upon seeing this, Jessie and Titus went dumbfounded. ''Get out from here.'' Soon, Jessie heard a strange old man''s voice in her head and snapped out from the daze. Without any hesitation, she grabbed Titus''s hand and hurriedly ran away from there. Both soon left the Nobles'' Borough and soon went to 11C Orchard Street. By the time they reached their home, it was already around 12.15 P.M. "We are back." Titus almost shouted as he saw the house and soon dashed inside. In the meantime, Jessie slows down her footsteps, turned her gaze towards the red-gem embedded bracelet, and asked in her mind. ''What is your name, Mister?'' ''Call me Rh. But don''t tell your friends about me.'' The Holem''s Crown said in her mind. At first, she hesitated and soon nodded her head. ''Hoho, you really are a good child.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then added. ''Okay. Your second mission starts now.'' ''Second mission?'' Jessie stopped her footsteps and soon raised her eyebrows. ''Yes, you guys should pack your belongings and meet your teacher outside Chester City before 1.00 P.M.'' Upon hearing those words, Jessie frowned and then shook her head. ''Our teacher told us toe here before 12.30. Then, he said that he is going to tell something important.'' ''Don''t you understand why he gave me to you?'' The Holem''s Crown asked with a chuckle and then continued. ''He already left the city and is waiting for you guys in New Town.'' Jessie''s mind became chaos for a moment. ''Why would our teacher leave us here? Why did he give those strange missions?'' Confusion appeared in her eyes. But soon, she made up her mind and nodded her head. ''I believe in your words. Although I don''t understand our teacher''s action, I''m 100 % sure that he won''t give his artifact to me without any reason.'' Even the Holem''s Crown became stunned for a moment and soon spoke. ''You sure are quick at making decisions. Now, tell your friends to pack up their belongings. We must leave this city before 1.00 P.M.'' Jessie felt the urgency in the old man''s tone and hurriedly walked into their house. Inside, she saw Noel and Rhea sat on the cold floor while Titus was in the middle of asking questions about their today''s mission. Once Jessie walked inside the reception hall, she turned her face solemnly and spoke in a hurried tone. "I just now got a call from Teacher. He told us to pack our belongings and go to the nearby town." "What?!" Both Rhea and Noel stood up in surprise. In the meantime, Titus wore a startled look on his face and asked in puzzlement. "How did he contact you?" A smile appeared on Jessie''s face as she raised her hand and pointed her finger towards the red-gem embedded bracelet. The next instant, everyone nodded their heads and started packing their belongings. Within five minutes, they stored their luggage in Jessie''s void pouch and walked out of the two-storied house. They then gave onest look at the building and started walking out of thepound gate. "I wonder how Blood Priest and others are doing in Sweet Vige," Noel said in a worried tone. "Don''t worry, Noel. We will return to the vige one day." Jessie paused for a moment and then continued with a serious expression on her face. "But now is not the time. Let''s go, we need to hurry, otherwise; we might meet bandits on the way." Meanwhile, other kids nodded their heads and followed after her. ¡­ Tower of Elements, Eighth Layer, A ck-haired woman in herte twenties sat in her private hall and was in the middle of deciphering a secret letter. She wore a jade robe, had scarlet eyes, an oval face, thin eyebrows, and a small nose. She was none other than the Rank-4 [Fate Warden] ss Mystic, Destiny Lady! While she was calcting in her mind, a sharp wind entered the hall through the small gap of the tower wall and caused the crystal chandelier to shake a little. At that moment, a small thumb-sized crystal broke away from the chandelier and directly fell on the ss table. Then, the crystal collided with the ss table with a nging sound, leaving multiple cracks on the table. The cracks soon expanded all over the table and broke down with a bang! Seeing such a strange scene, Destiny Lady paused in surprise, closed the secret paper, and squinted her eyes. "An omen?" A frown appeared on her forehead. She then hurriedly took out her pocket watch from her space ring, flipped open the outer case. "12.29." Her heart began to beat faster all of a sudden. She instantly stood up from her seat and started walking towards the balcony on the opposite side. Within seconds, she arrived at the edge of the balcony and stared at the bustling city in confusion. But a secondter, shock and rage appeared on her face. At that moment, Destiny Lady noticed tens of thousands of fate strings severed all of a sudden and became enraged. "No, someone is plotting something big!" She hurriedly took out themunication ring and called all the department heads to gather in the Main Hall. A few secondster, she stored themunication ring in her space ring and disappeared from there. Chapter 133: Chaos Chapter 133: Chaos Mystics'' Borough, Second Street, House no.13S. A blonde-haired man suddenly walked out from the single storied house and soon looked at the surroundings. "Someone is manipting the Fate!" A surprised expression appeared on his face. Soon, he squinted his eyes as he turned his gaze towards the Tower of Elements and took out hismunication ring. He then made a call through the ring and spoke. "Daisy, you don''t need to create a distraction. It''s already happening." As he said those words, he stored themunication ring and then started walking towards the Tower of Elements. ¡­ Nobles'' Borough, Duke Milton''s mansion. It was around 12.30 P.M. Duke Milton sat in the reception hall and was listening to his granddaughter''s imaginary story about a fantasy smile creature and its adventures. At that moment, he suddenly saw the red-sealed letter starting to shine brightly and squinted his eyes. A while ago, one of his servants picked up this letter in the yard and gave it to him. At first, Duke thought it must be just some regr fund request letter. But when he saw the magic letter engraved seal on it, he knew it was not something he should casually throw in the dustbin. So, he kept it on the coffee table to wait for the correct time. Once he saw the bright light, he ced her 6-year-old granddaughter on the nearby couch and picked up the letter. He then opened the seal in a hurry and started to read. "Hello, Mr. Milton, You can call me ''Ghost.'' I wrote this letter to tell you something important about the missing ''Rainbow Crown.'' Yes, you got that right. It''s the same Crown I stole from your secret treasure room. In truth, I''m just a contracted thief and was forced to steal the Crown. If I want to steal something, I would have stolen your gold coins and other treasures in the secret room. But due to some contract, I could only steal the ''Crown'' and give it to my employer. Thankfully, I found a way to nullify the contract and then thought of revealing all these secrets to all the victims. That''s why I''m writing this letter to you. Do you want to know the identity of my employer? Hehe, he is none other than your political rival, Duke of Scarlet Hill, Cooper Branson. If you don''t believe my words, you can go to Duke Cooper''s mansion and search for the Crown in his master bedroom. I heard that he ced it opposite of his bed and wouldugh at the Crown mockingly whenever he goes to sleep. Good Luck." Once he finished reading the letter, Duke Milton''s face turned cold as ice. He instantly stood up from his seat and thundered. "Jepson, gather all the guards. We are going to have a long talk with that Scarlet f*cker." In a second, the stationed guards, servants, and even his daughters and sons-inw went deadly pale! They had never seen Duke got angry like this and hurriedly went in different directions. Within five minutes, a total of 500 well-trained guards stood at the mansion''s entrance and was ready to go out for a battle! ¡­ Slum Borough, Groove Street, House no.75D. Inside the two-storied house, a short brown-haired man in histe 50s sat in the bedroom and was reading at the seal-opened letter with a stern look on his face. Once he read the whole content, he tore the letter and bellowed in anger. "Parker! You dare to steal this Golden Eye''s precious dagger?" He instantly stood up from the bed and soon walked out of the two-storied house. At that moment, tens of ruffian-looking men stood at the entrance and appeared to be waiting for his orders. "Sharpen your weapons, my dear brothers. We are going to war." Golden-Eye said in a bone-chilling voice and unsheathed his short sword. ¡­ Baron Greyson''s Mansion. "Viscount Austin! I knew it was you who shaved my head." A bald old man seethed in anger. ¡­ Like Duke Milton, Golden-Eye, and Baron Greyson, many other gang leaders, Nobles, Merchants, and even some big shop owners suddenly walked out of their houses with weapons and started moving to their rival''s house. Deep hatred was seen in all of their eyes! ¡­ A few minutester, Duke Milton barged into Duke Cooper''s mansion and directly went to Cooper''s master''s bedroom. Although multiple guards blocked their path, they were simply outnumbered by Duke Milton''s personal guards. He soon reached the master bedroom on the second floor and walked in. After that, he turned his gaze towards the front rack and furrowed his brows. He didn''t saw any crown at all! As he was about to turn around, he noticed that a gold coin ced on the rack suddenly started to vibrate. Soon, the gold coin expanded in size and formed into a Crown! "Our Rainbow Crown really is here!" A cold smile appeared on his face. "This time, you crossed the bottom line, Cooper." He said in a sharp tone and took the Crown from the rack. At the exact moment, Duke Cooper also gathered his troop and started resisting Duke Milton''s elite guards. Soon, it turned into a chaotic battle! In few seconds, an unfortunate servant died in the hands of Duke Milton''s guards. The guards'' action provoked Duke Cooper! Without any hesitation, he ordered his guards to kill all of Duke Milton''s elite guards. A bloodbath started in the three-storied mansion! At the exact moment, Baron Greyson also entered Viscount Austin''s mansion and started his massacre. Gang Leader Golden-Eyes invaded Gang Leader Parker''s territory and started to fight. Simr things started to happen all over the city. Arguments turned into fights, and then the fights turned into massacres! Chaos started to descend in many parts of the city! ¡­ Ritual Chamber Department, Third Layer, Tower of Elements, Inside an office room, a deep-blue-haired man in histe forties sat on a wooden chair and was staring at the silver pocket watch ced on the wooden table. He wore a red robe, had a slightly wrinkled face, thin mustache, monolid blue eyes, and pale skin. He was none other than Charles, in Professor Robert''s appearance! "12.45." Charles suddenly stood up from his seat, took the silver pocket watch, and started walking out of the office room. Then, he walked on the crowded corridor and soon started moving upstairs. On the way, he saw many robed mages, Tower Guards, and other mystics were running on the corridors in anxiety and panic. He didn''t even stop for a moment, though. With a calm look on his face, Charles stepped on therge steps and started walking upstairs. In three minutes, he reached the fifthyer and started walking towards the right-side corridor. After five minutes of walking, he finally appeared in front of arge metal gate at the end of the corridor, raised his hand, and knocked on the door. A nging sound came from the other side within a minute, followed by a metal gate screeching noise. Soon, a ck-haired man appeared in front of Charles''s eyes. He had blue eyes, a round face, and looked around 180 cm tall, and wore a white-lined red robe. "Professor Robert?" The ck-haired man stared at Charles in surprise. "I came here to get some ritual materials, Professor Warren," Charles said with a smile. ¡­ Chapter 134: Destiny Lady Chapter 134: Destiny Lady "Ritual materials?" Professor Warren raised his brows as he invited him in, and turned around. "What are the materials you need, Department Head?" He asked. In the meantime, Charles pushed the door opened and spoke as he stepped in. "I need a few drops of Twinkle Frog''s saliva, rib bone of a smander, 4 grams of Nether essence, seven types of undead bones, and a Demi-Lich''s nail." "Are you nning to do a summoning ritual?" Warren asked as he started to walk into the hall. At that moment, Charles took three steps forward and suddenly moved his right hand towards Warren''s neck. Simultaneously, a sharp well-concealed dagger appeared in his hand. "Wha-?" Before Warren could understand the situation, Charles pressed the dagger against his neck and slit his throat. A neat cut appeared on his throat! In the meantime, Professor Warren becamepletely terrified inside as he gripped his own neck in shock and felt suffocated! He tried to say something while stumbling forward but couldn''t! He gasped for breath and soon knelt on the ground. Blood gushed out from his neck and painted the white floor in seconds. In seconds, he couldn''t maintain his bnce and fell on the floor. Warren stared at Chares with hate and anger while his body started to twitch uncontrobly. In few seconds, his body stopped twitching and went motionless! [Target Eliminated! 1,410 Exp points obtained!] Meanwhile, Charles took a detour and started walking deep into the hall. After few seconds, he soon appeared in front of a separate section and saw few scarlet-colored hearts were sealed in some preservative bottles. ''This should be my target.'' Nodding his head, Charles took a few preserved hearts and stored them inside his space ring. After that, he scanned the surroundings and soon shook his head. ''I don''t have enough time to steal all these materials. I should follow my n.'' Suppressing his greed, Charles turned around and started walking towards Warren''s body. Then, he squatted down a little, picked his space ring, and started walking towards the metal gate. After that, he opened it with both hands and walked out of the storage hall. Charles nodded his head, took a few steps forward, and soon stopped as he suddenly felt an eerie gaze from his right side. It was the same eerie gaze he felt when he came herest time! A mischievous smile appeared on Charles''s face as he turned his gaze towards the eye-symbol engraved door and started walking towards it. ''That eerie gaze is giving me an ufortable feeling.'' He stopped in front of the locked gate and soon cast his [Hand of Mystery] skill. A momentter, invisible strings came out from his hand and started moving deep into the metal gate. Within ten seconds, a click sound echoed in the hall. The next instant, the metal door opened on its own with a loud screech. Inside, Charles saw a giant mountain of gold coins and got stunned inside. ''I did expect that some gold coins would be stored inside but this is way beyond my imagination. There must be more than a million gold coins stored in this hall!'' He inhaled deeply and then started walking towards the mountain of gold coins. Following that, he ced his hand on those gold coins and activated his [Hand of Mystery] skill. At that moment, he also thought of stealing those coins for his own purpose. In a blink, tens of invisible webs came out from his hand and started spreading all over the gold mountain like a web. Whenever those invisible strings touch the gold coins, the coins, along with the nearby gold coins, also began to vibrate for a second and turned into ashes! ''As I expected, this Amber Curse can indeed influence the reality through one''s thought.'' Charles focused his full attention on the skill for the next five minutes and finally withdrew his hand. Unlike before, the mountain of gold coins was nowhere to be seen! Instead, there were only gray ashes remained on the floor! "Hmm, it''s time for the finale." Charles turned around, took out the Starfall Codex Magic Book, and started to flip the pages. Soon, Charles stopped at the final page and started to chant in Runal Language. ¡­ In the meantime, a blonde-haired man arrived in front of the Tower of Elements and started walking into it. He was none other than Red Prince! He soon reached the firstyer and saw hundreds of mages were roaming here and there. "This hall looks a mess." He muttered slowly and then took out the ck-covered book from his space ring. After that, he closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. A rare smile appeared on his face. "I got you now, Charles." Red Prince held the book in his right hand and started walking towards the left side corridor. He walked past many ssrooms, halls and soon appeared in front of the straight staircase. He then took a step forward and started moving upstairs. Three minutester, he finally reached the fifth floor and started walking towards the right-side corridor. After another minute of walking, he arrived in front of the eye-symbol engraved door and soon furrowed his brows. He didn''t barge into the hall, though. Instead, he once again opened the ck-covered book and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, he opened his eyes, let out a deep sigh, and opened the iron door. After that, he walked inside and soon got confused as he saw only grey ashes spread all over therge hall! ''Where is he?'' He started walking towards the center of the hall, squatted down, and touched the ashes in puzzlement. ''Why there are so many ashes inside?'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment and was about to open the ck-covered book to check for variations but stopped. At that moment, he sensed a presence at the entrance and turned around in surprise. He soon saw a deep-blue-haired man standing in front of the metal gate and grinned. "We finally met, Charles." A cold voice came out from Red Prince''s mouth. In the meantime, Charles curled his lips upward, used the [Hand of Mystery] skill, locked the metal door from inside, and focused his attention on the unique contract mark in his Inner World. ''Release the final mimic, Mr. Rh.'' He spoke in his mind. ¡­ At the exact moment, Seventh Layer, Museum Hall, Section 49. The red gem, hidden in the cubic ss, suddenly started to vibrate and soon turned into a disk-shaped metal te. A momentter, multiple rm bells started to ring everywhere! ¡­ Outside the Tower of Elements, A ck-haired woman in herte twenties stood at the entrance of Mystics'' Borough and was sending out multiple orders to mages, Tower Guards, and the elite Royal Guards. She was one of the four Tower Masters, Destiny Lady! Her raging scarlet eyes scanned the Fate strings from time to time like a machine and began to search for the origin of these variations. As she was about to give anothermand to the nearby mage, her eyes widened all of a sudden! She instantly turned around and stared at the eighth floor in shock. ''Someone stole the Divine Blood droplet!'' She instantly realized that this wholemotion was a distraction and gritted her teeth in anger. "Fate Swift." She spoke in a sharp voice and then disappeared from there. A momentter, she appeared in front of the cubic ss, ced in Section 49, Museum Hall. Her long ck hair fluttered on its own as she focused her gaze on the disk, ced inside the cubic ss, and soon squinted her eyes. She soon read the few words written on the metal disk. "If you want the Divine Blood,e to Zephine''s locker in Fifth Layer. -By Red Prince." "HEATHEN!" The surrounding artifacts and the nearby areas suddenly started to freeze as she shouted in a cold voice. She instantly linked her mind with the Tower Spirit and gave out an order in a chilling tone. "Gen, Lock the whole Tower. Nobody should go out or get in for the next few hours. No, use the Rank-5 Dimension Lock spell and seal the Tower." Saying so, she punched the cubic ss, took the metal disk, and muttered in a cold tone. "Fate Swift." Chapter 135: Exposed Chapter 135: Exposed A momentter, Destiny Lady appeared right next to Charles and then looked around in confusion. "Ashes¡­ Amber Curse?" Her eyes soon widened in surprise. She turned her gaze towards the blonde-haired man and soon furrowed her brows. "You are Red Prince?" She asked. In the meantime, Red Prince got utterly stunned by her arrival and narrowed his eyes. ''Why is she here?'' At that moment, he also turned his gaze towards the nearby ashes and soon widened his eyes. ''Something is not right! Why there are so many ashes here?¡­ Wait¡­ Could it be the cause of Amber Curse?'' He clearly remembered that Charles was affected by the Wealth Curse and soon began to think. ''He first killed Lydia¡­ Then, he turned his appearance into the Professor''s one and hid in the Tower of Elements¡­ Then there is the bigmotion that almost caused countless variations in Fate¡­ Even when I checked my Destiny Guide, I saw no variations in the Fate at all. So, I didn''t put much thought into the outsidemotion and thought it was a perfect opportunity to sneak inside the tower and kill Charles¡­ This situation¡­ Is he the one who nned all this? Where is the Holem''s Crown? Did he lure me here on purpose?'' A cold glint appeared in Red Prince''s eyes as he thought of such possibility. ''I really did underestimate Eve''s son.'' He let out a deep sigh and muttered. "Fate Swift." A secondter, his face turned serious as he felt that his fate skill was not activating at all! ''Someone locked the space?'' He soon moved his gaze towards the ck-haired woman. Meanwhile, Destiny Lady turned her gaze towards Charles and soon furrowed her brows. "Robert? What are you doing here?" She asked. Upon hearing her question, Charles changed his face into an anxious one, pointed his forefinger at Red Prince, and spoke in trembling tone. "He¡­ He killed Professor Warren!" "What did you say?!" A freeze aura came out from Destiny Lady''s body, and soon icyyers started to form on the concrete floor. Charles wiped the sweats on his forehead and continued in the same trembling voice. "I-I came to the fifthyer to look for ritual materials, Tower Master. But when I entered the Storage Hall, I saw P-Professor Warren''s corpse on the floor. Someone slit his throat and killed him." Saying so, Charles turned his gaze towards Red Prince and continued. "I hurriedly walked out of the Storage Hall in fear and then thought of informing others. But when I walk past the Amber Hall, I heard footsteps from inside. With some courage, I walked into this hall and saw this man turning all those gold coins to ashes. Then, you appeared, Tower Master." The corner of Red Prince''s lips twitched as he saw Charles''s acting. If not for him being the victim, even he would have believed his words. In the meantime, Destiny Lady nodded her head and started walking towards Red Prince. Whenever she took a step forward, countless icy spikes would pop out from the ground and spread towards the surroundings continuously. "It looks like talking won''t solve the problem." Red Prince muttered in a grave tone, conjured a ball of ck fire, and turned it into a long sharp sword. The sword appeared eerie and gave off a feeling of wickedness. Charles''s eyes squinted as he saw the ck me. ''This should be the Hell Fire.'' He nodded thoughtfully, straightened his back, and got ready for the battle. On the other hand, a think crystal-like de appeared in Destiny Lady''s hand as she tilted her hand and threw it towards Red Prince. With a whooshing sound, the de tore through the air and moved forward at a fast speed. Watching this, Red Prince suddenly curled his lips upward and spoke in an unknownnguage. The next instant, Destiny Lady felt her vision blurred all of a sudden! Before she could think further, she found herself standing at the center of the hall! Not only that, but she also saw her own ice deing towards her throat at a fast speed! At that moment, she realized that the other party was also the [Fate Warden] ss and turned serious. The next second, countless fate strings appeared in her mind and soon formed into hundreds of visions. "Hmm? Your target is Robert?" She tilted her head in confusion and waved her hand. A momentter,yers of crystalline Ice shields appeared in front of her and blocked the ice de. She then tapped her foot on the floor and disappeared from there. The next instant, her figure suddenly appeared in front of Charles while showing her back to him. But unlike before, she held a strange eye-like thing in her hand and spoke in a calm tone. "Let the ''Blood'' decides your Fate." The next moment, Charles and Red Prince saw cracks appear all over the floor and soon began to change into red sandy soil. At that moment, they heard a rippling water sound from their right side and turned their heads in unison. There, they saw an eerie river filled with a reddish liquid. "Blood River!" A grim look appeared on Red Prince''s face as he took a step back and looked around. The surrounding had already turned into apletely different scene filled with barrennds, strange blood rivers, ponds, and creepy leafless trees. Not only that, but they also heard cawing noises from the sky and widened their eyes in shock. Up in the dark sky, they saw thousands of ravens and crows were circling in the sky and appeared to be watching their prey. A chill went up to Charles''s spine as he felt countless eerie gazes from all directions! ''An Illusion?'' At that moment, Red Prince frowned a bit and was about to inhale the air but froze. ''There is no air here!'' He felt suffocated all of a sudden. His eyes soon turned redder, and he started to feel heavy in his chest area. ''Did someone pull us into their own Domain?'' His pupil contracted as he thought of a possibility. ''This looks more like a Blood Domain¡­ No, it''s not a real domain. A Pseudo-Domain?'' He began to think faster in his mind. Meanwhile, Charles also began to sweat all over. ''This is not in my n.'' He took a breath and soon noticed strangeness. ''I can breathe normally?'' He blinked his eyes in surprise. ''Could it be because of the [Sun re] spell?'' He nodded inwardly and then started to act like he was also having a hard time breathing. Simultaneously, he showed nervousness on his face and then looked at the ck-haired woman in wariness. She was the only one who stood on the reddishnd with a calm expression on her face! No, she even inhales and exhales from time to time and appeared rxed in the filthy atmosphere! Upon noticing Charles''s gaze, she turned her head towards his direction and let out a chuckle. "Do you think you could fool me with your pathetic acting, Imposter? Now, die." Saying so, she conjured a reddish ice de and swiftly threw it in his direction. Chapter 136: Blood Domain Chapter 136: Blood Domain In a blink, the de tore through the air and appeared in front of Charles''s face. As it was about to touch his forehead, a yellowish transparent shield suddenly appeared in front of his forehead and broke the ice de into multiple pieces! Even Destiny Lady got stunned for a moment before realizing that the other party had already cast a defensive spell on himself. At that moment, Charles took two steps back and spoke in a hurry. "I surrender, My Lady. Although my defensive spell can block your normal attacks, I won''t be able to block them for too long." He paused for a moment and then added. "I actually came to this Tower to help you kill this Devil." "Devil? What do you mean?" Destiny Lady suddenly halted her footsteps and zeroed her focus on Red Prince. In Churches'' eyes, Devil and otherworldly creatures were taboo life forms and were needed to be eradicated from this world. So, when she heard his words, she instantly turned solemn. Charles also looked at Red Prince with a cold look on his face and started to speak with a righteous tone. "He is an avatar of some high-ranked Devil from the Hell ne and sneaked into the Tower of Elements to achieve something big, My Lady. If not, why would a Rank-4 member create suchrgemotion outside the city and lure you out of the Tower?" Destiny Lady went silent as she heard those words from Charles''s mouth. She soon shook her head and asked in a sharp tone. "If he came here to achieve something big, what are you after then?" An awkward smile appeared on Charles''s face as he rubbed his chin and spoke without any fear. "I came here to steal something, My Lady. But now, I''m regretting my earlier action." Before she could further question him, Charles pointed his finger at Red Prince and added. "He already started to chant." At that moment, Destiny Lady gave him one fierce re and soon turned her gaze towards Red Prince. Like Charles had told her, Red Prince had already taken out some a heart-like organ, ced it on his left hand, and started to chant in an unknownnguage. Meanwhile, his Destiny Guide book had already opened and was hovering in front of him! Suddenly, he gripped the ck me sword tighter with his other hand, tilted it in a weird angle, and threw it towards the sky! It flew towards the dark sky at a fast speed and soon disappeared from everyone''s eyes. Seeing his strange action, Charles ced his hands on his hip and spoke like an expert in that field. "Yes, I heard this type of ng before. It''s definitely a Devil''s Tongue." "Could you please shut your mouth for a while?" Destiny Lady said in a sharp voice and then turned her gaze towards Red Prince. She soon saw a 5 meter tall illusionary humanoid figure starting to take form behind him! ''This chatterbox seems to have known more about this blonde.'' Destiny Lady thought inwardly and then waved her hands. The blood river suddenly started to stop flowing a momentter, and soon a giant snake came out from it. Unlike an ordinary snake, this one was made entirely of blood and appeared sinister and eerie. It was twenty metersrge and could swallow two humans in one go! Under Destiny Lady''s order, it slithered in the air and moved towards Red Prince quickly. On the other hand, Red Prince took few steps backward while chanting and nodded his head. At the exact time, the tall illusionary devil form finally took shape and stepped forward. This illusionary Devil had two goat-like horns, a reddish face, a sharp ckish tail, and a giant-like body. The strange creature suddenly crouched down a bit and leaped towards the sky all of a sudden. Simultaneously, two illusionary ck wings appeared on its back, pped twice, and made the Devil propel faster. The Devil shot up towards the blood snake like an arrow! At the exact moment, arge 3-meter long ck sword fell from the sky and appeared right beside the illusionary Devil. With a smirk on its face, the Devil suddenly stretched out its right hand, grabbed the sword hilt with its w-like hand, and shed it towards the blood snake. The ck sword made a screeching noise and cleaved the snake into multiple pieces! But a momentter, the sliced pieces started to gather together and formed into a newly formed snake. But unlike the previous one, this one appeared pitch ck! With its creepy ck eyes, the snake turned its gaze towards Charles and made a loud hiss. "It seems he already snatched your pet, My Lady," Charlesmented while taking another two steps. Before Destiny Lady could say another word, Red Prince suddenly stopped his chanting, turned his gaze towards her, and spoke with an eerie smile on his face. "Breaking a fully formed domain is an impossible task for me, mortal. But this one is nothing in front of me." Once he said those his words, he opened his arms wider andughed wickedly. At that moment, two pitch-ck wings appeared behind his back and started pping on their own. Within two seconds, he flew up and looked down at them with a creepy smile on his face. Meanwhile, Destiny Lady let out a deep sigh and rose towards the sky. "It seems that Chatterbox''s words are not wrong. Hmm, you are indeed a Devil and also seemed to be a noble one." She suddenly paused in mid-air and continued with a mischievous smile on her face. "But this is not the Hell ne, moron. You are in our domain." Once she finished those words, tens of giant blood snakes started to slither out from the rivers and started moving towards the sky! Not only the snakes but the ravens and crows also started to descend and started circling Destiny Lady! Upon witnessing this scene, Charles subconsciously thought of his favorite anime character. He then frowned a moment and soon felt a change in his vision. No, he saw tens of future images and soon looked up at the sky. Soon, his gaze zeroed on the Devil''s incarnation. "It seems Red Prince wants to kill me using this Devil''s incarnation." Charles suddenly opened the Starfall Codex book, flipped it to the 19th page, and started chanting in a Runal Language. At that moment, the mighty 5-meter tall Devil''s incarnation descended from the sky and appeared in front of Charles. "Puny mortal," It let out a wickedugh, raised its long ck me sword, and mmed on towards his head! But to its astonishment, a transparentter of me appeared above his head andpletely blocked it! Upon witnessing such a scene, the smile on the wicked being''s face suddenly disappeared. Instead, a serious expression appeared! But it didn''t give up, though. The Devil once again raised its me sword and started attacking him. On the other hand, Destiny Lady crossed her arms and looked at her opponent with cold eyes. At that moment, those blood snakes, ravens, and crows attacked the Red Prince from every angle. But whenever a creature gets close to him, some ck me would appear out of nowhere and kill it on the spot. Red Prince held a ck-covered book in his hand and seemed to be calcting something. Watching his indifferent actions, Destiny Lady frowned deeply. ''He doesn''t even consider me as his opponent.'' A cold glint appeared in her eyes. Without even waiting for a second, she zeroed her gaze on his body and spoke in a cold tone. "Blood Shackle." For the first time, Red Prince showed a shocked expression on his face. ''She stopped my body''s blood cirction!'' His mind went nk for a moment, and soon he fell from the sky! Chapter 137: A Smile of Ridicule Chapter 137: A Smile of Ridicule Charles suddenly felt that his body blood pressure was starting to slow down! Although Destiny Lady''s strange skill wasn''t as effective as on Red Prince''s body, it still caused Charles to breathe harder. Next, his limbs also started to go numb. ''Damn it, do I have to use myst card now?'' He thought for a moment and soon shook his head. ''I can manage.'' He then focused his attention on the Starfall Codex Magic Book and continued to chant in Runal Language. At the exact moment, he also took out the Ember Pistol from his space ring, aimed it towards the Red Prince, turned the hammer, and squeezed the trigger. The Devil''s Incarnation also noticed his action and tried its best to block the crimson bullet, but it couldn''t! The crimson bullet tore through the air and almost appeared in front of Red Prince''s face. At that moment, Red Prince''s falling body also reached the ground. His head was only a few feet away from crashing on the ground! As the bullet was about tond on his right side cheek, he suddenly twisted his lips and spat out two words. "Fate Change." In an instant, his body suddenly stopped falling and suspended in the air! The crimson bullet directlynded on his face, tore through his cheek, and was about to explode but stopped. No, a pitch-ck me suddenly came out of his cheek and devoured the crimson bullet in a blink. Only a few droplets of blood fell from his cheek! In the meantime, Destiny Lady''s body went stiff all of a sudden. Her scarlet eyes widened as she understood that the enemy had used [Fate Change] skill and directed it on her own body! "Disperse." She shouted in a hurry. After that, she took out a white amulet from her space ring, ced it over her chest, and exhaled. The next instant, arcs of electric sparks came out from the amulet and spread all over her body for a second before disappearing! Then, her body''s blood cirction began to stabilize and returned to normal in seconds. On the other hand, Red Prince let out a loud grunt and started pping his ck wings once again. "You are seeking death." He spoke as he looked at Charles for a moment and spat a mouthful of blood. Reddish ck liquid came out from his mouth and fell like raindrops. Unknown to Red Prince and Destiny Lady, a single drop of blood didn''t fall on the ground. Instead, it started flying towards Charles at a fast speed! It was due to Charles''s [Hand of Mystery] skill! In three seconds, the blood droplet suddenly appeared in front of the Starfall Codex Magic Book. ''Hmm, my next job is to put the blood on this 19th page right corner and let it absorb into the book.'' Charles controlled the blood droplet and let it slowlynd on the page. If someone looks closely at the spell page, they would see that even the spell name was covered in white paint. Charles was following his n all this time, and even he knew nothing about this spell name or the spell''s effect. When Charles made the n, hepletely sealed his memory about this spell inside his Incarnation and hid it in his Inner-World. As the blood droplet touched the page, the ck-covered book suddenly turned eerier, and it even started to emit dim red light! "What are you doing, mortal?" Devil''s Incarnation also got started for a moment as it noticed the strangeness and asked in puzzlement. Soon, it let out a chuckle and added while mming its ck sword against the [Sun''s re] spell. "Futile. You are nothing but a pawn, Charles. Give up and die." In the meantime, ck fires appeared from Red Prince''s body, soon fell on the ground, and then started moving towards the blood river quickly. Red Prince''s face was also covered in sweats and appeared paler. ''I''m holding my breath for more than a minute and I''m already starting to feel dizzy. I won''t be able to stay here for more than 30 seconds.'' He thought inwardly and continued to hold his breath. Anyone could tell that he was severely wounded inside and was in a dangerous situation. Destiny Lady didn''t even nce at Red Prince''s body condition and spoke in a cold tone. "Let''s see who is seeing death here." Once she finished those words, she conjured an ice arrow, aimed it towards the blood river, and released it. Before the ck fire could touch the blood river, the crystalline ice arrow entered the river andpletely froze it! "Your ck fire can indeed pollute the blood river. But can it do the same to ice? Moreover, you thought of absorbing the life energy in the river to regain some strength, right? Too bad, I already saw through your n." A mocking grin appeared on her face. Simultaneously, her scarlet eyes started to flicker. A momentter, the whole frozen blood river started to tremble. Then, the ice river started to mold and soon formed into a monstrous red crystalline snake! It was a hundred timesrger than those previous snakes! It had gem-like ck eyes, its icy reddish scales were sharp as knives, and its two poisonous fangs appeared pitch ckish color! The crystalline snake raised its head and started slithering towards Devil''s Incarnation at a fast speed. Each of its movements caused the nearby area to vibrate. Within two seconds, it arrived in front of the Devil''s Incarnation, opened its wide mouth, and swallowed it directly. Although the Devil''s Incarnation used its ck de to resist, the crystalline snake''s fangs directly tore through the Incarnation and soon broke it into multiple pieces. The snake then looked at Charles for a moment, then slithered towards the sky, and soon appeared beside Destiny Lady. Like a real Goddess of Snake, Destiny Ladynded on the crystalline snake''s head and stood on it. Although she noticed that Charles was doing something sneakily, she didn''t put much thought into it and focused her full attention on Red Prince. Meanwhile, Red Prince blinked his eyes as he saw the crystalline snake and then looked around in confusion and puzzlement. "This is not a Pseudo Doman¡­ This¡­ Is it a Pocket Dimension?" He asked while raising his brows. An amusing smile appeared on Destiny Lady''s face as she shook her head and chuckled. "You are only Half-Correct, Devil. This world is a Pocket Dimension but it also has the power of Pseudo Domain." "Wait¡­ Did you guys use a Series Artifact to strengthen this Pocket Dimension and turn it into a Fake ne? Hmm, that exins why you control the world like your own Inner-World. So, the one who maniptes the blood abilities is not you, but the Series Artifact, huh." Red Prince wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and cheek and nodded his head in understanding. "Impressive. But why are you still showing a calm expression on your face?" This time, Destiny Lady showed a confused expression. At that moment, she suddenly felt a sharp headache from the depth of her head. Confusion and puzzlement appeared on her face, and soon she felt her heart began to beat faster. ''It''s a premonition.'' She also felt her own Fate Strings began to waver a bit. She hurriedly took out a scroll from her space ring and asked in an anxious tone. "Who are you?" Upon hearing those words, the corner of Red Prince''s lips suddenly curled upward and formed into a grin. He then bowed his head and spoke with a polite smile on his face. "I''m the former Devil Lord of Fate and Destiny." Once he finished those words, Destiny Lady suddenly felt a chill crept up to her spine! Simultaneously, a dense amount of chaotic ck energy started to gather around Red Prince''s body. "Devil Lord of Fate and Destiny¡­ Red Prince¡­ Goat Horns¡­ Wait¡­ Are you the Red Devil? Oh, Holy God of Blood! You must be the terrifying abomination who once invaded our with an army of 10 million devils!" Her eyes widened in shock and terror! She clearly knew about the history of nar wars and got panicked inside. Upon seeing her panicking expression, a pleased smile appeared on Red Prince''s face. But a secondter, that smile disappeared. With an rmed look on their faces, both Red Prince and Destiny Lady turned their heads towards Charles in unison. Meanwhile, Charles held an eerie book in his hand, ended his chant, and then started to smile. It was a smile of ridicule! Simultaneously, the Incarnation inside his Inner World released some specific memory about the spell, its effects, and a few bits of his original n! "Charles! No!" Red Prince suddenly felt a new type of change in his own Fate and bellowed in anger and hate. For the first time, he felt a strong sense of danger! At that moment, Destiny Lady also understood that Charles was the one who created the wholemotion to distract her and became stunned! Soon, rage appeared in her scarlet eyes. Before they could say another word, Charles lifted his hand, pointed his finger at Red Prince, and spoke. "Life Curse." A momentter, Red Prince suddenly felt his mortal human body started to weaken. Chapter 138: Charless Plan Chapter 138: Charles''s n "Curse Magic?" Destiny Lady turned her gaze towards Charles and squinted her eyes. Meanwhile, Charles''s face appeared pale, and he looked like he had aged a little in those few seconds. His face seemed to be rougher, and he even had a ck beard now. He now looked like 50 to 55-years-old Professor Robert! ''I lost 10 years of my lifespan.'' He muttered inwardly. But there was a satisfactory smile on his face. He finally achieved his goal. Soon, he coughed a little and then turned his gaze towards the Starfall Codex Magic Book. In the meantime, the neenth page started to burn fiercely in white me and soon disappeared from there! ''Although I can''t use this spell anymore, this is totally worth it.'' He let out a heavy sigh. When Charles made his n in the Inner World, he first thought about his future. Although he had the system to help him grow faster, he knew that there was a limitation to its abilities. Moreover, Charles only had ''High'' level Fire affinity! So, he instantly thought of stealing the Ancient Light God''s blood droplet to increase his affinity. But that was actually one of his missions, though. Charles clearly remembered his weakness and already aware that a terrifying Devil called ''Red Prince'' was searching for him everywhere. Although he could fool a normal mage by manipting his thoughts with the power of the Inner World, he wasn''t so sure about his abilities to trick someone like Red Prince. Moreover, Red Prince was a being who tricked the Eternal River of Life and reincarnated in this Edhen for whatever reason. He must have lived more than thousands of years. Would thousands of years old Devile to this World without any backup ns? No. Charles knew that Red Prince might have already prepared multiple ns for his future advancement! What would happen when he advances to a Rank-5 Existence? He would have an easier time finding Charles and might kill him before he bes a Rank-4 Mage! Think about the hidden threat; Charles first thought of creating some big obstacle and dys Red Prince''s future advancement. At that moment, he recalled the Starfall Codex Magic Book''s 19th-page curse spell and began to ponder. Unlike other spells, this one was a unique Rank-5 Life Curse Spell! Moreover, it was a one-time spell with some restrictions. To cast the curse spell, he needed a drop of opponent''s blood and also had to spend ten years of his lifespan! Charles almost dropped the idea as he saw the one-time spell''s restrictions. But when he encountered Lydia ''coincidentally,'' he gained some confidence. He then asked the Holem''s Crown''s other abilities and created a backup n if there was a failure. Thankfully, Charles somehow managed to seed in his n. ''Hmm, next is about my escape. It seems I have to wait for some time.'' Nodding his head, Charles found a safe area to stand and waited. At that moment, Red Prince''s face went pale as a white sheet. He felt some invisible mark appeared in the depths of his soul and was started sucking his life force! "Charles! You-" Before he could say another word, Destiny Lady regained her sense and attacked him with ice spears. Countless red spears rained down from the dark sky and fell on Red Prince. "I will deal with youter." He suddenly spoke in a hateful tone and then turned his gaze towards Destiny Lady. At this moment, her ck hair fluttered continuously, and she looked more like an Ice Goddess. Up against countless ice spears, Red Prince hurriedly released ck balls of mes and made them hover above his head like a dark, eerie cloud. Although those mes managed to burn the icy spears, some managed to escape from those clouds and caused multiple injuries all over his bodies. In seconds, Red Prince started to cough violently and then spoke in a bone-chilling voice. "In the name of Ror''giren Buzrol, I hereby summon the ''Will'' of First Hell!" The next instant, a crack appeared behind him and soon started to expand. In a second, the whole pocket dimension began to shake fiercely, causing earthquakes everywhere! "Oh? Are you nning to use the Hell ne''s ''Will'' to break this pocket dimension and escape? Naive! Hehe, do you really think I will let you seed?" Destiny Lady instantly saw through his n and smiled. But her current smile appeared wicked and eerie! Charles suddenly recalled Rh''s warning about the Hell-Fire. ''He said that it could even affect one''s mind and turn them into a wicked being.'' He subconsciously turned his gaze towards the surroundings and soon breathed out a sigh of relief. ''The [Sun''s re] spell is really useful against these ck mes.'' On the other hand, Destiny Lady first flew up and let the crystalline blood snake attack Red Prince. Meanwhile, Red Prince conjured a terrifying ball of ck me with a radius of 20 diameters and threw it towards the snake. Both sides started to battle continuously. In mere ten seconds, the ice particles and eerie ck mes were the only ones that covered the nearby areas. Stones and sand sttered everywhere and turned the battlefield gloomy. Not only that, but some chaotic ck energies also started creeping into the pocket dimension through the crack and started polluting the atmosphere. Up against Red Prince''s terrifying ck fire, the monstrous crystalline blood snake stood no chance and was already on the brink of breaking down into ice crystals. Charles stared at the crack that appeared behind Red Prince and soon noticed that it had long started spreading to the nearby surroundings. Spatial gaps began to appear in all corners of the pocket dimension. ''If Destiny Lady didn''t pull Red Prince out of this pocket dimension, it will crumble in minutes. She has two options now. One is to let Red Prince out of the pocket dimension, but the chance of him escaping from the Tower of Elements is very high. If she did that, it would definitely ruin her reputation, and she might face some difficulty. Moreover, I already stole the Divine''s ''Blood Droplet, so she will definitely face problems soon.'' ''The second one is to sacrifice this whole pocket dimension and kill Red Prince along with it. Of course, Red Prince might have other trump cards in his sleeves and he might escape through the crack to the Hell ne. Either way, she will be the loser in this battle.'' Charles calmly analyzed the situation and waited for Destiny Lady''s decision. Like him, Destiny Lady also realized her situation and fell into deep thoughts. Finally, a deep sigh came out of her mouth. But she didn''t choose any of those two options, though. "Red Prince, you forgot one thing." She smiled all of a sudden. That smile gave a bad feeling to both Charles and Red Prince. "I''m not alone." She stated with a confident smile on her face. The next instant, another three figures appeared in the sky! They were the other three Tower Masters! All three of them showed confusion at first, and soon they turned their gaze towards Red Prince. One was a long, curly blonde-haired woman around 30 years old, while the other two were 60 to 70-year-old men. The blonde-haired woman appeared more like a terrifying sun while the other two seemed calm as an ocean. The blonde-haired woman had the same scarlet eyes as Destiny Lady and appeared simr facial appearance. Meanwhile, both men had deep-blue eyes and appeared around 170 to 180 high. One guy was a ck-haired man, while the other was a white-haired one. They appeared more like pr opposites. The white-haired man had a long beard and mustache and looked at the surroundings with a tired expression on his face. On the other hand, the ck-haired man showed an exciting smile on his face and appeared to be waiting for a battle. His face was clean shaved and appeared somewhat wrinkled. All three of them wore jade robes and gave off different kinds of auras. ''Tower Masters!'' Charles squinted his eyes as he evaded the thick red crystal and then frowned. On the other hand, Red Prince''s face turned icy cold. He didn''t waste a second before he raised his hand and spoke in an eerie voice. "In the name of Ror''giren Buzrol, I hereby summon the ''Will'' of Second Hell!" Upon hearing his words, Destiny Lady''s face went deathly pale! "F*ck!" She cursed out loud. She knew that if another ''Will'' of Hell ne were summoned into this pocket dimension, there would be no hope to save this pocket dimension at all. Although the possibility of Red Prince bluffing was high, she didn''t dare to take risks. ''It is not worth to sacrifice this dimension to kill some otherworldly creature.'' She nodded inwardly and pulled everyone from the pocket dimension. A momentter, Red Prince, Charles, Destiny Lady, and other three Tower masters appeared in arge hall. Chapter 139: Bounty Chapter 139: Bounty Charles breathed out a sigh of relief and soon noticed all of them were standing very closer to each other! Before he could think, a fierce yellowish me sword appeared in front of his face. But at the exact moment, a yellowish transparentyer appeared out of nowhere and blocked the sword. Unlike before, now a crack appeared on the yellowishyer! ''She is the Tower Master Harley. As expected of a Rank-4 Fire Mage, she can indeed break this spell.'' Charles took a step back without any dy, cast [Crimson Steps] spell, and backed away. Meanwhile, Harley became surprised for a moment and soon turned her attention to Red Prince. At that moment, Red Prince also disappeared from there and reappeared 20 feet away from where he stood before. He then ced his hand on his chest and inhaled deeply. ''I''m at my limit.'' He then coughed twice, took out a green-colored potion vial from his space ring, and drank it. "Surrender now, Devil." Harley pointed her sword at Red Prince and said in a cold tone. At that moment, the other two tower master also locked their gaze on him and got ready for another battle. Only Destiny Lady stood in silence for a moment and soon turned her head towards Charles. "You too, Imposter. Dismiss your shield spell and hand over the things you stole from this Tower. We will let you live." She said with a solemn expression on her face. "Hoho, you guys are indeed powerful. But to catch me, you need more help." Saying so, Charles took out a white card from his space ring and threw it upward. "The name is ''Ghost'', Good Luck." He added with a mischievous smile on his face. Simultaneously, he focused his attention on the unique mark in the depth of his mind and spoke inwardly. ''Mr. Rh, activate the ''Mark of Destination'' forbidden spell now.'' A secondter, a strange star tattoo appeared on Charles''s wrist area and started to shine. The next instant, he disappeared from the hall! Neither spatial fluctuation nor any abnormality appeared around Charles before he disappeared from the grand hall. It was actually a forbidden Rank-6 spell mark created by the Holem''s Crown toplete his grand scheme of Fake Reincarnation! [Ref. Chapter 54.] The artifact spent more than five years creating this spell mark. Even if Charles locked in another dimension, the Holem''s Crown could twist the void and pull him away from there while not leaking the spatial fluctuations. It was an advanced version of the ''Travel Leap'' spell! During the Unexplored Forest incident, Charles used the ''Contract of Imagination'' to trick the artifact andpletely ruined its n. He even enved it using the system''s power and made use of the artifact. When he asked about the artifact''s other abilities a few weeks ago, it told him about this strange mark. Upon hearing this mark''s effect, he instantly thought of putting it to good use. The reason he dared to take such a risk and created multiple ns was mainly because of this strange star mark! But when Destiny Lady pulled him and Red Prince into a strange dimension, he got worried inside. Although the Holem''s Crown told him that it could even pull him away from another dimension, he didn''t dare to take a risk and waited. He waited for her to pull him out from the Blood Pocket Dimension and finally used the chance to escape! "What happened?" Destiny Lady dumbly stared at the empty space for a whole two seconds and asked in shock. Everyone, including Red Prince, became stunned by the sudden escape and soon nced at each other. "Dimension Lock spell is still active, right?" At that moment, the ck-haired man asked with a frown. Destiny Lady closed her eyes for a moment and soon spoke while opening her eyes. "It is still active." Her eyes showed a confused look. "I should also take my leave, then." Red Prince suddenly interjected their conversation and added. "Break." A momentter, the whole Tower shook for a second and soon returned to normal. But unlike before, the Dimension Lock covering the Tower suddenly started to break and soon disappeared. Before others could act, Red Prince let out another loud cough and spoke. "Fate Shift." He also disappeared from there the next moment, leaving the Tower Masters alone in the grand hall. At that moment, the card that Charles threw towards the ceiling suddenly started to fall and soon appeared in front of Destiny Lady''s face. She swiftly caught the card and started to read the content written on the card. "Thanks for the Divine''s Blood Droplet, my darling. -By your secret lover." "I''m gonna kill this bastard!" A raging voice came out from her mouth. In the meantime, Harley couldn''t hold back herughter andughed out loud. "Hahaha, you finally got a secret lover, Natalia." "This is not funny, sis." Destiny Lady suppressed her anger and added. "We need to find a way and search for his real identity, sister. Why did Amber Church put a curse on him?" She suddenly paused for a moment, closed her eyes, and soon recalled their previous battle. "I think that Devil called him using a name¡­ What is it? Ah, yes. It''s Charles." She opened her eyes wide and soon linked her mind with the Tower Spirit. Then, she organized her thoughts and spoke. ''Gen, search for the people who were cursed by the Amber Church in the nearby kingdoms. After that, see if there is someone named ''Charles'' in that list.'' ''Yes, Master.'' A monotonous voice echoed in her head. In two seconds, a piece of information appeared in her mind. "Charles Nightwind, huh." She muttered the name and soon started reading all the information about him. "He went to Unexplored Forest and disappeared seven months ago? Then, who is this Devil?" Although she got the basic information about Charles, she still felt clueless about him. She soon turned her gaze towards the other Tower Master and asked. "How much bounty should we put on his head now?" Upon hearing those words, all of them nced at each other and soon fell into deep thoughts. A few secondster, Harleybed her curly blonde hair and spoke in a solemn tone. "Put an amount of 50,000 Moon gold coins on Charles''s head. As for the Devil named ''Red Prince'', send a detailed report to the Sacred Assembly and let the Churches take care of this otherworldly creature. From the looks of it, the Red Devil somehow lost his throne and only posses a small amount of power in the First Layer of Hell." "Yes, sister." Destiny Lady nodded her head while the other two men quietly shrugged their shoulders. ¡­ Meanwhile, a group of four kids, who were around 13 to 15 years old, walked on a dirt path and seemed to be looking around the surroundings cautiously from time to time. They were Jessie, Titus, Rhea, and Noel! After they left Chester City, they asked the guards about the right direction to New Town and started their journey. It''s been already five hours since they started their journey, but they still couldn''t see a building. "It''s already 6 P.M. If we didn''t reach the town before nightfall, we might get into deep trouble-." Jessie suddenly paused as she felt that someone was standing behind her. As she was about to turn around, she suddenly felt that her whole body started to freeze for a moment. She couldn''t blink her eyes, nor could she make a sound! Not only her, but other kids also felt the same feeling and got terrified inside. Meanwhile, Charles stood behind her, activated his [Disguise] skill, and changed his appearance into a white-haired old man''s one. ''Mr. Rh, you can dismiss the skill now.'' Charles said in his mind. A momentter, Jessie and others noticed that they had regained their ability to move. On the other hand, Charles shifted his attention towards the Game-Interface and soon raised his eyebrows as he saw a notification. [Host obtained a new title called ''Chaos Maker''!] [Chaos Maker: You created great chaos in the Moon Kingdom and caused countless losses to Amber Church, Moon Church, and the Royal Family of Moon. This ''Chaos Maker'' title is given to those who walk on the path of destruction and will present you with a slight boost whenprehending any chaos-type skills or magic spells.] [Your [Incinerate] spell attack has been raised by 5%!] The corner of his lips started to twitch as he saw the list of notifications. "You guys did a great job," Charles said in an old man''s voice. Chapter 140: Ritual Chapter 140: Ritual "Teacher!" All four of them turned around in unison and shouted in excitement. "Did I scare you guys?" Charles let out a chuckle and asked in amusement. Meanwhile, Jessie and the other kids made a forced smile and shook their heads. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown in Jessie''s hand flew out on its own and soon formed into a ck cane. Charles swiftly caught the cane, gripped the handle, and stood with its support. Then, he turned his gaze towards Noel as he raised his hand, pointed his finger at the red-gem embedded ring, and spoke. "Noel, give that ring. I will do some alteration and add a protect spell matrix in it." He paused for a moment as he saw envious gazes from the other three kids and added. "You three would also get something forpleting your personal missions." Upon hearing those words, Noel hurriedly took the ring from his finger and passed it to Charles. After taking the ring, Charles silently stored it in his space ring and then looked at the surroundings. They were currently standing near a small rocky hill, and the surrounding areas were filled with cactus nts, yellow alpine alyssums, bur oak, neem tree, blue fescue, and rocky cresses. ''This kingdom really is a dry area.'' He thought. Then, he turned his attention towards the western sky and furrowed his brows. ''It''s gettingte.'' He raised his hand, rubbed his chin, and spoke with a thoughtful look on his face. "We should find a safe ce near this hill and camp here. Traveling during night time is not safer." "I also thought of the same, Teacher." Jessie tersely acknowledged and started talking out few long swords from her void pouch. "We will gather woods for campfire from the nearby areas." She added. "That would be helpful," Charles responded with a pleased smile and soon turned his gaze towards the left side. Unlike other areas, that ce appeared clean, as if someone had already removed the weeds and nts. "Let''s camp there," Charles said. "Teacher, that ce is so close to this dirt road." She hesitated for a moment and soon continued. "Some merchant caverns mighte during nighttime and disturb our sleep." Upon hearing her words, Charles shook his head and spoke. "We are not here to enjoy our sleep,ss. In truth, this ce is most suitable for camping. If we came in some deep areas, we might let our guard down, go into a deep sleep, and get ambushed by bandits or thievester. But if we choose this ce, we will always be half-sleep and would wake up even if we hear a slight noise. During camping outside, one must always be in vignce." An awkward smile appeared on Jessie''s face as she realized her mistake and nodded. "I learned something new today." She muttered. On the other hand, Charles also nodded his head and spoke with a solemn look on his face. "You guys go and prepare the campfire. I have some work to do, and I might take two to three hours to return." Without waiting for their reply, Charles turned his head towards the small rocky hill and started to walk. He crossed many cactus nts and soon arrived near the rocky hill. After that, he started climbing on the small hill, reached the t summit, and stopped in front of arge t rock that could almost cover 4 to 5 in diameter. Although there were up and down in the rock, Charles didn''t put much thought into it and started his work. He first took out a golden-covered book and held it in his hand. Then, he went towards the nearby round rock, ced the ck cane beside it, and started walking towards the t rock. ''First I have to draw the ritual circle.'' He muttered inwardly, took out a white chalk piece, and started drawing a ritual circle. ''After I left the Tower of Elements, my heart is beating abnormally. This is definitely a premonition.'' Charles''s eyes constantly flickered as he entirely focused his attention on drawing the ritual circle. If it were a few months ago, he wouldn''t have put much thought into this uneasy feeling. But after he learns more about the Trickster ss, he clearly knew that it was rted to his future. His mind started to think at a fast speed as he sensed the urgency. ''Someone is targeting me. And, it is definitely those Tower Masters. They might have done countless research about this blood droplet and might be using some method to track the location of the Ancient Light God''s blood droplet.'' Charles didn''t dare to dy any longer and continued to draw the ritual circle. After 10 minutes, he finally finished drawing theplicated ritual circle and tossed the chalk towards his left side. He then took out twelve Fire Stones from his space ring and ced them on the ritual circle''s twelve corners. After that, he took out twelve Red Fruits and twelve different types of fire-elemental herbs and followed the same procedure. Once he ced them in the right ces, he took out twelve candles from his space ring, put them beside the ritual materials, and lit them one by one. Following that, Charles took out a red vial, opened it lightly, and let a single drop of a red liquid drop on the burning fire of the candle. Once the red droplet touched the fire, the fire turned dense red and started to burn fiercely! He went near the next candle without any dy and poured another droplet of red liquid into the fire. He patiently did this procedure and soon poured the 12th droplet on the 12th candle. After that, he went towards the center of the ritual circle, opened the golden covered book, and started reciting the ritual song. The song was filled with different kinds of emotions. It ignited some fire in all the nearby living creatures'' hearts! The first verse made the creatures feel the deep anger in their hearts. The second verse made the creatures feel joy. The third verse made the creatures feel sad! In seconds, Charles''s melodic voice started to echo in all directions, causing the nearby birds and animals to howl, chirp, and sing in unison! The ritual continued for the next five minutes and then ended along with a loud hum! At that moment, those red fires in the candles started to spread towards him from all directions and started enveloping him. Soon, twelve rings of fire appeared from his head to toe! The next moment, Charles saw an unbound invisible power tore through space and descended on the ritual circle. He felt a strong impulse to kneel, but he resisted with all his might. Soon, a dense reddish firended in front of him and formed into a shape of a humanoid figure. Then, the humanoid figure spoke in a strangenguage, but Charles clearly understood its meaning. "Sacrifice." That was the thought that came to his mind. Charles took out the Fire Fiend''s heart without any dy, tossed it towards the reddish humanoid form, bowed his head, and spoke. "I request the ''Will'' of Moris Elemental ne to bestow me an elemental imprint." Once he finished his words, the humanoid reddish figure moved its right hand and sent out a small red thread towards him. Before Charles could blink, he felt arge fire-imprint appeared in the depth of his Inner World! It appeared more like arge magic circle! In an instant, a dense amount of fire elemental energies wereing through the elemental imprint, entering the Inner World, and caused major changes! Chapter 141: Genius Level Affinity Chapter 141: Genius Level Affinity Before the ''Will'' could withdraw from Edhen, Charles suddenly took out the red-droplet embedded ring. Upon sensing the power hidden in the Blood Droplet, the reddish humanoid figure suddenly stopped its movement and focused its attention on the blood droplet. ''The ne''s ''Will'' really seem to have emotions.'' Charles raised his hand and tossed it towards the reddish humanoid figure. Once the ringnded on the humanoid figure, a bright light appeared! It was so dazzling that it caused Charles to shut his eyes voluntarily! After two seconds, the brightness started to diminish and soon absorbed into the reddish humanoid figure. "State your request, mortal." The ''Will'' of Fire Elemental ne asked in a strange tone. Meanwhile, Charles nodded his head and spoke in a solemn tone. "I want you to increase my Fire Affinity." "Request epted." The same strange voice came from the reddish humanoid figure. A momentter, it raised its hand, created a drop of yellowish liquid, and sent it towards his chest. The yellowish ball flew slowly and soonnded on Charles''s body. The next instant, a yellowish fire started to spread and covered his whole body! Simultaneously, he felt a sharp pain from the depths of his mind as he shut his eyes in pain. Like a stabbing needle, the pain continued to remain for the next few seconds and then disappeared. When he opened his eyes, there was no humanoid figure remain on the ritual circle. At that moment, he suddenly felt a strange sensation and felt like he was reborn as new! ''Even though my body is bathing in fire, I didn''t even feel any pain at all. No, I''m feeling veryfortable.'' Simultaneously, he also felt some deep understanding of the yellowish fire. While he was in muse, Charles suddenly saw a few notifications in front of his eyes and soon widened his eyes. [Host''s mind is currently entering into an enlightened state!] [Host''s [me Body] spell model is being upgraded] [Please standby¡­] ¡­ Meanwhile, the twelve fire rings started to circle and soon entered his body. In a second, those twelve circles entered his mind and soon appeared in front of the [me Body] spell model. Charles hurriedly sat on the t rock, closed his eyes, and soon entered the Inner World. In a second, Charles appeared in front of the [me Body] spell model and soon widened his illusionary eyes. At that moment, multiple fire threads starteding out from those twelve fire circles and entered the spell model one by one. This process continued for the next five minutes, and soon those twelve circles got wholly absorbed into the spell model. A momentter, the spell model shone in bright light and appearedrger than the previous one. It looked like a web-like hexagonal-shaped red crystal! When Charles thought that the whole process was over, suddenly a long red lightning-like streak came out from the spell model and directly entered his body! Confusion appeared on Charles''s face and soon turned into a shock. At that moment, he felt that his whole body was electrocuted all of a sudden! Then, the streak of red lightning turned into minute lines and entered every part of his body. After that, those lines turned invisible and then disappeared! Charles instantly looked below and checked what the changes that appeared in the depths of his Inner World were. Unlike before, the whole world was now filled with dense elemental energy. Those energies even affected some of his illusions and turned most of the illusionary ces into fire-rted ones. ''No, those memories are still in my mind. The only change is that my whole Inner World seemed to be merging into one single world. Is it due to my Fire Mage ss?'' He pondered. Charles soon withdrew his consciousness and opened his eyes. Soon, he grinned as he saw a notification. [Rank-1 me Body spell model has been upgraded to Rank-2 Elemental Body spell model!] He stood up from the t rock and opened his arms wider. ''Let''s see how much fire I can control without casting the spells.'' He nodded thoughtfully and conjured a ball of fire. It soon erged into a 1-meter radius, then to a 5-meter radius, and soon formed into a 10-meter radius in size. With a simple thought, that giant fireball started to change shape and form arge bird-like structure! ''This¡­'' He stared at the terrifying bird with a wide gaped mouth and soon waved his hand. The monstrous bird started to shrink in size a momentter and condensed into a dark reddish spear. ''I can''t control this condensed me spear for a long time. Hmm, this spear seems to hold equal power as the ones Destiny Lady released during the battle. But unlike her, I can hardly produce one from my Inner World. If my guess is right, this spear might have the power to destroy any Rank-3 defensive spell.'' His amber eyes shone in excitement as he studied the spear. ''But there is also a drawback, though. When using this type of raw elemental power to create a spear, it is taking too much energy and draining my mental power. If I use this twice, I won''t be able to cast spell models at all.'' Charles thought inwardly and started walking towards the Holem''s Crown. ''Can you check my current affinity level?'' He asked in excitement as he arrived in front of the circr rock and took the cane. ''Okay, I will check now.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in his mind and soon went silent. After a whole minute of long silence, the Holem''s Crown let out a sigh and spoke in his mind. ''Excellent, you have ''Genius'' level Fire Affinity now.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles subconsciously smiled. ''There are still two more levels, Prodigy and Divine. If I want to increase my affinity again, I think I need more than a drop of God''s blood. Well, this is not something I should worry about it now.'' He muttered inwardly and then turned his gaze towards the ritual area. Letting out a heavy sigh, he spent some time cleaning the ritual circle and started climbing down from the small rocky hill. By the time he reached the campsite, the sky had long turned dark. As he went near the campfire, he saw that the kids sat near the campfire and were in the middle of discussing something. But once they noticed his arrival, they stood up in a hurry and nced at each other. Before Charles could ask about their sneaky behavior, Jessie took out a grey fur rabbit from her void pouch and gave it to Charles. "Titus killed it a while ago and we thought of grilling this rabbit for dinner, Teacher. But we didn''t know how to skin and clean." Furrowing his brows, Charles took the rabbit from her hand, checked the neck region, and nodded. After that, he took out a sharp silver knife, a can of water, and some other materials from his space ring. Then, he made a swift cut and removed the fur and skin. After that, he used the knife to make a perfect incision and started removing the waste materials like intestines, galldder, pancreas, etc. After that, he washed the meat with water thrice and started cutting it into small pieces. On the other hand, the kids watched his action with wide eyes and even started asking questions about skinning. While answering their questions, Charles started to think deeply about his next goal. ''What is my next goal? I already increased my affinity level, so I can rx a bit and started to focus on increase my strength. I currently have 2852 Exp points, so my next job is to find a safe ce and farm Exp from the Fire Elemental ne. Then, I will focus onprehending the spell models and Rank Up.'' ''My next question is about the game system. When I nned such a grand scheme, it didn''t give any new quest and remained dead. Why is that? Does it only send out quest missions when my life is truly in danger?'' A frown appeared on his face as he took out a separate te and ced four legs on it. ''It seems so. During thest mission, I haveplete control over the whole situation. Although Destiny Lady pulled us into a strange Blood Pocket Dimension and caused some change in my n, I still had the [Mark of Destination] spell mark as a backup.'' He nodded his head in enlightenment. ''Now is about my current situation. Staying here in this Moon Kingdom is not an option. Although the Tower Masters still didn''t found any clues about how I stole the Divine''s Blood droplet, it won''t long before they find out the truth. Once they invite a [Historian] ss Mystic and check the past, they will definitely find some odd about Rhea and Noel. After that, they will also get suspicious about our disappearance and would start arge-scale search.'' Charles''s gaze soon moved towards Rhea. ''Should I go to the Iron Kingdom? Yeah, that seems to be the best choice for me.'' He nodded inwardly and gave the rabbit meat to Jessie. Chapter 142: A New Quest Chapter 142: A New Quest Once Charles gave the cleaned rabbit meat, he took out a mat from his space ring, ced it on the ground, and sat on it in a cross-legged position. Then, he patiently waited for the kids to finish their cooking. Thirty minutester, Jessie appeared in front of him and gave him arge te of grilled rabbit meat. Although they didn''t put any seasoning, Charles didn''t mind it and started eating slowly. While eating, he suddenly thought of something and asked. "Rhea, what do you think about the Iron Kingdom?" His question caused Rhea to freeze in shock for a moment. She hurriedly took a bite of the grilled steak and spoke in confusion. "My memory is vivid, Teacher. Although I don''t recall my parents'' or my siblings'' names or their faces, I still remember some images of ces and their voices. I sometimes dreamed about them in the past and even had dinners with them once, but when I woke up, that dream disappeared from my memory. It''s like a fog. I always told these things to our Blood Priest, and he even went on his own few times to search for clues." She paused for a moment and soon added with a bitter smile on her face. "But even he couldn''t find the ces from my vivid memories." Charles went silent as he heard those words and soon asked with a strange smile on his face. "Do you believe in Fate,ss?" A surprised expression appeared on Rhea''s face as she pondered for a whole ten seconds and soon shook her head. "I don''t know, Teacher. But if there is really something like Fate in this world, then why did it make me lose most of my memories? Who controls this Fate? God? If so, then who is the one who controls the Fate among the thirteen Lawful Gods?" Her questions surprised everyone. "Aren''t you a firm believer of Moon God?" Charles raised his brows and asked in surprise. "That was a few months ago. When Jessie almost got killed by the security guard, no God came to help us. Instead, it was you who helped us, Teacher." Rhea said in a solemn tone. But there were confusion, anxiety, and anger appeared in her eyes. "What if my arrival was decided by the Fate?" Charles stared deep into her eyes and asked. For a moment, her whole body stiffened up. She soon regained her calm and asked with a surprised look on her face. "Are you saying that our meeting was predestined, Teacher?" Hearing her words, Charles wore a troubled look, gazed at the eerie dark red sky, and spoke with a profound look on his face. "I''m nothing but an old man,ss. How would I know about those unfathomable things? But thinking about our meeting, I would say it might be a predestined one. I have a feeling that you are bound to achieve great things in the future." He suddenly paused for a moment and then added. "I forgot to tell you about our next destination. It is the Iron Kingdom." "Are we going to search for my parents, Teacher?" Rhea''s face brightened all of a sudden. "That''s your quest. I''m on a quest to search for my grandchild." Charles took a deep breath and said with a sigh. This time, Jessie, Noel, and Titus also stopped eating and started listening to their conversation. "Grandchild? What is his name? Why are you searching for him?" Rhea also got curious and asked in interest. "His name is Charles. He did something terrible and is currently wanted by many people. But he is a good child in heart. I''m on a quest to search for him and bring him back to my home." Charles paused for a moment and soon added while shaking his head. "Let''s not talk about him. I''m starting to have a headache whenever I think of his past actions." Meanwhile, all of them nodded their heads and started eating their food in silence. Once everyone had their dinner, Charles told the kids to rest and checked the game interface. ''Except for the corresponding spell of Crimson Steps spell, I have already constructed all other spell models.'' He nodded inwardly and turned his attention to the attribute point. ''I still haven''t spent thest free attribute point.'' He narrowed his eyes as he put the free attribute point to the constitution attribute and started to check his body status. [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Affected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Half-Shifter Main ss: Level 5 Fire Weaver (0/3,844) [Rank-2] Sub-ss: Level 1 Mischievous Man (0/5767) [Rank-3] Title: Chaos Maker Health Points: 231/231 Exp: 2852 Exp Attributes: Strength- 18 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 18 Wisdom-30 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 21 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Red Wings (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Incinerate (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Completed) [5% Extra boost due to the presence of Chaos power in this spell model.] Elemental Body (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Crimson Robe (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Fire Seed (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Soul Heal (Rank-2 spell- Iplete) Crimson Steps (Rank-1 spell- Completed) Sub-ss skills: Hand of Mystery- 102 Face-Change- 110 Vision- 102 Unique skills: Cryptic Analysis- 102 Conceal- 52 Dark Vision- 46 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Sharpshooting- 36 Elemental Affinity Level: Fire: Genius Darkness: Average.] ''Good.'' He smiled lightly, closed the game interface, and stood on guard for the whole night. Although some caravan passed along with some guards or adventurers, nobodyes to their campsite to look for trouble. Soon, the darkness started to fade away and soon reced with dawn light. Once he saw the light, he woke them up and told them to get ready. When the sun was about to ascend, the group packed their belongings and started their journey. They first went to New Town and brought a carriage and two horses for 35 gold coins. Thankfully, Noel had some knowledge of driving carriages, so he took the driving job and started tying the horses to the carriage tug. The horse-drawn carriage was a four-wheeled vehicle with leather suspension and created specifically for long travel. Once they hopped on the carriage, Noel took a long whip, whipped the horses, and drove the carriage out of the New Town. After that, the carriage started moving towards the direction where the Iron Kingdom was located! They continued their journey while stopping at many ces to rest and feed the horses and finally reached the Border City of Moon Kingdom on March 13. After that, they crossed the border by paying some gold coins to the guards and soon entered the territory of the Iron Kingdom. Unlike the Moon Kingdom, the Iron Kingdom appeared greener and was filled with farnds and woods. Once they entered the territory of Iron Kingdom, Charles chose a suitable town called Helm Ville to settle. Unlike other cities, this town was an isted one and was ruled by a Baron named Dormer. He was a lowkey Baron, who doesn''t connect with other noble circles, and ruled this small town for more than 20 years. It was a town with only a poption of 20 thousand. Charles sat behind the driver seat and watched the nearby trees and shrubs as the carriage arrived in front of a tall wooden gate. Unlike Riverdale City and Chester City, there were no tall walls around this town at all. Instead, a two-meter-tall wooden wall was the only thing that encircled the town. "What would these people do if the Moon Kingdom tries to invade all of a sudden?" Titus asked while raising his brows. At that moment, the wooden entrance gate opened with a screeching noise, and soon two armored leather men appeared from the other side. One was a lean man in histe twenties, while the other was a bald man in histe thirties. Both wore old linen clothes and appeared paler. Their eyes were red and swollen for whatever reasons, and a few footmarks could be seen on their dresses. At that moment, Charles''s eyes squinted all of a sudden. A quest notification popped up in front of his eyes! ¡­ [Main Quest: Save the Iron Kingdom from its doom!] [Quest Description: A mysterious force is manipting behind the scene and is trying to induce fear and panic among the citizens. Save the kingdom and give the kingdom''s authority to the rightful owner.] [Mission Deadline: 5 Years 3 Months 12 Days.] [Mission Reward: 75,000 Exp Points, and Goddess ******''s gift!] [Mandatory Quest] ¡­ ''Hmm? Save the kingdom? A vague description with no clue behind it and a Mysterious force, huh. Moreover, this is a Compulsory Quest?'' Charles furrowed his brows and soon turned his attention to the reward section. Chapter 143: Helm Ville ''75,000 Exp is not a small amount. Not only that, the other reward is something more than extraordinary.'' ''This mission is definitely a dangerous one. But, there is still more than 5 years toplete it, so I can take it slowly.'' He silently put the mission on hold and turned his attention to the guards. The bald man asked a few questions about their visit and soon let them in. Noel whipped the horses and soon drove the carriage into the town. Meanwhile, Charles and the kids looked at the surroundings and nced at the unique cottages, huts, and tiny houses in interest. At the house entrances, red human face masks were hung and gave off an eerie feeling. Not only those, Charles and the kids even saw few pumpkins hung in front of the houses! "Helm Ville... This town appears very unique." Charles muttered slowly and soon turned his attention to a lone tall building at the town center. No, it was a stone temple! Charles stared at the temple''s peak, then towards the dome, and soon focused his attention on the tower. Multiple human sculptures were carved on the tower and appeared very beautiful. "Strange... Why there is a temple in this town? Moreover, why there are no Churches in this town?" His eyes scanned the surrounding areas, and soon he asked in surprise. At that moment, Jessie pushed the brown curtain and spoke with a thoughtful look on her face. "I once heard that the Kingdom of Moon still worships their ancestors as Gods. Although there are some churches in few cities, there are no believers at all. So, it''s not a strange thing for Churches to not present in such remote Town, Teacher." "That''s surprising. Then, what about those peoples?" Charles nodded his head and turned his gaze towards a group of 10 people who sat under the shadow of arge tree. Three luxuriously dressed men sat on metal chairs, while other men, who wore old linen clothes, sat on the ground while massaging the luxuriously dressed men''s hands and legs. "The well-dressed men belong to Ruler caste, while the remaining members belong to Subordinate caste, Teacher." This time, it was Rhea who spoke those words from inside. "Oh? Can you exin more about this caste thing?" Charles turned his head around and asked at her in surprise. In the meantime, Rhea wore a solemn look and started to speak. "During the past two years, I do gather some information about the Iron Kingdom and knew about this caste system. This system started a few millenniums ago and is still followed by the people of the Iron Kingdom. Most of themoners, slum people should belong to this Subordinate Caste while the Mystics, Nobles, and other high-ss peoples should belong to the Ruler Caste. A subordinate caste man must obey the Ruler caste ones'' words and also have to follow certain types of strict rules." "A Subordinate Caste man should never sit when a Ruler Caste people are standing. Even if the Ruler Caste people are sitting in a chair, the subordinate caste man should sit on the ground. Otherwise, thetter will face deadly consequences." "Consequences?" Noel suddenly interjected their conversation as he parked the carriage near an inn and jumped down from his seat. "Yes, there are consequences like isting the other party from the rest of the people, stripping his right to buy necessaries in the market, and so on. He will basically have to move out of the town and live in the wild. Although there are no terrifying monsters in the nearby woods, it''s still dangerous outside for a powerless mortal." Rhea paused for a moment and then added in a solemn tone. "This is just an iceberg. There are more things a subordinate caste man has to follow like he can''t walk into Ruler Caste man''s house, bow their heads whenever the other party walks past him and so on." "Isn''t it basically pure discrimination? Why aren''t the churches interfering in this matter?" Noel showed a dissatisfying expression on his face. "Humph, what can they do? ughter all the Ruler Caste people? Almost one-third of the citizens belong to Ruler Caste. If they did something like that, it will only induce fear in the citizens'' minds. No, it might cause other kingdoms to wary of the churches'' influences. In truth, the former King of Iron Kingdom implemented so many interesting ideas to reduce the discriminations and gave equal rights to the subordinate caste people. But still, he couldn''t achieve his goal before he was assassinated two years ago. You can''t change the peoples'' mindset in few years, Noel. You have to do it step by step." Charles also listened to her words and soon climbed down from the carriage. After that, he stood with the support of a ck cane and asked Jessie toe out from the carriage. Then, he asked her to follow after him and started walking into the Inn, leaving Noel and Rhea to argue about the strange caste system. Once he walked in, Charles saw the Inn owner in the reception hall, who was in the middle ofbing her dark blue hair. The Inn owner was ady in her thirties and had ck eyes, a round face, and a lean body. "Can we get any house for rent in this town, child?" He went near her and asked in a calm voice. Upon hearing his old voice, the woman stopped her hand, turned her gaze towards Charles, and asked in a strange ng. "Foreigner? It looks like you guys just arrived here. For how long do you guys n to stay here in this town?" Although it was still a Laka Language, he needed some time to understand the words from her mouth. "Six months," Charles responded after a short pause. The woman nodded her head and spoke. "You can go to Strangers Street and look for a man named Finn. He will show you the best house in that street." She suddenly paused for a moment and then asked. "Are you guys Mystics?" Meanwhile, Charles raised his eyebrows and then nodded his head. "Then, you will have an easier time getting houses. But be careful during the nighttime, though. There is a rumor going all over the kingdom that ghosts are appearing at many ces and kidnapping peoples randomly. There are also a lot of murders happening these days, so many foreigners are returning to their own kingdoms." ''And, here I got some strangepulsory mission to save this kingdom.'' Charles let out a bitterugh and nodded his head. Then, he turned around and started walking out of the Inn while Jessie followed after him slowly. Soon, they went near the carriage and noticed that Rhea and Noel were still arguing about the caste system. "You guys can argue about that topicter." Charles went near Noel, ced his hand on his shoulder, and added. "Let''s go. We have to find a good house before the dusk appears." At that moment, a loud nging sound echoed from their right side, followed by a loud woman''s cry. "Your Highness!" Chapter 144: Memories Chapter 144: Memories Charles and the kids turned around in unison and soon saw a ck-haired woman, who was around 25-years-old, dropped a new iron table from her hand and was staring at them with a shocked expression on her face. No, her gaze was locked entirely on Rhea''s face! She had round brown eyes, an oval face, and her hair appeared messier. She wore ragged clothes, revealing legs, arms, and some part of her chest region, and seemed pale as a ghost. At that moment, Rhea suddenly spoke. "I forgot to mention that very still hadn''t been abolished in this kingdom. Only nobles and royalties own ves, and had full authority over their lives-" Before she could say another word, a slightly obese man appeared behind the ck-haired woman and kicked her in the back. He wore a golden-lined silk gown and looked around 40 to 45 years old. Due to the powerful kick, the ck-haired woman stumbled forward and soon fell in front of the kids. Even though her master had kicked her, her gaze was still locked on Rhea''s face, and soon she revealed a happy smile on her face! "I''m d you are still alive, Your Highness!" Saying so, she closed her eyes and then fell unconscious. ''So clich¨¦. As I thought, there seems to be some connection with my mission, fate, and this strange incident.'' Charles frowned in suspicion. ''If I''m not wrong, Blood Priest and Aurora should be the ones whoe along with these kids and caused some changes in the Iron Kingdom. But my appearance interfered with fate and caused a great variation. When I found out about Rhea''s original identity, I always thought something went wrong¡­'' ''No, it''s not that something went wrong, but I unknowingly influenced their fate and created some alteration. Still, fate seems to have some mysterious power to pull them back to the original timeline. If not, I wouldn''t have thought ofing to this kingdom. Then, there is the system''s mission.'' A grim look appeared on his face. ''Nope. I will only involve myself in this sh*t after Ranking Up.'' As the thought whirled his mind, Charles raised his hand and cast a ''Fire Seed'' spell on the obese man. "What did you hear from her just now?" He asked in a cold tone. As the obese man was about to respond, but he suddenly forgot the answer! Charles didn''t even give him any time and asked further. "Who is she?" At that moment, countless memories about the ck-haired woman appeared in the obese man''s mind. But the next instant, the purplish seed-like fire began to expand and devoured all those memories in a blink. ''Her name is Ashley¡­ He brought her from a ve trader one year ago for 21 gold coins¡­He took a liking to her body in the beginning and continued to have sex all day¡­Sex¡­Sex¡­ It then turned into violent sex¡­ He continued to torture her sexually and even beat her up¡­ Ashley became weak due to insufficient strength and couldn''t satisfy his sexual desire after a few months¡­ She then became his tool forbor work¡­'' A heavy sigh leaked out from Charles''s mouth as he read those memories. ''What a f*cked up magic world.'' He shook his head, gripped the ck cane, and squatted down with its support. After that, he ced his callus hand over her back and cast his [Soul Heal] spell on her. A bluish-green me conjured in front of his hand and soon covered her body. Then, the fire started to burn fiercer and started healing her body from inside. Upon witnessing the magical scene, the obese man''s expression froze. "Mage!" His body shuddered in fear. Although he was a Rank-1 Mystic, he could feel that the opposite party was a high-ranked one and got scared. Without any dy, he bowed his head towards Charles in respect, turned around, and ran away from there! Even the Ruler caste men, who sat under the tree, stood up in a hurry and showed their respect as they saw the bluish-green me. On the other hand, Charles stood up and waited for Ashley to wake up. Two minutester, a groan leaked out of her mouth, and soon she sat up with a confused look on her face. Soon, she shifted her gaze towards Rhea and started to let out a smile. That smile was filled with grief, helplessness, and joy. "O the Spirit of the Sky! Her Highness is still alive. It is not a dream!" She looked up at the reddish sky and muttered loudly, causing the nearby people to nce at each other in confusion. She soon regained her senses and looked around while shivering uncontrobly. At that moment, Rhea ced her hand on Ashley''s shoulder and said in a soothing voice. "You can rest assured, My Lady. He won''t trouble you anymore." "Y-Your Highness! You don''t recognize me?" Ashley''s face suddenly turned stiff. Before Rhea could give a response, Charles waved his hand and spoke. "Get in the carriage. We will talk more about itter." He paused for a moment and then added while pointing his finger at Ashley. "You too, woman. It''s an order." Upon hearing those cold words, Ashley went dumbfounded for a moment and nodded her head hurriedly. Although she didn''t understand her current situation, she didn''t dare to say anything and stood up with some difficulty. After that, she covered her exposed right breast with her ragged clothing, followed after others, and soon entered the wooden horse-drawn carriage. Noel also climbed towards the driver seat, sat on it, and drove the carriage to Strangers Street. Once they reached their destination, they asked a random man about Finn and soon found his right house. Then, Charles and Jessie walked out of the carriage, went to his house, and asked him about renting houses. Finn was a 25-year old young man and had an average height. After hearing their requests, he directly told about a few renting houses and even exined everything about the houses in detail. "We will choose the house in Bark Street." Charles didn''t take much time to choose and spoke. "45 Gold Coins for six months, My Lord," Finn said in an anxious tone. Meanwhile, Jessie took out a bag of gold coins from her void and gave him the right amount before getting the house key. ¡­ Thirty minutester, a horse-drawn carriage entered Barn Street and soon stopped in front of a single-storied brick house with multiple rooms, arge garden, and a separate, underground basement. "Noel, tie the horses in front of the house after parking the carriage in the yard. From now on, you are responsible for maintaining these horses." Charles said as he walked out from the carriage. "Yes, Teacher," Noel grumbled in a low voice. "Don''t get discouraged,d. If not for these two guys'' help, we would be still in the Moon Kingdom. Feed them regrly." Charles added as he arrived in front of the wooden fence and opened the wooden gate. "What should I feed, Teacher?" Charles furrowed his brows as he stepped on the dirt path and spoke. "You can ask about that to the ck-haired womanter. She must have some experience in this field." Meanwhile, Ashley, Rhea, and the other two kids walked out of the carriage and soon appeared behind Charles and Noel. "Why did you call me as ''Your Highness'', My Lady?" Rhea gave her a suspicious look at Ashley and asked with a solemn look on her face. Ashley''s expression went daze for a moment, and soon she asked. "Y-Your Highness, did you really not remember anything about your past?" "I do recall some memories. But all of them are vague." Rhea responded with a bitter smile. While speaking, the group walked forward and soon arrived in front of the house entrance. Jessie took out the iron key, unlocked the wooden door, and walked into the single-storied brick house. Soon, the group entered the main hall and ced their luggage on the chairs. Before Charles could allocate the suitable rooms, Rhea turned her gaze towards Ashley and asked. "Who are my parents?" "They are thete King and Queen of the Iron Kingdom, Your Highness." "Anne¡­" Rhea suddenly muttered a word and soon got confused. "That''s Her Majesty''s name, Your Highness. Her full name is Anne Bonere." Ashley said in a solemn tone. The room returned to a pin-drop silence! Rhea instantly gripped her head and started to cry due to pain. She felt that she had heard those names countless times before and got confused. The next instant, a sharp pain appeared from the depth of her mind, followed by her loud screech! Like a broken dam, the previously sealed memories suddenly broke away from the shackles and appeared in front of her eyes one by one. Her whole body trembled all of a sudden! "Mom¡­Dad¡­" She wore a shocked expression as she skimmed through those new memories and soon spoke with a disbelief look on her face. "Blood Priest is the one who kidnapped me? Why did he do that? Moreover, that assassination incident¡­ Did my mom and dad get killed that night?" Shocking information appeared in front of her mind one by one. She stood there with a dubious look on her face for a whole minute and soon regained her calm. "Why did blood priest kidnap me and brought me to the Moon Kingdom? What is his aim?" Chapter 145: True Monarch Chapter 145: True Monarch "Impossible! Our Blood Priest is not a bad person." Noel shook his head and refused to believe her words. "If he really is the one who kidnapped you, why would he do something like that? We all know that he is a firm believer of Moon and never even told any lies to us, right?" Even Jessie became shocked inside and asked in a grave tone. "Sister, do you still remember what Blood Priest told us about our parents?" Suddenly, Titus ced his hands on the chair for support and asked in a grave tone. "He said that our parents died during a beast tide when I was five," Jessie responded with a confused look on her face. "If so, why can''t you recall our parents'' faces? Even when you asked about it to Blood Priest, he always changed the topic." Titus said in a deep voice. "What about me then?" Noel suddenly paused for a moment and continued with a sharp tone. "I still have the memory of my parents, though." Charles suddenly went near the woodendder-back hair, sat on it, and asked. "How did your parents die?" His question surprised everyone. Nobody thought that their Teacher would show interest in the sudden kidnapping case. Meanwhile, Noel crossed his arm together and spoke in a solemn tone. "They were died due to an unknown disease, Teacher. It happened four years ago." "When did Blood Priest picked you up?" Charles raised his brows and further questioned him. "Two weeks after their death. At that time, other vigers got scared of the unknown disease and thought that the disease might get transmitted to them through me. So, they threatened me to leave the vige. If Blood Priest didn''te that time to rescue me, I would have long died by their hands." "Don''t you find anything odd about his arrival now?" This time, it was Rhea who asked the question. "What''s so odd about it?" Noel wore a nk look on his face and soon narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that Blood Priest was the cause of my parents'' death?" "It is possible,d. Think about it. If it was before, I would have thought of his arrival as a coincidental one. But after hearing Rhea''s earlier words, I''m inclining to believe that he might have some hidden motive." Charles said in a deep tone, causing the room to turn dead silent. Nobody spoke a word for another five minutes and stood there with solemn expressions on their faces. After ncing at the kids'' faces for some time, Charles tapped the floor using the ck cane and spoke. "It doesn''t matter if he is a good guy or a bad guy. What you have to do now is to think about your own future." Charles suddenly turned his gaze towards Ashley and asked. "Who are you? Tell me more about you." "I''m one of the Queen''s personal maids, My Lord. I-" Suddenly, she froze for a moment and soon noticed that she unknowingly forgot what to say next. At that moment, Charles suddenly stood up, nodded his head, and spoke. "I believe you. From now onwards, you are responsible for cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes." He paused for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards Jessie and the other kids. "You guys should utilize the free time and train your skills. We will be staying here in this town for more than six months, so don''t waste this good opportunity." Saying so, he turned around and started walking towards the nearby empty room. Within a minute, he arrived in front of a wooden door, ced his hand on the handle, turned it to the left, and opened the door. After that, he walked into the small empty room and then looked around. ''Hmm, the owner seems to have cleaned the rooms regrly. But why didn''t he put a single cot in this room.'' He grumbled as he took out a mat from his space ring and ced it on the floor. After that, he also took out a pillow, a quilt, and a bed seat from his ring and arranged them in order. ''I should take some rest before going to explore the Fire Elemental ne.'' He nodded inwardly, went near the wooden door, and locked the door from inside. Then, hey on the mat and started to take some rest. ¡­ In the Main Hall, Jessie and other kids also regained their calm and started to ponder with deep looks on their faces. The truth about Blood Priest caused their faces to turn gloomier. "What should we do now? Can we even trust our Teacher now?" Rhea asked with a frown on her face. "I trust himpletely, Rhea. If not for his help, I might not be still talking with you guys now." Jessie straightened her back and said in a firm tone. "I too agree with my sister. Our Teacher doesn''t need our help at all. In a sense, we are just a burden to him." Titus also nodded in agreement. "That''s why I''m feeling a little suspicious about him," Rhea said with aplicated look on her face. At this moment, Ashley nced at the other kids, then towards Rhea, and spoke in a low voice. "Your Highness, it might be an opportunity for you to regain your honor. From your earlier words, I can tell that your Teacher seems to be a powerful mage. Why not make an agreement with him and ask him to help you ascend to the throne?" "Ascend to the throne?" Jessie and Titus asked in a bbergasted tone. "Yes, youngdy. Rhea Bonere is a Second Princess and also a rightful heir of the Iron Kingdom. Before I tell you about other things, I will give you guys some exnation about Royal lineages and some of the rules to be a monarch. Ourte King Edgar had three wives, one was the Queen, and the other two were consorts. And, he had a total of four daughters and three sons." "Among these kids, there was one girl who shined in talent and caring. Her name was Mia and she was the first child of our Queen Anna. She was well-versed in swordsmanship, and fire magic. She was an exact copy of our King in many aspects, so every citizen, mostly the Subordinate Caste members, loved her most. At that time, everyone believed that she would be the next monarch of this Iron Kingdom." "Unlike other kingdoms, to be a true Ruler of this Iron Kingdom, one needs to get the approval of four ancestral spirits. It was an ancient tradition. Three years ago, the first princess Mia went toplete some personal mission and unexpectedly met one of the ancestral spirits in the woods. Not only that, she even got approval from that spirit and started searching for other spirits. In six months, she gained the approval of other three spirits in secrecy and returned to the Castle as a True Monarch." "But the tworge nobles'' factions opposed it firmly and did not acknowledge a girl as their ruler. Even the Royal faction got sided with those nobles and refused to listen to King''s and Queen''s words. Yes, they directly opposed the King''s words! Not only them, but even the mages of Iron Kingdom also turned their back against their own King and did not respond to his call. This incident shook the whole kingdom." Ashley suddenly paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "What happened next?" Noel sat on thedder-back chair and asked in an excited tone. Meanwhile, Ashley nodded her head and started talking with a solemn look on her face. "Everyone soon realized that the Ruler Caste members'' opposition was not due to a girl bing a monarch, but due to King Edger''s previous rules. If First Princess became their next monarch, they knew that she would also suppress them like her father and might give more freedom to the Subordinate caste members. So, they revolted directly and even invited a few Churches to be the middlemen." "In the end, King and Queen were betrayed by their own subordinates. Two years ago, hundreds of masked figures entered the Royal Castle and started a massacre. Princess Mia, Our King Edger, and Queen Anna died on that night. As for the other two consorts'' children, there was not even a single scratch appeared on their bodies at all." "Why didn''t they kill me?" Rhea suddenly interjected. "That''s because someone kidnapped you even before the assassination, Your Highness. I heard that Nobles and the Royal faction members even used some divinations to search for your location, but they found no clue at all." Ashley said with a solemn tone. ''Blood Priest¡­ Did he save me? No, he might be ordered by someone else! Then, who is the real culprit behind my kidnapping?'' He tilted her head in confusion. ''Fate!'' At that moment, a single word appeared in her mind, causing her to shudder all of a sudden. ''Could it be Teacher''s words are true?'' An absurd thought appeared in her mind! Soon, she took a long breath to calm her mind and asked with a serious look on her face. "This kingdom is already in the hands of Ruler caste members. Do you think they would let me live once they found out that I''m still alive?" Chapter 146: Churches scheme For the first time, a smile appeared on Ashley''s face. "That''s where thing became interesting, Your Highness. After the assassination incident, a few Churches like Wisdom Church, Storm Church, Amber Church, Day and Night Church, and Truth Church took that as an opportunity to interfere and med the nobles and the royal factions for their cowardly act." "Not only that, but they even told them that if they do something like that again, the Churches will interfere more fiercely and might do arge scale inquisition on the Nobles and Royal faction members. After that, Churches also made a big announcement saying that they are going to select one person as the rightful King from all the remaining children of King Edgar." She deliberated for a moment and then added. "They said that only those who firstplete the mission issued by the Churches will get the right to be the next monarch." "What mission?" Rhea asked with a frown. From Ashley''s earlier words, she clearly understood that the Churches had already started to infiltrate into their Kingdom and got extremely displeased. ''They want to make a puppet ruler.'' Her eyes turned extremely colder. "It was a mission to find out the root cause of unusual kidnappings, ghost appearances, and killings, Your Highness," Ashley said. Meanwhile, Noel peeked at her half-exposed breast for a moment and soon asked while averting his gaze in embarrassment. "H-How did you end up like this, My Lady?" Silence appeared in the room. After five seconds, Ashley made a light cough and broke the silence with a solemn look on her face. "After that incident, the Queen''s personal attendants, the King''s trusted aides, and the royal servants were captured by the Nobles and other royal faction numbers and were sold as ves to the ve traders. I was one among the unfortunate ves and waster sold to this fat man." "What about soldiers and Royal Guards?" This time, Rhea asked in a hurry. "They are Mystics, Your Highness. So, of course, the Royal Faction and Nobles won''t sell them as ves, because it will definitely damage their reputation." Ashley calmly exined. "Does that mean our personal guards are still alive and well? Will they help me if I went to ask for their help?" Rhea muttered with a deep look on her face. "They might have already joined the opposite factions. Although they were your personal guards, they only worked for money. It''s better not to approach them now." Jessie interjected their conversation and said in a firm tone. Meanwhile, Rhea nodded her head and agreed. On the other hand, Titus picked up his small leather bag from the nearby chair and spoke. "Let''s do as our teacher said. We need to increase our personal strength and also improve our skills. We should utilize this time properly." Saying so, he turned around and went towards the front corridor. This single-storied brick house had more than seven empty rooms. He soon chose the best room near the main hall, opened the door, and walked in. Jessie and others also stopped their discussion and thought of focusing on increasing their own strength. They soon chose the suitable rooms while giving Ashley some good clothes and took some rest. Meanwhile, Ashley went to the bathroom and took a long bath. After that, she walked out while wearing Jessie''s loose gown and went to take some in one of the vacant rooms. The next day, she woke up early, borrowed some gold coins from Jessie, went to the nearby local shops, and started to buy necessary cooking utensils, vegetables, food materials like rice, wheat flour, etc., cleaning mob, and washing soap bars. Not only that, but she also got some money for her own usage from Jessie and brought a few sets of new clothes. Although her body was weak, she didn''t face any problem doing regr housing works at all. So, she arranged the utensils and started to cook on the second day. As for the kids, they also woke up earlier and started focusing on their training. ... Around 11 A.M. Charles slowly opened his eyes in his room and let out a loud yawn. During the past few days, he didn''t take any good rest at all. So, he slept for more than 14 hours! Blinking twice, he sat up, took out the silver pocket watch from his space ring, and checked the time. After that, he walked out of his room and went to the bathroom on the further corner of the building. A few minutester, he walked out of it in his normal linen cloth and went to the main hall. On the way, he also noticed that those kids were doing their training diligently and felt relieved. Once he reached the main hall, he met Ashley, told her to bring him some food, and sat in front of the wooden table. In two minutes, Ashley returned from the kitchen with a te of mashed potatoes, a te of fried salmon fillet with sliced lemons, and a cup of boiled vegetable soup and ced them on the wooden table. After that, she went back to the chicken, returned with a ss of red wine, utensils, and napkin, and ced them near his te. Nodding his head, Charles picked the fork and started to eat before taking a sip of red wine. After a few minutes, he finished the breakfast and washed his hand with the bowl of water, which Ashley ced on the tableter. Then, he turned around and started walking towards the front corridor. He walked past many rooms, reached the backyard, and soon zeroed his focus on a small room on the opposite side. He soon arrived in front of it, opened the metal door and soon saw a staircase went downstairs. Conjuring a ball of fire, he took a step forward, appeared near the staircase, and started to walk downstairs. Within few seconds, he reached the floor, nced around, and soon furrowed his brows as he saw broken woods and stone bs all over the ce. A deep sigh leaked out of his mouth as he stored them inside his space ring one by one and throw them out in the yard. After that, he asked the kids'' help and started cleaning the basement for the next few hours. Once the job was over, he sent off those kids and remained alone in the underground hall. Before sending them away, he also told them that he would be in closed-door training and might onlye out once a week. Although they became puzzled by his words, they didn''t ask anything and moved out of the underground basement in a hurry. Charles first took out a few fire torches from the nearby shelf and ced them in the room''s corners before lighting them. After that, he took out a green gem-like leaf, made a small mark on the wall, and ced it on the spot. Then, he focused his attention on the link and made a short chant in English. A momentter, his figure turned blurry and disappeared from there! ... Chapter 147: Small Test Chapter 147: Small Test Savage Forest, Twilight Land, Moris Fire Elemental ne. In a small cave near theva pool, a gem-like leaf attached to the cave wall suddenly started to let out dim green light. A momentter, a human figure suddenly appeared in front of the leaf! Charles opened his amber eyes and nced at the surrounding in vignce. Once he noticed that no one was inside the cave, he let out a sigh of relief and shifted his attention to his own body and soul. At that moment, dense fire-elemental energies started to surround his body like a hurricane and seemed to be analyzing his body. Simultaneously, he suddenly noticed that his [Elemental Body] spell activated on its own. A secondter, his whole body started to bath in a yellowish fire. It was not a fire filled with pure destruction, but a fire filled with warmth! This strange yellowish fire did not even burn his clothes! At that moment, he felt a sense of belonging. He felt that this world was weing its new child''s arrival! ''This¡­ Could it be due to my [Elemental Body] spell model?'' His eyes flickered in a yellowish fire. Charles stood there solemnly for a while and soon noticed that no nar restrictions appeared on his body. Instead, he felt morefortable! ''I can cast my Rank-2 spells continuously now.'' The corner of his lips curled upward and formed into a pleased smile. In a blink, the fire disappeared, and he returned to his usual old man appearance. Letting out a chuckle, he then touched his face and cast [Face-Change] skill on himself. A momentter, his face turned into his original young one with deep-blue hair. His wrinkled skin also started to face and was reced by a smooth one. But unlike before, his face appeared slightly older, and he seemed more like a matured one. ''Hmm, I''m now looking like a 25-year-old young adult.'' He muttered inwardly and started walking towards the cave''s exit. Simultaneously, he gripped the ck cane and ordered. ''Mr. Rh, change into a bracelet form.'' Without any refusal, the Holem''s Crown suddenly hovered in the air, started to change its shape, and soon formed into a red-gem embedded bracelet. Meanwhile, Charles raised his hand, caught the bracelet, and wore it swiftly. After that, hebed his hand using his hand and continued to walk. In a few seconds, he walked out of the cave and nced around the surroundings. It was already dusk, and thevake glowed in reddish color. It was really a beautiful scenario to do a photoshoot! Hot winds blew past his body as he stepped on the hardened rock-like shore and went in a different direction as if they were afraid of being pursued. While he was in muse, he heard a sshing sound from the right side and shifted his attention towards thevake. In the meantime, two reddish eyes peeked at him from theva and soon started swimming in his direction at a fast speed. In seconds, the creature appeared near the shore and soon walked out from the reddishke. Lava droplets dripped from its shell-like skin and fell on the hardened rock shore. Its neck was longer, had sharp knife-like teeth, and had the head of a lizard. But unlike the Frilled Drake, this creature appeared a little bit taller and bigger! It was a Variant Drake! ''This one is a Rank-3 creature with its peak strength.'' Upon seeing the creature, he frowned a bit, raised his right hand, and pointed his forefinger towards it. A momentter, a dense crimson fire ray came out from his hand andnded on its forehead in a second! Enraged by the sudden attack, the variant Drake let out a roar and opened his mouth wide. At that moment, the whole creature started to shine in a reddish light! A secondter, it spits out a reddish ray ofva in his direction. "Interesting." A smile appeared on Charles''s face as he cast [Crimson Steps] spell, moved towards his right side, and calmly evaded theva ray. At the exact moment, he once again pointed his finger at that creature and cast his [Incinerate] spell. But this time, the crimson ray directlynded on its right eye and injured it! Blood gushed out from its right eye, and it howled in anger. Simultaneously, the variant Drake moved. Like a bolt of lightning, it ran towards his direction at a fast speed and was just 10 feet away from him. Meanwhile, two crimson wings suddenly appeared behind Charles''s back and pped all of a sudden. Before the variant Drake could reach him, Charles flew upward and coldly looked at the Drake from the sky. ''I can barely match against a Peak Rank-3 creature. But my spells are not strong enough to kill it.'' He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. ''My main advantages against this Drake are [Vision] skill to read its next action, [Cryptic Analysis] skill to learn more information about the creature, human''s scheming mind, and my artifacts. As for my [Incinerate] skill? It is barely harming this creature.'' He let out a disappointing sigh and snapped his finger. A momentter, a terrifying ball of fire appeared above his head and started to erge like a balloon. In a blink, the fireball almost covered the sky and appeared more like a sun! Upon seeing such an enormous fireball, the Drake suddenly shuddered. It was the creature''s instinct response! Unfortunately, the variant Drake wasn''t an intelligent creature and only took two steps backward in vignce. At that moment, a surprised expression appeared on Charles''s face. He was not surprised by Drake''s movement, but by the size of fireball! ''This¡­ It''s double the size as before! Could it be? Am I also drawing the fire-elemental energy from the atmosphere?'' He instantly stopped pouring raw fire into the fireball and startedpressing it into a shape of an arrow. At that moment, he saw that the surrounding fire elements were also pouring into the fire-arrow! ''Why? Is it due to my Inner-World? Or, is it due to my abnormal wisdom power?'' He squinted his eyes sharper. In a second, a reddish arrow hovered in front of him. The next moment, the arrow moved towards the variant Drake at an unpredictable speed! At that moment, the Drake suddenly forgot how to evade! Before the Drake could snap out from the spell effect, the reddish arrow appeared in front of its forehead, pierced through it, and exploded from inside! The next instant, only the headless body, stood on the hardened shore. A momentter, the monstrous body fell with a loud thud! [Target Eliminated! 5,605 Exp obtained!] Charles sucked in a cold breath and soon noticed that a tired feeling appeared all of a sudden. He was fatigued mentally! ''This raw power is way above Rank-3!'' He slowly pped the crimson wings and soonnded on the ground. After that, he appeared in front of the headless Drake and furrowed his brows. ''This method is not good. If I had poured a little more fire elemental power into the fireball, I might have received some bacsh. Moreover, this method is sucking up all the fire energy from both Inner-World and the outer surroundings.'' ''When I tested this in the Moon Kingdom, I didn''t feel anything odd and thought that raw power could rival a normal Rank-3 spell. But in this fire elemental ne, I clearly felt the difference. This power is definitely a peak level Rank-3 spell power or above! Hmm, I should refrain from using this one and started concentrating on killing normal Rank-2 and Rank-3 creatures.'' He nodded thoughtfully, turned around, and started walking towards the cave entrance. Then, he moved arge rock to block the entrance and entered inside through a small gap. After that, he walked deep into the cave and soon found afortable ce to sit. Following that, he sat in a cross-legged position and entered his Inner World. In a second, he found himself standing in front of a volcanic mountain. He soon saw that the whole world was shining in a bright red color! He even saw manyvakes and even a river! ''There are no memory illusions now.'' He frowned a bit and soon noticed that each drop of liquid, rocks and even the air contains some of his memory! He could tell that if he wants to change the topography of this Inner World, he could really change it with simple thoughts! ''This is what it feels like to be omnipotent, huh. But this is nothing but an illusion.'' He let out a bitterugh and then focused his attention on the Cubic Game-System. In a blink, he disappeared and reappeared in front of the cube-like object. Like thest time, countless runal letters hovered around it, and there was also the invisible power keeps obstructing him from moving near to it. ''I''m too weak.'' He shook his head and then disappeared from there. A momentter, he appeared above in the sky and was staring at the seven reddish stars. No, it was the seven spell models! He then focused his attention on the game interface and smiled lightly. ''I currently have 8,457 Exp points.'' He thought inwardly and nced at the spellbook option. Soon, he started to read the corresponding spells of [Crimson Steps] spell. [me Jump (3,430), Fire sh (2,950), False Blink (4,590), Crimson Speed (3,100), etc.,] ''False Blink¡­ A maniptive type of fire called False Fire that could help user to manipte different kinds of elements.'' He suddenly recalled Rh''s words and chose to construct the [False Blink] spell. Chapter 148: Comprehension Chapter 148: Comprehension Once Charles spent the Exp points, the whole Inner World began to shake. In an instant, Charles knew that the change was happening in the direction where the System Cube was located and got confused. A secondter, his illusionary jade eyes widened all of a sudden. Because what he appeared from that direction were not few runal words, but a dense amount of runal words! Like a tornado, those runal words appeared next to him in seconds, encircled the [Crimson Step] spell model, and soon entered inside. ''This change is definitely due to the change in my affinity.'' Charles hovered in the sky and patiently watched the construction process. Unlike thest times, the System took only a few minutes to construct the spell model! ''3 minutes 40 seconds¡­ Not bad.'' He nodded pleasantly and soon withdrew his consciousness from the Inner World. After that, he nced at the entrance and spoke. "Mr. Rh, if some creature tries to enter the cave, woke me up." "Oh? Did you already construct thest spell model?" The Holem''s Crown asked in a surprised tone. "Yes. The artifact took a total of 3 minutes and 40 seconds to construct a Rank-2 spell." Charles didn''t hide anything and spoke truthfully. "3 minutes 40 seconds¡­ Only divine level affinity holder could construct at this speed." The Holem''s Crown spoke in a stunned tone. "Yes. If the artifact could also help meprehend those spell models at such speed¡­" His young, energetic voice trailed off and soon disappeared in the gloomy cave. "Don''t be too greedy,d. Start your work, I will do the guarding." The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone and flew out of his hand. After that, it rose in the air and started to float. ''He is right. I should startprehending the spell models in this Fire ne. I have a vague feeling that I might receive some unexpected rewards if I chose toprehend the spell models here.'' He nodded thoughtfully and took some rest. An hourter, he woke up as he sat in a cross-legged position, straightened his back, and then closed his eyes. In a second, he entered the Inner World and found himself hovering in front of the spell models. ''I should start with [Fire Seed] spell model.'' He moved towards a particr spell model and started to understand the meaning hidden in those runal words. Unlike before, he also used the [Cryptic Analysis] skill regrly and started to study. Seconds turned minutes, minutes turned hours, and soon one day passed in a blink of an eye. But Charles didn''t even stop for a second and continued toprehend the Fire Seed spell model. After some time, he suddenly grasped some deep meaning hidden in the spell model and entered into an enlightened state! Hisprehension percentage started to rise at an unimaginable speed! Within two minutes, theprehension point rose from 65% to 90%! It didn''t stop, though. By the end of the third minute after entering the enlightened state, Charlespletelyprehended the [Fire Seed] spell model! He soon opened his eyes with a shocked look. ''This¡­ Is this the advantage of having Genius-level affinity?'' He became speechless. Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head and silently left the Inner World. For the next few days, he mainly focused his attention onprehending the other spell models. But asionally, he would go to Edhen to have some delicious food and then return to Fire Elemental ne in a hurry. He would also go out of the cave to kill some Drakes and already earned around 12,500 Exp points! Today was the twelfth day in the Fire Elemental ne. But in Edhen''s time, only eight days had passed. Currently, Charles was hovered in front of a reddish hexagonal spell model and was staring at it deeply. He wasprehended thest [False Blink] spell model in the Inner World! During the past two weeks, heprehended the other spell models and made many breakthroughs. Not only that, but he also entered an enlightenment state thrice and received some big boost whenprehension. But what shocked him was not the big boost but theprehension percentage. When heprehended the [Soul Heal] spell model a few days ago, he suddenly gained enlightenment and started toprehend at a fast speed. But in mid-way, he perceived some deep knowledge from the runal words and went further into an enlightened state! After ncing at the knowledge, he found out that information was rted to the Rank-3 spell model and got shocked inside! With that thought in his mind, he continued to grasp the secrets of [Soul Heal] for 30 long minutes. By the time he woke up from the strange enlightened state, he had sensed a significant change inprehension percentage! It rose from 78% to 210%! He even saw many strange bluish-green fire lines started to appear one by one in the spell model! He also discovered that he could use this me to purify his soul from curses! Heter learned from Rh that he could erase the [Amber Curse] mark from his soul one day! But Charles was well aware of his capabilities and knew that it would take years or even decades to achieve that level in Soul Fireprehension. ''But this is good news.'' He thought. Casting those unnecessary thoughts away, Charles focused his attention on the spell model and continued toprehend. Unlike other spells, this one took him more than three days to reach 96% ofprehension. ''I also didn''t receive any enlightenment.'' He let out a disappointing sigh and continued. As he was about to concentrate, his [Cryptic Analysis] skill trigged on its own and gave him a revtion. ''False Fire not only can manipte space element, but also manipte other elements like water, wind, earth, light, darkness, and time. For the past three days, what Iprehended was not rted to the space element, but the process of manipting the space element. But this Fire has a huge drawback. Unlike other spells, I need to spend twice the amount of wisdom power aka the soul power to cast this spell.'' A look of realization appeared on his face. ''Hmm, if I want to fullyprehend the real False Fire, I need to focus onprehending the whole division, not just a single element. But I don''t have any information about this strange Fire. Unless I gained some enlightenment, I won''t gain much information about this False Fire at all.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon focused on the spell model. Two hourster, he finallypleted theprehension and left the Inner World. He then opened his eyes and looked around the gloomy cave. Soon, he zeroed his gaze on the hovering bracelet and asked. "Did something happen?" "Yes, a group of Lava Orcs appeared on the opposite side of the Lava Lake and seemed to be building tents. They are civilized ones." The Holem''s Crown said solemnly. ''Civilized ones¡­ Are they from Miners'' Den?'' Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and started walking towards the entrance. Chapter 149: Kill Chapter 149: Kill Once Charles reached the entrance, he concealed himself in the wall''s shadow and then looked at the opposite side of theke. A total of seven red-skinned Orcs in metal armors stood on the opposite shore of the Lava Lake and seemed to be in the middle of building a tent. The Orcs appeared to be around 3 to 4 meters tall, withrge bodies and pig-like faces. They also held different types of weapons like broadswords, axes, and spears in their hands. Because of the long-distance, Charles found it hard to gather more information about them. ''Hmm, this should be a scout team.'' He stared at them for a moment, caught the hovering red bracelet, and wore it in his hand. ''It''s time to earn some Exp.'' He muttered inwardly and touched his face. The next instant, his face changed into a little older one. Then, his skin color started to change and soon turned into a reddish color! In a second, he changed himself into a Red Human of the Fire Elemental ne! After that, he went back to the cave and took the green leaf from the cave wall. Then, he once again walked out of the cave, cast the [Red Wings] spell on himself, and pped the reddish wings forcefully. In a second, his figure shot up towards the sky and soon moved towards the Orcs at a fast speed! At that moment, the Red Orcs were in the middle of discussing their search mission. Three Orcs were muscr and tall, while another three were smaller and appeared fatter. Then, thest one was smaller than the rest of the Orcs and appeared only around 2.5 meters tall. But none of the Orcs dared to look into this one''s eyes! His skin was a little bit darker, and he had strange horns on his forehead. With a single nce, anyone could tell that this one was a variant one! The short Orc took out a scroll from his leather bag and opened it to read. After a few nces, his brows furrowed and formed into a knot. "Something is wrong about this ce. The map clearly shows that there is a Drake settlement near thiske. Be careful during the watch." He spoke in a Scarnguage, anguage unique to the Twilight Land. "Aye Boss," All the Orcs responded in unison. At that moment, one of the fat Orcs noticed that a strange crimson bird wasing from the other side of theke and soon froze. "Boss, we gotpany." He instantly unsheathed his broadsword from his back and pointed it towards another side of theke. Other Orcs also unsheathed their weapons and soon squinted their eyes. "That is not a bird¡­ He is a Red human!" A cold look appeared on the variant Orc''s face as he took a small dagger from his waist and hurled it towards the Red human. With a swoosh noise, the metal dagger tore through the air at full force and was just one foot away from Charles''s chest! Upon noticing the dagger''s arrival, Charles''s lips curled upward and formed into a smile. Simultaneously, a crimson robe enveloped him from head to toe and blocked the sharp dagger! A nging sound echoed in the air as he pped his wings twice and soon descended on the shore. Meanwhile, the variant Orc grabbed the long sword from his waist and sprinted towards Charles! ''Damn it, he is a Red shaman! If we give time for him to cast spells, we will be forced into a passive position. I need to get closer and kill him before he could finish chanting his next spell.'' Such a thought ran through his head. In a moment, he made a swift decision and moved even faster towards the Red Human. Meanwhile, Charles nced at the enemy Orc and noticed that the opposite party was a Rank-3 Mystic. Although he didn''t have enough time to see the opponent''s status, he noticed that the other party was a warrior-rted ss. In five seconds, the variant Orc already crossed more than 50 meters and shortened the distance between him and Charles! While the Orc was running, the long sword in his hand started to emit a reddish light! ''It''s a sword aura.'' A look of astonishment appeared on Charles''s face. ''But how is he using a sword aura skill?'' He got confused for a second. Shaking his head, he took a step back, raised his hand, and pointed his finger at the variant Orc. A momentter, a crimson ray came out from his forefinger and moved towards the Orc quickly. But as the ray appeared in front of the enemy, the variant Orc moved his aura-coated sword and directly split the ray into two! It was really an astonishing feat for a variant Orc to split a fast ray of fire in a mere second! In truth, he had long prepared for this attack spell! "Too bad, you are not my match." Charles suddenly spoke in a Scar tongue and cast [Fire Seed] spell on the variant Orc. A momentter, the variant Orc suddenly forgot how to run and stumbled forward pathetically. Most of the Orcs were dumb ones. Even though this was a variant one, this short Orc didn''t have any defensive measures to resist his mind fire spell at all! Before he could realize what had happened, he was alreadyid under Charles''s feet! Meanwhile, Charles casually raised his right leg, ced it on Orc''s back, and smiled. The next moment, the variant Orc''s vision turned dark! On the other hand, the other fat and muscr Orcs got stupefied. They couldn''t understand why their boss suddenly lost his footing and fell pathetically! No one did expect that their team leader would be defeated in mere seconds! Before they could think of escaping, tens of crimson rays appeared in front of them. All those Orcs tried their best to evade, but none of his attacks got missed the targets. Each of Charles''s spell attacks did some damage to those Orcs. Wounds and burn marks appeared all on the Orcs'' bodies. But there was no happiness on Charles''s face at all. ''Their bodies are resistant to fire, so the damage done by my [Incinerate] spell had diminished significantly.'' He scanned them for a second and instantly learned about the reason. But he didn''t stop bombarding them with his incinerate spell, though. Although the Orcs got panicked at first, they also regained their senses as they found out that his attack spell was not that scary and dashed towards him like berserker beasts. Charles even saw some fireyers appeared around their red skins and further reduced the damage done by his [Incinerate] spell! "Oh, it seems you guys are not some weaklings, not bad." Hemented casually and took the long sword from the unconscious variant Orc''s hand. With a single look, he knew that it was a rare sword with a sword aura skill! ''So, that''s why he managed to use a sword skill earlier, huh.'' An understanding expression appeared on his face. Then, he ced the sword tip on the variant Orc''s nape. A vicious smile bloomed on his red face. At that moment, the other Orcs slowed down their footsteps and looked at each other in anxiety and worry. But they didn''t halt their footsteps, though. Instead, they exchanged their ideas through their eyes and started walking towards Charles slowly. If you took a closer look at them, you would find that they were using some secret signal method tomunicate with each other! Unfortunately, they met a sly human this time. Before they could make a n, Charles gripped the sword tighter as he activated the sword skill, raised it over his head, and shed at the unconscious Orc''s nape. As the sword flew towards the Orc''s nape, a reddish glow started to form on the edges. The next second, a flesh-tearing sound echoed on the shore, followed by a blood sshing noise. Scarlet blood gushed out from the decapitated head and body and painted the hardened shore. Meanwhile, Orc''s head rolled on the concrete-like shore before falling into thevake and then started to boil! [Target Eliminated! 4,506 Exp obtained!] A smile crept on Charles''s face. "Boss!" "I will kill you!" Noticing his creepy smile, all of the Orcs got furious and ran towards him while roaring. They were surely enraged! Within seconds, they already arrived near Charles and were about to raise their weapons to attack. At that moment, they felt that their grip loosened all of a sudden. Before they could understand the situation, they found out that their weapons had disappeared mysteriously! With bbergasted looks on their faces, all of them subconsciously tried their best to stop their footsteps. Some showed confusion, while others showed fear. But Charles didn''t give them a single moment to think, though. At the exact moment, some invisible power appeared out of nowhere and froze their bodies all of a sudden. It was the Holem''s Crown''s body freezing skill! Shock and terror appeared on the Orcs'' faces! They finally felt fear towards the mysterious unknown power! To their horror, Charles suddenly started to smile, giving a creepy chill to their spine. A momentter, he disappeared from their visions. It was the [False Blink] spell! The next instant, he appeared behind the farthest fat Orc, shed the long sword at the Orc''s neck, and decapitated it instantly. [Target Eliminated! 2,300 Exp obtained!] Chapter 150: Ember Wizard Chapter 150: Ember Wizard Charles clearly knew the time limit of this freezing skill and acted swiftly. He moved his aura-coated sword and decapitated another three Orcs'' heads in the next two seconds! ¡­ [Target Eliminated! 1,950 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 2,040 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 2,650 Exp points obtained!] ¡­ Out of seven Orcs, only two remained alive when the freezing skill effect was gone! "I thought Orcs are tough creatures." A cold voice echoed in the remaining Orcs'' ears, causing them to tremble uncontrobly. They were truly scared out of their wits! One fat Orc couldn''t control his urinary dder, and he peed on the spot! Before he could wake up from the shock, Charles appeared beside him and plunged the sword into his neck. [Target Eliminated! 1,800 Exp points obtained!] Meanwhile, thest Orc turned around and stared at him with trembling hands. Anger, hate, and helplessness appeared on his ugly face. ''I have to avenge them.'' The fat Orc thought. But he didn''t dare to move! "Good boy." Charles was pleased by the Orc''s reaction and cast [Fire Seed] spell on it. The next instant, the Orc suddenly noticed that its own memories were begun to fade away one by one! "W-What are you?!" He stared at Charles with wide eyes. "Does it matter?" Charles shrugged his shoulder and waved his hand. The next instant, seven weapons suddenly appeared in front of the Orc and started to hover in the air. Soon, they began to encircle him and attacked him on their own from all directions. In seconds, deep cuts appeared all over the Orc''s body. One broadsword severed his right leg tendons, while another Axe cut the left side tendon. Meanwhile, other weapons hovered and started attacking his back and chest. Each of those attacks appeared precise and powerful. The Orc felt that he was facing seven Red Humans! Within seconds, he lost too much blood and fell on his knees. In the meantime, Charles focused his attention on the [Fire Seed] spell and started burning his memories. Although the Orc wailed from time to time, Charles didn''t even show any sympathy at all. For the next two hours, he stood in front of the Orc and started reading his memory one by one. ''Derrin¡­A war soldier¡­ search mission to find the Invader¡­ His other mission is to search for the Homnd of Orcs¡­ His memory has nothing important¡­Hmm, an Alchemist Shaman?'' Suddenly a piece of memory caught Charles''s attention. ''There is a famous Rank-3 Alchemist Shaman who came to the Twilight Land a few months ago and seemed to be nning on Joining under Magma Fiend of Miners'' Den Town¡­ There is a rumor spreading that his potions could increase one''s body strengths permanently! Many Rank-4 members and Rank-3 members from Twilight Lands eagerly want to exchange precious materials with him to get a potion bottle.'' Charles''s eyes squinted sharper. ''Potions¡­ I also heard that City Of Miracles had many legendary Alchemists and some could even turn a mortal into a Rank-4 level strength Mystic through potions¡­ But those potions are not some vegetables. Each potion costs countless gold coins¡­ From the looks of it, this world also has some Alchemists.'' He nodded thoughtfully and patiently read other information. Unfortunately, most of the information was of less to no value to him. Once hepletely erased his memories, he raised his new sword and swiftly decapitated him. [Target Eliminated! 1,300 Exp points obtained!] ''Why this Orc gives less Exp whenparing it with other ones? Could it be Exp point would reduce whenever I absorb the target''s memories?'' A thought appeared in his mind. After that, Charles dragged those Orcs'' bodies one by one and pushed them into thevake before taking the weapons. Then, he went near the tent, dismantled them, and then stored them in his space ring. Following that, he nced at the surrounding areas and then erased his foot trails. ''Hmm, the only thing that leaves a clue is these blood trails.'' He furrowed his brows for a second and soon shook his head. ''It seems I need to find another suitable hideout.'' Letting out a deep sigh, he cast [Red Wings] spell on himself and flew towards the opposite shore of Lava Lake. Then, he dismissed his wing spell and started walking deep into the dense red trees. Although he encountered a few wild creatures simr to wolves and deer, they didn''t pose any threat to him at all. After a few hours of roaming in the forest, he soon found a suitable ce beside a waterfall. Yes, it wasn''t avafall but a real waterfall! It was the first time Charles had seen pure water in the Fire Elemental ne and was surprised inside. Although the whole river was boiling due to the heat of the Fire ne, the water quantity didn''t get reduced at all. ''Yes, this is a suitable ce for me.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon found an underground cave just behind the falling waters. The next second, he went near the cave while conjuring a ball of me and entered inside. At that moment, a dark shadow suddenly leaped towards him from inside. It was a panther-like animal! But unlike the panther from Earth, its skin appeared dark reddish, around one meter tall, and had crimson eyes. ''It''s a Rank-1 creature.'' Charles took a step back and directly killed it with his attack spell. Then, he removed the stones in the dark underground cave and started cutting the strange Fire ne weeds, vines, and nts. He spent another hour making the ce clean and then closed the entrance with a sizeable rock. After that, he returned to the area, took out two fire torches, which he took from the underground basement, and ced them on the cave walls. He then lit the torches, went to the cave''s center, and sat on a t rock. ''I haven''t seen the Rank Up quest yet.'' He ced his hand on his forehead, opened the game interface, and focused his attention on the quest icon. Although he saw a few notifications before he met the Orcs, he didn''t have any time to check at all. [Main ss Rank-up Quest: Enter the Inner World. Description: Search for more clues about souls and find a way to enter your Inner World. Rewards: 1.400 Exp points. Quest Mission: Achieved!] ''So, this is an extra reward without doing anything, huh.'' Charles furrowed his brows and soon shifted his attention towards the other notification. [Host has met the requirement to Rank Up!] [There are two methods avable for Host to Rank Up! . Host can consume an ''Ember Wizard'' ss Gem and Rank Up by normal method. Sess Rate: 85% . Host can use Experience points to Rank up the Main ss now. Exp needed for Rank Up: 16,244 (3844 for Rank Up+ 12,400 for ''Ember Wizard'' ss Gem.) Sess Rate: 89%.] ''Oh? Comparing to my previous Rank up, the sess rate has been reduced by one percent.'' He furrowed his brows and then checked the total amount of Exp from the status bar. The next instant, he went dumbfounded. '' Wow, I currently have 34,313 Exp points. Well, I earned more than 15,000 Exp from those Orcs. So, it''s not a surprising thing.'' He nodded inwardly and poured 16,244 Exp points into the main ss tab. ¡­ [Host has chosen the 2nd method for Rank Up!] [12,400 Exp has been deduced for ''Ember Wizard'' ss Gem!] [3,844 Exp has been deduced for Rank-Up process!] [Ember Wizard ss Obtained!] [Ranking Up¡­] ¡­ A momentter, a sharp pain appeared from the depths of his mind, followed by countless needle stabbing pains! Charles suddenly sensed that those pains were caused due to the forceful breaking of an invisibleyer. It was ayer that obstructed him from Rank-Up! At that moment, his face also started to distort in pain. His memories began to resurface one by one and soon disappeared into the depths of his mind. They then started to turn gloomy and began to change into wicked ones! With a simple nce, Charles knew that some foreign power was trying to alter his memories! Fortunately, he already created an Incarnation, and it hurriedly started to work. Whenever something variable appears in his memories, his ''Clone'' would fly over and erase the memory from his Inner World. Meanwhile, Charles sat with a paled expression for another two minutes and then opened his eyes. "It''s finally over." He spoke with a joyful expression on his face. ''But I didn''t expect it would be hard to Rank Up.'' He let out a deep sigh and nced at the notification. ¡­ [You are now a Level-1 Ember Wizard!] [2 free attribute points rewarded!] [+1 Wisdom point obtained!] [10 skill points rewarded!] ¡­ Chapter 151: Emotions and Spell Models Chapter 151: Emotions and Spell Models Charles didn''t think for a moment before he put those two free attributes points into wisdom. Then, he nced at the remaining Exp points. ''There are still 18,069 Exp points left.'' Charles furrowed his brows and shifted his attention towards the spellbook option. Soon, he zeroed his attention on the [Incinerate] spell model and started to read the corresponding spell models. [Chaos Bane (11,460), Wielder''s Wrath (10,405), Needle of Ember (14,530), Chaos Ignition (13,506), Demon''s re (12,440), Finger of Evil (13,705), Chaos Eruption (14,130), etc.,] ''Wow, there are so many destruction-type spells.'' He muttered inwardly and read the descriptions quietly. After a few minutes, he zeroed his gaze on the [Needle of Ember] and then started to read. [Needle of Ember- A needle will form when casting this spell and would move under the caster''s Will. Not only that, but the caster can also control this needle with his thoughts and make it explode at any time. If the explosion erupts inside a person''s body, chaos energy hidden in the Needle of Ember will enter their blood and soul and corrupt them from inside. This spell can even kill a Rank-3 Mystic in 30 seconds. Moreover, this Needle of Ember can also break any Rank-3 shield spells and could be useful for assassinations!] Once he read the description, he didn''t think for a moment before he chose to construct it. ,530 Exp points disappeared in a blink. Charles didn''t put much thought into it as he closed his eyes and entered the Inner World. ''Hmm, a few memories are gone¡­ They are all my previous life ones.'' A frown appeared on his forehead. Although he managed to control the situation using his ''Clone,'' he still felt lost inside. ''That foreign power seems to havee from the ss gem. When I consumed the ss gem, it released some type of unique foreign energy and tried to break the shackle. At that same time, it also affected my mind and started to corrupt the memories.'' ''But why didn''t I get affected by this foreign force when ranking up my sub-ss? Moreover, I didn''t even felt anything ufortable when I advanced from Rank-1 to Rank-2.'' His eyes narrowed in suspicion. At that moment, there suddenly thought of his Inner World. ''Could it be that it managed to enter my Inner World is mainly because of me? I did enter my Inner World earlier than other mystics, right? Possible. But that still doesn''t exin why I felt no change when I ranked up the Mischievous ss Mystic¡­ Maybe it had something to do with one''s action? For example, I''m constantly using disguise skills and acting more like a full-time disguiser. On the other hand, I barely use the Fire Magic spells. And, these spell models seem to have some connection with one''s emotions.'' Charles suddenly halted his thoughts and soon flew up towards seven spell models. Within five seconds, he arrived in front of the spell models and soon zeroed his gaze on a specific left corner spell model. Currently, hundreds of runal letters wereing out from below and assimting into the hexagonal spell model! ''This spell model has chaos element¡­'' Charles furrowed his brows and soon noticed a change in his own emotions. ''Anger? Wrath?'' He started at the spell model for a moment and got puzzled. ''Why are these spell models inducing my emotions?'' He frowned a bit and soon recalled a line from Fire Mage Helen''s book. ''When Helen exined about the spell models, he did mention that he gain enlightenment by staring at a me and created his first spell model. At that moment, he wanted to be free like a dancing fire¡­ He wanted freedom¡­ He wanted to be a free man. So, that caused him to create a ''Fire Wings'' spell model.'' A look of understanding appeared on Charles''s face. ''Hmm, Chaos represents destruction and evil¡­ So, this spell model represents my anger, wrath, and cold attitude.'' Even he was surprised by the strange linking. While the system was constructing the [Needle of Ember] spell model, he turned his attention towards the [Red Wings] spell model and began to feel his deep emotion. A momentter, confusion appeared on his face. ''Wickedness? Why?'' ''No, it''s not a strange thing. I assassinated countless people using many wicked acts and even got addicted to killing. But after avenging my parents, I somehow regained my rationality and sealed that emotion deep in my heart. After that, I never involved myself in killing and escaped from the assassination organization¡­'' ''But when I was transmigrated into this world, I had no other choice but to kill others to survive. Till now, I didn''t felt any pleasure in killing others. But that doesn''t mean those emotions had disappeared from me¡­ This wing spell is a disguise of Wickedness. My sealed dark emotions had already invaded into this one and seemed to be rooted firmly.'' A grim look appeared on his face. At that moment, he subconsciously thought of Hell-Fire. ''It''s a fire that is purely filled with Evilness and Wickedness. Rh also told me earlier to stay away from it at all cost.'' A wry smile appeared on his face. ''It seems I need to pay extra attention to my actions and keep in check. Otherwise, I might once again walk into the path of darkness.'' He took a note in his mind and then flew to the [Fire Seed] spell model. ''It indicates calm andposed emotions.'' He wasn''t surprised by this one at all. Nodding his head, he turned his gaze towards the [Soul Heal] and soon frowned. ''Love and Care? No, this spell is in very imperfect condition. I only cared for a few people, so these two emotions are barely showing in this spell model. Is it the cause of the abnormality during rank-up? Does that mean I have to love someone or show caring emotions on someone to make this spell model stabilize?'' He narrowed his eyes in confusion. ''No, I have to do it to stabilize the spell model. Hmm, this one doesn''t suit me at all. It''s like forced onto me.'' He shook his head helplessly. ''It seems I need to show some care and love to others. Otherwise, I might turn into some monster when ranking up.'' He suddenly halted his thought and soon recalled his mandatory quest. ''Save the Iron Kingdom from its doom¡­ Did the system want me to do some good deeds so that I could stabilize the spell model?'' He got baffled for a second as he came to a strange conclusion. Shaking his head, he once again turned his gaze and moved towards the next spell model. It was the False Blink spell model. ''It''s cunning and cautiousness? Hmm, this one suits the maniption spell.'' He nodded his head and then turned his gaze towards the sixth spell, Crimson Robe. ''It''s righteousness. Why the hell is this emotion in this ce? No, it''s not righteousness, but protecting others. It''s Lawful. Hmm, I did protect the former boss while putting my life on the line many times, so there is nothing strange about it appearing here. Humph, this one can be easily manipted. If I lie to myself and thought that particr actions arewful ones, I can indirectly influence my deep emotions and stabilize the spell model.'' A smile appeared on his face. Then, he turned his gaze towards the right side corner and stared at the [Elemental Body] spell model in deep thoughts. ''There is no emotion in it¡­ This spell gives me a new feeling¡­Newborn?'' Confusion appeared on his face. ''Newborn? What does it represent? Wait¡­ It''s the Rebirth me!'' His illusionary eyes widened. ''But what does it represent? Reborn? Is it indicating my rebirth? Past and present?'' Although he couldn''t understand anything about this strange spell model, he could feel that this spell model was the most stable one among the seven spell models! ''This is a huge discovery. I need to put more thought into these spell models before ranking up.'' Charles nodded his head and soon turned his attention towards the [Needle of Ember] spell model. Then, he went near it and started to wait for the construction toplete. Two hourster, the spell model appearedrger than other spell models and shone in bright red light. ''It''s 2 hours and 12 minutes, not bad.'' He nodded his head and withdrew his consciousness from the Inner World. A momentter, he opened his eyes and started to think. ''Hmm, I have to farm more Exp points and construct all other Rank-3 spell models before focusing on the mandatory mission. Moreover, I also need to save some Exp for leveling up both sses.'' While he was in muse, he took out arge scroll from his space ring and ced it on hisp. It was a map of Savage Forest, which he picked up near the tent earlier. ''There are two settlements located near this waterfall. One is a group of Ember Golems, while the other one is Crimson Birds.'' From the Orc''s memories, he could tell that both were dangerous races and were hard to kill. ''Which one should I pick up?'' He thought for a moment and finally zeroed his gaze on a volcanic mountain. That''s where the settlement of Ember Golems was located! He didn''t waste a moment before he took out the long sword from his space ring, ced it on his waist, and started walking towards the underground cave''s exit. Chapter 152: Needle of Ember Chapter 152: Needle of Ember Once Charles walked out of the underground cave, he went away from the waterfall and cast his gaze on a single volcanic mountain. It was a conical-shaped mountain, andvas and ashes were constantly spewing out from the summit. He stared at the volcano for a moment before entering the dense woods and advanced in the direction of the volcanic mountain. While walking, he encountered many wild creatures like fire wolves, Red Smanders, etc., but he chose to avoid them. Mostly, he would go in a different direction, made a few detours from time to time, and focused his attention mainly on removing his foot trails. Although the chance of Miners'' Den scouts finding his secret location was close to zero, he didn''t dare to leave any clues at all. That underground cave''s location must not be exposed to others. Nodding his head, he checked the surroundings constantly and reached the volcanic mountain''s base after an hour of travel. Then, Charles nced at the base areas and noticed that vine-like nts, weeds, and ck ssy and aphanitic rocks were the only ones that appeared in the mountain base. He soon turned his gaze towards the mountain''s shoulder and saw redvas were covering them. ''Where is the Ember Golems'' settlement?'' He furrowed his brows and soon turned his gaze towards the left side of the mountain. There, he saw arge number of sliced rocks arranged in orders and became suspicious. Without any hesitation, he took a step forward and went in that direction. Once he reached there, he searched the surrounding areas and soon found some foot trails. It looked more like a smaller version of an elephant''s footprints! Those trails soon led him into arge rocky hole. No, it was an underground tunnel! As he arrived near the underground tunnel, he suddenly heard loud footsteps from the tunnel. Without any dy, Charles went near a sizeable rock, hid behind it, and then waited. After a few minutes of waiting, a total of five 2 meter tall humanoid creatures walked out of the dark rocky tunnel. They appeared to be made of moltenva and were yellowish in color. Except for the face-like structures, and humanoid shapes, their bodies appeared to be made of purevas! But what made him more surprised was the metal armor around their bodies. ''Those armors and their weapons are forged by cksmith experts. These creatures are not dumb ones.'' His face turned serious as he carefully started studying their movements. He also noticed some core-like thing on their chests and became more curious about their origin. Then, he focused his attention on a particr short Golem and cast [Cryptic Analysis] skill on it. The next instant, a row of information about Ember Golem appeared in front of his eyes. ''Rank-2 Carrier Golem¡­ It also has some powerful innate spells like Elemental Shield, Fire Breath, Unyielding Fire, High Regeneration¡­ An evolved Golem, is it?'' ''How these creatures are born?'' He thought for a moment and soon cast [Fire Seed] spell on the same Golem. At that moment, the particr Golem suddenly halted its footsteps and stood in confusion. Meanwhile, Charles''s expression froze. The reason for that was that the information he received from the Carrier Golem was not simple at all! ''An underground giant settlement¡­ Wait¡­ More than 30,000 Golems are staying in the underground? A uniquenguage¡­ They are worshiping a statue of a horned woman called Mother Goddess¡­ Moreover, three Rank-4 Ember Golems are the one who controls this strange religion and is gathering more golems from the nearby settlements for some reason!'' Charles instantly knew that something suspicious was going in this Golem settlement. ''Should I search for other settlement? Nah¡­ This one is the right choice to earn Exp points in bulk amount.'' He muttered inwardly and get ready to attack. In the meantime, other golems also stopped their footsteps and looked at the particr Golem in confusion. Soon, they made some rattling noises. But Charles understood that they were asking what had happened to the short Golem. Taking the opportunity, he shifted his attention to the spell model and cast the [Needle of Ember] spell. A momentter, a thin reddish needle appeared in front of him. It hovered in the air and already formed a deep link with his mind. Under Charles''s will, it suddenly moved towards the confused Golem and appeared in front of its head the next second. Then, the needle directly pierced into theva-like head and appeared on the other side! In an instant, the short Golem fell on its knees! ''Interesting.'' Charles''s lips started to curl up and formed into a smile. ''Explode.'' He then muttered inwardly. A momentter, the needle suddenly started to shake fiercely, followed by a cracking noise. Before the other golems could understand the situation, a cloud of dense reddish me came out from the broken needle and began to expand like a wildfire. Whenever the reddish me touches something, it began to seep into the object and corrode at a visible rate. The ground, rock, Golems'' armors, and the nearby weeds also started to get affected by the strange red me. The five Golems soon noticed that their yellowish me bodies also started to turn red and began to panic. Simultaneously, the Chaos reddish me also seeped deep into their bodies and started to corrupt their souls! All of a sudden, an unknown pain assaulted those five golems'' minds! They couldn''t endure the pain and started to fell on their knees. Then, their bodies also started to bulge abnormally and exploded one by one. Chaos me swept the nearby areas and even turned the nearby rocks into powders! By the time the chaotic fire disappeared from there, a small crater had appeared in the area. ''This spell really is terrifying.'' Charles muttered with a dumbfounded look on his face and then nced at the notification. ¡­ [Target Eliminated! 860 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 1,230 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 910 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 740 Exp points obtained!] [Target Eliminated! 1,050 Exp points obtained!] ¡­ ''Good.'' Nodding his head, Charles stayed behind the rock and waited for the search team toe. Soon, eleven armored Golems came out of the small tunnel and then turned their gaze towards therge crater. ''Hmm, there are two Rank-3 Golems and nine Rank-2 Golems. Killing all of them is not possible.'' Furrowing his brows, Charles once again cast the [Needle of Ember] spell, moved it near them, and made it explode. Explosive sounds echoed one by one, causing the nearby ground to vibrate continuously! Only two Rank-3 Ember Golems resisted the Chaos fire for more than 30 seconds before they started to stagger. But their bodies didn''t explode like other golems, though. Although the chaos me seeped into their bodies, they still maintained their rationality and hurriedly ran back to the underground tunnel. "They ran so quickly." Charles let out a disappointing sigh as he came from the hiding area and soon smiled. ''There are 4,790 Exp from the Carrier golems and 8,200 Exp from the second massacre. It''s not a bad ce to earn exp.'' He took one deep look at the dark tunnel and return to the underground cave near the waterfall. After that, he isted himself from the outside world and started toprehend the [Needle of Ember] Spell model. It took only 40 days for him toprehend the spell modelpletely! ''I actually thought that it would take more than 2 months toprehend a Rank-3 spell model.'' He muttered to himself as he opened his jade eyes and then nced around the slightly illuminated rocky underground cave. ''Hmm, more than 25 days have passed in Edhen''s time. I should go back now and check if everything is alright.'' He nodded as he took out the Twin Leaf, ced it on the rocky wall, and then recited a short chant. A secondter, his figure turned blurry and soon disappeared from there! Chapter 153: Deal Chapter 153: Deal Strangers Street, Helm Ville, Iron Kingdom. A green gem leaf suddenly let out a dim light in an underground basement and illuminated the basement. The next instant, a shadowy figure appeared in front of it and blocked the green light. The shadowy figure was none other than Charles! Turning around, Charles quickly conjured a ball of me and made it hover in the air to illuminate the room. Then, he went to the nearby fire torch, adds some mustard oil into it, and lit it. After that, he touched his face and changed himself into an old-looking one. In seconds, he changed his appearance and turned into Oswald Raven. Following that, he ordered the Holem''s Crown to turn it into a ck cane and started walking towards the staircase. Two minutester, Charles walked out of the small room while holding a ck cane for support and looked up at the dark sky. He then turned his gaze towards the surroundings and soon frowned. "I don''t know what time it is now." Saying so, he continued to walk and soon arrived in front of the backyard entrance. He then used his [Hand of Mystery] skill to open the door from inside and stepped in. A momentter, he sawmp lights were still lit in the main hall and showed a trace of a smile. ''The kids haven''t slept yet.'' Muttering inwardly, he started walking towards the main hall and soon slowed down his footsteps. He noticed that all of them were in the middle of discussing something serious! Rhea sat on a wooden chair at the center, while Jessie and Titus sat on an old sofa. From the looks of it, Rhea and Jessie seemed to have some fierce argument. Meanwhile, Noel stood near the wall as he leaned his back against it and listened to their argument with a carefree expression on his face. "The Churches'' announcement can''t be a fake one. I need to go to Royal city before the end of July and have to show my face and tell them that I''m still alive. Otherwise, Churches will officially dere me as dead and I won''t be able to be a monarch at all." A restless young voice echoed in the main hall. "But think logically, Rhea. What will happen if they found out you are still alive before you prove to them that you are the real Rhea Bonere? They will kill you no matter what. We can''t trust anyone." A harsh voice came from Jessie''s mouth as she firmly shook her head and opposed her decision. As Rhea was about to say something, she suddenly heard footsteps from her back and hurriedly stood up. Then, she turned around and soon saw a shadow figure was walking towards them from the other side of the corridor. "Teacher!" Her eyes widened as she saw Charles and greeted him with a bow. At that moment, Noel also noticed his arrival, so he straightened his back and bowed at him in respect. Meanwhile, Jessie and Titus also stood up from their seat and bowed their heads. "Raise your heads." He spoke as he arrived beside Rhea, sat on the wooden chair, and asked while stroking his chin. "What are you guys discussing?" "It''s about this¡­" Rhea started to exin how her family was assassinated after Blood Priest abducted her, then about her sister''s achievements and other frictions between Ruler Caste people and Subordinate Caste people. "So, the Churches suddenly decided to dere you as dead, huh." A frown was clearly visible on Charles''s wrinkled forehead. ''Something is not right. Did they found out her identity already? Is it some kind of tracking spell?'' At that moment, he suddenly thought of the fate-rted spells. ''Information¡­ Blood Priest must have sealed her memory to evade the divination spells. But when Rhea regained her memories 25 days ago, the Churches or her enemies must have perceived some change in the trajectory of Fate and found out that Rhea is still alive and is hiding in the kingdom. Although they don''t know her exact location, it won''t long before they found some trails about her.'' A helpless expression appeared on his face. "When are they going to make an official announcement about your death?" "It''s on August 1st, Teacher." This time, it was Jessie who replied to his question. Charles tapped the cane''s heel on the floor twice and asked with a frown. "What day is today?" "It''s April 9th, Teacher." Jessie gave an instant reply. Charles nodded his head as he leaned his back against the chair''sdder and closed his eyes. After a whole minute of silence, he opened his amber eyes, nced at Rhea, and posed a question. "Are you sure about your decision?" "Decision?" Rhea tilted her head in confusion and showed a puzzlement look on her face. Charles let out a disappointing sigh and spoke. "It''s about bing a Monarch of this Kingdom,ss." Before she could reply, Charles crossed his legs together and spoke in a stern tone. "It''s not some normal job. Before making a decision, you need to first understand how much strength you possess." He suddenly paused for a moment and then started to ask multiple questions "What is your current strength? Who are your allies? How many army soldiers are under your control? How many personal knights and mages do you possess? Are there any nobles backing you up? How many gold coins do you possess to feed your army soldiers? Then, who is your enemy? Do they have powerful Mages or Mystics under their control? How many of them are there? Are you willing to sacrifice 100 soldiers to save 10,000 citizens?" Upon hearing those series of questions, Rhea went dumbfounded. Soon, her face went pale as a white sheet. "You think your half-siblings will give up on the throne just because you appear in front of them? Naive. You will die before you reach the Royal City." Charles said in a harsh tone, causing her body to quiver all of a sudden. Soon, realization dawn on her face as she recalled her Teacher''s series of questions. ''I have no strength, no soldiers, no mages, and not even a single noble''s support. I also knew nothing about my real enemy¡­ They openly assassinated my father, my mother, and my sister. If so, won''t they also squash me like an ant?'' Frustration, anger, and helplessness appeared on her face. She then clenched her fist, appeared in front of Charles, and knelt on the floor. "Please help this poor kingdom and themoner citizens, Teacher. If other Ruler Caste members became a monarch, this kingdom will be doomed." Her head touched the floor as she pleaded with a helpless tone. Crystals of teardrops fell from her eyes and soon sshed on the concrete floor. Ashley hurriedly ran out from the kitchen and shouted in a panicking tone upon seeing Rhea''s sudden action. "Your Highness, Rulers should never kneel!" But Rhea didn''t raise her head at all. She never cared about those traditions. ''I want to fulfill my father''s and big sis''s wish. I want to abolish very and end the discrimination once and for all.'' A firm resolution appeared in her mind. This resolution didn''t appear in her mind so suddenly, though. During the past twenty-five days, she went out and watched all types of discrimination happening in the town. She watched all those discriminations and felt guilty. At that moment, she finally understood why even mages didn''t support her father''s and her sister''s decision. ''My father wants to go against the tradition and change everything. That definitely won''t be a good thing for Mages too. So, they betrayed their own King.'' She knew that she had no chance of winning, but she persisted. In the meantime, Charles looked at her for whole ten seconds and finally asked. "If I help you be a Monarch of Iron Kingdom, what can you give me in return?" His question surprised everyone in the room. Rhea, too, surprised by his words as she raised her head and asked in confusion. "What can I give you in return?" Charles nodded his head and spoke. "It''s called an equal exchange,ss. If you want to achieve something, you have to give up on something." "But I don''t have anything right now." A troubled look appeared on her pale face. Meanwhile, Charles shook his head and spoke. "Once you be a Monarch, you will own this whole kingdom. So, what can you give me in return? I''m warning you. Once you agree to this deal, you can''t back down." The room fell into dead silence for a whole minute. After racking her brain, Rhea stood up from the kneeling position and gave a suggestion. "If I be a Monarch, I will reward you with a title of Duke and arge territory, Teacher. Is that enough?" "Who wants yournd and noble title?" Charles snorted coldly and shook his head. In the meantime, Rhea nced at Jessie and others and started to get anxious. ''I''m sure our Teacher has already fixed his eyes on something. But what does he want?'' Finally, she gave up on thinking and asked directly. "What do you want, Teacher?" A smile appeared on his face. "You can''t figure out my intention, huh. Hmm, I want a Magic Tower. If you promise me that you will build a fiveyer magic tower for me, I will help you be the Queen of Iron Kingdom." He said with a firm tone. Chapter 154: A Powerful Teacher Chapter 154: A Powerful Teacher Upon hearing those words, Rhea went silent for a whole minute. After that, she took a deep breath and spoke with a solemn look on her face. "Mages from the Iron Tower definitely won''t agree to this request, Teacher. They will make trouble using various means and might try to kill you." "It seems you still don''t understand why I want to build a separate Magic Tower,ss." Charles let out a deep sigh and then continued. "Let me ask you some questions, so answer properly. First, who are all eligible to join as a member of the Iron Tower?" Although Rhea got confused by his question, she didn''t put much thought into it and answered truthfully. "Merchants, Nobles, members of noble Mystic families, Royalties, Mages and meritedmoner." "Then, what would a Subordinate Caste member have to do to be a meritedmoner?" "To be a meritedmoner, a subordinate caste member need to get a sealed letter from a noble and also had to pay an amount of 50 gold coins as an advance payment." Rhea thought for a moment before she gave a reply. "Let me ask you another question. How many gold coins do you guys possess when you walk into Chester City?" Charles asked. This time, Rhea nced at Jessie and soon spoke. "At that time, we had a total of 15 gold coins, Teacher. Jessie and Titus had long started to save money by doing odd jobs in the Sweet vige." "15 gold coins¡­ Then, do you know how many gold coins amoner family had to pay fornd and house taxes to the nobles?" Charles suddenly curled his lips upward and asked. An awkward silence appeared in the main hall. Upon noticing the silence, Charles let out a deep sigh, nced at Ashley, and ordered. "Tell us the correct answer." "Yes, My Lord." Ashley instantly bowed her head and spoke. "Land tax is based on how many acres a farmer possesses, My Lord. An averagemoner possesses 3 to 5 acres ofnd and the tax for thend may range from 15 gold coins to 20 gold coins." She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath and then added. "As for house tax, it varies from territory to territory. For example, a rural Baron mostly put a tax of 5 to 10 gold coins while a Duke might ce a high amount of taxes onmoners." "Why is a high-rank noble putting a high amount of taxes?" Charles suddenly interjected. "Most of the Dukes and high-rank nobles'' territories have goodnds for agriculture and also good water supplies. The roads in their territories will always be cleaner, and security will be even tighter than normal nobles'' territories." Ashley gave a proper answer. "Hmm, that means an averagemoner had to pay an amount of 20 to 25 gold coins per year to a noble household. Let''s take a farmer''s family as an example. If my guess is not wrong, they barely earn 30 to 40 gold coins per year in farming. No, if a strong wind appears during the production periods, they would end up losing everything. Moreover, natural disasters like cyclones, heavy rains, strange pests, other nt diseases also would affect their life¡­" "More or less, they will barely earn to pay for taxes. Even if they had some extra money, they would spend it on their daily necessaries like buying clothing, utensils, etc., This goes for other job members too. Now, tell me, where will these subordinate caste members get 50 plus gold coins to pay to be a meritedmoner?" Charles stared at Rhea for a moment and sighed once again. "Who is the Tower Master of Iron Tower?" He asked. "He is a Rank-5 Arch-Mage Marcus, Teacher. He is also the ancestor of Griffin Noble Household and always stays in the magic tower. No one, including my father, had seen him upfront during the past two centuries. But he participated during thest nar war and protected the Iron Kingdom along with the Fourth King of Iron Kingdom." Rhea responded in a nervous tone. "A Rank-5 Arch-Mage, huh. Do you know anything about his ss?" Charles wore a troubled expression on his face and asked. A bitter smile appeared on Rhea''s face as she shook her head and spoke. "No, Teacher. There is no record about his battles or his ss details in the royal library." On the other hand, Charles touched his chin and then started to speak with a serious look on his face. "You don''t have to worry about him. As long as I refrain from killing a Rank-4 Mage of the Iron Tower, he won''te out and look for trouble." ''Damn it, you really think so highly of yourself,d. I''m warning you, Rank-4 Mystics are not chickens. They can kill you in ten seconds.'' An old man''s shouting voice suddenly echoed in Charles''s head as he said those words. Meanwhile, a drastic change appeared on the kids'' and Ashley''s faces! Before they could wake up from the shock, Charles stood up from his seat and spoke. "I will give you one main reason for building this separate Magic Tower. As long as one possesses a good affinity, anyone can join my magic tower. Be it amoner, a ve, a noble, or a merchant, anyone can be a member and would get many opportunities to be a high-rank Mystic or a mage. After my death, you guys will inherit this tower and be the Tower Masters of this magic tower." Charles paused for a moment and then added. "I will also add another person to get equal ess like you guys." "Are you talking about your grandson, Teacher?" Jessie took a deep breath to calm down and asked. "Yes, I might die before I see him. But one day if hees to this magic tower, the tower spirit will recognize him as a Tower Master and give the equal authority as you guys. Don''t worry. He won''t cause any trouble." Saying so, Charles turned around and continued to speak while walking towards the corridor. "There is a small change in our n, kids. We will start our journey to the Royal Capital on July 20th, so train harder and be prepared for any unexpected idents. Unless if it is an urgent matter, don''t disturb me." His old voice trailed off as he walked into the shadow, and soon he disappeared from their visions. Meanwhile, the kids still stood with dumbfounded looks on their faces. Finally, Noel couldn''t keep his face calm and muttered with a smile. "Our teacher is very powerful." At this moment, Jessie let out a deep sigh and damped the mood. "My guess is spot on. Our Teacher is dying." "Dying!?" Both Rhea and Noel got stupefied by her words and stared at her in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Jessie nced at Titus for a moment and then started to speak about her own thoughts. She first told them about his short lifespan and then about his final inheritance. Then, she changed the topic and began to talk about the magic tower. "Our Teacher is not like those nobles and greedy mages, Rhea. He wants to build a magic tower so that it can protect us when we are in danger. Take your parents as an example, if they had some control over the Iron Tower, they wouldn''t have got themselves assassinated by a bunch of assassins." "Although Iron Tower is in the Iron Kingdom, even the Monarch had no authority over it. Mages are the real owners. To their eyes, the Monarch of the Iron Kingdom is nothing but a mere puppet. But that will change once you built a new magic tower for our Teacher. He is powerful and smart and must have many backup ns to make us stronger. He definitely won''t allow you to be a puppet ruler." The more Rhea listened, her faces turned into a shock and then into disbelief. The same goes for Noel too. He was beyond shocked by Jessie''s words. Finally, Rhea took a deep breath and nodded her head in understanding. "He is doing so much for us¡­" She muttered in a low voice, went near the sofa, and slumped on it. No one knew what she was currently thinking. Chapter 155: Continuous Level Up Chapter 155: Continuous Level Up Meanwhile, Charles returned to the underground basement and silently left the Edhen through the Twin Leaf. Soon, he reappeared in the Fire Elemental ne and looked around the dimly illuminated cave. Then, he changed his appearance into his original one and then started to ponder. ''I currently have 3 months and eleven days in Edhen time, which means I have more than 6 months to level up here.'' He started to think. ''Before the start of the journey to Royal City, I must construct all the spell models and level up both sses to Lv-5. Then, I also have to increase my wisdom power to the level of a Rank-4 Mage. Only then I could fool the Tower mages. As forprehending the spell models, I will do it slowly after returning to Edhen.'' He nodded thoughtfully and nced at his exp bar. ''Hmm, I currently have 16,529 Exp points. It should be enough to construct another corresponding spell model.'' A smile appeared on his face. He hurriedly shifted his attention to the spellbook option and focused on the [Fire Seed] spells. [Mind Explosion (17,590 Exp), Fire Invade (14,506 Exp), Fire Thread (16,405), Knowledge Absorption (15,905 Exp), Fire Seed (16,100 Exp), etc.,] ''Mind Explosion¡­ This spell can cause heavy damage to the opponent''s mind upon casting. But I won''t be able to gain any information at all¡­ The next one is Fire Invade¡­ This spell will let my consciousness enter the opponent''s mind and battle against him internally¡­ Nope, this one is too dangerous. Hmm, the next one is Fire Thread¡­ This spell will form into a weave-like thread in the opponent''s mind and alter their thinking¡­ More like mind control¡­ Nope.'' ''Then, Fire Seed¡­ It''s the same as before but it can burn their memories 4 times faster. The next one is the Knowledge Absorption spell. Unlike Fire Seed, this fire spell will only burn the opponent''s very important knowledge like the opponent''sprehension knowledge, and let the user visualize their experiences for a short moment!'' ''It''s more like gaining random knowledge. There is also a chance of increasing one''s wisdom if the knowledge or experience is very valuable. But there is a side effect in this spell, though¡­ The user can use this spell on an opponent only once per day. Moreover, the user can only extract one type of knowledge from the opponent''s mind at a time.'' Charles suddenly paused for a moment. ''This spell is too tempting. Although I can gain the opponent''s memories in the form of information using the Fire Seed spell, most of them are not useful at all. In the future, I will face mages who already entered their Inner World. At that time, I will definitely face difficulty in using the Fire Seed-like spell. The opponent might just use his incarnation to find the anomaly in his mind and destroy the [Fire Seed] spell before it could gather important information. But this Knowledge Absorption spell ispletely different. Once I cast this spell on the opponent, I will definitely steal any one of his important secret knowledge.'' His jade eyes shone in excitement. He instantly poured 15,905 Exp points into the spell name and entered the Inner World. Two and a half an hourter, he opened his eyes in the maternal world and soon smiled. ''This spell is a real deal.'' He curled his lips upward and soon thought of an idea. He then subconsciously turned his gaze towards the hovering red-gem embedded bracelet and smiled widely. Noticing his strange gaze, the Holem''s Crown suddenly felt a strong forewarning from the depths of its mind and froze on the spot. "What are you trying to do,d?" An old man''s voice came as it hurriedly flew two feet away from him. "Nothing." Charles instantly dismissed that thought of using the spell on the artifact and shook his head. ''This artifact is a stubborn one. If I try something like this, it might self-destruct on its own. Moreover, I can''t use this spell carelessly.'' Clicking his tongue, he stood up from the stone b and walked out of the cave to farm experience. He first went to Ember Golem settlement and soon noticed more than 30 golems on patrol at the entrance. Noticing that the other party was already on guard, he let out a disappointing sigh and turned his attention towards the small-sized settlements. Without any hesitation, he went towards a nearby Smander settlement and started to hunt sneakily. Then, he went to the nearby Lava Fiends settlement and continued his action. Most of the time, he would only choose lone Rank-3 creatures as his targets and hunted them one by one like a sneaky assassin. Three months passed in a blink in the Fire Elemental ne. During the time, Charles raided ten small-sized settlements like Wild Goblin settlement, Smander Settlement, Ember Golems settlement from time to time and earned a total amount of 82,400 Exp points! Even he got stunned by the amount of Exp he got from killing. Although he had the upper hand most of the time, he was also forced to the brink of his death once. A week ago, he went out to hunt a group of Fire Foxes but ended up meeting a bunch of strange Crimson Birds. They turned vicious when they noticed his presence and started to attack him ruthlessly using their ws and their strange feathers. Not only that, but they also used some sound spells and disrupted his thinking process from time to time! If not for the Holem''s Crown''s travel leap skill and the Ember Pistol''s upgraded bullet attack, he would have died there! Although the attack power behind the Ember Pistol''s bullet wasn''t a Rank-4 one, it still killed three Rank-3 Crimson Birds in one go, causing the Crimson Birds to stop for a moment. He used that opportunity and escaped from there! Casting the brutal memory away from his head, Charles stood on the river shore and looked at the falling waterfall. Currently, it was already dusk, and the surrounding areas had already turned redder. ''I should level up my both sses and pay a visit to Edhen before resuming my hunt.'' He thought inwardly and started walking towards the hidden underground cave. During the past three months, he returned to Edhen a few times and brought rations and dried meats and bread from the shops from time to time. Not only that, but he also started to pay more attention to the kids'' safety. ''They are also ready to rank up.'' Charles entered the underground cave with a smile on his face and then sat on the stone b. After that, he opened the interface and poured 5,767 Exp to the main ss tab. ¡­ [5,767 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You be a Level 2 Ember Wizard!] [2 Free Attributes Rewarded!] [+1 wisdom obtained!] [10 skill points obtained!] ¡­ Charles didn''t even talk a look at the notification before he pours 8,650 Exp points into the main ss tab. After that, he once again poured 12,975 Exp points and finally 19,463 Exp points. In few seconds, he became a Level-5 Ember Wizard! ''I currently have 8 free attributes and 71 skill points. As for Exp points, I still have 36169 Exp points remaining.'' He thought for a moment and chose to level up the Mischievous Man ss to Level-4. He once again poured a total of 27,392 Exp points on the sub-ss tab and started leveling up his sub-ss. After that, he opened the status bar and checked the wisdom tab. ''Currently, my wisdom attribute already reached 37, but it isn''t enough for me. Hmm, I now have 11 free attribute points and 131 skill points.'' He thought for a moment and put three free attribute points to the wisdom attribute. A momentter, a change appeared in his Inner World. He felt that his whole Inner World and the dark space, which linked his body to the Inner World, also started to expand. ''Hmm, I can perceive the surroundings at a molecr level and my six senses also heightened to another level¡­ But there is no big change in my Inner World¡­ It means I need to raise it to 50 points to reach the level of Rank-4 Mage. But if I spend all my free skill points on increasing wisdom, what about my personal body strength?'' He contemted for a moment before sharpening his gaze on the game interface and directly sent all the points into wisdom attribute. In a blink, it rose from 40 to 48! Charles''s vision turned blurry for a moment before turning into a sharper one. His thinking process also increased to an unimaginable level! Not only that, but he also felt that he could even move objects using the wisdom power! ''I can clearly sense the gap between a Rank-3 and Rank-4. If I use my wisdom power, I can harm mortals'' minds and make them unconscious. And if I inject a few fire element energies into the wisdom power, I can even force a Rank-1 Mystic to his knee.'' A surprised expression appeared on his face. ''This is indeed a big gap between two ranks.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then checked his body status. [Name: Charles Nightwind Health Status: Normal (Affected by Amber''s Curse) Race: Half-Shifter Main ss: Level 5 Ember Wizard (0/29,194) [Rank-3] Sub-ss: Level 4 Mischievous Man (0/19,463) [Rank-3] Title: Chaos Maker Health Points: 301/301 Exp: 8,777 Exp Attributes: Strength- 18 Dexterity- 18 Constitution- 18 Wisdom-48 Charisma- 12 SP (Skill Points): 131 AP (Attribute points): 0 ss spells: Red Wings (Rank-2 spell- Completed) Needle of Ember (Rank-3 spell- Completed) - [5% Extra boost due to the presence of Chaos power in this spell model.] Elemental Body (Rank-2 spell- Completed) Crimson Robe (Upgraded version) (Rank-2 spell- Completed) Knowledge Absorber (Rank-3 spell- Iplete) Soul Heal (Rank-2 spell- Completed) False Blink (Rank-2 spell- Completed) Sub-ss skills: Hand of Mystery- 111 Face Change- 120 Vision- 102 Unique skills: Cryptic Analysis- 107 Conceal- 54 Dark Vision- 47 Intermediate Dagger Arts- 50 Sharpshooting- 37 Elemental Affinity Level: Fire: Genius Darkness: Average.] Chapter 156: Variation Chapter 156: Variation ''My next job is to earn more Exp points and upgrade the spell models.'' At that moment, Charles''s heart palpitated all of a sudden! Simultaneously, a small tremor appeared from the ground, causing the hill to shake a little. The shaking soon caused the sharp stone, attached to the cave''s ceiling, to fall directly towards Charles''s head! As the stone was about to pierce his head, he suddenly raised his hand and caught the stone swiftly. ''An omen? No, it seems to be indicating that my life is in danger.'' Before he could think further, he sensed that the ground was still vibrating. ''Something is approaching.'' Charles''s face turned dead serious as he cast [False Blink] spell and reappeared near the cave wall. Then, he hurriedly picked up the Twin Leaf, stored in his space ring, and then once again cast [False Blink] spell. A momentter, he appeared near the sealed entrance, moved the rock, and then walked out from the underground hall. It was only a few minutes before he walked into the underground cave, but the surroundings had already turned a little darker. At that moment, the ground vibration started to go fiercer and fiercer and soon turned into a mini earthquake. ROARRRR! A sudden thundering noise echoed above his head, causing his face to pale in fright. He clearly remembered the familiar feeling and hurriedly used the [False Blink] spell five times. In two seconds, he appeared in the nearby woods, turned around with a solemn look on his face, and started to walk backward with careful footsteps. Meanwhile, a 20 to 25-meter tall humongous bird with a lizard-like face descended from the sky andnded on the hill with its monstrous body. Its body was asrge as arge three-stored building and appeared thirty to thirty-five meter long. Its scales were pure reddish and were sharper as daggers. Two tough legs, reddish wings that were almost as long as its body, and a long sharp tail. It was the same freaking Red Dragon that Charles saw when he entered this Savage Forest! The monstrous Red Dragon pped its wings twice while sending shockwaves in every direction and let out another thundering roar. The whole hill started to shook for a moment before returning to normal. On the other hand, the Red Dragon moved its head towards the river, opened its mouth, and started to drink water! Once it finished drinking the hot water, it made a satisfying burp with a lump of fire and then released its ruler power. The power of dominance came from its body like a ripple and tore the nearby rocks, nts, and even trees'' branches. At the exact moment, Charles felt the same suffocated feeling from the Red Dragon. But unlike before, he felt that he could resist the invisible power with his wisdom power! ''This creature must be above Rank-5.'' He was damn sure of it! Before he could process his thoughts, the monstrous Dragon squinted its yellowish eyes all of a sudden and turned its head towards the forest. No, the Dragon''s gaze peered into the leaves and tree trunks and soonnded on Charles, who was hiding behind a tree trunk. Upon sensing the Dragon''s gaze, his body started to quiver involuntarily. ''F*ck, I''m exposed!'' He cursed at his damned luck and began to think at a fast speed. ''This Dragon has already locked its eyes on me, so there is no way it can let me escape¡­ I also used the Holem''s Crown''s ''Travel Leap'' spell once, so it''s an out of option¡­ My next option is the Twin Leaf. If I can use the Twin Leaf to escape¡­Nah, I should use that as ast choice. If the Twin Leaf ends up in the Dragon''s hand, it might found out the coordinates of Edhen. I also knew nothing much about the Dragon and its intelligence¡­'' While he was in muse, the Red Dragon suddenly made a loud snort, turned his head towards the dim ck sky, and pped its red wings. The next instant, it directly flew up towards the sky, causing another round of shockwaves, and disappeared from his vision! ''What is this all about?'' Even Charles got stunned for a moment, and soon realization dawn on him. ''It doesn''t consider me as a threat at all¡­ No, it''s simrly like when I look at the ants. If I saw a red ant among the ck ant group, I might take one curious look at the anomaly and then resume walking on my one¡­ Just now, this Dragon also gave a simr response¡­'' He was a bit speechless when he thought of such a possibility. ''But my heart is still beating faster¡­'' His expression went stiff for a moment. The next instant, his expression turned solemn. ''Something is still not right¡­ It''s not that my life is in danger, but the kids!'' He instantly cast [False Blink] multiple times and appeared in front of the underground cave. Although the Dragon stood on therge hill, its weight wasn''t enough to copse this underground cave at all. He carefully walked inside and soon saw many broken rocks were scattered all over the ce. But he didn''t put much thought into it before he went deeper into the cave and soon ced the gem-like leaf on the wall. Then, he made a short chant and disappeared from the Fire Elemental ne. ¡­ Strangers Street, Helm Ville, Iron Kingdom, Edhen World. The gloomy underground basement suddenly turned bright due to the dim green light. The next instant, Charles appeared in the basement, conjured a ball of fire, and made it float in the air. At the exact moment, he suddenly felt a chill sensation from the surrounding air! He quickly changed his appearance into an old man''s one, took a ck frock coat, and wore it over his linen shirt. Then, he tapped the red-gem bracelet and ordered the Holem''s Crown to change it into a ck cane. Following that, he turned around before gripping the ck cane''s handle and started walking towards the staircase. Within a few seconds, he appeared in the outside yard and then frowned. The sky appeared abnormally darker with no red moons, giving him an uneasy feeling. Not only that, but the temperature also started to rise at a fast speed. ''Something is definitely not right.'' His wrinkled face turned colder as he started walking towards the backyard entrance and soon paused for a moment. ''Wait¡­ When my heart started to beat abnormally faster to give me a warning, the Red Dragon suddenly appeared and fooled me into thinking that I''m the one who was in danger¡­ The perfect timing to fool my thinking¡­ Was it a coincidence? Or, someone used the power of Fate?'' He subconsciously thought of the Royal Family members and Iron Tower Mages. ''They must have already found out that Rhea has a powerful backer to change the fate of this kingdom¡­ So, they made their first move?'' He narrowed his eyes in suspicion and soon shook his head. ''No, even Red Prince took six months to find my exact location¡­ So, the chance of the current Royal Family members or the Tower Mages finding out about Rhea''s exact location is close to zero. That leaves with one other option and that is¡­ There is someone else creating this anomaly.'' While thinking, he appeared in front of the backyard entrance gate, opened it with a click, and started to walk on the gloomy dark corridor. Soon, he saw that the main hall was still illuminated in the bright yellowmplight! Charles walked on the concrete floor while making light noises and soon reached the main hall. But the next second, his face froze as he focused his gaze at the center of the hall. There, he saw a ck-haired woman''s body was floating in a horizontal position and appeared motionless! Chapter 157: Ghost Chapter 157: Ghost Charles''s eyes flickered in the yellowishmplight as he saw the hovering ck-haired woman. The next instant, themp on his right side table started to shimmer and soon went off with a poof! "Come¡­y with me¡­" A young child''s voice suddenly echoed in his ears. A momentter, a chilling wind blew past his neck, caused Charles to frown deeply. ''A ghost?'' He raised his eyebrows and conjured a ball of me. "Turn off the light, mom. I''m going to sleep." The same child''s voice echoed in his ears. "Who is it?" Charles asked in a cold tone and then started walking towards the hovering Ashley. On the other hand, drops of blood fell from her face and sshed on the concrete floor. As he was about to grab Ashley''s hand, her body suddenly jerked up like she was being electrocuted. Simultaneously, some invisible power moved her body upward and directly mmed her face onto the ceiling. A painful groan leaked out of Ashley''s mouth. At the exact moment, Charles suddenly felt a faint presence from behind his back and furrowed his brows. "You want to y hide and seek?" He let out a cold snort and suddenly released his wisdom power everywhere. Then, he used [Hand of Mystery] skill and pulled Ashley from the air towards his direction. ''Hmm, an invisible consciousness is hiding in this house and seemed to be moving from one ce to another.'' Charles analyzed the situation and then stared at Ashley. Her face was filled with knife cuts, and a strange triangle mark also appeared on her forehead. It was a triangle colored yellow on top, red at bottom-right, and blue at bottom-left. Although this was the first time Charles had seen the symbol, he clearly recalled studying about them somewhere. ''Wait, I read about such a symbol in the wisdom library. Yellow represents Birth¡­ Red represents Death¡­ and blue represents Life. A single member from this organization could cause a kingdom to tremble in fear¡­ The Destiny Conquerors¡­'' Charles''s face turned abnormally cold. ''This is troublesome.'' He conjured a bluish-green me on his palm and threw it on Ashley''s body. A momentter, her whole body started to burn fiercely, and soon the me started to heal her at a fast speed. On the other hand, Charles ced her on the cold floor and turned his gaze towards the kitchen. At the entrance door, a small white humanoid form started to take shape. It looked more like a humanoid ethereal form. ''That''s a person''s soul. But something is wrong about this one.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly spoke in his mind. ''Something is wrong?'' Charles tilted his head in confusion and soon noticed that foggy ethereal form had long vanished from there! ''Yes. After death, one''s soul usually enters the Eternal River of Life and would wait for their reincarnation cycle. But some anomaly cases appear from time to time. If some died of unwillingness or pure hatred and vengeance, their soul would refuse to go to the Eternal River of Life for soul cleansing and stay here in the ethereal form or astral form.'' ''After some time, these souls would gain some terrifying mystic abilities and would influence the physical world. If they hate someone, they would follow after them and create countless problems for their enemy. These beings are always a troublesome bunch to deal with. This small soul shoulde under this category.'' The Holem''s Crown replied patiently. ''But why did ite here?'' Charles felt more confused by the soul''s appearance and soon asked another question. ''Is there a way to capture it?'' ''Yes, if you are a necromancer, you can enve it and seal them in a skeleton to awaken a bone puppet.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then added. ''Another method is to create a ritual circle and seal it.'' Charles shook his head and soon turned his gaze towards Ashley. He then took out a leather water pouch from his space ring, opened the tap, and poured it on her face. Meanwhile, Ashley let out a painful groan and then started to cough before opening her eyes. The next instant, her whole body started to quiver all of a sudden. Soon, she noticed Charles''s presence and spoke in a hurried tone. "Please save the kids, My Lord. A few skeletons walked into this house and kidnapped them when we were asleep. I tried my best to stop them, but this ghost-" At that moment, she suddenly stopped her talking, curled her lips upward, and stood up with a strange smile on her face. Her head then twisted in a weird angle, and she spoke in a childish voice. "You are a bad man." Once she finished her words, she tried to break her neck, but Charles waved his hand and threw a ball of blue me on her body. Simultaneously, he used his wisdom power andpletely focused on her body. In a split second, he noticed that a white humanoid form started to take shape in front of her body. No, he saw that the foggy humanoid figure was currently struggling with all its might! ''As I had thought, this soul fire really does work against souls. Is this some kind of purifying fire?'' Charles thought inwardly and continued to toss another two balls of bluish-green me on Ashley''s body. Within two seconds, the foggy form started to turn into an illusionary blonde-haired boy child''s appearance! He appeared around 8 to 10 years old and was currently hovering in front of Ashley. But what shocked Charles was not his clear human appearance but a strange ck chain on his chest. One end was attached to his heart region, while the other end appeared to be moving into the void from his right side. ''Someone is using a death chain to stop the soul from entering the Eternal River of Life.'' The Holem''s Crown gave him an exnation. ''Is he a necromancer from the Destiny Conquerors?'' Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and went near the soul. Then, he conjured another ball of me, reshaped it into a sharp de-like appearance, and shed it towards the death chain. A nging sound echoed in the hall, followed by a loud metal breaking noise. A momentter, the ck chain broke into two! Charles soon saw that blonde-haired kid started to turn transparent and then disappeared from his eyes. Meanwhile, Ashley once again fell on the ground and became unconscious. Shaking his head, Charles walked out of the house and soon frowned. The only howling wings and the window shuttering noises echoed from all over the ce, giving an eerie feeling to him. ''It''s a mere trick to cause fear.'' A cold snort appeared out of his mouth. The next instant, two reddish fire wings appeared behind his back and started to p. Then, Charles''s figure shot up towards the dark sky and soon reached 100 meters high. He looked at the street roads from the sky one by one and soon zeroed his gaze towards the western side of the gate. At that moment, he heard metal nging noises from that direction! Without any dy, Charles pped his wings and shot towards the western gate like a bullet. Meanwhile, a total of 14 bone skeletons in different attires surrounded a group of four kids and was pointing their weapons at them threateningly. Some skeletons held long swords, while the rest held spears and daggers. Each of those skeletons appeared around 140 to 160 cm tall and looked more like trained soldiers! On the other hand, Noel pierced his short sword into a kneeling skeleton''s skull and directly decapitated its skull from its body. Then, he nced at the surroundings and let out a deep sigh. After these skeletons kidnapped Noel and others, they tied their hands and brought them to this western gate. After that, these skeletons ced them on the ground and then waited at the entrance for someone. Thankfully, Titus woke up earlier than others, untied the ropes before the skeletons'' could notice, and freed everyone. Then, he also snatched Jessie''s void pouch stealthily and gave their weapons back. By the time the skeletons realized that something was amiss, Rhea used her magic spell, bombarded them with ice spears, and killed six of them in one go. ''Haa, if we had ranked up to Rank-2 Mystics, we wouldn''t be ended up in this state.'' Shaking his head, Noel nced at Titus and Jessie and became gloomy. "You two are heavily injured." He muttered while gripping the short sword and gritted his teeth in frustration. Meanwhile, Jessie and Titus held the daggers in their hands and watched the skeletons in vignce. Sword cuts appeared on many parts of their bodies, and blood drops were constantly falling on the ground. Behind them was Rhea, who stood with a pale face. Currently, she held a small wooden staff in her hand and was panting heavily. Water droplets were constantly flowing out from her hands and soon formed into a transparent sphere, enveloping Noel, Jessie, and Titus. It was a [Water Shield] spell! "When will our Teachere?" Noel spat out a mouthful of blood and asked. A bitter smile appeared on Jessie''s face. "I have no idea-" At that moment, she abruptly stopped speaking and then looked up at the sky. From the eastern direction, she noticed that a red bird was moving towards their direction faster! She instantly widened her eyes and cried out in surprise. "Teacher!" Chapter 158: Clone Chapter 158: Clone Meanwhile, Charles pped his red wings to slow down the momentum and soonnded in front of them. Then, he waved his hand, conjured tens of fireballs, and threw it towards those skeletons. Within seconds, the balls of firended on the skeletons and burned them before they could even run. After that, he went near the water shield, break it with his hand, and cast [Soul Heal] spell on all the kids. "Are you guys alright?" He asked. Meanwhile, all of them nced at each other and nodded their heads. Then, Jessie suddenly thought of something and spoke. "There are still more skeletons in the Town, Teacher. They seem to be kidnapping the kids who are only around 10 to 15 years old." At that moment, Titus also sheathed his dagger and spoke. "These skeletons also seem to be following someone''s order. If my guess is not wrong, that person might be controlling these skeletons from afar." At this moment, Noel coughed violently and squatted down, causing others to stop their talking. "He is just tired." Charles took a deep look at his condition and then looked around. ''Hmm, it seems someone doesn''t want me to increase my current strength. If it is a normal circumstance, I will leave this town and takes these kids to the Royal Capital for safety. But I feel ufortable about that idea¡­ Although it was just my guess, I can''t act carelessly.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon began to ponder about his current problem. ''Currently, I need someone strong enough to protect these kids while I go to the Fire ne to earn more Exp. Holem''s Crown? Nah, the artifact''s identity must be kept as a secret from others. Should I strengthen these kids'' survivability by giving them some of my low-rank artifacts? Hmm, that''s a good idea, but activating the artifacts requires wisdom power. Only Rhea and Jessie are eligible to use them now.'' Charles rubbed his temple in headache and soon made up his mind. "Let''s go back to the house. After some rest, we will go to Duke Conor''s Eastford City and buy ss Gems at the ck market. It would only take one day travel by carriage anyway." Upon hearing his words, everyone''s face brightened. Noel also stood up and nodded his head in agreement. "Teacher, I haven''t reached my peak stage yet." Only Rhea showed a little disappointment on her face and spoke. "How many spell models have you constructed till now?" Charles nced at her and questioned. In the meantime, Rhea lowered her in distress and said in a low voice. "Only four spell models, Teacher." Nodding his head, Charles turned around and spoke. "Don''t put too much thought into it. In truth, your achievement should already be considered a genius-level one. Unlike other ss Mystics, Mages need to rely on themselves, so it will take time for us to Rank-Up." Saying so, he took a step forward and started to walk in the eastern direction. On the other hand, the kids nodded their heads and followed after him with fast footsteps. On the way, Charles and others didn''t meet any skeletons and returned to the house in Strangers Street. Meanwhile, Ashley had already woken up and was shivering in the corner of the main hall. Due to the ghost''s appearance, she waspletely scared out of her wits. If not for Rhea''s and other kids'' return, she would have stayed there like a statue. Once the kids saw her appearance, they went near her and asked about what had happened in concern. After a short narration from Ashley, all the kids went pale in fright and horror! To them, an undead skeleton was nothing but a strange magical being. But the ghost was apletely different matter. The knowledge about a ghost was always a mystery, even for mages and Mystics. Even Charles faced some trouble upon encountering such a sneaky being. If not for his [Soul Heal] spell, even he would have thought of giving up on fighting it! ''Hmm, the ghost''s known abilities are invisibility, it can move objects like telekinesis and cause the surrounding temperature to drop to some degree. It might also have abnormal wisdom power. Then, it can possess other person and might turn an ally into an enemy.'' Charles shook his head and sat on the old sofa. Meanwhile, the kids exchanged their first fighting experience with Ashley to make her morefortable and then went to their own room. Ashley also finally let go of the fear in her heart and started walking towards the nearby room to rest. One of the main reasons for her courage was the presence of a mage in the house. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have stepped out of the main hall at all. On the other hand, Charles thought of the earlier soul form and asked the Holem''s Crown in interest. ''Can I able to see my own soul form?'' ''Unless you rank up to a Legendary Mage, it''s almost impossible.'' The Holem''s Crown gave an instant reply. ''You mean Rank-6 Mage?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and probed. ''Yes. We just call the Rank-6 as Legendary Mages. Now, let''se to the current topic. Why you want to see your soul form?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in suspicion. Meanwhile, Charles didn''t put much thought into it and spoke truthfully. ''I have a vague feeling that I might need to know more about my soul for the future advancement.'' ''It''s the Trickster ss''s prediction ability, isn''t it? Hmm, it might have something to do with your sub-ss. I heard that High-Rank Trickster ss Mystics could create clones from their body parts, so it might be rted to this one.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly revealed a shocking truth, causing Charles to widen his eyes! ''Clones?'' He suddenly got intrigued. ''Yes, I don''t know at which rank you can create clones from your body parts, but it should be around Rank-5 to Rank-7. But it consumes one''s lifespan. If you use the Trickster ss skill to create a clone, you will lose one-tenth of your lifespan.'' The Holem''s Crown''s following words caused Charles''s excitement to go down in an instant. After a long silence, Charles let out a wry smile and spoke. ''It''s a double-edged sword skill, is it?'' ''It is. But that''s why this skill is feared even by the Gods,d.'' Without waiting for Charles to ask more questions, the Holem''s Crown made a fake cough and continued in an exciting tone. ''The Trickster ss''s clone ability is simr to Gods'' unique ability.'' ''Are you talking about the Gods'' Avatar-making ability?'' Charles suddenly interjected. ''Yes. What would happen if you could create tens of you to fight against a God in the future? Although the clones would only exert 60 percent of your original strength, it was still a shocking one. You would be equally matched against a God¡­ No, you would even overwhelm a God in fighting! If you use this ability properly, you could even fight equally against a God''s multiple Avatars and might even kill them. No, you might even have a chance to kill a God''s main body. Have you ever heard of a mage killing a God? Never! Only some Warlocks could achieve such feat.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly got excited. No, craziness appeared in its tone. ''It seems this artifact really has some deep grudge against the Gods.'' That was the first thought that came to Charles''s mind. Chapter 159: A Guest Chapter 159: A Guest ''Now that I think about it, what is the average lifespan of a Rank-1 Mage?'' Charles asked in curious. ''You don''t know?'' The Holem''s Crown got surprised for a moment and then exined patiently. ''If you had chosen to walk on the path of ancients, you might have gained double lifespan. Unfortunately, you are not that lucky. Hmm, an average lifespan of a Rank-1 ss Mage should be around 140 to 165 years. Meanwhile, an average lifespan of a Rank-1 ancient mage should be around 180 years to 220 years¡­'' ''I will give more detail about the ss Mage''s average lifespan now. Rank-2 mage''s lifespan should be around 250 years to 300 years. Then, Rank-3 Mage''s lifespan should be around 600 to 750 years. But if you stayed in the Rank-1 for too long and Rank-Up only after 100 years, your lifespan would be reduced to a great margin and you would only get around 60 to 70 years of extra lifespan. So, the faster you rank up, the more lifespan you would get during the next Rank.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding and then asked. ''What about Rank-4 and Rank5?'' ''Rank-4 Mage should get around 1,200 years to 1,600 years. Then, the Rank-5 Mage should get around 3,000 years to 4,500 years. As for Rank-6, it should be around 10,000 years of lifespan. After that, your soul will mutate and be more solid. That will boost one''s lifespan to a maximum level. To put it more simply, an average Rank-7 Mage would get a lifespan of 200,000 years. Those who achieved this stage would be called Demigods. This title should be the same for Bloodline Warlocks, Divines, and Ancient Mages.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles''s vision about the mages broadened. ''This¡­'' Charles took a long breath to calm his mind and then asked another question as he thought of the ghost. ''What is that ck chain which attached to the soul''s chest region?'' ''Are you asking about the Death Chain? It should be a necromancer''s doing. He must be trying to study the souls to gain some enlightenment about Death.'' The Holem''s Crown responded calmly. ''Enlightenment, huh. Now that I think about it, I do read some information in the Wisdom library that necromancers live longer than mages. Is it true?'' He asked. ''Ugh, yes¡­ Those undead monsters are not to be messed with. They are like cockroaches. As for their abnormal lifespan, it''s due to them abandoning their humanity and turns themselves into skeletons. Till Rank-3, they would just age normally like ss Mages and would retain their human physical appearances. But once they Rank Up to a Death Mage, they would abandon half of their humanity and turn into a Demi-Lich. In return, they will get more than 50 thousand years of lifespan¡­'' ''But they would also receive a bacsh, though. The Demi-Liches'' bones are filled with death energy, and this energy is very harmful to any normal life forms. When the necromancers start abandoning their humanity, the ''Will'' of the world would also reject them and might put some severe restrictions. During the next ranking, they wouldpletely turn into Liches and be expelled from any life ne. They would be considered as the nemesis of life forms. So, their only option would be entering the undead ne or the Underworld. It''s a ne which even the Titans feared of.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone. ''It seems the universe is so vast. Titans, huh.'' Charles nodded his head and then closed his eyes to take some rest. A few hourster, he woke up due to the kids'' noise and opened his amber eyes. Soon, Jessie, Rhea, Noel, and Titus walked out from their rooms one by one and appeared in front of him. "Did you guys inform about our departure to the servant?" Charles gripped the cane, stood up with its support, and asked. "Yes, Teacher," Jessie nodded her head in affirmation. Meanwhile, Charles turned his gaze towards Noel and furrowed his brows. "You still look tired." "I''ll be fine, teacher. Moreover, Titus also learned to drive the carriage, so I will be alright." Noel made his face look like a refreshed one and answered in an energetic tone. ''This kid¡­'' Charles took one deep look at Noel before turning around and started to walk out of the house. Although the darkness was still shrouding the surroundings, the dawn light already appeared in the east, giving a new feeling to everyone''s mind. Then, Noel and Titus went to bring the horses from the left side yard and soon hitched the horses to the carriage. After that, Titus picked a long whip from the nearby tree and climbed up towards the driver''s seat. On the other hand, Noel, Charles, and the two girls went near the carriage and entered. Soon, Titus whipped the horses twice, drove the carriage out of their house, then out of Strangers Street, and silently left the Helm Ville. Under Charles''s guidance, Titus drove the carriage into gloomy woond and moved towards Duke Conor''s territory. Although some bandits and thieves blocked their way, they didn''t pose any threat to the group at all. In few hours, the horse-drawn carriage exited the woods and entered Duke''s territory. They saw farnds, viges, and even a few towns along the way, but the carriage didn''t stop anywhere. By the end of the day, the group finally saw a fortified city in the middle of a lush grassy in. The defensive wall was more than five-meter tall, and soldiers stood on the top with different weapons in their hands. Eastford City was a city that famous for merchandise and trade. Not only that, but this city was also renowned for its unique Dream Wine that was produced using rare purple grapes. It was a city with a poption of five hundred thousand people! Charles and the kids also saw a very small queue at the entrance and quietly joined in. After some time, Noel finally got the approval to enter the city and led the carriage inside. At the same time, one guard checked the timer, took out a white horn, and blew it with full force. Errnnnn! In a minute, a few silver-armored soldiers blocked the few citizens from entering the city and shut the four-meter-tall metal door with full force. Meanwhile, the city also turned a little dimmer, and soon streetmps began to light one by one. The main street was wide and narrow. The people in the city mostly wore luxurious silk clothes, and the men put traditional chaperone hats over their heads. As the carriage drove inside, some cries echoed from the nearby houses from time to time, and the passerby citizens even avoided looking at the carriage. No, they were avoiding all the foreigners! On the other hand, the soldiers also appeared all over the city and patrolled everywhere like watchdogs. They even stopped the suspicious individuals from time to time and inquired about their identities! Charles also opened the curtain and noticed anxiety in their eyes. Not only that, but he also sensed a strange rotten flesh smell in the air and furrowed his brows. ''It seems safety is not guaranteed in this city. Even the soldiers are showing anxiety towards something.'' He made a guess and soon asked Titus to stop near a fruit shop. After that, Charles walked out from the carriage and asked the shopkeeper about the location of the Shade Merchant Company. Then, the carriage didn''t stop anywhere and directly went to Market Street. Along the way, Charles''s group even saw some wounded soldiers with bandages and became more curious about the reason behind this. While Charles was in muse, Noel already reached the destination, parked the carriage near a three-storied building, and informed everyone about their arrival. Nodding his head, Charles walked out of the carriage, told the kids to stay in it, and brought Jessie into the Shade Merchant Company to purchase ss Gems. Although Churches don''t have much influence in the Iron Kingdom, that doesn''t mean they had left with no option at all. In truth, the Churches had long infiltrated deep into the kingdom''s economy in the form ofpanies and already monopolized many things. Once Charles and Jessie went inside the three-storied building, they soon met the shop manager and brought four Rank-2 ss Gems at the cost of 2,900 Moon gold coins! Although buying the ss Gems in ck markets was costlier, Charles didn''t put much thought into it. After that, he and Jessie walked out of the shop and entered the carriage. Then, Charles asked Noel to drive the carriage towards North Street. ''The bank manager gave me a hint that nighttime is dangerous for foreigners¡­ But going out of the city during the night also is not possible¡­'' While he was thinking, Noel pulled the ropes and drove the carriage towards North Street. A few minutester, they found an excellent Inn called Horned Deer''s Inn and booked three rooms. After settling in his room, Charles opened the window curtain and narrowed his eyes. ''Someone seems to be attacking this city during night time¡­ From the information I gathered from passerby and the shopkeeper, murders are happening from time to time and there are also many kidnapping incidents in the past six months¡­ I also heard simr words from an inndy in Helm Ville¡­ Is an organization behind this incident? Necromancer? Or, is it another party?'' He had long sensed the impending danger and got curious about the enemy''s real identity. ¡­ At that moment, a curly ck-haired woman in a grey robe walked into the Horned Deer''s Inn, appeared in front of the reception desk, and adjusted her round eyesses. She had a slightly wrinkled round face, grey eyes, fleshy nose, and held a strange silver pocket watch in her hand. In the meantime, the receptionistdy stared at the guest for a moment and soon bowed her head. "How many days do you want to stay here, ma''am?" She asked politely. "Give me one VIP room for a week." The ck-haired woman spoke. Meanwhile, the receptionistdy calcted the amount in her mind and answered. "That would be 15 gold coins." Upon hearing the cost, the ck-haired woman let out a fake cough and soon took out a bunch of gold coins from her void pouch. Then, she counted the right amount and gave it to the receptionist. "Your room number is 302 and it is on the third floor, ma''am." The receptionist responded calmly before giving a metal key to the ck-haired woman. On the other hand, the ck-haired woman caught the key from the receptionist''s hand, turned around, and started walking towards the wooden stairs. As she was about to take the first step, the receptionist suddenly realized that she had forgotten to ask the guest''s name and asked in an anxious tone. "Excuse me, ma''am. Could you please tell me your name?" Upon hearing the receptionistdy''s anxious voice, the ck-haired woman suddenly paused for a moment, raised her hand, tapped it on her forehead, and spoke. "Emilia. My name is Emilia Wilson." Saying so, she moved her hand, adjusted her robe, and started to go upstairs. Chapter 160: Anger Chapter 160: Anger In the meantime, Charles already closed the curtains, appeared near the wooden bed, and sat on it. Within few seconds, he heard knocking sounds from the outside. "Come in." He spoke in a solemn tone and waited. On the other hand, the wooden door opened with a creaking noise, and soon Jessie and other kids walked in. A few secondster, they appeared in front of Charles and stood there in silence. Meanwhile, Charles first took out three gems from his space ring and gave them to Jessie, Noel, and Titus. Then, he turned his gaze towards Jessie and spoke. "Jessie, go on." Nodding her head, Jessie opened her mouth, ced the white-colored gem on her tongue, and closed her mouth before swallowing it. A momentter, a sharp pain came from the depth of her mind, followed by countless pieces of information about the corresponding ss of Learner. Simultaneously, a change appeared in the depths of her Inner World. Her memories started to replicate one by one, and the replicated memories formed into humanoid form. If Charles were in her Inner World, he would have entirely stupefied by now. It was the process of forming an incarnation! Soon, the humanoid form formed into an illusionary version of Jessie and instantly linked to the outer body! At that moment, Jessie opened her eyes and muttered to herself in shock. ''Reader ss¡­ Fast Reader¡­ Two Consciousnesses¡­ The upgraded version of Insight¡­ I can now think about two different things at the same time.'' Her eyes shone in excitement. She now totally believed her Teacher''s earlier words about knowledge. ''My strength is knowledge¡­ But I also need to pay some attention to increase my body strength. Should I start saving some money and buy abat-rted ss in the future? Yes, that seems to be a good idea.'' She nodded inwardly and spoke. "I Ranked up, Teacher." "Good." Charles nodded his head and turned his gaze towards Titus. Titus also followed his sister''s action and swallowed a ck gem. But unlike her, he didn''t felt any pain at all! Instead, he felt extremelyfortable. After two seconds, he opened his eyes wide and nodded his head. ''Shadow Grasp, Conceal, and Dark Sense.'' A smile crept on Titus''s face as he recalled the newly upgraded skills. Meanwhile, Noel impatiently held the gem in his hand and waited for Charles to approve. Noticing his gaze, Charles let out a chuckle and nodded. The next instant, Noel ced the gem in his mouth and swallowed it. After that, he closed his eyes and started to feel a sight breaking in the depths of his mind. At that moment, he perceived some unknown power about the sword from his mind and unsheathed his sword. Then, he put more concentration on the short sword and activated the [Aura] skill. A sunshine aura started to envelop the sword and soon sharpened towards both edges. Then, the sunshine began to turn darker and darker and turned into a blood-red! ''This kid is genius. He already mastered the advanced-sword aura.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused for a moment and soon spoke in a surprised tone. ''He is gaining enlightenment.'' Upon hearing those words, Charles also got surprised for a moment and monitored the kid''s movement carefully. Other kids also noticed Noel''s strange behavior and started to back away. A few secondster, Noel finally couldn''t maintain the sword aura and retracted it. A proud smile appeared on his face. "I-" As he was about to say something, but suddenly stopped. At that moment, Charles also stood up from the wooden bed, went near the window, opened the curtains, and looked in the direction of the defensive wall. The North Street was rtively closer to the City wall, so he got a clear vision of what was happening on the wall. At that moment, he saw tens of ck shadows moved on the defensive wall and started attacking the soldiers ruthlessly. Soon, he heard a single shrilling cry, followed by multiple cries! The kids'' bodies also tensed up as they heard such cries. They could tell that those cries contain fear and panic! "It seems this is going to be a long night." Charles let out a deep sigh and was about to turn around but suddenly froze. At that moment, a crystal-winged figure descended from the third floor and soonnded on the yard below them. Although the ck-haired woman was showing her back to him, Charles could tell her identity instantly! ''Emilia Wilson¡­ Why is she here?'' He got confused for a moment and soon recalled Rhea''s coincidental meeting with Ashley. ''Someone is pulling strings in the shadows. Is it another [Astrologer] ss bastard? Damn it.'' An angry expression appeared on his face. ''Is he a member of the Destiny Conquerors? Although I don''t know about the opposite party''s aim, I can tell that they want to restrict my growth.'' His eyes turned abnormally cold as he peered at Emilia for a moment and then turned around. Then, he went near the right side wall, took out a gem-like leaf, and ced it on the wall. Then, he turned his gaze towards the kids and said. "I''m going to take you guys to a secret ce. Repeat after me." He paused for a moment and chanted a verse in English. Meanwhile, the kids nodded their heads in nervousness and started to repeat the words one by one. Still, Noel and Titus made a mistake while chanting and stopped. Charles didn''t get mad at them, though. He knew that repeating the foreignnguage words was difficult, so he patiently repeated the recite and waited for them to say correctly. One minuteter, the kids finally heard thest verse from their Teacher and soon saw him disappeared from their visions! Thankfully, they didn''t get panic and repeated thest verse. They noticed that their whole surroundings started to distort a secondter and soon felt a suction force pulled them inside! At that moment, they saw clusters of stars around them and soon found themselves transported into a gloomy dark cave. "Where are we?" Noel was to first one to wake up from the shock and asked in a rough voice. No, he felt it hard to breathe! ''I feel like I''m breathing the air near a dense fire.'' He thought. At that moment, other kids also felt difort when breathing the hot air and showed uneasy expressions on their faces. "You will get used to it in five minutes." An old man''s voice echoed in the dark cave. At that moment, Charles also lit the fire torches and added in a cold tone. "This is a very dangerous ce, so don''t try to go outside." He paused for a moment, went near the entrance, and sealed the small gap with another rock. He only left a small gap for some air! Then, he turned around and ordered. "Hold your hands and stand together." Although the kids felt puzzled by his words, they hurriedly held their hands together and obeyed. Meanwhile, Charles took out the Starfall Codex Magic Book from his space ring, flipped it to thest page, and started to chant. After two minutes of long chanting, he closed the book and muttered. "Sun''s re." A momentter, a yellowish transparent shield appeared around the kids and turned invisible! Charles nodded his head and spoke. "This spell will be active for the next 24 hours, and it focuses mainly on protecting Jessie. So, stay close to her at all costs. As long as you stay inside the cave, you will be safer for one day. Until Ie back, don''t do anything foolish and try to go outside, got it?" "Yes, Teacher." All of them replied in unison. After giving onest warning, Charles recited the short chant and disappeared from there! A momentter, he reappeared in the Edhen, took the gem-like leaf from the concrete wall, and stored it in his space ring. Then, he turned around, went near the window, and looked at the hooded humans, who had long started creating chaos everywhere. ''I''m pissed now.'' A bone-chilling aura suddenly enveloped him. Simultaneously, two eerie ck wings popped up behind his back and turned into red color! Chapter 161: Team Leader Chapter 161: Team Leader At the exact moment, a crimson ball of fire came out of Charles''s forehead area and formed into a mask-like appearance. Then, his wrinkled skin also started to shrink and appeared more like a smooth one. "Change into a bracelet," Charles ordered the Holem''s Crown and then zeroed his gaze on Emilia. [Analyzing the target¡­] [Host''s wisdom is higher than the target¡­] [Analysis Completed] ¡­ [Name: Emilia Wilson Race: Human ss: Lv 1 Mesmerist (Rank 3) Sub-ss: None Health Points: 148/148 Attributes: Strength- 18 Dexterity- 19 Constitution- 17 Wisdom- 21 Charisma- 13 ss skills/ spells: Mind Reading, Truth Finder, Control Words, Mind-Control, Fool''s Hand. Unique Skills: Medusa''s Eyes.] ''She ranked up!'' Charles was amazed. He was well aware that she had reached a bottleneck for the past ten years and hadn''t improved a single bit! But here she was. ''Could it be because of my influence with the Fate?'' A frown appeared on his face as he caught the bracelet and wore it. At that moment, Emilia calmly stood at the entrance and seemed to be waiting for the killers. Charles pondered for a moment and soon sighed. In truth, he didn''t want to meet her here at all. But he wants to know why she was here. He had a vague feeling that her presence here might have rted to these strange coincidences! Letting out a deep sigh, he kicked the ss window with full force and jumped down while pping the wings twice. The next instant, his body descended with a whooshing noise and soon appeared behind Emilia. At that moment, Emilia also turned around, zeroed her gaze towards the crimson masked figure, and frowned. "Who are you?" She waved her hand, causing a strange invisible ripple to appear in the surrounding air, and asked coldly. "It''s been a while, Team Leader." His original, young and energetic voice came out behind the crimson mask. The next moment, Emilia''s body trembled for a moment, and soon she blurted out in shock. "Charles?" On the other hand, Charles touched his crimson mask and made it dissolve into the air. In a second, Emilia saw a matured version of Charles appeared in front of her eyes. His oval face appeared rougher, and his dark-blue hair remained longer than usual. Although his height remained the same, his body got some muscles, and he seemed more like a young adult than a kid. Upon seeing his appearance, her expression turned gloomy. "How did you lose your lifespan in such a short time?" She sized his up and down and asked. At that moment, a smile appeared on Charles''s face. "It''s the price I paid to injure Red Prince''s and stall his growth." He responded with a mysterious smile on his face. "So, it really was you who caused such big ruckus in Chester City." Emilia got stunned for a moment before realizing that Charles did indeed caused a greatmotion before he joined the Withering Shadows department. Before he could give an affirmative nod, she waved her hand, arrived in front of him, and patted on his shoulder. "I''m sorry for your loss, Charles. If I hadn''t overestimated my abilities, we might have saved your mother." Her tone was filled with helplessness and guilt. Upon hearing her words, Charles wore a bitter smile and shook his head. "Red Prince is far stronger than we thought he would be, Team Leader. You already helped me a lot during that incident." Meanwhile, Emilia retracted her hands and nodded her head. "How is Andrew?" At that moment, Charles noticed that she came alone to this city and asked in puzzlement. "He is in the Royal Capital of Iron now." She suddenly paused for a moment and soon added. "Don''t go to the Moon Kingdom for the time being. The mages already put a bounty of 50,000 gold coins on your head and are searching for you everywhere." "Only 50,000 gold coins?" Charles tilted his head in puzzlement. He knew that the Tower Masters must have already learned about his [Amber Curse] and thought that they would dispatch a squad of Rank-3 mages after his head. ''Not only did I turn millions of gold coins into ashes, but I also caused great chaos and lured a devil into their home. If I were in their shoes, I would have put a bounty of more than one hundred thousand gold coins.'' While he was in muse, Emilia shook her head and spoke in a grave tone. "That''s because it''s just a formality. I heard a rumor that Destiny Lady already left the Tower of Elements and seemed to be searching for you. It won''t be long before she catches up to you." "She is personallying for my head?" Charles subconsciously thought of thest message he gave to her and chuckled inwardly. Then, he looked at the surroundings and soon asked. "Do you know something about this abnormal coincidence, Team Leader?" Emilia''s expression froze for a moment before she shook her head and said in a grave tone. "Don''t try to search for answers about these strange coincidences. The more you try to learn about it, the more you will face problems. Stay out of this one." ''Stay out of this one¡­ It seems she knew more about this coincidence but unwilling to tell about it¡­'' Charles went silent for a moment and nodded his head. In truth, he was also nning to go somewhere safer and stay out of trouble for the time being anyway. ''I will face it when the timees.'' He thought inwardly and spoke. "Then, I will be on my way, Team Leader." On the other hand, Emilia wore a surprised expression on her face and asked. "You are leaving so soon? Aren''t you here to help me?" "I think you don''t need anyone''s help at all." Charles shook his head and soon noticed a group of seven hooded figures was running towards them from the main street road. In seconds, they arrived near the Inn''s entrance and stopped as they saw two winged humans! At that moment, Emilia curled her lips upward, raised her hand, pointed her finger towards a random guy, and spoke. "Kill yourself." The next instant, the ck-hooded man instantly unsheathed his short sword and directly plunged it into his heart! A momentter, the hood on his head was removed on its own and revealed a silver-haired man in histe twenties. His face was filled with shock and panic! He let out a grunting sound while touching the plunged sword and soon copsed on the ground. His body then twitched for a few seconds and went motionless. "Impressive." That was the only word that came out of Charles''s mouth as he saw her fighting style. "Do you want toe back to the organization now?" Emilia wore an amused expression on her face and asked. "Nope. I want to be a free bird." Saying so, Charles cast [False Blink] spell and disappeared from there. The next instant, he appeared in front of another hooded man, gripped his neck, and cast [Fire Seed] spell on him. "I will take him." He spoke calmly and pped his red wings forcefully. Before Emilia could answer, he shot up towards the sky and attracted everyone''s attention. At that moment, the [Fire Seed] inside the hooded man''s Inner World devoured a bunch of memories and sent pieces of information into his mind. "Divine Order member?" Charles became stunned. Simultaneously, the chain quest notification popped up in front of his eyes and reminded him about the double exp. ''These guys are sent here by the Divine Order Organization to create panic and fear among the citizens¡­ One of their main hideouts is located deep in the Curse Woods¡­ A total of eleven official Divine order members hiding there, and each of their strength should be above Rank-3. This information is from this guy''s perspective¡­ Not only that, but he also heard that there seem to be more than six simr main hideouts in this kingdom. All of them also appear to be focusing on creating mass panic¡­'' As he skimmed through the information, Charles suddenly made a U-turn in the sky and flew towards a particr direction. That''s where the Curse Woods was located! Charles rose above 500 meters high and looked at the chaotic city from the sky. Then, he pped his wings and soon crossed the defensive wall. After that, he maintained the altitude and continued to fly. After an hour of travel, Charles saw trees appeared from time to time and soon turned into dense woods. Charles then suddenly pped the wings towards the front to maintain bnce and rose towards the sky. Unlike before, he continued to rise higher and higher and soon reached the height of 2,000 meters high! Although he felt a slight pressure to breathe, he didn''t put much thought into it and zeroed his gaze below. pping his red wings continuously, Charles scanned for anything anomaly in the woods and soon noticed a small outpost near a tall mountain range. That mountain range was a border region between the Iron Kingdom and the Herald Kingdom! Nodding his head, Charles nced at the shivering hooded man''s face and tossed him aside. The next instant, he opened his red wings wide, focused his gaze on the particr outpost, and flew towards the area like a bullet. The reddish feathers tore through the air while causing whooshing sounds and released sparks continuously as he moved. Chapter 162: Wise Sight Chapter 162: Wise Sight Divine Order Organization''s hideout, Curse Woods. Two men in ck outfits stood inside the wooden outpost and constantly observed the woods to see anything abnormal. They also covered their faces in ck masks and appeared vignt even though it was a safer location. A goat skull''s symbol tattoed with ancient runal words appeared on their wrists. The ancient runal words read, "Death is Permanent." To the Divine Order members, achieving immortality was considered a crime against nature. Anyone who chose to increase their lifespan by choosing Mystic sses was considered heathens in these organization members'' eyes. Because of that, there were only [Shadow Killer] ss mystics appear in this organization. The [Shadow Killer] Mystics had a very short lifespan simr to that of ordinary mortals! Even so, they were considered monsters because of their abnormal ranking up by killing others. The more they kill, the faster they rank up! As the two outpost guards were in the middle of discussing something, they suddenly saw a reddish fire from the sky. "It''sing from the first moon." One guard stared at the red fire and soon shouted. "Bird? Sound the rm!" At that moment, the other guard took out a long blowing horn from the nearby shelf and started blowing it with full force! Errnnnnn! In a few seconds, a single shadowy figure flew from the opposite direction, appeared a few meters above the outpost, and looked up at the sky! That figure was a blue-robed man in histe twenties and had curly long blonde hair. He had a pale face, unshaven chin, and elongated eyebrows. He also wore ck armor, which seemed to be created two silvery wings for flying. "Not a bird; it''s an intruder. You guys go back to the hideout and inform our ''Lord'' about the intruder''s arrival. Tell him that I need some backup sooner." Saying so, he opened his arms outward and flew up once again. Upon hearing the blonde-haired man''s words, both guards breathed out a sigh of relief, nodded their heads, and climbed down from the wooden outpost. Then, they turned around and started running deep into the direction of the mountain range. On the other hand, the blonde-haired man pped the silvery wings using his thought from time to time to maintain bnce and soon appeared 200 meters above the ground. In a few seconds, the reddish bird descended from the sky faster and faster and soon opened its wings wide. Meanwhile, the blonde-haired man finally got an opportunity, saw the intruder''s appearance, and became stunned. The intruder wore a crimson fire mask, had deep-blue hair, and appeared to be a young adult. "Who are you?" The blonde-haired man stared at the masked figure for a second and asked in a vignt expression on his face. At that moment, the crimson mask on the intruder''s face suddenly made a smirking expression. "Ghost." A single word came out from the intruder. Then, the intruder raised his hand, conjured tens of crimson rays, and attacked the blonde-haired man! "You-" The blonde-haired man got stunned for a moment before he waved his hand and locked his gaze on the intruder. Simultaneously, his eyes turned silver and appeared sacred. His eyes seemed to have a simr function like [Analysis] and constantly moved to and forth while helping him evade those crimson rays. Not only that, but a monstrous six-legged spider''s phantom appeared behind him and separated into ten ck shadows. Each shadow started to turn more real before resembling more like the blonde-haired man and held different kinds of weapons in their hands. The blonde-haired man also mingled among those shadows and became the eleventh one. At that moment, Charles also nced at the opponent''s status and became surprised for a second. ''Phantom Stringer ss, huh. Hmm, his ss skills are [Shadow Teleport], [Shadow Puppet], and [Phantom''s Rage]¡­A unique [Wise Sight] skill¡­ I should take this fight more seriously.'' While he was in muse, one of the ten shadows suddenly started to chant in a weirdnguage. Narrowing his eyes, Charles cast the [Needle of Ember] spell and then made it move towards the chanting blonde-haired man. But to his surprise, the needle directly passed through the man and appeared on the other side! ''These are illusions¡­ No, these shadows seemed to be made of pure dark essence and appeared more like liquid.'' Charles made a swift analysis and started controlling the Needle of Ember with his thoughts. Like a sharp ray, the needle flew towards another blonde-haired man, pierced into his head, and appeared on the other side. But the result was the same, which caused Charles to click his tongue in annoyance. On the other hand, the other blonde-haired men started flying towards Charles while holding different weapons. Each of them attacked him with perfect coordination, leaving no room for ws! But he did found a single w during the battle, though. Whenever Charles tried to kill a particr blonde-haired man using the Needle of Ember spell, other men acted aggressively and blocked the needle. At that moment, Charles''s [Cryptic Analysis] skill also identified him as the real one. Grasping the opportunity, Charles took out the long sword from his space ring, cast [Fast Blink] spell, and directly appeared behind the particr blonde-haired man! But as he was about to sh the sword at the opponent''s neck, the blonde-haired man suddenly let out a cold snort and disappeared! It was as if he had already expected such an oue! A momentter, the blonde-haired man appeared twenty meters away from Charles, turned his silvery gaze towards him, and conjured a sword entirely made of shadow. But as the blonde-haired man was about to dash towards Charles, he suddenly forgot how to move! No, he also forgot how to control the other shadow puppets! At that moment, Charles cast [False Blink] spell and once again appeared behind the blonde-haired man. Then, he suddenly thought of something and cast [Knowledge Absorber] spell on the opponent. The next second, an arc of purplish me appeared inside the blonde-haired man''s Inner World and released an invisible ripple in every direction. Unlike Charles''s one, the opponent''s Inner World was filled with eerie ck clouds and appeared more like a vast night sky. The purplish fire arc slithered in the cloudy Inner World and suddenly found a unique golden cloud deep in arge ck cloud. Without any dy, the purplish fire dashed towards the cloud like a bolt of lightning and directly burned it before disappearing! ''Information about Wise Eye skill?'' Charles was taken aback and soon received countless pieces of information about this strange [Wise Sight] skill! Simultaneously, he noticed a few notifications popped up in front of his eyes and got even more stunned. ¡­ [Wise Sight skill obtained!] [Due to some simrity between Wise Sight skill and Cryptic Analysis skill, this new skill is currently merged into the Cryptic Analysis skill!] [Cryptic Analysis skill''s proficiency has been increased from 107 to 180!] [+1 Wisdom Obtained!] ¡­ ''What the hell? This spell even increased the unique skill''s level?'' Charles was utterly dazed for a moment. Soon, he regained his calm and nced at the confused blonde-haired man. Then, he raised his long sword, aimed at his heart area, and thrust it from the backside. Before the blonde-haired man could shout in pain, he retracted his long sword and neatly beheaded him! The headless figure danced in the air as the artifact loses its function and soon fell from the sky. Simultaneously, other blonde-haired men also suddenly turned into ck-colored liquid-like things and then disappeared from there. ''He is indeed a powerful Rank-3 Mystic. Unfortunately, he didn''t have any skill or artifacts against mind-rted attacks.'' Charles nodded his head and then nced at the notification. [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host will get double Exp! 7,744 Exp obtained!] ¡­ ''Wow! So much Exp.'' Charles smiled lightly and then nced at the game interface. ''8,920 Exp, and 7,744 Exp points, I currently have a total of 16,664 Exp points.'' He muttered inwardly, pped his red wings, and flew towards the mountain range. Chapter 163: Forewarning Charles flew across the dense woods and saw two guards were running towards a concealed tunnel with a panic-stricken expression on their faces. They were the two guards whom the blonde-haired man told them to go and ask for backup. Unfortunately, they couldn''t even reach the hideout''s entrance before they saw one of their vice-leaders got defeated by a crimson masked man! They ran towards the entrance with full speed and soon got overjoyed as they saw a group of iron-armored guards at the entrance. At that moment, the other guards also noticed their presence and unsheathed their swords in a hurry. "What happened?" Among the group, one tall, muscr man stepped forward and asked in a cold tone. "Intruder-" One of the two guards was about to exin, but a ray of crimson light suddenly descended from the sky and incinerated him in an instant! Before the other guards try to understand the situation, tens of crimson rays flew from the sky and bombarded them continuously. They werepletely caught off guard and stared dumbly at the terrifying rays before they got killed. After a few seconds, Charles circled the entrance for a moment and soonnded on the ground. Then, he dismissed his wing spell and nced at the notification icon. ''I got only 600 Exp points from killing these guys.'' He let out a disappointing sigh and soon zeroed his gaze at the entrance. At that moment, two ck-robed figures dashed out from the underground tunnel and blocked him from entering. "Oh? Two Rank-3 members?" A smirk appeared under Charles''s masked face as he cast [Needle of Ember] spell and controlled it to move towards them at a fast speed. Simultaneously, he conjured tens of crimson rays and started attacking them. At that moment, the two ck-robed Mystics also used their [Shadow Puppet] skill and created tens of shadows to confront him. In the dark, a total of twenty-two figures dashed in different directions while holding various weapons and then started moving towards him like skilled assassins. Meanwhile, their eyes were abnormally bloodshot, and they looked more maniacal as time passes. ''Is this some kind of side effect when using this shadow skill? But why did the blonde-haired man didn''t face any obstacle?'' Charles furrowed his brows and then started to search the original body using [Cryptic Analysis] skill. He would have faced some difficulty if he were up against a Rank-3 mage or a Rank-3 double-ss mystic. Unfortunately, the enemies were just single-ss mystics, and they even appeared weaker than normal ones! Charles continued to back away while evading the attacks from all those robed humans and soon zeroed his gaze on a particr one. Then next instant, he cast [False Blink] spell and appeared right behind the particr ck-robed hooded man. He then raised his hand, pointed his finger at his nape, and cast another [Needle of Ember] on him. A momentter, the needle directly entered deep into the opponent''s neck and then disappeared! On the other hand, Charles cast [False Blink] spell and once again reappeared ten meters away from there. Then, he curled his lips upward and spoke. "Explode." The next instant, the needle inside the ck-robed man suddenly started to vibrate, broke into two, and then released a dense reddish me. The dense, chaotic fire enveloped the ck-robed man in a blink and started invading his mind and body. But the reddish fire didn''t stop there, though. It soon started to burn the robed man''s body fiercely and even moved to the nearby shadow puppets! After ten seconds, the burning ck-robed man couldn''t suppress the me from invading his mind and let out a painful cry. Then, his body turned abnormally dark red and also started to bulge like a balloon. The next second, he exploded! [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host will receive double Exp! 6,830 Exp rewarded!] At this moment, Charles used this opportunity and finally found out the location of another Rank-3 ck-robed man among the crowd of shadows. He found out about the opponent''s location mainly due to the death of the other guy. Although these guys seemed psychopaths, Charles could tell that they were somewhat attached to the other organization members. While the other ck-robed man was shocked by his friend''s death, he suddenly felt an itching sensation from his back. At that moment, the other [Needle of Ember] finally found the right opportunity and entered inside his body! The next instant, he felt that some evil force was invading his whole body and mind. He tried to maintain his rationality for the next few seconds, but soon his mind went into chaos. His body also started to bulge abnormally and then exploded! [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host will receive double Exp! 6,400 Exp rewarded!] Charles soon saw the disappearing shadows and then breathed out a sigh of relief. The only regret was he didn''t have enough time to use the [Knowledge Absorber] spell on the two Rank-3 mystics. ''If it was one against one, I would have an easier time restraining the opponent. But against two, I still need to act carefully.'' He nodded thoughtfully and then nced at Exp bar. ''30,494 Exp points... These Divine Order members are my precious Exp...'' Strange greed appeared in his mind. Shaking his head, Charles instantly poured 19,463 Exp points into the sub-ss section. ... [19,463 Exp has been deduced for leveling up!] [You became a Level-5 Mischievous Man!] [1 Free Attribute point rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded!] ... ''Good.'' Charles smiled lightly and was about to put the free attribute into wisdom but stopped. At that moment, he felt a vague forewarning appeared in the depths of his mind. ''Does it have something to do with my Inner World? My current wisdom attribute has already reached 49 points... Once I add this free attribute, my mind will enter the realm of Rank-4 Mystics...'' He abruptly stopped his footsteps and then cast [Red Wings] spell on himself. Although the Divine Order members'' Exp was delicious, he knew when to stop. Without any hesitation, he pped his wings forcefully and shot up in the sky. He then made a U-turn and moved towards a random direction, leaving red sparks everywhere. He then flew in multiple turns to avoid being tracked down by the Divine Order members and finally choose a ce near the Helm Ville tond. Following that, he removed the crimson mask, changed his appearance into an old man''s one, and started walking into the woods. Chapter 164: Realm of Rank-4 Chapter 164: Realm of Rank-4 In a few minutes, Charles appeared near a dirt passage, took out the Twin Leaf from his space ring, attached it to a random tree trunk, and recited the secret chant. A few secondster, the Twin Leaf let out a dim light and sucked Charles into it! Same as before, he saw a myriad of stars around him and soon noticed another suction forceing from another direction. The next instant, Charles appeared inside a dark underground cave and startled the kids, who were in the middle of hearing Jessie''s folk tale. He then nced at the surroundings and breathed out a sigh of relief as he noticed that nothing abnormal had happened. "Let''s go back, kids. Everything is fine now." He spoke in a calm tone and then gestured everyone to chant. But this time, they didn''t make any mistake and did the ritual on a first try. Within a few seconds, Charles and the kids left the Fire Elemental ne and returned to Edhen! The kids opened their eyes and soon noticed they returned to apletely different location! "Where are we, Teacher?" Jessie shifted her gaze towards the nearby dirt passage and asked in confusion. Even though it was a night, she didn''t face any difficulty seeing the surroundings at all. After her rank up, her perception had reached an abnormal level! On the other hand, Charles smiled lightly and answered. "We are in the RedStar Woods. It''s the woond next to Helm Ville." Meanwhile, the kids nced at each other and nodded their heads. At that moment, Jessie suddenly thought of something and asked in confusion. "What about our Carriage and horses?" "It''s still in the Inn. Forget about it, we will buy another one when we go to the Royal Capital." Charles waved his hand and started walking towards the Helm Ville direction. Although the kids felt somewhat sad, they didn''t dare toin and followed after him. After an hour of walking, they saw the outskirts of Helm Vi and soon appeared in front of the western entrance gate. Unlike before, the entrance was guarded by more than five guards, and everyone stood with tense expressions on their faces. It was the effect of the necromancer''s raid. Upon seeing their arrival, they soon opened the gate and let them in without anyint. Some had seen the kids'' battle the previous day and knew that one shouldn''t take this group''s strength lightly. In truth, if not for the kids'' killing most of the skeletons, other kids in the town would have been abducted that night. Not only that, but the casualties would have gone past more than 20! Meanwhile, Charles and the kids returned to Strangers Street and soon reached the single stored house. After that, they walked into the main hall and soon saw Ashley standing in the corner of the room while holding a broomstick in her hand. Currently, her legs and hands were trembling in fear! Upon seeing the kids, she let out an embarrassing smile, hid her fear, and weed them respectfully. On the other hand, Charles told the kids to rest and returned to the underground basement. He first lit the hall with fire torches, ced the Twin Leaf on a concrete wall, and then concentrated his full attention on it. He soon perceived a strange link with his mind, erased the secret chant from the Twin Leaf, and reced it with a new one! Although he could erase the kids'' memories about this leaf, he felt it was unnecessary. After that, Charles sat on the cold floor in a cross-legged position and opened the game interface. He then thought for a moment and finally put the single free attribute into wisdom. A momentter, an explosion appeared inside his head! Simultaneously, the Inner World began to erge quickly and appeared ten timesrger than before! It even started to interfere with the reality itself! He sensed that the air inside the underground basement started to turn hot and even fires andvas started to appear randomly from time to time! Not only that, but Charles also felt a drastic change in his perception. At this moment, his wisdom power spread out from his body and swept the whole town like a scanning wave! Everyone, including the kids, felt some invisible power scanned their bodies! Some felt confused, some felt anxiety, and some felt fear, and so on. Meanwhile, Charles felt a qualitative change in his mind. His thinking became two times faster than before, and he even got some answers to the previous strange incidents. He opened his amber eyes in the underground basement and then started to frown. ''There are some strange links between these strange coincidences, strange kidnappings, and the murders¡­ Wait¡­ I have heard something simr about these three¡­'' He abruptly froze for a while and soon remembered the incident when he joined the Aces Team and took the official first mission. ''Yes, now I clearly remembered now.'' He hurriedly closed his eyes and soon opened his eyes in the Inner World. He soon reappeared in front of a strangeva pond and showed his face towards theva pool. At that moment, he also saw his ''clone'' on the opposite side and noticed that it was meditating. Charles didn''t disturb the clone before closing his eyes and concentrated his attention on the surroundings. The next instant, a ball ofva appeared on his illusionary palm. This ball ofva contains the entire memory of his first mission! He quietly waved his hand and soon saw a virtual screen appeared in front of his eyes. In the virtual screen, he saw the past ''Charles'' entered the Withering Shadows department, and his former team member Andrew asked him to give a party. As Luke exins the disappearance of three [Historian] ss mystics and the suspected individuals'' identities, Charles skipped their earlier conversation. Finally, he stopped at the moment when Emilia tilted her head and spoke about their job. "Our first job is to find Jeffery Dahmer and ask him some questions about this strange antique." Her voice was calm and cold. In the meantime, Andrew ced his hand on his chin and started speaking with a dead-serious tone, "It''s the Goddess Rodia''s Cursed Gem. In January 7024, a beautiful but spooky gem mounted on a ring in the form of a snake was donated to the Explorers'' Association by Richard Arc''s daughter. Along with it was a letter exining the Gem''s strange and rming tale. This spooky purple Gem was looted from Goddess Rodia''s ancient temple during 6450 S.A.E and subsequently brought to the Arc Kingdom, given to Richard Arc as a gift. It then allegedly wreaked havoc for decades. When Richard passed the purple Gem on to various friends, they reportedly experienced abnormalities, including a trail of kidnappings, coincidences, and murders. When the gemstone returned to him, Richard wrote a letter and sealed it in the Royal family''s hidden chamber. It remained there for centuries, and now it showed its appearance again." When Andrew finished his words, Charles''s expression turned stiff in the Inner World. Chapter 165: Doubts Chapter 165: Doubts ''This is not a mere coincidence, right?'' Charles frowned for a moment and soon thought of the Life Church''s main mission to the Unexplored Forest. ''They said that they were after the Divinity of Morality¡­ At that time, I was the one who found the divinity inside the Winged-Devil statue. No, I broke the Winged-Devil state and found the divinity on another wooden statue¡­ It was a female statue¡­ That woman in the statue had long straight hair, a round face, a slim, curvy body, and appeared very sacred¡­That was surely a Goddess''s statue¡­'' Charles''s lips trembled for a moment, and soon he came to a strange conclusion. ''Could it be Goddess Rodia''s statue? That is highly possible. Rodia is a low-key Goddess who controls Day and Light domains. She always stays neutral and rarely shows her grace to the believers. Wait¡­ The system''s mission reward¡­ The Goddess''s gift¡­'' He felt like he had already walked into arge pit. ''Team Leader Emilia also said that the more I learn about the reason behind these strange coincidences, the more I will face problems¡­ But when did I attract this artifact''s or Goddess''s attention? Is she also the culprit behind my transmigration?'' Questions whirled in his mind. Soon, he calmed down a bit and started to think from Life Church''s perspective. ''Andrew seems to have a ''Fate'' or ''Time'' rted prophecy skill, and it also seems to be work randomly. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have chosen to say such important information at that moment¡­ After hearing his strange prophecy, Emilia must have searched for the clues behind the strange prophecy and somehow learned about the presence of divinity in the Unexplored Forest¡­'' ''But why would a Goddess put her divinity in such a dangerous abandoned city? Isn''t she afraid of being taken away by some Devil or a Demon? What is her aim? Wait¡­ What if the Goddess nned the whole plot?'' At that moment, he suddenly thought of another mysterious individual''s identity. ''Historian Max Fireborn¡­ He is also irregr, and he was the one who made some noise and created an opportunity for me to wake up from the illusion¡­ He was also involved in the Red Prince''s scheme and helped me indirectly¡­ His appearance at that time was also too much of a coincidence.'' The strange temple also appeared in Charles''s mind. ''The Temple of Goddess Rodia¡­ Historian Max¡­ Andrew¡­ I have a vague feeling that these three have some connection.'' Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and continued to think. ''The Goddess might be pulling strings behind from the shadows¡­ But why does she need to act sneakily? She is a Goddess, right?'' He shook his head and soon thought of his fateful encounter with Rhea and the other kids. ''I did suspect that something was off at that time. But I didn''t pay much attention to it. Wait¡­ There is another possibility! What if this whole incident was the cursed artifact''s doing? What if the artifact already locked its gaze on me when Andrew spoke the prophecy? It is possible¡­ Hmm, this artifact or the one behind these strange incidents seems to have some big n for Rhea. Is she going to be a sacrificial pawn? Or, is she going to be a Destined One?'' Charles contemted for a moment and soon sighed. ''Thankfully, I increased my wisdom and sensed the danger earlier. Otherwise, I would have ended up in a bitter position. Haa, if it is not for the mandatory mission, I would have already given up on it.'' He wore a bitter smile and thought of his current strength. ''After my pseudo rank up, I can indeed kill multiple Rank-3 Mystics at a time¡­ No, I can even manage to stall against a Rank-4 Mystics for some seconds. If I receive some help from the Holem''s Crown, I could even stall against a normal Rank-4 Mystic for a minute or two! And if I construct all the Rank-3 spell models, my strength will rise exponentially.'' Charles nodded inwardly and soon thought about his current problem. ''Destiny Lady¡­ She will surely go to Eastford City once she learns about the appearance of a Fire Mage and would be suspicious of my identity. I also left Chester City during the Chaos incident. She might be looking for us to confirm. Unfortunately, searching about our whereabouts in this chaotic kingdom is more like searching for a needle in a haystack.'' ''But¡­ What if she managed toe to this town using the power of Fate? She is Destiny Lady, after all. Hmm, this is not entirely impossible.'' Charles started to analyze for some time and soon frowned. ''No, I left many clues behind¡­ She can indeed track our location with the help of information¡­ If my guess is not wrong, she might be already on her way to this town.'' He narrowed his eyes for a moment and silently left the Inner World. Then, he stood up from the concrete floor and stealthily left the underground basement. He then went to the town''s western entrance and erased their return from the guards'' memories. After that, he returned to his house, told the kids to go to the underground basement, and sat on the old sofa. Then, Charles turned his gaze towards the confused Ashley and spoke. "Give me something to drink." In the meantime, Ashley wore a startled look and asked in a nervous tone. "Would you like lemon tea, My Lord?" Charles thought for a moment and nodded his head. "Make it two." He added. Upon hearing his strange request, Ashley got even more confused, but she didn''t dare to ask further and hurriedly went inside the kitchen. A few minutester, she returned with two sses of lemon tea and ced them on the coffee table. On the other hand, Charles raised his hand, pointed his finger towards the nearby Lawson armchair, and ordered. "ce that chair in front of the table." Ashley hurriedly went near the chair as she heard his words and did as he told. Then, she took a few steps backward, appeared near the kitchen entrance, and stood there like a statue. Not even her breathing sound was heard in the main hall! After some time, Charles leaned his back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and muttered. "You can go to the underground basement and stay with the kids now." Her expression brightened as she heard his mutter. She nodded her head, turned around, and hurriedly walked into the corridor. On the other hand, Charles gripped the ck cane''s handle and waited. The room remained silent for the next two hours. Then, a fly suddenly appeared on the table, sat on the ss, and started tasting the lemon tea. It then flew from there while making a buzzing noise and soonnded on Charles''s shoulder. It then pped its tiny wings, flew towards his face, and soonnded above Charles''s right eyelid. Simultaneously, a sharp, tiny needle appeared out of nowhere andnded on its forelegs! The fly then strangely gripped the needle using its forelegs, tried its best to move it up while pping its wings, and then pointed the needle''s sharp point at Charles''s eyelid. At that moment, a frown appeared on Charles''s forehead. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." He suddenly spoke. The next instant, the fly dropped the needle, flew away from his eyelid, and soon returned to the table. Once again, it went near the ss, tasted the citrusy lemon tea, and soon moved to the opposite Lawson Chair. After that, it satfortably on the table and started rubbing its foreleg. Finally, Charles opened his amber eyes, zeroed his gaze on the strange tiny fly, and curled his lips upward. "I didn''t ce any trap here. So, you cane now." The fly strangely tilted its head as it heard his voice and then nodded its head. A momentter, its body turned blurry and was reced then with the figure of a ck-haireddy. Chapter 166: Deceive Chapter 166: Deceive Her eyes were scarlet. They were set in a fair face, oval, like a teardrop. Her slight smile could stop a man''s heart. She appeared around 25 to 28 years old and wore a ck-draped blouse, a paneled long white skirt, and ck loafer shoes. Currently, she leaned her back against the Lawson Chair, crossed her legs together, and was staring at the old man with a calm look on her face. After a few seconds of silence, she let out a cold snort and asked with a smile. "Do you have anyst wish?" Her long ck hair fluttered all of a sudden as she asked the question, causing the nearbymplight to dim from time to time. Outside was still dark and appeared slightly eerier due to the red moons, giving a strange ghostly feeling to the main hall! At that moment, Charles suddenly straightened his back, extended his right hand towards the table, and took the tea ss. He then moved it towards his mouth, took a small sip of lemon tea, and asked in confusion. "Who are you, child? Are you from Royal Faction? Or, are you lost?" As Destiny Lady heard those words, the room temperature suddenly became frosty. "Don''t y dumb, Charles. I know you are good at disguising." Her voice was extremely sharp, like daggers. "Why would I need to y dumb? In this world, strength is what matters most." Once he said those words, Charles casually released his wisdom power. The next instant, fire sparks, andva liquids appeared all over the main hall and caused the dropped room temperature to rise! For the first time, Destiny Lady''s face turned serious. No, there was also a trace of confusion appeared on her face. "You are not Charles?" She stared at him with a skeptical look on her face. Meanwhile, Charles nodded his head and spoke calmly. "Yes. But I do have some ties with Charles, though." He paused for a moment and then added with a proud look on his face. "He is my grandson." "Grandson¡­ But why did you suddenly left Chester City after the Chaos Incident?" She still maintained her wary look and probed further. "Like you, I''m also chasing after him. Unfortunately, he had grown too fast and escaped right under my nose twice." Charles shamelessly lied to her. Meanwhile, Destiny Lady fell into deep thoughts. In fact, she had almost believed his lies. After all, the [Trickster] ss was a unique one, and most of the Mystics in this world knew nothing about its skills. Moreover, his Rank-4 wisdom power made her hesitate. Improving one''s wisdom was always challenging for any Mages, and she knew that Charles was just a Rank-2 Mage three months ago. So, she firmly believed that the person in front of her was apletely different person! After a long minute of silence, she used her divination spell and soon frowned. ''I have insufficient information to a divination.'' After some thought, she heaved a heavy sigh and spoke in a cold tone. "If you meet him in the future, you must capture him and hand him over to the Moon Kingdom. If not, the Tower Masters wille for your whole Nightwind Family." At this moment, Charles suddenly squinted his eyes and snorted coldly. ''Mr. Rh, it''s your job now.'' He said in his mind. A secondter, Destiny Lady felt another kind of power appeared in the room! It was so dark, silent, and eerie, which caused her scalp to go numb for a moment! Simultaneously, the surroundings began to distort and caused ''past'' scenes to appear in the form of ''Illusions.'' With a single nce, Destiny Lady noticed that the surrounding air contains the power of ''Time.'' She instantly released her full power and stood up with an rmed look on her face. ''It''s the power of psed Time!'' "Who are you?" She asked in a tense voice. Although she got some information about Charles''s real identity, she still didn''t know that Charles had a Series-A artifact. Not only that, but only a few people knew about the Holem''s Crown''s history. So, when another power mingled in the surrounding atmosphere, she subconsciously believed that it was the old man''s doing. At that moment, Charles''s lips curled up and formed into a smile. "I have many names. But for now, you can call me Oswald." He suddenly paused for a moment, asked the Holem''s Crown to retract its wisdom power in his mind, and added. "Please sit down." Meanwhile, Destiny Lady used her fate strings to find some clue about the man''s identity, but all of her efforts went futile. ''He is shrouded in mystery¡­ I need more information.'' She calmed down a bit and sat on the Lawson armchair. Then, she wore a pensive look on her face and spoke. "But the mistake is from your side, Mr. Oswald. Your grandson not only lured a devil into our Tower, but he also caused massive chaos which resulted in the death of two Barons." "That¡­ I deeply apologize for his mistakes." Charles lowered his head a little and said in a regretful tone. "Your apology won''t bring back the dead ones, Mr. Oswald." Destiny Lady snorted inwardly and said in an offended tone. Meanwhile, Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and soon realized that the other party was expecting somepensation for the loss. ''What a sly woman. Once she learned that the other party was a Rank-4 Mystic, she instantly changed her tactic.'' He was momentarily speechless. "What do you want?" He showed an annoying look on his face and asked. On the other hand, Destiny Lady quietly waved her hand and spoke calmly. "If I caught him before you, you mustn''t interfere and let me take him as a prisoner of Moon Kingdom." An angry expression appeared on Charles''s face. His wrinkled face distorted suddenly and suddenly turned into ruthless and cold! "Impossible. I already lost my daughter to some strange devil, so don''t even think of capturing him. If you want toy your hands on my grandson, you have to kill me first." Saying so, he once again exhibits the full power of wisdom. Destiny Lady also released her might, causing the table, windows, even doors to freeze in ice. "Do you think you can scare me just because you mastered the psed Time?" She asked coldly. At that moment, Charles also ordered the Holem''s Crown''s to release its power and spoke in an icy tone. "You are indeed powerful, child. But if anything happens to my grandson, I will personally go to the Moon Kingdom and ughter all the citizens. I don''t want to offend you, but that doesn''t mean I''m afraid of a fight." The main hall waspletely enveloped in illusions, fireballs,vas, and ice spikes in two seconds. Even Charles began to face some mental pressure after some time. But he also knew that he should never show any weakness to the enemy. At that moment, an idea appeared in his mind. The next second, he suddenly raised his hand, curled his lips upward, and asked a strange question. "What if I give you something else aspensation?" Destiny Lady paused for a moment and soon stared at him for an exnation. "Have you heard of Series Artifacts, young child?" Charles asked with a serious look on his face. "I''m not an ignorant mortal, Mister." Her tone turned even colder. But she retracted her wisdom power from the surroundings. Charles also nodded his head in appreciation and continued while retracting the wisdom power. "A mysterious Series Artifact is hiding in this Kingdom, child. If you promise that you won''t go after my grandson from now on, I will give you some information about it. Do you want to hear? Or do you want to fight?" A sly grin appeared on his wrinkled old face. "Series Artifact¡­" Destiny muttered for a moment and soon shook her head. "Humph, capturing a Series Artifact is not a small matter, old man. Hmm-" She suddenly paused as she sensed some drastic change in her Fate and turned pale. ''What the hell-? I don''t even know of its name¡­ But why is there a drastic change in my Fate?'' Her whole body tensed up all of a sudden. On the other hand, Charles''s heart sank. ''It seems my current power is not enough toplete this mandatory mission.'' He wore a grim look and hurriedly added. "That''s because this Series Artifact has the power to change one''s Fate." Upon hearing his words, Destiny Lady froze for a moment and soon nodded her head in understanding. "This exins my current condition. Tell me more about this artifact, mister. This artifact¡­" She paused for a moment and thought inwardly. ''If I get my hands on it, I might be able to find some clue about the [Fate Arbiter] ss Gem.'' Chapter 167: Constructing Spell Models Chapter 167: Constructing Spell Models Meanwhile, Charles got relieved inside and started to speak. "This artifact is Goddess Rodia''s Cursed Gem. The purple gem was looted from one of her ancient Temples and waster brought to the Arc Kingdom. Its known abilities are that it can create bizarre kidnappings, murders, and coincidences. It is already affecting the whole kingdom of Iron¡­" Destiny Lady patiently listened to his every word, and soon her expression turned gloomy. She indeed encountered some strange coincidences during the past few days and got unknown anxiety. ''This artifact is a dangerous one.'' That was the first thought that came to her mind. But she never thought of giving up. ''No matter what, I must obtain this artifact.'' She muttered inwardly with firm resolution and soon spoke. "When the right timees, you have to help me obtain this artifact, mister." Meanwhile, Charles let out a bitterugh and nodded. "I will promise you with that." After obtaining such priceless information, Destiny Lady didn''t stay in the main hall for more than a few seconds and disappeared from there. On the other hand, Charles used his wisdom power to scan everywhere and soon breathed out a sigh of relief. "She indeed left the town." ''You should be very careful when she is around,d. She is not some normal woman.'' The Holem''s Crown gave him a warning. "You are right." Charles tersely acknowledged its words. ''I should focus on farming more Exp points and construct the remaining spell models.'' He stood up from the sofa and started walking towards the underground basement. After that, he told the kids and Ashley to return to the house and silently left Edhen. ¡­ A momentter, Charles returned to the underground cave in the Fire Elemental ne and started his mission. Unlike before, he didn''t use the sneaky method. Instead, he chose a small Red Lizard settlement and directly attacked them with full force. On the first day, he killed seven Rank-3 Lizards and earned a total amount of 18,000 Exp points! For the next ten days, he used most of his time attacking multiple small settlements and earned a total of 94,000 Exp points! It was more than enough for him to upgrade all of his spell models! After that, Charles returned to Edhen and took a long rest. He then freshened himself up and spent some time with the kids. Mostly, he used his personal knowledge and cleared some of their doubts about their sses and skills. Following that, he returned to the underground basement around 8 P.M and chose afortable ce to sit. He then closed his eyes, entered the Inner World, flew towards the dark sky, and soon appeared in front of the seven spell models. After looking at the spell models briefly, he opened his game interface and zeroed his gaze on the spellbook option. ''I should first upgrade the [Crimson Robe] spell.'' He nodded thoughtfully. A momentter, a list of spell model names appeared in front of his eyes. But among them, one spell instantly caught his attention. [Sun''s Shell- It''s a rare spell that could block multiple Rank-3 spells at once. This Sun''s Shell spell could even stop mind spell attacks and has the power of ''Lawful Fire'' hidden in it! Not only that, but this spell could also protect the user from any curse magic spells. Cost: 18,300 Exp points!] ''Although the description is vague, I can finally found some clue about this Lawful Fire. With this spell''s help, I can easily counter the Hell Fire now.'' He curled his lips upward and chose to construct it. The next instant, many runal words came from the Inner World and encircled the previous [Crimson Robe] spell model. It took more than three hours to construct the Rank-3 [Sun''s Shell] spell model! Once the construction process was over, Charles focused his attention on the new [Sun''s Shell] spell model and soon noticed some changes in it. ''My emotions are appearing denser and clearer in Rank-3 spell models¡­ Sun''s Shell spell model has Kindness, Friendship, and Loyalty¡­ But somehow, I feel no repulsion. It was as if this spell model had already met its requirement¡­'' His eyes widened all of a sudden. ''So, that''s it. With my previous life experience, I already met its requirement¡­ But I''m not sure if I face some obstacles in the future.'' Charles nodded his head and then turned his attention towards the next one. It was the [Soul Heal] spell model! Like before, he searched for a suitable spell and soon found an upgraded version of the [Soul Heal] spell model at the cost of 15,740 Exp points. Charles didn''t think for a moment before he spent the right amount of Exp points and constructed the Rank-3 [Soul Heal] spell model. Once the construction was over, Charles looked at the spell model and noticed something abnormal in this particr one! ''This spell model has Love and Care emotions¡­ But unlike other ones, this one hasn''t met the requirement¡­ No, this feels so empty.'' His expression turned gloomy. ''If I didn''t solve this problem, it will surely cause a variance during the next rank up and might turn me into a Distorted Shadow.'' He was damn sure of it. ''This spell model is in a most unstable condition.'' He nodded his head and then turned his gaze towards the next spell model. It was the False Blink spell model! Charles didn''t even nce at other options as he clicked the [me Teleport] spell and decided to construct it at the cost of 16,500 Exp points. After the construction process was done, he found no changes in the spell model and then moved to the next one. ''Red Wings¡­'' A frown appeared on his forehead. ''It''s a wicked spell. And, it is also good at hiding the evil emotions.'' Sighing deeply, Charles opened the spellbook and nced at the spell model lists. ''Devil''s Wings, Fallen Angel''s Wings, Evil Wings, Curse Wings, Wings of Hatred¡­ What the hell is wrong with the spell models? All of them are pure evil¡­'' His expression turned pensive for a moment. ''But I have to choose any one of these spell models.'' He thought for a moment and chose to construct the [Fallen Angel''s Wings] spell model. Among the other spells, he felt that this spell model was the one that had something less evil. ''Even though it is a wicked one, it is still angel''s wings after all. So, it shouldn''t be that much of an evil¡­'' He muttered inwardly and started to read the description. ''Hmm, these wings'' feathers have the scent of Hell me, so the user can use these feathers to affect enemies'' deep emotions. Not only that, but the feather can also be useful to curse others'' bodies. If the user couldbine this feather with Mind Fire, he can directly invade one''s Inner World and turn them into a pure wicked being¡­ This spell is indeed a wicked one.'' He hesitated for a moment and chose to construct it. It cost him a total of 20,400 Exp points! Although it was slightly higher than all other spell models, he felt it was worth it. Unlike other spells, it took more than five hours for the system to construct the spell models. Not only that, but the spell model itself suddenly started to change color and looked ckish red in color! Charles turned his gaze towards the eerie spell model and finally noticed the emotions hidden in it. ''Envy, Greed, Hatred, and Pleasure¡­ So, these are my deep evil emotions, huh.'' He smiled wryly and flew towards the final spell model. It was the [Elemental Body] spell model! Charles soon arrived in front of the spell model and checked the spellbook. To his astonishment, he only saw one spell model name in the corresponding spell list! [Fire Born (22,100 Exp)] Chapter 168: Destiny Chapter 168: Destiny ''There is not even a description about this spell?'' He frowned for a moment and selected the only option. A momentter, countless runal words flew from the System Cube and started constructing the spell model. Four hourster, a brand new spell model appeared in front of him. It was a few timesrger than the previous one and looked yellowish-white in color. ''This spell model shows curiosity, craziness, and unpredictability.'' Charles got stunned for a moment and soon noticed that his connection between the Inner World and his body had increased to two folds! He closed his eyes and realized that he could borrow power from his Inner World at arge amount. ''If I face a normal Rank-4 Mystic, I could stall against him for more than five minutes. If I receive some help from the Holem''s Crown, I might even battle against him equally. But if I face a mage ss mystic or a duel ss mystic, I might not stand against them for more than 30 seconds. No, I might be forced to a corner in a minute. If my luck is bad, I might end up dead in their hands.'' Charles still felt that there was a considerable gap between the two Ranks and shook his head. '' Hmm, there are still 12,141 Exp points remaining. I should now focus onprehending the spell models and Rank-up the Sub-ss before the end of this Mandatory Mission. I have a vague feeling this mission is more dangerous than any other missions.'' He nodded thoughtfully and soon turned his attention towards his Sub-ss section. ''I also need to practice these skills from time to time and increase the skill levels through training. I should save these free skill points and only uses them when I face some obstruction during the training.'' While thinking deeply, Charles returned to the ground and silently left the Inner World. A secondter, he opened his eyes in the underground basement, picked the ck cane, and stood up. "It''s time to go to the Royal Capital of Iron Kingdom." A smile appeared on his face. In his actual n, their journey should start after 50 days. But Charles had already constructed all his spell models and even increased his wisdom to a considerable level. As long as he didn''t face a Rank-4 Mage or a dual-ss Mystic, he wouldn''t be forced into a bad situation. ''Moreover, the Churches seemed to be already warned the Nobles and Royal Faction members not to involve Rank-4 Mystics in the fight.'' He gripped the cane''s handle, went near the staircase, and soon walked out of the underground basement. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown suddenly said something in his mind. ''Lad, why not allow thatss to walk on her own?'' He abruptly halted his footsteps and furrowed his brows. ''What do you mean?'' ''You see, the Fate always acts mysteriously. The more you interfere with her Fate, the more variations will appear in her future. It may turn into a fortunate one or an unfortunate one. If my guess is not wrong, the Series Artifact might have chosen her as the future Queen of Iron Kingdom. If so, there is a high chance she might receive benefits from the artifact on her own.'' ''But if you interfere with her Fate, it will not only anger the artifact; thess might even die an unfortunate death in the future. One more thing, you are still not strong enough to face a Series artifact,d. The reasons you manage to obtain me are due to countless schemes and luck, remember that.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a cold tone. On the other hand, Charles frowned a bit and said in a mysterious tone. ''But you are still wrong about one thing, Mr. Rh. What if I''m also a pawn in the other party''s n?'' ''Hmm? Are you saying that your meeting with Rhea was a nned one?'' Even the Holem''s Crown became surprised for a moment. ''Wait¡­ It is possible. Then-'' The Holem''s Crown abruptly paused for a moment and then added in a serious tone. ''Rhea might be the artifact''s target instead.'' ''Artifact''s target?'' Charles asked in a surprised tone. ''Yes. Before I tell you about my theory, I will give you a short exnation of how Fate works. Every person''s Fate is interlinked with multiple persons'' Fate. So, when you change one''s fate, it will cause a butterfly effect. But changing one''s Fate is not an easy matter for a normal person.'' ''No, even the Series artifacts, High-Rank [Astrologer] ss Mystics can''t do it. Anyone who was born in this world is already linked to the Fate of this world. So, even if they try to alter it, they might found it impossible to do. They will face unpredictable obstacles. Like I told you before, Fate always acts mysteriously.'' The Holem''s Crown paused for a moment and then added after a short deliberation. ''I have a vague feeling that the assassination incident that happened two years ago might be not a simple one,d. Someone might have seen Rhea''s future using Rodia''s Gem and tried to kill her along with her whole family members before she could be a real threat.'' ''But the Blood Priest kidnapped her just before the kidnapping incident¡­ Isn''t this too much of a coincidence? Do you think an artifact that could even manipte a Rank-4 Mystic can make such a silly mistake? If my guess is not wrong, something else must have interfered with the artifact''s power and helped Rhea to escape.'' ''Something else? Are you saying there is something else more powerful than Rodia''s Gem lurking in this kingdom?'' Charles''s whole body stiffened up. ''No. It is lurking in the whole world and controlling everything in the shadows. It is the ''Will'' of this Edhen. And, it''s not controlling everyone''s Fate, but Destiny. It''s a power that could even decide a God''s life and death.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a calm tone. ''Destiny¡­'' Charles felt like a tiny ant. ''Yes. The ''Will'' of the world already chose Rhea as the sessor of the Iron Kingdom. But someone didn''t want that to happen, so they must have searched for a variable.'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly paused. At that moment, Charles also suddenly got enlightened. ''Irregr! They need an Irregr to alter her Fate, so they choose me.'' A cold light flickered in his eyes. ''Yes, Irregrs rarely appear in this world. So, your arrival at this timing somehow attracted this someone.'' The Holem''s Crown didn''t continue. But Charles already knew the answer. ''They want me to change her fate, so they could kill herter without facing any difficulty.'' ''Yes, so whatever you are going to do, you must n carefully and never show any w. Moreover, you need to be careful of Rank-3 mages.'' The Holem''s Crown added. ''Mages¡­ They are always a troublesome bunch.'' He frowned for a moment and soon spoke coldly. ''Mr. Rh, try to steal all of my opponent''s luck from now on. If possible, steal away their lifetime luck.'' ''Steal the opponents'' entire lifetime lucks? Isn''t that going a little overboard? Won''t that alert the opposite party?'' The Holem''s Crown still had some morals when ites to stealing one''s luck, so it began to hesitate. ''Humph, so what? They all are going to die anyway.'' Charles snorted coldly. Then, he suddenly thought of something and soon frowned. ''Your ''Miracle'' ability can change one''s fate, right? No, wait¡­ Can it change one''s Destiny?'' His eyes suddenly widened. ''Hoho, you finally realized? Yes, my ''Miracle'' ability indeed can change one''s Destiny. But to achieve that, I need hundreds of thousands of peoples'' lifetime luck power in return. It means this ability will change hundreds of thousands of peoples'' Fate and cause great chaos. No, great chaos should be an understatement.'' ''From now on, steal all the opponents'' luck and save them to change one''s Destiny then.'' Charles said calmly and started walking towards the backyard entrance. Chapter 169: Departure Chapter 169: Departure June 11th Morning, Strangers Street, Helm Ville. It was around 10. A.M. A group of four kids, an old man, and one skinny adult woman stood at the entrance of a single-storied house. All of them appeared to be well-dressed and seemed to be waiting for someone. A few minutester, a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage came from the opposite direction and soon stopped in front of the opened fence gate. The carriage appeared rather polished in brown paint, while the horses looked healthy and appeared white. As the wheels made a screeching noise, a 25 year old young came jumped down from the driver seat and bowed his head towards Charles and the kids. He was the renting house agent, Finn. Yesterday, Charles personally went to his house and asked him to arrange a good carriage at the cost of 50 gold coins. Thankfully, there was an unused carriage in the small town, so Finn went to the owner''s house and brought it immediately. After greeting Charles and the kids, Finn took out a small leather pouch and searched to give the remaining amount. Amused by his actions, Charles waved his hand and said. "Keep the money." "Teacher-" Jessie was about to retort but soon swallowed her words and sighed helplessly. She knew that her teacher was a kind man, so she gave up on arguing about wasting money. But she already swore in her mind that she would never let her teacher do the financial work! ''If he gives all his savings to others like charity, we might end up with nothing one day.'' She grumbled inwardly, used her hand to adjust her whirly blonde hair, and went towards the wooden door. She wore a in sleeveless brown shirt, ck pants, and regr leather shoes and appeared more like a young girl from the rural town. Meanwhile, chubby-faced Noel took the long whip from Finn''s hand and started climbing towards the driver''s seat. Then, Charles, Titus, Rhea, and Ashley followed after Jessie, entered the carriage, and satfortably on the seats. Once Noel confirmed that everything was set, he whipped the horses and turned the carriage towards the main street. After that, the four-wheeled carriage soon left the Helm Ville through the western gate and started moving into the Redstar woods. As the carriage started moving deep, Rhea opened the red curtain on her left side and nced at the beautiful trees and nts with her marble-like ck eyes. After ncing at the scenario for some time, she closed the curtain, turned her gaze towards Charles, and asked. "Teacher, you are a Fire Mage, right?" At that moment, Charles sat on the opposite seat with closed eyes and was in the middle of deep thoughts. He quickly opened his amber eyes and nodded. "I''m a Rank-4 ze Sorcerer." "Rank-4?!" Jessie, Titus, and Rhea became stunned for a moment. Soon, they recalled their teacher''s might and nodded their heads in understanding. On the other hand, Charles smiled mysteriously and spoke. "But you guys should aim higher. Everyone has their own goal, so don''t sacrifice your goal for others." "I want to be the wealthiest person in the world." Suddenly, Jessie raised her hand and said with a smile. "Rob the bank." Both Rhea and Titus said at the same time. Meanwhile, Charles''s lips began to twitch as he saw an excited expression on Rhea''s face. ''You are going to be a ruler¡­ Haa, did they get affected by my habit?'' He shook his head and spoke. "It will be a tough path,ss. Your opponent is not a Mystic, but a Goddess." Upon hearing those words, Jessie''s smile stiffened. She quickly pinched her chin and corrected. "I want to be a rich person in this world." Meanwhile, Titus fell into deep thoughts and shook his head. "I don''t have any goal. As long as I protect my sister and my friends, I''ll be happy." At that moment, Rhea suddenly removed the curtain, stuck her head out, and asked in a loud voice. "What is your goal, Noel?" Upon hearing Rhea''s words, Noel''s face suddenly turned red for some odd reasons. He hurriedly shook his head and stuttered. "I-I will tell you when the right timees." "Right time?" Rhea red at his back in dissatisfaction and soon retracted her head into the carriage. Then, she turned her gaze towards Ashley and asked in curiosity. "What is your goal, Miss Ashley?" "My goal is to protect you, Your Highness." Ashley adjusted her long white gown and responded instantly. She had long turned into Rhea''s maid and even acted like one. The only thing that she didn''t have was a maid outfit! "That''s your duty. I''m talking about your goal." Rhea grumbled inwardly, then shifted her gaze towards Charles and asked another question. "Teacher, can I choose [Astrologer] ss as my second ss?" A startled expression appeared on Charles''s face. "Why do you want to be an Astrologer?" He stared at her in curious. "I want to be like Destiny Lady. I heard that she is a water mage and also has the power to change one''s fate. If I be someone like her, I don''t need to worry about my fate, right?" Her eyes shone in resolution. "You seem so talkative today," Charlesmented in the same old man''s voice and added. "If that is what you want, go and choose that path. But you must be always careful of ''Irregrs.''" "Irregrs?" This time, Jessie tilted her head in confusion and looked at him for answers. "You will learn about them when the timees." He suddenly paused for a moment and then added. "Enemy ising towards us. I will be back in a few minutes. Rhea, their target might be you, so be careful of the surroundings." Before Jessie and others could understand his words, his figure turned into a crimson me and then disappeared from the seat! A momentter, a humanoid me suddenly appeared 500 meters above in the sky before forming into the appearance of an old man. After that, Charles shifted his attention to the spell models and cast [Fallen Angel''s Wings] on himself. The next instant, two eerie ckish-red wings appeared behind his back, opened wider, and started pping from time to time. Simultaneously, his eyes turned pitch ck. ''My evil character is reappearing.'' A frown appeared on his forehead. "Mr. Rh, turn into a bracelet." He ordered. An instantter, the ck cane let out a vibrating noise and soon transformed into a red-gem embedded bracelet. Charles swiftly caught the bracelet, wore it in his hand, and used his wisdom power to scan the surroundings. ''Oh? Three consciousnesses areing from the south¡­ All of them seemed to be powerful.'' "This fight is going to be a tough one,d." The Holem''s Crown said in a calm tone. "Hmm? Rank-3 Mage? They really did send three Rank-3 Mages!" But Charles wasn''t anxious at all. Honestly, he was excited to kill the same ranked mages. ''Don''t help me unless I''m forced into a bitter position.'' He muttered inwardly, took out the Starfall Codex magic book, and opened it. He then flipped the pages before stopping it on page no.12 and started to chant calmly. Soon, he saw three figures flying in his direction at full speed. Within a few seconds, they arrived in front of him and sized him up and down calmly. One was a silver-haired woman in a red robe, while the other two were men in grey robes. The man in the lead appeared around 60 to 70 years old, had grey hair, a long beard, ck eyes, thin eyebrows, and two transparent wings appeared behind him. The next one was a ck-haired man, around 30 years old. He had a pale face, deep-set brown eyes, and simr two transparent wings behind his back. Thest one was the silver-haired woman, who had silvery eyes, an oval face, and looked younger than the ck-haired man. At that moment, Charles also finished the chanting silently, closed the book, and stored it in his space ring. But his gaze was glued on the crimson wings that appeared behind the silver-haired woman. ''Fire Mage.'' A cold glint appeared in his eyes. "Are you guys from Nobles'' Faction? Or the Royal Faction?" His eerie old voice echoed in the sky. At that moment, a disdainful expression appeared on the silver-haired woman''s face. But before she could say something, Charles used [Cryptic Analysis] skill and spoke with a sly grin. "Daisy Elliott¡­ 230 years old¡­ Rank-3 Ember Wizard¡­Constructed four Rank-3 spell models¡­ Heh, you are also a Rank-2 Nature''s Child, huh." Chapter 170: Mischievous Chapter 170: Mischievous "YOU-" The silver-haired woman''s eyes went wide-eyed! Her real identity was exposed in an instant! At that moment, the grey-haired man and the ck-haired man suddenly backed away, distanced themselves from Daisy, and stared at her in confusion and shock. After two seconds of a short silence, the grey-haired old man let out a deep sigh and spoke in a deep voice. "So, you are from Elliott family, huh. No wonder we couldn''t find any information about your background." On the other hand, the ck-haired man''s eyes turned bloodshot, and his breath became rougher. "Why?" That was all he could squeeze out from his mouth. Meanwhile, Daisy was utterly stupefied by the sudden change of events and stood with an awkward expression on her face. Even Charles got stunned for a moment and soon understood something. ''She seemed to be a spy sent by the other faction.'' Then, he looked at Daisy and cast [Knowledge Absorber] skill on her. A momentter, one of her deepest secret knowledge appeared in his mind. ''Daisy is an illegitimate child of current Head of Elliott mage family¡­ She was sent to Royal Faction to learn more about the assassination incident¡­ Elliott family head is suspecting that second consort Felicity and her family is the main culprit behind that incident¡­'' While Charles nced at the new information, the grey-haired man suddenly raised his hands and pped his hands together. His eyes showed coldness and brutality. A secondter, the sky turned dimmer, eerie ck clouds started to gather about their heads and started to rain in the next two seconds. ''It must be the ck Rain spell.'' Charles had long seen the spell model''s name in the old man''s status, but he couldn''t see any description on it. Before the ck droplets could touch his body, he pped his wings twice, cast [Sun''s Shell] spell on himself, and flew up towards the sky. Whenever the ck liquid touches his body, a sunshineyer would appear andpletely blocks the liquid! No, his defensive spellpletely evaporated the ck droplets! Simultaneously, Charles used his [Hand of Mystery] skill on Daisy and smiled. But his smile appeared more like a wicked one! Meanwhile, Daisy felt that the cold winds touched her soft skin and got confused. At that moment, a look of realization dawn on her oval face. Without even knowing her, someone stole her clothes mysteriously! Not even her inners were left behind! A momentter, a woman''s scream echoed in the sky! Even though she was more than 200 years old, she was still a woman after all. She was hovered in the air naked while her curved melons started bouncing up and down like rabbits. With a panicking face, she tried her best to cover the private parts with her hand, but her hand wasn''trge enough. To her worst luck, the ck rain fell on her body, turned into creepy snakes, and started slithering towards her private parts! A furious expression appeared on her face. "F*cking pervert!" She red at the grey-haired old man and was about to cast her Fire shield spell, but her face stiffened. At that moment, the gray-haired old man also felt some chilling sensation appeared all over his body and went pale. In a second, he understood that his clothes also went missing! But his pale expression wasn''t due to that, though. His manhood appeared hard as a rock and was currently stood at the angle of 130¡ã! "Horny bastard!" Daisy wentpletely berserk as she saw the old man''s thing and instantly went on an attacking mode. Tens of me spears, fireballs, and fire arrows came out of her hand and flew in his direction. Not only that, but she also muttered some strange words and opened her arms wide. The next instant, greenish leaves, and vines appeared all over her body andpletely enveloped her. That was just the beginning. Thousands ofrge birds suddenly flew from the woods and started encircling her like she was their mother! It was one of her subss skills [Nature''s Call]! There were sparrows, flinches, tit birds, ravens, parrots, crows, hummingbirds, and even some bats that appeared among the group. All those birds then moved in front of her and started to transform. A small sparrow suddenly began to bulge in size and transformed into thrice the size as before! It was the [Nature''s Transformation] skill! Within seconds, her surroundings turned into a crowdie one! Daisy finally regained her calm and stared vigntly at the grey-haired old man and the ck-haired man. On the other hand, Charles hovered above their heads with a mischievous smile on his face and cast [Vision] skill. The next instant, his eyes turnedpletely white for a moment and soon returned to normal. But tens of future images appeared in front of his eyes one by one. ''The old man knows a mind-rted spell and could even stop me from thinking for a second. The second one is that he can fake his own death. Not only that, but he also has some defensive artifact to block my Needle of Ember spell.'' He organized his thoughts, plucked a ck feather from his wings, and then disappeared from there. A momentter, he appeared behind the naked grey-haired old man and cast [Burning Thoughts] on him. Simultaneously, he released his Rank-4 wisdom power, used the Holem''s Crown''s [Body Freeze] skill on the grey-haired man, and immobilized him. Then, he threw the reddish-ck feather towards his back. In a blink, the eerie reddish-ck feather turned illusionary, appeared behind his back, and disappeared into the old man''s body. But it was just a start, though. The next instant, countless eerie ck marks started to appear all over his body and soon started sucking his life force! By the time the grey-haired old man woke up from the confused state, he felt exhausted and weak. In such a small amount of time, he already lost more than one year of his lifespan! ''Danger!'' The grey-haired old man instantly received some forewarning and bit his tongue. At the exact moment, he saw a reddish needle appeared in front of his forehead, and it was about to pierce through his head. But he didn''t get anxious, though. Instead, he let out a cold snort and activated his defensive artifact. A transparent shield appeared out of nowhere and blocked the Ember Needle. This artifact could even block a Rank-4 spell, so the Ember Needle spell''s effect went ineffective in a moment. ''That was close.'' The grey-haired old man was about to breathe out a sigh of relief but suddenly froze. Only then did he sense that someone was standing behind him! "You should be more careful in your next life." A cold, eerie voice appeared in his ears. At the exact time, a sharp pain appeared from his heart. Then, a pure wicked power starting to invade his body! Chapter 171: Prophecy Chapter 171: Prophecy On the other hand, Charles cast [Knowledge Absorber] skill on the grey-haired man but was disappointed. ''It''s a secret knowledge about the location of Rank-4 wind spell model¡­'' He shook his head and cast [Burning Thoughts] again. Then, he directly took out the new long sword from his space ring and shed it towards his neck. But before his sword could reach his neck, the old man''s head and body exploded all of a sudden. After that, the reddish flesh, blood, bones, and brain matters directly fell from the sky and sshed on the tree leaves and the ground. ''He self-detonated?'' Charles clicked his tongue and turned his gaze towards the stupefied ck-haired man. An unknown fear rose from the depths of the ck-haired man''s heart. The battle between Charles and the grey-haired old man took only three seconds! Before the ck-haired man could snap out from the daze, Charles had already killed the grey-haired man. Daisy''s expression also turned unsightly as she witnessed such a battle. Not only that, but she also sensed some invisible power that scanned her body earlier and got anxious inside. ''Rank-4 Mystic!'' That was the only thought that appeared in both of their minds. They knew that the grey-haired old man was a peak-level Rank-3 Expert. But he couldn''t even fight stall this old man for three seconds! "Who are you?" While asking, Daisy hurriedly took out a trinket from her space ring and started to chant in a hurried tone. The ck-haired man also took out some simr trinket and started to chant. He didn''t even dare to ask questions and entirely focused his attention on escaping. A smirk appeared on Charles''s face. "Go and tell your superiors to make a weing ceremony for Rhea Bonere." He suddenly paused for a moment and added with a sigh. "But on second thought, I will tell them myself." At that moment, Daisy and the ck-haired man already finished their short chant and activated the trinket. But nothing happened at all! ''Space is locked!'' Panicking expressions appeared on their faces. Upon noticing the grave situation, the ck-haired man hurriedly moved his right hand towards his pocket and was about to take something. But suddenly, he forgot how to move his fingers! Before he could wake up from the strange confusion, a sharp pain appeared from his neck. A momentter, he felt that his head began to spin. In a blink, his head was cleaved entirely off from his body. [Target Eliminated! 3,640 Exp obtained!] Nodding his head, Charles pushed the headless body and turned her attention towards Daisy. "I surrender, My Lord." Witnessing such a scene, she got terrified inside and raised her hands in a hurry. At that moment, the birds also started to shrink back to their original size and soon descended to the forest. Charles stared at her coldly for a second and asked. "Why should I need a weakling like you?" Her pretty face turned red because of the anger and humiliation. But she swallowed the humiliation and spoke in a hurried tone. "I know about the secret of Ancient Tower." ''Ancient Tower? What is it?'' Charles stared at her for a moment and soon nodded. As Daisy was about to tell little more about the Ancient Tower, she suddenly forgot about it! ''He stole my memory.'' That thought crossed her mind. "Well, I can''t simply believe your words, can I?" Charles let out a chuckle and added. "Follow me." Saying so, he pped his reddish-ck wings and then zeroed his gaze towards the woods. No, he focused his gaze on a particr ce where the grey-haired man''s exploded body parts fell. ''All that left now is to kill the crippled man.'' He muttered inwardly. At that moment, the blood droplets, bones, brain matters, and fleshes were nowhere to be seen. ''But I can sense a powerful consciousness inside the bush.'' Charles curled his lips upward,pped his reddish-ck wings, andnded near the green bush. Daisy alsonded beside him using her crimson wings and looked at the bush in confusion. No, she soon saw a mutated rat hiding near a grey nt stem, holding a space ring in its forelimbs. Currently, the grey-haired old man, who took over a mutated rat''s body, got frightened inside. Well, if not for Charles''s Rank-4 wisdom power and his [Cryptic Analysis] skill, even he wouldn''t have found something amiss about this old man''s death! ''As expected of someone who lived more than 400 years, he is indeed a worthy opponent. His Soul Possession skill is not bad at all.'' He conjured a ball of me and spoke in a cold tone. "Mr. Sneaky Rat, pleasee out. Or else, I will not hesitate to kill you." "W-Wait. I-I wille now." A stuttering old man''s voice came out from the bush, and soon the mutated rat crawled out from it. Upon seeing such a strange scene, Daisy''s mind went nk for a moment. On the other hand, Charles silently used his [Hand of Mystery] skill and picked up the bloody mutated rat. "How long can you possess this rat?" He asked. "No more than 24 hours." A weak voice came out from the rat''s mouth. On the other hand, Charles nodded his head and then crushed the rat into a meat paste! It couldn''t even have any time to utter a cry! "He died just like that." Charles let out an evilugh and nced at the notification. [Target Eliminated! 5,350 Exp rewarded!] "You killed¡­" Daisy was about to correct him but soon swallowed her words. Meanwhile, Charles walked towards the nearby tree, leaned his back against the tree trunk, and asked. "What is this Ancient Tower? Is it a Magic Tower?" His eyes shone in curiosity. "It''s the legacy of the First King, My Lord." A short, humble reply came out of Daisy''s mouth. "You mean the First King Ledger Bonere?" Charles narrowed his eyes. "Yes, My Lord. No one knew what this Tower is, but this has some connection with the Bonere Family and the four legendary spirits. There is a mythical tale passing down from generation to generation saying that whoever bes the rightful Ruler of the Iron Kingdom will get the opportunity to obtain this Legacy. But till this day, none of the previous rulers seeded in obtaining this Legacy." Daisy exined calmly. "None seeded? Then, why are you mentioning this now?" An irritated expression appeared on Charles''s face. Daisy''s face flustered as she saw his expression, but soon she regained herposure and spoke. "But there is another talk going around in the Nobles'' Circle, My Lord." She suddenly paused for a moment and then spoke in a suppressing voice. "Nine months ago, the high priests of the four Temples received a prophecy from the legendary spirits. Let me tell you the prophetic lines and then you can decide for yourself." She took a deep breath and then spoke. "Born in the Iron, but will rise in the Moon. She has three hearts, but only two hands. When she returns, her arrival will shake the home. Chaos will descend, so do the opportunities. She will rise, to be a true Monarch, Whenever she takes a step, citizens would kneel. Not out of respect, but out of hunger and fear of death. She will extend her hand, to save the kingdom from its doom. Tell her to beware, beware of a Divine. That one will stick to her, to steal her life. Save her, she will save you. Let her rest for a while, along with her hearts. When the hearts grow, she will lose one. But if Fate allows, the lost heart will find me. And, I will give the Legacy to it. Wait for the Destined Day." Chapter 172: Mage Path Information Chapter 172: Mage Path Information ''Beware of a Divine¡­ Kingdom''s doom¡­ Legacy¡­'' Charles frowned a bit and soon nodded his head. "I will keep it in my mind." ''But I can''tpletely trust this prophecy. I''m an Irregr and I think I already changed the original future of this kingdom.'' After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and asked her about mage-rted information. That was what he needed most in this current situation. "Did you already enter the Inner World?" "No. Only Rank-4 Mages will be able to enter the Inner World, My Lord." Daisy shook her head and responded. But she clearly showed a confused expression on her face. ''Hmm? But why did I enter the Inner World earlier than others? It''s not only due to increasing my wisdom to Rank-3 level¡­ Is it due to the System? Now that I think about it, I did enter the Inner World when I was in the middle of the contract process. At that time, the ''Time'' itself was frozen by some mysterious force and only my thinking process remained normally¡­'' ''I think it really has something to do with the System. The system cube seemed to have the power to nullify the ''Time Stop'' effect and allows the user to think normally. The System also constantly linking my consciousness with my Inner World¡­ In a sense, it acted as a bridge and caused the dark space to appear at an early stage¡­'' ''So, when I suddenly increased my wisdom to 30 points, the dark space expanded on its own and allowed me to finally enter the Inner World. Although these were just my own guesses, I''m sure this was what happened during that time.'' Charles pondered for a moment and then asked his next question. "How do a ss mage increase his wisdom power? Potions? Or some other method?" A dumbfounded look appeared on Daisy''s face as she heard that question. ''Wisdom Power? Is he talking about soul power?'' She soon cleared her throat and spoke with an awkward smile on her face. "In this era, Mages call this power as Soul power, My Lord. We mostly increase our soul power with the help of potions and rituals. As long as we sign an agreement with Churches, Magic Towers, or any organizations, we can purchase ritual materials, and potions using contribution points." She suddenly paused for a moment and asked hesitantly. "Are you an Ancient Mage, My Lord?" "Yes," Charles lied without even blinking. A look of understanding appeared on Daisy''s face. "I heard that Ancient Mages use some spirit technique to increase their soul power. Is that true, My Lord?" Although Charles got startled inside, he didn''t show it on his face and agreed with a nod. "But my disciples are currently walking on the ss-Gem path. So, I need to learn something about this one." Without even waiting for her to say another word, he rubbed his wrinkled chin and asked another question. "What about body strength? How do you guys increase them?" In truth, he was more curious about how the mages increase their strength in this world. "Unlike other ss Mystics, we don''t have much time to do training. So, we mostly use potions to increase one''s strength like the Ancient Mages, My Lord." Daisy answered politely. "Potions? How many types of potions are there in this world?" Charles asked further. "There are many unique potions, My Lord. I once heard from my father that the higher the rank, the harder it will be to get one''s hand on these potion recipes. And, all these potions recipes are in the hands of Mage families, Magic Towers, Churches Royal Families, andrge organizations." At that moment, a trace of anger and hate appeared on her face. "Potions¡­ Are they any Alchemist in the Iron Tower?" He asked further. "Yes, My Lord. If you have a potion recipe, you can give them some money as payment and ask them to brew potions for you. But you have to be very careful and should never show the full recipe to them. Although I don''t know if it can increase ancient mage''s body strength, I think it is worth a try." Daisy patiently exined and then took out a grey robe from her space ring. Then, she silently wore it over her nature dress made of leaves and dismissed her Nature''s Child ss skill. At that moment, Charles averted his gaze and soon frowned. ''Potion recipes, huh. I need to get my hands on these and check if the potions can increase my body strength. Although the System is helping me giving free attribute points, I''m sure those free attributes won''t be enough in the future.'' He nodded inwardly and then asked another question. "What are the requirements a Rank-3 mage needs to meet to Rank up?" A surprised expression appeared on her face. But soon, she returned to normal and spoke with a thoughtful look on her face. "A Mage''s body strength should be above Extraordinary Level. Otherwise, there is a big chance of failure during the Rank-Up. Then, his soul power should also need to be above Sunset level, My Lord." She suddenly paused for a moment as if she recalled something and continued with a serious look on her face. "This is only for mages. For normal ss Mystics, the requirements might be different and most of us still know nothing about this." "That''s why you haven''t Ranked-up the Nature''s Child ss, huh." Charles looked at her pretty face and then nodded his head in enlightenment. "Yes, My Lord." Daisy smiled bitterly. Meanwhile, Charles checked the grey-haired old man''s ring and soon began to think. ''So, they are using a different level system to distinguish the Wisdom power level, huh. Sunset level¡­'' He suddenly halted his thinking and soon asked. ''Do you know anything about this power system, Mr. Rh?'' ''You mean the Wisdom power level? Yes, I did hear about this strange leveling system from Eddie a few times. The first level is Dawn. If an apprentice mage wants to construct Rank-1 spell models, his wisdom power must be above this level. The second one should be Sunrise level, the third one is Midday and the fourth one is Sunset.'' ''Dawn¡­ Sunrise¡­ Midday¡­Sunset¡­ Dusk¡­ Night¡­ Midnight¡­ Am I right?'' Charles was stunned by their ranking. But soon, he felt that it was easier to remember than some strange names. ''Yes. Potions'' names would also appear simr to this ranking system. So, you will have an easier time when searching for potion recipes in the future.'' The Holem''s Crown gave an affirmative answer. After that, Charles once again turned his attention towards Daisy and asked. "How do you guys know when one''s soul power reaches Sunset Level?" "We can check our soul power using Soul Checker artifact in the Iron Tower. Although checking once will cost around 100 gold coins, it''s an affordable price for mages." Daisy responded calmly. But the more she heard his question, the more anxious she became. ''This man knew nothing about the ss-Path¡­ But he has some strange abilities to read memories and only knew about ancient methods¡­ He is definitely an old monster who woke up from the slumber!'' She had heard some terrifying legends about Ancient Mages and got nervous inside. In her mind, the Ancient Mages were evil, wicked beings and would go any length to achieve their goal! ''The Royal Faction knew nothing about this monster. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have sent us here to probe his real strength. With him helping Rhea, there is no chance of sess for the Royal Faction¡­ Unless that man appears¡­'' She thought to herself. Chapter 173: A Young Girl Chapter 173: A Young Girl While she was in muse, Charles suddenly straightened his back and spoke with a calm look on his face. "Go back to your family and tell everyone about Rhea''s arrival." A startled expression appeared on Daisy''s face. ''Why is he letting me go without making any precautions?'' The anxiety in her heart grew. "Hoho, don''t try to think of anything funny. I already ced a mark in your Inner World and I can wipe out your whole memory in a few minutes. Unless you Rank-up and enter the Inner World, you won''t be able to even find it." Noticing her anxiety, he let out a chuckle and gave a sharp reply. ''He really is an old monster!'' Her body quivered all of a sudden. "Go back and tell your family about this incident. If you n on revealing anything about me, the mark inside your soul will act up and started to devour your memory. So, be careful." Nodding her head, Daisy regained her calm and bowed her head. Then, she turned around, cast her wing spell, and flew towards the direction where she came from. Meanwhile, Charles wore an amusing smile on his face and turned into a me before disappearing. He appeared in front of the four-wheeled carriage a momentter, startling the two white horses, and tapped the red-gem embedded bracelet. The next instant, the bracelet shone in a dim eerie red light and turned into a ck cane. Charles swiftly caught the cane, gripped the hand with his right hand, and started walking towards the carriage. ''Why didn''t you kill her?'' An old man''s voice echoed in Charles''s head. ''I have a big n. Once she returns to her family, her father will definitely use some unique method to search if everything is alright about his daughter. Once he finds out some odd energy is hiding in her Inner World, he would try his best to remove it.'' Charles suddenly paused for a moment as he appeared near the carriage door, opened it, and continued while entering. ''That is what I want. During the past few months, I learned a few things about my spell models. All these seven spell models are unique and rted to seven different fires. But when I checked information about this world''s fire mages, I learned that they mostly gaining enlightenment from the Lawful Fire. In truth, over 95 percent of their spell models are created from the Lawful Fire. The remaining five percent belongs to Chaos Fire. There is no news about the other fires at all. Although some basic spells appeared from time to time, there seemed to be no high-level spells about these other fires.'' Saying so, he satfortably on his seat and told Noel to drive the carriage. ''You want to scare them?'' At that moment, the Holem''s Crown finally realized his n. ''Scaring them is almost impossible because there is a Rank-5 Existence backing them. But I want to make others believe that I''m not a normal Rank-4 Mage, but an Ancient Mage with a mysterious past. Once they try to search for my true Identity using divination, they will definitely face an obstacle. Not only that, but they will also find out that my fate is constantly changing-'' At this moment, the Holem''s Crown suddenly interrupted his talking. ''They will also think of you as an Irregr. After that, they will hesitate to send mages after us. If your n goes sessful, we don''t need to be afraid of the Nobles and the Royal Factions anymore.'' ''Yes.'' Charles nodded inwardly and turned his gaze towards the hesitant-looking Rhea. "Did something happen?" He asked. "Yes, Teacher." Rhea nodded her head and added while pointing her finger at her ring. "After you left, this ring suddenly started to vibrate and shone in a bright blue light." Saying so, she took the ring from her hand and passed it to him. Meanwhile, Charles took it from her hand and soon frowned. ''Something is odd about this ring¡­'' He instantly cast the [Cryptic Analysis] skill and soon turned serious. [Item: Ring of Frost Rank: Rare (????) Effect: This ring has a spell called ''Ice Land'' engraved in it. When activating, this spell would send out ice elemental energy and freeze the surroundings. Caution: To activate this ring, the user must have a minimum of 15 Wisdom Points. Cooldown: 2/Week.] ''Why there is a question mark near the Rank option?'' Charles furrowed his brows for a moment and soon scanned it with his wisdom power. But to his shock, he couldn''t find anything odd at all! ''Is it due to the ancient spirits?'' He returned the ring to Rhea and cast [Cryptic Analysis] skill on her. ''Hmm, her wisdom power has already reached 15. Did her increased wisdom trigger some mechanism inside this ring? Is this the power of a Destined One?'' Charles suddenly thought of something and asked in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, can you check her luck?'' ''I already checked their luck when they meet you in Chester City. There was nothing abnormal about her.'' An instant answer came from the Holem''s Crown. ''No. Check her luck now.'' Charles shook his head and said. Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown let out a dim light to show its dissatisfaction and scanned her. A few secondster, a surprised old man''s voice echoed in his head. ''Oh? Her luck is triple the amount of a normal person''s luck!'' ''As I thought, something is influencing her fate.'' He squinted his eyes. "Keep this ring with you all the time and tell me if something odd happens." Saying so, he closed his amber eyes and started to take some rest. Meanwhile, Noel drove the carriage continuously and crossed the Redstar woods around the evening. Then, Titus took over Noel''s job and started to drive. ¡­ June 18th Evening, Ash Region, Territory of Forge, Iron Kingdom. It was around 6.30 P.M. A lone four-wheeled carriage drove past farms and viges and soon entered dense woods. It was the woond that separates Duke Peres''s territory and Margrave Favian''s territory. Noel sat on the driver''s seat and wore a nk expression on his face. At first, he actually thought long-distance traveling would be fun. But now, he knew that it was indeed a very boring one. ''My butt is burning like hell.'' He groaned in displeasure and soon saw the surrounding tall trees began to shroud the way, making the dirt path gloomier. ''I hope nothing weird happens this time.'' He warily looked at the side bushes and soon made a clicking noise. The next second, the white horse in his right side let out an indignant snort and sped up a little. On the other hand, the left side horse didn''t even wave its tail. ''This bastard surely looks down on me these days.'' He was about to whip the horse but suddenly froze. At that moment, he saw an 18-year old young girl stood 100 meters away from the carriage and was blocking the way. Her wavy deep-blue hair was fluttering due to the chilling wing and blocked half of her face. She wore an old linen white gown, wooden slippers and held a luggage bag in her right hand. Due to the presence of tree shadows, Noel couldn''t see her face clearly and guessed that she must be slightly older than Jessie. Noticing her presence, both white horses slowed down their footsteps and made a neigh noise in unison. A momentter, the carriage also slowed down and soon stopped, leaving a screeching noise behind. Meanwhile, the young girl used the other hand to move her fluttering hair and started walking towards the carriage. In ten seconds, she arrived beside Noel''s right side and showed a nervous look on her oval face. "Can you take me to the town?" She asked with a smile. Her voice sounded more like a melodic song in Noel''s ear. "Y-Yes." He subconsciously nodded his head but soon froze. At that moment, Rhea stuck her head out and shouted. "What happened?" A wry smile appeared on Noel''s face as he pointed his finger at the young girl and spoke. "She is asking for a lift." Upon hearing his words, Rhea showed a confused face. She soon turned her face into an angry one and raged. "Are you ying a prank on me now?" "What?!" Noel''s mind went nk for a moment. Before he could think further, Rhea pointed her finger at the deep blue-haired girl and said. "Did you start to have hallucinations?" She paused for a moment and then added in a sharp tone. "There is no one here!" At that moment, Noel suddenly heard the same melodic voice from the blue-haired girl''s mouth. "Can you take me to the town?" His body shuddered involuntarily! Chapter 174: Innate Abilities Chapter 174: Innate Abilities Simultaneously, Noel''s hand began to tremble, and his throat went dry all of a sudden. At that moment, a cold voice came out of the carriage. "Noel, bring her in. Titus, go and drive the carriage." Upon hearing those words, Rhea''s body suddenly went stiff. ''Does that mean there really is a ghost here?'' She hurriedly jumped down from the carriage and stared vigntly at the empty area. At this moment, Ashley, Titus, and Jessie also walked out of the carriage and stared at the empty area in vignce and confusion. Meanwhile, Noel made a forced smile and climbed down from the driver''s seat. "T-This way," He stuttered and led the deep-blue-haired girl towards the carriage door. On the other hand, the young girl nodded her head and followed after him. Even after seeing others'' panicking reactions, Noel felt that this girl appeared very real to his eyes. Within a few seconds, he arrived near the entrance, gave the whip towards Titus, and opened the red curtain for her. Meanwhile, the young girl gave him a slight bow, stepped inside, and sat in front of Charles. Letting out a deep sigh, Noel also entered the carriage and sat beside the young girl. Only then did Charles opened his amber eyes and looked at the empty seat. But unlike others, he felt a presence of consciousness. ''A Ghost?'' A frown appeared on his forehead. In the meantime, Ashley had already taken few more steps and backed away. Her face was pale as a white sheet, her hands and legs were trembling, and cold sweats appeared all over her face. She still hadn''t woken up from the previous trauma! Jessie and Rhea weren''t far from better, though. Those two also showed panicking expressions and held their hands tightly. Only Titus showedposed expression as he went towards the front, climbed up to the driver''s seat, and sat on it. Due to the eerie silence, his heart began to pound louder, causing him to grip the whip handle tightly. Inside the carriage, Charles quietly used his wisdom power to scan the girl''s consciousness and soon squinted his eyes. ''She disappeared? Where did she go?'' He instantly used his wisdom power to scan the surroundings but soon furrowed his brows. At that moment, Noel also noticed that the young girl''s figure turned transparent and widened his eyes. Before he could open his mouth, Charles looked at Rhea and others and ordered. "Get in, kids." His voice contained a trace of urgency. Although Rhea and others were reluctant initially, they hid their fear and entered the carriage one by one. Then, they sat next to Charles and stared at the empty seat in anxiety and worry. "Rest assure. She has long left." Saying so, Charles let out a heavy sigh and then asked in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, did you have any idea about that ghost?'' ''Yes, her soul is pure and there is no hatred at all. But someone seemed to have done some experiment on her before her death and caused her soul to stop from entering the Eternal River of Life.'' The Holem''s Crown said solemnly. ''Is it the Necromancer? From his earlier actions, he is most likely the culprit behind these strange ghost incidents. And, I can tell that he also has some connection with the one who is manipting fate. If not, he couldn''t have shown his presence when the Dragon appeared in the Fire Elemental ne and distracted my thinking.'' Charles pondered for a second and lit themp inside the carriage. After that, he told Titus to start driving the carriage and took out the Starfall Codex book. He then flipped the pages, stopped at the 16th page, and started to chant. It was the incantation of Rank-3 [Seer''s Vision] spell. Last time, he used this spell before entering the Fire Elemental ne and learned that he could see a random vision. Like thest time, his vision turned blurry all of a sudden, and soon he found himself standing in front of an old abandoned mansion. In the dark, eerie night, the three-storied stone mansion appeared empty and gloomy. Even the mansion building window sses seemed to be broken. Charles looked around and saw a waterless fountain, a weeds-filled courtyard, and the brokenpound walls in the sides. While searching for clues about the strange ce, he heard a door opening noise from behind and turned around. There, he saw a group of four kids and an old man opened the metal gate and started walking in his direction. Before he could think further, his vision turned blurry, and soon his consciousness returned to the current time. ''So, I can see one random future through this spell, huh. But this one is very vague¡­'' Charles blinked his eyes and soon recalled the Holem''s Crown words about strange divination. ''Mr. Rh, can you tell me more about the divination using constetions?'' ''Oh? You are finally willing to learn the Star Constetion method? Excellent!'' The Holem''s Crown''s excited voice echoed inside his head. ''Star-Constetion method¡­ Tell me more about it.'' ''It''s basically about predicting the future using ancient forms. Eons ago, Ancient Mages create these forms to understand more about the secret behind the ''Time'' power. It might be tough for normal mages to understand the ''Time'' power, but you have an innate affinity to the ''Time'' element.'' The Holem''s Crown answered calmly. ''Innate affinity?'' Confusion appeared on his face. ''Yes. Don''t you find a little off about the Trickster ss skills? You have seven spell models inside your Inner World, but what about the sub-ss skills and unique skills?'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly posed a question. Upon hearing those words, Charles''s eyes shed in surprise. ''Now that I think about it, I indeed feel no skill-rted stars in my Inner World. Although I have all information in the Inner World, the sub-ss skills'' core knowledge is nowhere to be seen¡­ Why is that?'' A line appeared between his brows, and soon his amber eyes widened. ''Those skills already merged inside my body¡­ Am I right?'' ''Yes. Like the Warlocks, your Trickster ss strengthens your body and turns the skills into innate abilities.'' The Holem''s Crown gave an affirmative answer. ''So, that''s it.'' A look of understanding expression appeared on Charles''s face. ''Which form is suitable for me to understand the secrets of ''Time'' power?'' The corner of his lips suddenly curled upward. ''There are many forms to study Past Time, Future Time, and the Present Time. But each has some restrictions. Hmm, you have Future Time skill, so I think the Twelve Rings Form will be suitable for you.'' A calm old man''s voice echoed in his head. Simultaneously, Charles perceived a cloud of energy came out from the ck cane. ''ept it.'' The Holem''s Crown added. Nodding his head, Charles used his wisdom power and directly epted the information cloud. A momentter, pieces of information entered his Inner World. ''Twelve Rings Form¡­ Using this form, I can find the correct ''Space-Time'' stars in the constetions and startprehending the secrets of the future ''Time'' power. But there are some restrictions to use this form, though. If I want to learn about the future location of an object, I need some basic information about the object like its unique name, appearance, weight, etc. And if I want to see a person''s future, I need their true name, along with their surname, their date of birth, elemental affinities with levels, and the ce of birth. Most importantly, I can use this method only during the nighttime.'' His mouth twitched. Chapter 175: Delay Chapter 175: Dy ''There are too many restrictions to use this form. The first thing I need to learn about is the number of constetions visible in the night sky. Then, I need to search for the exact Space-Time stars among the constetions and then make a perfect map. After that, I also have to study them separately and thenpare with one another to see the most possible future.'' While he was in muse, he suddenly straightened his back and opened the curtain. Simultaneously, Titus shouted in a nervous tone. "Teacher!" "Bring her to the carriage," Charles said with a serious look on his face. At that moment, all of the kids'' faces and Ashley''s faces went pale. In a few seconds, Titus arrived near the curtain and gestured the invisible person to enter. But unlike others, Noel also saw her appearance clearly and shuddered. It was the same deep-blue-haired girl from before! Once the young girl entered the carriage, she sat on the empty seat and nodded at Noel. At that moment, Charles gestured Titus to continue his work and closed the red curtain. After that, he turned his gaze towards the empty seat, then towards Noel, and spoke. "Talk to her. Ask her name, age, or anything." Noel nodded his head with a stiff smile on his face and asked while looking at the young girl. "H-How may I address you?" A surprise shed on her face. "I''m Chloe." Her sweet melodic voice echoed in Noel''s ears. Upon hearing her reply, Noel got some courage and was about to spoke, but suddenly stopped. At that moment, he saw her figure turned foggy all of a sudden and soon disappeared in front of his eyes. A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s mouth as he saw that scene. ''I have a bad feeling about this.'' He muttered inwardly and leaned his back against the leather seat. Half an hourter, Titus''s anxious voice came out from the driver''s seat once again. "It''s here, Teacher!" "I''m starting to get chilly here," Rhea said with an anxious tone and hugged her knees. Meanwhile, others also felt a sudden drop in temperature. Without any dy, Charles opened the curtain and told Titus to bring her in. A few secondster, Titus led the same young girl towards the entrance door, opened the red curtain, and gestured to go in. But this time, the young girl disappeared just after she sat down on the empty seat! "It''s not even giving us some time to ask questions," Jessie said in a gloomy voice. ''Something is not right.'' Charles narrowed his eyes for a moment and once again gestured Titus to continue driving. Then, he opened the red curtain and peered into the dark trees and bushes. One hourter, Titus shouted from the driver''s seat and told them about the young girl''s arrival. His tone was filled with anxiety and fear! Meanwhile, Charles finally retracted his gaze from the gloomy dark trees and muttered. "We are going in a loop." "Loop?" Jessie tilted her head in confusion. "Space seemed to be bending weirdly, causing our carriage to go on the same path. Unless we find out the origin of the bending space, we will be circling inside this forest forever." Charles exined calmly. In the meantime, the Holem''s Crown also started to speak in his mind. ''It''s not a normal one,d.'' ''I know.'' Charles let out a chuckle and told Titus to proceed. Like before, Titus brought the white-dressed young girl and gestured her to get in. Meanwhile, Charles suddenly conjured ten balls of greenish-blue mes, weaved into a spider, and threw it on the invisible young girl. A momentter, weaved spider directly enveloped her and imprisoned it! The next second, everyone saw the young girl''s appearance clearly. Even though she was imprisoned, she showed a polite smile on her face and walked into the carriage. Soon, she sat on the opposite seat and maintained her calm look. "Who are you?" This time, Charles asked her directly. "I''m Chloe." An instant response came out from her mouth, followed by a puzzled look. Then, she tilted her head for a moment and soon furrowed her brows. At the exact moment, her soft skin suddenly started to turn rougher and soon changed into a wrinkled one. Then, her eyes darted around suddenly and disappeared, leaving two hollow spaces behind! ck blood also started gushing out of the sockets, mouth, and nostrils and draped the white dress in dark color. A chill went up to everyone''s spine! Her appearance suddenly turned into a creepy woman from a horror movie! A secondter, a rotten smell assaulted everyone''s nose. Following that, an eerie ck chain turned visible from her chest and seemed to be connected to some void. The only one who showed calm expression was Charles. Upon seeing the ck chain, he curled his lips upward and smiled. "I''m waiting for this." Saying so, he conjured another ball of greenish-blue fire, shaped it into a sharp de, and swung it towards the ck chain! A nging noise echoed inside the carriage, followed by a creaking noise. A momentter, Charles''s greenish-blue me sword cut the chain into two! "Next is healing." Charles stood up, touched the zombie-like woman''s chest, and cast his [Soul Heal] spell continuously. Balls of greenish-blue mes came out from his palm and started spreading all over her rotten body. As the greenish-blue me enveloped the woman, her rotten skin, withered hair, and dress started to evaporate, leaving only a humanoid foggy thing behind. The fog soon turned to reshape and showed an illusionary figure of the young girl''s appearance! "Can you talk now?" Charles nodded his head and asked while checking the soul''s condition. ''I can only hold this soul for more than thirty seconds.'' "Yes." The deep-blue-haired young girl nodded. "Did you get abducted by skeletons and turned into a ghost by Necromancer?" He asked in curious. At that moment, the illusionary young girl shuddered for a moment and soon said in a trembling voice. "T-They are after spirits." "Ancient Spirits?" A surprise shed on Rhea''s face. "Yes." The deep-blue-haired girl nodded her head and added. "Then, they are scared of you." "Who are ''They''?" This time, it was Jessie who asked that question. "They?" The illusionary young girl strangely tilted her head and continued with a stiff smile. "They are ''Children.'' They are nning to dy-." At that moment, the illusionary form suddenly started to distort and then disappeared from there, leaving the greenish-blue to fell on the seat! "They are nning to dy our journey." Charles finished the soul''sst sentence and turned his gaze towards the outside. ''Something is wrong,d. Are they nning to dy us using this space loop? No¡­We are missing something¡­ Wait a sec¡­ I think this surrounding forest might be a part of the pocket dimension! Unlike normal nes, the time flow would always vary to an unimaginable level in these pocket dimensions¡­ One year outside might be one day in this space or vice versa¡­What if they used the pocket dimension to dy our arrival to Royal Capital?'' The Holem''s Crown asked. Upon hearing those absurd words, Charles''s mind went nk for a moment. ''Is that even possible?'' A shocked expression appeared on his face. ''Why not? I owned a total of seventeen pocket dimensions when I was an ancient mage and used such tricks to fool many mages. In Edhen, each magic tower has two or three pocket dimensions, so the possibility of the Iron Tower mages using such method to dy us is very high.'' ''There is such a thing?'' Charles went speechless for a second. Shaking his head, he hurriedly took out a gem-shaped leaf from his space ring and attached it to the wooden door. At the same time, he let out a deep sigh and spoke to Titus. "Untie the horses and shoo them into the woods,d." "Are we going to the gloomy cave again, Teacher?" Jessie instantly sensed something was off and asked. Meanwhile, Charles smiled lightly and nodded. "Get ready." Saying so, he once again erased the chant from the Twin Leaf and reced it with the old one. On the other hand, Titus hurriedly ran towards the front area, untied the two horses, and shooed them into the woods. ¡­ A few minutester, Charles was the only one who stood near the empty carriage and held a red gem-embedded bracelet in his hand. A momentter, two reddish-ck eerie wings appeared behind him and pped all of a sudden. Then, his figure shot up towards the sky and flew in the northern direction. As he flew, he nced at the surroundings and soon frowned as he saw no anomaly in the surroundings. "Strange¡­ We are not in a pocket dimension¡­" The Holem''s Crown also spoke in confusion. "But we can''t act carelessly," Charles said gravely and pped his wings faster. Like a hawk, he rose once again and flew towards the direction of Royal City. For the next seven hours, Charles flew continuously and finally saw a fortified city with a single tower at the northern edge. As he moved closer, the darkness started to fade and revealed a brilliant orange light from the eastern sky. "The city of Iron." A smile crept on Charles''s face. He then circled the sky for a moment and soon chose an isted ce near the woods tond. Chapter 176: Cautious Chapter 176: Cautious Once Charlesnded on the ground, he went near a tall tree, ced the gem-like leaf on the trunk region, and entered the Fire-Elemental ne. After that, he brought them to Edhen and soon zeroed his gaze on Ashley. ''Although she is just a harmless woman, I can make any careless mistake. Moreover, the prophecy¡­'' He muttered inwardly and asked while pointing his finger at the Twin Leaf. "Do you remember what this leaf can do?" As Ashley was about to reply, she suddenly forgot about the Twin Leaf and then its uses! Only the vague memory of them staying in an underground cave remained in her mind! But Charles didn''t stop there, though. He pondered for a moment and cast [Knowledge Absorber] spell on her in case of precaution. A momentter, a piece of important information appeared in Charles''s mind, causing his eyes to widen slightly. ''Ruler''s Ring?'' He subconsciously turned his gaze towards Rhea''s hand. ''So, she knew about the ring but chose to hide the information due to fear, huh. Hmm, this ring can help the Bonere family member to contact one of the Ancient spirits¡­ There are a total of four rings, but three of them were already snatched by the assassins¡­ If Rhea wants to be a true monarch, she needs to collect all these four rings, get approval from the ancient spirits and merge them into a single ring. This merged ring will be called Ruler''s Ring¡­ But this time, Churches interfered, incited the nobles to oppose the King and destroyed the ancient tradition.'' Charles nodded his head in understanding, took the Twin Leaf from the tree trunk, stored it in his space ring, and turned his gaze towards Jessie. "I have something to talk to you privately. Follow me." Saying so, he turned around and started walking away from there. Meanwhile, Jessie nced at Rhea and others and soon followed after him silently. On the other hand, Rhea, Titus, and Noel looked confused and nced at each other. "It might be something rted to her ss skill." Rhea thought for a moment and finally spoke. Meanwhile, Charles arrived 50 meters away from the kids, turned around, and asked. "Do you have two consciousnesses, right?" His question startled Jessie greatly. Soon, she realized that his Teacher was not a normal mystic and nodded her head. "Good. Store all information about this green leaf and the chanting method in your second consciousness." Charles said with a calm look on her face. Although Jessie got stunned by his words a little, she hurriedly nodded her head and transferred the information about that chanting method and the Twin Leaf to her other consciousness. Unlike Charles''s half-baked incarnation, her second consciousness was an exact copy of her original one. So, it didn''t take her ten seconds to finish the process! "It''s over, Teacher." She said with a nod. "Good. Now, switch to the second consciousness and let me talk to it for a few minutes." Charles didn''t exin anything to her and said with a serious look on his face. If it were Rhea or Noel, they would have questioned him about his strange actions. But Jessie was a sharp girl. She instantly knew that their Teacher was nning to erase some of their memories and nodded her head in approval. ''Teacher wants to ce my second consciousness as a trump card for us. As long as this information didn''t get exposed, I will switch to second consciousness during a dangerous time and bring others to the underground cave for hiding. There are many Mystics with mind-reading skills out there and the possibilities of our mind getting probed by these Mystics are very high.'' Thinking inwardly, she directly linked her to the other consciousness and switched it to the other one. Simultaneously, her original consciousness entered her Inner World and soon looked around. But unlike Charles''s Inner World, the surroundings appearedpletely dark and gloomy. Her illusionary form stood there motionlessly and waited. Meanwhile, her second consciousness took over her body, and she bowed her head towards Charles. "You are second consciousness, right? If something out of ordinary happens during the next four years, your job is to use this leaf and bring the kids to the underground cave. But, you should never bring Ashley or other humans to another side, got it?" Saying so, he took out the Twin Leaf and showed it to her. Without waiting for her to reply, he ced his hand on his chin and spoke. "In the future, I might be forced into a situation and have to leave you guys toplete the main mission. At that time, many Mages and Mystics will use different skills to read your memories and some might try to kill you. Use this leaf when the situation turned into a precarious state and escape." He paused for a moment and then added. "As long as you guys stay in that ce for the next few days, I wille and rescue you. Don''t worry about the hot atmosphere, I will find a solution for it before going toplete the mission." "What if the enemy uses the Historian ss skill, Teacher? I heard from Mr. Rh that there is a skill that could even let a Mystic to see through one''s past." Jessie''s question caused his lips to twitch uncontrobly. ''Did you have to brag about your skills to this kid?'' He red at the Holem''s Crown and then frowned. ''This is indeed a big problem¡­ Wait¡­ What if I follow the system''s method and let Jessie enter the Inner World at an earlier stage like me?'' He organized his thoughts for a moment and soon spoke. "Then, you have another mission now. That is to contact your original consciousness whenever she is free and talk to her frequently. The more you contact her, the bridge that is linked between the Inner World and the body will expand to an unimaginable level. After that, tell the original Jessie to improve her wisdom using potions and let her enter the Inner World at an earlier stage. Once she did that, you can directly transfer information to others using your thoughts. Then, you guys can chant the verse in your minds and move to another side." "Yes, Teacher." Jessie tersely acknowledged his words. Meanwhile, Charles nodded with a smile and waved his hand. "That''s all for now. You can go back and let the real consciousnesse out." Nodding her head, Jessie closed her eyes for two seconds and then opened her emerald-green eyes. "I''m ready, Teacher." Meanwhile, Charles smiled lightly and said. "Try to think more about the green leaf, chanting method, and the underground cave." Before Jessie could respond, he cast [Burning Thoughts] spell on her constantly and started erasing her memories. It took a total of five minutes for Charles to erase everything about the Twin Leaf. After that, he also erased memories about the Holem''s Crown from the original consciousness. Then, he told Jessie to go back and inform Rhea toe. For the next 30 minutes, Charles used his [Burning Thoughts] spell more than 100 times on the kids and erased most of their memories about the Twin Leaf. ''You are overly cautious,d.'' The Holem''s Crownmented. ''It''s better to be careful against these Mages and Mystics. And, there is also some prophecy about the stalking Divine. If I want to fool such being, I need to be overly cautious.'' He said in a cold tone and led all of them out of the woods. ¡­ Ten minutester, six people came out from the Barren Woods and started moving towards the City of Iron. In his same old man''s appearance, Charles took the lead and started walking on the grassy in while others followed after him closely. Ashley was the one who camest while nervously ncing at the familiar trees and weeds. During the past few months, she had encountered many strange things and already became numb to any surprise. There was one thing she was sure of. The mage who walked in the front was an unfathomable, powerful, and mysterious man! ''He can even make others'' forget some things.'' An unknown fear arose in her heart. Other than Charles, everyone wore a ck hood over their heads andpletely hid their identities. That was an order from Charles. The group soon found a dirt passage and noticed a white curtained carriage was moving towards the direction of the Royal City. Noticing their sudden arrival, the coachman also slowed down the carriage and raised his thin eyebrows. His hair was dark as a shadow of twilight, a rough face, a lean body, and appeared around 30-years-old. Currently, Charles wore a simple grey gown and held a ck cane in his hand. Meanwhile, the kids and Ashley were in hooded clothes and appeared very suspicious. "Do you need something, old man?" His deep-set grey eyes showed a hint of wariness. ''Hmm, he looks somewhat familiar. Where have I seen him before?'' Charles stared at the man for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards the carriage. At that moment, the white curtain suddenly opened and revealed a 50-year-old woman. She had curly ck hair, a wrinkled round face, and grey eyes. She wore a blue robe dress and held a silver pocket watch in her hand. Upon seeing her face, Charles''s expression slightly changed. ''Emilia Wilson¡­ What a ''Coincidence''.'' The corner of his lips twitched. He soon returned to his calm self and asked while looking at the deep blue-haired man. "What day is today? Can you tell me the exact date, young man?" Although the coachman got puzzled by his words, he didn''t put much thought into it and gave a short response. "Today is July 15th." "Oh!" Charles nodded his head and waved his hand to continue their journey. ''So, that space loop indeed had some power to manipte time. Was it the Ghost''s ability? Possible.'' He was slightly shocked inside. ''If I hadn''t purified the soul, things would have gone worse.'' A grim look appeared on his face. After thinking for a moment, Charles shook his head and led the kids to the City of Iron. Chapter 177: Intimidation Chapter 177: Intimidation One hourter, Charles and the group finally reached the city gate and soon saw two queues at the entrance. The citizens who stood in the right-side queue were mostly peddlers and low-ssmoners, while the remaining ones who stood on the left side were robed mages, luxuriously dressed merchants, and nobles. Charles thought for a moment and soon chose the right-side queue. After lining up, he nced at the hundreds of peoples and then focused his attention on the outer wall. It was a 6-meter tall outer wall, built-in iron, and appeared majestic. Charles''s gaze then swept past the tall wall and soonnded on the Iron Tower. ''A Rank-5 Existence, huh¡­'' He sighed inwardly and moved along with the queue. After another hour of waiting, Jessie paid the entrance fees to everyone and stepped into the City of Iron. Meanwhile, Rhea and other kids also followed behind her closely and looked at the city''s interior in curious. As Charles stepped in, the corner of his lips suddenly curled upward. ''Mr. Rh, shall we start?'' He asked in his mind. ''Haha, let''s scare these puny mages. It''s been a long time since I released my full power.'' An instant response came out from the ck cane. Letting out a chuckle, Charles tapped the cane, asked the Holem''s Crown to transform into a bracelet, and wore it. "Enjoy the show, kids." Hemented casually and looked up at the clear blue sky. The next second, two eerie reddish-ck wings appeared behind him and pped all of a sudden. His figure soared up in the sky in a blink and frightened all the nearby citizens, soldiers, peddlers, shopkeepers, and even some robed mages. "Who dares to use their magic openly?" A raging voice echoed from the city wall, and soon a group of blue-robed mages cast different wings spells on themselves and flew up towards the sky. They were the elite mages who were responsible for maintaining order and peace. The one who was in the lead wore a unique silk-lined blue robe and appeared taller than an average man. He had curly long scarlet hair, square face and held a ck-covered book in his hand. Upon seeing his appearance, almost all the citizens and mages breathed out a sigh of relief. "Wizard Hudson is here!" Some citizens even started to shout out his name excitingly. He was a Rank-3 Storm Wizard with considerable experience in fighting! These kinds of wild mages'' rude behaviors were quitemon in thisrge city, so the citizens quickly calmed down and looked up at the sky to watch the show. On the other hand, tens of silver-armored soldiers walked out from the city wall and urged the citizens to hide somewhere. They knew that fights against Mages would always cause damage to the surroundings, so they urged everyone. Meanwhile, Charles looked down at the blue-robed mages from the sky and smiled. "I dare!" The next instant, his voice, infused with wisdom power, echoed in every citizen''s ears. It was so strong that it caused the nearby citizens to faint on the spot! The next moment, an invisible ripple went through the surroundings and covered themoner''s street! It was the might of his full wisdom power! Simultaneously, fire sparks started to appear around Charles and soon formed into eerie reddish fireballs. Upon witnessing such magic, the flying mages, including Wizard Hudson, pped their wings to stop the moment and turned pale. ''Rank-4 Mage!'' That thought appeared in everyone''s mind! Before Hudson could take the initiative to ask the identity of the mysterious mage, another kind of invisible ripple came out from him and went in every direction! But unlike the previous one, this one contains a trace of pure evil and wickedness! At that moment, Charles''s surroundings also started to distort and showed different kinds of illusionary scenes. Some illusions showed vast peaceful skies, while the remaining illusions showed the appearance of creepy creatures. Illusions of Ancient demons, horned Devils, different kinds of monsters, and battle scenes appeared in the sky one by one. This time, every mages'' face went pale as a white sheet! ''Rank-4 Dual Mage!'' They were utterly terrified. At that moment, the new type of wickedly wisdom power mingled with Charles''s one and started to expand. It went to Nobles'' District, Slum District, and soon reached the 1,000 meters tall Iron Tower! In two seconds, the invisible power covered the whole City of Iron and caused every Rank-3 to turn their gaze towards the western sky. Shock, terror, fear, and anxiety appeared on each of those mages'' faces! Five Rank-4 Mages in the Iron Tower and the other three ordinary Rank-4 Mystics in the Nobles'' District also turned their gazes towards the western sky and showed gloomy looks on their faces. They knew it was the Ancient Mages whom they provoked earlier and started to get anxious. ¡­ Nobles'' District, Emerald Street. A ck-haired woman, who appeared around 25 to 28 years old, stood inside an artifact shop and was in the middle of searching an ornamental stone for her private usage. She wore a red robe and appeared more like an apprentice fire mage than an official mage. She was none other than the Destiny Lady! As she was about to take a sapphire-like gem from a metal box, she heard an old man''s voice in her ears. ''I dare!'' Surprise shed on her face. She felt that this voice was so familiar, yet at the same time unfamiliar! A momentter, she felt an eerie invisible ripple came from the western direction and widened her scarlet eyes. The next second, a freezing aura oozed out from her body and caused the nearby ornamental stones to break into powders! But she didn''t mind at all. Currently, her surprised face had already turned into a shocked one! She instantly closed the metal box, walked out of the shop, and looked up at the western sky. At that moment, the whole western sky was filled with vast numbers of creepy illusions, giving a feeling of terror to every citizen''s heart. Normal Mages and Mystics shivered in fear and terror! Unknown to Destiny Lady, few drops of cold sweats started to appear on her forehead! During the past few days, she indeed gathered some information from time to time and found out about a strange rumor. It was the appearance of an Ancient Mage, who just woke up from slumber! ''But to think that fragile-looking old man is the rumored Ancient Mage.'' "He is much stronger than I thought!" She muttered in a grave tone and sighed. ''It''s better to maintain a friendly rtionship with him.'' A bitter smile appeared on her face. A momentter, her body turned blurry and soon disappeared from there. The next instant, she appeared 200 meters away from Charles, bent her waist a bit, and greeted him. "Destiny Lady of the Tower of Elements greets the Ancient Mage Oswald." Her loud voice echoed in the sky. Chapter 178: Warning Chapter 178: Warning As Destiny Lady spoke those words, two crystalline ice wings appeared on her back and started pping on their own. On the other hand, Charles and the Holem''s Crown got greatly startled by her appearance. ''Did I go overboard?'' The Holem''s Crown''s voice echoed in Charles''s head. ''What do you mean?'' Charles''s expression went stiff. ''Well, instead of releasing normal Mage''s wisdom power, I actually released the wisdom power of Rank-4 Ancient Mage¡­ In a sense, that amount is three times greater than an average Rank-4 Mystic. Although the Rank-4 Existence won''t get alerted by such measly power, that won''t be true for Rank-4 Mystics.'' ''You truly did that on purpose, didn''t you?'' He red at the red gem-embedded bracelet and sighed inwardly. As Charles was about to respond to Destiny Lady''s greeting, he suddenly noticed that three figures were flying towards his direction from the northern direction. Two robed figures came from the Iron Tower direction, while the remaining one came from the Nobles District direction. Within a few seconds, all three of them appeared beside Destiny Lady and stared at Charles with solemn looks on their faces. One was a 60-year-old man, while the other two were 30 to 35 years old looking women. ''All three of them seemed to be from different factions¡­ Hmm, the opposite party didn''t send powerful Rank-4 mages to greet me¡­ Instead, they only sent their weaker ones and still seemed to be testing my temperament. As expected of the scheming old monsters, they are clearly looking down on me despite knowing that I''m an Ancient Mage¡­ If they found out I''m just a Rank-3 Mage¡­!'' Just thinking about it gave him chills. But what made him regain his calm was the expression on the Rank-4 mages'' faces. Charles could feel that the two females were actually showing nervousness and was pleased inside. ''This mission is going to be my biggest scheme. I need to calm down and act more like a real expert.'' The corner of his lips curled upward as he crossed his hand together and snorted coldly. At the exact moment, rays of dark energy spread out from the red-gem embedded bracelet and started circling his body like snakes! Upon seeing another kind of power, a blonde-haired female Rank-4 Mage''s face went stiff! She even took out amunication ring from her space ring and thought of contacting other mages! ''Could you please stop provoking these guys?'' Charles almost shouted out loud. He now clearly knew that this scheming artifact was enjoying the show! He also saw more than ten mages in silk-lined blue robes came from different directions and soon arrived behind the three Rank-4 Mages. They were sent by different noble houses and Mage houses to back the Rank-4 Mages! ''Rank-3 Mages¡­'' Charles nced at the robed mages and shook his head. "Truly a bunch of clowns." His tone was quite arrogant. Saying so, he waved his hand and dismissed his wisdom power. It was to show the other party that he wasn''t here to start a useless fight. At the exact time, the Holem''s Crown also dismissed its own power andpletely concealed its psed Time power. Only then did everyone loosen their guards. Meanwhile, Charles nced at others one by one and soon zeroed his gaze on the Rank-4 old man. He was almost sixty. His hair was long and tangled and greasy and hung down, and you could see his eyes shining through like he was behind vines. It was all ck, no grey; so were his long, mixed-up whiskers. There wasn''t any color in his face, where his face showed; it was white, not like another man''s white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body''s flesh crawl - a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white. As for his clothes - just a brown robe, that was all. But he gave off a strong, threatening aura! "Your name?" Charles sized the man up and down and asked. "Larry Foster." A short reply came from the old man''s mouth. "I heard that you guys failed to protect your own King. Is it true?" He looked into Larry''s eyes and asked. "Yes, we are ashamed of it." Larry also stared back at Charles and responded with a smile. There was no guilt on his face at all! No, it was the opposite. Larry was actually showing a pleased expression! "You better watch your mouth,d. I''m 30,000 years older than you." A sharp look appeared on Charles''s face as let out another cold snort and descended using his reddish-ck wings. At that moment, the reddish-ck wings suddenly turned into pure ck ones for a moment, and gave off a bone-chilling aura! Although it appeared just for a moment, it made the Rank-4 Mages and the other Rank-3 Mages squint their eyes. Just as Charles reached the ground, he suddenly opened the wings wide andnded on the empty street road. After that, he dismissed the wings and started walking towards the dumbfounded kids. But whenever he took a step, mes would appear around his feet, bend the space itself, and shorten the distance to a great margin. This time, the Rank-4 Mages'' faces, including the Destiny Lady''s face, began to change drastically. The Mages were utterly clueless about this old man''s unique spells and got shocked inside. The Ancient Mage in front of them appeared powerful, terrifying, and Mysterious! Within two seconds, Charles appeared in front of Rhea and removed her ck-hooded clock. A pale-faced young girl appeared in everyone''s visions. Her long ck hair fell in loose waves past her shoulders, with a few blue peekaboo strands. She wore a royal blue empire waist silk gown and leather shoes. Almost every citizen identified her in two seconds! She was the second princess of Iron Kingdom, Rhea Bonere! "Your Highness!" Shocked and surprised voices echoed from every part of the main street. Before they could shout out another word, Charles turned his gaze towards the squad of security guards and spoke. "Go and inform the Churches that the second princess of Iron Kingdom has returned." His cold voice reverberated through the surroundings like divine words. "Y-Yes, My Lord." The nearby soldiers nodded their heads and hurriedly moved towards the direction of City Square. Meanwhile, Charles turned around, nced at the mages and the citizens, and gave a warning. "Rhea Bonere is my student. So, if anyone holds an ill intention against her, try to forget about it. If not, prepare for the consequences." Saying so, he zeroed his gaze on Larry and smiled. But his smile appeared more like a ruthless one. "Even if you are a Rank-4 Mage, I will not hesitate to kill you." He added. Upon hearing his words, the whole surroundings went dead silent. On the other hand, Charles retracted his gaze, took out a silver pocket watch from his space ring, casually opened the outer case, and checked the time. ''10.35 A.M.'' He nodded inwardly before storing it in his pocket, took out the spare cane from his space ring, and gripped the handle. After that, he thought for a moment and spoke. "Let''s go and pay a visit to the Day and Night Church." Saying so, he started to walk on the wide street road. Meanwhile, the kids and Ashley snapped out from the daze and followed after him hurriedly. ''Why are you going there? What if Goddess Rodia was the one who is responsible for all the schemes?'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly got confused by his action and asked. ''That''s very unlikely. Even if she is the one, it doesn''t matter.'' Charles smiled mysteriously and asked in his mind. ''What would happen if we suddenly pay a visit to the Day and Night Church?'' The Holem''s Crown took some moment to think and then responded. ''Other Churches, Kingdom Nobles, Royal Faction members, and Tower Mages would think that you have some ties with the Day and Night Church.'' ''No. They might think that Rhea''s sudden disappearance before the Royal Assassination Incident might be Day and Night Church''s scheme. If we just add some fuel to the fire, friction will happen between the Churches and the Iron Kingdom''s Ruler Caste members.'' ''In truth, the Ruler Caste Members are already showing dissatisfaction towards the Churches. The main reason for that was due to Royal Family''s assassination incident. Now, Rhea''s coincidental arrival at this exact time will cause suspicions. All the Mages, Nobles, and even other Churches will think that Day and Night Church yed a double game.'' He suddenly paused for a moment and then added with a smile. ''Even if the Church members tell others that they were innocents, no one would believe them. Then, the Day and Night Church have no choice, but to back us if they want to get a hold of this kingdom. It will turn into a gamble for them.'' At that moment, the Holem''s Crown suddenly realized his n and continued. ''They will also act as a shield for us and distract everyone''s attention. No, the Day and Night Church will be the Ruler Caste Members'' main enemy!'' ''Yes.'' Charles suddenly felt a little proud of this old scheming artifact. Chapter 179: Love Chapter 179: Love As they started walking, Destiny Lady also descended from the sky andnded in front of them. Meanwhile,moners, a group of leather armored soldiers, and even Storm Wizard Hudson and his mage squad started to follow Charles''s group. "What do you want?" Without minding the stalking group, Charles sized her up and down and asked. "Mr. Oswald, I came here to give a proposal." Destiny Lady adjusted her red robe and spoke calmly. "Proposal?" "Yes, I heard a piece of news that Churches forbids any Rank-4 or Rank-5 mage from participating in the sessor mission." Destiny Lady said. Meanwhile, Charles smiled lightly and continued to walk. He had long known about this news, but he didn''t put much thought into it. In truth, he was nning to finish this mission using Charles''s identity. "How are you going to let Rheaplete the mission?" Destiny Lady wore a startled look as she took a step back and asked before tagging along. "Why should I tell you?" Charles didn''t even look at her face and retorted. Meanwhile, Destiny Lady was at a loss for words. Only then did she realize that she was now acting more like a kid. She soon regained her calm look and spoke. "I can help you-" Before she could finish her sentence, Charles suddenly paused for a moment and cut her off. "I don''t need your help,ss." An awkward smile appeared on Destiny Lady''s face. At that moment, Charles turned his head and stared at her with a deep look on his face. "You are still after Charles, aren''t you?" His tone turned cold as ice. Meanwhile, Destiny Lady''s heart sank. Although she was good at predicting others'' fate, she was a terrible actor. Charles saw through her inner thoughts within a few seconds! Before he could say another word, Destiny Lady raised her hands and spoke with a serious look on her face. "I need your grandson''s help, Mr. Oswald." This time, it was Charles''s turn to be surprised. "Why do you need Charles''s help?" He couldn''t hide his curiousness and asked. "I''m searching for a certain individual for the past five decades, Mr. Oswald. But whenever I try to search for that person, the fate strings would severe on their own andpletely disrupt my divination-" She suddenly paused for a moment as she noticed that the old man was actually frowning. Before she could continue, Charles raised his hand, touched his chin, and spoke with a thoughtful look on his face. "Not only that ''person'' hid the information from his Inner World, but he also erased his presence from the world, huh¡­ No, he most likely manipted the fate strings and acted more like an invisible man¡­ Hmm, that means the person is higher level than you¡­ Most likely a [Deceitful Man] ss Mystic." Once he finished his words, Destiny Lady''s face was filled with shock and confusion. "How did you know that person is a male?" She couldn''t help but ask. A mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Your age must be above 100, but you acted like a young girl when you talk about this person. In truth, you actually rxed your guard more than three times and didn''t even hide your emotions. Whenever you talk about him, your heart also started to beat abnormally faster. This happens when you talk about a person you love most." He deliberated for a moment and then added. "It''s not your parents or your siblings¡­ The possibility of this person being your friend is also very slim¡­ That left with one choice and that is your lover. Is it one-sided love? That is also possible. Then, loving the same gender is a taboo in this religious world, so that person is not ''She''." Charles responded calmly. At this moment, Destiny Lady was genuinely amazed by his analysis and tersely acknowledged his words. "Yes, he is indeed a [Deceitful Man] ss Mystic when he left. But a change urred a few days ago. When I was doing normal divination, I saw that person¡­ In that vision, I saw him shivering all over and he was staring at the dark sky filled with monstrous clouds and lightning. He sat on a small boat and appeared lean and weak. H-He is clearly dying. There were many wounds on his body and his brown hair appeared messier¡­" As she exined more about the vision, her voice turned softer and emotional. At that moment, Charles felt that his head started to ache. By the time she thoroughly described that vision, he heaved a deep sigh and asked. "You deeply love him, aren''t you?" Destiny Lady''s body trembled all over. She slowed down her footsteps for a moment and soon nodded her head. "Yes. Before he left, he told me to forget about him if he didn''t return after a decade. But I couldn''t." Aplicated expression appeared on her face. On the other hand, Charles frowned a bit and asked. "What this has gotten to do with my grandson?" Destiny Lady shook her head and spoke vaguely. "I have no idea about it, Mister. But by the end of the vision, the surroundings turned blurry and showed your grandson''s appearance to me." At that moment, the Holem''s Crown spoke in Charles''s mind. ''A dying soul''sst wish, huh. Even I encountered such vision through a dream when I lost my wife. Tell her to face the reality and move on.'' Its tone contains a trace of sadness, pity, and grief. ''But why did I show up in her vision?'' Charles still felt something was off about it. ''How would I know? Wait¡­ Maybe her future is with you?'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly said something absurd, causing his lips to twitch. ''Impossible. I don''t have any ce for love in my heart.'' Charles instantly refused to believe such nonsense. ''No,d. You told me something about Love and Care emotions in one spell model, right? Why not love her and gain those emotions?'' The Holem''s Crown persisted. ''Love¡­ That would turn into my weakness.'' Charles shook his head inwardly and continued to walk. But the Holem''s Crown''s following words caused Charles to stop his footsteps. ''You don''t have to love her,d. Create a second consciousness, put some love and care emotions into it and change that consciousness into a unique ''Charles.'' Then, let it switch position with your original consciousness and let it interact with Destiny Lady for some time. If this method didn''t work, you can just think of this incident as a simple y. But if this method seeded, not only your sess rate to Rank-up your main ss would increase, but your incarnation would also achieve some breakthrough and might lead a normal life.'' Those words echoed more like a devil''s tempting words in Charles''s ears. ''But¡­ Isn''t it more like betraying my own self?'' He felt somewhat affected by it. ''It''s not betrayal, but giving a true life to your incarnation.'' The artifact gave a better excuse. ''I will think about it.'' Charles said. Chapter 180: Goddess of Day and Night Chapter 180: Goddess of Day and Night After pondering for a moment, Charles nced at Destiny Lady and sighed. "Face the reality and move on, child. If my guess is not wrong, that vision might be hisst moment. If you really want to meet my grandson, go to the Life Church and search for a woman named Emilia. She might know something about his whereabouts." "Emilia¡­" A frown appeared on Destiny Lady''s face. Nodding her head, she slowed down her footsteps and soon mingled with the crowd that followed them behind. After that, her figure turned blurry for a moment and disappeared! ''She really is emotionally unstable.'' Shaking his head, Charles turned his gaze towards Ashley and asked. "Do you know the correct path to Day and Night Church?" "Y-Yes, My Lord. I will lead the way." Ashley said in a hurry and took the lead. They walked past many food stalls, shops and soon reached the market street road. At this moment, Ashley suddenly stopped near a street junction and entered the right-side path. "It''s a shortcut route to the Day and Night Church, My Lord." She exined. On the other hand, Charles and the kids nodded their heads and followed after her. But what made the kids frown was the group that was still following after them! "Why are they following us?" Rhea couldn''t help but ask in annoyance. "They are here to check whether you are a true descendant or a fake one." Charles looked at the market street stalls and then added. "Rhea, walk ahead of us. You are the main character." A wry smile appeared on her pretty face. But she didn''t refute her Teacher''s words and took the lead. At that moment, vegetable stall owners, customers, and even older people, who sat outside their houses, stood up and greeted Rhea in respect. Some bowed their heads, some waved their hands, and some people even knelt on the ground. More and more citizens started to tag along with the group. Their march appeared more like a protest rally! In few minutes, the rally of 100 people turned into 1000, then 2000 and so on. Minute by minute, citizens, mostlymoners, and slum people, came from different street alleys and joined the rally in joy and excitement. The news of the second princess''s return also spread to every corner of the city like wildfire! From a mere Baron to Duke, all the nobles got startled by her arrival. Then, like timid rats, they rushed out of the Nobles'' District to show their respect. At that moment, the strange prophecy also appeared in their minds. Mages may think of Rhea as an insignificant character, but it couldn''t be true for Iron Kingdom Nobles. Her arrival at this timing changed everyone''s minds. Not only that, but Rhea also brought an ancient mage, which caused panic to the Late King''s second consort and her children! They felt anxious, nervous, and even fear! What if the Princesspletes the mission and bes a True Monarch? That would be disastrous for every Ruler Caste Members! No matter what, they must show their respect to the descendant of the Late King. Otherwise, everyone would think of them as traitors! With their personal guards, a total of 36 Nobles walked out of the Nobles'' District one by one and soon went towards the City Square. But before they could even reach City Square, they heard another piece of news! Second Princess was heading to Day and Night Church! Shock and disbelief appeared on everyone''s face and soon turned into a rage! The Churches tricked them! At that moment, members of other Churches also received that news and got stunned. Meanwhile, Rhea and others walked past many streets and soon reached Midnight Street. They then made a left turn and soon saw a dome-shaped building at the farthest corner of the street road. Unlike other buildings, this dome-shaped building seemed to be in the middle of the construction process and appeared somewhat isted. Behind the down were two square towers which were almost as tall as 20 meters. Half of the dome, right side tower, and the building were painted in white, while the other side resembled ck. Above the dome was a sizeable coin-like circle, half of it being a sun and the other half being a moon. It was a symbol representing Day and Night! As they went near, Charles and others saw a slightly obese man in his fifties standing at the entrance. He wore a white rochet, covering it were ck-colored cassock and ck tippet. He also wore a white beret over his head and held a satin brass crozier in his right hand. His long silver hair fell over his shoulder, and he wore an unpleasant look on his face. His emerald eyes were constantly flickering side to sides. ''Nystagmus? Is he suffering from alcohol poisoning? Or is it a gic condition?'' Charles frowned as he saw the Bishop''s condition. Only when Rhea and others appeared in front of him did he returned to his normal state. He soon bowed his head towards Rhea and greeted her. "Bishop Myles of Day and Night Church greets the true sessor of the Iron Kingdom, Rhea Bonere." His words not only surprised the surrounding citizens but also surprised Charles. ''Oh? Why he is acting calmly? Hmm? He reeks of alcohol¡­ Wait¡­ His earlier abnormal eye movement¡­ Bishop Reynolds also has some weird habit of doing drugs¡­ This guy seemed to be addicted to alcoholism¡­ Is this some kind of side-effect for Fake Origin ss members?'' He thought for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards Bishop. At that moment, Rhea also greeted him in return and then turned her gaze towards his direction. On the other hand, Charles smiled lightly and asked. "Shall we talk inside?" "Come in." Bishop Myles nodded his head and led the way. Meanwhile, Charles and others nodded their heads and walked in. They walked into the building through arge, low porch by the wooden doorway. Inside, the arches rose into dim darkness, and between them were a few reticted windows, which stood out white due to the ring sunlight. The windows were of rich ss in the chancel, which showed in bright light and caused the brown oak of the choir pews to appear more radiant. Charles and others walked on the aisle and soon appeared in front of the elevated altar. Candles were lit in all the corners of the altar and appeared sacred. At the center of the altar, there stood a 2-meter tall female statue in a luxurious gown. The dress was made up of azure duchess satin and embroidered with floral emblems representing fine mithril and golden thread. In addition, she wore a beautiful silver crown on her head and looked more dazzling. The woman in the statue had long straight hair, a round face, a slim, curvy body, and appeared to be carved in white crystal. She stood with closed eyes and held a tiny baby in her hand. ''Goddess of Day and Night, Rodia.'' Charles gripped the spare cane in his right hand and looked up at the statue. At that moment, he noticed that the surrounding candles started to flicker abnormally. Then, strange invisible energy came out from the statue and caused everything to freeze. The candle fires stopped flickering. No, the whole surroundings suddenly went silent! It was an eerie silence which caused his body to tremble- No, Charles noticed that he couldn''t move a muscle at all! But his consciousness wasn''t affected by it! ''Wait¡­ Could it be? Is it the same ''Time-Stop'' ability I felt during the contract process?'' His mind raced. Before he could think further, he felt a pulling sensation from somewhere! It was so strong that it caused him unable to resist! The next instant, he noticed that the surroundings started to break like ss and was soon covered in darkness! "Find it¡­ Sooner¡­" A short, monotonous voice echoed from all directions, causing his consciousness to shudder involuntarily. Before he could think further, the surroundings started to break once again and were reced by the familiar scene. A secondter, the strange time-freezing ability also got nullified, causing Charles to take a deep breath. Chapter 181: Three Culprits ''That was f*cking scary... She forcefully pulled my consciousness into a separate space!'' Charles''s heart thumped harder. But in the next second, he returned to his former state, sped his hand together, and started to think. ''Find it sooner, huh. Hmm?'' He suddenly paused for a moment and furrowed his brows. ''This Goddess appears to know more about me¡­ Did she foresee my arrival?'' Charles knew that no external force had influenced his previous action and was sure that his arrival here was a pure coincidence. ''Coincidence¡­ Wait¡­ Was it the artifact''s doing?'' His face hardened. ''I couldn''t rule out such possibility. Troublesome¡­'' Although Charles didn''t know much about this artifact, he was sure that it must be a creation of this Goddess. ''My current problem is to find the artifact¡­ But even this almighty Goddess seemed to be clueless about it. What can I do? No, I think I''m missing some key information¡­ Why didn''t the Goddess act personally?'' He quickly nced at the red gem-embedded bracelet and asked. ''Mr. Rh, can a God descend to Edhen whenever he wants?'' ''Your question itself is aplicated one,d. When a God ascends to the throne, his main body will directly enter his Divine Kingdom and he would rarely show up in person. To a God, his main body is the core part. As long as he hid in his Divine Kingdom, no one can kill him.'' ''Well, if a higher Rank God attacks him, he and his Divine Kingdom will be squashed to a pulp, though. Now, if a God descends to Edhen without minding these consequences, he will face severe attacks from the ''Will'' of this world. So, the Divines mostly send their avatars and incarnations for their personal matters.'' The Holem''s Crown deliberated for a moment and then continued. ''But due to the nar Alliance, all the Lawful Gods signed an agreement not to send the avatars and Incarnations to Edhen. Haa, if an army of Demons invades this ne, these Gods would definitely send their incarnations, subordinate Angels, and their avatars to death¡­ I wonder if I can snatch an avatar''s body to do a false reincarnation during that situation¡­.'' Charles rolled his eyes and then thought. ''It seems this Goddess is nning to push the troublesome work on to me. Hmm, I''m currently more interested in the Goddess''s Gift.'' ''Mr. Rh, what do you know about this Goddess?'' ''You mean Rodia? Hmm, she is a neutral Goddess and has ties with many foreign Neutral Faction Gods. Now that I think about it, she also has some rtion with Royal Elven Family and their Guardian Goddess Nyara of Easica ne.'' ''Goddess Nyara? Who is she?'' Charles''s interest piqued. ''She is Goddess of Tricks¡­ Oops, don''t try to think of that name again. She mighte here.'' The Holem''s Crown''s tone instantly changed into a scared one. ''You''re scared of her?'' Even Charles got stunned inside. ''Scared? I''m not scared of her strength, but I''m scared of her tricks. She is literally a crazy Goddess who would do anything for fun. Her pranks even fooled the almighty Destiny Goddess once. Let''s not talk about her.'' The Holem''s Crown stopped speaking. On the other hand, Charles focused his attention on his current situation. ''From her earlier actions, I can tell that Goddess Rodia doesn''t hold any ill intentions towards me. Otherwise, she could have squashed my consciousness to death earlier¡­ Or she might also have some ulterior motives? Anyway, she currently needs my help and I also need her backing. As long as she didn''t interfere with my n, I will go on my own.'' He nodded inwardly and ended the prayer. Then, he turned his gaze towards Bishop Myles and spoke. "What are you guys going to offer?" "Our Goddess''s protect, Mr. Oswald. As long as Her Highness stays in the Day and Night Church, no one can harm her." "Who needs that? If she stays here, then who is going toplete the personal mission?" A cold reply came from Charles''s mouth. "It''s true that Rank-4 and above Rank mages are forbidden to participate in this sessor Mission, Mr. Oswald. But you can simply hire some powerful Mystics andplete the mission. As long as you bring the three culprits'' heads, churches will dere Rhea as the winner of thispetition." "Three culprits? Why haven''t we heard of this?" Charles stared at the Bishop in surprise. A wry smile appeared on Bishop Myles''s face as he ced his hand on his chin and spoke. "After the assassination incident, Truth Church Cardinal used one of his ss skills and found out that there are three peoples who were behind that incident." Saying so, Bishop Myles took out three scrolls from his space ring and passed them to him. At that moment, Charles took a random scroll, opened it using the other hand, and looked into it. Inside, he saw a colored photo of a man in his thirties. The face of that man was ageless, neither old nor young, though it was written the memory of many things both d and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadow of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars. He wore a brown cape over his head and appeared emotionless. "We know nothing about his real name, but he currently goes by the nickname ''Omen''. We are suspecting that he has some ties with the Divine Order organization, but we don''t have enough proof." Bishop Myles exined calmly. Meanwhile, Charles passed the scroll to Jessie and opened the next one. It was the image of a girl child, who appeared to be about four years old. She wore a ck aba, and the hood was thrown back, revealing her pretty face. Her eyes were Fremen blue, staring out of a soft, round face. She appearedpletely unafraid, and there was a look to her stare that made Charles uneasy for no apparent reason. Before he could ask for an exnation, Bishop Myles let out a deep sigh and spoke. "We call her ''Ivy'' for now. As for her whereabouts and background, we are still searching." ''A child, huh.'' Charles nodded inwardly, gave the second scroll to Jessie, turned his attention towards the final scroll, and opened it. The next instant, his eyes squinted all of a sudden. Because what appeared in the scroll was not a human but a damned human skeleton! It simply covered itself with a blue hooded cloak, and its eye sockets were shining in fierce red color! "This guy is suspected to be a Demi-Lich, a Rank-4 [Death Mage] ss Mystic. But from the gathered information, we learned that he is a former member of Destiny Conquerors Organization and also an injured one." Bishop said. Chapter 182: Childs Voice Chapter 182: Child''s Voice "This looks more like a nned mission. Could it be the Churches used some underhand methods to create aplicated mission?" Charles couldn''t help butment as he learned more information. Meanwhile, a forced smile appeared on Bishop Myles'' face. "No. Both Divine Orders and Destiny Conquerors organizations are filled with unruly members. How could we have ties with them?" He firmly denied it. Although those words didn''t wholly convince Charles, he didn''t put much thought into it and asked. "What are your conditions?" A smile appeared on Bishop Myles''s face. He didn''t reply, though. Instead, he went near the first pew on his left side, sat on the second seat, and then spoke. "Our Church Pope wants to establish an Archdiocese in this Kingdom, Mr. Oswald." "Why not ask us to hand over the Kingdom''s authority?" Charles red at the Bishop and shook his head. Archdioceses were the main branches of the Holy See. If Charles allows them to build an Archdiocese here, they would turn citizens into their believers within the next ten years and gainplete control over the kingdom. That would do no good for both Rhea and him. "We will allow Day and Night Church to build Church in important cities and towns." Charles deliberated for a moment and then added in a cold tone. "If you guys want anything more than this, ask the Pope to scram." Upon hearing his unkind words, Bishop''s face also turned solemn. "This is not the First Arcane Era, Mr. Oswald. Even if you are an Ancient Mage, you have to abide by rules of Divines." Bishop Myles stared into Charles''s eyes and raised his voice. But there was a trace of nervousness that appeared in his voice. A chuckle escaped out of Charles''s mouth. "I''m not a normal Ancient Mage,d. If I want to make her the Queen of Iron Kingdom, I will do it with or without your help. No one can stop me." Saying so, he went near the Bishop and sat next to him. "I will give you ten minutes to decide." He added. Meanwhile, cold sweats started to drip from Bishop Myles''s forehead. He hurriedly stood up, went in front of the altar, and knelt on the ground. Then, he closed his eyes and started to chant an incantation. This chant was to do a long-distancemunication ritual! A few minutester, he opened his eyes, stood up from the ground, and stared at the statue with wide eyes. "Why did ''His Holiness'' agree without any refusal?" His loud voice echoed in the hall. Upon hearing his words, Rhea and the other kids nced at each other and wore confused looks on their faces. "It''s decided then." Charles gripped the spare cane''s handle and stood up from the front pew. "Let''s go. We have a long day ahead." Saying so, he turned around and started walking on the smooth aisle. On the other hand, the kids and Ashley bowed their heads to Bishop Myles and followed after Charles''s footsteps. They soon walked out of the Day and Night Church and started their rally towards the City Square. ¡­ City Square, It was around 11.15 A.M. A few clerks, priests, and bishops with different attires stood solemnly and were waiting for Rhea''s arrival. In front of them was arge wooden table and on it were different types of artifacts ced in order. A few meters away from them were hundreds of luxurious dressed men and women, stood with an anxious look on their faces. Most women wore vintage dresses and top-notched jewelry pieces like diamond-embedded nes, bracelets, and rings. Meanwhile, men mostly wore frock coats, hats and appeared neat. There were also young men, young women, and robed men who appeared among the group, and they showed curious expressions on their faces. The only one who stood out most was the mages from different households. They wore in robes, held books or wands, and appeared more like schrs. Behind the group were thousands of silver and leather armored soldiers stood in lines. They were the personal bodyguards of the nobles. At that moment, a luxurious golden curtained carriage came from the opposite dirt road and soon stopped in front of the table, where different kinds of artifacts were ced. Then, a young hand removed the golden curtain from inside, and soon a young teen walked out from it. He appeared around 17-years old and wore a ck trench coat, leather boots, and was around 170 cm high. He had short ck hair, an oval face, and unique silver eyes. After that, a female figure walked out of the carriage and stood beside him. The woman wore a blue shirtwaist dress and appeared to be around 35-years old. She had a hawk nose, silver eyes, long blonde hair, and a round face. Upon noticing their arrival, all the noblemen, noblewomen, robed Mages, youngdies, and even religious priests bowed their heads and greeted them. Some nobles even showed fawning smiles on their faces and walked towards them to talk. Unfortunately, a loudmotion from the right side street road and caused them to stop their footsteps. No, all of their faces turned into anxious ones! Then, they turned their gazes towards the right side and noticed that sound wasing from a medium-sized street road. Within few seconds, cheering noises, shouts, and slogans came from the street road and caused the nobles'' faces to turn gloomy. The second princess had arrived! In a few seconds, a young ck-haired girl appeared in their sights. She wore a royal blue empire waist silk gown and held an aura of elegance and noble. Her each step appeared short but faster. Next to her was a white-haired old man with a ck cane in his hand, and he appeared more like a dying old man. But no one dared to even look into his eyes! The nobles and mages knew this man was the root cause of their current situation and turned grim. Behind the duo were thousands ofmoners, slum people, shop owners, peddlers, and even some guards. It appeared more like a rally of rebellion! Within a minute, they walked out of the dirt road and reached the city square''s entrance. At that moment, a loud female voice came from the front. "Rhea of the House Stonere, Inheritor of First King Ledger Bonere''s Legacy, Second Princess of the Iron Kingdom, First Disciple of the Ancient Mage Oswald, and the Rightful Heir of the Iron Kingdom has returned!" As the voice ended, loud horns sound resounded from all corners of the City Square! Following the horn sounds were loud cheers of all the citizens. Rhea nced at Jessie with wide eyes, then at Noel and Titus, and finally sharpened her gaze towards the front. Her eyes scanned the well-dressed noblemen, noblewomen, youngdies, and young masters and soon zeroed on a 17-years old young man in the ck trench coat and a 35-year old looking woman. ''Felicity Bonere¡­ Vance Bonere!'' Aplicated expression appeared on her face as she clenched her fists and took a step forward. It was her first step on bing a True Monarch of the Iron Kingdom! Whenever she took a step, noble households would walk towards her one by one and bow their heads. Meanwhile, their soldiers would lower their weapons and kneel. Within a minute, she arrived in front of the duo, halted her footsteps, and stared at Felicity and Vance emotionlessly. Upon noticing her arrival, the ck-haired young man sized her up and down and curled his lips upward. "Wee home, my little sister!" Vance greeted her with a smile. But his smile appeared more like a devious one! Not only that, but his silver eyes also started to turn abnormally ck and appeared eerier. Simultaneously, Rhea''s heart suddenly started to race faster. No! Something invisible gripped her heart and caused her heartbeat to faster! It was so sharp that it caused deep pain within her heart and mind. Each of her heartbeats resounded more like an explosion! She tried to open her mouth but couldn''t! It was as if something terrifying entered her mind and stopped her body movements! ''TEACHER!'' She screamed in her mind with all her might! Simultaneously, Charles also heard her mental scream and got stunned. The next instant, a terrifying aura erupted from his body. No, it came from his red gem-embedded bracelet! It was so strong that it caused the nobles,moners, even Rank-2 mages to kneel on the spot. Some weak-willedmoners and noble youngdies fainted on the spot! On the other hand, Vance''s and Felicity''s legs began to tremble uncontrobly! Meanwhile, Charles''s eyes turned cold and ruthless as he stared at the trembling figures. "You brought this upon yourself,d." An eerie voice came out of his mouth, causing Vance and Felicity to shudder in fear. Panic surfaced on their faces! Charles raised his hand and was about to cast [Needle of Ember] spell but stopped. Simultaneously, he cast [Cryptic Analysis] skill on them and furrowed his brows. ''Something is not right.'' The next instant, he nced around and soon sharpened his gaze towards the golden curtained carriage. "Come out." As his voice ended, a giggle came out from it. "Find me." It was a young girl child''s voice! Chapter 183: Witch Class Charles''s wisdom power swept through the carriage and scanned everywhere. ''There is no consciousness left inside the carriage¡­.'' A troubled expression appeared on his face. ''It looks like an assassination attempt¡­ The young child''s voice... Could it be Ivy, the 4-year old child? Is she wants to frame us?'' He hurriedly retracted his wisdom power and also told the Holem''s Crown to do the same. Then, he looked around and soon noticed that almost a hundred people fainted on the spot! ''What a mess.'' He couldn''t help but grumble. Letting out a deep sigh, he nced at Jessie and others and ordered. "Go and check if everyone is alright." Then, he turned his gaze towards Rhea and noticed that she was panting heavily. "Are you alright,ss?" He asked. "Y-Yes, Teacher." A stuttering reply came out from her mouth as she straightened her back and started walking towards the table. Meanwhile, the surrounding mages, Nobles, and the soldiers started to take few steps backward. At that moment, they also got confused by Charles''s earlier outburst and soon turned their gaze towards Felicity and Vance. On the other hand, the mother and son due werepletely scared out of their wits! They didn''t dare to stay there any longer and hurriedly entered the golden curtained carriage. Before long, the coachman whipped the horse and drove it out of the City Square. In the meantime, Rhea arrived in front of the table and let the priests and Bishops check her identity. The different Church members first took some blood samples from her hand and used artifacts to check her identity. Then, some people asked questions about Rhea''s past and checked whether she was telling the truth or not. By the time the fainted citizens woke up, the priests and Bishops alsopleted the identity checking process. After that, they announced to everyone that she was a true descendant of the Bonere family. Citizens had long expected such an oue, so they quietly congratted Rhea and began to disperse one by one. If it were before the assassination, they would have thrown a small party. But after Charles''s angry outburst, evenmoners got scared and moved away nervously. Upon watching such a scene, a bitter smile appeared on Rhea''s face. A moment ago, she was almost got assassinated, but none knew what had happened! No, many of them thought that the Ancient Mage had gone mad! At that moment, only a few nobles like Duke Reece, Count Darius, Viscount Johan, and Baron Edison came to meet her and exchanged a few words. Even they also showed forceful smiles and soon walked away along with their guards and mages. After that, Charles''s group stayed in the City Square for the next few minutes and noticed that even the church members packed their things and left. "In the end, everyone just came here to watch the show as entertainment." A trace of disappointment appeared on Jessie''s face. "They came here to do the formality, Jessie. If I have money and strength, they would have stayed a bit longer. But I have none at this moment. Worry not. As long as our Teacher is with us, we will be the final winner." Rhea nced at the blonde-haired girl and said with a reassuring smile. "What are we going to do now, Teacher?" Titus nced around in wariness and asked. He and others had already learned about the silent assassination from Rhea and felt terrified inside. They currently felt very weak! "We have more than four years toplete this mission. First, we will rent a small mansion andy low for the next three years. At the same time, you guys should focus on increase your strength and be Rank-3 Mystics." Charles said with a thoughtful look on his face. "Rank-3 Mystics in three years?" Noel''s eyes went wide in shock. Charles smiled slightly and nodded. "Although it would be a very challenging task for Rhea, it wouldn''t be a hard job for you guys." "But I want to select abat-rted ss and make up for my weakness first, Teacher," Jessie said in hesitation. "I want to be an Astrologer as well." Rhea also nodded her head in approval. Upon hearing those words, Charles got stunned for a moment and furrowed his brows. ''She wants to choose abat-rted ss, huh... She has two consciousnesses, so her progression will be double fold in the future...It is indeed a good idea. Hmm, which ss should be good for her, Mr. Rh?'' He asked inwardly. ''She only has ''High'' Knowledge affinity, and all other affinities are below ''low'' level affinities. Hmm, she can choose an Outer-ss Gem and strengthen the corresponding affinity through the sacrificial ritual. Knight, Shooter, Warrior, Mad Killer, Killer, and Soldier would be her best choices.'' ''Nope... Increasing her affinity will take time.'' Charles frowned. ''Wait... There is one ss which can be very suitable for her. But it''s a little evil one, though.'' The Holem''s Crown spoke in a solemn tone. ''Evil one?'' His brows knitted. ''Yes, it''s called ''Witch'' ss. It is almost like a shaman ss, but this Witch ss mostly involves fatal curses. Not only that, but her physical body strength would also increase to an abnormal level. If she chooses this ss and Rank-up to its peak level, she might even cause the Bloodline Warlocks to run. No, the whole world would be scared of her curses.'' An excitement. No, craziness could be seen in its tone. ''You really love to cause destruction, aren''t you?'' Charles couldn''t help butment. ''Humph, you are the one to talk.'' The Holem''s Crown refuted. On the other hand, Charles became somewhat intrigued by this ''Witch'' ss. ''Where can we get this ss gem? Churches definitely won''t allow such ss Gem to appear in this market, right?'' He was damn sure of it. ''Search for it in the Fire-Elemental ne,d. You should stop focusing on the small forest and explore the Fire ne. Also, why are you not paying any attention to the Twin Leaf''s origin? I thought you would go to the Miners'' Den and search for more clues about where Night Goblins found the Twin Leaf?'' ''No, I''m not strong enough yet. Moreover, there is some big scheme behind these Twin Leaves. Otherwise, how could it appear in the Dream World?'' Charles shook his head and soon focused his attention on Jessie. "How many gold coins do we have,ss?" He asked. Upon hearing his question, Jessie turned her attention towards her void pouch and checked. "There are only 1,750 gold coins remaining, Teacher." She responded after a short deliberation. "I think it is more than enough to rent an old mansion for four years." Charles nodded thoughtfully. "Why shouldn''t we go to the Royal Castle and stay there, Teacher? That''s my home, anyway." Rhea stared at him in confusion. "Royal Castle is not a good option, Rhea. There must be tens of Rank-3 mages monitoring the castle all the time, and we can''t rx out the guard for a single moment." This time, it was Jessie who answered her question. Chapter 184: Next Plan Chapter 184: Next n In the meantime, Charles turned his gaze towards Titus and Noel and ordered. "Go and buy a suitable carriage for us." Jessie took out a leather bag from her void pouch and gave 50 gold coins to them as he said those words. Meanwhile, Titus and Noel took the coins from her and went towards the market street. On the other hand, Jessie touched the void pouch and muttered with a pensive look on her face. "We need to find a suitable job to make arge sum of money." "Yes. Should we do some part-time job?" Rhea also started to frown. Upon hearing those words, Charles got stunned. "Y-Your Highness, I will help with that. Meanwhile, you guys should focus on improving your strength." This time, Ashley added in a nervous tone. Only then did Rhea and Jessie realize that another person was tagging along with them. At that moment, Charles suddenly thought of an idea. "Money is not a problem. I will give you a few Rank-3 elemental creatures'' carcasses from time to time. You guys can put them in an auction house and solve the money problem." ''Rank-3 Elemental Creatures'' carcasses? Did our Teacher have a pocket dimension?'' A thought appeared in Rhea''s mind. "Won''t it cause suspicions from other mages, Teacher? Everyone will suspect that you have a pocket dimension." She said in a worried tone. "Don''t forget my identity,ss. I''m an Ancient Mage, and I do have a Fire-elemental pocket dimension." Charles let out a chuckle and continued. "Once you guys save enough money, buy oneplete affinity checker from the auction. Then, focus on checking kids'' affinities in Commoners'' District and slum District. As long as the kids have ''High'' level affinities, recruit them under Rhea''s name." "Give them some promises like good sry, permanent job, bonuses, and so on. Once you guys give some extra benefits, their parents will be willing to let them work under Rhea. Then, buy a bulk amount of contract scrolls from Day and Night Church and make a long-term agreement with those kids. Make it up to 50 years." "But what can those kids do? They can''t even save themselves." Rhea wore a confused look and muttered. "No, we are recruiting the kids to turn them into Mystics. These kids will be your future personal guards and mages." Charles responded calmly. At that moment, a look of realization dawn on Rhea''s face. ''Personal soldiers and mages¡­'' She finally got some hope. "But where can we get a bulk amount of ss-Gems, Teacher?" Jessie''s expression turned solemn. Although they can buy ss-Gems in the ck market, they can''t buy them in bulk. They need a Church''s help! "Day and Night Church¡­ Will they help us?" She clearly remembered that their Teacher used a forceful method earlier to make them submit and felt troubled. "If they didn''t help, what''s the point of our earlier agreement? Tell them that we won''t allow them to build a single church in the future." Charles replied coldly. "Threaten won''t work on the Church, Teacher." However, Jessie still felt that her Teacher was too daring. "We are not threatening them,ss. We are just following the agreement." Charles smiled mysteriously and turned his gaze towards a four-wheeled carriage that was moving in their direction. "Let''s go." Within a few seconds, the four-wheeled carriage arrived in front of them and turned around. Then, the horses made a neigh noise in unison and stopped. On the other hand, Charles and others entered the carriage and satfortably on their seats. "Set out." He ced the cane below the seat, slightly opened the curtain, and spoke towards Noel, who sat on the driver''s seat. The next instant, Noel whipped the horses and drove the carriage out of City Square. Around 1.30 P.M, they went to an Estate Agency called Gold Invest Agency in Merchants'' District and rented an old mansion at the cost of 1,500 gold coins. Thankfully, thepany''s officials didn''t decline Moon Kingdom''s currency and epted it before getting multiple signs from Charles. The housing process took more than 2 hours toplete! By the time they walked out of the Estate Agency building, it was already 3.40 P.M. After that, they went to a mid-sized hotel and had lunch over there. Then, the group went to the nearby shops and purchased few necessary things like cooking utensils, cereals, pulses, vegetables, cooking oils, etc. By the time they returned to the newly brought old mansion, it was already dark. ¡­ Rodsley Street, Nobles'' District. Noel parked the carriage next to thepound gate and told others about their arrival. One by one, Charles and others walked out of the carriage and stared at the eerie, gloomy three-storied mansion building. It looked more like an abandoned mansion. Not even a single torchlight was lit inside! But what surprised Charles was a familiar feeling. It was as if he had already visited this mansion! ''No, this mansion¡­ I saw it in the earlier vision!'' He was stunned for a moment before came to a realization. ''In the vision, I only saw a glimpse of it. Hmm, this mansion needsplete reparation.'' He opened thepound gate and walked on the dirt path. Meanwhile, the kids and Ashley silently followed after him and nced at the weed-filled front yard and fountain. Then, they soon turned their gazes towards the three-storied house and frowned. Even though it was dark, they still managed to see the broken windows and front doors and got confused. "Did the agency scam us?" Rhea asked in a dissatisfied tone. "Nope. Renting a house is always costlier in big cities,ss. This mansion is the cheapest we can get in Nobles'' District. Even though it is an old mansion, its worth should be more than 15,000 gold coins. Hmm, repairing these broken windows and doors won''t cost us too much. So, don''t put too much thought into it." Charles rubbed his chin and continued to walk. On the other hand, Noel, Jessie, and Titus started discussing their next n. While chatting, they soon arrived in front of the entrance door, unlocked it using arge silver key, and pushed it open. A loud screeching noise echoed, followed by a gust of dusty air. The next instant, the dust particles entered everyone''s nostrils, causing them to sneeze involuntarily. Even Charles felt affected by the dust and sneezed twice before regaining his sense. Covering his nose using a handkerchief, he took a step forward and spoke. "Choose your favorite room and rest." He stopped for a moment and then added. "Before going to sleep, clean the room with a broomstick. We will hire some servants and carpenter to fix the house tomorrow." Saying so, Charles walked into the building and soon reached the main hall. Unlike the entrance hall, which was illuminated by the outside reddish moonlight, the main hall appeared utterly ck. Upon noticing such eerie ck, kids and Ashley felt like they were about to step into a dark abyss! As Charles ced his foot on the floor, multiple candle lights shone from different directions and illuminated the main hall in dim yellow light! The next instant, the chandelier hung up in the ceiling, also illuminated the hall in yellowish light, and gave off a feeling of warmth to the new guests. Charles and the kids were surprised for a moment before resuming their walk on the polished floor. Furniture like sofas, luxurious chairs, tables, and even metal stools appeared in the center of the main hall and was neatly arranged. Charles''s gaze swept past the furniture and soonnded on the bifurcated stairs, covered in the red carpet. He looked at the second floor for a moment and soon turned his gaze towards the right side. The main hall''s right side was the kitchen, dining hall, pantry, buttery, andrder. To the main hall''s left side were multiple private rooms for guests, along with attached bathrooms. The second floor was filled with cabs, boudoirs, chapel, oratories, storage house, bedrooms, and game room. On the third floor, there was arge banquet hall for gatherings and a private meeting hall. After looking around for a moment, the kids and Ashley moved to the left side and chose suitable guest rooms to take some rest, leaving Charles alone in the main hall. He first went near the chesterfield sofa and sat on it. ''Mr. Rh, don''t you feel something off about this sessor mission?'' He asked. ''What do you mean? Are you saying Churches arrange this mission?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in confusion. ''Not the Churches, but someone else. I have a vague feeling that this mission might be a trap¡­'' Charles wore a trouble expression and soon sighed. ''Ick information about our enemy. That assassination earlier is a provocation. That young child''s voice from before¡­ Something feels off. This mission might not be a simple one.'' ''What is your n?'' The Holem''s Crown asked. ''I''m nning toprehend all the spell models in the next three years. But, at the same time, I will also try my best and dy this mission.'' Charles spoke with a thoughtful look on his face. ''Dy this mission? Don''t you want to make Rhea as Queen of Iron Kingdom?'' The Holem''s Crown was entirely puzzled by his reply. ''That''s why I want to dy it. I want to confirm something.'' A cold look appeared on his face. ''Confirm something?'' The artifact asked. He nodded his head but didn''t answer. Instead, he leaned his back against the sofa and closed his eyes. Chapter 185: Star Constellations Book Chapter 185: Star Constetions Book The following day, Charles woke up earlier and asked the kids and Ashley to gather in the main hall. It was around 11.A.M, Charles sat on the same chesterfield sofa and held a brown-covered book in his hand. Meanwhile, Rhea, Ashley, and others stood in front of him and waited for his further orders. Early morning, Charles went to Day and Night Church and asked Bishop to sell the ss-Gems in bulk. Although Bishop Myles was reluctant at first, he soon agreed to his request under some conditions. The main condition was that the Day and Night Church would only give them a limited amount of ss-Gems per year. As long as Rhea agrees to let them build Churches in the Iron Kingdom, they would give 200 Rank-1 ss Gems, 40 Rank-2 ss Gems, 10 Rank-3 ss Gems, and one Rank-4 ss Gem per year. In those ss Gems, most of them would be Soldier ss, Bowman ss, Knight ss, and Thief ss, while the remaining one would be Mage ss Gems. When Charles asked him about other ss gems, Bishop Myles told him that it would be very hard to get those ss Gems. Bishop also listed out few more conditions and even exined the pros and cons to him. After thinking for some time, Charles agreed to Bishop''s conditions and requested him to get a Star-Constetions book from the Magic Tower. That was the brown-covered book he held in his hand now! cing the book in front of the table, he nced at the kids and soon focused his attention on the female servant. "Ashley." He said. "Y-Yes, My Lord." A stuttering reply came out of her mouth. Currently, she wore a decent maid outfit and appeared healthier than before. Her past skinny body was now reced with some flesh and appeared shaper. Her long hair wafted around her like ck smoke, its tendrils curling and moving of their own volition. "Hire oneundry maid, one housemaid, one gardener, one butler, two housekeepers, two chefs, two footmen, and ten Rank-2 Mystic Guards within a week. From now on, you are responsible for managing all the house works." His cold voice echoed inside the main hall. "Yes, My Lord." Ashley nodded her head. At that moment, Jessie narrowed her emerald green eyes and wore a confused look. Noticing her confusion, Charles let out a chuckle and added. "Maintaining such arge mansion is not an easy matter,ss. Don''t worry about it. I will personally check their identities in case if there is a spy among the group." Only then did Jessie''s face turned into a rxed one. After that, Charles turned his gaze towards Noel and others and spoke. "You guys are responsible for hiring few carpenters andplete the repairing work within the next few days. After that, all of you should focus on improving your strength and let these servants do the chore works." "What about recruiting the kids, Teacher?" Rhea asked. Upon hearing her words, Charles ced his hand on his chin and spoke thoughtfully. "You can do it during the weekend days. Bishop said that he would send the ss-Gems within a week. You guys start recruiting after getting those ss-Gems." "Yes, Teacher." All of them nodded their heads in unison. A pleased smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled face as he stood up and nodded. "Good. From today onwards, I''m going to stay on the third floor and nning to do a close door meditation. Unless if it is an urgent matter, do not disturb me. Also, warn the servants too." Saying so, he took the book, held the cane in his hand, and started walking towards the bifurcated stairs. ¡­ Under Charles''s order, the kids focused their attention on repairing, painting, cleaning, and reorganizing things in the mansion during the next few days. On the other hand, Ashley went to the Commoners'' District and hired the servants and guards. Meanwhile, Charles entered the third floor and startedprehending the spell models. In a blink, one week passed away. During the past seven days, the reparation work was already over, and the mansion appeared almost good as new. Ashley also became a head maid after hiring new servants and guards and managing all the household works. As for Jessie and other kids? They moved to the second floor and started improving their ss skills. As usual, Charles woke up early in the morning, took a long bath, changed his cloth into a casual one, and went downstairs to have breakfast. After that, he gave a sealed Rank-3 Fire Lizard carcass to Jessie and returned to his room on the third floor. Then, he entered his Inner World and started toprehend the [Fallen Angel''s wings] spell. From his calction, he knew thatprehending the remaining spell models could take more than two years! Although he could enter the Fire Elemental ne to reduce the timing, he didn''t dare to leave the mansion. He felt that someone might assassinate or even kidnap these kids if he suddenly disappears from their perception! Six hours passed in a blink. Once it was dawn, he opened his amber eyes, stood up from the bed, and stepped out of his room. Then, he strolled on the illuminated corridor, went towards the circr stairs at the end of the corridor, and moved to the mansion roof terrace. A sofa, table, and few chairs were ced at the center of the roof, while the surroundings were upied with ornamental nts and vines. Charles nced around for a moment before he went near the Lawson sofa and sat on it. Then, he took out a brown-covered book and opened it. This book contains basic information about the sr system and constetions. After reading for some time, he took out a golden quill, ink bottle and ced them on the table. Then, he took out another golden-covered notebook and opened it. Unlike the other one, this book was filled with nk papers. He first picked the golden quill, dipped it in the ink bottle, and wrote in Runal Language. In the first few pages, he wrote descriptions, ancient weird symbols, and their meanings. Simultaneously, Holem''s Crown also exined the meanings behind those symbols and their usages from time to time. Then, he wrote the sr system name and the order of thes. ''Myxend Sr Family¡­Sun¡­ Main Star of Life¡­ Ditune¡­ of Lava and Fire¡­Thoria¡­ of Heat and Light¡­ Drypso¡­ of Storm and Wind¡­Edhen¡­ of Nature and Life¡­ Hacadus¡­ of Earth and Metal¡­Rezore¡­ of Water and Ice¡­Okoth¡­ of Shadow and Night¡­ Xone¡­ of Illusion, Darkness, and Space¡­Etune¡­ of Love, Joy, and Hope¡­ Adrillon¡­ of Luck, Fate, and Destiny¡­'' ''Pseudos¡­Vivara¡­ First Moon of Corruption and Chaos¡­ Talis¡­ Second Moon of Blood and Madness¡­ White Moon¡­ Third Moon of Chaos¡­'' A frown appeared on his face. ''There is no ''Time'' domain in any of theses.'' He said in a solemn tone. However, the Holem''s Crown seemed to have already expected such an oue and said. ''It is a normal thing.'' ''Why is that?'' Charles raised his brows and asked. s with ''Time'' domain are very rare in any gxy,d¡­ The same goes for Luck, Fate, and Destiny¡­ But to think this puny star cluster has such rare treasure¡­'' ''Star cluster¡­ Gxy¡­ Are ancient mages advanced to the level of space travel?'' Charles felt like he had indeed underestimated the magic civilization. Chapter 186: Searching for Time in the Sky Chapter 186: Searching for ''Time'' in the Sky Upon hearing Charles''s words, the Holem''s Crown spoke in disapproval. ''Space Travel? No, we would never dare to travel in space,d. There are many dangers out there like World Eaters, Terrifying Void Lifeforms, Space Walkers, and also natural disasters. If we want to travel to a, we mostly use different kinds of forms and directly find the. As long as it is visible up in the sky, we can find it quickly and go there using the coordinates. If not, we will use Explored Map and find it. As for space travel, only gods would send their avatars to search for divinities.'' ''Didn''t you roam in the void before ''Coincidentally'' meeting Eddie?'' Charles gave a skeptical look at the bracelet. ''Haha, I was lucky at that time¡­'' The Holem''s Crown''s voice trailed off as it said those words and soon went silent. ''It sure is hiding something.'' Although Charles was eager to know more about its secrets, he didn''t dare to use any forceful actions. ''This guy is not some ordinary foe.'' He thought to himself and recalled the moment before the contract process. ''When the mysterious ne''s ''Will'' descended toplete the contract process, it used the power of ''Time'' and froze everything¡­ It definitely has some link with my Game System and its original owner¡­ Does that mean my ''Backer'' is powerful enough to control a ''Time'' domain?'' A chill crept up to his spine. He soon calmed his mind and asked his doubt. ''Mr. Rh, do alls have their own ''Will''?'' ''No. This has something to do with World Trees. Only thoses with World Trees have their own ''Will,''d. The World Tree, Eternal River of Life, Blood River, Dream World, and few other mysterious things are somewhat interlinked with one another.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a solemn tone. ''Interesting.'' Charles nodded inwardly and asked another strange question. ''Can Gods have the power to subdue a ne''s will and take full control over it?'' ''¡­¡­'' The Holem''s Crown''s mind went nk for a moment. It suddenly realized that its current owner was an abnormal one with crazy thoughts and went silent. After a long time, it finally managed to calm down and said in a deep tone. ''A ne''s ''Will'' is not some cat or dog,d. Let me tell you about a tragic story of my World''s Ancient Gods. Eons ago, a group of Easica World''s ancient High-Gods and a few other foreign High-Gods found some secrets about a ne and tried to invade it. It''s a Low-ne called ''Itera." ''It was the only that holds the domain of ''Time'' and ''Space'' in our sr system. No, it was the only young ''Time'' domain in the whole gxy. At that time, a total of seventeen High-Gods went to attack it with their avatars, incarnations, and their main bodies. That was the first, and thest time a group of Gods dared to attack a ''Will'' formed ne.'' ''Do you know what happened after that? That ne''s Will named ''Itera'' went berserk and fought back all of them singlehandedly! She even locked the surrounding space, resisted them, and even killed a High-God''s main body in less than two minutes. After that, Gods also went fought against her and caused destruction all over the ne.'' ''In the next twenty hours of battle, the Gods caused the to change its trajectory and almost destroyed it. Only its core part remained during the end of the battle. But before the Gods could finish off the and get their reward, Itera used her ''Time'' power to full extend and started her massacre. In her final moment, she killed all those High-Gods'' incarnations, avatars, and Main bodies and even erased their souls from the existence itself!'' ''Only one Ancient God managed to escape from there and he was still hiding in his fallen Divine Kingdom. That massacre still rooted in everyone''s mind.'' There was a trace of awe and respect that appeared in the Holem''s Crown''s voice. On the other hand, Charles felt suffocated. Not because of the story, but because of the person behind the Game System. He soon thought of a possibility and asked with a trace of nervousness. ''Can you tell me the name of the escaped ''Ancient God''?'' The Holem''s Crown didn''t find anything odd about his behavior and answered truthfully. ''His name is ''Udnir.'' He is a mysterious God of Time, Space, and Shadow. Don''t try to think of him frequently. Even though he is fallen from the throne, I heard that he is a very terrifying person¡­ Sh*t¡­I think I already mentioned his name before¡­'' The Holem''s Crown suddenly cursed in shock. ''You already mentioned his name?'' Charles furrowed his brows and soon noticed that he indeed heard of this name before. ''Wait¡­ You mentioned ''His'' name when we were traveling to the City Ruins in the Unexplored Forest! I think it was due to the ''Mark of Imagination." Charles instantly guessed. At the exact moment, he also engraved the mysterious Time God''s name in the deepest part of his Inner World. ''Yes. We should avoid mentioning his name from now on.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a nervous tone. Meanwhile, Charles nodded his head and thought to himself. ''I finally got some big clue¡­ This mysterious ''Time'' God might be the real culprit.'' He let out a deep sigh and turned his attention towards the book. ''Next is about constetions. I want to find all the ''Time'' stars in the 94 constetions using the Twelve Rings form and make a Twelve Rings Book. Once Iplete that, I don''t need to be afraid of these Destiny-rted skills and prophecies.'' A smile appeared on his face. He was always wary of those invisible maniptive and foreseeing powers! Without wasting any time, he once again dipped the quill into the ink bottle, moved his hand towards the book, and started to write the Twelve Rings form. After that, he looked up at the dim red sky and soon zeroed his gaze on a single star constetion. A total of 13 stars that formed a pattern of a cat appeared in the sky. At that moment, Charles''s eyes began to shine, and his lips began to move. He began to chant in an ancient runalnguage. First, he focused on the tail area and soon locked his gaze on a single bright star. Then, he chanted in an ethereal tone for the next ten minutes and finally ended it. A momentter, he noticed that the star turned blurry for a moment and soon returned to normal. "The star turned blurry¡­ It''s a failure." He muttered with a frown. Then, he turned his attention to the next star and once again continued to chant. Seconds turned minutes, minutes turned hours, and soon it was already 5 A.M! He ended the final chanting and sighed in disappointment. "It seems I need to put some extra time in this." He couldn''t help but show a wry smile on his face. Although he tried his best and used the form on 27 stars, he still didn''t find a single ''Time'' star at all! ''There are still 92 constetions remain in the sky.'' He pressed his lips together and closed the book. Then, he stored all other things in his space ring and went back to the third floor. Chapter 187: Fooling Chapter 187: Fooling Charles returned to his small room on the third floor and started to take a rest. After sleeping for a few hours, he woke up from the loud banging noise and sat up. "Who is it?" He asked while yawning. "It''s Jessie, Teacher. A few Life Church members came here a while ago and said that they want to meet you," She suddenly paused for a moment and added. "Destiny Lady of the Tower of Elements also came, Teacher." ''Oh? They took longer than I expected.'' He nodded thoughtfully and touched his red gem-embedded bracelet. ''Mr. Rh, change into a ck cane. If Lady Emilia is among the group, she would definitely identify you.'' Saying so, he stood up from the cotton bed and spoke. "Tell them to wait in the main hall. I wille in a few minutes." Then, he took a white towel from the wardrobe and started walking towards the bathroom. A few minutester, Charles walked out of the bathroom, went near the wardrobe, and wore a neat white shirt, ck pants, and a red tie before putting a formal frock coat over the white shirt. Then, he went near the shoe rack, took a pair of ck leather shoes, and wore it. Following that, he took the ck cane from the bed, gripped the handle, and started walking towards the wooden door. Then, he walked on the left side corridor, appeared near a spiral staircase, and went downstairs. After a few minutes, he appeared near the red-carpeted bifurcated staircase and started stepping down. Each of his steps was so smooth due to the presence of the carpet and made no sound. cing his left hand on the railing, he stepped downward and soon saw a group of four people seated in the main hall. They appeared to be in the middle of chattering. Among the four people, three were familiar faces! ''Andrew¡­Emilia¡­ And, Destiny Lady.'' He soon zeroed his gaze on Andrew and cast [Cryptic Analysis] on him. ''Oh? His sub-ss is Rank-2 [Traveler]? A Dreamer ss Mystic? Hmm, let''s see what his sub-ss skills are¡­ Dream Invade¡­ Night Prophet¡­ and Imaginary Grip¡­ Eh? Imaginary Grip? Wait¡­ it must be the one that caused Rhea''s heart to beat faster earlier¡­ So, that young child is a Dreamer ss Mystic, huh.'' A sh of surprise appeared on Charles''s face. He and soon turned his gaze towards thest person. He was a man in his thirties and had short blonde hair, oceanic eyes, and looked slimmer. As Charles focused his gaze on him, he also used [Cryptic Analysis] skill and confirmed his identity. ''He is a new member, huh.'' At that moment, a maid walked towards them with a te full of wine sses and gave each one. As Emilia picked the ss, she instantly saw a white-haired old man, who was walking from the bifurcated staircase, and got surprised for a moment. "Greetings, Mr. Oswald." She stood up from her seat and greeted him politely. Unlike others, she showed a calm andposed expression on her face. There was also a trace of confidence in her eyes, which caused Charles''s pupil to shrink slightly. Meanwhile, Andrew, Destiny Lady, and the blonde-haired man also stood up from their seats and greeted him. "It seems you guys have some doubt," Charles said in an old man''s voice and sat on the sofa, ced on the opposite side. At that moment, Emilia adjusted her curly ck hair and spoke. "Yes, Mr. Oswald. We want to know if Charles is currently under your protection." This time, Destiny Lady also straightened her back, turned her face solemn, and nodded her head. A bitter smile appeared on Charles''s face. "No, he is not. I''m not sure about his whereabouts either. If I had known, I wouldn''t have sent her to you." He paused for a moment and soon frowned. "Wait for a moment. I will check if I get some clue about his current whereabouts." Without waiting for others'' reply, he raised his hand, closed his amber eyes, made a few strange hand gestures, and spoke in a deep tone. "Strange¡­ He seems to be searching for someone¡­ No, he is hiding from someone¡­ Hunger¡­ Pain¡­ Hurt¡­ Like a wolf, he is licking his wound and waiting¡­ Waiting to release his wrath¡­ As I expected, he is in a bad condition." A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s mouth as he leaned his back against the sofa and smiled. It was not a pleasant one but filled with bitterness, pain, anger, and helplessness. "Why aren''t you searching for him, Mr. Oswald?" This time, Andrew stared into his eyes and asked. At that moment, Charles''s smile vanished in an instant and was reced with a serious one. "Tell me, young man. What would you do if someone killed your mother and even started chasing after you to eliminate the root of the problem?" Andrew got startled a bit, but soon he turned his face into a normal one and spoke. "I willy low for some time and wait for opportunity." "Correct. Then, would you ept if some powerful expert lends you a hand to kill the enemy in your stead?" "N-No. Although it is a smart choice, I would feel empty. Only when I feel no chance of willing, I would rely on the outsider''s help." Andrew said in an embarrassing tone. At that moment, a proud smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled face. "That''s right. Real men should never rely on outsider''s help when ites to personal things. I hate that devil to the core, but I won''t go after him and hinder Charles''s n. This is his fight." He deliberated for a moment and then added. "If my prediction is not wrong, Charles will definitely appear in this very city after some time and cause another grand chaos. Go and wait for that day." "Could you please tell us the exact time?" This time, Destiny Lady was the one who asked the question. "Aren''t you an Astrologer ss Mystic?" Charles couldn''t help but ask. A forced smile appeared on Destiny Lady''s face. Earlier, she didn''t have enough information, so all her predictions ended up as failures. She felt like she was searching for a ghost in this kingdom! ''I think it might work now. As long as Charles''s original goal is rted to this, I might grasp find the exact Fate String and predict his arrival.'' She muttered inwardly and closed her scarlet eyes. A momentter, hundreds of red strings appeared in her mind and started to spread everywhere like a spider! At that moment, she started applying the gathered information and began searching for the correct Fate String. A few secondster, she soon noticed an odd-looking string and directly grasped it. The next instant, she saw an appearance of a crimson masked person. ''Charles Nightwind! He really is going to appear.'' A look of awe and wonder appeared on Destiny Lady''s face. Without wasting any time, she focused her attention on the time of this Fate String and soon muttered out loud. "August 30th, Year 6400, 11.P.M, Royal Castle." ''Stop ying with these kids,d. Even I''m feeling sorry for this poor girl. A Rank-4 Fate Warden is being yed to be a fool by a Rank-3 Mischievous Man¡­ She really is not suitable for this maniptive ss.'' The Holem''s Crown muttered with a sigh. Meanwhile, Charles also quickly marked the exact date and nodded his head. After that, Emilia and others exchanged few words with Charles and left silently. Once he saw then walked out of the building, he breathed out a sigh of relief and stood up. ''I need to be extra careful of Emilia. She is a crafty one and might have already found out that I''m a fake Oswald.'' His face turned gloomy. ''You didn''t leave any clues behind, right?'' The Holem''s Crown was surprised. ''No, I did leave some clues. Still, those clues were not enough to make her suspicious of my identity.'' He paused for a second, took a deep breath, and then continued. ''But there was a trace of confidence that appeared in her eyes. This means she knew that I''m a fake one, but wasn''t sure I''m another person, or Charles himself¡­ Where did I leave such a big mistake¡­'' He frowned for a moment and soon widened his eyes. ''What if she met the real Oswald Raven? No, Hearth Kingdom is far away from the Arc Kingdom¡­ The possibility of her going to search for Eve''s father is very slim¡­ Wait¡­ There is another person who would have gone after Oswald¡­ Red Prince! After he found out about Oswald''s appearance in Riverdale City, he must have gone there to search for me¡­'' ''Does that mean he already killed him? No, from Eve''s memory, that old man is not a simple man. If so, Red Prince should have injured before he came to the Tower of Elements, right? Why did he appear uninjured? How did Emilia know that the real Oswald is in the Hearth Kingdom?'' At that moment, the ck-haired Lightning Mage''s face appeared in his mind. ''So, that exins a lot. That woman must have chased after Red Prince and met Oswald Raven.'' A look of understanding appeared on Charles''s face. ''Hmm, Emilia Wilson¡­ She is a troublesome woman, indeed.'' He let out a deep sigh and started walking towards the red-carpeted stairs. ''Are you going to kill her?'' The Holem''s Crown couldn''t help but ask. Chapter 188: Six Months Chapter 188: Six Months ''Nah. Probably, she must be thinking of me as ''You,'' Mr. Rh. Life Church must be suspecting that ''You'' somehow possessed Charles using the ''False Reincarnation'' and is using him as a stepping stone to rise¡­'' ''That ''Past Time'' visions during our grand entrance might have confirmed their suspicion. Let them think that as a truth. When the right timees, Life Church might sneak into this mansion and try to capture me¡­ Hehe, I''m waiting for that day.'' Charles curled his lips upward and continued to walk. ''Aren''t you afraid of getting caught?'' The Holem''s Crown felt something was off. ''Caught? Nah, I''m going to use them as stepping stones and reveal my real identity as ''Rh'' to the world.'' A mischievous smile appeared on his face. ''You really are suitable for this Trickster ss.'' Even the Holem''s Crown would have believed his lie if it didn''t know about the system artifact. ''But I warn you,d. Those Church members are not to be underestimated.'' The Holem''s Crown said in his mind. ''I know.'' Charles nodded his head and soon reached the second floor. As he went towards the spiral staircase, he suddenly saw Jessie and Rhea were walking in his direction and paused. Within a minute, both arrived in front of him and bowed their heads. Meanwhile, Charles waved his head, then shifted his attention towards Jessie and asked. "Did you sell the Fire Lizard''s carcass in the auction?" "Yes, Teacher. It sold for 6,400 gold coins." She deliberated for a moment and continued with a hint of nervousness. "But when we return from the auction, a few Fire Mages warned us not to sell the Elemental Creatures'' carcasses in the auction." ''Oh?'' A surprised expression appeared on Charles''s face. Then, he nodded his head thoughtfully and spoke. "Hmm, then tell the auction house owner that we are going to put different kinds of Rank-3 Fire Elemental Creature''s carcass for auctioneering every week." Upon hearing his words, Rhea''s expression turned ugly. "I feel that provoking the Fire Mages is not a good idea, Teacher." "Are you afraid? If you back down, they will think of you as an easy target and try to suppress you. Don''t mind them. Sell the carcass regrly and try to save the money as much as possible." Charles rubbed his chin and spoke. Meanwhile, Jessie blinked her emerald green eyes as she heard thest sentence and went wide-eyed. "You want something from the auction, Teacher?" She asked with keen interest. A smile bloomed on Charles''s face. He nodded his head and spoke with a hint of excitement on his face. "Yes. If a potion with the name ''Midday'' appears in the auction hall, I want you to buy it. But I warn you, it would be more costly than you even dream of. So, don''t hesitate during the time and buy it at all cost." Upon hearing his voice, both Jessie and Rhea subconsciously raised their hands and covered their mouths. "Teacher, you are acting more like an impatient kid now." Jessie smiled widely and spoke. "Hoho, I''m just 30,000 years old,ss. Whenparing to the Gods and Titans, I''m still an energetic little kid." He let out a loudugh and then asked. "Did someone with ''Elliott'' surnamee here?" "No, Teacher." Both of them shook their heads. "Hmm, if such persones, tell him to not worry about the curse. Also, tell him to send a few Rank-2 guards here to guard our mansion. Don''t worry; he will definitely obey Rhea''s order." Saying so, he walked past the kids and started moving towards the spiral staircase direction. Then, he soon went to the third floor and entered his private room. Following that, he changed his clothes into a casual one and startedprehending the spell models until 8.P.M. He then went to the mansion roof terrace during the nighttime and started searching for a ''Time'' star. Days turned weeks, weeks turned months, and soon six months disappeared in a blink! During the past six months, heprehended [Fallen Angel''s Wings] spell model and already in the middle ofprehending the [False Blink] spell model. Although hisprehension progression became slower, his searching progress went smoothly! In truth, he analyzed a total of 1,472 stars, aka 92 constetions, and found thirteen ''Time'' Stars! Two wererger ones, five were medium-sized ones, and the remaining seven were smaller ones! It was a dark-red night. Currently, Charles sat on the Lawson Sofa on the mansion roof terrace, held the golden-covered book in his hand, and was looking at theplicated Twelve Rings form. Within theplicated form, a total of twelve ring-like spaces appeared and gave off a sense of unknown. Among the twelve rings, eleven rings were filled with thousands of minute strange symbols and letters and seemed very mysterious. ''This is it. Put a drop of your blood on the twelfth ring, focus on the Pheoqu-5 Star and start the usual chant.'' Under the Holem''s Crown''s guidance, Charles first made a small cut on his finger and let a blood drop fell on one particr nk space. Then, he looked up at the eerie ckish-red sky and soon focused on an exceptionally bright star in the Vra constetion. After that, he took a deep breath and started to chant. His ethereal voice echoed on the rooftop, giving the mansion guards and servants an unknown fright and dread. Ten minutester, Charles recited the final rite and ended the chanting. But he didn''t retract his gaze from the brightest star, though. Instead, he put more focus on it and waited. Two secondster, he suddenly noticed that the bright star appeared abnormally closer! ''Sess!'' The corner of his mouth turned up. He had sacrificed most of his sleeping time during the past six months and finally managed toplete the form! Suddenly, countless mysterious letters and symbols started to form on the seventh circle and were soon engraved in it! The next second, all those twelve mysterious letters filled within the rings started to shine in a dazzling light and began to connect one by one. Then, those connected lights soonbined into a single ray of light and directly entered Charles''s forehead! Simultaneously, he noticed that a small invisible mark appeared near the spell models in the Inner World! ¡­ [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [+1 Wisdom obtained!] [Vision skill''s proficiency has been increased from 105 to 200!] ¡­ ''What the h*ck? My wisdom attribute increased by two points? Moreover, ''Vision skill also upgraded into its max level?'' He hurriedly looked at the game interface and checked the progression of his sub-ss skills. ''Hand of Mystery¡­ 132 points¡­ Face Change¡­ 145 points¡­ If I use the free skill points, I can Rank-Up my Sub ss!'' His eyes lit up. He didn''t hesitate for a moment before pouring 68 skill points to [Hand of Mystery] skill and 55 skill points to [Face Change] skill and increased them to their peak level! ¡­ [Requirement has met for Mischievous Man ss advancement!] [You can Rank Up by consuming Shape-shifter ss Gem or by spending Experience points!] [Experience Points required for ranking up the Shape-shifter ss: 85,000 Exp points!] [Sess rate: 50%] ¡­ Chapter 189: Divine Chapter 189: Divine ''Shape-shifter, huh¡­ Not a bad ss. Hmm, I currently have 92,390 Exp points. With this amount, I can Rank up.'' Charles nodded his head. During the past sixth months, he went to the Fire ne once a week and hunted a total of twenty-eight Rank-3 Fire Elemental Creatures! The carcasses were then sold to the auction house and turned into money by Jessie! ''I wonder how many gold coins did she posses now.'' He shook his head and zeroed his attention towards thest notification. ''Why the sess rate is only 50%?'' He felt troubled a little. ''Does that mean there is a high chance I might fail?'' Narrowing his eyes, he quietly dismissed the notification and turned his attention to the golden-covered book. A few basic information about its usage appeared in his mind. ''This book¡­ Is this an artifact?'' He was surprised for a moment. ''Hoho, let me name this book. Book of Unseen¡­Nah, Book of Secrets? Yes, this name looks good.'' At that moment, the Holem''s Crown began to speak excitingly. Ignoring its exciting words, Charles nced at the new information and soon asked. ''How should I use it?¡­ Wait¡­ I know.'' He hurriedly shifted his attention to the Twelve Rings form page and noticed that the whole page had already turned into a nk one! But Charles knew that this page was not a simple one! With that thought in his mind, he took the golden quill, dipped the brush into the ink bottle, and started writing his name and surname. Then, he wrote the date of birth, elemental affinities, their levels, and ce of birth. Once hepleted the basic process, he recited another short chant in runalnguage and thought of ranking up the Sub ss. No, he thought of ranking up with a 50% percent chance of sess! At that moment, the whole page began to move like a water wave and absorbed those ck letters! "Reveal." His cold voice echoed in the dark-red night while his eyes turned abnormally white. Simultaneously, his consciousness received vague feelings and emotions about his future self. No, he received some information about the urate future! Then, his hand moved on its own and started to write on the mysterious empty page. A few secondster, Charles snapped out from the strange state and looked at the mysterious page. "Sub ss¡­ Rank-Up¡­ Unknown anomaly¡­ Failure¡­ Distorted Shadow¡­ Death¡­" ''As I thought¡­ This I can''t blindly trust the system.'' A heavy sigh leaked out of his mouth. ''Then, what is the reason for the failure? In the vision, my future self felt that he regretted his decision to rank up earlier¡­ Why? Wait¡­ Is it has something to do with body strength?'' Charles''s eyes widened! ''Insufficient Body strength? I only have Expert Level body strength now¡­ Does that mean I need to increase my body strength to an Extraordinary Level before the advancement?'' He pressed his lips together and soon frowned. ''This is indeed troublesome. Hmm, I need to buy three types of potions and increase my body to an Extraordinary Level. But in the past six months, there was not even a single potion that appeared in the auction. Even if a potion appears in the future, countless mages would fight for it. A single potion might cost hundreds of thousands of gold coins. Not only that, but the opposite factions might try their best to raise the bid.'' Hisplexion turned gloomy all of a sudden. ''If I had known this-'' He abruptly stopped thinking and shook his head. All his previous decisions were right in one way or another. If he hadn''t increased his wisdom at that time, he might have already died in the hands of Destiny Lady! ''I don''t think your whole body attributes need to reach an Extraordinary Level to Rank Up the sub-ss.'' Suddenly, the Holem''s Crown interrupted his thinking. ''Oh? Care to exin a little?'' His eyebrows rose upward. ''Lad, your ''Trickster'' ss series mostly involves deceiving and tricking others. To deceive and trick others, what does one need most? Let''s take a normal street trickster as an example. What would he mostly rely on to trick others? Reflex and speed-'' Before the Holem''s Crown could finish its words, Charles opened his mouth and spoke. ''It''s dexterity. My dexterity should be above Extraordinary Level!'' A look of understanding appeared on his face. ''Then, I think I should focus on getting dexterity-rted ''Midday'' potion.'' He nodded inwardly and once again shifted his attention to the Book of Secrets. As he had expected, the Twelve Rings form page had already returned to a nk one and appeared good as new! Nodding his head, he once again took the golden quill, dipped it into the ink bottle, and started writing basic information about him. Then, he recited a short chant and began to think about where he would see the ''dexterity Potion.'' Same as before, his eyes turned abnormally white, and his hand began to move independently. A few minutester, he opened his eyes and looked at the page. "Inborn Midday Potion¡­ Crescent Crew Auction House¡­ Jessie failed¡­" ''Hmm? Failed to get the potion? Why? She must have more than one hundred thousand gold coins, right? I already told her to get it at all cost¡­ The Royal faction and Noble Faction members must have interfered¡­ Still, they would never spend too much money just to get a ''Midday'' potion¡­ Wait¡­ What if someone else interfered? Like the Mages from the Tower of Iron?'' He still remembered Jessie''s words about the mages. ''It seems I need to personally go and rattle them a bit.'' He nodded inwardly and once again turned his gaze towards the nk page. ''Next is about the mission to make the second consciousness to ''Love'' Destiny Lady and get the ''Love and ''Care'' emotions.'' He moved his hand and started to write. One minuteter, Charles returned to his normal state and looked at the mysterious page. "Love will seed¡­ But a Pain will appear¡­ In the end, Love and Pain will upy my soul¡­ Beware of the Divine¡­" Charles''s expression turned stiff as he read thest few words! ''Beware of the Divine¡­ Why does it appear here? Is it also a plot created by the Divine?'' A chill crept up to his spines. ''Divine¡­ Divine¡­ Why would a Divine want to create a ''Love'' for me? To further increase my progression? Does the Divine want me to Rank-Up sooner? Moreover, what does this ''Pain'' indicate? Will Destiny Lady die in the end? Finally, who is this scary stalking Divine? Rodia? Or other Goddess?'' Questions whirled in his mind. ''It seems I need to be very careful. Should I abandon the ''Love'' idea? Nah, it will not only dy my advancement, but it will also alert this stalking Divine.'' A grim look appeared on his face. After some time, he closed the golden-covered book, stored it in his space ring, and stood up from the Lawson Sofa. Then, he took the ck cane and went downstairs to meet the kids. ''Hmm, they should be sleeping now.'' He hesitated for a moment before he chose to go to the second floor and wake them up. A few minutester, Charles once again returned to the mansion''s rooftop, took out the golden-covered book, and started writing Rhea''s personal information on the mysterious page. Then, he recited the short incantation and entered a strange mode. A few secondster, he opened his amber eyes and soon squinted as he saw the content. "You will win¡­ The kids will win¡­ Rhea will be a Queen¡­ Beware of the Divine¡­" "F*cking Divine again¡­" He cursed loudly and clenched his fist tighter. ''I changed my mind.'' He muttered in a grave tone. ''Oh? Are you going to give up?'' The Holem''s Crown asked in a carefree attitude. ''Give up? If there was such an option, I would have given up long ago. Sadly, this is not for me to decide.'' A bitter smile appeared on his face. He had a vague feeling that even if he Ranks up and bes a Rank-4 ze Sorcerer, he would be toyed by this stalking ''Divine'' in the end! Chapter 190: Modifying the Clone Chapter 190: Modifying the Clone ''This Divine''s main target is definitely not me. It must be Rhea or the Legacy. Hmm, I will do as the Divine wants.'' A cold smile appeared on Charles''s face. ''You are crazy! You are nning to trick a Divine, aren''t you?'' The Holem''s Crown instantly saw through his inner thoughts and shouted in his mind. ''Hehe, why are you panicking? This world''s ''Will'' will definitely retaliate if this Divine dares to send his/her main body and cause trouble. No, this Divine can''t even send an incarnation and avatar due to the nar alliance. So, this sneaky Divine must be using some possession method to upy a mortal''s body and plotting something big. A Divine''s consciousness in the mortal body¡­ If I didn''t even defeat this one, how would I rise to be an omnipotent one day?'' A chuckle escaped out of his mouth. ''But Divine is still a ''Divine,''d. You are not strong enough.'' The Holem''s Crown warned in an anxious tone. ''Yes, I''m indeed weak. But do I even have a choice now? Although I can escape to the Fire Elemental ne, I want to keep that as ast option.'' He sighed heavily and asked. ''Mr. Rh, can I able to create an artificial clone using my blood? Is there any method?'' ''¡­¡­'' A silence answered. ''You indeed are a strange human.'' The Holem''s Crown couldn''t help but mutter. Then, it went silent for two more seconds and spoke. ''Indeed. There are several methods out there to create one''s clone self,d. But all of them ended as failures. You can clone yourself, and even put your consciousness into it. But the clone won''t be able to sustain its life for any more than ten days. Moreover, this clone''s strength will be turned into a ssless mortal. Unless you create an artificial soul for the clone, it will die eventually.'' ''It''s alright. Give me one suitable method.'' Charles didn''t put much thought into it and ordered. Meanwhile, the Holem''s Crown let out a helpless sigh and sent a collection of information to his mind. If it were another Ancient Mage, he would have difficulty recalling tens of thousands of years old memories. Fortunately, the Holem''s Crown had [Historian] ss''s [Recall] skill. On the other hand, Charles received a bunch of information and started skimming through it. After a whole minute of silence, he turned his gaze towards the ck cane and smiled wryly. ''This method is too costly and tooplicated¡­'' ''Why are youining? You have so many advantages. During my childhood days, I have done many chore works and even worked as a beggar for three years. I rose step by step, and reached the realm of Legendaries at the age of 3,000! But here, you already startedining only after working for six months. Humph, if you want to achieve something, you have to be patient.'' The Holem''s Crown said in a displeased tone. ''Stop acting like you are my Teacher.'' Charles red at the ck cane. ''Humph, even if you didn''t admit it, I already became your Teacher.'' Ignoring the artifact''s nonsense, he leaned his back against the sofa and entered the Inner World. A momentter, his consciousness form appeared in front of argeva pool, and he looked around. Charles saw that the whole surroundings had started to change into a fire ne. He even saw many volcanic mountain ranges,vakes, pools, and even onerge sea appeared far away. He turned his gaze towards the right side and saw his half-finished ''Incarnation.'' Currently, it was standing a few hundred meters away from him and waving its hand in his direction. ''This consciousness has already started acting more like a normal human.'' He also waved his hand and turned into mes before teleporting. A momentter, a humanoid me appeared in front of the Clone'' Him'' and formed into an illusionary appearance of a blue-haired young man. Then, Charles turned his illusionary self into a white-haired old man''s one and smiled at the clone. Although both were his own consciousness, Charles could feel that the other party was already evolving into a unique one. Nodding inwardly, he looked at the clone ''Charles'' and asked. "What is your name?" At that moment, confusion dawn on the clone''s face. The clone then tilted its head, pointed its illusionary hand at its head, and spoke in confusion. "Charles? No, I''m not Charles¡­ Maybe a remnant memory? Yes, I''m a memory with no name." A surprise shed on Charles''s face. Then, he stared deeply into the clone''s eyes and asked like a devil. "Do you want to be a real ''Charles''?" At that moment, hesitation, unwillingness, anxiety, and confusion appeared on its face. The clone stared at Charles for a few seconds and shook its head. "I''m nothing but a part of ''You.'' If I separated from this Inner World, my consciousness will die in a month or two." ''This consciousness¡­'' He was stunned inside. ''Hehe, I can already see through its inner emotions. Hmm, after reading many of my memories, this ''guy'' already started to gain emotions. Heh, this consciousness wants me to create a clone body for itself, huh¡­ With a living body, it wants to live more like a normal human¡­ As expected of a crafty fellow¡­'' He turned his face into a solemn one and nodded. "I will give you a body when I advance into Rank-5 and let you enjoy on your own. As long as ''I'' be an omnipotent being, you can continue enjoying that life forever." Meanwhile, the Clone ''Him'' pondered for a moment and nodded its head. "Good. From now on, you are the real Charles and I''m Oswald Raven. Now, there is something I want you to do using my real body. Can you do it?" He asked. Although the ''Clone'' didn''t understand his words, it didn''t put much thought into it and nodded. "Excellent. Before I give you this mission, I will turn you into aplete ''consciousness.''" Saying so, Charles appeared in front of his illusionary ''Clone'' form and started analyzing all the memories. ''Hmm, cold, calctive, and calm emotions arecking.'' He closed his eyes for a moment and opened his hand. At that moment, tens of stones, pebbles, liquidvas came out from different directions and started turning into simple red clouds. Without wasting any time, Charles directly sent the memories into his ''Clone'' self and started to act. He sent countless memories into the illusionary form for the next few hours and modified his ''Consciousness'' into a unique Charles. Once he turns this ''Consciousness'' into a smart one, he looked up at the ''Soul Heal'' spell model and turned into a me before teleporting. A momentter, he appeared in front of the ''Soul Heal'' spell model and started extracting a bit of ''Love'' and ''Care'' emotions from it. Those emotions appeared more like a ball of bluish-green me! He once again turned into a me before teleporting and reappeared in front of the clone ''Him.'' Then, he closed his eyes and started extracting all his memories about Destiny Lady from the Inner World. Then, he replicated those memories and made ''Destiny Lady'' look unique and attractive in the newly modified memories. ''No, just attractive won''t be enough to induce this consciousness''s inner emotions. I need to add something else.'' He frowned for a moment and soon blinked his eyes. ''Destiny Lady is definitely searching for ''Charles.'' Why not modify those memories and made it look like she is using an excuse to get close to Charles?¡­ Nah, my ''clone'' is not a dumb idiot¡­ I shouldn''t make it looks like a forced one¡­ Wait. What if I tell Destiny Lady that ''Charles'' has a crush on her? If I give her some hint that he has some feelings for her, she would definitely use it as an opportunity and gets close to him¡­'' ''Yes, I also made a prank on her at the end of the Chester City incident¡­ That will definitely dismiss her suspicion. She wants to find some clues about her missing lover. To achieve her goal, she would go on any length.'' He nodded his head and only made a few modifications in those memories. After that, he fused them with the ''Love'' and ''Care'' emotion mes and directly pushed them into the clone''s chest! The next instant, the clone knelt on the ground and gripped its head. Countless information about Destiny Lady, their previous interactions, her worried reactions, cold attitude, and the blood dimension battle incidents started to appear one by one in the clone''s mind. Although the clone felt something odd about the new memories, it didn''t put much thought and absorbed itpletely. A few secondster, the clone ''Charles'' stood up and nodded its head. "Good. Familiarise yourself with these new memories and wait." Saying so, Charles turned into a me and left the Inner World! A momentter, he opened his amber eyes and noticed that it was already morning. "I should go and get some rest." He muttered inwardly, gripped the ck cane, and stood up from the Lawson Sofa. Chapter 191: Coincidence Chapter 191: Coincidence A few minutester, Charles entered his private room on the third floor and went near the red-curtained window. Once he arrived in front of it, he opened the curtain and looked outside. In the front yard, hundreds of kids stood there while doing different kinds of exercise and training. They were all newly recruited kids from slums andmoners'' districts! Currently, the yard had turned into a training ground! Although Charles told Rhea to recruit more than 200 kids, she and others only found 94 kids with ''High'' elemental affinity in the whole Slums and Commoners'' District. While the kids were in training, a few elite guards took the teaching role and pointed out the kids'' mistakes. Those guards were personally sent here by the Elliott Mage family to guard the mansion! ''Hmm, there are 30 Soldiers, 20 Bowman, 20 Knight, 10 Mages, and 14 Thieves. Not a bad start.'' A pleased smile appeared on his face. He then released his wisdom power, scanned the whole mansion, and soon zeroed his gaze towards Rhea''s room. During the past six months, she constructed her remaining spell models and had already be a Rank-2 [Ice Magus]! Not only that, but she also chose [Astrologer] ss as her Sub-ss and was progressing steadily. ''She is indeed a rare gem.'' He nodded his head and soon turned his attention towards Noel''s room. ''As expected of a genius, he might be a Rank-3 [Blood Swordsman] before the end of next year¡­'' He was stunned by the speed of Noel''s progression. Charles then retracted his gaze, focused his attention on Titus, and checked his status. ''Hmm, he is advancing at an average speed. If he goes by this speed, others would definitely surpass him¡­'' He frowned a bit and soon turned his attention towards Jessie''s room. ''Where is she?'' He searched the whole mansion but found no presence of her! The next instant, ayer of me wrapped his body and teleported him from there! A momentter, a ball of fire appeared in front of Titus and soon transformed into a white-haired old man! At this moment, Titus was in the middle of practicing his dagger skill but got stumped by his teacher''s arrival! "Teacher!" He hurriedly sheathed his dagger and bowed his head. On the other hand, Charles nodded his head and asked. "Where is your sister?" "She went to the auction house," Titus replied in an instant. ''Oh? Inborn Midday potion¡­ Is it today?'' Charles raised his eyebrows and soon covered his body in a meyer before disappearing. A momentter, he appeared in the sky, cast [Fallen Angel''s Wings] on himself, and started pping those wings. After that, he turned his gaze towards the Merchants'' District and soon focused his attention on a three-storied tall building. The next instant, he used [me Teleportation], disappeared from the sky, and reappeared above a three-storied building in Merchants'' District. Charles pped his reddish-ck wings twice, descended onto the rooftop, and soonnded. Then, he dismissed the wings and looked at the street from above. The next instant, he once again cast [me Teleportation] spell on himself, disappeared from there, and reappeared on the street road while frightening the tens of passersby. Without minding their scared behavior, he started walking towards the nearby food stall owner and asked. "Youngd, do you know the location of the Crescent Crew Auction House?" Upon hearing his cold words, the food stall owner, who looked around 30-years old man, nodded his head and pointed his finger towards a tall building located at the end of the street road. Meanwhile, Charles thanked the stall owner and gripped the ck cane''s handle. The next second, ayer of crimson me enveloped his body before he got teleported! A secondter, Charles suddenly appeared in front of the three-storied tall building and startled the two gatekeepers. But as they saw his appearance, both of them froze for a moment and soon bowed their heads. Meanwhile, Charles simply waved his hand and stared at the entrance. No, his gaze glued on the symbol of the auction house. ''An eye symbol? Heh, this auction house belongs to the Amber Church, huh.'' He nodded inwardly and then gazed at the nearby ck-haired gatekeeper. "How much time has passed since the auction began?" He asked in a calm voice. The ck-haired gatekeeper made a forced smile as he heard those words and responded in a nervous tone. "It has been already 30 minutes, My Lord." ''30 minutes?'' Charles furrowed his brows and started walking into the building. Although another gatekeeper tried to block him, the ck-haired man instantly shook his head and warned him not to act. Meanwhile, Charles entered the reception hall, saw a few young girls sat in the corner of the hall and appeared to be in the middle of eating. All of them wore unique red suits and appeared professional. Noticing his arrival, one blonde-haired girl stood up from her seat, ced the fork and knife beside the te, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and walked towards his direction. In seconds, she arrived in front of him and greeted him with a bow. Before she could speak, Charles stared into her scarlet eyes and asked in an impatient tone. "Can I participate in the auction now?" Upon hearing his words, the blonde-haired girl froze for a moment and soon shook her head. "Even if you are a VIP cardholder, we won''t let anyone in now, Mister. These are auction rules." "Is that so?" A cold look appeared on Charles''s face. He then waved his hand, conjured a ball of me, and smirked. "Ask your manager toe and meet me." It was an order! On the other hand, the blonde-haired girl got stunned for a moment and soon nodded her head. ''A Rank-3 Mage? Humph, even if you are an Ember Wizard, you have to abide by the rules here.'' She muttered inwardly before turning around and hurriedly went towards the right side office room. A few momentster, she returned with a slim woman in a red peplum dress. That woman had long silvery hair, a pear-shaped body, a pale face, oceanic eyes, a hawk nose, and appeared around 25-years old. Upon seeing her appearance, Charles''s eyes squinted all of a sudden. ''Be Collins¡­ What a coincidence¡­'' The corner of his lips twitched. ''Why would the Amber Bank manager of Riverdale City appear here?'' He suddenly paused and soon narrowed his eyes. ''Collins family¡­ That dumb assassin, who revealed himself to the enemy during Eve''s death and got imprisoned by a space cube, also said that he is from the Collins family¡­ Is she the one who sent him to protect Eve? Why?'' Confusion appeared on his face. On the other hand, Be Collins arrived in front of him, made a forced smile, and bowed her head. "Be Collins of Crescent Crew auction house greets Ancient Mage Oswald." "You are Be Collins?" Charles suddenly released his wisdom power and stared at her deadly. The next instant, Be''s whole body started to quiver by the might of his wisdom power! "Y-Yes." She spoke in a nervous tone and soon added while giving him a golden card. "Please don''t get angry. Y-You are qualified to join the auction, My Lord." ''Wow, is this the power of the ''Ancient Mage'' title?'' He blinked his eyes twice and soon asked. "Do you still remember Charles Nightwind?" For a moment, a shock appeared on her face. She soon regained herposure and nodded her head. "He is my grandson¡­ Now, do you understand why I''m furious at you?" He asked in a cold voice. Confusion, shock, anxiety, and fear appeared on Be''s face. "I-Is it due to A-Amber Curse?" She asked in a stutter. Before Charles could nod, she bent her waist and confessed. "I only forced him to sign a few documents and forbid him from opening ounts in Riverdale Amber Bank, My Lord. But someone from the Amber Church took the document and used that as an excuse to ce an Amber Curse on him." "Someone else?" His forehead furrowed. Meanwhile, Be nodded her head and responded. "Y-Yes, My Lord. That ''Someone'' is the one who demoted me for trying to save Charles''s mother and transferred me to this remote kingdom." Upon hearing those words, Charles''s wrinkled face hardened. ''Someone¡­ Does Amber Church have involvement in Eve''s death? Is this person ackey of Red Prince? Or, someone else?'' He pressed his lips together and asked. "Do you have any clue about who this ''Someone'' is?" "No, My Lord-" She suddenly paused for a moment and added. "I have slight suspicion on Archbishop Royce, My Lord. When I was working in Riverdale Bank, he is the one who ordered me to use the contract paper to restrict Charles." ''Archbishop Royce¡­ An Amber Church member, huh.'' He frowned for a moment and then asked. "Where is he working now?" "He is currently in this kingdom. Moreover, I heard that he has some ties with Felicity Bonere and her father Duke Foster." Be said in a suppressing tone. ''What a ''coincidence.'' It seems I need to purify this Archbishop''s corrupted mind¡­'' He sighed inwardly and started to walk towards the right-side corridor. Meanwhile, Be Collins nced at the blonde-haired girl and gestured her to show him the way. Noticing her gaze, the blonde-haired girl nodded her head, took the lead, and spoke in a nervous tone. "P-Please follow me, My Lord." Meanwhile, Charles curled his lips upward and nodded. Chapter 192: Auction Chapter 192: Auction Hall No.5, Second Floor, Crescent Crew Auction House, Brian Street, Merchant District. Inside the hall, hundreds of people, including Mages, Nobles, merchants, and even some well-dressed adventurers, sat on their allocated seats and patiently listened to the auctioneer''s words. Meanwhile, a 30-year blonde-haired woman stood on the stage while holding a dagger in her right hand and spoke in a calm tone. But due to some enchanting sound artifact, it echoed in every corner of the hall. "There is also a rumor that this ''ze Dagger'' could even prate a Rank-4 Defensive spell and its sharpness couldn''t be matched with normal rare Rank weapons. So, this weapon has the qualification to be on par with Extraordinary Rank-4 artifacts! It''s a rare high-quality piece among the Rare-Rank daggers." The auctioneer paused for a moment and then added with a sweet smile on her face. "The starting price is 1,000 Gold coins, and the least bidding increment is fifty gold coins-" Before she could finish her words, someone raised their paddle and shouted. "2,500 Gold coins." "3,000." "4,000." ¡­ Within a few seconds, multiple Mages raised their paddles one by one and started their bidding. But once the amount crossed around 10,000 gold coins, most Mages and nobles shook their heads and gave up. After a few rounds of bidding, a wealthy and influential noble brought it at the cost of 13,600 gold coins! After that, he went near the stage, paid the right amount of gold on the spot, and got the dagger from the auctioneerdy''s hand. At that moment, the tightly shut metal door made a creaking noise and opened. Soon, a blonde-haired girl in her red suit walked in and attracted everyone''s attention. "Why are you here, Mira?" The auctioneerdy got surprised by her arrival and asked. On the other hand, a bitter smile appeared on Mira''s face as she stepped to her right side and bowed her head towards the door. "Pleasee in, My Lord." She said. Everyone, including the Rank-3 Mages, and Nobles got surprised upon seeing her action and shifted their gaze towards the entrance. Under everyone''s curious gazes, a white-haired old man in his ck suit walked inside and showed his cold appearance to others. The next instant, everyone widened their eyes and stood up from their seats with tense looks on their faces. They had clearly remembered this old monster''s disy a few months ago and got anxious about his arrival. On the other hand, Charles''s gaze swept past all those nobles and soonnded on a small blonde-haired girl in her long ck gown. She sat on the farthest seat and appeared more like a timid rabbit behind a few red-robed mages. At that moment, Jessie also saw her Teacher''s arrival and tried her best to see him. Shaking his head, Charles nced at the auctioneerdy and spoke. "Continue your work. I came here to check if my disciple is alright." Saying so, he started walking on the aisle and soon appeared in front of Jessie. Thankfully, thest row had a few empty seats. So, a red-robed mage, who sat beside Jessie, voluntarily stood up and gave up his seat to Charles. Meanwhile, Charles took his seat and satfortably on the seat. "Why are you here, Teacher?" Jessie nced around warily and asked in an anxious tone. She knew very well that her Teacher''s every action has deep meanings! ''Is there going to be some kind of riot?'' Her heart began to race faster, and cold sweats started to appear on her forehead. On the other hand, Charles smiled lightly and spoke. "Don''t mind me. Focus on the auction." A forced smile appeared on Jessie''s face. Now, she was damn sure that something was about to happen here! Unaware of her inner thoughts, Charles nced at the surrounding mages and nobles and soon focused his gaze on the elevated stage. At that moment, the blonde-haired auctioneerdy apologized to all the guests and took out a wooden box from the nearby table. She then opened it carefully and took out a wooden flute from it. After that, she held it in with both hands, ced her mouth on the lip te, and started to blow. A momentter, a strange melody started to resound in the hall. It was so intense which even caused Charles''s emotions to fluctuate! In a blink, anger and hate appeared in his eyes! But those dark emotions suddenly turned smooth and soon disappeared from his eyes. ''What a great artifact.'' Charles stared at the flute for a moment but shook his head. ''It can indeed affect my consciousness to some extent. But as long as I have good control over my Inner World, I can easily counter this ability.'' He muttered inwardly. Although the auctioneerdy blew it just for two seconds, it still affected everyone to a great extent! Noticing that she had attracted everyone''s attention, the auctioneerdy gave another apologetic bow and spoke. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we call this ''flute'' as ''Whisper of Emotions.'' As you have seen, this flute has a strange ability which could even affect a Rank-4 mage¡­" She suddenly paused for a moment as she saw everyone suddenly turned their heads and looked at Charles with curious expressions on their faces. To their disappointment, no one could see any change in his mood! An awkward silence appeared in the hall. The auctioneerdy clicked her tongue and spoke with a forced smile on her face. "I said that it could work on a Rank-4 Mage. But I never said that it could work on an Ancient Mage. Anyway, this artifact also has a long history and there is also a rumor spreading around that it was actually created by a Rank-5 [Poetaster]¡­" The auctioneerdy started to exin more about the flute and tried her best to promote it. Unfortunately, Charles''s sudden arrival ruined all of her ns. Among the hundreds of people, only ten people showed interest in the flute. After a short round of bidding, it was brought by a wealthy merchant for 18,000 gold coins. After that, the auctioneerdy auctioned few more items like a Rare Sword, a Tricolor flower, a rare mutated four-hand human ve, Rank-3 [Guardian] ss gem, etc., and sold them at high prices. The Rank-3 [Guardian] ss gem even sold for 54,600 gold coins! Two hours passed in a blink! "Ladies and Gentlemen, our next item is a bit special and rarely appears even in the auction." While speaking, she went near the wooden table, took out a small metal box, opened it with a click, and showed the content to everyone. "This one is called ''Inborn Midday Potion'', brewed by a Rank-4 [Mystic Brewer] Stephen. It''s a Dexterity Potion." Once she finished her words, the whole hall turned into an uproar! She silently closed the metal box, elegantly ced it on the wooden table, and started to speak with a smile. "The starting price is 16,000 Gold coins, and the least bidding increment is 200 gold coins. Let the bidding start." Chapter 193: Bidding Chapter 193: Bidding "17.500." "18.500." "20.000." "23.000." ¡­ The bidding started to rise steadily as the auctioneerdy ended her speech. Upon watching such a scene, Charles suddenly felt something was amiss. ''Why do I feel like we would lose in the bedding?'' A strange premonition appeared in his mind. "Jessie, who informed you about today''s auction? Who said that someone is going to ce the ''Midday'' potion for auctioneering?" During normal days, she would alwayse to attend the auction with Rhea or Titus. But today, she came here alone while informing others about her departure in a hurry, which gave Charles a bad feeling. Meanwhile, Jessie didn''t put much thought into it and spoke in a calm tone. "Actually, this ''Midday'' potion is supposed to auction three weekster, Teacher. But the auction manager suddenly changed the program and chose to put seven more items in today''s auction. Thankfully, she sends someone to inform me, otherwise; I would have missed such a great opportunity." She said with a regretting tone before raising her paddle and added. "45,000 Gold coins." Her voice instantly attracted everyone''s attention! Almost everyone turned their heads in unison and looked into her emerald-green eyes. On the other hand, Charles wore a troubled look and hurriedly took out the Book of Secrets, a golden quill, and ink bottle. Then, he opened the golden-covered book, flipped it to the mysterious nk page, and opened the ink bottle using another hand. Although nearby mages got startled by his strange actions, they didn''t put much thought into it and retracted their gazes. Meanwhile, Charles picked the golden quill, dipped it in ink, and wrote Jessie''s basic information. "Jessie Jones¡­ Date of birth 14.05.6382, Second Arcane Era,¡­ Elemental affinity ''High'' in Knowledge, ce of Birth¡­ Sweet Vige¡­" As he finished writing, he muttered the short chanting and soon entered a strange state. A few secondster, he snapped out of the strange state and looked at the newly mysterious page. "A young masterys his eyes on it¡­ He will buy it¡­ No matter what¡­ Jessie will fail." Those words appeared on the paper, and soon they started to distort before disappearing. ''A pampered fool, huh.'' He narrowed his eyes and soon heard Jessie''s words. "90,500 Gold coins." Other than Jessie, there were only two people who fought for this potion at that moment. One was a 30-years old looking woman in a ck hood, while the other was a ck-haired young man in his twenties. The ck-haired young man appeared a little fat, round face, pale skin, and wore a red silk waistcoat. His eyes showed cold, calctive, and cautiousness. ''He is not a pampered fool¡­'' A troubled expression appeared on his face. Meanwhile, that ck-haired young man raised his bidding paddle and spoke with a calm look on his face. "94,000 Gold coins." Charles''s eyes squinted as he heard those words. "Who is he?" He asked. Meanwhile, Jessie also wore a grim look and grumbled in dissatisfaction. "He is Duke Foster''s grandson son, Samson. He rarely visits the auction and always stays in the mansion while training. He is a Psychologist ss mystic, has a very stubborn character, and hard to handle. If heys his eyes on something, he would even spend millions of gold coins to buy it. I couldn''t even understand why that family would send such a character for an auction." ''Duke Foster¡­ Second consort Felicity Bonere''s father¡­ It seems I made the right choice.'' He nodded his head and spoke. "Try your best." Saying so, he leaned his back a little and closed his eyes. But if someone looks closely at his fingers, they would notice that his fingers were moving on their own like as if they were weaving something! On the other hand, Jessie once again raised her paddle and spoke in a cold tone. "100,000." She currently had 187,000 gold coins in her void pouch. But she didn''t think such a single potion would almost cost half of their savings. ''No. He hasn''t given up on the potion.'' She started to get anxious inside. ''Would Teacher get angry if I didn''t buy the potion? Would he kill him out of anger?'' She clearly knew of her Teacher''s temperament and sighed heavily. She felt like someone ced heavy boulders on her shoulders. Before she could think further, Samson raised his paddle and increased the bid. "120,000." A nk look appeared on her face. On the other hand, another hooded woman let out a disappointing sigh and shook her head. She gave up on spending more money on this dexterity potion. Noticing her face, the auctioneerdy nodded her head and spoke. "120,000 gold coins once¡­ Going twice¡­ 120,000 gold coins, if there-" Before she could finish her words, Jessie snapped out from the daze, picked the paddle, and raised it above her head. "130,000 Gold coins." Her cold voice echoed in the auction hall. Meanwhile, a change appeared on Samson''s face. He turned his face into a cold one, turned around, and stared into her eyes. His eyes were yellowish and appeared more like a poisonous snake''s eyes! An unknown fear gripped Jessie''s heart! As Samson was about cast a unique skill on her, his body suddenly turned stiff. No, he felt suffocated all of a sudden! ''Sh*t! That ancient mage is here.'' He cursed inwardly, turned around, and shouted in a hurry. "150,000 Gold coins." Simultaneously, he shifted his gaze turned towards the metal box, and grinned. ''An Ancient Mageys his eyes on it, huh. So what? I will get it no matter what.'' An icy look appeared on his face. While he was in muse, something extraordinary happened inside the metal box. A strange invisible ring passed through the metal box like an illusionary wire and encircled a small green vial ced in it. The next instant, the whole vial turned illusionary and went invisible! Two secondster, Charles opened his eyes, stretched his hands above his head, and stealthily caught something invisible. After that, he retracted his hands and crossed his arm together. Meanwhile, Jessie gritted her teeth, raised her bid paddle once again, and spoke. "180,000 Gold coins." It was her final bid. Unfortunately, the ck-haired man didn''t even turn around, raised the bidding paddle, and spoke. "200,000." As she heard those words, Jessie lost all her will to even look into her Teacher''s eyes. ''I lost.'' A bitter smile appeared on her face. Although she expected such an oue, she still felt hurt inside. She remained silent for another three seconds, and soon everyone turned around. But as they look at her watery eyes, they knew that the bidding was already over. Some were disappointed, while others felt amused. On the other hand, the auctioneerdy cleared her throat and spoke in a professional tone. "200,000 gold coins once¡­ 200,000 gold coins going twice,¡­200,000 gold coins going thrice¡­ Sold! Congrattions, Mr. Samson. You have won the ''Inborn Dexterity Potion'' for 200,000 gold coins!" Saying so, she went near the wooden table, picked up the metal box, and went near the stage end. At that moment, the ck-haired Samson also stood up from his seat, went towards the front stage, and took the metal box from her. After that, he turned around and started walking towards his seat while opening the metal box. Two secondster, the metal box opened with a clicking noise and soon revealed its content. No, it was nothing but an empty box! Chapter 194: Forewarning Chapter 194: Forewarning Samson''s face turned gloomier as he saw the empty metal box. He then turned around and showed it to the auctioneerdy. "There is nothing inside." His voice turned abnormally colder. On the other hand, the auctioneerdy''s face went pale. "H-How could that be? I just checked it a while ago, right?" She muttered in a shocked tone. "Someone stole the potion right under our watchful eyes," Samson said in an icy tone and turned his head towards the backside seat. His gaze soonnded on the white-haired old man! "He is the culprit." He didn''t show any fear and directly used Charles. The next instant, the whole hall went abrupt silence. No one dared to even look into Samson''s eyes. No, some even turned their heads away as if they hadn''t heard his earlier words! All of them knew the temperament of this old man and shook their heads at Samson''s reckless behavior. They felt that it was unnecessary to provoke a powerful man for a single potion. Some Rank-2 mages even cursed inwardly and wiped the cold sweats on their foreheads. Meanwhile, the auctioneerdy hurriedly stepped down from the stage, ran down the aisle, and spoke in an anxious tone. "Mr. Samson, using others without any valid evidence is not a noble thing. Remember, you are using the Ancient Mage." Her tone contains a hint of anger. In truth, even she felt that the Ancient Mage might be the one who stole the vial. ''But¡­ An almighty Ancient Mage like himself would do such petty trick?'' Such a thought appeared in her mind. She felt that some third party might have done that deliberately. On the other hand, Samson''s face turned red. He turned his head, look into the blonde-haired woman''s face, and spoke in a cold voice. "Foreigner, you don''t have the right to teach me what is noble, what is not. This is the Iron Kingdom, and we are the Rulers." As he said those words, the whole hall suddenly turned gloomier. While talking, Samson indirectly pulled all the nobles to his side and tactically defended himself. At that moment, a few other high-ss nobles let out a helpless sigh and nodded their heads in agreement. Only the red-robed mages and a few blue-robed mages remained seated calmly. But there was a hint of arrogance, pride, and loftiness that could be seen on their faces. On the other hand, the blonde-haired auctioneerdy made a forced smile and shook her head. She knew that the nobles of this kingdom were too arrogant and proud people and sighed inwardly. ''These morons really look down on this Ancient Mage.'' She started to feel pity. Meanwhile, Samson turned around, started walking towards Charles, full of killing intent. "Mr. Oswald, I need an exnation." He spoke in an icy tone. An amusing smile appeared on Charles''s wrinkled face as he heard the kid''s words. "You need an exnation, right?" He asked while gripping the ck cane''s handle and stood up from his seat. "Yes, I want to know why you used a petty method to steal the ''Midday'' potion." Samson stared into Charles''s eyes and spoke maliciously. ''Is he acting? Or, is he really using me?'' A heavy sigh leaked out of Charles''s mouth. He then turned his gaze towards the blonde-haired receptiondy and ordered while pointing his finger at Samson. "Search his clothes." "Y-You! You dare to search me?" A furious expression appeared on Samson''s face. "Why not? Who are you? A Rank-4 Mage? Or, a Rank-5? If not, why are you not kneeling in front of me? Moreover, what right do you have to use me?" As he spoke, Charles''s body suddenly enveloped in ayer of me and disappeared from there. A momentter, a humanoid me appeared in front of Samson''s eyes and soon formed into an appearance of a white-haired old man. "Kneel," Charles said coldly, gripped the ck cane, and tapped the heel on the concrete floor. The next instant, an invisible pressure appeared in the hall and pushed Samson''s body towards the floor! Before Samson could think further, his legs turned sluggish, causing him to kneel! Nodding his head, Charles turned towards the stupefied blonde-haireddy and frowned. "Why are you standing there? You haven''t searched him yet." He pointed his finger at the furiously looking Samson. Meanwhile, the blonde-haireddy snapped out from the daze, went near the kneeling Samson, and checked his pockets one by one. When she put her hand into his pant pocket, her brown eyes widened all of a sudden. After that, she hurriedly took out her hand and showed her finding to others. A greenish liquid vial appeared on her delicate palm. At that moment, Charles moved his hand, took the green vial from the auctioneer, and stored it in his space ring. Then, he looked down at the kneeling Samson and spoke with an understanding look on his face. "So your aim is not the vial, but my disciple, huh. I should have expected this petty trick from the Foster family." Saying so, he raised his right leg and kicked him on the chest. Upon seeing his action, every noble''s and even mages'' faces turned gloomier. They hurriedly stood up and stared at him with full of killing intent. Not only did this Ancient Mage force a Ruler ss member to kneel, but he also kicked him on the chest! Humiliating! His action truly infuriated everyone! "Mr. Oswald, you are humiliating a Ruler ss Member." A grey-haired old man in his seventies walked out from his seat and said in a cold tone. A few blue-robed mages, red-robed mages, and even a few nobles walked out and stared at him in anger and hate. Meanwhile, Charles gave one deep look at the old man and released his full wisdom power. "Be d that I didn''t kill him on the spot." Saying so, he turned around, nced at Jessie, and added. "Let''s go." But at that exact moment, a strong premonition appeared from the depths of his mind. ''Warning about the uing danger? This is a trap?'' His eyebrows furrowed. Simultaneously, he cast [me Teleportation] and disappeared from there. A momentter, he appeared behind Jessie and ced his hand on her shoulder. The next instant, both of their bodies enveloped in mes and disappeared from there. Within a second, they arrived at the auction house reception hall and startled the red-suited young girls. No, a few young girls even shouted in fright and hurriedly covered their mouths. Without minding their behavior, Charles fastened his footsteps towards the ss window, opened the saffron-colored curtain, and peeked outside. ''There is nothing abnormal¡­'' A deep line appeared between his brows. ''But why the premonition is growing stronger?'' His heart raced faster like an engine. ''Is it due to my earlier actions? Did I spoil Divine''s original n? But that stalking Divine wants me to grow stronger, right? Wait¡­ What if it is the opposite? If so, why is this ''Divine'' helping me to get the ''Love'' emotion? No, I''m missing some key information.'' His mind went chaos for a moment. ''Lad, what happened?'' The Holem''s Crown also noticed the anxiety in Charles''s heart and asked. ''I don''t know. But I think I need to rank up now.'' As he spoke in his mind, he started walking towards the right side office room and soon appeared in front of it. At that moment, Be also opened the wooden door and looked outside. "I want this room for a while. Wait outside." He interrupted her before she could even speak and looked at Jessie. Noticing his gaze, she instantly took out a dagger from her void pouch and gripped it tighter. "I will do the guarding, Teacher." Although she didn''t know what her Teacher was nning, she knew that he needs her help to watch the door! Meanwhile, Be wore a dazed look on her face and subconsciously nodded her head. Chapter 195: Shape-shifter Chapter 195: Shape-shifter Meanwhile, Charles entered the office room, closed the door, locked it from inside, and took out the green vial. After that, he opened the vial cap and gulped it down in one go. A momentter, a sharp pain appeared from the depths of his mind, causing him to grit his teeth subconsciously. Then, some mysterious power appeared from his stomach and started spreading towards all parts of his body! Simultaneously, Charles saw a change in his game interface and made a forced smile. ¡­ [You consumed a bottle of Inborn Midday Potion!] [2 points have been added to your Dexterity attribute!] [0.5 points have been added to your Strength attribute!] [0.4 points have been added to your Constitution attribute!] ¡­ ''Oh? It can even increase my other attributes? But why is it only 0.5 points?'' He was stunned for a moment and soon noticed a change in his hand movements. But he didn''t try testing his Hand of Mystery skill. ''I need to act faster.'' He muttered inwardly and nced at the Sub-ss Rank-up quest icon. ''Sess rate has been increased from 50% to 80%!'' He took a deep breath, focused his attention on the Sub-ss section, and poured 85,000 Exp points into it. ''Mr. Rh, protect me for a while. If someone dares to spy on us, use your power to distort the surroundings.'' Saying so, he sat on the floor, gripped his fist, and soon groaned in pain. At that moment, he felt that countless sharp needles were piercing through his whole body! Moreover, a strange itchy feeling appeared all over his body, causing him to scratch his face and chest. ''F*ck! This is insane.'' He cursed inwardly and soon noticed some transparent slimy liquids starting oozing out of his body pores. Like a snake shedding its skin, Charles''s body skin also began to peel off along with the slimy liquids! This process continued for the next 30 seconds and soon returned to normal. Then, pieces of information about sub-ss skills appeared and soon engraved in the depths of his Inner World. ''It''s over!'' He didn''t even wait for a moment before he cast the [Elemental Body] spell on himself and bathed his body in a crimson me. Two secondster, a wrinkled naked old man''s figure appeared in the room. Charles hurriedly stood up from the ground, took out a spare cloth from his space ring, and wore it. Simultaneously, he opened the game interface and nced at the notifications. ¡­ [Host has chosen the 2nd method for Rank-up!] [55,806 Exp has been deduced for the [Shape-Shifter] ss-Gem!] [29,194 Exp has been deduced for Rank-up!] [Shape-Shifter ss obtained!] [Host''s body is undergoing a mutation change!] [¡­] [Mutation Completed!] [Host''s Race has been changed from ''Half-Shifter'' to ''Shape-Shifter''] [You are now a true Shape-Shifter!] [1 Attribute points rewarded!] [20 skill points rewarded!] ¡­ [Skills Upgraded!] [''Vision'' skill has been upgraded to ''Foresight''] [''Face Change'' skill has been upgraded to ''Shape-Shifting''] [''Hand of Mystery'' skill has been upgraded to ''Sleight of Mystery Hand''] ¡­ ''Foresight¡­ This skill can let me see the uing danger in the form of vision. As long as the danger is within the next 10 minutes, this [Foresight] skill can perceive it and would give me some clues in the form of an image. Comparing to ''Vision'' skill, this one can warn me before even the danger arrives. Wait¡­ So my previous forewarning might be rted to this skill¡­'' ''Even though I hadn''t ranked up at that time, I used the [Book of Secrets] multiple times and already gained some understanding of Future Time. It''s is indeed a good skill¡­ But there is also a great weakness like once I activate this skill; it will enter into one-hour cooldown stage¡­'' ''And, if I want to get another foresight vision, I have to wait. There is also another problem with the ''Future Time'' skills. As long as I change the Future, it will cause a great change in ''Fate'' and create countless variations. It will definitely attract Astrologer ss Mystics.'' He paused for a moment and shifted his gaze towards the [Shape-shifting] skill. ''If I want topletely shape-shift into another person, I need a blood drop of the target and inject it into my bloodstream. Then, I will get data about the opposite party''s body structure. But there is also a side effect in this skill like a limited number of shape-shifting¡­'' ''With my current power, I can only shape-shift into five different people. Any more than that, my body will not be able to handle it. Moreover, I can only shape-shift into human-like creatures¡­ Tsk, I actually wanted to turn myself into a Dragon and give everyone a little scare¡­'' He clicked his tongue and soon changed his gaze towards [Sleight of Mystery Hand] skill. ''Unlike before, I can easily let the invisible strings pass through Space, entangle the enemy''s body, make them immobile, and even steal any random things from their space ring while bypassing their spiritual imprint¡­ Moreover, I can release more than a hundred invisible strings at a time¡­'' He was indeed surprised a little. After that, he looked at the [Cryptic Analysis] skill and noticed it had already increased from 180 to 189 points. ''I currently have 28 free skill points.'' He thought for a moment and chose to upgrade his unique skill using 11 skill points. A momentter, a sharp pain appeared from both his mind and his eyes! Like pricking needles, some invisible power started stabbing his eyes from inside!! Cursing loudly, Charles gritted his teeth, gripped his head, and tried his best not to rub the eyes. Like before, the painful sensation remained for another 20 seconds before it returned to normal! But unlike before, a few minute stars appeared within his amber eyes and gave off a sense of mysteriousness. Charles blinked his eyes and soon nced at the earlier notifications. ¡­ [Cryptic Analysis skill has reached its peak level!] [Upgrade is Possible!] [Upgrading¡­] [¡­] [Host''s eyes are undergoing a mutation process!] [¡­] [Wisdom Sight skill obtained!] ¡­ ''Wisdom Sight¡­ Not a bad skill.'' He nodded inwardly and soon nced at the ck cane. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown suddenly felt that some invisible power was looking at its weakest area! Without hesitation, the Holem''s Crown used its own power and created a defensive line! "Lad, what happened to your eyes?" It asked in an anxious tone. Earlier, it sensed the power of pure wisdom from Charles''s eyes and got shocked a little. One could hide from ''Fate'' and ''Time'' powers, but ''Wisdom'' power was an exception. It was a unique power and always has a way to see through one''s weakness! If given enough time, even Gods would feel anxious during battles! At that moment, Charles saw apletely new world. Whenever he looks at something, he would be able to find its weakest spot in a second! ''This skill is the best. No wonder that the ''True Lords'' organization assassinated Charles''s father. So, they didn''t fear [Inspect] skill, but they feared this upgraded version [Wisdom Sight] skill.'' A look of understanding appeared on his face. Chapter 196: Preparation Chapter 196: Preparation ''Now, let''s move on to the current problem.'' Charles stood up, took the ck cane, and started walking towards the wooden door. Within a few seconds, he opened the door with a click and walked outside. At that moment, hundreds of nobles and mages stood in the reception hall and were furiously shouting at Be! Once they noticed his presence, all of them turned their gazes towards his direction and looked at him angrily. They were certainly infuriated by his earlier action and came here for answers. ''Talking won''t do.'' He muttered. A momentter, hundreds of invisible strings came out from Charles''s right hand, spread out in an instant, and started entangling their necks one by one. "If you want to live, get the hell out of here." Charles''s voice turned abnormally cold, causing everyone to stiffen up. Without waiting for their reply, he closed his eyes, dismissed his [Sleight of Mystery Hand] skill, and focused on the [Foresight] skill. At that moment, a few images appeared in his mind. In those images, he saw three people stood outside this auction building! One was a ck-robed man with a red-lined white mask on his face. The next one was a silver-haired woman in a red frock coat. She had a square face, sky-blue eyes, and a bulging chest. Thest one was a white-haired old man in histe eighties. His face was filled with wrinkles, and he had pupil-less white eyes, a pale face, and wore a in white robe. But there was one thing that caught Charles''s attention most. It was the goat skull symbol engraved on their dresses. ''Divine Order members!'' He instantly identified their origin and frowned. ''Why would theye for me? Is it the stalking Divine''s doing?¡­ The ''Divine'' didn''t want me to be a Rank-4 Mystic?'' Such thought crossed his mind. But soon, he shook his head. ''There are three persons in the vision, and all of them seemed to be Rank-4 Mystics. Can I able to battle against them? If I couldn''t, wouldn''t all my ns go down?¡­ Wait¡­ The ''Divine'' knew about my disguise long ago, but it seemed to have no n on killing me. If it wants me dead, it could have sent these guys to the mansion two days ago¡­'' ''Then, why is it sending three Rank-4 Mystics? Or, is it changed my mind after my sudden Rank-up? Or, did the ''Divine'' want to injure me and suppress my growth? Or, is a third party behind this scheme?'' Questions whirled in his mind. ''They will be here within 8 minutes.'' A deep frown appeared on his forehead. ''I don''t care about others'' schemes. I will go all out and take everyone by surprise.'' A cold expression appeared on his face. He then turned his gaze towards Jessie and spoke in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, enchant her luck to the maximum.'' ''Are you sure? If I did that, she would be unlucky for the next two months.'' An old man''s voice echoed in Charles''s head. ''It''s better than dying now, right? I can''t protect her while battling Rank-4 Mystics¡­ If Divine Order members are making their move on me, they will also target these kids¡­ The other three are in a safer ce, but she is not.'' He responded while taking out the Starfall Codex Magic Book. At that moment, the Holem''s Crown let out a deep sigh, used its ''Luck'' skill, and enchanted her luck. Meanwhile, Charles flipped the pages and finally stopped at thest page. Then, he let out a deep sigh and spoke in a cold tone. "Things are going to get messy here,ss. Go to our mansion and protect Rhea. Someone might target her using this chaos." Upon hearing those words, Jessie''s emerald-green eyes widened, and soon she nodded her head. She then went to the office room, locked it from inside, removed her long ck gown, and changed her cloth into a normal ck shirt and pants. Then, she also took out a brown leather jacket and wore it over her shirt. Following that, she stored her clothes in her void pouch and walked out of the room. At that moment, she saw that her Teacher was chanting in weirdnguage and went more serious. ''It seems I need to go faster.'' She held her dagger with that thought in her mind and ran towards the entrance in a hurry. On the other hand, the nobles, Mages, and Merchants also started walking out of the building one by one and left the auction house. By the time Charles ended the chanting, only Be, Mira, the auctioneerdy, and few other red-suited young girls stood in the reception hall. A thinyer of sunshineyer enveloped Charles''s body and soon disappeared. It was Rank-4 Sun''s re spell from the 19th page! He soon nced at Be and others and furrowed his brows. "Why are you still here?" Upon hearing his words, Be pointed her fingers at the office room and spoke. "We can hide in the underground basement, My Lord." "Oh?" Charles nodded his head and started walking towards the entrance. At that moment, Be gestured other attentions to go inside the office room and started following after Charles. "You want to watch the battle? You might die." Charles continued to walk towards the entrance door and warned her. "I''m a Rank-3 [Spatial Mage] and also have a unique danger sensing skill, My Lord. As long as I sense any danger, I will escape." Be said with a smile and took out a short sword from her space ring. Meanwhile, Charles opened the entrance door, walked out of the building, and soon appeared at the building entrance. Due to his early warning, even those two gatekeepers got scared and had long left their guarding job. Only a chained dog sat in the corner while growling at him. Shaking his head, Charles opened the Starfall Codex book, flipped the pages, and soon stopped it at the 18th page. Unlike other ones, no spell incantation appeared on this page. Instead, only a few weird red magic circles and runal words appeared on it. ''It''s a one-time Incarnation summoning ritual circle.'' The Holem''s Crown answered in his head. ''Is it the ''Incarnation'' of the one who created this magic book?'' Charles couldn''t help but show a wary look at the weird magic circle page. ''I think so. But your soul power iscking. Once you use this summoning circle, you might die.'' The Holem''s Crown gave a warning. ''It''s useless then.'' Charles shook his head in disappointment before storing the magic book and tapped the ck cane''s heel on the concrete floor. The next instant, the ck cane began to shrink quickly and soon transformed into a reddish gem-embedded bracelet. Meanwhile, he swiftly caught the bracelet, wore it in his hand, and cast a [Needle of Ember] spell. A small reddish needle-like me appeared in front of him. Then, he cast [Sleight of Mystery Hand] skill, moved tens of invisible strings towards the needle, and made the [Needle of Ember] spell into an invisible one! ''This method consumes too much mental energy, and I can''t manage to move the invisible Needle spell at its peak speed¡­ But it is perfect for an assassination.'' He nodded inwardly and then took out the Ember Pistol from his space ring. Then, he used another invisible string, made the pistol invisible, and hid it next to him. Once everything was over, he let out a deep sigh and looked up at the gloomy dark sky. Even though it was still morning, dark clouds shrouded the blue sky and gave off the feeling of unease. Chapter 197: Change of Plans Chapter 197: Change of ns On the other hand, Be stared at his sides in confusion, took a few steps backward, and stood next to the wooden door. ''He can even make a spell disappear?¡­ Is it Invisibility?'' She was stunned inside. On the other hand, Charles furrowed his brows and released his wisdom power in all directions. ''They should have entered the city.'' He thought to himself. A secondter, he turned his head towards the eastern city wall, which appeared close to the auction hall, and narrowed his eyes. At that moment, he sensed twenty masked figures appeared on the city wall and seemed to be jumped down towards the city. They were currently moving towards the Nobles'' District. ''They are also targeting Rhea?'' His brows drew together. He also noticed many people suddenly appeared inside the city and started causing chaos everywhere. Although most of them were only Rank-1 and Rank-2, Charles knew that they could indeed distract all the city guards and mages for some time. ''It''s like the enemy made an urgent n¡­ As long as one or two Rank-4 Mages intervene, I can win this battle.'' He thought inwardly. At that exact moment, he felt multiple wisdom powers scanned him from Iron Tower and Nobles'' District! ''Hmm? The Rank-4 Mages and other Mystics want to watch the battle instead of protecting the citizens? So, they also knew about this trap?'' A grim look appeared on his wrinkled face. ''Who is the real maniptor? Is it Divine? Or another party? If so, where are they hiding now?¡­ No, wait¡­ The Inborn Midday Potion appeared in the auction only after I made a prophecy about it¡­ Be Collins is the one who changed the date¡­'' He abruptly froze for a second and asked with a frown. "Why did you change the auction schedule?" Upon hearing his words, Be got startled for a moment and responded without putting much thought into it. "Early morning, Potion Master Stephen contacted me and urged me to put the potion in morning auction. It seems he urgently needs some money and asked me personally. If it were others, I wouldn''t have agreed to that request, My Lord. But he is the only potion master in this city and also a Rank-4 [Mystic Brewer]. So, I have no choice but to agree to his request while only informing a few important customers." As Charles heard her words, the frown on his face deepened. ''Potion Master Stephen¡­ But why did Samsone to the auction¡­ Not only that, but he alsoid his eyes on the potion, fought for it, and even won the auction. No one should have known that I''m in dire need of that ''Midday'' potion except for the ''Divine''¡­ But he seemed to have aware of it¡­ He also acted like a reckless fool and showed full killing intent¡­'' ''What''s more interesting is Samson''s background. He is a grandson of Duke Foster and also a close rtive of Felicity Bonere¡­ Why would this family send him to attend the auction on this exact date? Do they have some link with the ''Divine''? It might be possible¡­ Then, there is also Be''s appearance in this auction house¡­ Coincidences¡­What if these are the schemes of Rodia''s Gem? Or, is the stalking ''Divine'' currently in possession of the ''Rodia''s Gem''? Why did Goddess Rodia ask me to find it sooner?'' Countless questions whirled in his mind. But he didn''t have enough time to think further as he saw three figures walked out from the nearby alley. ''They are here.'' He took out a long sword from his space ring and asked in his mind. ''Mr. Rh, can you cast the [Erase Existence] spell once?'' ''Impossible. My dark star hasn''t recovered from the previous bacsh. If you give me some precious materials, I might restore them shortly.'' The Holem''s Crown responded in an instant. On the other hand, Charles zeroed his gaze on the three figures and nodded his head. One was a ck-robed man with a red-lined white mask on his face. The next one was a silver-haired woman in a red frock coat and appeared around 30 to 35 years. She had a square face, sky-blue eyes, and a bulging chest. Thest one was a white-haired old man in histe eighties. His face was filled with wrinkles, and he had pupil-less white eyes, a pale face, and wore a in white robe. They were the same people from his earlier Vision! ''ck-robed man is a Rank-4 [Phantom Devil] and a normal one¡­ The silver-haired woman is a Rank-4 [Curse Mage], and she is at her peak level¡­ Then, the white-haired old man is a Rank-4 [Mad Man] and a Rank-3 [Whisperer of the Sea]¡­ A Dual ss Mystic. I''m no match against three people!'' While analyzing them, Charles also cast [Vision] skill and soon turned serious. He first zeroed his gaze on the ck-robed man and cast [Knowledge Absorber] spell. ''They are from Divine Orders and came here to kill me under the order of their ''Lord.'' They even prepared a curse spell¡­ Change of ns.'' He hurriedly cast [Fallen Angel''s Wings] on himself and pped his reddish-ck wings twice. The next instant, he flew up towards the sky, turned his gaze towards a particr street road, and saw twenty masked men in ck dresses sprinting towards the Nobles'' District. ''I need to take care of them first.'' He then turned his gaze towards another direction and saw Jessie was running towards the Nobles'' District from Merchants Street''s main road. She was currently entering a small alley and seemed to be talking a short-cut route! ''Mr. Rh, tell her to follow the survival n.'' He spoke in his mind before pping his wings forcefully and shot towards the white-masked figures. Meanwhile, the ck-robed man, the silver-haired woman, and the white-haired old man be utterly stunned for a moment and soon widened their eyes. "Why is he running away?" The silver-haired woman in a red suit spoke in a dazed tone. That was not supposed to happen! From the information they got from their ''Lord,'' they would have an easy time killing the target! "He is not running away, Vivian. He seemed to be going after ourckeys." The white-haired old man spoke. "What should we do now? Shall we go after the kids, Mr. Eric?" The ck-robed man asked in a cold voice. At that moment, he suddenly noticed that he had forgotten their original task! "No. Our job is to let Vivian put the curse on him and kill him quickly. As long as weplete this mission, our Lord will be pleased." This time, it was the white-haired old man named Eric who spoke those words. "Yeah," The ck-robed man widened his yellowish eyes and soon nodded his head in understanding. In the meantime, Vivian pped her hands together and said a few words in weird ng. A momentter, crystal-like wings appeared behind all three of them and pped on their own. In a second, they also flew up in the sky and soon moved towards the direction where Charles had gone. ¡­ On the other hand, Jessie ran towards Nobles'' District through a short-cut alley road and soon froze. ''Follow the survival n.'' An old man''s voice echoed in her head. But she felt that the voice appeared so familiar but unfamiliar. ''Who is it?'' She wore a startled look and asked in her mind. She also didn''t remember any survival n and got puzzled by the old man''s voice. But before she could ask further, a ck-dressed figure in a white mask jumped down from the nearby building rooftop and blocked her path. The path was only two meters wide, which gave no room for her even to escape! The opponent appeared to be around 180 cm tall, with a muscr body, and held a long sword in his hand. ''Oh, Lord of the Moon!'' She prayed silently and gripped the dagger in her right hand. At the same time, she stealthily took out a small purple vial from her void pouch, opened the tap, closed the vial''s tip using her finger, and asked. "Who are you?" Her eyes showed a hint of fear and anxiety. Even her legs started to tremble on their own! Chapter 198: Jessies resolve Chapter 198: Jessie''s resolve At that moment, another voice echoed in Jessie''s head. ''You need to calm down. He seemed to be holding back his strength¡­ Rush towards him madly and throw the vial when you reach 1.5 meters away from him.'' It was her second consciousness! Under her second consciousness''s instruction, Jessie sprinted towards the masked man and shouted. "Die!" Upon seeing her reckless move, an amusement smile appeared under the muscr man''s mask. ''Unfortunately, I''m not allowed to kill her.'' He let out a sigh and thought of knocking her out. "Kid, surrender yourself. I know that you are a Rank-2 [Reader] with nobat ss." He paused for a second and added with a big grin under his mask. "You will stand no chance against me." On the other hand, Jessie rushed towards him madly while showing a panicking expression and soon stopped as she arrived 1.5 meters away from the masked man. At the exact moment, she turned her face into a serious one, moved her other hand, and threw the purple vial towards his face. Upon seeing Jessie''s abrupt action, the muscr man got stunned. ''What is she throwing?'' Although potions were helpful in battles, he didn''t think a small kid like her would get her hands on some poisonous vial. ''But I can''t act carelessly.'' With that thought in his mind, he regained his calm and moved his sword to block the purple vial. As his sword collided against the vial, the ss vial broke into pieces and released a purple-colored pungent gas. The smell was so strong that it almost caused the muscr man to cover his nose involuntarily. The gas then erged like a cloud and started enveloping his body. ''F*ck! This isn''t some normal potion.'' He cursed inwardly and waved his sword to dismiss the purple smoke. "Rule no.1. Never underestimate your enemy." At that time, he heard a childish provocative voice from the front. "ursed brat-" As he was about to shout but stopped as he noticed that the blonde-haired girl was holding a matchstick and matchbox in her hands. But what infuriated him more was the smile that stered on her face. She was clearly looking down on him! ''She is not a normal runt.'' "What are you doing?" The muscr man got a great sense of danger and moved his sword. On the other hand, Jessie lit the matchstick, threw it in his direction, and backed away hurriedly. Each of her steps appeared elegant and perfect as if she had another pair of eyes behind her back! In the meantime, the muscr man abandoned his long sword and leaped towards the right side to evade the match stick. Unfortunately, the match stick made contact with the purple gas as he took two steps and ignited. A momentter, the whole cloud of purple gas suddenlybusted andpletely enveloped the muscr man. The fire which enveloped him suddenly changed into thick red color and started burning his skin! A painful scream echoed in the lone gloomy alley! On the other hand, Jessie halted her footsteps as she appeared 7 meters away from her enemy and spoke. "Rule no, 2: Never look down on money." The muscr man had no time to hear her nonsense! He hurriedly removed his cloth and rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire while moaning loudly. One second, two seconds, three seconds¡­ The fire began to burn fiercely, causing severe burns to appear on his skin! The fire remained around his body for 15 continuous seconds! By the time the fire disappeared from her eyes, she had noticed that a charred figure was lying on the dirt road and appeared to be breathing heavily. There was not a single cloth that appeared on his body. The burn extended through everyyer of his skin, and his whole body appeared charred! Only his face remained unaffected due to the white metal mask! Upon witnessing such a scene, even Jessie became shocked and started to get worried. Although she had seen murders, she hadn''t killed a person in her life. It was the first time she had even hurt someone! "P-Please, I b-beg you¡­H-Help me!" A painful moan appeared out of the charred man''s mouth. His tone was filled with pain, regret, and anguish. Jessie''s body quivered all over! "I-" She was about to reply but soon stopped. At that moment, her younger brother''s face appeared in her mind. When their Teacher asked Titus to steal money, he became hesitant and didn''t do it. Because of that, he failed in his personal mission. He was too softheaded and wouldn''t dare to hurt a soul. She also knew of his character! The same goes for Rhea and Noel! Never mind killing, both would never even try to hurt a soul. But she had seen many cruel things during the past six months. Unlike others, she roamed themoners'' District, Slum District, and Merchants'' District and had seen brutal murders in many areas while she was doing her personal mission. ''If Teacher hadn''t picked us up, I might have long dead and others would have be beggars¡­ What if our Teacher disappears one day? Would these Nobles let us live peacefully? Even if Rhea became a Queen, she wouldn''t punish others and might forgive them.'' At that moment, a firm resolution appeared in her mind. To protect her loved ones, she decided to abandon her soft side! She gripped her dagger and started walking towards the white-masked man. Once she appeared next to him, she squatted down, pointed the dagger tip at his throat, and removed the white mask. The next instant, her emerald-green eyes widened. The man''s face appeared around 40 years old and had a square face, thick eyebrows, pale skin, and deep-blue eyes. "Damian Fox, 41-years old, Leader of ck Stone thief gang¡­ You have three wives, five children, and have some connection with Baron Spencer¡­" Jessie spoke in a monotonous tone. As Damian heard those words, his deep-blue eyes squinted in shock! "H-How?" He breathed raucously and asked. "I indeed have nobat ss, Mister. But I have the power of knowledge and I knew each and every citizen''s name and their backgrounds." Jessie paused for a moment and added in a cold tone. "I also knew each and everyone''s weakness." As he heard those words, a bitter smile emerged on Damian''s face. He knew that she was threatening him using his family members! "W-What do y-you want to k-know?" He asked in a stuttering tone. "Who sent you?" Jessie maintained her stern look and probed. On the other hand, Damian blinked his eyes and spoke in a weak voice. "W-We are working for a c-certain organization called Divine Order. T-Today, they asked us to c-capture you and the other three kids." "Aren''t you guys afraid of our Teacher''s wrath?" Anger red up on Jessie''s face as she heard those words. Once again, Titus''s face appeared in front of her eyes. At that moment, Damian let out a sigh and responded. "N-No. T-Their main t-target might be y-your Teacher. H-He is an ancient mage and might have i-immensurable wealth. I-I h-heard that the h-higher o-officials already s-sent 3 R-Rank 4 M-Mystics to k-kill him." As he spoke, his body began to shake uncontrobly, and his breath grew rougher! He was dying! "S-Save m-me." He squeezed out those words and stared at her with a pleading look. On the other hand, Jessie bit her lips, nodded her head before raised her right hand, and directly stabbed the dagger into his chest. At that moment, her emerald-green eyes abnormally turned into scarlet ones! "A-Argh!" A shrilling voice came out from Damian''s voice as his body shook violently. His eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at her with full of shock and disbelief. On the other hand, Jessie pulled out the dagger with trembling hands and stabbed it into his heart again! Damian''s body shook a few times and went motionless. At that moment, Jessie''s hands and face were drenched entirely in Damian''s blood! Even after his body went motionless, Jessie stabbed him multiple times and regained her sense only after 10 seconds. "R-Rule No.3: N-Never trust your e-enemy." She said in a trembling voice. Tears appeared in her eyes and soon covered her bloody cheeks. Chapter 199: Spirit Hex Chapter 199: Spirit Hex ''Hurry up. We don''t have much time.'' Jessie''s second consciousness said. ''Yes.'' When Jessie was about to stand up, she suddenly noticed some red stone on Damian''s chest and became stunned. She hurriedly picked up the reddish gem and soon widened her eyes. "It''s a ss Gem!" A shocked expression appeared on her face. ''H-How?'' She had heard of these types of miracle phenomena but never believed it. ''So, one can really obtain a ss-Gem though killing? No, it''s not a miracle¡­ I might have met some requirements and obtained this ss Gem¡­'' ''Although Teacher said that he would get me a unique ss-Gem, I can''t dy any longer. Moreover, I need to hurry up and save others.'' She took out a leather pouch from her void pouch, cleaned the red gem with pure water, and directly swallowed it. An electric shock went through her own body a momentter, and soon pieces of information about the new red ss-Gem appeared in her mind. ''Blood Maniptor ss Gem¡­ Blood Shackle¡­ Blood Curse¡­ Blood Maniption¡­'' She muttered inwardly, ced her hand on Damian''s chest, and spoke in a trembling voice. "Blood Maniption." The next instant, red droplets appeared out of his chest one by one and soon formed into a fist-sized reddish ball. "This looks so evil¡­ Evil ss?" She couldn''t help but show a terrified look on her face. ''Nothing is evil. As long as we refrain from hurting innocent people, we are not evil.'' Her second consciousness responded instantly. Whenparing to her original consciousness, her second consciousness appeared very calm. One of the main reasons was that her second consciousness saw everything from the third person''s perspective and didn''t get affected by any guilty emotions! Jessie froze for a moment before nodding her head, controlled the blood, and made it into a shape of a sharp knife. ''As long as this blood knife is within a 20-meter radius, I can control it and move it with simple thoughts.'' She stood up in anxiety and started running towards Nobles'' District. ¡­ Down Street, Merchants District. Currently, a total of 24 white-masked figures in different outfits stood on the wide street road and was staring at a line of reddish fire that appeared on the road. On the other side, a white-haired old man in a ck suit stood on the dirt path and looked at three Rank-4 enemies, who were flying towards his direction from the opposite street. ''Mr. Rh, enchant my luck to the maximum. It will increase my survival chance.'' Charles muttered with a grim look on his face. ''Are you sure? The unluckiness effect might get severe,d. Even the Legend Eddie Nightwind died because of a severe unluckiness.'' The Holem''s Crown warned him. ''Do it. As long as I use the Book of Secrets, I can perceive the dangers and made preparations in advance.'' He muttered inwardly and plucked ckish feathers from his [Fallen Angel''s Wings] spell. On the other hand, the Holem''s Crown stole his next two months'' luck and started the enchantment. By the time the artifact finished its job, Charles had plucked a total of 20 ck feathers and dismissed the wing spell. At that moment, the three Rank-4 Mysticsnded in front of the 24 member assassin group and turned their gazes towards Charles. They were Vivian, Eric, and the ck-robed man. Charles instantly zeroed his gaze on the white-haired old man named Eric and cast [Fire Seed] spell. ''Oh? He hadn''t entered the Inner World? Yes, his other ss [Whisper of the Sea] is only Rank-3¡­'' Charles nodded inwardly and started gathering more information. ''ck-robed man''s name is Theo, and he is a member of Divine Order, while Eric and Vivian are not! They only had some connection with the Divine Order organization. So, they are outsiders?'' ''This Divine Order organization might not be a simple one. 24 Rank-3 [Phantom Stringer] ss Mystics¡­ 3 Rank-4 Mystics with different ss¡­ Even if I go all out, I would be troubled battling against these many people¡­'' At that moment, another type of information appeared in his mind. ''Hmm? They also seemed to have prepared a curse card spell called ''Spirit Hex'' to injure my soul and this card is currently with Vivian¡­ Let''s see I can sow malice seeds in their minds.'' While thinking, he curled his lips upward, zeroed his gaze on Vivian, and said with a smile. "You have done a good job luring them here, Vivian." Upon hearing his words, the old man named Eric and the ck-robed Theo suddenly took side steps and distanced themselves from her! It was their instinct response! In truth, Theo was the only core member of the Divine Order organization. On the other hand, Vivian and Eric belong to another powerful organization and rarely work with Divine Order. They were more like part-time allies! As long as the Divine Order organization pays them a good reward, they would do any work. But they would never ce their lives on the line toplete the job. In the meantime, Vivian''s face turned icy cold as she took a step forward and asked. "How did you know my name?" On the other hand, Charles took a step back and shook his head. "There is no need for you to act. You already told me about the ''Spirit Hex'' curse-" Before he could finish his words, all three of their eyes went wide! "H-How did you know about ''Spirit Hex''?" Vivian wore a confused look on her face. Among the three, only the white-haired old man named Eric knew about this secret and felt suspicious. She instantly gave a wary look at the white-haired old man and got ready for any unexpected attacks. On the other hand, Eric and Theo also looked at Vivian and showed wary looks. Using the opportunity, Charles cast [Fire Seed] on Vivian and probed her Inner World. In her cloudy Inner World, a reddish seed appeared in the sea of purplish clouds and began to burn a nearby cloud. At that moment, Vivian''s incarnation also noticed an anomaly in her Inner World, teleported in front of it, and directly squashed the [Fire Seed] spell. She had already entered her Inner World! As her incarnation was about to warn her original consciousness, another ray of fire appeared beside it and targeted her important memory. Before the incarnation could even act, that ray of fire directly burned a unique white cloud and disappeared from there! Simultaneously, Vivian felt a slight pain in her mind and noticed that she had forgotten something important! Meanwhile, a list of information appeared in Charles''s mind. ''Spirit Hex spell card¡­ A rare soul curse spell card created by a Destiny Conqueror member named Reid¡­ To ce this curse on the opponent, one needs to be within 20 meters of range and also have to recite a unique chant to activate¡­ This is a one-time spell card and the chanting recites are¡­ When the ice melts, a Destiny string would break¡­ Our Lady would reappear, in the form of a mortal¡­ She will reform the melted ice, save the Destiny¡­'' ''Oh? It seems the Destiny Conqueror organization really has some ties with Divine Order¡­'' He curled his lips upward and smiled at Vivian. At that moment, Vivian wore a shocked look and warned everyone. "Be careful! He can steal our important memories." Her words caused Eric''s and Theo''s bodies to tense up. Chapter 200: Weakness Chapter 200: Weakness On the other hand, Charles wore a mocking smile and retorted. "I''m a Fire Mage, not a Telepathist." At the exact moment, his gaze locked onto Theo''s face and released a mysterious power towards his Inner World! Meanwhile, the minute stars in Charles''s eyes also erged all of a sudden. His [Wisdom Sight] skill activated on its own! The next instant, he found a weakness in his perception! No, Theo''s perception was almost non-existed! ''His wisdom power is very low! He hasn''t reached 50 points yet. It''s his weakness!'' Without any hesitation, Charles cast [Fire Seed] spell on him and stealthily disrupting his thinking. While he was attacking Theo''s mind, Eric made a swift decision and rushed towards him at an astonishing speed! At the same time, Vivian also took out an eerie ck card from her space ring and started to chant. It was the [Spirit Hex] curse activation incantation! Even though Charles burned her important memory, she had long replicated the chanting method and stored it in her incarnation! As long as she finishes the incantation, she can activate the card and put the soul curse on this Ancient Mage! But before she could recite the first verse, she heard a metal clicking noise. The next instant, the space behind Theo''s head began to distort and revealed a metallic artifact, causing Vivian and Eric to pause for a moment. BANG! From the void, a crimson bullet came out from it! The bullet was so fast that it appeared in front of Theo''s nape in an instant! Before everyone could understand the situation, the crimson bullet entered his nape, tore through the vertebra, entered deep into his neck, and appeared in front of his throat, leaving a bloody hole behind! But that was just a start, though. A momentter, an invisible needle entered the hole and turned visible. At that moment, everyone saw a reddish crimson light appeared from the bloody hole! It was the Rank-3 [Needle of Ember] spell! Charles''s lips curled up as he raised his long sword and spat out a word. "Bang." The next instant, his body suddenly turned into a crimson me and disappeared from there. Simultaneously, the [Needle of Ember] spell broke apart and released a pure reddish me. It was a pure chaotic me! The next moment, the reddish chaos me entered Theo''s body andpletely corrupted him from inside. His skin turned ckish red, and his eyes and hair also began to turn darker. Following that, Theo''s body began to erge like a balloon and exploded while releasing chaotic reddish me in every direction! The explosion released a terrifying shockwave and caused Vivian and Eric to back away in a hurry. A small crater appeared on the dirt road! Shock and rm appeared on their faces. Even the Iron Tower Mages and other Mystics, who were observing the battle through their wisdom power, got utterly stunned! A Rank-4 Mystic died in a few seconds! No one could even understand how the Ancient Mage managed to kill him! At that moment, Charles suddenly appeared among the 24 masked assassins, released his full wisdom power, and threw the ck feathers in all directions. The Holem''s Crown also activated its freezing skill and froze the nearby assassins! A smirk appeared on his face as he gripped the long sword and made a whirling stance. A thin reddish aura enveloped his long sword as it cut through the air and appeared on the nearby assassin''s neck in a short amount of time. Before the other party could understand the situation, his long sword cleaved through his neck and moved towards the next assassin! Charles''s hand movements appeared blurring as his body whirled multiple times in two seconds and decapitated eight assassins! By the time he stopped his movement, assassins'' heads had flown up in the sky while spraying scarlet blood andnded on the dirt road one by one! All of them were Rank-3 Phantom Stringer ss Mystics! But they died before they could even think! But what made others feel terrified was that the Ancient Mage hadn''t cast a single Rank-4 spell! He stood among the dancing bodies and nced at the notification with a satisfied smile on his face. ¡­ [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host would get double Exp! 59,070 Exp rewarded!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host would get double Exp! 6,670 Exp rewarded!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host would get double Exp! 5,670 Exp rewarded!] [Target Eliminated! Due to Target''s special identity, the Host would get double Exp! 7,370 Exp rewarded!].¡­ ¡­ At that moment, the white-haired Eric released his wisdom power, turned around, and stared at Charles with a stern look on his face. Vivian also stopped reciting the chant, turned around, and gawked at the old man in amazement and shock. "Swordsmanship, teleportation and memory stealing¡­ As expected, this Ancient Mage really is from the Era of Past Time." She said with an admiration look on her face. But she didn''t lose her calm, though. She silently raised her right hand, conjured an eerie ck spear, and sent it towards Charles. It was a spell called the curse of Corrosion! As the spear was about to collide on Charles''s body, a thin yellowishyer appeared around his body and blocked it. The next instant, a loud bang echoed in the area, followed by screams! It was the screams of the nearby assassins! At that moment, the whole area was covered by this dense ck smoke and affected the masked assassins'' bodies. Thankfully, Rank-4 [Sun''s re] spellpletely blocked the smoke and nullified the corrosive smokes. Noticing that her curse spell was not effective on the Ancient Mage, Vivian let out a disappointing sigh and began to chant. Her voice also turned hoarse and appeared eerier! On the other hand, Eric also noticed the seriousness and let out a deep sigh. But that deep sigh caused Charles''s heart to elerate all of a sudden! The next instant, a ckish humanoid figure entered Charles''s Inner World, formed into a figure of an illusionary white-haired old man, and looked around. It was Eric''s [Mad Man] ss skill, Consciousness Invade! "Hmm? Why there are volcanic mountains andva pools? Is this the Inner World of an Ancient Mage?" He muttered in a shocked tone and took out an eerie greenish-blue gem from his pocket. In the meantime, Charles and his ''Clone'' also sensed a foreign presence in the Inner World and became stunned. ''Switch your consciousness with-'' As Charles was about to ask for his ''Clone'' help, he suddenly noticed a change in the game interface and stopped. ¡­ [Warning! Warning! Warning!] [A foreign consciousness is detected in Host''s Inner World!] [Safety protocol has been activated!] [Eliminating the foreign consciousness from the Host''s Inner World¡­] [Elimination Completed!] ¡­ In the meantime, an invisible ripple appeared from the deep volcanic world, formed into a sharp wave, and silently erased Eric''s illusionary consciousness! Only a greenish-blue gem floated in the air for a moment and fell into ava pool. ''What the f*ck? The system can even eliminate a foreign consciousness?'' Charles went daze for a moment in the real world and soon saw a twisted look on Eric''s face. No, he saw confusion, panic, and terror on the old man''s face. With a single look, he knew that the old man had received a severe bacsh and acted. He cast [me Teleportation] spell on himself, disappeared from there, and reappeared behind him. Simultaneously, he used [Sleight of Mystery Hand] andpletely bound his body with hundreds of invisible strings. "You choose the wrong opponent." An icy voice came from Charles''s mouth as he raised his sword and was about to sh but stopped. No, a thought appeared in his mind! ''Why can''t I use [Fire Seed] spell to get more information from him?'' At the same time, he sensed something was wrong with his thinking and shouted in his mind. ''Switch with me.'' The next instant, his ''Clone'' consciousness took control over his body and moved his hand. The reddish aura-coated long sword moved again and soon appeared near Eric''s neck. A momentter, his head was decapitated and rolled on the ground!